《Hexbound Apocalypse [LitRPG Apocalypse] (Book 1 Finished!)》 Chapter 1: The Integration Hazel leaned back against a wooden caf¨¦ chair, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. Her eyes absentmindedly gazed at the oak ceiling with lights hanging above her. She¡¯s been in this caf¨¦ for the past two to three hours trying to finish her essay for a class at her university. She was already on her third Mocha Frappuccino while vigorously typing on her laptop, getting closer and closer to completing her assignment. The only reason the young woman was taking a break was that her eyes were burning from constantly staring at the screen. Stifling a groan, Hazel then trained her eyes back on the laptop while brushing a piece of her charcoal black hair to the side to properly see her computer. The class she was writing this assignment was an English class. As for the assignment itself, the students were told to write an argumentative essay. The goal there was to make an argument regarding a topic and provide sufficient evidence to support it. It was your typical English essay, so Hazel wasn''t too bothered by it. She would rather do something else that was more entertaining, but this took priority at the moment, unfortunately. while working on her essay, Hazel¡¯s phone started vibrating. When she glanced at her phone to see who it was, she saw her mom¡¯s name on the screen, causing her brows to crease. ¡°Oh, no,¡± She grumbled. ¡°What does mom want now¡­¡± Reluctant to answer the call, Hazel picked up her phone and answered. ¡°Hello?¡± She said hesitantly. ¡°Hello, sweetie!¡± Her mother¡¯s voice was heard through the other line. ¡°I was just wondering how you were doing. Are you okay at your dorm? Is the university treating you well?¡± Hazel mentally groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose after hearing her mom¡¯s worried tone. After taking a deep breath, she tried to smile while talking into the phone. If she didn¡¯t smile while talking, her mom would be able to tell, and that was the last thing she needed at the moment. ¡°Yes, Mom, I¡¯m fine,¡± She replied, her voice sounding a bit strained as she forced down her irritation. ¡°The university is nice, so you don¡¯t have to constantly worry, okay?¡± This was a regular thing for Hazel when it came to speaking with her mother. Ever since she left home to live in the dorms at her campus, her mom had been constantly calling her and making sure that everything was alright. Although she appreciated her concern, she found it a bit tiresome at times. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Her mom questioned. ¡°If you need anything from me, you can always call and ask, okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I know, mom. But, really, I¡¯m fine.¡± Ever the worrisome mother as ever. Thankfully, Hazel knew just how to derail the situation to her advantage. ¡°So, how¡¯s Damien doing?¡± She immediately changed the subject. Hazel could practically hear the tone shift in her mother¡¯s gasp, just as she switched gears, her voice sounding more excited and happier. ¡°Oh, your little brother is doing well!¡± She beamed; her worried tone from before becoming a thing of the past. ¡°He joined a club about gaming. I believe he said that he helps test and codes games to make them better.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Hazel chuckled. ¡°Sure sounds like him to join a club like that.¡± Damien was Hazel¡¯s younger brother. He was a bit of a game fanatic, which was why Hazel wasn¡¯t surprised that her sibling joined a club about them. She believed that in the future, Damien would become a game developer. It made sense since he knew a little bit about coding and such when it came to making video games. ¡°I¡¯m assuming he¡¯s doing his homework and assignments like he should?¡± Hazel continued, doing her best to keep the topic away from her well-being, using her own sibling as a sacrifice. ¡°Of course! I even threatened to take away those little dru-whatever models he always collects." The mom lets out a sigh, prompting Hazel to chuckle. "Druid Miniatures, mom," She corrected. "Oh, now you''re starting to sound like your brother!" The mom huffed over the phone. "Either way, I threatened to take them away, and he listened." "I bet he did," Hazel stifled a laugh. "Well, I got to go¡­¡± She said, deciding to end the conversation short before her mom pestered her again. ¡°I have an assignment to do at the moment, and I¡¯m almost done.¡± ¡°Oh, then I¡¯ll leave you to it, sweetheart! I love you!¡± ¡°I love you too, Mom,¡± Hazel smiled before ending the call. Letting out a heavy sigh, she placed her phone back on the table before turning her attention back to her laptop. However, instead of feeling energetic to finish, she felt more drained than anything. Likely because of her conversation with her mother. This was normal for Hazel, so she tried not to let it get to her. Realizing that she was no longer motivated to continue writing her essay, she decided to take a break for a little bit. Saving her work, Hazel then turned off her laptop. The screen turned black in an instant, revealing her reflection. Natural porcelain skin, amber-brown eyes, and flowing black hair that trailed down to her upper back. Hazel stared at herself for a few seconds before letting out a heavy sigh. She soon closed her laptop and placed it in her backpack. She then reached into it and pulled out something else instead. A Fantasy Novel she just recently bought. Hazel was a major fan of the fantasy genre, or more specifically, Magic. She always had a fascination with the concept since she was little. More than that, she also always wanted to use it. To be able to conjure up a ball of fire or summon a bolt of lightning was something Hazel desperately wanted to do. Imagine being able to move things with your mind or heal people with a spell. If she was capable of doing something like that, Hazel''s life would be so much more interesting. At least more interesting than writing some stupid essay for her class. Sadly, that couldn''t happen since Magic wasn''t actually real. Well, apart from parlor tricks and sleight-of-hand performances, which Hazel found rather mundane, to say the least. Hazel, unfortunately, lived in the real world. Not a Fantasy one with swords and magic. And there was nothing that she could do to really change that. So, the only thing she could do to satisfy her obsession with magic was to read Fantasy novels. Where in their worlds, it was real. But even when Hazel knew the hard truth of the matter, there was always a part of her that wondered; how would her life turn out if Magic existed? Putting the thought aside for now, Hazel held her book and was just about to open it. Before she could, something materialized in front of her in the blink of an eye, startling her as a result. It looked like a Holographic panel from Sci-fi movies and novels. To make matters even more strange, there was something written on the panel. And it concerned Hazel deeply. [System Integration will soon commence¡­] [Worlds known as Gorus and Earth being selected for System Integration. During Integration, both worlds will merge into a new one. Name for the new world is pending¡­] [While System Integration is in process, System and Tutorial Introduction will now commence.] [All residents of both worlds will now be Transported to The Introduction Sequence.] ¡°What the¡­?!¡± Before Hazel could question what was going on, her vision started to go dark and she soon collapsed out of her chair and onto the cafe floor. Around her, she could hear more bodies falling on the floor along with the terrible noise of cars crashing into one another along with a chorus of alarms blaring outside the building. And those were the last things that Hazel heard before darkness completely engulfed her sight and her consciousness faded away. ... Hazel slowly opened her eyes, only to be instantly blinded by a bright light. She blinked a few times, allowing them to adjust to the sudden illumination flooding her vision. Once she could finally see clearly, she was in awe when she witnessed a white void surrounding her. Everywhere she looked, there was nothing but the white space as far as the eye could see. No buildings, no roads, no vehicles, or anything of that manner. Another thing Hazel noticed was that she wasn¡¯t standing or sitting, but in actuality, floating in mid-air.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Panic gripped her heart at this sudden realization and she remained still, afraid that moving would cause her to fall into the void, never to be seen again. Looking around, there also didn¡¯t appear to be any people with her as well. She was alone in this white space. ¡°H-hello¡­?¡± She called out with a shaky voice. ¡°I-is anybody there?¡± There was no answer. Only the sound of her voice echoing repeatedly and fading away could be heard. All of a sudden, a holographic text appeared before her. [Welcome, Hazel Thatcher, to the System.] Hazel¡¯s eyes widened as she read the text, a mixture of shock and confusion plastered on her face. ¡°W-what the hell¡­?¡± How did this panel know her name? The better question was why was this happening? Where was she? What happened when she left the caf¨¦? Plagued with so many questions, Hazel merely gawked at the panel, unable to say a word that inquired what was happening. [Your world along with another has been selected for the System Integration Procedure. As such, both worlds will merge into one and all residents from them will be integrated into the system.] Her eyes widened after reading. ¡°M-my world is being merged with another? Why?!¡± There were similar panels that said the same thing before she passed out and ended up here. But why was her world being merged with others? How was that even possible in the first place? Could she be dreaming about this? If this was a dream, it was extremely realistic and vivid as hell. Hazel didn¡¯t even believe that she was capable of conjuring up such a dream like this. In fact, her dreams were always barely understandable and weird like she¡¯s having dinner with her family and her mom suddenly turns into a chicken for some reason. It was always like that, so she was finding it a bit difficult to believe that this scenario right now was a dream as well. And yet at the same time, this couldn¡¯t have been real, right? She couldn¡¯t really be experiencing something like that, right? Hazel tilted her head in confusion while re-reading the panel. ¡°System Integration Procedure? What does that mean?¡± Instead of giving Hazel a proper answer, another panel materialized. [Commencing Player Initialization Sequence!] Suddenly, Hazel is overwhelmed by an electric sensation coursing through her body, as if she got struck by lightning. Her entire vessel tingled with sparks of electricity trickling across her skin. Despite her body looking like she was being electrified, she felt no pain whatsoever. Just a slight discomfort that made her stomach lurch, making her curl up into a ball in an attempt to alleviate it. It reminded her of that time she ate too much junk food when she was a kid and sat near the toilet, vomiting like there was no tomorrow. It felt surprisingly similar to that, but not as bad. This lasted for a few seconds before the tingling and discomfort slowly faded away. Letting out a sigh of relief, Hazel lifted her head to see another holographic panel appear. [Player Initialization Sequence has been completed!] [Please Select a Base Class of your choosing!] ¡°A¡­class?¡± Hazel mumbled, cocking an eyebrow. ¡°Like in an RPG game?¡± For a moment, Hazel believed that she was simply dreaming about this whole scenario after reading this panel. However, she was reminded of the Initialization Sequence before, confirming to herself that this wasn¡¯t some dream. Base Class An adept fighter that focuses on close-quarters combat. They can wield any weapon they see fit from swords, spears, maces, flails, etc. Due to their inclination to fight up close, they don heavy metal armor to protect themselves from any close-range attacks. Can Evolve into [Brawler], [Knight], [Swordsman], [Berserker], etc Base Class known from watching and attacking from a distance. Their main weapons are ranged types like Crossbows, Bows, and even firearms. They rely on their senses to weed out an enemy and take it down before it causes any trouble to them. Can evolve into [Archer], [Hunter], [Gunslinger], etc. Base Class Stealth-type fighters that attack while remaining hidden. Their weapon of choice is usually daggers, throwing knives, poison, and other covert weaponry. Can evolve into [Assassin], [Thief], [Scout], and [Spy], etc. Base Class Fighters that rely on holy magic to aid them in their battles. With holy magic, they can heal, buff, and shield their allies from danger. Can evolve into [Healer], [Priest], [Exorcist], etc. Base Class able to manipulate mana and cast spells to destroy their enemies. The more mana they possess, the more powerful their spells can be and how many times they can cast them. Can evolve into [Druid], [Necromancer], [Warlock], [Sorcerer], etc. ¡°Wow, this really is like a game¡­¡± Hazel marveled at the message, displaying her available classes. She wasn¡¯t sure why this whole system thing had an RPG mechanic, but as soon as her eyes laid on the Mage class, any confusion she felt before was instantly replaced with eagerness and joy. She could be a mage? Ever since she was a child, she always wanted to use magic. And at this very moment, she now had the option to choose a class that allowed her to wield her greatest dream. Who could say no to something like that? Forgetting the fact about her world being merged with others, along with the fact that she was in some white void, Hazel made her decision with only one goal in mind. Becoming a Magic User. ¡°I choose the Mage class!¡± Hazel declared without hesitation. [Base Class [Mage] has been selected!] [Skill [Mana Shield] has been obtained!] [Skill [Mana Bolt] has been obtained!] Hazel glanced down at her body, curious if anything changed. Sadly, she was still the same as before. At least her body wasn¡¯t being electrocuted this time, so that was kind of a bonus, she guessed. [Please pull up your Status Window to check your current progress by saying "Status".] Hazel cocked her head. "My status window, huh?" So, all she needed to do was say "Status" and it would appear? That sounded pretty straightforward. Taking a moment to collect herself, Hazel closed her eyes and sharply inhaled. "Status..." A split second later, she opened her eyes as another panel appeared before her very eyes. Status Window Name: Hazel Thatcher Race: Human Level: 1 Class: Mage Free Points: 0 Attributes: Strength: 7 Agility: 8 Endurance: 8 Intelligence: 11 Wisdom: 13 Willpower: 12 "Huh, so this is my status window, huh?" It seemed that the Status Window was some kind of Information Panel involving Hazel. It had her name, race, level, class, and even her attributes. Curious about the last bit, she scanned her attributes a bit more to get a better understanding of them. There were six Attributes in total, but she wasn''t sure what exactly all of them were for. Some seemed self-explanatory like Strength or Agility. But what did Intelligence or Wisdom do? Did they make her smarter and wiser or something? In RPGs, these stats were for Mages to give them more mana and make their spells stronger, but Hazel wasn''t certain that these stats did the same thing. Before Hazel could delve further into her status window, a new panel materialized before her. [Full Integration Procedure has been completed!] [Once again, Welcome to the Multiverse! As a resident of a world fated to become part of the system and the vast worlds, you are given the opportunity to rise and take advantage of what you¡¯ve been offered! Whether it''s glory, power, luxury, or anything else you desire, the system will allow you to achieve those goals. With the Leveling System, you can grow stronger by killing your enemies and completing quests produced by the System. The power and Class you currently possess are only the beginning, and you can choose whatever path you wish to take. Protect your world or conquer it and other worlds like it; all of this is up to you. Good Luck, and may you reach the pinnacle of your potential.] [Initiating Dungeon Tutorial Sequence!] [Randomly selecting Dungeon Tutorial Location.] [Dungeon Tutorial has been found! Dungeon Fractura has been selected! Player will now be transported to the Dungeon!] At that moment, everything faded to darkness as Hazel lost consciousness once again. However, it was only for a brief moment, and quickly woke back up, finally feeling the ground as she lay down on it. Opening her eyes, she was once again blinded by a light, but instead of the white void, it was a bright purple hue. Once they adjusted, allowing her to see, Hazel found herself in what appeared to be a gothic-style¡­church. Standing up, she scanned her surroundings to get a better look at the church she was transported to. There were no candles or any other light source except the purple hue poking through the stained glass window. Upon closer inspection, those windows bore images, like certain churches back in her world that had Jesus and other biblical figures on them. While admiring the figures on the stained glass, Hazel lowered her head and realized that she wasn¡¯t wearing her normal clothes. Instead, she was draped in a gray robe with a belt around her waist. Could it be a magic robe? She lightly touched the robes with her finger and thumb, rubbing it to feel the material. Hazel didn''t know what it was made of, but it was likely wool or linen. At least that was what it felt like to her. Pulling her hand away, her eyes trailed from her robes down to another item that was lying next to her. It was a gnarled staff or scepter. Picking up the item, she admired its craftsmanship for a moment. It was around Hazel¡¯s height or a little longer and felt smooth to the touch as if someone polished it. The staff had a bit of weight to it, but not enough to hinder her as she moved around. Much like the robe, this must''ve been a magic staff. She likely obtained these items after selecting the Mage class. That was the only conclusion she came up with that could explain why her appearance changed after leaving the white void. Which meant that the System likely gave them to her when she left. ¡°So, I get new gear to match with my class, huh? That¡¯s pretty convenient.¡± Hazel smiled, slightly elated that she had magic items in her possession. She then immediately froze, suddenly hearing a low growl nearby. Slowly turning around, her blood turned cold while being face to face with her first monster. And it was not what she expected to encounter at all¡­ It looked like a wolf of some kind, but twice as large, and its body was covered in purple-glowing cracks spiderwebbing all over as if it was cracking at the seams like glass. Its purple eyes glowered at Hazel while snarling viciously. As she continued to stare at the creature, a new panel materialized in front of her. And it appeared to contain information regarding the monster currently glaring at her. Level 2 A fractured monster that is now a shell of its former self due to the mana overload that destroyed this world, turning it into a Fractured World. Unlike regular dire wolves, a Fractured Dire Wolf is more vicious and dangerous due to its fractured Physiology. They are extremely dangerous, especially as a pack, so it is advised to be cautious around them. Staring at the info regarding this so-called ¡°Fractured Dire Wolf¡±, she barely reacted as she looked up and watched said creature leaping at her, its mouth gaping open and ready to rip her to shreds. Chapter 2: The Fractured World Hazel brought up her staff as the Fractured Dire Wolf jumped her, instantly snapping its jaw on the gnarled wood and letting out a vicious growl. She then lost her balance from this and fell on her back, still struggling against the purple fractured monster. It continued to gnaw on her staff, grinding its sharp teeth against the wood as if attempting to saw it off. Hazel was at a loss of what to do since she didn¡¯t have time to adjust to her surroundings yet. Plus, she still didn¡¯t know how to use magic. Did she have to cast verbally, mentally, or what? Or was it a different method altogether? ¡°G-get off¡­!¡± She shouted, pulling her legs up and kicking the monster off her. The fractured wolf sadly landed on its feet, almost with a bit of grace at that. It¡¯s supposed to be a wolf, so why was it landing like a cat? Before she was attacked again, Hazel used her staff to pull herself up. Once on her feet, her eyes were trained on the fractured monster, prepared for what was to come. Instead of charging at Hazel, it simply walked around her in a circle, possibly waiting for the right moment to strike. Meanwhile, she clutched her staff with both hands, her mind racing, trying to figure out what to do against her opponent. Then, in a desperate attempt, she pointed her gnarled weapon at the fractured wolf, hoping this would work. ¡°M-Mana Bolt!¡± She shouted with a stutter, visualizing a bolt of pure mana being shot out from the staff. It was her first time casting a spell, but she prayed to whatever higher being to let it work. Suddenly, Hazel felt a surge of power swell up within her, then transferring into her staff. A bright blue light erupted from the tip of the weapon before taking the shape of a pointed rod or bolt. She smiled, feeling elated. She could cast magic now! But she couldn¡¯t let her excitement distract her right now. There was still a monster that needed to be dealt with. As soon as the rod of pure mana was made, it shot forward like a bullet, going right for the Fractured wolf. However, it was quick on its feet and dove out of the way, not even getting grazed by the mana bolt as it zoomed past the creature. ¡°Oh, come on¡­!¡± Hazel said, feeling a bit annoyed. That was her first time using magic, and she didn¡¯t even hit the monster. But, she at least knew how to cast magic, so there was still a chance to win. Especially if she did this right. After dodging the mana bolt, the fractured wolf snarled, peeling back its lips to reveal its razor-sharp canines. Then, it lunged at Hazel again, likely believing that it had a chance to take her down. But that was where it was wrong. ¡°M-Mana Shield!¡± She shouted her second spell, imagining a dome barrier surrounding and protecting her from danger. Her body felt the wave of energy course through her and then into her staff before conjuring a transparent blue dome. Encasing the novice mage in a protective barrier. Hazel was in awe, staring at the dome shield made of pure mana. As for the Fractured wolf, it couldn¡¯t change course and move out of the way while in the air, and inevitably crashed into the barrier, letting out a loud yelp while walling on the floor. Hazel cracked a grin, delighted that she was able to use another magic spell. And this one appeared to be a barrier-type spell, protecting Hazel from danger. With this, she now didn¡¯t have to worry about the monster attacking her. Not with her Mana shield activated. However, something went wrong. Moments after her shield materialized before her, it began to disappear into particles. Hazel looked wide-eyed at the blue fragments floating up in the air then dissipated into nothing. ¡°W-what¡­why did it go away?!¡± Hazel was certain that she didn¡¯t deactivate her spell, so why did it disable like that? Was it on a timer or something? Or could it have been that she was out of mana? How would she know if that was the case in the first place? It felt like Hazel was extremely underprepared considering how clueless she was regarding the fundamentals of her class. While in the middle of a crisis, Hazel then heard the familiar growl of the Fractured Dire Wolf. Its vicious snarls pulled her attention away from her dozens of questions as she realized the bigger problem. She still had to deal with this purple-cracked monster. Her concerns regarding the Mana Shield''s disappearance were a problem for later. Right now, she needed to act! The Dire wolf let out another growl and lunged toward Hazel. Hastily raising her staff, she tried to cast her mana shield again. ¡°Mana Shield!¡± However, instead of watching the blue transparent dome appear like before, nothing happened. No surge of energy or anything like that. In fact, for a brief moment, she could feel the energy swelling up within her before abruptly stopping. As if there was something blocking the path. A wall that obstructed her mana from reacting to her spell. The dire wolf got closer, its maw wide open and prepared to sink its canines into Hazel and tear out her throat. ¡°C-crap¡­!¡± Reacting instinctively, Hazel jumped to the side, dodging the dire wolf, narrowly avoiding its vicious teeth. When the monster lunged past her, she whipped around and kept her eyes trained on it. And before it could attempt another attack, Hazel desperately directed her staff at the monster and cast another spell.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°M-Mana Bolt!¡± Another mana bolt was conjured before her. It materialized in front of the staff and then rocketed toward the target. The projectile soon made contact with its head, resulting in an explosion of purple shards flying around. At first, Hazel was confused by what happened but quickly concluded that when she killed the Dire Wolf, it then shattered into pieces like glass. Hazel stood there in shock; her mind unable to process the sudden turn of events she just experienced. It was only when another panel appeared in front of her that brought her out of it. [Level 2 Fractured Dire Wolf has been defeated!] ¡°I-I did it¡­¡± Hazel muttered, reading the kill notification. She felt a wave of relief wash over her, to the point where she had to sit down to calm down and catch her breath. Thankfully, there were no other enemies nearby, so she was safe for the moment. Otherwise, her best course of action would have been to run away instead. ¡°What even was that thing? It looked like a wolf, but it had those purple cracks all over its body.¡± That panel from before when she first encountered the creature informed her that it was called a Fractured Dire Wolf and that it was from a fractured world. Did that mean this place was¡­dead or destroyed? Was that even possible in the first place? And if the world was destroyed, then why did it turn into a dungeon? Distracted by so many questions, it took Hazel a moment to realize that another panel manifested before her, discussing the very topic of the dungeon itself. High Difficulty Dungeon The Dungeon known as Fractura used to be known as Totum, one of the first worlds assimilated into the System. However, due to an excessive amount of mana building up within its core, it could no longer sustain itself, thus exploding in the process. It is now known as a Fractured world, completely taken over by Entropy along with its former residents. The likelihood of survival is extremely low, and if you are one of the few individuals who do make it out alive, then you have more potential than first realized. Objective: To complete the dungeon, you have three options which are to spend one month within the dungeon, defeat a Sub-Boss, or kill the Dungeon Boss itself. Reward: Leaving the Dungeon and an Epic Loot Box Hazel¡¯s eyes widened before her brows furrowed angrily. ¡°A High Difficulty Dungeon? What kind of Tutorial was this?! I didn¡¯t select Hard Mode, dammit!¡± Her voice ranged through the church building as she continued to berate the Panel. She didn''t know what a Dungeon was, but according to the panel, it seemed to be some kind of world used for her Tutorial. And apparently, it was also a High-Level Difficult Dungeons with low chances of survival. So didn¡¯t that mean Hazel had a very high probability of dying in this place? Why did the system decide to drop her in such a death trap?! ¡°I know you randomly selected a Dungeon for me, but don¡¯t I at least get a choice in picking what difficulty I want?¡± She then released a sigh, realizing that talking to a panel wasn¡¯t going to change anything. Basically, she was dealt a very short stick, and there was nothing she could do about it. Except do whatever it took to survive. ¡°Good grief¡­¡± She muttered while pushing herself back up. ¡°This is not how I expected my life to go. At all.¡± Even though she was in a dangerous dungeon that could kill her, she at least knew the conditions to leave this place, which was staying here for a month or defeating some Bosses. Then again, just surviving here for thirty to thirty-one days sounded just as dangerous as going up against a Boss. For now, she needed to assess her surroundings, which meant that it was time to see what the outside world was like in this dungeon. Hopefully, she wasn¡¯t dealing with some hellish environment or something like that. She slowly walked down the church, walking past all the destroyed seats as she did, then making her way to the big wooden double doors. While in front of them, Hazel noticed similar purple cracks like from the Dire Wolf and everything else in this building. Whatever this fractured world was like, it clearly affected anything and everything no matter what it was. The description from the Fractured Dire Wolf said that these purple cracks were part of the Mana Overload that turned this dungeon into a Fractured World. Thankfully, there was nothing that said it was infectious, so Hazel felt relieved by that. However, that didn¡¯t change her feelings regarding the cracks. They gave off an eerie and disturbing aura that Hazel wanted to leave this place immediately. Sadly, that was impossible unless one of the three objectives was completed. For now, all she could was suck it up and push through. Right now, she needed information about this dungeon and what it was like, aside from the cracks and how it was fractured. She needed more to go on before she could do anything. With that in mind, Hazel took a deep breath while her hand reached for the door. Turning the knob, she pulled the door to open it. Doing so, she was greeted with a bizarre sight. Something that made her pause as her eyes and mouth were opened wide with shock at the sight. Just outside the church doors, she bore witness to an endless purple and pink space with hundreds of stars blanketing it. Along with that were chunks of landmass floating in the void. Some had buildings like houses, mansions, a series of shops, and the like, while the rest were simply pieces of the ground from their former world, drifting around aimlessly. Much like the gothic-style church, the rest of the buildings gave off the same architecture as if they were all from medieval times with knights and swords, and possibly magic as well. Walking a little further out, she was able to look down and see that there was no ground whatsoever at the bottom. Just an endless abyss that she could easily fall into if careless enough. Moving away from the edge, Hazel slowly understood her situation and why this Dungeon had a very low chance of survival. In the distance, she heard a loud monstrous roar that echoed beyond the void, making her flinch in fear. She turned toward the origin of the noise, only to see a giant monster with similar cracks coursing around its body. It had pale skin with the familiar purple fracture marks etched across it, stood at over ten to fifteen feet tall, and had only one eye while carrying a massive wooden club. Hazel knew what this monster was. It was a creature that was extremely popular in the Fantasy Genre. It was a Cyclops. An honest-to-god Cyclops like from Greek Mythology and fantasy novels. A monster known not only for its huge size and singular eye but also its fierce and devastating power. Something that only heroes of legend had a chance at both surviving and defeating it. And Hazel was looking right at one from several meters away. Hazel continued to stare at the one-eyed monster, before seeing another panel like before, showing its description. Level 10 A Fractured Cyclops, much like the rest of the Fractured creatures in this dungeon, is merely a husk of its former self, lacking any intelligence, and is fueled by its primal instincts to kill and destroy anything within its sight. Reading the description of the creature, Hazel couldn¡¯t help but gawk at the cyclops, unable to tear her eyes away from it. What frightened her most was that it was strong as well. Nine levels higher than her. If she attempted to fight that monster as she was now, there was no doubt in her mind that it would lead to her certain death. In a panic, Hazel rushed back into the church, hiding behind the door while peering her head out to watch what the one-eyed monster was doing. It let out another roar, waving its giant club around before marching away from the church, thus away from Hazel as well. Hazel sighed deeply while leaning her back against the door. ¡°Yeah¡­this dungeon is going to be the biggest pain in the ass ever.¡± Chapter 3: The Dungeon Challenge Hazel stayed in the church for a little while, carefully considering her options regarding how she should handle this Dungeon. She could technically simply stay in the building for the whole thirty days and not worry about dealing with the monsters outside. However, it was highly unlikely that there was any food in this place to keep her from starving. If she planned to stay here, she needed food. And water. Humans could only last for five or so days without drinking anything, which meant she wasn¡¯t going to survive in the dungeon if it came to that. Plus, a part of Hazel didn¡¯t want to just sit around and wait out the thirty days. She wanted to explore the dungeon, despite how dangerous it clearly was. More importantly, she wanted to get stronger and level up as much as possible, and that meant she needed to kill monsters like the Fractured Dire Wolf from before. This dungeon was just the beginning of her troubles. If she didn¡¯t take advantage of this dungeon, she was going to end up a sitting duck after returning to her newly merged home. Most people would choose to simply hide and wait, but not Hazel. She had to take this seriously or her life was forfeit. Making her decision, Hazel began to plan her next steps. ¡°Okay, for now, I should probably do some hunting,¡± She mumbled. ¡°The floating landmass I¡¯m currently in should have plenty of land for monsters to roam around in, like that Cyclops. Though, I don¡¯t think I should attack that guy.¡± Just remembering the sheer magnitude of that monster gave Hazel chills. Not only that, but it was level ten. Being a mere level one novice mage, picking a fight with such a monster was practically suicide. But¡­once she was strong enough, she did plan on defeating it. Basically using the Cyclops as a goal to see her progression, which seemed like a good idea. All of a sudden, a new panel appeared before her. ¡°Defeat the Enemy of your Obsession!¡± Difficulty: Easy Objective: Defeat the Fractured Cyclops you encountered before. Reward: +7 Free Points and a Common Loot Box ¡°Oh?¡± Hazel said, tilting her head while reading the panel. ¡°A dungeon challenge, huh? That¡¯s pretty convenient.¡± Did the system know about Hazel¡¯s desire and created a Dungeon Challenge to further motivate her to accomplish her goal? Because it was certainly working considering the type of reward she was getting. ¡°Seven free points. That will certainly help with my growth.¡± Combined with her level-ups, Hazel could stack up a lot of free points for her to use and get stronger. And that was what she planned to do from now on. Her only weapon was her [Mana Bolt] spell and her only method of defense was [Mana Shield], both of which were reliant on her mana. So, she needed to be careful not to waste it, or at least increase her Intelligence and Wisdom Stat enough to where she didn¡¯t have to worry about that. Speaking of which, now that Hazel wasn¡¯t in danger, she could finally check out her skills. And maybe even find out why her mana shield suddenly stopped working and wouldn¡¯t activate when she cast it again. However, she didn''t know how to pull them up, or if they could be shown. All she knew was that they were Mana Bolt and Mana Shield. "Maybe I can see it by calling its name?" Hazel mused. "Mana Bolt!" Instead of seeing a panel, nothing happened. Hazel stifled a groan as she lightly rubbed her temples. There had to be another way to do this. "Okay," She muttered to herself. "maybe I just have to say something else. Uh...Skills?" Almost immediately after saying this, two panels manifested before Hazel, displaying exactly what she asked for. Rank 1 A spell that lets the user summon a bolt of condensed mana to strike their enemies down. This spell does not have a cooldown. Rank 1 Allows the user to summon a shield made of mana for seven seconds. It will be able to protect the user and block most attacks. The cooldown lasts ten seconds. The Novice Mage grinned as she eagerly stared at the panels. "Nice! So that''s how I get to see my skills." So that was what her skills looked like. Hazel¡¯s eyes then darted over to a particular section in Mana Shield¡¯s description. ¡°There¡¯s a cooldown?! And my shield only lasts seven seconds?!¡± Although she was shocked by this information, at least Hazel knew the reason why her shield suddenly disappeared, and that was because she ran out of time. Though, unlike Mana Shield, Mana Bolt appeared to not have any cooldowns at all, which was a relief. Speaking of magic, now that she was alone and not in danger, Hazel could take another look at her status window and investigate her attributes. With that in mind, she hastily pulled it up like before. Status Window Name: Hazel Thatcher Level: 1 Class: Mage Profession: None Free Points: 0 Attributes: Strength: 7 Agility: 8 Endurance: 8 Intelligence: 11 Wisdom: 13 Willpower: 12 "Now then, Strength, Agility, and Endurance were clearly physical stats, something that I shouldn''t focus on since I''m a mage. That left Intelligence, Wisdom, and Willpower. But what exactly did those do?" Hazel couldn''t determine their uses just from their name. There had to be more to it than that. She just needed to figure out what that was. Then she got an idea. What if her attributes were like her status window and skills? What if all she needed to do was call upon them? Hazel sighed deeply before getting started. "Intelligence!" Much like before, as soon as she called upon the name, a new panel appeared before her. Player Attribute This Attribute increases a Player''s Mana Capacity, allowing them to cast them multiple times in a row. "Ha!" Hazel laughed. "Now that''s what I''m talking about!" Looks like her previous assumption regarding her attributes was spot on. Much like in an RPG, Intelligence focused on increasing her mana reserve. Which meant that the more mana she possessed, the more times she could use her spells without hitting her limit. After discovering this, Hazel also checked out Wisdom and Willpower as well. According to their panels, Wisdom increased her mana regeneration capability, allowing her to recover her mana faster so she could use it again. As for Willpower, that was the most interesting. Player Attribute This Attribute increases a Player''s Mental and Spiritual Fortitude, allowing them to summon multiple Minions or Familiars without straining their bodies. Hazel smiled. "So, this stat determines what and how many I can summon. Good to know." Now that she knew what Willpower did, she could possibly invest some points into it. Of course, she would first need to obtain a spell that allowed her to summon Minions or Familiars. To which she had no clue how to do that just yet. So, until she obtained something like that, this stat was on the back burner for now. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. With a good majority of her questions now answered, Hazel decided that it was time to head out. With her current knowledge, she could now put her skills to the test, and that required more test subjects. Gripping her staff, she stood up and cautiously left the church, walking outside in the purple void. Walking down the steps, she examined her surroundings, keeping her eyes peeled for any monsters that could attack. There wasn¡¯t much ground near the front of the church, since it only expanded out to about several meters. As for the other pieces of land nearby, they appeared close enough for Hazel to hop from one property to another, but before she expanded her territory, she figured it would be best to start small. So, noting that the front of the church was pretty barren of monsters, including the Cyclops from before, she made her way to the backyard. While outside, she got a better look at the exterior of the church. There were parts of the architecture that were broken with chunks of the building floating off in the air. It was a rather bizarre sight with how gravity worked here. From what she could tell, her body wasn¡¯t affected by the zero gravity happening around her. Could it be like with the Fractured animals and buildings, and that she needed to have been there to be influenced by its effects? It was likely for the best that the lack of gravity wasn¡¯t placed on her. Otherwise, she¡¯d end up like the buildings and land, floating around in the space. Worst case scenario, she could find herself floating deeper into space, away from all of the other landmasses she could use to keep her grounded. It didn¡¯t take long before Hazel finally made it to the backyard of the church, only to bear witness to a small, ruined town situated further down the island. There were multiple houses either burned or destroyed with pieces of their structure floating around them. It looked like a ghost town. Or more accurately, a ghost town in some eldritch sci-fi thriller novel. ¡°Geez¡­now I don¡¯t feel like going on,¡± Hazel shuddered. The town gave her the creeps. Not just with the atmosphere but also the fear of what she might find while searching within the settlement. It was even possible that the cyclops was somewhere inside, waiting for unsuspecting prey to get attacked by it. That unsuspecting prey being Hazel! She gulped, staring at the small village. ¡°No use getting cold feet now.¡± She couldn¡¯t back down after coming this far. Not when the opportunity to grow was right in front of her. If she was going to make any progress, this settlement was her first step toward her goal. Steeling her resolve, the novice mage slowly walked toward the village. Her hands tightly grasped the staff as her heart pounded against her chest. Moving into the area, she cautiously looked around the buildings, watching for any movements in the shadows that could pose a threat. Suddenly, light grunting could be heard nearby. Looking ahead, Hazel could tell that the noise was coming around the corner of a building. Curious, she stalked her way over to the edge, remaining as quiet as possible to not alert whatever she was hearing. Peering her head over the corner, two small creatures facing one another were spotted up ahead, talking in a guttural manner with a series of grunts. Aside from the cracks coated on their body, they were short, had pale green skin, and pointed ears, and wore loincloths around their waists. She was familiar with these creatures, seeing them many times in RPGs. They were Goblins. There was no question about that. Level 2 A resident of this world before it became Fractured. Due to getting caught up in the mana overload event, the Goblin has become Fractured, becoming a hollow shell of its former self, lacking a soul. Its primal instincts are much stronger and deadlier than a normal goblin and acts purely on impulse to kill anything in sight. And when Fractured Goblins are in a group, it¡¯s best to simply run away. ¡°A hollow shell¡­¡± Hazel mused, staring at its description. Previous descriptions used a similar phrase for the Dire Wolf and Cyclops. Could their lack of a soul mean that they were dead? Or maybe undead? The sudden thought of zombie goblins crossed Hazel¡¯s mind, making her shudder at the idea. Even worse, if there were zombie goblins, then could that mean that there were also zombie humans? Hazel shook her head, realizing her train of thought. Why was she so curious about the origin of the fractured monsters? She should only care about one thing regarding them¡­and that was if she was strong enough to take them down and gain experience. Identifying both goblins, she confirmed that they were level two, so there was a chance she could win. Hopefully, they weren¡¯t that much different from her fight with the Dire Wolf. If she played her cards right, both of those goblins should die before either of them could even touch her. Getting her staff ready, she pointed it toward one of the goblins as they continued to converse with one another, unaware that one of them was about to die. ¡°Mana Bolt¡­¡± Instead of shouting the chant and blowing her cover, she merely whispered it, praying that it did the trick. Thankfully, it did and slowly materialized into a bolt of pure condensed mana. It then shot forward, making a beeline for one of the goblins. In a split second, the bolt pierced one of their heads, making them collapse on the spot before shattering to pieces. [Level 2 Fractured Goblin has been defeated!] The other goblin witnessed them while letting out an inhuman yelp then hastily scanning its surroundings, attempting to locate Hazel. Meanwhile, she aimed her staff at the last one, prepared to fire off another Mana Bolt. However, as she did, the goblin¡¯s eyes quickly locked onto Hazel¡¯s location, as if sensing her killing intent. She was startled by this, distracted long enough for the goblin to charge at her while shrieking like a maniac. It held a rusted dagger, flailing it around while aiming it at her. ¡°Tch¡­!¡± Hazel didn¡¯t have a lot of time left and quickly cast her spell. ¡°Mana Bolt!¡± As soon as she fired the glowing blue projectile, it rocketed toward the goblin, determined to obliterate its head upon contact. However, as if something warned the monster, it quickly moved to the side, dodging the bolt with ease. ¡°Seriously?!¡± It was just like with the Dire Wolf. Were fractured monsters more agile, or was it Hazel¡¯s fault that her attack missed? The Fractured goblin was fast, closing the distance between them in seconds. Just as the monster lunged and thrust its dagger at her, Hazel conjured up a Mana Shield, watching as her dome barrier molded around her. Making contact with the dome, the dagger bounced off instantly. The goblin lost its footing thanks to the rebound, allowing Hazel to take advantage of its vulnerability. She quickly deactivated the shield and then swung her staff at the monster¡¯s head, heavily bashing it and slamming it to the ground. It lay on the ground, its body twitching uncontrollably. It wasn¡¯t dead yet, but from the way it was twitching, it was close. Before it could get up and attack her, Hazel fired another Mana Bolt, striking its chest and putting a massive hole through it, killing the goblin instantly. She watched the fractured goblin burst into purple glass-like fragments as they dissipated immediately after. [Level 2 Goblin has been defeated!] [You have leveled up! You are now Level 2!] Hazel smiled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m level two!¡± It seemed killing those goblins gave her enough experience to bring her to level two. And here she figured that it would take a couple more kills to get there. Of course, the more levels she gained, the harder it¡¯d get to reach the next one. ¡°I should see how many points I got from that level up.¡± Hazel quickly pulled up her status, checking how much she earned. Status Window Name: Hazel Thatcher Level: 2 Class: Mage Profession: None Free Points: 3 Attributes: Strength: 7 Agility: 8 Endurance: 8 Intelligence: 11 Wisdom: 13 Willpower: 12 ¡°Three points for each level. That¡¯s doable, I guess.¡± She couldn¡¯t be picky with how many free points to earn. That would simply have to do for her. Plus with the challenges, she¡¯d be able to gain more points that way. For now, Hazel put all three free points into Intelligence. Since this stat increased her mana capacity, she should put all of her points in it. More Mana meant more spells, and more spells also meant she could spam the hell out of it and take down her enemies that way. Speaking of Mana, this dungeon used to be a world before it suffered from mana overload. That meant there were more than just Dire Wolves, Cyclopes, and Goblins roaming around there. There had to be humans here as well. Hazel¡¯s train of thought was interrupted by a loud groan coming from behind her. Turning around, a humanoid figure covered in purple cracks appeared, slashing its hand at her. The novice mage quickly jumped back, getting her side grazed by the figure. ¡°U-ugh¡­¡± Hazel groaned, clutching the scratch wound. Glaring at the figure, her eyes widened with terror at what she was looking at. It was a human but looked just like the other fractured creatures with the purple cracks spreading across its body. Not only that, but this person looked pale and lifeless. There were no muscles on its body, to the point where its skin was clinging to the bones instead. From its appearance, it looked like a walking corpse. No, it was a corpse. Whatever this Fractured phenomenon was, it was not only corrupting every living thing in this world¡­but it also brought them back to life as zombies. Then it dawned on Hazel regarding the Fractured Phenomenon. The description said that the fractured goblin was a hollow shell of its former self, lacking a soul. And the way it moved around was strangely like a rabid zombie. Her theory was only proven right further after reading its description. Level 1 A resident of this world before it became fractured! It is a mere husk of a vessel, lacking a soul, and roaming the area aimlessly and zombie-like. Its only desire now is to kill anything in sight, no matter who or what it is. So, it really was like a zombie. ¡°H-huh?¡± Distracted by the fractured human in front of her, Hazel didn¡¯t notice as more of them started to appear one by one, emerging from buildings and corners of streets and alleys. It started with one, to two, to four, to eight, to over a dozen of them coming out of the woodwork, slowly surrounding Hazel like a zombie horde in horror movies. Hazel looked around, trying to find a gap in the horde, but were all crowding her tightly, not giving her a chance to escape. A chorus of groans and snarls was heard from the fractured zombie-like humans, ready to grab and tear her apart limb from limb. Hazel could only mutter these words to express her current predicament. ¡°Well, this took a turn for the worse, didn¡¯t it?¡± Chapter 4: The Fractured Horde Hazel didn¡¯t expect her fantasy dungeon life to turn into a horror movie. Yet there she was, in the middle of a horde of Fractured Human zombies, just waiting to tear her limb from limb and possibly eat her alive. One of the Fractured humans snarled at Hazel, lashing out with its hand. She blocked it with her staff and pushed the zombie-like monster away, but there were too many for her to keep up with all of them. By dealing with one, a few more snuck up behind her and attacked. And she was running out of space to keep them back. ¡°Dammit¡­!¡± Hazel swore before firing a Mana Bolt at one of the Fractured Humans, obliterating their skull along with the rest of its body as it scattered into purple fragments and then dissipated right after. [Level 1 Fractured Human has been defeated!] It looked like the only way out was clearing a way for her. And that was what she did, continuously firing Mana Bolts in front of her, destroying any Fractured Humans that got in her way. And when one of them attempted to grab or lash out at her, Hazel whacked them with her staff to get them off. [Level 1 Fractured Human has been defeated!] [Level 2 Fractured Human has been defeated!] [Level 2 Fractured Human has been defeated!] [Level 1 Fractured Human has been defeated!] [Level 1 Fractured Human¡­] With each kill she got, more panels appeared in front of her, unfortunately blocking her view as she tried to get out of the horde before getting completely swarmed by them. Another Fractured human managed to grab and pull her hair, nearly holding her back long enough for the horde to latch onto her body. Thankfully. Hazel used her staff and bashed its skull in, sending it to the ground. She didn¡¯t even bother to finish it off what with all the other Fractured trying to get her. But, after a couple more mana bolts, she got out of the mass of zombie-like humans before scurrying off away from them. While escaping, Hazel was suddenly assaulted with a painful headache. She clutched her head with her free hand and skidded to a stop. The novice mage stood there for a moment, trying to let the migraine pass. And with each passing second, her skull continued to throb and pound in pain. Hazel had no idea why her head decided now of all times to develop an agonizing headache, but she wished for it to go away as fast as it showed itself. There were bigger issues that she had to deal with at the moment. Behind her, the Fractured Humans continued to follow Hazel, letting out a symphony of groans and growls while trying to chase her. Luckily enough, they moved a lot like zombies and shambled at a snail''s pace. But they were beginning to catch up now. After running several meters, Hazel put quite a distance between them, but by staying still and not moving, the horde was closing said distance quickly. Not wanting to get caught up in that horde again, she pushed through the headache and continued to run away. While running, she quickly spotted a two to three-story building before sprinting toward it. Without hesitation, Hazel rushed inside and closed the door behind her. When she took a moment to catch her breath, she looked around and noticed that she was inside a bar or tavern. There were dozens of round tables and chairs scattered around the area along with trays, wooden plates, and broken glass. Hazel even saw a broken medieval wooden chandelier on the floor as well, with pieces of candle wick around it. Aside from how messy the place was, there were no corpses here or Fractured, at least for the moment. Once she realized that the Tavern was empty, at least for the moment, Hazel sighed deeply. Just then, her skull began to throb in pain again. Thankfully, the pain wasn''t that bad like when it first manifested. Still, Hazel could barely focus with this migraine pounding away in her head. Attempting to ignore her headache, Hazel decided to check her message panels to see her current progress. Pulling them up, her lips slightly curled into a grin after reading them. [You have leveled up! You are now Level 3!] [Mana Bolt is now Rank 2!] ¡°Heh, looks like dealing with that horde came with some benefits.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Although she nearly got killed by the horde of Fractured humans, escaping them managed to pay off in more ways than one. Of course, she wished that almost dying wasn¡¯t what assisted her in reaching level three, but all that mattered right now was that she made more progress. It seemed that firing all those mana bolts was enough to get her skill to rank 2. Maybe she gained a new power or something after reaching it. Eagerly curious, Hazel pulled up her skill description. Rank 2 A skill that allows the user to summon a bolt of condensed mana to strike their enemies down. There are no cooldowns. Hazel frowned. So, no new features, huh? Hopefully, her skill got stronger by increasing its rank. That was all she could hope for right now. Thanks to her level-up, three stat points were rewarded, and Hazel immediately put them into Intelligence. She needed only three more points to get her stat to twenty, so her next goal was to reach level four to obtain them. But, before doing that, she needed to catch her breath. After what happened with that horde, a part of her was terrified to go back outside and face them. Hazel wasn¡¯t good with horror, and seeing those Fractured Humans reminded her of zombies like in The Walking Dead, just without the rotting flesh. However, the purple cracks on their bodies seemed to be just as terrifying since it appeared that their vessels were decaying from the Fractured phenomenon. Regardless, Hazel needed to take a break before dealing with them again. It wasn¡¯t good for her heart to fight those monsters so many times. Then again, honestly, none of this was good for Hazel¡¯s heart. She fought wolves, goblins, and now zombie-like humans. Then there was the fact that she was currently trapped in the dungeon that was basically in space with floating landmasses and an endless void she could easily fall into if she made even one mistake. Yeah, Hazel wasn¡¯t sure she could last that long in this place without having a couple of minor heart attacks. To make matters worse, while she took in a breath to calm herself down, a loud creak could be heard from upstairs, making Hazel¡¯s blood freeze in response. ¡°Oh, come on¡­¡± She grumbled, knowing well from horror movies that when you hear a loud creak in a haunted-looking building, you¡¯re not exactly alone. Feeling nervous, Hazel stood up from her chair and followed the source of the noise, glancing over at the stairs where she heard it. Walking to the edge of the steps, she gripped her staff while staring at the top of the second floor. Instead of walking up there and possibly getting attacked, she had a better idea to handle this situation. ¡°Hello?¡± She called out to the second floor. ¡°Is anyone up there?¡± Yep, she was calling out to the monster. It may seem stupid at first, but the second floor was likely where rooms for tavern residents were located. So, it would be a narrow hall with multiple doors, each of which, could possibly contain a monster that could burst out and attack her by surprise. Thus, putting Hazel in danger since she wouldn¡¯t be able to fight properly because of the limited space. So, she resorted to this. Plus, due to the distance and height, Hazel could easily hurl a spell at the monster up there before taking even one step down the stairs. For a brief moment, there was no answer. Just silence as Hazel cautiously scanned the top of the second floor. Then, a low, rumbling groan could be heard, getting close along with loud thuds making their way to the stairs. Hazel readied her staff, pointing it at the top of the stairway, prepared to fire a Mana Bolt at the first monster she saw. And what emerged from the hall was another fractured human, limping over to the steps while releasing a pained groan. The mage didn¡¯t hesitate and quickly fired her bolt of mana, instantly killing the Fractured monster as it shattered and dissipated into nothing. A sharp pain then assaulted Hazel''s skull, forcing her to lean against the wall for a moment. "Mother..." She stifled a curse, angrily biting her bottom lip. [Level 1 Fractured Human has been defeated!] Seeing the panel, Hazel sighed, relieved that she made the right call to just wait for the Fractured creature to show itself. Only to be immediately alerted by another loud sound, but it wasn¡¯t coming from the second floor¡­but from the first floor. ¡°Raaaah!¡± A beastly, inhuman roar echoed in the tavern, originating from the Kitchen behind the counter of the bar. Hazel quickly moved away from the steps and trained her eyes on the kitchen in front of her. Just in time to see a metal pot flying in her direction. ¡°C-crap¡­!¡± She yelped before quickly conjuring a Mana shield. The pot bounced off the shield and crashed to the floor, making a loud metallic clang. Then, the one that tossed the metal pot at Hazel emerged from the kitchen. By literally bulldozing through the wall and counter, sending wooden shrapnel flying everywhere. Some of the wooden shards pelted Hazel, but she still had her shield up, so they merely rebounded before falling to the floor. Though, afterward, the shield disappeared since her time was up. She didn¡¯t even spare them a glance as her eyes stared at the new monster that appeared, causing them to widen in shock. Before Hazel was another Fractured human but looked entirely different compared to the zombie-like ones from the horde. This one had more muscles on its body and wore pieces of metal armor on its chest, arms, and legs. In its hands was a worn-down blade covered in purple cracks similar to the ones on its body. It appeared to be a human, but when Hazel identified it, fear was present in her eyes, as if what she saw terrified her. She then immediately identified it, fearful yet curious of what it was. Level: 5 Unlike Fractured Humans, a Fractured Warrior is a Class-oriented Fractured, having the abilities of its former life as a warrior. Although it wasn¡¯t that much intelligent, its battle prowess was not to be underestimated, which means it is required to be cautious against this Type of Fractured. It was a class-oriented Fractured Human. Was that even possible? ¡°You got to be kidding me¡­¡± Hazel muttered fearfully. ¡°So these guys can have classes too?!¡± Before Hazel could complain further, the Fractured Warrior let out another mighty roar, gripping its sword with both hands. Then, locking eyes with the novice mage, it immediately charged. Chapter 5: Tavern Fight Hazel jumped to the side, avoiding the charging Fractured Warrior as it rushed passed her and crashed into a table before stopping. It then spun around with a glare; its purple-glowing eyes directed right at her. She quickly pointed her staff and fired a Mana Bolt, hoping to damage the Warrior. Only to watch as the monster blocked the attack with its sword. It charged at Hazel once more, bringing its blade down on her. Instead of using Mana Shield, she simply leaped backward and watched the weapon carve into the floor she stood on mere seconds ago. With a bit of distance put between them, she launched another Mana Bolt but was met with a similar result as before, witnessing the Fractured Warrior shift to the side, easily evading her spell attack. ¡°Tch¡­!¡± Hazel clicked her tongue, realizing that this fight wasn¡¯t going to be as easy as she thought. It was clear that Class-related Fractured monsters were more difficult to handle than regular ones. It moved around like the goblins and Dire wolf she fought previously, making it difficult for Hazel to deal with it from a distance. She wondered why the Fractured Humans moved like zombies while the rest were like feral beasts. Perhaps it was the type of species being fractured, but this Fractured Warrior was also a human; its name was just different compared to the rest. Could the warrior be some kind of evolved form or was it something else? Despite being riddled with questions, Hazel couldn¡¯t afford to get distracted when the Fractured Warrior swung its sword at her. She bent her legs to dodge its slash attack then swung her staff at its head. Sadly, she made no damage whatsoever, as her staff harmlessly struck its skull with a depressing thunk. With the Fractured Humans, they were weak enough that a single swing knocked them to the ground, but this Warrior barely budged against her staff attack. Hazel couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised by this while moving back to keep her distance. However, she didn¡¯t react in time as the Fractured Warrior slashed its sword, the tip of its blade cutting into her robe then flesh, drawing blood. A sharp pain radiated from her wound as her hand clutched onto it out of reflex. Pulling it away, she saw her palm stained with blood. Her blood. The cut wasn¡¯t deep, but the pain was a bit challenging to endure. Hazel has been cut before like that time she sliced her finger while cutting vegetables or her thumb with a hunting knife while crafting arrows because she thought it would be cool. But the pain she felt during those times was nothing like what she was feeling right now. This was an almost lethal cut that could¡¯ve killed her if she didn¡¯t move away in time. If she was even off by another inch or two, she would¡¯ve either slowly died from blood loss or had her guts spilled all over the floor. At that moment, Hazel realized the severity of the situation. If she continued to remain careless while confronting this Fractured Warrior, she would die before surviving her first day in the Dungeon. Taking this more seriously, Hazel stood her ground against the monster, grimacing as her wound flared up again. A part of her wished she had a healing spell, but there was no time to fret over what she didn¡¯t have. Only to keep fighting and survive. Before things got worse, she needed to take the Warrior down and fast. With only two spells at her disposal, one being an offensive spell while the other was Defensive, she was faced with a bit of a dilemma. Mana bolt didn¡¯t appear to be strong enough to do enough damage to the warrior. Then again, she wasn¡¯t sure since none of her bolts made contact with its body, since the Fractured Warrior either blocked or evaded it. Which meant she needed to catch it off guard and fire her spell at a vital area. Easier said than done, though. The Fractured Warrior rushed, slashing at Hazel from multiple angles. Horizontal, diagonal, vertical. She barely managed to avoid all of them, using her staff to deflect a couple of swings which chipped the gnarled wood with each impact. The warrior raised its sword, attempting to perform a heavy attack on her, but Hazel used that chance and fired her mana bolt, aiming at its legs. She wanted to aim at the chest or head, but she couldn¡¯t afford to have it dodge or block the bolt like before. By aiming at its leg, she gave herself a chance to cripple it before finishing it off. The bolt made contact with its leg, carving a small chunk of its knee as a result. Despite its wound, the Fractured Warrior growled while bringing its sword down, forcing Hazel to move out of the way. The blade clashed against the floor and sent wooden shards and nails flying around them. ¡°Right¡­since they¡¯re like zombies, they obviously feel no pain.¡± Hazel forgot one of the most notable and important characteristics of a zombie; they were numb to pain. You could stab a zombie in the chest or cut off its limbs, and it wouldn¡¯t be phased in the least. They¡¯ll keep charging at you until they either finally get you or they die from getting their brain destroyed. And these fractured were no different, which she didn¡¯t account for. That would¡¯ve been a fatal mistake if she hadn¡¯t reacted in time. Although she nearly died, she could tell that the Fractured Warrior was affected by her attack. It may not be in pain, but its movement looked a lot more sluggish than before. Just as the Warrior pulled out its sword, it made its way over to Hazel, to which she noticed it slightly limp while rushing at her. That meant she managed to slow it down if only a little bit. Once the warrior got close to her, bringing its blade close to her face. Hazel used her staff and deflected the sword, another chip of its wood carved out by doing that. She didn¡¯t relent and stayed close to the Warrior, pointing the tip of her staff at the ground and firing.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. A large explosion erupted from the floor, to which the Fractured Warrior stumbled backward in surprise. Hazel smiled from ear to ear, seeing the perfect opportunity. She pointed her staff and flung another Mana Bolt at its leg, gouging even more of its body than before. As soon as the Warrior placed pressure on that limb, it completely collapsed on itself, shattering to bits. The warrior then fell on its intact limb, but just before that happened, it retaliated against Hazel, veering its sword at her. Hazel instinctively pulled her staff up to block, and the two weapons clashed for a brief moment. Due to the force of the Warrior¡¯s swing, she was flung back and sent flying several feet away from her opponent. She crashed into a table with a loud thud, her back and wounded side in pain from the collision. She groaned, rolling to her uninjured side, and looked over at the Fractured Warrior. Its leg that she shot was completely detached from the rest of its limb, and slowly cracked and faded away. She wanted to be happy about finally crippling the warrior, but after getting launched into the air and crashing into a table, she was in too much pain to do that. Hazel was starting to regret not putting some points into her Endurance stat, or even Agility and Strength. This thing was a lot stronger than Hazel in terms of physique, and that was a big disadvantage for her due to her Class. Mage¡¯s were more supportive and distant fighters, attacking from a certain range. That and they were physically weak, relying entirely on magic to support them in battle. She knew this and yet didn¡¯t take into account that she would come across an enemy that could get close to her in a fight. If she did, the situation might¡¯ve ended a bit differently compared to right now. As she slowly stood up, her eyes were trained on the warrior in case it did anything. Even if it was injured, she couldn¡¯t take any chances after getting thrown several feet away from it. But with that distance, came the opportunity to attack since the Warrior couldn¡¯t get near her like before. With that in mind, her staff was directed at the enemy as a condensed rod of mana materialized at the tip before getting hurled at the warrior. Once again, though, the Fractured monster defended the attack with its blade, shattering her mana bolt with ease. Despite that sword being worn down, it was surprisingly durable. Or maybe the Warrior was simply skilled enough to deflect her bolt without severely damaging the weapon. ¡°God, you¡¯re stubborn¡­¡± Hazel grumbled, annoyed at the warrior¡¯s skill, simply wanting to end the fight before she ran out of mana. Her eyes shifted up to the ceiling, immediately noticing one of the intact chandeliers hanging up; right above the warrior. Hazel didn¡¯t even hesitate, bringing her staff up and firing at the chain connecting the chandelier. Once the chain was destroyed, gravity did the rest and fell on top of the Fractured Warrior. The warrior looked up with widened eyes, watching the ceiling light descend upon it. It could do nothing and was slightly crushed by the chandelier. More wooden shrapnel flew around from the impact, as Hazel raised her arms to shield herself from it. Despite getting crushed by the chandelier, it wasn¡¯t dead yet, as Hazel saw it squirming under it. ¡°Oh, for the love of¡­¡± Even more annoyed, Hazel said to hell with her mana and shot multiple mana bolts at the warrior. Thankfully, its body was pressed against the chandelier, allowing all of her mana projectiles to perfectly strike every part of its body from its face, chest, shoulder, and arms. By the time Hazel was done firing, the Fractured warrior was riddled with holes. The cracks spread further across its body until it couldn¡¯t hold out anymore, shattering completely and disbursing in the air. [Level 5 Fractured Warrior has been defeated!] [You have leveled up! You are now Level 4!] Hazel finally breathed a sigh of relief after winning the fight. Immediately after, her migraine returned with a vengeance, pounding away in her skull like someone was bashing a drum inside. Hazel clutched her head while using her staff to slowly position herself on the floor. Despite the throbbing pain her head was experiencing, Hazel was still elated that she reached level four. However, a part of her wished that she didn''t have to almost get killed to reach it. Hazel made a lot of mistakes during that fight. Mistakes that could''ve resulted in her death if she lost against the Fractured Warrior. ¡°I need to plan out my strategies more carefully from now on¡­¡± This fight had shown Hazel that she needed to be more mindful of her enemies'' strengths and abilities. Especially ones that were a couple of levels higher than her. With the Fractured warrior defeated, Hazel sat down for a moment and continued to replay the fight in her head, wanting to see what she could¡¯ve done differently and if that would¡¯ve resulted in a different but better outcome. Maybe she should¡¯ve invested in her physical stats. She may have been a mage, but because of her circumstances, putting some points into Strength, Agility or Endurance could¡¯ve saved her a lot of trouble. No, if she wasted her precious points on something not suitable for her class, then that would only impede her growth. Mage¡¯s specialty was magic. So Hazel needed to focus on that aspect of her class. Then again...instead of focusing on all three physical stats, maybe she could just focus on one. As soon as the thought sank in, Hazel hastily pulled up her status window. Status Window Name: Hazel Thatcher Level: 4 Class: Mage Profession: None Free Points: 3 Attributes: Strength: 7 Agility: 8 Endurance: 8 Intelligence: 17 Wisdom: 13 Willpower: 12 Since there was a possibility that she could invest some of her points into one of her physical stats or maybe even two of them, she needed to know which one was the most necessary. The Strength Stat was the first one out since her main power was magic. Although being able to punch or kick her enemies to death sounded like a great idea, her firepower was her spells. There was no room for any arguments on that topic. So that left only the Endurance and Agility stat. Both stats would greatly benefit Hazel since she would possess more durability to withstand certain attacks or become fast enough to evade them in the first place. But which one was more important at the moment? Defense or Speed? Pondering over this, a sharp pain stabbed her side. She grimaced while clutching her wound from the Fractured Warrior. Her eyes then widened at her sudden realization, and she knew then which stat would benefit her greatly in the long run. Making her decision, Hazel invested all three points into her Endurance stat. A wave of guilt and fear came over her a second later as she slowly began to think that this was a mistake. However, as soon as she increased her Endurance stat, the stabbing pain in her side lessened almost immediately. As the pain faded, Hazel let out a relieved sigh before laying her back on the tavern floor. "That feels so much better." She definitely made the right call in investing in her Endurance Stat since the pain from before had lessened. If Hazel continued this, her pain could potentially disappear altogether. Of course, she couldn''t make it into a habit and only increased that stat. So, Hazel made a mental note to only increase her Endurance stat if she ever felt the need to In the back of her mind, Hazel wondered if she was capable of surviving the first day in this dungeon. A part of her held some doubts. Chapter 6: Fractured Pest Control After her fight with the Fractured Warrior, Hazel took a moment to address the wound she received. Although increasing her Endurance stat managed to mitigate the pain, the burning sensation was still present as it continued to irritate the mage. Grabbing a piece of her robe, she tore it off until it was long enough to be used as a wrap. She then proceeded to bandage her wound with it until it was completely covered. Because there were no first-aid kits in the town, or at least in Hazel''s current location, and there likely weren''t going to be in any other landmass in the purple space dungeon, Hazel would just have to make do with a piece of her robe until she found something better. Maybe there were Healing potions in the dungeon. That would be an amazing find. If there were and these potions were like the ones in the RPG she played, her injury would be healed in a second. Sadly, Hazel hadn''t come across such an item yet. But, considering that this whole place gave off a fantasy aesthetic, it wouldn¡¯t be a stretch if potions were hiding around in this place. Anyway, with her wound more or less treated for the moment, her next task was a bit more challenging. And that was finding food and water. A day hadn''t even passed by yet, and Hazel could feel her hunger and thirst getting the best of her. Her mouth felt dryer than a desert while her hunger gnawed at her stomach. She could feel her insides churn and writhe in protest, demanding Hazel to provide it with food and fast. And if she didn''t find something soon, she likely wouldn''t survive long. "This place is a Tavern, right?" She mumbled to herself while struggling to pull herself off the ground. "That means this place has to have food or something. I''ll take anything at this point." Using her staff as a cane, Hazel proceed to explore the Tavern. More specifically, the kitchen. She limped through the makeshift walkway leading into the kitchen thanks to the Fractured Warrior who kindly provided her with a direct path into it. However, as soon as she entered, her hopes of finding anything edible were immediately gone. Instead of walking into an area filled with food and supplies, all she found was a ransacked kitchen as if a thief entered and torn the entire place inside out. There were broken barrels and shredded rut sacks scattered all over the floor along with various pots, pans, and wooden utensils like spoons, forks, etc. Despite seeing the state of the kitchen, Hazel didn''t give up yet and continued to search the room, desperate to find something. She then proceeded to look through every nook and crevice she came across. However, after looking at everything, Hazel''s head hung low in despair after concluding that there was not a single ounce of food hidden in the kitchen. There weren''t even any buckets of water that she could drink out of to quench her insatiable thirst. "Dammit..." Hazel swore. "Why doesn''t this place have anything I can consume? I''ll take a small chunk of bread at this point!" In a fit of rage, Hazel hurled a Mana Bolt at a nearby wall, creating a small crater from the impact. The mage barely paid any attention to it before marching out for the kitchen with a sullen expression. Returning to the lobby, she then took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "Okay, Hazel, this place might not have food, but there had to be other places that did. You just have to find it." Although her hunger and thirst were slowly getting to her, she could tell that it wasn''t as severe as before. Could it be because of the Endurance Stat? Hazel figured that it would only lessen the pain of her wounds and make her body a little tougher. Then again, hunger and thirst did cause pain to a certain degree. Especially hunger considering how her stomach was writhing around right now. It seemed that increasing her Endurance stat was a good choice after all. Hazel made a mental note to try and increase her Endurance stat as much as possible without impeding on her more vital ones like Intelligence and Wisdom. Putting that aside for now, since the Tavern had no food, there was only one option left; searching the town for sustenance. Even if the Tavern was barren of nutrients, there was a possibility that she could find a shop that did have it. With that in mind, Hazel left the tavern in search of food. Her eyes scanned the nearby buildings, trying to discern which place could have what she needed. Walking through the streets, the mage continued to look at every sign she came across to see if they said something about food like Bakery or Grocery Store. Hell, at this point, she would''ve accepted a picture of an apple or a piece of bread if it meant finding a place that had either. Sadly, her food search was stopped short as soon as she turned a corner and stumbled across a Horde of monsters. During her search, she soon stumbled across the same horde from the last time and attacked them before they had a chance to retaliate. Hazel fired a consecutive stream of mana bolts, firing into the horde indiscriminately, and mowing them down one after another. Her vision was flooded with kill notifications, but she simply moved them aside for later. Not that she expected to level up so quickly from this horde just yet. With each bolt she fired, that was another fractured human getting cracked further before shattering into particles and disappearing in the air. Hazel continued her onslaught for quite a bit before she was hit with a wave of exhaustion along with a splitting headache. That was her cue to stop. Thanks to her conflict with the Fractured Warrior along with her current scuffle against the Horde, Hazel figured out what was causing her migraines. She was running low on mana. The headaches first appeared after Hazel spammed Mana Bolt at the first horde she encountered. Then it got worse while fighting the Fractured Warrior, especially after she showered it with mana bolts to finally kill it. At first, she believed that this was just a coincidence, which is why she waited for the migraine to pass to test her theory. And as soon as the migraine returned while dealing with this horde, Hazel finally came to a conclusion regarding the matter. These headaches kept popping up because she was using too much mana. Her headaches were like a warning sign for her. Telling Hazel that she was reaching her limit in casting spells. And the more mana she drew out, the more the headaches persisted. Much like how her skull was in agony after dealing with the Fractured Warrior. Hazel likely exceeded what her mana was capable of holding by spamming her Mana Bolt spell and suffered the consequences as a result. A very painful one, at that. However, with this information, Hazel was now aware of her limit. As soon as she started getting another headache while casting spells, that was her cue to stop and wait until her mana was replenished. Which was why she halted her spell barrage against the Fractured Horde like before. Pulling her staff away, Hazel quickly scanned the hordes'' numbers, realizing that she had taken down a good amount of them before turning around and scurrying off. However, she only put some distance between them while keeping her eyes on them. She had a plan to deal with a few more before heading back to the tavern and recuperating. Rushing through the streets, her eyes darted around the town, looking for something to help her take out more of the Fractured Humans without using up all of her mana. She then spotted a worn-down catwalk connected between two buildings. It was supported by wooden planks and looked very fragile to the point where just one attack could make it collapse. Seeing that catwalk, an idea materialized in Hazel¡¯s mind and she made a devilish smile. She abruptly stopped and ran down the path between the building, moving past the catwalk before halting after a couple of feet. As Hazel spun around to face the horde, they soon appeared around the corner, immediately spotting the mage and limped their way over to her. As they did, she glanced at the catwalk along with the horde, waiting until they were right under it to put her plan into action. A few moments passed until some of the horde finally got under the catwalk. Once they were in position, Hazel lifted her staff and fired a couple of mana bolts at the structure, crippling its support. Unable to maintain its position, the catwalk collapsed on the spot, crashing down on some of the horde, and making a loud racket in the process. Dust kicked up in the air, preventing Hazel from seeing the remaining horde.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Once again, Hazel got a stream of messages from her kills, but she put them aside for now and kept her eyes peeled on the remaining Fractured Humans, in case they emerged from the dust. Her assumption was right as she heard the Fractured start to groan while limping out of the dust cloud, marching their way over to her. ¡°Yeah, I figured that attack wouldn¡¯t have killed all of you,¡± Hazel mumbled, turning her heel and running away from the horde. She wanted to keep killing the Fractured Humans and farm their XP, but she could tell that her mana was running low. She could feel a wave of fatigue overcoming her as her hands trembled while gripping her staff. Hazel knew that it wasn¡¯t from her running around. This was something else. It was like every time she cast a mana bolt, a bit of energy was drained from her body in response. If this continued any longer, Hazel feared that she would collapse from mana depletion, and that was the last thing she needed. Which meant that it was time for Hazel to leave while she could. Leaving the horde before things got sticky, Hazel roamed through the fractured town a little more, curious about what else was there. Looking around, she only saw some houses and shops, none of which piqued her interest. There was a Bakery that caught her eye since it had food, but as soon as she stepped foot in the shop, she knew there was nothing in the building. Much like the Tavern kitchen, the bakery was ransacked. It was deprived of anything sweet or savory, which meant Hazel was once again back to square one in finding food. To make matters worse, she was slowly beginning to think that none of the buildings had food. And if that was the case, what the hell was she supposed to do? On a brighter but confusing note, Hazel somehow managed to level up. After leaving the bakery, she pulled up her previous notifications to check out her progress and soon found this. [You have leveled up! You are now Level 5!] [Mana Bolt is now Rank 3!] ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Hazel cocked an eyebrow. ¡°How did I reach level five? I don¡¯t think I killed enough of the horde to get to that level yet.¡± While Mana Bolt reaching Rank 3 seemed plausible and welcomed, Hazel held some doubt about her reaching Level five so early. The Fractured Humans were mostly either level one or level two. And because of their low levels, Hazel knew for a fact that she didn¡¯t kill enough of them to reach Level Five this soon. Out of curiosity, she looked through her messages while also keeping her ears perked up, listening to any threats that were nearby. After some digging, Hazel realized that a couple of the Fractured Humans she killed were also Level three and four, so she likely got more experience from them which attributed to her leveling up again. At first, she believed that those Fractured Humans were Fractured Classes like the Warrior from before, but thanks to her previous experience, that was unlikely since they were a lot stronger than an average Fractured. Plus, if they were Fractured classes, she would¡¯ve had a more difficult time fighting them. Not getting one-shot by a Mana Bolt. Still, all that mattered was that she got to level five. Only a few more levels left and she could attempt to take on the Cyclops from before. It was level ten, so she hoped that reaching that threshold would be enough to test her mettle. And since she was now level five, that also meant she had more points to invest in. At first, she wanted to increase her Intelligence stat some more or maybe even wisdom, but the painful rumbling of her stomach told her otherwise. Her body lurched over as she wrapped her arms around her stomach, trying to ease the pain. While hunched over, Hazel immediately put all three points into Endurance. Soon after, the indescribable pain in her gut slowly faded again, allowing her a moment to relax. Only for her to frown at her situation. "Dammit," Hazel swore under her breath. "Because of my hunger, I''m wasting my points on keeping the pain from getting worse." Although her Endurance stat was helping her mitigate her hunger pangs, she hated how reliant she was on it now. By investing more in Endurance to ease her hunger pain, she was also crippling herself by not increasing her Mana and magic ability through Intelligence and Wisdom. And as a Mage, magic was her strong point, so she was pretty much stunting her growth in the process. As she fretted over this, a new panel materialized before her. [First Marker has been met! New skills available!] ¡°New skills?¡± Hazel¡¯s eyes widened. So, this was one of the ways she could obtain new skills. Hazel was curious about how she could learn more skills or spells. Now, she knew. But, to think she would hit her Marker so soon at just level five. Though, as long as she could obtain more skills, that was all that mattered at the moment. Curious about what was available, Hazel took a look at the skills listed for her. [Current Skills Available for Player to Determine Path] Rank: 1 A blazing lance that can burn through the caster¡¯s enemy with relative ease. If not immediately killed, the flames from the spear will continue to burn the opponent, damaging them over time. The cooldown is ten seconds. Rank: 1 The basic art of necromancy that grants the Caster the ability to raise the dead from the available corpses to follow their every command. The undead minions are absolutely loyal to the caster and spiritually connected, allowing the caster to see what they see amongst other features. They can act as scouts, soldiers, or laborers. It is all up to the caster. Rank: 1 Allows the caster to cast mana over their bodies, creating a durable armor that can protect them from physical and magical damage that you can move around with. It only lasts for ten seconds and the cooldown is thirty seconds. Rank: 1 Gives the caster the ability to fire a sickle-like blade at their enemies. The sickle is made of cursed energy that damages the enemy over time. It¡¯s a skill that is highly used by Witches. The cooldown lasts ten seconds. There were four skills that Hazel could obtain, though only a couple of them interested her. Raise Dead was out of the question since she wasn¡¯t trying to go down the necromancer route. Although her biggest problem was having no allies to help her fight, this skill wasn¡¯t what she had in mind. Even if she did, it was practically useless in this dungeon. The description for Raise Dead specifically stated that it could raise minions with available corpses. The monsters in this world shatter immediately after dying, leaving no fragments or remains, which also meant no corpses for Hazel to raise in the first place. If that wasn''t the case, then she likely would''ve chosen this skill mainly so she didn''t have to fight on her own. Although the idea of raising the dead disturbed her, her main priority was surviving. Any else came secondary at the moment. Next out would have to be Magic Armor. She already possessed the Mana shield skill, so having two types of defense in her current state would be pointless. The fact that she could move around with it active would certainly help her, but right now, she needed stronger attack spells. Plus, she was not a fan of the thirty-second cooldown. She needed more firepower, which is why the last two skills looked more pleasing to the caster. Flame Spear and Baneful Sickle. One lets you shoot a spear of fire, and the other allows you to cast a cursed blade that damages the attacker over time. Both were very solid options, in Hazel¡¯s opinion. Though, Hazel was curious about Baneful Sickle¡¯s connection to witches. Since witches relied on curses and hexes, did that mean this skill was a type of curse? It did say that it was made of cursed energy, so that appeared to be the case. And that made this ability even more appealing for her. Both spells caused damage over time, but there was something about Baneful Sickle that deeply intrigued Hazel. Almost as if she was drawn to the skill. Regardless, she needed all the damage she could get to inflict on the Fractured creatures here, so this would certainly assist her in her future battles. Which meant the answer was pretty obvious. ¡°I choose Baneful Sickle.¡± [You have chosen Baneful Sickle!] [Baneful Sickle has been obtained!] ¡°Nice,¡± She grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll have to test this skill out soon.¡± Looking away from her panels for a moment, her eyes spotted an interesting building up ahead. It was a two-story structure with a sign that said The Arcane Glyphs. Seeing the word Arcane, Hazel immediately deduced that this was some kind of magic shop as her eyes sparkled with anticipation. Getting to the entrance, she opened the door and took a look inside. The first thing she saw was a cluttered mess with boxes, papers, and other materials scattered all over the floor; making it look like this place was ransacked during a robbery. While entering the shop, to her left was what appeared to be a check-out counter with two bookshelves behind it; both of which were worn down and their shelves were broken, letting the books and other items placed on top collapse with them. The interior of the shop wasn¡¯t all that big. To make a comparison, it looked more like a small gift shop you would stumble upon at a hospital or something similar. Despite its size, that didn¡¯t prevent Hazel from searching the store. Who knew, maybe she¡¯d stumble upon a magic book that could teach her a new spell. She already got Baneful sickle, but like the saying went; the more the merrier. Hazel started rummaging through the boxes all over the room. She mostly found revenue papers regarding the progress of the shop along with shipping details for supplies and similar items like that. Thankfully, she did find some magic books, but their contents mostly contained theories regarding magic. Still, the material was certainly vital for Hazel, so she still took them just in case. She continued to scavenge through the shop, hoping to find something of use for her. After a bit of digging, she soon pulled out a crumbled-up piece of paper. It didn¡¯t look interesting at first, but she still scanned the contents just in case it was something worthwhile. And it certainly was¡­ Spell: Decay A Grimoire page is a sheet of paper that only allows players of the Mage Class to obtain new spells without having to reach a Marker. Grimoire Pages are both rare to find and only possess one spell that a Player can learn, so you could find a powerful spell that could make you stronger or something completely useless depending on what kind of path a Player chooses. [Would you like to learn the ¡°Decay¡± spell? Y/N] As soon as Hazel saw this panel, a wide grin appeared on her face. It looked like going into this shop was her best decision yet. Chapter 7: Decay After all that searching, Hazel finally found something worthwhile. According to the panel, this was called a Grimoire Page, and through it, she could learn a new skill. In this case, the Decay skill. Judging from the name alone, Hazel could tell that this spell was going to be strong. However, it seemed to be more of a status effect or damage over time type of ability. Not that she was complaining, since she still managed to find a spell to learn in the first place. And it was right after reaching her marker. ¡°So, all I need to do is accept, right?¡± Hazel muttered, reading the message. ¡°Then, yes.¡± Making her decision, Hazel accepted to learn the spell Decay. After doing so, a new message materialized. [You have learned the ¡°Decay¡± Spell!] [Decay spell has been obtained!] Feeling eager, Hazel mentally pulled up the spell so she could read its information Rank 1 A skill that allows the caster to deteriorate anything or anyone they wish. By being afflicted with decay, their vessels slowly decompose, withering away until they are nothing but ash and dust. It is a common ability used by witches due to its fast-acting effects. The cooldown is thirty seconds. ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± Hazel¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°I knew this skill would be like this, but reading its description seems a bit unreal.¡± To have the ability to rot whatever she wished seemed like a bit jump in power. Then again, this dungeon was a highly difficult one, so it likely followed the concept of High Risk equals high reward. Considering that Hazel¡¯s been risking her life, she felt that this was reasonable. Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, she wasn¡¯t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Though she was a bit annoyed by the long cooldown time. Unlike Baneful Sickle which only lasted ten seconds, Decay was three times as long. In a fight, Hazel couldn¡¯t afford to waste thirty seconds just to wait and use it again. Aside from her issue with the timer, she was a little curious about the last statement in its description. ¡°It¡¯s been used by witches? That¡¯s pretty interesting.¡± That was the second time witches were mentioned involving a skill. Something about this bugged Hazel, but she had something else to focus on first. Now that she had learned the skill, it was time to test it out. Since its description said that it worked on both living and non-living things, she should be able to pick something from the shop to use as a guinea pig. Doing a little more rummaging, Hazel found a piece of plank that seemed like the perfect subject. Holding it firmly in her hand, she used her staff and pointed at it. Then, imagining how decaying works, she cast the spell. ¡°Decay.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Her body swelled with power like before. Then it transferred over to her magic staff and emitted a purple glow at the tip. The violet energy flowed out from the staff and drifted over to the plank, wrapping around it until completely shrouded in purple. After that, it disappeared, leaving the wooden board like before. But Hazel knew that something happened. At first, it looked normal, but soon, it started to saturate and lose its color, changing from a dirty brown to an ashen gray. Then, while in her grasp, the plank slowly crumpled into dust, slipping through her hand and floating away before dissipating altogether. As Hazel witnessed this unfold, she couldn¡¯t help but look a little pale, clearly fearful of the spell she just used. If this is what happened to a piece of wood¡­what would happen if she used it on a living creature? Hazel pushed aside the rather morbid thought and brushed her hand against her robe, getting rid of the remaining bits of the decayed plank. ¡°It¡¯s definitely useful¡­but the cooldown time was still a bit of an issue.¡± Although it was a strong spell, waiting thirty seconds was too much of a hassle when she was in the middle of a fight. Plus, this skill only worked on one enemy at a time, which meant she could only use it on a single enemy every thirty seconds. If Hazel was surrounded by enemies and could only rely on Decay, this would put her at a major disadvantage. Considering its power, Hazel would likely only use decay on a stronger enemy to weaken them, since making this her main spell wouldn¡¯t work. Thankfully, she had Baneful Sickle. It still had a cooldown, but it was certainly more manageable than Decay. Aside from the cooldown, this spell was certainly an improvement. And once she increases its rank, it¡¯ll be even more powerful. Plus, once Hazel¡¯s Intelligence and Wisdom stats were high enough, she could most likely spam the spell multiple times without suffering from mana deficiency. With her new skill in her arsenal, Hazel continued searching through the shop, hoping to find another Grimoire Page to learn another one. Considering she found one, there was a possibility that she could locate a second page. Sadly, after a bit of searching, Hazel couldn¡¯t find another grimoire page. It was a bit disappointing, but at least she managed to obtain two new skills from her Marker achievement and the page she just found in this shop. However, she was a bit curious about the connection between the two, specifically, why both skills were unexpectedly used by witches. Hazel reread the description for both skills, just so she wasn¡¯t seeing things, and sure enough, both Decay and Baneful Sickle were skills that were frequently used by witches. That couldn¡¯t be a coincidence, right? She was elated that her spell arsenal increased, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel curious about their connections to witches. Could Decay be another cursed type of skill like Baneful Sickle? Considering that the plank she experimented on withered to dust in those few short moments, it was possible. Maybe the shop owner before the Fractured Phenomenon was a witch. It seemed plausible thanks to the evidence with the two spells, but Hazel felt that she was overreaching a bit. Still, she couldn¡¯t get the idea out of her head. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s more information regarding witches in this shop as well. Couldn¡¯t hurt to look, right?¡± With a new objective in mind, Hazel started to look for books related to anything witchy. Whether it was the history of witches, the power of witches, or whatever. As long as she found something involving them, she would be happy. Sadly, after turning this whole shop upside down in search of such a book, not a single one was found. This both bothered and annoyed Hazel. So she could find skills related to witches, but books involving their history and whatnot were off the table? What a load of crap. ¡°Agh, whatever,¡± Hazel groaned, vigorously scratching her head out of irritation. ¡°I¡¯m getting off track, anyway. I need to keep hunting Fractured monsters and level up.¡± She couldn¡¯t stay in this shop forever. Not when she had better things to do in the first place. Now that she was level five, she only needed five more levels to get to Level ten so she could take on the Cyclops. Feeling more or less satisfied with her findings, Hazel made her way to the door and left the magic shop. It was time to get back to the hunt. Chapter 8: Testing Once she was outside of the shop, Hazel scanned her surroundings in search of more Fractured Humans to kill. Moving forward, she stalked the area, eager to find some monsters to fully test her new spells on. It didn¡¯t take long before she heard the familiar groans of the Fractured Humans and quickly bolted toward the sound. Moving around the corner, Hazel soon spotted a small group of Fractured Humans, aimlessly wandering like zombies. They didn¡¯t even notice her presence even when she was standing in front of them. Then, one of the Fractured slowly turned around and spotted Hazel before it. Noticing the mage, it released a pained yet hostile groan while eagerly limping toward her. Its groan alerted the other Fractured Humans as the rest spun around as well, seeing Hazel, and moving toward their next enemy. The chorus of groans didn¡¯t alarm Hazel. If anything, she was far more than eager to face them compared to before. And that was because she had more spells up her sleeve to use than before. Back when she hunted them with Mana bolt, she simply did so to gather experience and level up quickly. But now, with both Decay and Baneful Sickle, Hazel felt excited facing the Fractured Humans. More than that, she wanted to fight another Fractured Class monster like the warrior. She didn¡¯t know why, but there was a feeling in her gut that the result of her battle with one would be entirely different compared to the last time. And that feeling swelled up within her, threatening to implode if she didn¡¯t do something about it. As soon as they were in her sight, Hazel readied her staff, prepared to take down the Fractured creatures with her new spell. Thanks to their slow walk, she could take her time before attacking them. Using that opportunity, she pointed her staff at one of the Fractured humans, designating it as her first target for the Baneful Sickle spell. She then took a moment to imagine the spell to activate it. Hazel had recently noticed that a key factor when using her skills like [Mana Bolt] and [Mana Shield], she needed a firm imagination of what the spell was like to trigger it. Simply shouting the spell wouldn¡¯t work since she did that with the Dire Wolf after arriving in the dungeon. So, with Baneful Sickle, a vivid image was also required. Just from the name alone, Hazel imagined a razor-sharp sickle-like attack, completely composed of mana, much like her mana bolt. A sickle powerful enough to strike down her enemies. No not strike down¡­to sever them completely from existence. As if responding to her imagination, her mana build-up within her then flowed toward her staff as particles of purple mana materialized around it. Even as that happened, the Fractured humans still hadn¡¯t gotten close enough to Hazel to disrupt her concentration. And as soon as her spell was ready, she spoke its name. ¡°Baneful Sickle!¡± Suddenly a purple energy poured out of the staff while taking the form of a sharp crescent blade. It then shot forward, barreling toward the horde with malicious intent, immediately severing the Fractured Human that was targeted along with a few others in their general direction. Both their upper and lower body collapsed on the spot as the cracks spread further across both halves before they shattered completely. [Level 3 Fractured Human has been defeated!] [Level 2 Fractured Human has been defeated!] [Level 2 Fractured Human has been defeated!] [Level 1 Fractured Human¡­] Hazel stood there in a daze, amazed by what she had just witnessed. Her spell took down more than five Fractured Humans with a single attack. A wide grin appeared on her face while her grip on the magic staff tightened. ¡°Oh, I like this skill.¡± Not only was Baneful Sickle powerful enough to take down multiple enemies at once, but the skill also didn¡¯t consume too much of her mana. It wasn¡¯t as big as Decay, but certainly more than Mana Bolt. Once Hazel reached level six, she planned on putting some more points into Intelligence. The more she could use this spell, the easier it would be for her against the monsters while she was in the dungeon.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Satisfied with the results of the Baneful Sickle spell, Hazel switched gears and moved on to test her other spell, Decay. She first used it on an inanimate object, that being the wooden plank. Now it was time to use it on a living test subject. Or¡­was the correct term an unliving test subject? It probably didn¡¯t matter, but Hazel couldn¡¯t help but let the thought cross her mind. Since Fractured were technically undead, in a sense, unliving test subjects sounded way more accurate. Raising her staff once again, she performed her Decay spell in an instant, choosing the closest Fractured human as her next target. ¡°Decay!¡± Casting the spell, more purple energy erupted from the staff, turning into ethereal tendrils that slithered around. The tendrils shot out toward one of the Fractured Humans, wrapping around its body until it was fully engulfed in the violet energy. Hazel then witnessed the cracks spiderwebbed further throughout its body before it couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure then shattered on the spot, bursting into particles of purple light. Hazel was shocked by this display, her eyes widened, and her mouth agape. She didn¡¯t expect the Fractured Human to simply crack and burst like that. If anything, she believed that it would deteriorate like the plank did; its body slowly decaying until flesh, muscle, nerves, and organs were corroded beyond repair, simply turning to dust shortly after. Maybe it was because of its Fractured Physiology. Every time she killed a monster in this dungeon, it simply cracked and shattered to bits like glass. ¡°Oh crap¡­¡± Hazel was pulled out of her deep thoughts at the sound of the rest of the Fractured humans, groaning in sync. They were a lot closer now, to the point where Hazel jumped back to put some more distance between them. But simply moving away from them wasn¡¯t going to work. She needed to kill them here and now. Thankfully, ten seconds had already passed, and she used Baneful Sickle once more, sending out another purple crescent blade at her prey, mowing down a good portion of the horde with one attack. Their torsos and arms were easily severed, collapsing on the ground and then shattering to pieces, unable to maintain the cracks developing around their body. She ignored the messages regarding her kills and focused on killing the Fractured Humans. Since both Baneful Sickle and Decay were both now on cooldowns, it was now Mana Bolt¡¯s turn to deal with the Fractured creatures. She fired a couple of mana bolts at the horde, being mindful of her mana reserve. The bolts easily pierced through the skulls of the Fractured humans, shattering them on impact. While firing her bolts of mana, Hazel noticed that her aim was getting a lot better than before. Initially, she missed a couple of her shots or either struck their torsos or shoulders while getting a couple of headshots. Now, her aim had improved to the point where she could hit their skulls multiple times in a row. This was likely the case because she was constantly using it, thus letting her gain more experience on how to control the skill. Suddenly, a chill snaked down her spine, her instincts were warning Hazel of danger. Sensing that threat, she quickly conjured her mana shield, watching the dome barrier form around her, just before she witnessed a throwing dagger getting hurled at the shield. Watching it bounce off the barrier and fall to the ground, Hazel cocked her head in confusion. ¡°Who threw that?¡± Her question was soon answered when she gazed over at where the dagger was thrown, spotting a lone figure on the roof. It looked like a human, wearing all-black clothing, including a mask that obstructed its face. Despite the distance, Hazel was still able to identify it from where she was standing. Level 5 A Fractured being that used to be a Rogue before their world was destroyed by the Mana Overload Event. Despite being a husk of a vessel, these Fractured Rogues could still fight like they used to, making them formidable opponents. ¡°A Fractured Rogue¡­¡± Hazel muttered. ¡°Well, if there was a Fractured Warrior, then it would stand to reason that the other classes were just as likely to appear as well.¡± She had only ever encountered the Fractured Warrior earlier, so it came as a surprise that her next opponent was a Fractured Rogue. This also meant that there was the possibility that she could potentially run into Fractured Rangers, Clerics, and even Mages like herself. The sudden thought of a Fractured Mage conjuring some kind of powerful spell at Hazel made her shudder as she mentally prayed to never come across one while in this dungeon. Hazel continued to look at the Fractured Rogue, making sure not to take her eyes off the enemy. Unlike a Fractured Warrior, Rogues relied on stealth and sneak attacks, just like how it threw that dagger before. If she hadn¡¯t reacted in time, her situation would¡¯ve been more dire. Rogues were also capable of close-quarters combat, so this Fractured was proficient at attacking from afar or up close. That made Hazel¡¯s new opponent even more dangerous than she would have liked. Though, it wasn¡¯t just the Rogue she needed to watch out for. Behind her, Hazel heard a familiar roar. When she whirled around to see who it was, her eyes shot open as she saw an armored Fractured human charging at her like a bull seeing red. She was afraid that her barrier couldn¡¯t hold and deactivated it while leaping to the side to avoid the storming enemy. Hazel rolled across the ground before repositioning herself on her knees. Her eyes shifted back over to the enemy that nearly bulldozed through her, watching it take an abrupt stop then turned around to glare at the mage. She didn¡¯t even need to use identify to know what type of Fractured class it was. It was another warrior; making this fight against two Fractured Class monsters. ¡°Seriously?¡± She groaned ¡°Another Warrior? I just took down one of you guys a little while ago.¡± The novice mage stared at both the Fractured monsters; a weary expression plastered on her face. Although she wanted to fight another class Fractured, that didn¡¯t mean to have her face two of them. ¡°This isn¡¯t going to end well, is it¡­?¡± Hazel muttered, gripping her staff while preparing for battle. Chapter 9: The Double Trouble The Fractured Warrior once again rushed toward Hazel while releasing a guttural battle cry. Before getting close, she jumped to the side again, watching the monster barrel pass before stopping after a couple of feet. She didn¡¯t give the monster a chance to turn around and try again as she raised her staff to cast Baneful Sickle at it. However, her movements abruptly stopped when her senses warned her of danger. She quickly switched gears and cast Mana Shield instead, just as half a dozen throwing knives were launched at her. Despite harmlessly rebounding off the barrier, Hazel didn¡¯t get rid of it as her eyes shifted back to the Rogue still on the roof. The Fractured Rogue stood there patiently, carefully watching the fight, and waiting for another opportunity to catch Hazel off guard. She clicked her tongue while angrily glaring at the monster. So, that was how they were going about this fight. With Hazel occupied with the warrior, the Rogue would use that opportunity to catch her off guard and weaken her with its daggers. It was a solid plan. One that should be impossible for Fractured creatures to do. Then again, the description for both stated that despite being empty husks, they still retained their former life experiences in battle. Which meant that they were even more dangerous than Hazel initially thought. ¡°I¡¯m okay with fighting one but going up against two wasn¡¯t what I had in mind,¡± Hazel mumbled to herself. If she was bound to fight two Fractured Class monsters, then she would¡¯ve preferred to go up against two of the same class. Having to deal with a Rogue and a Warrior put Hazel in a difficult situation. Not only was she outnumbered, but her fatigue was slowly getting the best of her. Her hands slightly trembled as they tightly grasped the gnarled magic staff for dear life. She wanted to fight the Warrior, but that Rogue was in the way. And even if she wanted to go after the Rogue to take it down, it was obvious that the warrior wasn¡¯t going to let that happen. Realizing her predicament, Hazel felt that she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Despite her situation, a part of her felt eager to fight. She was bored of killing the Fractured Humans and wanted to test herself. And now, she had that opportunity right before her. And it would be stupid to waste such a chance. Hazel whirled her staff at the Fractured Warrior, prepared to fire off a spell. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as the Rogue also readied itself to attack. While observing it, her lips curled into a slight smile. ¡°Mana Bolt!¡± As soon as she cast her spell, she was filled with mana once again. But while the energy transferred to her staff, Hazel changed targets and directed her attack at the Rogue. The spell shot out of the staff and zoomed toward the Rogue on the roof. From what Hazel could tell, the Fractured creature was a bit taken aback by this but still managed to move out of the way of the attack, narrowly dodging it. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t fire that skill to hit the Rogue. After all, her main focus was still on the warrior. With the Rogue still composing itself after getting attacked out of the blue, Hazel used that chance and shifted her attention back to the Fractured Warrior. She whirled her staff at the creature, then fired off her Baneful Sickle Skill. She soon conjured up a purple crescent blade and hurled it at the Warrior. Surprisingly enough, it stopped charging at Hazel and raised its weapon to block her attack and succeeded. As soon as the purple sickle clashed against the sword, the warrior was pushed back slightly as its feet slid across the concrete road. But other than that, it was unharmed. Hazel was a bit annoyed, however, she expected something like that to happen and was simply testing the waters. Since the Warrior was level eight, it stood to reason that it was still a tough opponent to deal with. She wanted to cast Decay on the Warrior and see if that would work, but she felt hesitant, especially due to her current mana reserve. She used quite a bit of her mana before the two Fractured Classes arrived, and she wasn¡¯t certain that Decay would be effective against them. It may have worked on the Fractured humans, but something told her that these two wouldn¡¯t be the same. But that didn¡¯t mean Hazel didn¡¯t have a plan in mind. ¡°This place seems a little bit too open for us, don¡¯t you think?¡± She said aloud, catching both the Rogue¡¯s and warrior¡¯s attention. ¡°How about we take this little dispute somewhere a little more enclosed?¡± Hazel whirled around and scurried off, making it a break for it. Behind her, she could hear the Fractured Warrior roar in anger while chasing her. While running, she turned her head to see if the Rogue would follow, and sure enough, it was. While the Warrior chased her on the road, the Rogue stuck to the rooftops, following the mage that way. Hazel was simply glad that both of them were chasing her just like she wanted. These Fractured Class monsters may have retained some of their experience in battle to the point that it makes them a bit dangerous to deal with, but that didn¡¯t mean they regained all of their intelligence. Sure, the Rogue used the advantage of Hazel¡¯s fight with the warrior to catch her off guard and kill her that way, but now it was following her after she declared such an obvious ploy. Hazel continued to run through the streets, making sure that the Warrior and Rogue were still behind. Turning around, her eyes widened when she saw the Warrior right behind her. They were only a couple of feet apart, and the distance was closing even further thanks to the Warrior''s superior speed. With its sword in hand, the Warrior swung at Hazel, attempting to decapitate her on the spot. Hazel ducked just in time, but that was a mistake because she wasn''t paying attention to what was in front of her. Because of them, she tripped over herself and tumbled across the cracked stone road. While on the ground, Hazel watched as the Warrior stood over her, raising its sword in the air. The mage knew what was about to happen next and hastily raised her staff. Not to deflect it since she wasn''t strong enough to fend off its attack, but to cast Mana Shield.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Just as the Warrior swung its sword down on Hazel, a blue transparent dome materialized around her. Making contact with the barrier, the warrior was pushed back from the rebound, forcing it to lose its balance for a moment. Instead of letting the barrier remain active, she quickly got rid of it before directing her staff at her enemy. Just then, a blue bolt of pure mana was created before hurtling toward the Fractured monster. The Mana Bolt pierced its side, leaving a large glass-like gash in its wake. Not even a second later, Hazel cast another Mana Bolt, aiming her staff at the Fracture monster''s leg instead. Her aim was a bit off and only carved out a chunk as it tore through its knee. Despite her bad aim, Hazel still managed to cripple the Fractured monster. Just then, several throwing knives appeared and pierced the ground near Hazel, startling her. She didn''t even have to look to know who it was, and simply pulled herself off the ground with the help of her staff and continued to flee for her life. Behind her, she could hear the warrior roaring in anger, but she didn''t try to look back and just focused on running with all of her might. Thankfully, she soon arrived at her destination. The Tavern from before. She wanted another, more confined space, but this building would do since she knew the layout of it. Plus, with what she planned to do; this was just perfect. Hazel quickly got to the door and entered the Tavern. Before going further in, she shut the door. She knew that wasn¡¯t going to do anything against the Warrior, since it could very well easily break it down, but that didn¡¯t stop Hazel from trying to keep the monster busy, even if only for a second. While rushing toward the stairs, it didn¡¯t take long before she heard the door she just closed get busted down as the Warrior emerged through the entrance. It growled and snarled like a rabid dog, and as soon as it spotted Hazel, it continued its chase. Hazel didn¡¯t waste any time and climbed up the stairs, not even sparing a glance at the warrior that was right on her tail. She soon made it to the second floor, just in time as she turned to the left and saw the Rogue climbing through the window at the end of the hall. Their eyes locked on to one another before her attention was pulled away from the roar of the Fractured Warrior. She saw that it was still climbing the stairs and nearly at the top, but before it could reach the second floor, Hazel smiled. ¡°Have a safe descent!¡± She maliciously grinned while pointing her staff at the stairs. She then hurled a couple of bolts of mana at the stairs, destroying the wood and foundation supporting it. As soon as the warrior took a step, the rest of the stairs couldn¡¯t maintain their structure and collapsed from the pressure of the monster, making it fall through and crash with a loud thud. With the warrior taken care of for the moment, Hazel turned her attention back to the Rogue, only to see the sneaky figure close the distance between them while thrusting a dagger at her. The mage shifted to the side to dodge. However, the dagger still managed to cut her, ripping through her cloak and cutting her skin as well. Hazel grimaced in pain while trying to put some distance between them. Meanwhile, the Rogue continued its assault. Slashing at Hazel, more wounds were inflicted on her from her shoulder, arms, and torso. The Rogue''s attacks were shallow, but the pain was still enough to cause the mage to stagger. Just then, as if attempting to finish the fight, the Rogue raised its blade and brought it down on her. Hazel didn¡¯t have enough time to cast Mana Shield and raised her staff to defend herself. The dagger dug into the bark of the wood while forcing Hazel back. Instead of trying to push the Rogue off, she moved her staff to the side, forcing the Rogue away from her as its daggers pulled away from the staff and struck the ground in the process. Hazel''s chest heaved as she felt her lungs ache and burn from the running she had done before getting to the Tavern. Thankfully, her Endurance stat mitigated the pain a little, allowing her to push through despite how winded she was. With the Rogue on the ground, Hazel hastily cast Decay on the monster. A split second later, a sharp pain assaulted her head, as if someone jammed a needle inside her brain. The mage groaned, clutching her head in response. Even with the Endurance stat, Hazel could tell that this pain wasn''t going to fade away any time soon. She must''ve used too much of her mana by casting Decay. It was painfully clear that she was hitting her limit. If Hazel didn''t end this fight and soon, it was either going to be her mana depletion or one of the Fractured monsters that would kill her. Meanwhile, Purple tendrils slithered out of the staff and latched onto the Rogue, enveloping its body in the ethereal energy. She then watched the Rogue stagger in pain. Looking closer, the cracks on its body started to spread, but not as much as she wanted. It was practically going at a snail¡¯s pace compared to the Fractured Human. Although Hazel expected Decay to not fully affect the Rogue, she was a bit baffled by how slow the spell was on it. Could it be that it was resisting Decay? Or was it just its physiology compared to the Fractured Humans that was the culprit? She wanted some answers, but wasting the opportunity while the Rogue was injured and distracted wasn¡¯t the best call. Saving her questions for later, Hazel aimed her staff at the Rogue, quickly casting Baneful Sickle as her head throbbed painfully as a result. Since it was still affected by Decay, albeit slowly, its vessel should be weakened enough for Hazel to take it down with her other curse skill. Or at least she hoped that was the case. A purple crescent blade burst from the staff, barreling toward the Rogue. The Fractured monster composed itself before raising its dagger to block. However, the purple crescent sickle of Bane shattered the dagger then carved through the Rogue, severing its body in half. The two halves fractured more and then erupted into particles of purple light. [Level 5 Fractured Rogue has been defeated!] [You have leveled up! You are now Level 6!] [Baneful Sickle is now Rank 2!] [Decay is now Rank 2!] Hazel took a moment to catch her breath, her body still exhausted from using up too much mana. She leaned against her gnarled staff, feeling her legs slowly turn into jelly, barely being able to support her weight from the fatigue. She couldn¡¯t yet relax though, since the Fractured Warrior was still around. Even now, the brute was groaning and growling while under the steps. Hopefully, it was in a daze from the fall and couldn¡¯t move for the moment. She slowly went toward the stairs, glancing through the hole where the Warrior fell into. Taking a look in the hole, Hazel saw that the Warrior was standing up and looking around, trying to find a way out. Hazel found it odd that it didn¡¯t just burst through the stairs like it did the door. Then again, the description did say that they only retained some of their previous intelligence from when they were alive. But not all of it. Of course, she wasn¡¯t going to let the opportunity slide and quickly cast a mana bolt as it burst forth and tore through the warrior''s head. Watching it shatter to pieces from the numerous cracks enveloping its body, Hazel turned away and sat down, leaning her back against the wall. She then grimaced in pain, pressing her hands against her head. It felt like someone was pounding a drum in her brain, making her entire skull pulsate violently. Hazel stayed there for a little bit, resisting the urge to pass out. A part of her wanted to put all of her increase her Endurance stat to try and mitigate the pain, but she couldn''t do that. She couldn''t risk wasting any more of her points. Even if the pain went away, Hazel knew that she would regret it. So, through sheer will, Hazel did her best to ride out the skull-splitting headache from her mana deficiency. Seconds and minutes passed by in the blink of an eye as she continued to suffer. But after a little more time passed, the throbbing headache slowly faded away, allowing Hazel to relax a bit after enduring such a horrible experience. ¡°Well, that was eventful¡­¡± She groaned, gazing up at the ceiling with glossed-over eyes. Now that...was something Hazel couldn''t allow to happen again. Not if this was going to happen every time she used up all of her mana like just now. Chapter 10: Searching Hazel remained in the tavern for a little while, so she could fully recuperate. After her fight with the Fractured Rogue and Warrior, she strained her body a little too much. Her wound on her side from the first Fractured Warrior she fought started to ache a bit; pain flaring across it like hot iron. If it wasn''t for her Endurance stat mitigating most of the pain, she would likely be in agony right now. She wanted to continue hunting and gather more Experience, but she was close to her limit now thanks to all that running and fighting. So, she simply sat up against the wall and took a break. While doing that, Hazel pulled up her stats to check out her current progress. Status Window Name: Hazel Thatcher Race: Human Level: 6 Class: Mage Free Points: 3 Attributes: Strength: 7 Agility: 8 Endurance: 14 Intelligence: 17 Wisdom: 13 Willpower: 12 Hazel frowned. "My Endurance is almost the same as Intelligence. That''s not good." Because of her recklessly putting her free points into Endurance because of her pain, hunger, and thirst, she made little to no progress with her vital stats like Intelligence and Wisdom. To the point where Endurance had surpassed Wisdom and was catching up to Intelligence. As a Mage, this was extremely reckless and dangerous. She needed to increase her Intelligence and Wisdom stat, otherwise, she would encounter a similar problem from last time. And this was all because she wanted to make herself more durable because she was on her own right now. This was possibly the biggest mistake ever. If she knew that Endurance was going to be vital for her survival while in this dungeon then she would''ve just chosen the Warrior class! "I can''t afford to stunt my growth as a mage. At least not after nearly passing out from that stupid migraine after defeating the Fractured Warrior and Rogue." With her Intelligence and Wisdom as they were, Hazel''s mana reserve was not big enough for her to spam her spells. Especially Baneful Sickle and Decay. Those spells took a huge chunk of her mana after a couple of uses. If she had enough time to recover some of her mana before the Rogue and Warrior appeared, then her situation would''ve been different. But she couldn''t make that mistake again. These points needed to go to Intelligence and Wisdom. She chose the mage class to use magic, and that was her strongest trait. So she needed to prioritize it. As soon as she made her decision, the three free points she received from her level-up went directly into her Intelligence stat, making it twenty points total. Almost immediately, Hazel felt a flush of energy wash over her, filling her with renewed vigor and power. Her lips curled into a slight smile. Aside from her stat issue, Hazel was also curious about her two spells that ranked up. Perhaps, unlike Mana Bolt, Baneful Sickle and Decay had added features after reaching Rank 2. She then mentally pulled up the spells to check for any changes. Rank 2 Gives the caster the ability to fire a sickle-like blade at their enemies. The sickle is made of cursed energy that damages the enemy over time. Curse Dmg is increased by 5%. It¡¯s a skill that is highly used by Witches. The cooldown lasts ten seconds. Rank 2 A skill that allows the caster to deteriorate anything or anyone they wish. By being afflicted with decay, their vessels slowly decompose, withering away until they are nothing but ash and dust. Rot dmg is increased by 5% It is a common ability used by witches due to its fast-acting effects. The cooldown is thirty seconds. Her brows rose in surprise as a smile formed on her face. ¡°Increased dmg for curse and rot, huh? That¡¯s definitely useful.¡± Unlike Mana Bolt, both her cursed skills got upgraded after reaching Rank 2. Their increase in damage seemed pretty explanatory. Baneful Sickle was made of cursed energy, so it would stand to reason that its Curse Dmg would increase. The same thing applied to Decay. While it doesn''t possess the Curse Dmg, it does have Rot, which made sense considering that the spell deteriorates anything living and non-living; Fractured monsters included. There was an issue with the Cooldowns for both spells. If it wasn''t for the fact that she couldn''t spam them, her battles would''ve ended a lot sooner. Hell, if that was the case, she wouldn''t have to have run away from the Fractured Warrior and Rogue since she could just decay and sickle both of them into oblivion. Then again, there was the issue with her lacking Mana Reserve by not investing more in Intelligence and Wisdom. ¡°No wonder mages were considered support-type players. These cooldowns hindered them quite a bit.¡± If there were more people around her, she could¡¯ve simply teamed up with them, so her battles were a little easier, but at the same time, in a situation like this, she couldn¡¯t necessarily trust others to have her back. When it came to survival, people put their lives first before others. If there¡¯s a chance that one person could survive by abandoning the rest of their group, they¡¯ll likely take it. Hazel was no exception to the rule. Still, it was clear that she wasn¡¯t going to last long by being alone.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. A part of her wished that she could just summon a familiar to aid her in battle, but she didn¡¯t know how to do something like that or knew if it was a skill or something else entirely. Because of these issues, Hazel was on her own for the time being. She hadn¡¯t even spotted another non-fractured person ever since she first got into this dungeon. Hopefully, there were others around, and the System didn¡¯t drop her in this place alone. If that was the case, Hazel planned on filing a complaint against whoever manages the multiverse, or whatever. Considering she was one of the floating landmasses in the dungeon, there were likely people on the other ones. Even if she couldn¡¯t find someone here, she could get lucky with the rest. It¡¯s not like Hazel planned on staying on this floating island for the whole month. She wanted to explore this dungeon a little more, and that was her plan after defeating the Cyclops and getting some more points. Speaking of the Cyclops, there haven¡¯t been any signs of it in the town or anywhere else. The monster might have moved onto another landmass, but Hazel prayed that wasn¡¯t the case since she didn¡¯t want to go from island to island to locate and kill the monster. Which is why she needed to hurry up and reach level ten. While scanning her status window, Hazel¡¯s stomach started to rumble. She could feel it churn around in pain, demanding sustenance. She clutched her stomach while groaning, remembering a major problem. ¡°Crap¡­I need to eat something and fast.¡± Because she was busy fighting monsters, it didn¡¯t cross her mind to find something to eat. And that came with its own set of problems. Like for instance; Hazel was pretty certain that none of the food in this dungeon was¡­edible. Considering that this world was destroyed for who knew how long, the possibility of finding food or anything that she could consume was very unlikely. Hell, Hazel doubted that there was fresh fruit growing from trees in this dungeon. Nothing in the Dungeon, whether it was the fauna or flora, was capable of living there. Which begged the question; how was Hazel supposed to survive in this place without food? Standing up, Hazel cautiously walked down the stairs, being careful not to fall in the hole where the Fractured Warrior dropped, and made her way to the kitchen on the second floor. Thanks to the warrior from before, all she needed to do was walk through the entrance it made when it barged out of the kitchen. Going in, Hazel started looking around for anything that she could eat and fill her stomach with. She checked cabinets, pots, boxes, and more, all in hopes of finding some food and ceasing her grumbling stomach. Sadly, after searching for a little while, she came up with nothing, only adding to her frustration. ¡°Lovely,¡± She groaned, violently shutting a cabinet door and storming off. ¡°There¡¯s no food here or even water. You¡¯d think they would have preserved food or something like that.¡± Because this was a dungeon that was pretty much destroyed, Hazel knew that it was a waste of time searching for food. But there was no way that the system would just drop her here without something like that available, right? ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a well or something nearby¡­¡± Hazel muttered, desperate to find something. If food wasn¡¯t available, then hopefully water was. And since this town gave off medieval vibes, there should be a well or some kind that contained water. While moving, her side that got cut by the Fractured Warrior began to burn painfully. Even with it wrapped up thanks to her makeshift bandage, that didn¡¯t stop her wound from feeling painful from time to time. Even though she hadn¡¯t fully recovered from her battle with the warrior, she had no choice in the matter to relax. Hazel then left the Tavern and started roaming the small town to find a source of water that she could quench her thirst. Her feet lightly echoed throughout the abandoned settlement, along with the sound of the eerie space she was caught up in. She couldn¡¯t get used to the haunted atmosphere of the town, even when she was perfectly capable of defending herself and also running away from trouble. She felt like a main character in a horror movie, trying to survive while looking for a way to leave the place. And with what she had been up against so far, that comparison was more or less valid. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that the Cyclops was possibly here, then she would¡¯ve already left the floating island and moved on to the other landmasses to expand her options. Maybe one of them had food that she could eat. The possibility of that was rather frighteningly low, but Hazel held out hope that there was an island with a forest filled with plants and such that she could eat. Because this town was devoid of anything edible for her to consume. It didn¡¯t take long while roaming the city and avoiding any Fractured monsters that she finally found a well. It was situated somewhere in the middle of town, simply positioned there and waiting for someone to use it. And Hazel was up to the task. ¡°Finally,¡± she beamed, quickly marching her way to the well, praying that there was water inside. Getting to the wellspring, Hazel leaned over and looked inside, only for her brows to crease in annoyance while gazing at the bottom of the water supply. To which, she realized, there was no water. To make sure, Hazel grabbed a rock and tossed it down the hole, hoping that she was wrong and that there was water. Sadly, the rock went and fell to the very bottom, not with a loud yet satisfying splash, but a disappointing and heart-breaking thud. ¡°Dammit,¡± Hazel swore, smashing her fists against the stone foundation in anger. Just when she thought she had a break, something had to go wrong. Not only was she extremely hungry, but also thirsty beyond belief. She could feel her mouth drying up from the lack of water with each passing minute. Humans could go a couple of days without water, but it was enduring such a situation that was going to cause Hazel a lot of problems. Considering that she¡¯s been moving her body around like she had, she was continuously dehydrating herself. Forget a couple of days. If Hazel didn¡¯t find water soon, she would drop dead in the next few hours, at most. Though, that would be the least of her concerns¡­ Hazel then heard a loud and guttural roar as it reverberated throughout the town. Even the ground itself trembled from the base of its voice. She took a defensive position, whirling around while trying to locate the enemy. She then caught a broken-down carriage fly in the air for a few moments before descending on her. Hazel let out a surprised yelp while jumping to the side. After rolling across the stone-paved ground, she peered over and witnessed the carriage that nearly hit her, crash into the ground before shattering to pieces, much like the Fractured monsters she killed. Hazel heard another distant roar, turning to face whatever it was that threw that old vehicle at her. However, as soon as she did, her blood went cold as her eyes widened with fear, bearing witness to the monster that decided to attack her. And it was the very one she wished to not run into until all of her preparations were done. It was the Cyclops from the before. She could recognize it thanks to the weapon it wielded. That and its unique physical appearance and the singular purple eye on its face. Slowly walking forward, the cyclops¡¯ eye was directed right at Hazel, as if making her its next target. Then, without a single ounce of hesitation, the Cyclops picked up another nearby broken-down carriage, then hurled it over at Hazel, hoping to hit its mark, unlike last time. Chapter 11: Was Nobody the Cyclops? Hazel moved out of the way as the carriage crashed into the well, destroying it upon collision. She looked over at the aftermath and saw broken pieces of both brick and wood scattered all over the ground. If Hazel was caught up in that attack, there was no doubt in her mind that she would¡¯ve died. And if she didn¡¯t, she was fated to be a cripple instead. Meanwhile, the Cyclops continued its assault, charging at Hazel with malicious intent; determined to end her life. The mage hastily raised her staff and fired a couple of mana bolts at it, only for the giant goliath to use its club as a shield, effortlessly blocking her spells. ¡°Of course, it blocked my attack,¡± Hazel grumbled, glaring at the Cyclops and its club. ¡°What else was new?¡± Hazel wanted to cast Baneful Sickle, but she felt that she needed to wait for the right moment to do that. Otherwise, the Cyclops would simply block her attack again, and unlike the Fractured rogue, this monster had a more durable weapon. Sadly, her options were far and few at this point. So, she planned on hitting the monster with everything, including the kitchen sink. As the Cyclops roared at Hazel, she gripped her staff and directed it at the monster before firing Baneful Sickle and watching her purple crescent blade rocket toward its target. Even when the Cyclops brought up its club to defend itself, portions of the crescent attack avoided the weapon and embedded itself deep into its flesh. Instead of blood, pieces of the wound cracked and flew away like dandelion. The Cyclops roared, clutching its injury as more particle-size pieces came up and flew in the air then dissipated into nothing. Its eye bulged while it whirled around to glare at the mage. It snarled and purple saliva frothed out its mouth. ¡°Ten seconds before I could use it again¡­¡± Hazel muttered, mentally counting down her cooldown for her Baneful Sickle skill. To avoid getting attacked, she rushed around the Cyclops, making it difficult for the monster to attack her. She also fired a couple of mana bolts at the creature to further weaken and wound it. The barrage of blue energy bolts pierced its skin but barely did enough damage to wound it. Hazel furrowed her brows, annoyed by this. Its skin appeared to be a lot tougher than she thought. However, that wound from Baneful Sickle told her that its durability had limits. And Hazel planned to exploit it. The cyclops shifted its body, following Hazel as she scampered around like a rat. With its giant club, it raised the weapon in the air before slamming it on the ground where Hazel currently was. Thanks to her agility stat being high enough, she darted to the left, avoiding the club as it bashed against the ground, sending shards of concrete flying everywhere. In retaliation, Hazel hurled a Mana Bolt at her enemy, aiming at its side that was unprotected. Sadly, she was met with a similar result. This battle was taking too long for Hazel¡¯s liking. And if she kept spamming her spells like she was, she was bound to run out before the fight was even close to finishing. She needed to further weaken its body, so she could take it down with Baneful Sickle. And she knew just the skill to use. Hazel brought her staff up, prepared to cast her Decay skill on the Cyclops. Since Decay could further weaken a Fractured Monster, this skill was her best option at the moment. However, before she could even activate her skill, one of the flying pieces of concrete flew toward Hazel. She didn¡¯t notice it until it was too late, as it struck her head, drawing blood from the impact. Her head jerked back as everything went black for a few seconds. She lost her footing and fell to her knees in a daze, unable to see anything. The pain wasn''t as bad, likely because of her endurance, but not being able to see was incredibly inconvenient. That and also life-threatening since there was a one-eyed monster trying to kill her. So, she really hoped her blurry sight would go away before something happened that could almost definitely get her killed. And just when her vision cleared, she watched the Cyclops¡¯ club barrel toward her like a bat swinging to strike a baseball and make a home run. Although Hazel was disoriented, she had to move. She needed to move, or else she was dead. Using every ounce of willpower in her very being, Hazel forced her body to jump back, trying to avoid a direct hit from the Cyclops¡¯ club. But she wasn¡¯t completely out of the clear as her shoulder was unfortunately struck by the weapon, which was enough to fling her several feet backward. She stayed in the air for a few seconds then crashed into the ground, tumbling across for a few seconds. Her body skidded against the solid concrete, scraping parts of her skin and clothes. Hazel groaned, her entire body aching from her collision with the club, especially her shoulder. She couldn¡¯t tell if it was broken or dislocated, though in her current situation, neither one was good for her. Despite the pain she felt in her shoulder, the arm attached to it still held on to her staff, though whether she could move it or not was another issue. The cyclops soon closed the distance between them, towering over her with its giant physique. Hazel could only stare at the monster with a malicious glare. The cyclops snickered at her current state, clearly seeing her as easy pickings. It lifted its club, ready to turn Hazel into a human pancake. Bringing down the weapon on her, she quickly acted, forcing her arm to move, and fired another Mana Bolt. The spell zipped past the club and went straight for its face, piercing the Cyclops¡¯s eye. The monster released a guttural and inhuman roar that shook the whole town as the club missed its target, striking the ground next to her. More stone fragments flew in the air and pelted Hazel¡¯s body. Thankfully, none of the pieces were big enough to incapacitate her like before. With the monster in pain, Hazel moved her body, slowly getting up and limped away from the Cyclops. She didn¡¯t have a lot of time before it attempted to attack her again, so she used this chance to hide from it. She hoped that she could take a moment to recover before it found her. She sluggishly dashed into an alleyway, hiding behind one of the buildings away from the Cyclops. Once she was hidden, Hazel leaned her back against the wall and held her shoulder in place. She was starting to lose feeling in her fingers as they loosened slightly, nearly making her drop her staff on the ground. To prevent that, she placed her weapon in her left hand. Since she was right-handed, it felt a bit off-wielding it with her left. Though, that was hardly a problem compared to what she was currently dealing with. Hazel breathed heavily as her heart pounded hard against her chest. That situation was too close for comfort. If she hadn¡¯t blinded the Cyclops to run away, it would¡¯ve killed her with that club attack. Still, the fight wasn¡¯t over yet.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Hazel wanted to run away and wait until she was fully recovered to deal with this monster. After all, she was still only level six, and her attacks barely did anything to the creature. If this fight continued like it has, she might end up losing her life in the process. And yes there was this other part of Hazel to refused to run away. She felt as though there was a blazing fire in her chest, urging her to continue her battle against the Cyclops. She couldn¡¯t afford to let this monster recover, not when there was a chance to defeat it here and now. Plus, starting this fight over would¡¯ve been an even bigger pain in the ass after the thrashing it put her through. No, Hazel was determined to finish this fight. Even if it meant putting her life on the line in her current condition. When the monster recovered its sight, its, now, bloodshot eye glared at its surroundings, determined to find Hazel and end her. But when it stared at the spot where she used to be and noticed that she was gone, it started to roar in anger, slamming its club against the ground like a baby having a temper tantrum. Good, it hadn¡¯t spotted her yet. Hazel peered her head over and watched the Cyclops continue its little fit. With it distracted, she moved toward another building, staying out of sight so she could attempt to attack its blind spot. The cyclops swung its club around, smashing anything that it could see from the ground to the carts, to even some of the buildings as well. It was destroy what was left of the abandoned town so it could find its prey. It was like a walking hurricane of destruction and rage. Little did it know, Hazel was nearby, waiting to strike it while its guard was down. Moving behind another building, she glanced over at the monster until she could only see its back facing her. Attacking it from the front would alert the monster and also expose her. Now that she had the element of surprise, she needed to make use of it. With the cyclops still searching for Hazel, she used her uninjured arm and pointed her staff at the monster. Using her skill, malicious tendrils of purple energy formed and snaked their way toward the monster, coating around a certain area instead of its whole body. Hazel cocked an eyebrow but did her best to stay possible. As soon as it touched its skin, purple cracks slowly spread from the spot, festering like a disease. The cyclops stumbled around, as it just got hit, then whirled around where Hazel fired. Thankfully, she still hid behind the building but knew it was time to go as the monster roared angrily and charged toward her general direction. It practically razed its way through a building before reaching the back of it. But when the cyclops looked around, the culprit behind the attack was nowhere to be seen. Hazel hastily scampered to another building, using the structure as cover, and kept a close eye on her opponent. Although her decay spell worked, it would take a little while before the effects would show. Even so, she couldn¡¯t just wait. That spell was simply to weaken the Cyclops so she could finish it off with another spell. As for the cyclops, it wasn¡¯t really happy that its prey escaped again and repeatedly bashed its club on the ground, making small craters around it. It changed targets and then smashed the building it bulldozed through into pieces, reducing the structure into a pile of wood and stone. The monster¡¯s destruction didn¡¯t stop there as it went on to destroy the next building. It seemed that its plan now was to destroy everything in the town until it either found or killed Hazel while reducing the buildings into rubble. And considering this creature¡¯s destructive power, it was capable of doing so. Hazel couldn¡¯t let this happen since this town was still valuable to her in terms of shelter. So, she knew what needed to be done, and ran out from behind a building. As she did, the Cyclops¡¯s singular eye spotted her immediately, locking on like a heat-seeking missile. Hazel turned to face the Cyclops and smiled. ¡°Over here, you one-eyed moron!¡± She taunted the monster while running away. Although it likely couldn¡¯t understand her words, the Cyclops nonetheless roared at the mage and charged at her, smashing bits of the buildings while flinging its club around in rage. Now that she was spotted again, it was time to put her plan into action. Hazel skidded to a stop and turned to face the monster. Her body was still in pain from crashing into the ground, but she had plenty of strength to finish this fight. With her staff, she hurled a couple of mana bolts at the monster, aiming at the torn torso from the Baneful sickle. The monster didn¡¯t even try to block and let the bolts hit the wound, which was its first mistake. Due to its injury, the mana bolts easily penetrated the skin and bore into its body, making the wound worse than before. The Cyclops didn¡¯t seem to notice this and simply maintained course, charging at Hazel with malicious intent. It raised its club to smash Hazel like a bug, but she jumped away, narrowly avoiding the attack as another crater was made in the ground. With its weapon currently down, Hazel fired a couple of mana bolts, striking the same wound as before, taking off more pieces of its fractured body. The cyclops howled in the air, its singular bloodshot eye narrowing at her. It slid its club across the ground, dragging it over to Hazel. She took a step back and watched the weapon slide past her. Just before the cyclops could lift its weapon, she directed her staff at the club and hurled a purple ball of energy at it. Phasing into the club, its color slowly started to desaturate, turning from a dirty brown to a pale white. After the color transition, the weapon could no longer maintain its form and crumbled to pieces in the Cyclops¡¯s hand. The monster was wide-eyed at such a scene, staring at the traces of its weapon as it scattered in the air. While distracted, Hazel hurled a malicious crescent blade of purple energy at the monster, aiming at the same wounded torso as before. This time, the spell tore through the wound, nearly splitting the monster in half. Despite only having a little over half of its torso left, the Cyclops angrily growled and reached for Hazel. She tried to run away and avoid getting caught, but the one-eyed monster managed to grab her, wrapping its palm around her body and tightly gripping her. Hazel screamed in pain, feeling her shoulders and body get crushed under its grasp. The Cyclops was ecstatic that it finally caught its enemy and pulled her closer. Its lips twisted into a malicious smile and continued to squeeze the mage. Once Hazel was face to face with the monster, its singular purple eye narrowed while glaring at her. Squeezing its hand, Hazel could feel her bones grind up against one another, threatening to break if the Cyclops tightened its grip any further. Even if her Endurance stat made her a little tougher, she could tell that there was an obvious limit to it. A limit she wished to never find out in this kind of situation. Despite her pain, Hazel kept her eyes trained on it, not giving it the satisfaction of showing her pain, though that was thanks to Endurance reducing some of the pain. She then noticed that the cracks on its body were a lot worse than before, and continued to slowly spread across its body. It was all over its arms, chest, and neck, even snaking up its way to its head. She smiled, realizing that Decay was working as intended. The cyclops noticed her grin and leaned its head in confusion before snarling at her. Either it didn¡¯t notice its body deteriorating right now or didn¡¯t care. Either way, Hazel knew what she needed to do. ¡°Eat shit, nobody!¡± She shouted. With her staff still in her hand, Hazel used one final spell to finish off the monster and summoned a purple crescent sickle blade, making it tear through the cyclops¡¯s eye and beyond. The purple light from its eye faded while the cracks completely overwhelmed the monster, making it shatter on the spot with the sound of glass breaking. Before Hazel could feel happy about this, she realized that she was still in the air and soon descended to the ground, since the Cyclops was no longer keeping her up. She screamed while crashing into the concrete with a bone-breaking thud. Pain flared across her entire body from the fall. Hazel lay there for a moment, in a daze after falling into the stone road. She could barely move and it felt like a good majority of her bones were broken or severely sprained. In conclusion, that fall fucked her shit up expeditiously. Despite the pain coursing through her body, Hazel couldn¡¯t help but laugh at her achievement. She managed to kill the Cyclops. And since she accomplished her goal, that meant only one thing. [You have completed a Dungeon Challenge!] [You have been rewarded Seven Free Points!] [You have been rewarded a Common Loot Box!] [Level Ten Fractured Cyclops has been defeated!] [You have leveled up! You are now Level 7!] Seeing the panels of her success materialize before her, Hazel smiled at her progress. She only made it to level seven, but that was still good enough for her. While smiling at the panels, a thought occurred to her during her final words to the Cyclops. ¡°Wait, I¡¯m pretty sure Odysseus was nobody, not the Cyclops¡­¡± In Greek Mythology, when Odysseus fought the Cyclops, he proclaimed himself as ¡°nobody¡± to the one-eyed monster before defeating it. So, what Hazel said before was inaccurate to the actual lore she was using. Upon making this realization, Hazel groaned after screwing up the one-liner she made against her enemy. All in all, she still won the battle and was satisfied with that. Chapter 12: The Loot Box After her fight with the Cyclops, Hazel lay on the ground for a little while and rested. She didn¡¯t risk falling asleep while outside and simply stared at the vast purple space above her, mesmerized by the dozens of stars blanketing it. That fight with the Cyclops was a lot more difficult than she would¡¯ve liked. Not just its size, but also the power it packed as well. She had to use up almost all of her mana to kill it, and she still suffered a lot of injuries from their fight. Just getting grazed by that monster¡¯s club was enough to almost cripple her. Her shoulder still ached from the impact but was a little better after resting for a bit. Then there was the rest of her body that was in incredible pain from the fall. Thankfully, she managed to survive, evidently thanks to her Endurance Stat. If that attribute was still at an eight, then the possibility of surviving the fall or at least not ending up as injured was next to impossible. However, she did wish that the stat would alleviate some of the pain in her body because it was agonizing at the moment. Her entire body flared in pain. Just moving a finger made her wince from the slightest movement. Her shoulder was still dislocated, so Hazel needed to deal with that problem soon before it got worse. Too bad there weren¡¯t any Healing potions around. Hazel was a bit perturbed by that. This was a fantasy dungeon with levels and monsters, so how come she hadn¡¯t found a single healing potion to help her heal? Pushing the thought aside, Hazel turned her gaze toward the small crate lying next to her. Apparently, that was the loot box she received as a reward for completing her first Dungeon Challenge. As she stared at the moment, curiosity slowly got the best of her. She really wanted to know what was in the box after all the trouble she went through against that Cyclops. Plus, whatever was inside might be useful to her in the long run. With that in mind, Hazel sluggishly sat up from the ground, wincing as pain radiated all over her body from her shoulder to, well, everywhere else as well. Taking a moment to get used to the pain, she turned to the box, immediately trying to identify it and see its description. Common Item A box gifted to players by the System after completing certain quests or challenges. Depending on the rarity of the box, players will be able to receive powerful and useful items or weapons that will assist them in their journey. ¡°Common grade, huh?¡± Hazel mused before shrugging. ¡°Well, it¡¯s my first box, so that makes sense. Hopefully, there¡¯s something extremely useful in here.¡± Since was a Common Item, that could mean there were higher rarity types like Rare or Legendary. Of course, Hazel couldn''t know for sure until she found more Loot Boxes with different rarities. Without hesitating, Hazel quickly opened the lid of the box, revealing the contents inside. When she did, her eyes widened at what the loot box contained. There was food! And drinks! Within the loot box were small boxes of stored food along with a couple of bottles of water. Just by looking at the food, her mouth began to salivate uncontrollably while her stomach rumbled violently like thunder. It¡¯s been around a day or so since Hazel had eaten anything and she was extremely hungry and thirsty after everything that happened. Immediately, she tore into one of the boxes of food, taking out what appeared to be dried jerky wrapped in plastic. Much like the box, she ripped up the plastic to get to the jerky and savagely began to chew on it like some wild animal. The flavor of jerky meat coated her taste buds in an instant before she swallowed it down. A small bit of her hunger disappeared after gulping the piece of jerky and she took another bite. While chewing her second piece, Hazel grabbed one of the water bottles inside, opened the top, and brought the bottle to her lips. Fresh water flowed into her mouth, rejuvenating her dry mouth with its crisp and refreshing taste. She didn¡¯t pull the bottle away and continued to drink it, draining the plastic bottle until it was completely empty. Once all the water was gone, she pulled the bottle away with a gasp, feeling reinvigorated compared to before. Who knew that completing challenges like this was so rewarding. Taking another bottle from the box, Hazel took her time and scanned its contents a little more, curious if there was anything else she missed. And boy, was she right on the money with that assumption. Digging through the boxes and plastic bottles, Hazel found something else and picked it up. Pulling it out of the box, a small glass bottle with some kind of crimson liquid inside was revealed. It looked rather medieval. More than that, it looked like a very familiar item she used plenty of times in RPGs. Almost to the point where it could actually be... Hazel¡¯s eyes widened upon realizing what she was holding in her hands. But before she jumped to conclusions, she quickly identified the item, making sure that what she had was the real deal. Common Item A potion that heals wounds depending on the severity. It is a common item that has greatly benefited players and helped them recover enough to resume their adventure. ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± Hazel muttered in amazement, her eyes dazzling at the sight of the item. ¡°It¡¯s an actual healing potion.¡± Healing potions were staple items in RPG games. If you were hurt and lost a lot of health, then this was the item to fix you right up. And Hazel had one in the palm of her hand. And considering how banged up she was¡­she needed this item more than ever. Hazel hastily pulled off the cork of the bottle and drank the potion. It tasted like bitter medicine, making her recoil a bit out of reflex, but she continued to consume the red liquid until it was completely gone. As soon as she consumed the potion, the effects occurred immediately. All of the wounds she sustained in her battle with the Cyclops healed in an instant. Even her shoulder, which was currently dislocated, slowly relocated itself back into its socket. The process was a bit painful as she felt her shoulder move on its own and position itself back into the socket, making an audible popping sound. After making a grunt, Hazel noticed that the pain in her shoulder was completely gone. She moved it around to see if it was completely healed and to her surprise, it was. And it wasn''t just her shoulder that was healed. Her other injuries like the scrap marks from skidding across the ground or the blade wound from the Warrior were also restored as well, as if they were never there to begin with.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Relieved by this, Hazel laughed while gazing up at the stars. ¡°Healing potions are awesome¡­¡± She didn''t expect to come across a Healing potion in such a way, but she was glad that it happened. Especially with how she was severely wounded after the fight with the Cyclops. If the Loot box didn''t contain the potion, she wasn''t sure what could''ve happened to her. All she knew at that moment was that she was lucky to find the healing potion. Very, very lucky. Once she was fully healed, she pushed herself off the ground with the help of her gnarled staff. She wasted enough time out in the open. It was time to head back to the tavern. If she stayed outside any longer than she had to, then monsters could appear and overwhelm her. She couldn¡¯t risk that after finally defeating the Cyclops. Picking up her box, she carried it over to the tavern. Making her way back, Hazel glanced around at the destroyed buildings, courtesy of the Cyclops. A good majority of the structures were barely standing, only being supported by fragmented pieces of wood and stone from its foundations. Hazel was lucky she only got grazed by the monster and never took a direct hit. If she did, there was no doubt in her mind that she would be dead. After a little while, Hazel soon came across the tavern and went inside. Because the door was busted, she used a couple of tables and pushed them against the entrance, acting as a barricade against the Fractured monsters. She then marched over to the stairs, avoided the hole, and made it to the second floor. Picking a room from one of the halls, she opened the door and emerged inside. The room wasn¡¯t really big, what with it being half the size of a regular bedroom. However, all Hazel cared about was the bed laid out before her. The mattress was on a wooden frame and was neatly made with a blanket and pillow on top. Walking toward it, she placed the loot box near her nightstand before heading over to the bed and collapsing on it. Her body sank into the soft mattress as her body slowly began to relax. She could feel her fatigue get the best of her, despite her body recovering after drinking a healing potion. Guess those potions didn¡¯t recover fatigue or anything like that. Perhaps that was for stamina potions or something similar. Either way, Hazel was too tired to think anymore after everything that happened. But before going off into dreamland, there was one more thing that she needed to do first. Struggling to keep her eyes open, Hazel pulled up her status window. Status Window Name: Hazel Thatcher Race: Human Level: 7 Class: Mage Free Points: 10 Attributes: Strength: 7 Agility: 8 Endurance: 14 Intelligence: 20 Wisdom: 13 Willpower: 12 Hazel got a whopping ten free points thanks to both her level-up and Dungeon Challenge. With these points, she evenly distributed her points between Intelligence and Wisdom while also putting two points into Endurance to increase her body''s durability further. Because she had so many points to spare, she included Endurance since it was this very stat that saved her life against the Cyclops. She thought about putting her points into Willpower, but she didn¡¯t need that at the moment since she wasn¡¯t summoning any familiars yet. Plus, having more mana and faster mana regeneration was her biggest priority right now. Her main form of offense was magic, so focusing on Intelligence and Wisdom was a no-brainer. As for Strength and Agility, those stats weren''t as important at the moment. She did think about increasing Agility to at least ten since being faster would assist her in running away, but that decision would be made when Hazel possessed more points. For now, she needed to settle with just Endurance. Having her body become more resistant to damage was her best call since she was on her own. Though, she was only going to do this until she found someone to work with. And if she never did, then...she would just have to cross that bridge when she got there and figure it out then. With that morbid thought clouding her mind, Hazel finally gave in to the fatigue, her eyes slowly closing as everything went dark. In the back of her mind, she prayed that she could find something to rely on. It was getting pretty lonely in this dungeon¡­ ¡­ Astrid stealthily perched on a tree limb, cautiously looking down and scanning the forest ground below her. Her eyes trained on a small group of monsters scurrying around. They were short, green, and purple creatures with pointed ears and cracks forming all over their body. These were goblins, but not the ones that Astrid was familiar with. Though what else was new after getting dropped off in this vast space of a dungeon? The Fractured Goblins converse with one another, speaking in an incomprehensible sound filled with grunts and guttural screeches. A part of Astrid was curious about what they were talking about, but the other, more dominant, part of her felt disgusted toward their existence and wanted to exterminate them immediately. Keeping her eyes on the goblins, she pulled out two daggers and positioned herself over the small group. A second later, she jumped off the branch, rapidly descending on monsters. Her feet landed and crushed one of the goblins as she fell to the ground. Its back was bent backward awkwardly after Astrid forced her entire weight on the short creature before shattering like glass. Once on the ground, she was fully exposed, wearing a green cloak with a hood that was draped over her head, concealing it from others. Along with the cloak, she wore light leather armor with a belt around her waist, holding daggers and a pouch. As soon as the goblin died, she saw a familiar message panel, notifying her of its death, but she ignored it, setting her sights on the rest of the goblins. The other green and purple gremlins were alerted by Astrid¡¯s brutish assault on their comrade, taking action and bringing out their weapons, which were crudely made daggers. One of the goblins yelled while charging at Astrid, determined to kill her, but that wasn¡¯t going to happen. Getting closer to her, the goblin slashed its dagger, aiming right for her face. However, Astrid simply leaned back and watched the blade glide past, just before she used her weapon and drove it right into the monster¡¯s head. She then used her full strength and slammed it against the dirt ground. The goblin¡¯s body didn¡¯t even spasm and instantly died without much resistance. The other green and purple menaces witnessed this sight, their eyes widened with horror. Looking away from the deceased goblin, Astrid turned her attention to the rest, her silver eyes glaring daggers at them. Fearful for their lives, the goblins yelped in terror then turned tail and ran away, their desire to kill their attacker completely vanished and replaced with the desire to survive. Astrid didn''t allow them to leave as she dashed toward the fleeing goblins. Closing in, she killed one goblin after another, exterminating them like pests. As her dagger plunged into the goblin''s neck, she causally watched it slowly fracture before bursting into small purple glowing fragments. Multiple kill notifications flooded her vision, but she mentally dismissed them, finding their abrupt appearance annoying. Astrid let out a heavy sigh while reaching up to pull her hood back, feeling a bit stuffy. When she did, her face was shown, revealing a gray-skin complexion as her long silver hair that was tied into a ponytail flowed down her back, stopping at her upper back. But what made Astrid stand out was her two pointed ears, a notable characteristic of her race. Astrid raised her head and stared through the branches and leaves, viewing the vast purple space she found herself in. A hint of anxiety and impatience plastered on her face. ¡°This damn place¡­¡± She muttered to herself. It had been at least a couple of days since Astrid was thrown into this so-called dungeon after her world was supposedly assimilated by the System. Since then, she has been doing what the panels have been telling her. Kill monsters and level up. While she had no clue what the System had in store for her, or her world, there was only one thing that she was certain of. She needed to get stronger. Strong enough to leave this dungeon and return home. And she was willing to do anything to achieve that. No matter how many monsters or players get in her way, she would slaughter anything in her path. Nothing would get in her way of returning home. Chapter 13: The Next Day It was the next day and Hazel woke up feeling extremely refreshed. After everything that happened yesterday, she was a bit surprised. However, that was mostly thanks to her loot box reward after she killed the Cyclops. She only consumed a couple of jerky and water bottles, which was enough to revitalize her completely after a well-earned nap. And thankfully, she still had plenty of food supplies left to last her a good couple more days. Maybe even a week if she rationed them carefully. It was uncertain if she was going to receive another loot box any time soon, so she would have to make do with her current supplies. Aside from her loot box, she had other business to attend to. And one of them was her next plan. After taking down the Cyclops, Hazel was ready to move on to another island. Her initial goal was to reach level ten and fight the Cyclops then, but the monster got the jump on her and she couldn¡¯t even run away from it, forcing her to fight it to survive. Now that her opponent was gone, there was no reason for her to stay here. But, there were a couple of things that she wanted to do before leaving. One of them was heading back to the magic shop where she got the Decay grimoire page. It wasn¡¯t to search for another page, since she was certain that there wasn¡¯t, but to see if there were any useful books she could take with her. There was also the fact that she wanted to relax as much as possible before going to another island since she might not have the time to do so. So, while she was still on the town island, it would be beneficial for her to do some training. As a way to prepare for what was to come on the next island. Hopping out of the bed, Hazel went over to her loot box near the nightstand and dragged it closer to her. Opening the lid, she grabbed a couple of pieces of jerky and a water bottle then proceeded to have breakfast with it. While chewing on a jerky, she rummaged through the loot box before pulling out another healing potion. She gazed at the crimson liquid as it slushed around inside. ¡°Only one more healing potion,¡± Hazel muttered, pensively staring at the bottle. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to hang on to this for when I¡¯m close to death.¡± The healing potions were vital for Hazel¡¯s survival. The only reason why she wasn¡¯t suffering from her previous injuries was thanks to these potions. And with only one bottle left, she couldn¡¯t use it unless it was an emergency. An example would be when her shoulder was dislocated. By drinking the healing potion, it popped right back in place with ease and healed the rest of her wounds in mere seconds, bringing her back to one hundred percent. Well, almost one hundred percent since she was still suffering from major fatigue.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Once she was done admiring the potion, Hazel placed it back in the loot box and got ready to leave her room to begin her day on a positive note compared to her previous morning. Leaving her room, she walked down the stairs and strolled over to the exit. Opening the door, Hazel was once again greeted with the sight of the vacant town in the middle of space. Because there was no sun to tell her that it was daytime, she had no idea if a whole day passed or not. Thankfully, there was a timer from the system that told her how much time had passed. So, Hazel took a glance at how much time was left for the thirty-day objective and saw that three to four days had passed by. Which meant she had around twenty-seven days before being teleported out of the dungeon. But Hazel planned to get out of there way sooner than that. Plus, she couldn¡¯t afford to spend a whole thirty days in the dungeon. She needed to get back home and find her mother and brother. Hopefully, they¡¯ll be leaving the dungeon just as fast as her, otherwise, she would have to wait for them to return. And that was if they survived their dungeons too. Hazel let out a groan, mentally agonizing over her family¡¯s wellbeing. She wanted them to be safe, but she also knew that they were suffering from the dungeons just like her and that only made things worse for her since there was nothing that she could do to help them. And if they were in a dungeon-like hers, she couldn¡¯t even imagine the type of hell they were enduring. Doing her best to take her mind off such morbid thoughts, Hazel strolled through the vacant town to get to the Magic Shop. Despite the place appearing abandoned, the distant moaning of nearby zombie-like Fractured Humans said otherwise. ¡°I can never get used to that sound¡­¡± Hazel shuddered, doing her best to ignore the Fractured Humans. Although she planned to fight the Fractured Humans to train, she was doing her best to avoid them until her initial task was completed first. She couldn¡¯t afford to get side-tracked right now. After a little while, Hazel finally arrived back at the magic shop and entered, once again greeted with a messy shop with books, boxes, and shelves scattered all over the place. The mage slightly grimaced at the sight, realizing that she had to rummage through all of that stuff just to find something useful. ¡°Maybe I should¡¯ve cleaned up before I left the first time,¡± Hazel groaned. There was no use complaining, so Hazel got to work and searched the shop for some books. While searching, she also tried to do a little cleaning to make things easier in the long run. Any shelves she saw on the ground, she lifted them and placed them against a wall. She didn¡¯t go the extra mile and put any books on them since it would be a pain to organize them, but she did, however, stack the books into piles and left them like that. They were even categorized into two sections. One section was boring books that Hazel had no interest in reading, and the other was books that she did feel obligated to read. And that alone took a while since the shop had plenty of books around. Of course, Hazel was now faced with an even bigger problem than before. Of the books, she felt obligated to read, which one should she take back to the tavern? Glancing at the piles, there were over a couple dozen of them. And they all had some weight to them, making it impossible for Hazel to bring all of them back unless she went back and forth between the shop and tavern. Thankfully, Hazel came up with a foolproof way to fix this problem. And that was reading the books and seeing if she wanted to continue reading it or not. Obviously, it would take a while, but thankfully, she had plenty of time to spare. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get to reading,¡± Hazel said eagerly and picked up the first book. New Announcement [Im Finally Back!!!] (Please Read!!!) Hello, everyone! I am finally back! It took a month, but I finally finished redoing the Forest Island Arc! So, to start off with, I originally told you guys that when I was redoing this arc, I stated that the new arc would have fewer chapters, like ten or so chapters less than the original. Well, apparently. that was a lie. To give you an idea of what I''m talking about, the latest chapter before I began my revision was chapter 38. Well, it will now be called chapter 37. I only cut out one chapter out of the entire arc. I didn''t even realize this until I just finished the last chapter of the revision. So, yeah, this was one of the reasons why it took so long to finish the revisions. But I''m finally done and that''s all that matters! Of course, there are the chapters after the forest island arc that I need to make slight adjustments for. Mostly fixing status window updates, current skill ranks, and her updated level along with a couple of lines involving certain things that happened in the original arc rather than the new and current one. This leads me to the next part of this announcement; what exactly did I change? Well, here''s the list of changes that I made: 1) The Town Island Arc has been extended a bit. Hazel will stay in the town a little more because she receives another dungeon challenge where she needs to kill every fractured monster in the town. 2) Astrid is now on her own in the forest island. In the original, she had a team, but I got rid of them since I only included them to be killed off in the betrayal scene. 3) Speaking of the betrayal scene, Astrid still gets betrayed but it is through a flashback. Dolk is still the one who betrayed Astrid and the rest of her team, but not because he was a yandere but a follower of Kollr, Astrid''s brother. I did this because the Yandere betrayal scene made no sense and got rid of it entirely. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. 4) Astrid and Hazel''s encounter is also different where instead of them stumbling into one another, Hazel came across her when Astrid was being attacked by Orcs and helped her out. 5) Hazel and Astrid''s relationship is also different. Instead of trusting Hazel at the beginning, she is very suspicious and distant from her, only using the mage because of her magic. Their relationship will develop into a mutual partnership at the end of the arc after facing off against a strong enemy, which is the Orc Chief, a new monster I made. Now these are the major changes to the story and I''m proud to say that they are a lot better than the original, since they are more coherent. Another thing, instead of just publishing all of the chapters at once, I will be publishing two to three of them a day. Before you get upset, I have two reasons for this. The first reason is that I want to reestablish my presence to all of my readers who like this story, and doing this will do that. As for the second reason, although I finished redoing this arc, I have to make changes to the chapters after this and don''t want to abruptly stop like before. It wouldn''t take another month to do the revisions like this, but I don''t want to take any chances. And unlike the new arc, I''m only making minor revisions to the chapters like dialogue and certain scenes that wouldn''t make sense due to the changes. I won''t be starting over any arcs I''ve already made. Plus, doing the math, the redone Forest Island arc would be all out within a week if I uploaded the new chapters 2 to 3 times a day. Speaking of which, to not confuse the readers, all of the revised chapters after chapter 13 will be called [RV] next to them until I reach chapter 37. As for the old chapters, I plan to delete all of those today. It''s a bit depressing since I''ll be losing a lot of views from them. Especially since I have over a hundred thousand views. Which, by the way, thank you for that. But I''ll get over a hundred thousand views again with my revised chapters. So, that is all. I''m glad to be back and hope you''ll read my story again like before. Also, I''ll be placing this announcement after chapter 13 to give any new readers a heads-up about what''s currently happening right now. See ya and enjoy the revision! [RV] Chapter 14: Books After several hours of skimming and light reading, Hazel finally chose which books she would read and take with her. These books were called ¡°The History of Totem¡±, ¡°Magic Theory for Novice Mages¡±, The Great War of Totem¡±, and ¡°The Age of Magic Revolution.¡± Two books involved the history of Totem, and the other two were about magic; something she desperately needed to learn about. In fact, she did some further reading on ¡°Magic Theory for Novice Mages¡± and learned quite a bit regarding the concept of magic. According to the book, magic staffs were created to assist mages in casting their spells more efficiently. That and creating certain types of staffs could increase either magic power, mana regeneration, or other types to help make mages stronger. But that wasn¡¯t all. From what Hazel read in the book, you technically didn¡¯t need a staff to cast a spell. They were simply created to help novice mages understand how to use magic. This meant that Hazel¡¯s staff was likely created in this world before it was fractured. Or at least the concept of it. Using this information, Hazel learned that she could cast magic without her staff. It just made things easier for her by assisting in channeling the mana. The staffs were designed to detect and suck in the mana from a mage casting a spell, thus shooting the spell at whatever you were aiming at. Then she learned something interesting regarding how to learn magic. So, according to the texts, there were a couple of methods of acquiring magic spells which were learning them through grimoires or reaching your marker, which Hazel had done for both. As for how mages were able to conjure their spells, they stated that it required a firm imagination and focus. You couldn¡¯t just cast a spell by shouting its name but also imagine what the spell looks like to activate it. This is why Hazel¡¯s first attempt at casting Mana Bolt failed because all she did was shout the spell and nothing else. This kind of information would¡¯ve been nice to know before she had to figure all of this out on her own. Still, she was glad that she knew it now instead of never. Aside from these, Hazel didn¡¯t find anything else useful from the books. They mostly just talked about more theories behind the origin of magic and whatnot and how it was before the existence of the system. Although she found these types of information interesting, they weren¡¯t all that useful at the moment. Except the one where she could cast magic without her staff. A part of her was curious as to how using her hands instead of her magic staff would affect her spells. Would it be more difficult to channel them since her staff did that? Hazel was very interested in testing this theory. Aside from the magic theory book, Hazel also took a closer look at ¡°The Great War of Totem¡±. This was because when she initially read the first couple of pages of the book to see if it was interesting enough for her, she skimmed across a line that caught her attention. The Great War of Totem, also known as the First War of a Merged World. According to what she read, The World known as Totem before it became this Fractured world, was the First Merged world when the System appeared. This was an incredible find for Hazel since she knew nothing about this world. Reading a little further, Hazel learned that the War of Totem started because of the System and the players from the other worlds that were merged. With everyone¡¯s territories being combined, the first players fought to reclaim them and rebuild their society. During that time, conflict for land and authority broke out and a war erupted from it. The first war of Totem.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Realizing what she found, Hazel felt that she hit the motherload. With this book, she could use the information within its contents to know what her world was in store for regarding the system. However, after skimming through a couple of pages, she was soon proven wrong because of one rather annoying factor. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Hazel grumbled in anger. ¡°Why are the majority of these pages burned or torn to bits?!¡± When she reached a certain point in the book, she found that the pages were extremely damaged beyond repair, either from burns or tearing. The mage stared at the charred pages, trying to see if she could find something that could give her some answers regarding what the system had in store for her world. But the pages were too destroyed to provide her with that information. Which angered Hazel deeply. ¡°Dammit¡­!¡± She growled before tossing her book to the side. ¡°And here I thought I finally found something worthwhile. I should¡¯ve read a bit more before deciding to keep that book.¡± Feeling angry at herself, Hazel hugged her knees. While she wasn¡¯t able to obtain a lot of information regarding the system and what it planned to do to her world, she was at least certain of one thing about what the future had in store for her newly merged world. And that was War. ¡°A war between two worlds¡­¡± Hazel muttered grimly. ¡°I can already tell that little event will be so much fun¡­¡± Sarcasm aside, Hazel was actually terrified of the possibility of war. She never experienced something as tragic and horrific as War. She read about them from the Revolutionary War to even the two World Wars. But this wasn¡¯t some normal warfare like the ones from her world. This¡­was going to be so much worse. And Hazel was going to likely be in the center of it. ¡°I have too much on my plate to be dealing with a war,¡± She groaned ¡°I still need to find my mom and Damien.¡± Hazel had no clue regarding the whereabouts of her family. She figured that much like her; Damien and their mom were transported to some kind of dungeon-like this Fractured World. Or maybe they were in this dungeon as well. The problem, however, was finding them. If Hazel¡¯s brother and mother were in this dungeon, then all she needed to do was find them. But if they weren¡¯t, that only complicated her situation even more. According to the requirements to leave the Fractured World Dungeon, Hazel needed to either spend thirty days in this place, kill a Sub-Boss, or kill the Dungeon Boss itself. The last option was out since Hazel knew that taking down the Dungeon Boss was suicide, so that left her with either waiting it out for thirty days or killing a Sub-Boss. Even if Hazel completed the second objective, she would likely have to wait several days before her bother and mother returned to their worlds, since she believed at least one of them would attempt this. Because of this, Hazel was stumped on how to proceed with her mission to find her family. Placing the book down, the novice mage leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling of the magic shop. ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t be worrying about them right now. Especially when I have my own problems to deal with.¡± Before she could think about finding her family, Hazel needed to focus on how to leave this dungeon. Or better yet, getting stronger. After fighting that Cyclops, she realized that she was going to be encountering all kinds of chaos and hell while roaming this dungeon. This was why there was only one solution for this; leveling up. There were still plenty of monsters in the Town, so Hazel planned to kill as many as she could to gain more levels and points. With this new goal in mind, Hazel stood up off the floor and picked up the books that she planned to take with her. ¡°After I get these books back to the Tavern, I¡¯m going hunting again,¡± Hazel declared with a grin. Before she could even walk to the door, a new panel suddenly materialized before her. Hazel was startled, nearly dropping her books as she stared at the floating, holographic notification. And what she read certainly caught her attention. ¡°Sweep the Town!¡± Difficulty: Easy Objective: Rid the Town of the Fractured Progress: Fractured Monsters within Town Killed[0/90] Reward: +7 Free Points and an Uncommon Loot Box Hazel¡¯s eyes widened after reading the new Challenge she received. Her lips then twisted into a sly smile as she was filled with a sense of urgency and anticipation. ¡°Another Challenge, huh? You¡¯re only giving me a better reason to hunt for all of the Fractured monsters!¡± Hazel only planned to kill some Fractured humans or Fractured Classes to gain some more levels and points, but after seeing this panel, those plans changed. It was time to do what the Challenge said and start Sweeping the Town! [RV] Chapter 15: Bare-Handed Combat...Sort Of Before Hazel could proceed with her second Dungeon Challenge, the first thing she needed to deal with was her books. Now that she chose the books she wanted to take with her on her dungeon journey, the novice mage brought them back to the Tavern she was staying at. Entering the building, she climbed up the stairs and made her way to her room. Getting inside, she scanned her sleeping quarters and searched for a spot to put her books before immediately placing them on the bed. ¡°I¡¯ll figure out what to do with them while I¡¯m still in this Town,¡± She decided. ¡°Right now, I have something else to take care of.¡± Hazel now had two objectives at the moment. The first one was gaining more levels, and the second was completing the Dungeon Challenge. She believed that by completing both, she would obtain more Stat Points that would help in making her stronger. She did have a third objective which was using this time to train her skills and spells. So far, Hazel had been fighting rather recklessly. The Fractured Classes and the Fractured Cyclops were both prime examples. In both cases, she only maintained her distance for a little bit before nearly getting killed by the Fractured. The Cyclops was even worse since it nearly crushed her. If her Endurance stat wasn¡¯t high enough, that monster would¡¯ve popped her like a balloon. A very wet, viscous balloon¡­ Hazel shuddered at the thought of her exploding into a shower of blood and viscera. Yeah, Endurance was a very valuable stat to Hazel. It prevented her from dying in a lot of her battles. However, she also needed to prioritize her Intelligence and Wisdom, since they were the true source of her potential as a Mage. And she needed to invest her points in them as soon as she gained them. Hazel was currently level seven after defeating the Fractured Cyclops. Hopefully, by the time she was done cleaning the Town, she would be at least level ten. Emphasis on ¡°hopefully¡±. While worrying about this, Hazel pulled out the loot box she earned after completing her first dungeon challenge. Reaching inside, she whipped out some more jerky and a water bottle. She chomped and chewed on a piece of jerky while occasionally taking a couple of sips of water, replenishing her energy in preparation for her new mission. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t have to worry about running out of food since she would gain another loot box from her second challenge. However, Hazel had no clue regarding what was inside the box, so she kept in mind to not devour all of her rations in case the second loot box didn¡¯t contain any food. Regarding the loot box, the next one she would get after completing the second challenge appeared to be an Uncommon Loot Box. That was one tier higher than Common. And this caused Hazel to ponder over what the Rarity ranking was, like what came after Uncommon? Would it be Rare or something akin to that? Hazel wanted to know, but that was a later issue. Plus, if and when she received more challenges, she would figure it out sooner or later. Putting that thought aside for now, Hazel quickly finished her meal, if she could call it that. Putting her box back, she then left her room before exiting the Tavern building altogether. Once outside, Hazel trained her ears, intently searching for the familiar sounds of groaning and growling. She then caught the sound as she whirled her head over to the left. That was when she saw a lone Fractured Human standing around the corner of a building. Spotting her first prey, Hazel stalked over to the zombie-like monster, carefully approaching to avoid alerting it. Getting a little closer, Hazel readied her staff to fire a spell before she paused. Her eyes trailed down onto the gnarled wood as her eyebrow arched.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Her staff allowed her to channel her magic when casting a spell a lot more proficiently. So, now she could finally find out¡­what would happen if she cast a spell without using it? A sly smile appeared on her face. Looking eager, she placed the staff on the ground. If she had a sheath or something to strap it on, she would¡¯ve done that, but that sadly wasn¡¯t happening. Once her hands were free, Hazel raised one of them at the Fractured Human. With her palm directed at her enemy, Hazel attempted to cast a Mana Bolt. As she concentrated, a surge of energy swelled up within her. However, something felt different. The process of the energy surge¡­felt slow. It wasn¡¯t going at a snail¡¯s pace, but Hazel could tell that there was a difference in casting time. Moments later, a rod of pure mana materialized before her hand. And without hesitation, Hazel fired the spell toward the Fractured Human. The spell barreled toward the target before tearing through its torso, making a skull-sized hole in the process. The Fractured Human¡¯s body began to rapidly crack before suddenly bursting into purple fragments. Hazel glanced at the fluorescent purple lights before looking down at her hand. She closed and opened it a couple of times with a curious gaze. ¡°Well, that explains that¡­¡± Hazel noted. There certainly was a difference between using spells with a staff and without it. And that appeared to be time. When Hazel conjured the mana bolt, there was a considerable amount of time needed to cast it compared to when she used her magic staff. However, a part of Hazel felt that this was because it was her first time attempting this. Maybe if she tried again, things would be different. Thankfully, Hazel managed to find more test subjects when she noticed a large horde of Fractured humans emerge from around the corner. All of them began to shamble over to Hazel, desperate to try and kill her. Seeing this, the corner of Hazel¡¯s lips curled up into a sly smile. ¡°Well, at least I get some more target practice with this!¡± Grabbing her staff with one hand, Hazel instead used the other and attempted to cast another Mana Bolt. Much like before, she felt a surge of power and energy course through her, but the casting time was still lagging a bit before a rod of mana was finally created. The Mana Bolt was sent flying into one of the Fractured Humans, putting a hole in their chest. The Bolt maintained its course and then pierced through several Fractured monsters before finally dissipating into particles of blue light. The Fractured Humans that were hit remained still for a brief moment just as their bodies burst into purple particles. The other Fractured was unbothered by this and kept shambling over to Hazel with intent to kill. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try out the other spells¡­¡± Hazel said eagerly, raising her hand once more. Instead of a Mana Bolt, she instead conjured a Baneful Sickle. She figured that the result of the casting would be different compared to her previous spell, but surprisingly enough, it didn¡¯t. Hazel was simply met with the same outcome as before. A surge of energy before a slight lag affected her casting time. Then, her Baneful Sickle was finally created and was hurled into the horde. The malicious purple sickle made contact with the monsters and severed them in two. Before their halves could even hit the floor, the Fractured Humans shattered to pieces and dispersed in the air. Hazel was briefly distracted by the light show; her eyes gazing up at the purple lights floating around. It was the loud groans of the remaining Fractured humans that pulled her attention back to them. ¡°It seems that the only thing affected at the moment was the casting time,¡± Hazel muttered to herself. ¡°In terms of power, I can¡¯t tell the difference.¡± From what Hazel remembered from the book, Magic staves not only helped channel mana to cast spells faster and better, but they also strengthened the spells and helped increase a Mage¡¯s mana regeneration. From what Hazel saw, her spells weren¡¯t weakened all that much without her staff. Then again, her current opponents were Fractured Humans. Not only were they incredibly slow, but their durability was even worse than Hazel¡¯s. She remembered simply bashing her staff against one of their heads and they went down without a fuss. Hazel deeply sighed. ¡°I¡¯m going to need stronger enemies if I want to figure out all the variables of me casting magic without my staff.¡± Putting her experimentation on hold, Hazel raised her staff and directed it at the Fractured Humans with a cold expression. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ve lost interest in playing with you guys now,¡± She said with an icy tone, with barely any emotions behind her words. ¡°Goodbye.¡± Upon saying this, the last thing that the remaining Fractured humans saw was a series of Mana Bolts being hurled at them at a frightening speed. [RV] Chapter 16: Progress Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. [RV] Chapter 17: Sweeping the Town It had been two days since Hazel had been trying to rid the Town of Fractured monsters. And she believed that she was close to finally achieving her goal. She managed to level up, two more times, making her level ten right now. Hopefully, by the time she completed her challenge, she would reach level eleven too. The novice mage sat on her bed with her legs crossed. In her hands was one of the books she got from the magic shop. As she flipped a page, a piece of jerky hung from her mouth. She wasn¡¯t even eating it but lazily gnawing on the meat out of boredom. ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything involving curses or witches¡­¡± Hazel muttered. Hazel was going through the Magic theory book to try and see if she could find anything related to curse mages or witches. After obtaining Decay and Baneful Sickle, she was certainly curious about what witches were like. However, despite nearly reading the entire book to know more, she couldn¡¯t find anything about them. Which was extremely annoying to Hazel. ¡°This is just depressing now¡­¡± Hazel groaned before tossing the book on the bed in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m not going to find what I want in this book; I can already tell.¡± Depressed and annoyed that the book had no information regarding witches or curses, she jumped off the bed. While standing, she reached over for her staff whichwas stationed right next to her nightstand. This was just in case a Fractured human was nearby and ready to attack her. Hazel could technically cast her spells without the staff, but obviously, the weapon made it easier for her. With her trusty staff in hand, Hazel set her sights on a new goal; finally finishing the Dungeon Challenge. She spent the last two days hunting and killing any Fractured monsters still roaming around, and she felt that she was close to accomplishing this. And once she completed the challenge, she only had one thing left to do. And that was leaving the island and exploring this Fractured Dungeon. Considering that there were other large landmasses floating around this purple space, Hazel felt eager to investigate them. The reason why she had been doing this for two days was because she didn¡¯t want to rush it. She still had plenty of time to spare while in this dungeon. Hazel was still hesitant about remaining in this dungeon for an entire month, but she was also aware of the opportunity given to her. If Hazel continued to kill monsters and complete dungeon challenges, by the time it was time to leave, she would be very powerful. Or that was what she hoped for. Knowing that there were other players in their respective dungeons, Hazel needed to gain an upper hand to survive in her new world. Speaking of which, Hazel was curious about the other world that was being merged with hers. That and how different her planet would be now that it was made of two of them. Could her dorm still be standing? What about the caf¨¦ she was at or even her house? And what kind of species was Hazel going to be encountering from the other world? Were they going to be human-like her, or some kind of fantastical race like Elves or Dwarves? Or maybe even¡­demons. Hazel shook her head in an attempt to get rid of those thoughts. Elves and Dwarves were one thing, but she did not want to deal with demons. Then again, she didn¡¯t know what the demons were like, so she couldn¡¯t be prejudiced toward them. As for Elves and Dwarves, she couldn¡¯t determine what they were like either. Her only knowledge regarding them was from pop culture like games and movies. Some of the main characteristics of Dwarves were that they were master inventors, they were short, and had thick beards. Aside from the latter, Dwarves were highly recognized for their ingenuity and building skills. They were master forgers, capable of building powerful weapons and items from flaming swords to earth-shattering gauntlets. Not only that but they were also considered fierce warriors. Known not just for their skills with tools but also for wielding weapons themselves into battle. Elves, on the other hand, were beautiful, intellectual, snarky, and possessed a superiority complex.Though, that was only some elves, depending on the species.Honestly, to Hazel, Elves gave off two different personalities which were either forest protectors who guard the woods from intruders or snarky forest nobles who believe they were superior to everyone else. Either way, Hazel wasn¡¯t sure which was she preferred. Then again, dealing with a snooty know-it-all elf who believed that they¡¯re better and superior to you sounded extremely annoying and aggravating. However, if Hazel was going to encounter either race, it would be wise of her to hold her judgment until she actually met one. Who knows, maybe they would be her allies in the future. If the other world actually contained either of them. Putting those thoughts aside for now, Hazel continued her goal of ridding the town of Fractured monsters. She scoured the area and searched through every street, back alley, and building, killing all the Fractured humans that were in her field of vision.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. As Hazel continued her fierce excursion of the Fractured monsters, she began to notice that their presence within the town had been declining rapidly. It got to the point where she barely encountered hordes anymore and mainly stumbled across a single Fractured human every so often. After a while, Hazel started to believe that the Fractured Humans were terrified of her and were hiding away.Hoping that the boogie man known as Hazel Thatcher, the cursed mage couldn¡¯t find them and would go someplace else. Hazel scoffed at this train of thought, realizing how ridiculous it was. ¡°These things barely feel anything, both physical and emotional¡­¡± She muttered to herself. Fractured monsters were hollow husks of their former selves. They¡¯re not even living. The Mana Overload that fractured the world merely corrupted their vessels, making them act feral and rabid. They were essentially like wild animals, reacting by instincts whether that was attacking prey or seeking it. Of course, there were some exceptions like the Fractured humans that possess classes. Even though they were bound by their animalistic nature, these zombie-like creatures still retained some of their sentience, acting in a way they used to when they were still alive. But even that had limits, which Hazel noticed during her fight with the Fractured classes like the Warrior and Rogue. Despite somewhat fighting like when they were living, there were moments when their animalistic side would take over. Like when the Rogue chased after Hazel, despite it being a trap. If that Fractured Rogue was human, it would¡¯ve known Hazel¡¯s plan and could¡¯ve easily avoided it. But, instead of doing that, it simply continued chasing after her, ignoring common sense and focusing on the hunt. Reminded of this, Hazel could hardly believe that the same monsters that she feared were now terrified of her. And honestly, it seemed like complete nonsense in her eyes. Strolling down a street, Hazel stopped in her tracks. Her ears then perked up, picking up the sound of groans and snarls nearby. Gripping her staff, the novice mage speed walked over to the source of the noise, feeling a sense of eagerness as she made her way toward her next prey. As she got closer, Hazel¡¯s eyes trailed over to a building next to her.It looked like a normal yet abandoned shop just like the rest of the buildings around her.But, something told her that this place wasn¡¯t all that vacant at the moment. With a suspicious gaze, the novice mage stalked closer to the building. She then peered her head over to the window, taking a peek inside to see if her hunch was right. And after looking through the window, her suspicions were proven right. Inside the building were around a dozen or more Fractured Humans huddled together in the center.None of them moved an inch and simply stood there motionlessly.If it wasn¡¯t for their ominous and unified groaning, Hazel would¡¯ve mistaken them as Statues. Taking a moment to count them again, the novice mage realized that these were the remaining monsters within the Town. If she killed all of them,her dungeon challenge would finally be completed. Out of curiosity, Hazel mentally pulled up her challenge to check her current progress. ¡°Sweep the Town!¡± Difficulty: Easy Objective: Rid the Town of the Fractured Progress: Fractured Monsters within Town Killed [78/90] Reward: +7 Free Points and an Uncommon Loot Box ¡°I¡¯m almost done,¡± Hazel muttered with a small grin. Looks like she was correct regarding their numbers and her progress. Which meant these Fractured humans were the remaining ones within town. And once they were dead, she¡¯d finally get her reward after spending a couple of days hunting these monsters. Since there were only twelve of them left, Hazel believed that using Baneful Sickle along with a barrage of Mana Bolt should get the job done. And since they were within a confined space, she would be able to take more of them out with a single attack compared to if they were spread apart. Formulating her plan, Hazel stalked over to the door and cautiously turned the knob. Pushing the entrance open, a loud and long creaking sound was heard, putting the novice mage on edge due to the noise. Hearing the loud creak, the horde was immediately alerted by the sound as their chorus of snarls and groans got louder and more feral. Hazel froze for a split second out of fear. But, she hastily shook her head and steeled her nerves immediately after. There wasn¡¯t a lot of time, and she had to get this job done or else she was done for. Taking a deep breath, Hazel held her staff tightly before rushing into the building. As soon as she did, her weapon was raised toward the horde in front of her. A malicious purple energy materialized in front of the staff. It violently shifted and pulsed while slowly condensing into something. Moments later, its shape was finalized, taking the form of a menacing violet sickle that radiated cursed energy. As soon as its transformation was complete, Hazel fired the baneful sickle toward the Horde. The sickle spun around like a disk before tearing through the Horde with ease. The Fractured humans were no match for the cursed spell as their bodies were severed into pieces. As the baneful sickle eviscerated the horde, the sound of snarls and groans immediately ceased in an instant, leaving only the sounds of their severed bodies crashing on the floor. A moment later, their bodies cracked then burst into bright purple fragments and dispersed into the air. Hazel was greeted with a beautiful violet light show within the building. This lasted several seconds before all of the lights faded away, leaving the room in darkness. The only source of light was coming from the window, as the ambient lighting from space peeked through the glass. Then it happened. [Level 2 Fractured Humans has been defeated!] [Level 3 Fractured Humans has been defeated!] [Level 3 Fractured Humans has been defeated!] [Level 4 Fractured Humans has been defeated!] [Level 2 Fractured Humans¡­] [You have leveled up! You are now Level 11!] [You have completed a Dungeon Challenge!] [You have been rewarded Seven Free Points!] [You have been rewarded an Uncommon Loot Box!] Hazel smiled as her vision was flooded with notifications. Not only did she achieve her goal and complete the Dungeon Challenge, but she also managed to get to level eleven in the process. Which meant she earned even more free points to invest in her stats. While admiring her achievement through her notification panels, a familiar wooden crate materialized before Hazel. It was the Uncommon Loot box from the challenge. Mentally dismissing the panels, Hazel set her sights on the loot box before her. Her lips then curled into a sly yet eager grin. ¡°Looks like it was time to check out my rewards,¡± She declared with a zealous tone. [RV] Chapter 18: Reward Time Hazel slowly approached her Uncommon Loot Box, feeling a sense of excitement and joy as she got closer. Standing in front of the crate, the novice mage kneeled in front of it so she could open it up. Before she could, there was something peculiar about the crate as she got a closer look at it. The Loot box appeared to be a lot more refined and polished compared to her previous one. More specifically, it was the wood that gave off this impression. With her previous loot box, the wood was rough and old, like it was scraped together using worn-down pieces of lumber from a junkyard. But this loot box was different. The wood looked new as if freshly made from the factory. It even had a polished surface, giving the box a glossy look. Hazel leaned her head curiously. ¡°How come this box looked different than the other one?¡± She questioned while placing her finger on her chin. Could it be the rarity of the loot boxes that distinguished them? It would certainly make sense, and would also help players in recognizing which one was which. Then again, that was what the Identify feature of the system was for. So maybe this was simply for aesthetics? The novice mage shook her head. ¡°I shouldn''t be worried about the quality of the box. I should be more concerned about the quality of the items inside the box.¡± Since this was an Uncommon Loot Box, that meant the items within it should be better than that of a Common Loot Box. Or at least, that was what Hazel was praying for. Despite everything going in her favor for now, it couldn¡¯t hurt to obtain better items for her journey. Putting aside the texture of the box, Hazel hastily opened the lid and took a glimpse inside. Her eyes then widened as she saw more food and drinks stacked in the crate. ¡°At least I won¡¯t go hungry for a while,¡± Hazel said with a light chuckle. Examining the contents further, the novice mage spotted something new. It appeared to be a glass vial like the healing potion from the Common Loot box. However, instead of a crimson liquid contained within the vial, the substance was an electric blue. Reaching for the vial, she picked it up and took a closer look at the item. As the liquid sloshed around inside, Hazel quickly tried to identify it. A potion used to restore a being¡¯s mana to a certain extent. Reading the description, Hazel¡¯s brows rose in shock. Her lips then twisted into a wide grin after realizing what she was currently in possession of. ¡°Hell yeah!¡± Hazel cheered with glee. ¡°I got a Mana Potion!¡± Much like Healing Potions, Mana Potions were valuable items, especially for Mages. These potions allowed players to replenish their mana so they could cast more spells in battle. They were extremely valuable items, and now Hazel had some at her disposal. The novice mage fiddled with the glass bottle for a little bit, amazed at what she had in her hands. As she did, her eyes trailed back down to the box and quickly spotted something else that caught her attention.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Placed between two water bottles was a silver ring. Grabbing the item, Hazel noticed that there was a purple gem embedded in the ring. Because of the stone, she guessed that this was some kind of jewelry. However, after identifying it, Hazel realized she found something even better. Uncommon Item A magic ring that boosts a user¡¯s magical capabilities. +8 Intelligence and +3 Wisdom. Hazel¡¯s grin widened. ¡°Jackpot!¡± This Uncommon Loot box was the best reward she ever received after getting dumped into this dungeon. Hazel obtained her first magic item! How awesome was that? The item not only increased her Intelligence by nearly three levels worth of points but also her wisdom by one. What an incredible find! With a new sense of urgency, Hazel hastily tried to equip the ring, desperate to increase her magical capabilities as the description suggested. Putting the ring on her index finger on her right hand, she felt a wave of power wash over her. It was as if she had just downed an entire cup of coffee, and her body was bursting with energy from the caffeine. ¡°This will do quite nicely,¡± Hazel said with a grin. Thanks to her newly acquired magic ring, her potential as a mage increased significantly. Especially since she still had her stat points from her level-up and dungeon challenge. Speaking of which¡­ Status Window Name: Hazel Thatcher Race: Human Level: 11 Class: Mage Free Points: 19 Attributes: Strength: 7 Agility: 8 Endurance: 16 Intelligence: 24 (+8) Wisdom: 17 (+3) Willpower: 12 Hazel cocked an eyebrow after pulling up her status window. ¡°Looks like the added effects of the ring are shown separately, rather than just added into my attributes normally.¡± Instead of her intelligence stat increasing like when she invested her points in them, there were instead brackets for increased stats from magic items like her magic ring. While it wasn¡¯t a revelation, this kind of information was still interesting to discover in Hazel¡¯s opinion. Now then, what to do with her nineteen free points? She still hadn¡¯t invested the three points she obtained after reaching level eight, so she had more points to use at her discretion. Considering that the magic ring assisted in increasing her Intelligence and Wisdom a bit, maybe she could use this opportunity to invest in her other attributes. Hazel still needed to be cautious about wasting her points, though. Just because she had a chance to increase her other stats, didn¡¯t mean she could be reckless with them. These points were essential for her development. Not just for her potential as a mage, but also to help her survive this dungeon. ¡°For now¡­¡± Hazel mused. ¡°I¡¯ll put my points into these attributes.¡± Hazel then distributed her four points into Endurance, six points into Intelligence, four points into Wisdom, and five points into Agility. ¡°Yeah, that should do for now.¡± She nodded, feeling satisfied with her results. Increasing her Endurance stat was very vital since it made her body more durable against attacks and pain. As for Agility, being faster would help her run away from enemies. Especially since not all Fractured monsters shambled toward their prey like zombies. As for Wisdom and Intelligence, that one was obvious. Having her mana replenish faster would allow her to cast more spells. That and having more mana. Especially since she was alone at the moment. If she had a partner or party with her, she probably wouldn¡¯t be as focused on her physical stats since she had other players backing her up. Sadly, that wasn¡¯t the case, so this was her best option for the time being. ¡°Well, now that I completed the quest, I guess it¡¯s time I moved on from here.¡± Hazel only planned to stay in this town so she could complete her dungeon challenge and also train herself to further understand her capabilities as a mage. And she essentially accomplished both goals now. Which meant only one thing; it was time to leave this island. [RV] Chapter 19: Departure Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. [RV] Chapter 20: The Dark Elf Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. [RV] Chapter 21: The Forest Island Hazel moved her head to the side as a jagged dagger in the hands of a purple cracked goblin, glided past her. With her staff, the novice mage slammed it on top of its head. The monster collapsed on the ground, letting out an angry screech. Before the little gremlin could get back up and attack Hazel, she directed her staff at her opponent and fired a Mana Bolt spell. The rod of pure mana pierced through the monster¡¯s skull and struck the ground right after. As the goblin collapsed from the attack, the cracks on its body began to spread and fester like a disease, completely consuming the creature. Moments later, its vessel could no longer keep itself together from the cracks and burst into purple fragments. [Level 2 Goblin has been defeated!] Seeing the kill notification, Hazel let out a heavy sigh as she continued to stare at the floating purple lights disbursing in the air. ¡°So, instead of zombie-like humans, I¡¯m fighting fantasy monsters now,¡± Her eyes trailed down to her staff that was gripped in her hands before she shrugged. ¡°Not sure if this is a nice change, but whatever.¡± Ever since Hazel first entered the Forest Island, she had encountered a couple of non-human species like Dire Wolves and Goblins. Granted, these were the first creatures she came across back on her first island as well, but not as frequently. Considering that Hazel was in a new environment, it seemed that she was bound to stumble across different monsters compared to her last location. And that certainly was the case in her current situation. ¡°Aside from the goblins and other monsters, this forest is pretty nice, though¡­¡± Hazel muttered while staring at the vast forest before her. She was surrounded by numerous trees and greenery from the bushes to the tree stumps protruding from the ground. And despite there being no light due to the lack of a sun, the purple and pink space with its countless stars provided enough illumination for her to see through the woods. Hazel continued to walk through the forest. Her shoes were softly planted on the dirt ground. Taking a couple of steps, she stumbled after nearly tripping over the unforeseen stump. She managed to catch herself but lightly groaned in response. ¡°Stupid uneven ground¡­¡± She grumbled. ¡°If I knew I had to traverse through such a place, I would¡¯ve chosen a better island to go to.¡± Hazel was completely out of her element in this forest. She could hardly walk around the area without nearly tripping and falling on the ground every now and then. And that posed a problem to her. When Hazel was in the town, she was more or less aware of her surroundings. Mainly because she was familiar with the architecture and structure of the location since it was no different than the town from her world. Well, aside from its medieval aesthetic, that is. But this forest was different. She was completely unfamiliar with this environment, in more ways than one. Hazel wasn¡¯t much of a forest pioneer. She mostly stayed in her bustling town of civilization rather than the peaceful and calming ecosystem of nature. It wasn¡¯t that she hated the woods or nature itself. She just simply felt more comfortable in her hometown. And now Hazel was regretting this. If she had done the occasional hiking or something similar in the forest, this journey wouldn¡¯t have been as difficult. Thankfully, she had plenty of stamina to spare due to her Endurance stat being at twenty. And it wasn¡¯t just her endurance that experienced an improvement. Her speed and reaction time felt heightened as well, likely because Hazel invested some points into her Agility stat. During her battle with the goblin before, she could tell that her reflexes had improved significantly as she dodged and weaved the monster¡¯s attacks. It was almost like she was seeing its movements in slow motion as she moved accordingly to avoid its strikes. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that I¡¯m a Mage, I would¡¯ve invested more points in these physical attributes,¡± Hazel grinned. Despite how elated she was regarding her augmented physical abilities, Hazel reminded herself that she was a mage. And as a mage, she couldn¡¯t neglect her Intelligence and Wisdom. There was also the Willpower attribute, but that stat wasn¡¯t useful to her. At least not yet. Stopping near a tree, Hazel pulled her pack off and placed it on the ground. Once free from the weight of her personal possessions, she took a minute to do some stretches, trying to loosen her muscles after walking for so long. While stretching, she pulled up her status window to check her current progress and which of her stats required improvements at the moment.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Status Window Name: Hazel Thatcher Race: Human Level: 11 Class: Mage Free Points: 0 Attributes: Strength: 7 Agility: 13 Endurance: 20 Intelligence: 30 (+8) Wisdom: 21 (+3) Willpower: 12 At the moment, her Endurance stat was the third highest behind Intelligence and Wisdom. For now, Hazel planned to leave it at twenty until she felt the need to put more points in it. As for Agility, she planned to get this stat to twenty as well due to the improvements in her speed. Hazel¡¯s eyes then glanced at her Strength stat, which was one of her lowest stats at the moment. And would likely stay that way for a while. She wasn¡¯t trying to become a buff mage any time soon. Finishing her stretches, the novice mage reached for her staff which was placed against the tree near her bag. Gripping the weapon, she moved away from the tree that was used as a resting place and set her sights on another. Pointing the staff at the tree, Hazel cast her Decay spell. Wispy purple tendrils seeped out of the gnarled wood while slithering over to the tree. Making its way to the target, the ethereal light then phased through the bark like a ghost before disbursing altogether. A moment later, a large portion of the tree began to lose color, transitioning from a dark brown to an ashen white. The piece that turned white then disintegrated, turning into dust while being blown away by a draft. However, only that portion of the tree was turned to dust. Everything else remained the same. Hazel meticulously eyed the tree with a slight frown on her face. ¡°Hmm¡­it looks like the Rot Dmg doesn¡¯t fully affect some targets,¡± She mused, tapping her chin with her finger. ¡°Could it be because of the size? This tree is pretty big, so that could definitely be the case.¡± Back in the Town Island, Decay was able to completely deteriorate a Fractured Human, turning them into dust and purple fragments. However, her decay spell didn¡¯t seem as effective when cast on one of the Fractured Classes like the Rogue. In fact, it appeared that the Rogue was resisting the Rot Dmg. However, Hazel could be mistaken about that and was simply reaching. Still, there was one thing that Hazel noted regarding the use of Decay. The Rot Dmg had different effects on certain things, living, unliving, or non-living. She was able to completely deteriorate a Fractured Human and a piece of log with ease, but when dealing with a stronger or bigger enemy, the Deterioration rate was considerably slower. This meant that certain factors could slow down the Rot Damage, which could be both the Size and Level of a creature. In terms of size, the bigger something was while under the effects of Decay, the slower the decomposition became. Hazel took note of this piece of information not only from the tree she tried to use Decay on but also from a building back in the Town island. When she was hunting Fractured humans to complete her Dungeon Challenge, she used the spell on a building to try and get it to collapse on some of the horde but failed. The spell only worked on a small spot on the wall and nothing else. Needless to say, Hazel was a bit angry about this since she had to wait less than thirty seconds to cast it again. Despite this issue, Decay was still a strong spell in her arsenal. And she knew that increasing its rank would make it even stronger. As Hazel continued to stare at the tree that was afflicted with the Decay spell, her eyes spotted a lone figure behind it, lurking in the darkness. Its glowing purple eyes poked through the shadows and glowered at the novice mage. Seeing the creature, Hazel readied herself for another fight. Moving her staff away from the tree, she directed it at the monster that was prowling in the shadows. The beast snarled in response like a vicious animal. And when Hazel heard it, she quickly realized what monster she was facing. The creature then stalked closer to the mage, emerging from the darkness and allowing her to see its full appearance. ¡°Another Dire wolf, huh?¡± Hazel muttered with a stern expression. ¡°Just my luck¡­¡± The purple fur-coated monster growled at Hazel. Its lips peeled back, revealing sharp canines that could easily tear her flesh apart with ease. But the novice mage wasn¡¯t scared, since she knew how to deal with this monster. The corner of her lip perked up into a sly grin as she stared at her opponent. ¡°Come at me, furball,¡± Hazel taunted, using her staff to gesture to the monster to attack first. The Dire wolf responded with a vicious snarl as its eyes narrowed menacingly. Then, its paws kicked off the ground and lunged toward Hazel. Instead of dodging, she simply stood there. Waiting for the right moment to make her move. As the beast drew closer to her, the mage instantly activated Mana Shield, casting a large transparent dome around herself. Seeing this, the monster¡¯s eyes widened in shock before it collided with the shield. It was then pushed back from the force emanating from the shield and crashed into the ground with a loud thud. While on the ground, Hazel readied her staff and whipped it over in its direction. As soon as her shield¡¯s duration was done and slowly disappeared, she cast a Mana Bolt spell. She watched as the bright blue rod of mana tore through the air and pierced the Dire wolf¡¯s torso, killing it instantly. [Level 4 Dire Wolf has been killed!] [Mana Shield is now Rank 3!] ¡°Nice,¡± Hazel grinned, noticing one of her spells ranked up. ¡°Looks like casting Mana Shield was the right call.¡± Due to the properties of the Mana Shield, Hazel realized back then that if she cast the spell at the right time, this shield could be used to knock back her enemies, leaving them disoriented. Then, while trying to collect themselves, she simply needed to cast another spell and kill it while its guard was down. Of course, this tactic would only work if she was facing a lone enemy. That and if the monster¡¯s other allies weren¡¯t keen on protecting one of their own. Regardless, her strategy was still effective and that was all that mattered to her. And the fact that she was able to rank up her spell in the process was just a bonus. With the enemy dead, Hazel turned around to walk back to her resting spot. However, not even taking five steps, she heard a chorus of snarls around her. The mage immediately stopped in her tracks and whirled around, trying to locate the other monsters. And she did, though a part of Hazel wished that wasn¡¯t the case. Lurking in the darkness of the forest, multiple purple eyes glowered at the mage as the forest was filled with a symphony of growls and snarls. Hearing the synchronized call of the wolf pack, Hazel got cold sweats while goosebumps marbled across her skin. ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t good¡­¡± The novice mage muttered nervously, a bead of sweat trailing her face. [RV] Chapter 22: Enemy of the Pack Hazel stared down at the pack of Dire Wolves surrounding her. Her eyes darted around, hastily scanning every single monster that she spotted lurking within the darkness. Using Identify, the Dire Wolves levels ranged between three to seven. There wasn¡¯t a single one she spotted that was any higher. However, just because their levels were lower than Hazel¡¯s, didn¡¯t mean she had the advantage over them. In fact, it was the Dire Wolves that had the upper hand in this situation, and that was because of one factor; their numbers. Hazel counted at least over a dozen or so of the purple-cracked monsters encircling her location. It was only a matter of time before the Dire Wolves would charge Hazel in unison and rip her to shreds, turning her into their dinner. Or was it their lunch? She hadn¡¯t checked the timer yet, so she had no clue regarding the time. Though, looking at her current situation, that was the least of her problems right now. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t panic, Hazel,¡± she told herself with a strained voice. ¡°You¡¯ve taken down hordes before. This one is no different.¡± On the contrary, this horde was very different. At least, compared to the Fractured Human horde. With the Fractured humans, they simply shambled around like zombies, moving at a snail¡¯s pace. But these Fractured Dire Wolves were the opposite. They still retained their speed, making them incredibly fast and, more so, vicious to the core due to their feral and rabid mentality from the corrupting influencing their vessels. Because of this one fact, Hazel couldn¡¯t let her guard down with these monsters. She knew that if she showed weakness, these furry creatures would take advantage and rip her apart. And that was the last thing Hazel needed at the moment. The novice mage stood her ground, keeping her eyes trained on the pack of Dire wolves just waiting to get a piece of her. Beads of sweat streamed down her face. Her heart pounded against her chest like a drum. She wanted to run away. To flee for her life and to avoid getting torn apart like a piece of meat. But she couldn¡¯t do that. No¡­she wouldn¡¯t do that. Running away wasn¡¯t an option in this situation. Not only because she was outnumbered, but the fact that escaping wouldn¡¯t solve anything for her. Hazel needed to stand her ground and face her enemy head-on. Aside from the monsters within this forest island, there were bound to be even stronger and more dangerous creatures in this dungeon. If Hazel couldn¡¯t handle a pack of Dire Wolves, then she might as well not even bother to explore the rest of the dungeon. If she wanted to survive in this place¡­she needed to get stronger. And the only way to do that was to kill her enemies before they killed her. That was all that mattered in this dungeon. Hazel gritted her teeth as her mind raced to come up with a plan. She couldn¡¯t fight the pack in her current position. The Dire wolves surrounded her from all sides, including her blind spots. If she focused on one side, she¡¯d be vulnerable to the rest. She needed to get into a position where all of the Dire Wolves were in her line of sight. That was the only way she could ensure her victory. ¡°I need to make a path¡­¡± Hazel muttered, staring ahead of her. All of her paths were blocked by Dire Wolves. So, to escape, she needed to forge a path herself. Hazel¡¯s eyes darted between the wolves and her pack placed against a tree. Should she grab her bag when she tries to make a break for it? The novice mage shook her head. No, if she did, then the bag would weigh her down. And that meant death. She would deal with her pack later. For now, it was time to get this show on the road. Sharply inhaling, Hazel then sprinted toward one of the small groups of wolves surrounding her. The dire wolves saw this and immediately crouched down, positioning themselves into a pouncing stance. While running, Hazel raised her staff toward the monsters and fired several mana bolts in rapid succession. The condensed rods of energy tore through the air and made their way toward the wolves. The monsters tried to move away from the bolts, but due to the speed of her spell, none of them could escape and were killed by the bolts. Their bodies jerked back from the force of the spell as they collapsed on the ground. Once they were down, a path was made for Hazel and she took the chance to escape. [Level 3 Dire Wolf has been defeated!] [Level 2 Dire Wolf has been defeated!] [Level 5 Dire Wolf has been defeated!] [Level 1 Dire Wolf has been defeated!] She sprinted past the fallen dire wolves as they slowly fractured into purple fragments, not even bothering to glance in their direction. As she ran away, a howl could be heard from behind her as the rest of the Dire Wolves gave chase. She could hear the numerous trotting paws coming her way, signaling her that she was now being hunted.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. But Hazel didn¡¯t care, since she had a plan. Looking behind her, Hazel saw as the pack of Dire Wolves single-mindedly chased her. Their glowing violet eyes filled with malice and hunger. They were slowly gaining on her, the distance between them becoming shorter and shorter by the second. Despite her Agility stat being at thirteen points at the moment, it was frighteningly clear that the Dire Wolves were still faster than her. Which meant it wasn¡¯t before long until the ravenous wolves caught their prey. She needed to act quickly before they got too close. Without hesitation, she whirled her staff around toward the pack and fired several more mana bolts at them. Unlike before, the dire wolves managed to avoid the spell attack, weaving to the side before getting back into their positions. ¡°Son of a¡­!¡± Hazel stifled a curse, using her frustration to come up with another solution. Then an idea popped into her mind. A very dumb and dangerous idea. Out of desperation, the novice mage stopped in her tracks, digging her shoes into the dirt to forcibly halt her momentum. She then whirled around to face the Dire Wolves, watching them close the distance in seconds. Once they were mere feet away from her, several of the wolves lunged at her. Their mouths were wide open as if they were ready to dig their canines into Hazel. But that wasn¡¯t going to happen. Before they could sing their teeth in the mage, Hazel hastily cast Mana Shield just in time. The blue transparent dome materialized around her, instantly defending her from outside forces. As for the wolves that lunged at her, with their current momentum, they were unable to stop before crashing into the Mana Shield with an audible, reverberating thud. One of the dire wolves was even unlucky enough to not close their mouth in time and intentionally tried to take a bite of the shield. And to no one''s surprise, its teeth ripped out of its gums and fell on the floor along with its body. Hazel was a bit surprised that the wolf didn¡¯t yelp in pain, but then again, these were technically undead monsters, in a sense, so they couldn¡¯t feel anything. Including their teeth forcibly falling out. As the wolves that collided with the shield collapsed on the ground, the other Dire Wolves stopped moving while witnessing this. Some of them even looked surprised and horrified by witnessing their own get thrown back from the magic force field protecting Hazel. And Hazel used their surprise to her advantage. Her shield soon disappeared once the timer was up, and the mage quickly took action. She whipped her staff out and cast a Baneful Sickle at the pack. A malicious purple crescent blade materialized in front of Hazel before barreling toward the horde with frightening speed. Unlike before, the dire wolves couldn¡¯t react in time as the baneful sickle cut through a small portion of the pack, cutting them to pieces like butter. Their severed bodies fell to the ground and then burst into fragments just like the other members of their pack. Seeing this, the other Fractured Dire wolves were alarmed by their deaths, even going as far as stumbling backward as if to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. Hazel wasn¡¯t done and quickly rapid-fired Mana Bolt at the remaining pack. The fractured wolves were assaulted by the stream of bolts and were killed off one by one. Some were killed in an instant, taking a bolt of mana to the skull. The others weren¡¯t so lucky and were severely wounded, having their limbs severed or torsos pierced instead. After firing nearly a couple dozen mana bolts, Hazel ceased her assault, making sure that she still had mana to spare. She wasn¡¯t afflicted with a pounding headache, which meant she wasn¡¯t at her limit yet. But just to be safe, she held off from firing another bolt to check the current state of the pack. And from what Hazel witnessed; the dire wolves were nearly exterminated to oblivion from her mana bolt barrage. A good majority of the fractured canines were currently shattering to pieces and floating in the air as purple light fragments. As for the remaining ones, they struggled to get back up as pieces of their bodies were missing like paws, tails, and portions of their torsos. Seeing this, Hazel¡¯s smile deepened at the sight. ¡°Ha! Looks like numbers don¡¯t mean shit, huh?¡± The mage taunted the surviving pack. Hazel felt a wave of relief wash over her along with pride and joy bubbling up within. Although she was determined to survive, she didn¡¯t expect her plan to work this easily. Especially when she was the one at a disadvantage. But, she somehow won the fight. And intact as well. However, despite killing so many Dire Wolves, Hazel didn¡¯t receive a Level up yet. Thankfully, there were still a few of them left, so maybe killing the rest would do the trick. As Hazel raised her staff at the leftover pack, she was prepared to launch another volley of bolts to end them. Before she could, though, a chill snaked down her spine. Just then, the novice mage heard a fierce snarl from behind her. Hazel didn¡¯t even attempt to turn around to see what it was and simply jumped to the side out of pure instinct. Just then, something managed to claw at her side, ripping through her robe and digging into her flesh with ease. A sharp pain radiated from the wound as Hazel tumbled on the ground. Laying there for a moment, she hastily pushed herself off the ground, not wanting to remain vulnerable when there were still enemies around. Speaking of which, what the hell just attacked her? The snarl from before sounded like a wolf, but Hazel thought that all of them were in front of her. Not behind. Did one of them get past her blind spot while she was busy with her barrage? But how could she have missed that? Better yet, how could that one dire wolf slip through her fingers and sneak behind her so easily? With a hint of fear and anger on her face, Hazel raised her head to glare at the Dire wolf that managed to wound her. Only for her eyes to widen in shock at what she saw. The monster appeared to have been another dire wolf with a fur coat and purple cracks spread across its body. However, this wasn¡¯t your normal dire wolf. It was at least twice the size of the others, and its fur was completely coated in violet, similar to the cracks across its vessel. The larger dire wolf stood tall and confident as it looked down at Hazel with its menacing purple eyes. The aura the monster emitted was heavy, to the point where Hazel felt an invisible pressure weighing down on her. She managed to hold her ground but knew that she couldn¡¯t resist for long while facing this creature. Confronted by this large Dire wolf, Hazel used the opportunity to try and identify it. It was obviously different from a normal Fractured Dire wolf, so Hazel wanted to know what it exactly was. And what she discovered only made her situation worse. Level 15 A dire wolf that was enhanced from the Mana Overload that corrupted its body. Unlike its brethren, this dire wolf has become a beacon of power and authority for its species, allowing it to hold a certain amount of influence over the members of its pack. It is highly protective of its pack members and will eliminate anything that poses a threat to them. Hazel stared at its description, slowly realizing her current situation. And while faced with the supposed beacon of power and authority, the mage could only mutter this. ¡°I¡¯m really starting to hate this fucking dungeon¡­¡± [RV] Chapter 23: Alpha and Omega If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. [RV] Chapter 24: The Outcome The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. [RV] Chapter 25: The Foxhole You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. [RV] Chapter 26: recollection Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. [RV] Chapter 27: The Unexpected Encounter Hazel fired a mana bolt at a Dire Wolf charging right at her. The bolt pierced its skull in an instant, causing the beast to collapse on the ground. Moments later, its body shattered into purple fragments and dispersed into the air. The novice mage lowered her staff while sharply exhaling. ¡°And that¡¯s Dire Wolf number ten.¡± She paused before leaning her head to the side with a confused expression. ¡°Or was it eleven? Probably not all that important anyway.¡± She declared with a shrug. After completing her Fox Hole shelter, Hazel resumed her hunting/XP farming. Just because she made a place to rest didn¡¯t mean she could stay like that. She was trapped in a dangerous dungeon, and it needed to be treated as such. That and the fact that Hazel needed to farm as much as she could level up more. She was currently level twelve, so reaching level thirteen was going to be a little harder. The more levels you obtain, the harder it will become to get to the next level. This was because the requirements to achieve the level up are much harsher as you gain more levels. To level up, you need to receive Experience Points or EXP. And to obtain EXP, you need to kill monsters. The stronger the monster was, in this case, how high their level was, the more Experience a player would receive when killing them. So, in conclusion, if Hazel wanted to level up faster, she was given two options. Either hunt stronger monsters to level up quicker or hunt as many of them, no matter their levels, to obtain as much EXP as possible. So far, Hazel has been forced to take the latter option. Every monster she had hunted and killed so far was barely past level five or six. Hell, a good majority of them were below those. The dire wolf she just killed was level five while the goblin she ended previously was level three. To make matters more annoying, she had only encountered one monster at a time, instead of a large group of them like with the Dire Wolf pack. While Hazel was hesitant to battle a small militia of monsters, she was desperate to earn more EXP. She knew that if she couldn¡¯t find stronger monsters to kill, then the best way to achieve the latter choice was to hunt the low-level monsters as a group. That way, their numbers would make up for their low EXP. But that plan wasn¡¯t working so well at the moment. And that was beginning to irk Hazel just a bit¡­ ¡°Damn it!¡± She swore, howling at the sky. ¡°Where the hell are all these monsters?!¡± Okay, it was doing more than just simply irking her. ¡°Maybe I need to move to a different section of the forest¡­¡± The mage pondered with a groan. ¡°I¡¯m still pretty close to my base, so maybe moving further out will change things.¡± The forest island was quite large. She didn¡¯t know how big this place was, but she theorized that it could be several hundred or thousand acres large. This was nothing more than an estimate, so she could be very wrong about this. Putting that thought aside, Hazel decided to move a little further away from her base to see if this was the problem. Of course, she couldn¡¯t risk the possibility of getting lost and came up with a way to find her way back. By blowing out a large chunk of a tree with a mana bolt. While it was a brutish method, it worked nonetheless, and that was all Hazel really cared about right now. However, this did pose a problem regarding her mana reserve. She couldn¡¯t just spam her Mana Bolt spell at every tree she saw. If she ran out while doing this and got attacked, her life was forfeit. And to Hazel, that would be a very stupid way to die in her eyes.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. So, to conserve her mana, Hazel decided to blow a hole in a tree every so often. Since her Wisdom stat was high enough, she should be able to recover her mana a lot faster than before. So, Hazel ventured out further into the forest, desperate to find more monsters to kill. She struggled to maneuver around the rough and uneven ground. Everywhere she stepped, there was either a large rock, a tree root protruding from the dirt, or even large craters or crevices carving out pieces of the forest ground. She had to walk over all of them and would occasionally trip over them by accident. Thankfully, she¡¯d catch herself with her staff before completely collapsing on the ground. ¡°Even with my endurance stat being at twenty, traversing through this damn forest turned out to be a lot more difficult than I thought.¡± Hazel wasn¡¯t necessarily the most athletic, but she was by no means weak or out of shape. And yet, even with her high endurance stat, she could feel a small hint of fatigue weighing down on her. And it only got stronger as she continued her trek through this forest. It¡¯s likely because she wasn¡¯t used to walking around in a forest. Considering how many inclines, declines, and various things protruding from the ground, walking around proved to be a bit more challenging. Of course that wasn¡¯t going to stop Hazel. She had been through the worst when she was surrounded by a horde of Fractured humans. Hiking through a forest was practically a cakewalk compared to that. After trekking for a little bit, Hazel stopped near a tree. Instead of blowing a hole in it, she simply leaned against the bark with her arm. ¡°This place is a lot bigger than I thought,¡± The mage huffed. ¡°I don¡¯t think I was even this tired when I was roaming around the town. Then again, it had concrete roads and sidewalks. Not jutted dirt ground that threatens to trip me every five minutes.¡± She let out a heavy groan while scratching her head. ¡°How did people even convert a place like this into a town or city?¡± Despite the difficulty, Hazel pushed through. Taking a deep breath, she moved away from the tree she leaned on and kept moving. As she continued her journey, the mage strained her senses, staying cautious of her surroundings. Surprisingly enough, the forest was eerily quiet aside from the rustling leaves. Hazel didn¡¯t even hear any chirping insects or birds. Then again, seeing either would be surprising considering the state of the dungeon. Practically every being that used to reside in this world was corrupted into Fractured monsters. If Hazel saw either creature, it would likely be Fractured as well. Just like everything else in this place. Walking a little further, Hazel¡¯s ears perked up as she heard something. The sound of roaring and metal clanging against metal. Judging from the inhuman roars, the mage assumed that Fractured monsters were fighting one another. However, as she continued to hear the noise, something caught her attention. It was a scream. Not a monstrous scream from a monster but¡­a human-like scream. Not only that, but it sounded like it was coming¡­from a woman! ¡°Is it another player?!¡± Hazel muttered, barely hiding her anticipation at her discovery. Hazel had been roaming around this dungeon for days without any human contact. Her only source of communication was with the Fractured humans back in the Town Island. If you could call it that since all they could utter were groans or snarls. But what Hazel heard just now was definitely a scream from a human-like person. And this person was a woman, at that. Which could only mean one thing; the source of that noise had to have come from a player. And Hazel was determined to find them. Shifting into a sprint, Hazel followed the sound of battle. She ignored the visible roots and stones all over the ground and maintained course. Her clumsy movements were completely erased as if she was possessed. The trees and bushes blurred past her as the sound from monsters and the mystery player got closer. It was only until Hazel caught glimpses of figures ahead of her that her excitement and curiosity reached their peak. Stopping behind one of the trees, the novice mage peered ahead to get a closer look at whatever was happening. And what she saw surprised her. There were several hulking, purple and green-skinned monsters attacking one lone individual. A person. She bore no visible purple cracks on her body like the rest of the Fractured, which meant she wasn¡¯t from this dungeon. She was another player like Hazel. However, her appearance wasn¡¯t what Hazel expected. The woman player had gray skin and long silver hair neatly tied into a ponytail. In her hands was a bow and arrow, which would mean she possessed the Ranger class. But aside from the gray skin, there was something else that caught Hazel¡¯s attention. And that was the player¡¯s ears. Instead of being rounded like normal ears, hers were pointed almost like a dagger. And it was when Hazel spotted the pointed ears that she realized who this player was. And the realization floored her immediately. ¡°An¡­Elf?¡± At this very moment, Hazel had not only encountered her first player¡­but also a Resident of the other world that was being merged with hers. [RV] Chapter 28: The Elf Player Hazel continued to watch the Elf Player battle against the small horde of monsters attacking her. She was swift and nimble, easily maneuvering around the beasts with relative ease. Just as one of the monsters swung its axe at her, the Elf rolled away in an instant. When she repositioned herself, she then nocked an arrow and fired at the monster¡¯s eye. It roared angrily while clutching the wound. It didn¡¯t do this because it was in pain but instead reaching for the arrow lodged into its eye socket. The green monster ripped the projectile right out of its eye before angrily tossing it to the side. It let out a savage snarl while charging at the Elf player once again. Now that Hazel observed the green beasts, she realized that she didn¡¯t know what they were. Well, she had an inkling of their identity but didn¡¯t want to assume things in case she was mistaken about what species they were. Her curiosity peaked, the novice mage used this time to identify the creatures. Level 8 Orcs are beastly creatures that hunt, pillage, and ravage settlements for their own enjoyment and benefit. As a Fractured, their instincts are amplified, making them more dangerous and savage to deal with. Especially when there are more than one. ¡°So, they¡¯re Orcs, huh?¡± Hazel mused. While she wasn¡¯t certain, she assumed that the beasts that the Elf player was up against were Orcs. The green skin and tusks protruding from their jaws were very evidence of this. Hazel had seen plenty of Orcs back home from video games and movies. But seeing them in reality instead of on a screen made the novice mage pause. ¡°I know Orcs aren¡¯t exactly models, but they¡¯re a lot uglier in real life than video games.¡± The mage muttered with disgust. While their appearance wasn¡¯t the most pleasing to the eyes, these beasts were honestly a far cry from the hideous appearance of goblins. Hazel would rather look at the Orc¡¯s massive tusks than those jagged piss-stained teeth from a goblin. She paused for a moment, realizing her train of thought. She then shook her head and tried to focus on the task at hand, setting her eyes back on the battle. That was when a thought suddenly occurred to her. ¡°I wonder if I could try and identify the player¡­¡± Hazel muttered, staring intently at the Elf player in question. She had only appraised items and monsters after coming to this dungeon. She never tried it on a player, other than herself. Mainly because¡­she was on her own. And it seemed that the Elf player was in a similar situation. As Hazel kept watching the Elf fight the orcs, she noticed that there were no other players around her. Which meant that she was essentially a solo player like the novice mage. This also explained why a Ranger was fighting in such a manner instead of at a distance. Taking note of this fact, Hazel quickly identified the Elf Ranger, curious to know what her status would look like. Race: Dark Elf Class: Ranger Level: 12 The Eldest daughter of the Tribal Chief and current Captain of the Greyvolk Legion. As the Eldest daughter and child of the Greyvolk Chief, Astrid is next in line to become the next Tribal Chief of her people. The mage¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Wow, I can see her Name and Class. That¡¯s a nice bonus.¡± Normally, identifying living beings would only show their level and race. But with the dark elf, she could see a bit more. Not only that but there was even a character bio for her as well, which was what really caught her interest. ¡°The eldest daughter of a Tribal chief,¡± She mused, leaning her head to the side. ¡°Does that make her royalty or something? Maybe a noble?¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. While encountering the daughter of a chief wasn¡¯t on her bingo card, just the fact that she finally found someone was more than enough. However, that led to a rather important question; should Hazel help her? While she was excited to finally meet a person, the mage was slowly reconsidering after taking a moment to think things over. For one thing, Hazel doesn¡¯t know this Dark Elf. For all she knew, this ranger could be very dangerous and could kill her if given the chance. So if she helped the dark elf, her life would be in danger. And it wouldn¡¯t be from the Orcs. But, this was also the first person Hazel had come across after getting dumped in this dungeon. If she left now, that chance of communication would get squandered in a second. And yet Hazel hesitated to act. She wasn¡¯t certain of what to do in her current situation. While fretting over this dilemma, Hazel¡¯s gaze trailed back over to the Dark Elf and the Orcs. Astrid fired off several arrows at the beasts. However, the projectiles only struck non-vital areas like their arms or legs, which the Orcs shrugged off before continuing their assault. One of the Orcs got close to the dark elf and attempted to grab her. Its meaty hand descended upon its prey, hoping to grasp her. Thankfully, Astrid saw this coming a mile away. She spun around while pulling out a dagger from her side. Blade in hand, the dark elf lunged at the Orc. Her feet were planted on its chest as she clung to its shoulder with one hand. As for the hand that wielded the dagger, she then proceeded to drive it through its skull with ease. The beast couldn¡¯t even mutter out a roar as it fell to its knees. Astrid jumped back after finishing the job, not even watching the monster fracture completely. Behind her, another Orc swung its blade, attempting to cleave her in two. Astrid reacted in time and leaped backward to avoid it. However, she tripped over her foot in the process, resulting in her falling to the ground. Momentarily defenseless, the Orcs saw their chance and took it. The remaining living orcs closed in on the dark elf, ready to take her down all at once. ¡°C-crap¡­!¡± Hazel panicked, watching the scene unfold. What should she do? Help or do nothing? Hazel was conflicted with these decisions, frightened of what the outcome of her actions could be. However, after sparing another glance at the dark elf who was about to die at the hands of those Orcs, her decision was made. And the novice mage took action. ¡°Duck!¡± She shouted. Hearing her voice, not only the dark elf but also the Orcs turned out to see where it was coming from. Just then, Hazel emerged from the trees, staff in hand and ready to join the fight. She turned the gnarled weapon toward the Orcs and fired a Baneful sickle. A malicious crescent blade materialized as Hazel hurled it toward the monsters. The dark elf, Astrid, saw the spell and immediately planted her body on the ground. As for the Orcs, they couldn¡¯t escape the cursed sickle that tore through them with ease. Before their severed bodies split apart, the cracks festered like mad before their vessels shattered completely. [Level 7 Orc has been defeated!] [Level 8 Orc has been defeated!] [Level 5 Orc has been defeated!] [Level 5 Orc has been defeated!] Watching the purple fragments disburse in the air, Hazel stood still for a moment, processing what she had just done. She really just exposed herself and helped a player. While this would be a moment for her to feel proud of herself, the mage couldn¡¯t help but feel that she made a mistake. Meanwhile, the dark elf slowly rose from the ground while dusting the dirt off her clothing. Her eyes then locked onto Hazel, causing her to flinch in response. The mage froze, unsure of what to do in this situation. It was like she was a nervous student at school trying to make new friends. How do you talk to people, again? The dark elf continued to stare at Hazel with an intense yet suspicious gaze. It was clear that Astrid didn¡¯t seem to trust Hazel. And Frankly, the mage understood why. Considering the circumstances, if she was saved by a stranger, she¡¯d feel suspicious toward her savior as well. Regardless, the intense staring contest was slowly getting to Hazel. If she didn¡¯t do something to break this awkward silence, there was no telling how long they would be here. ¡°U-uh¡­¡± Hazel stuttered while raising her hands defensively. ¡°I¡­come in peace?¡± Yeah, someone just shoot her already. Her first actual encounter with another player, and she instantly ruined it. And why was it out of everything she could¡¯ve said¡­she quoted a reference involving aliens. Even if that was a spur of the moment, Hazel felt that she could¡¯ve done better than that. Hearing this, the Dark elf narrowed her eyes and remained silent. This only made the silence even worse as Hazel stood there with a face redder than a ripe apple. If she could crawl into a hole and die, she would do that in seconds. Anything was better than what she just did right now. Out of nowhere, distant roars came from around Hazel and the dark elf. The pair spun around in alarm, trying to locate the source. That was when they spotted more Orcs emerging from the trees, surrounding the two players. From what Hazel saw, there were more than twenty of them. And all of them were between level eight to level ten. Which meant they were a lot stronger than the previous Orcs Hazel took down to save the dark elf player. ¡°Well, this is quite a problem¡­¡± She muttered with a hint of panic in her voice. It was at that point that Hazel started to believe that saving this dark elf¡­was a lot more daunting than she expected it to be. Chapter 29: The Mistake Hazel made a huge mistake. And that mistake was staring her down like she was food. The small group of Orcs encircled around her and the dark elf, closing the distance with each step. The mage tightly gripped her staff, keeping her eyes trained on the monsters around her. In the back of her mind, she tried to devise a plan to escape. Aside from when she slew down the Orcs that nearly killed Astrid, this was her first time dealing with these hulking creatures. Running away likely wasn¡¯t an option. Even if her agility stat nearly at twenty, something told her that escaping from these monsters wouldn¡¯t be an easy feat. Though, it might be for the dark elf. Hazel shifted to take a glance at the other player with her. Since she was a Ranger, Astrid was likely faster than Hazel. Which meant¡­that she could easily escape these Orcs by abandoning the mage. With this realization, Hazel got nervous. Sweat beaded down her face as she took glances between the dark elf and the Orcs. Her heart pounded against her chest, threatening to burst out like from some cartoon scene. What was the dark elf player going to do? Stay and fight with Hazel or abandon her? The suspense was quite literally killing, considering she could die at the hands of the Orcs. Staring down at the Orcs, Astrid let out a groan before turning to Hazel. ¡°Hey, mage, can you possibly cast that purple sickle spell again?¡± Hazel paused, not sure of what to say. ¡°¡­I believe so, yes.¡± The mage could tell that her cooldown was over thanks to a mental click that informed her of her spell¡¯s availability. However, she wasn¡¯t certain why the dark elf was asking such a thing. Could she be planning something to get them out of this predicament? ¡°Do you have other spells in your arsenal as well?¡± Hazel nodded, remaining silent. ¡°We need to thin their numbers out,¡± Astrid stated. ¡°I¡¯ll focus as a vanguard and attack them from up close. I need you to support me.¡± Hazel was hesitant about the dark elf¡¯s plan. It wasn¡¯t that she had no desire to assist the player, since if that was the case, she wouldn¡¯t have saved her from the orcs in the first. It was because of their current dynamic. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡± The mage questioned nervously. ¡°Judging from your weapon, your class is a Ranger, right? Wouldn¡¯t you be at a disadvantage?¡± Both of them were technically support-type players that used long-range attacks to kill their enemies. If the dark elf tried to fight up close, it could end in their defeat if she wasn¡¯t careful. ¡°Just because I use a bow, doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t fight up close.¡± Astrid asserted. She sounded confident. Almost arrogantly so. ¡°You say that, and yet I had to jump in and save you before because of that,¡± Hazel blurted out almost instinctively. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to,¡± The dark elf snapped. ¡°I had that situation under control.¡± ¡°If you say so,¡± The mage softly scoffed. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the Orcs for now, alright?¡± ¡°Right,¡± she nodded.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Hazel realized that this wasn¡¯t the most opportune time for them to be arguing, so she quickly shifted gears and focused on the task at hand. ¡°Remember to provide me with support,¡± Astrid reminded while rushing toward one of the Orcs before them. ¡°I¡¯ll try and draw their attention to me!¡± The dark elf drew two daggers from her side while rushing at the enemy. Hazel followed suit, knowing that staying in place would only put her in more danger. The Orcs before them responded by brandishing their weapons, preparing themselves for battle. Astrid made the first move and lunged at one of the beasts. She drove her two daggers into the beast¡¯s chest. The monster stumbled back as the blades dug deeper into its body. It then roared, not in pain but in anger at its prey attacking it. Its arms reached for the dark elf, but it was immediately swatted away by two mana bolts. The rods of magic pierced the Orc¡¯s palms, leaving two large holes in its wake. Astrid didn¡¯t even need to turn around to know that Hazel was doing her part. She instead, ripped out one of her blades before thrusting it in the Orc¡¯s neck. Just as the beast was about to collapse, the dark elf jumped off. Landing on the ground, she faced the other Orcs rushing toward her. Hazel then sprinted passed Astrid while firing off more mana bolts to stave off the beasts. Escaping their encirclement, Hazel placed her back against the tree while facing off against the remaining Orcs. A couple of the beasts attempted to go after the mage before Astrid drew her bow and fired a few arrows at them, drawing their attention toward her instead. Just before the Orcs could attack, two more mana bolts were fired at their ankles. The spell was strong enough to carve out a good chuck on their fragmented flesh. Unable to support themselves, the orcs fell to their knees. Astrid quickly took action and pulled out one of her daggers. With the blade, she blurred toward one of the beasts and pierced its skull. It ceased moving right after, dropping its weapon while shattering to bits. Just as the dark elf tried to take down the other Orc, one of Hazel¡¯s mana bolts appeared and tore through its neck. The kill was instant as the beast slumped over right after, and its body slowly fractured like the rest. Witnessing this, Astrid turned to Hazel with a cocked brow. The mage simply shrugged with a sly smile. ¡°What? You thought I was going to let you have all the kills?¡± Before the dark elf could respond, the remaining Orcs drew closer to the pair. Astrid spun around with both blades drawn, facing off against the group. Hazel responded similarly, readying her staff to cast another spell. And a strong spell at that. ¡°Let them get closer first,¡± Hazel advised. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Astrid hastily questioned, sounding anxious. ¡°Unless you want to take on so many Orcs at once.¡± The dark elf didn¡¯t respond and simply waited as the mage suggested. Hazel could see her grip the blades tightly as the Orcs drew closer to them. The pair then waited. Neither of them did anything as the Orcs closed the distance between them with each step. Sweat coated Hazel¡¯s palms, making it difficult to hold her staff properly. The distance was getting shorter and shorter. It wasn¡¯t until Hazel saw the Orcs were bunched together that she finally made her move. ¡°Duck, now!¡± The mage ordered. Astrid wasted no time and dove to the ground. Once she was not in range, Hazel raised her staff and fired another baneful sickle at the charging Orcs. The spinning sickle tore through a good majority of the beasts. [Level 8 Orc has been defeated!] [Level 9 Orc has been defeated!] [Level 10 Orc has been defeated!] [Level 9 Orc has been defeated!] [Level 8 Orc has been defeated!] [You have leveled up! You are now Level 13!] Despite not taking down all of the enemies, Hazel still managed to level up, which was a delightful sight in her eyes. Meanwhile, Astrid lunged forward and took care of the remaining Orcs that Hazel failed to kill. She blurred near one and drove her dagger through its skull. The other Orc tried to assist and swung its weapon at the dark elf. However, she jumped off and watched as the monster severed its brethren¡¯s head. Sheathing her blades, the dark elf then pulled out her bow. Notching an arrow, a fierce red aura pulsed around the projectile as if empowering it. Loosing it, the arrow zipped through the air before piercing through the Orc¡¯s chest, leaving a gaping hole where its sternum used to be. Both Hazel and Astrid watched the monster collapse on the ground while turning into purple fragments. They watched the bright violet lights float in the air before dissipating right after. With the last lights fading, the dark elf spun around to face Hazel. Instead of looking grateful, the player had the same suspicious gaze from when they first met, leaving the mage in an awkward situation once again. Hazel struggled to speak as the dark elf kept her eyes trained on her. Then, taking a deep breath, the mage built up the courage to say something. ¡°So¡­you come around here often?¡± ¡­Maybe it would¡¯ve been better if she hadn¡¯t said anything at all. Chapter 30: The Awkward Conversation ¡°Do I what?¡± Astrid questioned with an arched brow. ¡°N-nothing, just forget about it,¡± Hazel urged, doing her best to hide her embarrassment. That was the second time she failed to start a conversation with this person. Even if Hazel had very little contact with living beings after getting dumped in this dungeon, it shouldn¡¯t be this difficult to properly communicate with someone. She felt like a schoolgirl trying to talk to her crush but continuously failed each conversation and only embarrassed herself. The novice mage stifled a heavy groan as she sorted through her thoughts. ¡°A-anyway,¡± Hazel coughed, changing the subject. ¡°I-I think that introductions are in order. You know, since we kind of helped each other fight against those Orcs from before.¡± Although she failed to properly converse with the dark elf, that didn¡¯t mean she was going to give up. If not to befriend the player then it would certainly be for her pride after miserably failing two times before. However, she was met with some resistance. ¡°I don¡¯t see why that¡¯s necessary,¡± The dark elf stated while crossing her arms. ¡°I bet you already tried to identify me to see my status, right?¡± Hazel froze after hearing this. ¡°N-no¡­¡± She lied, nervously averting her eyes. The dark elf sighed, shaking her dismissively. ¡°You don¡¯t need to try and lie since I did the same thing to you¡­Hazel Thatcher.¡± The mage flinched at the mention of her own name as if she was being called out. However, she then turned to face the dark elf with an annoyed expression. ¡°Dropping my full government name, huh?¡± Hazel grumbled; her left eye twitching. ¡°That¡¯s a bit rude, don¡¯t you think, Astrid Skogr?¡± Instead of looking annoyed, the corner of Astrid¡¯s lip curled into a slight grin, as if she found it amusing. This only annoyed Hazel more since it felt like she was only giving the dark elf what she wanted. ¡°You¡¯re certainly bold for a human,¡± Astrid stated. ¡°And here I thought you would start choking on your words again, or utter whatever nonsense that was before.¡± Hazel¡¯s face turned a bit red as she glared at the dark elf player. ¡°Well, excuse me for trying to start a conversation.¡± ¡°Do humans normally spout incomprehensible things when conversing with someone?¡± Astrid leaned her head to the side in a mocking manner. ¡°I don¡¯t know, do Dark elves act all snobby toward those that just saved their lives?¡± The dark elf paused from Hazel¡¯s words. Her sly grin shifted into a frown as she turned away. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for your help,¡± She mumbled. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to save me.¡± ¡°Right back at you,¡± Hazel countered. ¡°Back when we were surrounded by those Orcs, you could¡¯ve easily abandoned me. But you didn¡¯t. Why?¡± It would¡¯ve been easy for the dark elf to escape the Orcs during that scuffle. All she needed to do was leave Hazel behind so the monsters could focus on her. And yet, Astrid stayed and helped the mage defeat those monsters. But why? What compelled this player to do something like that? Astrid wore a pensive expression as she hesitated to reply. Then she finally caved. ¡°I only did it because I don¡¯t like being indebted to someone. You distracted those Orcs before, so I simply returned the favor.¡± Hearing this, the mage stood there for a moment, attempting to process the dark elf¡¯s words. That was why she did that? Because she was simply returning the favor? She risked her life for Hazel when it would¡¯ve been easier for her to just run away and let her get killed in her stead. That¡­was surprisingly admirable of her. Then again, Astrid was a Captain of her Legion Tribe and also the Daughter of a Chief who ruled over her people. Perhaps the dark elf was taught about chivalry and honor and to uphold those virtues. Either way, Hazel felt a bit relieved that the first player she encountered turned out to be such a kind and honorable person. And yet she couldn¡¯t help but utter something that ruined the atmosphere they created. ¡°¡­So you¡¯re admitting that you would¡¯ve died if I hadn¡¯t saved you, right?¡± Hazel could easily see a vein throbbing on Astrid¡¯s forehead from her statement. It only got worse when she shifted her gaze at the mage with an intense glare, as if she was looking at something annoying. ¡°Once again, you boldly speak your mind without an ounce of shame. This is why humans are so¡­¡± The dark elf held back from finishing her sentence, possibly realizing that saying anymore could spark a conflict between the two. Taking a deep breath, Astrid maintained a neutral expression while turning her attention back to Hazel. ¡°Regardless, since I returned the favor, I believe we¡¯re done here.¡± She then turned around and started walking off, leaving the mage behind. This caused Hazel to panic and she did something rather unexpected. ¡°W-wait¡­!¡± The mage called out frantically. The dark elf stopped in her tracks. She then turned her head to the side, slightly glancing at Hazel. ¡°What is it?¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°U-uh¡­¡± Hazel once again struggled to speak, as if the first time wasn¡¯t bad enough. What could she say to the dark elf anyway? That she wanted them to work together, so they had a better chance at survival? That she wanted someone to talk to because she had been on her own since the very first day of getting stuck in this dungeon? Just what could she possibly tell her? ¡°Are you going to just stand there like a gawking chicken or are you going to say something already?¡± Growing annoyed, the dark elf urged Hazel to state what she wanted so this conversation would be over. Hearing Astrid¡¯s indignant and pestering tone managed to lighten the mage¡¯s anxiety, allowing her to speak a little more clearly. ¡°L-look, I think it would likely be better for both of us if we¡­worked together while we¡¯re in this dungeon.¡± ¡°¡­Come again?¡± Astrid inquired while fully turning around to face the mage. For a moment, Hazel hesitated to answer, but it was too late for that. She had to reply quickly before she lost her chance. So, either she stood her ground and did everything she could to convince the dark elf or simply gave up. ¡°I think¡­that we should try and work together. You¡¯re the only player I¡¯ve encountered in this dungeon, and possibly my only chance in getting out of this place.¡± Hazel wasn¡¯t sugarcoating her words. She meant it when stating that she needed Astrid¡¯s help. Despite her attitude, Hazel recognized the dark elf¡¯s skills. She was more experienced in battle compared to the novice mage, who had only recently started fighting monsters. Astrid¡¯s battle against the Orcs showed Hazel her capabilities. ¡°And why would I agree to that?¡± Astrid questioned condescendingly. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing quite well on my own, thank you very much.¡± ¡°So have I but doing this solo will only take us so far. You saw how we took down those Orcs. We were able to take them down a lot faster and easier together than if we were on our own.¡± When Astrid was taking on the monsters up close, Hazel stayed at a distance and confidently eliminated any threats that got close to the dark elf. They played their roles perfectly and managed to eliminate their enemies with ease compared to when they fought separately. Hazel didn¡¯t have to run around in a panic while fighting monsters. She did what any good mage was supposed to do; provide support. Which is why Hazel was desperate for Astrid¡¯s assistance. ¡°Hate to break it to you, Thatcher,¡± Astrid spat. ¡°But I don¡¯t need your help. Besides, I can¡¯t trust someone who I just met, even if they just saved my life. For all I know, you¡¯re just using me to get what you want.¡± Hazel faltered from Astrid¡¯s harsh but reasonable statement. It was true that the dark elf should be distrustful of the mage. After all, the only reason why she was looking for her assistance was for her own gain, not the Ranger¡¯s. So, in a sense, Hazel was using Astrid to get what she wanted, which was survival. But that didn¡¯t mean the mage was going to stop now after coming this far. ¡°In that case, how about we use each other, alright?¡± Hazel blurted out. ¡°You use me, and I use you. A partnership where we both get what we want.¡± The dark elf paused with a pensive expression on her face. As if the very thought of this idea intrigued her. However, her face went neutral, hiding any remnants of her considering Hazel¡¯s proposal. ¡°And what exactly would I be using you for, huh?¡± Even though it looked like Astrid was simply mocking her, Hazel knew what she was doing. This was a test. A test to see if the mage¡¯s proposal was worth contemplating over. And she had just the thing to confirm this. ¡°Since you¡¯ve seen my status, then you know that I possess the Mage class. And you obviously saw how I utilized my spells in battle right? So, in our partnership, you would be using me for my magic.¡± While it was a long shot, this was the only thing that Hazel could offer. She couldn¡¯t give Astrid food or water, since they were hers. Plus, the mage figured that this deal wouldn¡¯t work since the dark elf did dungeon challenges too. Offering her services as a Mage was the best course of action. Although Astrid was a Ranger and a skilled fighter, there were limits to her abilities. By allowing the dark elf to use Hazel¡¯s magic to provide support, the novice mage should be able to solidify their partnership. Or at least, that was what she was hoping for. It all depended on Astrid¡¯s decision on the matter. The fate of their potential partnership was literally in her hands right now. ¡°Using your magic, huh? Are you saying that you¡¯ll become my slave or something?¡± Hazel hastily shook her head, looking appalled at the idea of such a thing. ¡°I¡¯m talking about a partnership where we both use each other. You use me for my skills, and I use you for yours. An equal trade to ensure our survival.¡± Although Hazel was desperate, it wasn¡¯t to the point where she would risk slavery as part of her normal lifestyle. If she had to choose between being enslaved for survival or taking her chances exploring this dungeon alone, she would pick the latter every time. Astrid stared at Hazel, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. As if the dark elf was searching for some kind of ulterior motive behind the mage¡¯s proposal. Granted, she did, but nothing like what Ranger was assuming she had. ¡°And how do I know you won¡¯t betray me during our supposed ¡®partnership¡¯?¡± She inquired while using her fingers to air-quote. Hazel pondered for a moment, understanding what Astrid was asking. Honestly, Hazel had no reason to betray the dark elf. Her survival essentially depended on this partnership, so having any thoughts like deception was practically nonexistent to her. But she knew that wasn¡¯t enough to convince the gray-skinned ranger. So, what would? ¡°How about a pact then? If you find any inkling that I plan to betray you, my life will be in your hands. You could kill me, enslave me, or whatever. You could even just walk away and make me fend for myself in the dungeon. It¡¯s up to you.¡± What Hazel suggested may have been drastic and unnecessary, but at this point, she needed to do something to convince the dark elf to accept the deal. Otherwise, this would all be in vain, wasting both of their time with it. Astrid mulled over Hazel¡¯s deal, lightly tapping her chin as she did. ¡°You know you¡¯re essentially putting your fate in my hands, right?¡± ¡°¡­I know.¡± ¡°I could easily betray you with what you¡¯ve given me, you understand? All I would need to do was act like you were planning on betraying me and use that to do whatever I want with you.¡± ¡°I am aware¡­¡± ¡°Then why are you going through with this? Surely, you would rather just explore this dungeon on your own than make such a ridiculous deal where you gain nothing from this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong,¡± Hazel retorted. ¡°I do gain something from this and that¡¯s your cooperation and assistance. Plus, if you were the type of person that would betray something, then you wouldn¡¯t have tried to save me just to ¡®return the favor¡¯, would you?¡± Hazel was certain that Astrid wasn¡¯t the type of person to betray her in such a way. Not after risking her life to save the mage when she could¡¯ve easily run away and left her to the wolves. Or in this case, the Orcs. And it was from that act alone that told Hazel that this dark elf could more or less be trusted. And if she was wrong¡­then she would cross that bridge if or when she got there. All that mattered right now¡­was this deal being made. ¡°So, do we have a deal?¡± Hazel asked, reaching her arm out toward the dark elf. Astrid stared at the novice mage¡¯s hand, intensely contemplating over her options. It wasn¡¯t until she let out a heavy sigh that her decision was finally made. ¡°Fine. You got yourself a deal,¡± Astrid declared, reaching out and shaking Hazel¡¯s hand. ¡°Partner.¡± Grasping the gray-skinned Ranger¡¯s hand, Hazel returned the gesture with a small grin. ¡°Glad to hear it, partner.¡± And with that, their partnership was now official. As of now, Hazel Thatcher and Astrid Skogr were temporary companions for as long as they were stuck in this dungeon, or unless a sign of betrayal was shown. [RV] Chapter 31: Teamwork Makes The Dream Work [You have formed a Party with Player ¡°Astrid Skogr¡±!] [As a Party, players are capable of communicating with one another through the Chat Room Feature. To use the Chat Room, players must call out ¡°Chat Room¡±.] Hazel and Astrid¡¯s eyes widened as they stared at their respective screens. ¡°It looks like we formed a party¡­¡± Hazel noted, scanning the panel curiously. ¡°Apparently so¡­maybe it¡¯s because we formed a partnership?¡± The dark elf theorized. ¡°Maybe?¡± The mage shrugged. Considering that the panel appeared after the two players decided to work together, this was the only thing that made sense to either of them. At least they got something out of forming a party, which was the supposed chat room feature. ¡°What is a Chat Room?¡± Astrid pondered. ¡°Does it take us to some mystical room where we can talk in private?¡± Hearing this, Hazel stifled a laugh at the dark elf¡¯s question. She was then reminded that her partner wasn¡¯t from Earth like her, so this was completely new. ¡°No,¡± Hazel lightly shook her head. ¡°A chat room is basically where we can converse with one another through a panel. I¡¯ll show you. Chat Room!¡± Upon calling out the keyword, another panel materialized before them. [Chat Room has now been activated!] [You can now converse with your party members. All you need to do to communicate and mentally type what you want to say into the chat.] Reading the instructions for a moment, Hazel soon tested the Chat Room by saying something in her mind. [Hazel Thatcher: This is how the Chat Room works.] ¡°W-what¡­?!¡± Astrid exclaimed. Seeing the dark elf¡¯s expression, the mage lightly giggled in response. ¡°While you are right about this feature allowing us to communicate privately, there isn¡¯t a physical room where we can talk. Just this panel.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Astrid muttered while curiously gazing at her screen. ¡°A-and all you need to do is just think about what you want to say?¡± Hazel nodded. ¡°Pretty much.¡± Astrid hesitated for a moment before she closed her eyes, likely attempting to test the chat room feature. [Astrid Skogr: Like this?] Seeing the panel of the dark elf¡¯s comment, Hazel smiled. ¡°Nice, looks like you¡¯re starting to understand.¡± Astrid¡¯s face shifted to a frown at Hazel¡¯s remark, looking quite offended. ¡°You make it sound like it was going to take a while for me to grasp the mechanics of this Chat Room.¡± Hazel raised her hands defensively, not wanting to fan any flames. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that, okay? I¡¯m just saying that you catch on quickly. It was a compliment.¡± With the chat room, Hazel and Astrid will be able to keep in touch even when they¡¯re separated. However, that was only if they stayed in the party. This meant that this feature would only be useful to them for as long as they were in the dungeon. Once they were finally out, their party would be dissolved as the two players would then go their separate ways. So, until then, Hazel was determined to take full advantage of this Chat Room. While examining the chat room, another panel appeared right next to it, surprising both players. And the contents of the panel instantly caught their attention. Difficulty: Easy ¡°Teamwork makes the Dreamwork!¡± Objective: Kill at least Thirty Monsters as a Team Progress: Monsters Team Killed [0/30] Reward: +5 Stat Points and an Uncommon Loot Box ¡°Another dungeon challenge¡­¡± Hazel marveled.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Neither player expected to receive another Dungeon Challenge like this. And it was simply because they formed a party. ¡°Looks like we made the right call in forming our partnership,¡± Astrid said with a grin. ¡°Especially with what our reward looks like.¡± Not only do they receive a loot box, but also five stat points for their trouble. That was three more points compared to the last challenge Hazel did back in the Town Island. And that reward alone was enough to entice Hazel into wanting to complete the challenge. ¡°It says that we need to team kill a monster,¡± Hazel noted. ¡°As in we work together to kill a monster?¡± Astrid implied. ¡°I think so, but we should try and test that theory out to see if we¡¯re right.¡± The dark elf nodded. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go find our first test subject then.¡± Accepting the dungeon challenge, the two players then set off into the forest. They walked side by side while cautiously watching their surroundings. Their eyes glanced at the rustling leaves and swaying branches as bits of stars from the space above them peeked through. Much like before, it was eerily quiet. To the point where just the slightest sound from something unnerved Hazel. Meanwhile, Astrid remained calm and composed, as if nothing could frighten her. Another thing the mage noticed was that the dark elf walked a lot more confidently than her. Each step she made was filled with determination and zeal. She stood as straight as a pencil, walking like a veteran soldier who had been through many wars. Then again, Astrid was a captain of the legion, so maybe that came with the job. The way she moved with purpose made Hazel a little jealous. All the novice mage could do in this situation was nervously clutch her staff while frantically darting her eyes all over the place. Even her strides were clumsy and hesitant, as if she was doubting herself with each step. This must be what difference in experience was truly like. Astrid had faced many threats due to her lifestyle back home while Hazel had only been recently introduced to hell. She never noticed it before since she was alone for most of the time, but seeing the difference in how she and Astrid carried themselves really started to sink in for her. ¡°So,¡± Hazel spoke up. ¡°Your description said that you were the captain of the Greyvolk legion. What¡¯s that like?¡± ¡°Are you seriously attempting to strike up another useless conversation?¡± Astrid scowled. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to pass the time since we¡¯ll be working together for a while. Is that so wrong?¡± ¡°If you want to have a meaningful conversation with someone, then I, unfortunately, am not the person you should be speaking to.¡± The dark elf said without turning to face her. ¡°I don¡¯t need to remind you that this partnership was established out of necessity and not friendship, do I?¡± Hazel clenched her hands out of irritation. She was aware of their circumstances, but that didn¡¯t mean they needed to work together in silence. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have questions for me too, don¡¯t you? I mean, we¡¯re both from different worlds, so aren¡¯t you curious about what mine is like?¡± ¡°Not in the least,¡± The dark elf said flatly, much to the mage¡¯s surprise. ¡°My priority at the moment was escaping this dungeon and returning home. Before that, I need to get as strong as possible by taking advantage of this dungeon.¡± ¡°So we have the same goal in mind.¡± ¡°Only in terms of preserving our lives. Nothing else.¡± ¡°I get that, but that doesn¡¯t mean that we can¡¯t tal-¡± ¡°We are not scouts trying to get to know one another, Thatcher,¡± Astrid declared while stopping in her tracks and spinning around to face the mage. ¡°In this dungeon, we are both survivors, simply using one another to stay alive. Nothing more, nothing less.¡± Hazel hesitated to reply, fearfully staring at the dark elf¡¯s intense gaze as she asserted their positions. However, that fear shifted to annoyance at the Ranger¡¯s attitude. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re only going to be able to survive this place by trusting one another.¡± ¡°Our partnership wasn¡¯t established from trust but a desperation for survival. I am only working with you because you are useful to me. And I am useful to you. That is what our relationship boils down to. Not some useless friendship but a mutual symbiosis where we both get what we want, which is our persistence to live. Is that clear?¡± It was obvious that the dark elf had no intentions of trying to get to know Hazel. And after how she bolded declared their relationship, the novice mage felt like accepting those terms just to avoid causing any more conflict between them. Just as Hazel opened her mouth to reply, her eyes spotted something behind her so-called partner, blurring toward her. The mage responded by moving Astrid to the side while hastily casting a mana shield with her staff. The transparent blue dome materialized around the caster, just in time as a dagger zipped toward it with frightening speed. Clashing against the dome, the blade rebounded in the air before falling to the ground. Just then, a goblin emerged from the bushes ahead of them and charged. It let out a fierce yet ear-piercing battle cry. Hazel covered her ears to block out the sound as her mana shield slowly disappeared as soon as the spell expired. The mage attempted to fire a mana bolt at the goblin, but Astrid was quicker as she notched an arrow and loosed it into the creature¡¯s skull. The goblin¡¯s head jerked back from the force as its body collapsed on the dirt ground. ¡°Nice shot¡­¡± Hazel lightly praised. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Astrid replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could cast a magic shield.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯d love to tell you, if you and I could have a proper conversation and not walk around in silence. But you clearly don¡¯t want that.¡± The dark elf looked away, clearly feeling guilty about her previous statement about their so-called relationship. And although Hazel felt good for pointing that out, she knew deep down that making snarky remarks would only make things worse. She heavily groaned while pinching the bridge of her nose. ¡°Look, I know you said that our relationship was made from trust, but if we keep this up, we¡¯ll be the cause of our own deaths. You get what I¡¯m trying to say?¡± Astrid wore a pensive expression. She then glanced over at the shattering goblin as the purple fragments floated in the air before disappearing altogether. After a few moments, she sighed in defeat. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong¡­¡± She admitted. ¡°I understand that communication will be vital for us if we plan to continue working together.¡± Hearing the dark elf¡¯s response, the corner of Hazel¡¯s lips lifted into a slight grin. ¡°See? Now we¡¯re getting somewhere.¡± Despite the rocky start, Hazel could see potential in this little partnership of theirs. Though, that was only if they could see eye to eye with each other. [RV] Chapter 32: Better Communication Realizing that their partnership needed some more work, the two players attempted to fix the obvious holes in their current relationship. And the first thing that needed to be done was to establish proper communication with each other. Which meant only one thing; they needed to get to know one another. Which they did¡­just not the way that Hazel expected it to go down. Since Hazel and Astrid were currently a team, they needed to understand each other¡¯s strengths and weaknesses. That way, they know what they lack and how the other could make up for it. And so, the first thing the pair talked about was their current abilities. Hazel went first and explained her current skill set. ¡°So, I currently have four spells which are [Mana Bolt], [Mana Shield], [Baneful Sickle], and [Decay]. The first two spells were provided for me when I chose the Mage class while the latter two I obtained through a Threshold and Grimoire page, respectfully.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Astrid nodded, acknowledging the mage¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯ve already seen three of them, which leaves the last one. That Decay spell. I¡¯m assuming how it works is pretty self-explanatory?¡± ¡°Pretty much¡­¡± Hazel answered while picking up a small rock. ¡°The spell basically deteriorates any living or non-living thing.¡± Purple wisps seeped out of the mage¡¯s hand before slithering around the rock, encasing it in a violet cocoon. As the purple shell disappeared, the stone slowly degraded. Cracks began to spread all over the surface, much like a Fractured human. Then, it disintegrated into dust while drifting out of Hazel¡¯s palm. Astrid watched the scene unfold from start to end in bewilderment and a hint of caution in her eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use that spell against the Orcs?¡± The dark elf asked. ¡°That would¡¯ve saved us a lot of time.¡± ¡°Because, despite how powerful this spell was, it had its limits. The main problem behind it was the stupid cooldown system. When I use the spell once, I have to wait for thirty seconds before casting it again.¡± ¡°Thirty seconds?!¡± Astrid blurted out. ¡°That¡¯s absurd.¡± The novice mage scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re telling me. Because of how long its cooldown was, I only used it against stronger enemies to ensure my victory. Or if I¡¯m in a pinch against a horde of monsters and desperate to do anything to escape.¡± The Cyclops and Alpha Dire wolf were prime examples of when Hazel actually cast Decay. They were stronger enemies that she needed to take down and fast. And in both encounters, Decay saved her life. ¡°That and I can only cast the spell on one target at a time. So, against a large army, that spell could only do so much for me.¡± ¡°I see. At least I know why you didn¡¯t use it against those Orcs from before.¡± While talking about her spells, Hazel also informed the dark elf of her other spells'' limitations like the duration of the Mana Shield spell and the Cooldown of Baneful sickle. The only spell that didn¡¯t have such limiting abilities was Mana Bolt, Hazel¡¯s main offensive spell. It doesn¡¯t have a cooldown which allowed Hazel to rapid-fire the spell. The only problem was her mana pool. Once her mana reserve was near empty, she was in trouble. So, despite being able to spam the spell, the novice mage was forced to be more mindful of her current reserve. At least until she had increased her Intelligence stat some more to make up for it. ¡°Alright, now it''s your turn¡­¡± Hazel declared to the dark elf. ¡°What are your skills?¡± In short, unlike Hazel, who had four spells in her arsenal, Astrid only had three skills. Two that were part of her class and the other was from reaching her Threshold. The two skills were [Eagle Eye], [Quick Shot], and the last skill from her Threshold was [Piercing Shot]. [Eagle Eye] allowed Astrid to see from a distance, [Quick shot] let her rapid-fire her arrows, and [Piercing shot] increased her arrow¡¯s penetration ability, allowing it to pierce through things from monsters to even trees. Hazel was very familiar with the [Piercing Shot] skill. It would¡¯ve been hard for her to forget. She witnessed Astrid using it on the last Orc, leaving a massive hole in its chest as a result.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. According to Astrid, [Eagle Eye] didn¡¯t have a cooldown but [Quick Shot] and [Piercing Shot] did. The former had a five-second cooldown while the latter was ten. For Hazel to get a better understanding of her abilities, Astrid decided to demonstrate her skills. Using [Eagle Eye] wasn¡¯t necessary, so she showed off [Quick Shot] instead. Activating the skill, the dark elf¡¯s movements were quick as she pulled and fired multiple arrows one after another. She would fire an arrow, reach into her quiver for another, pull the string back, and then loose the projectile into a nearby tree. All within seconds. She was like a machine, firing her arrows like a Gatling gun. Astrid even managed to show off more when she hit the same spot in the tree with each shot. After doing this, Astrid looked over at the mage, wearing a smug grin on her face. Hazel maintained a smile, but in the back of her mind, she wished that she could give the dark elf a good smack in the face. ¡°Well, now that we know our skillsets, I think our next move should be establishing our roles when we¡¯re in combat,¡± Astrid advised. ¡°Kind of hard to do that since our classes only provide one role; that being support.¡± Both Hazel and Astrid possessed support-oriented classes. Their primary role was to attack from a distance. When being part of a group or party, players are given specific roles that will allow them to efficiently fight monsters. One of those roles, aside from the support position, would be the Vanguard. But a Vanguard would normally be a Warrior class. Which neither Hazel nor Astrid were. So, they were in a bit of a pickle with this. ¡°My physical stats are higher than yours, so I¡¯ll play the role of Vanguard. You¡¯ll continue acting as support, attacking any enemies that get close to me. And also mow down any of them when you get the chance to lighten the burden.¡± ¡°Sounds reasonable,¡± Hazel nodded. Between the two, Astrid was certainly more suitable to act as the vanguard. Although Hazel didn¡¯t know what the dark elf¡¯s stats were exactly, she knew that, in terms of their physical stats, she was superior to the mage. ¡°So, since we took down one enemy so far, that means we only have nineteen more to go, right?¡± Hazel paused, hesitant to answer Astrid¡¯s question. Considering what their quest entailed, it should be obvious that they had one less monster to deal with. And yet, for some strange reason, the novice mage wasn¡¯t sure that was the case. So, she decided to pull up the Dungeon Challenge panel to check¡­and her suspicions were unfortunately spot on. ¡°That kill from before didn¡¯t count,¡± Hazel told the dark elf. ¡°What?¡± Astrid said in confusion. ¡°Take a look at the panel. We¡¯re still at zero.¡± The dark elf did what Hazel said and pulled up her panel. Seeing the progress, her face fell into a frown instantly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t that kill count? Didn¡¯t we work together to kill it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Hazel was just as confused, unable to understand why that goblin kill from before didn¡¯t count. Then a thought occurred to her. ¡°Maybe we both have to land a hit for the kill to count, like an assist kill.¡± In certain video games, players could get an assist kill by attacking an enemy with another player. Considering that the objective was to kill the enemies as a team, it might be required for both of them to harm their target before killing it. However, to truly know if that was the case, they would need to test the theory first. Astrid leaped on a tree branch near them. While perched, she scanned the forest ahead of them, as if searching for something. She was likely using her [Eagle Eye] to assist her. Just then, she whistled to the mage. ¡°I¡¯m seeing a lone dire wolf up ahead. Head over there and get its attention.¡± Hazel nodded before making her way over to where the dark elf instructed her. She slowly crept through the woods, searching for the target that Astrid spotted. Up ahead, her eyes quickly caught a four-legged figure near a tree. It was the Dire Wolf. And just as Astrid said, it was currently alone. Hazel stopped moving and crouched down, doing her best to conceal herself. The dire wolf was none the wiser, minding its own business. Not knowing what was about to happen. Before taking action, Hazel quickly pulled up the Chat room and messaged her partner. [Hazel Thatcher: Should I fire a Mana Bolt at it?] [Astrid Skogr: Only if you think you can graze it. Or do you want me to do that while you land the final blow?] Hazel pondered over her choices, unsure of what to do. To be honest, either choice was fine since they¡¯d still be able to kill the monster regardless. [Hazel Thatcher: You graze it and I¡¯ll deal the final blow.] [Astrid Skogr: Understood. Tell me when.] Knowing how skillful Astrid was, Hazel was confident that she could wound the creature. Which left the kill shot to the mage. Hazel soon readied herself, gripping her staff while keeping a sharp eye on their target. The dire wolf remained in place, unaware of their presence. Taking a deep breath, the mage was then prepared. [Hazel Thatcher: Do it.] As soon as she sent the message, an arrow could be heard whistling through the air before striking the Dire Wolf in the leg. The monster yelped, not in pain, but possibly in surprise. It then growled while searching for the culprit, its lips peeled back to reveal razor-sharp teeth that could easily tear flesh from bone. Hazel waited for the right chance to strike. To end the beast in one go. And in that moment, she took it, firing a baneful sickle at the furry monster. Just as it turned to look at the spinning scythe rushing toward it, Hazel¡¯s spell killed it in an instant. [Level 3 Dire Wolf has been defeated!] Hazel ignored the kill notification while quickly pulling up the Progress from her Dungeon Challenge. It was time to find out if her theory was right. [Progress: Monsters Team Kill [1/20] And it was. [Astrid Skogr: Looks like you were right.] Hazel stared at her partner¡¯s message for a moment, a smile creeping up her lips. [Hazel Thatcher: Yeah. Now let¡¯s get to work.] [RV] Chapter 33: Team Killing Hazel and Astrid were facing down a small pack of Dire Wolves. There were at least ten of them as they chased the player duo through the forest. While running, Astrid turned around and shot an arrow at one of the wolves, nicking their front limb. This caused the monster to tumble on the ground as the rest of its pack left it to continue their pursuit. ¡°Kill it while you can, mage,¡± Astrid told Hazel. ¡°I know,¡± She grumbled. ¡°And it''s Hazel, dark elf!¡± Whirling her staff at the tumbling wolf, a powerful mana bolt was fired. Before the Dire wolf could even get up, the bolt of magic pierced its skull, killing it instantly. [Level 2 Dire Wolf has been killed!] ¡°And that¡¯s the fifth team kill,¡± Hazel said proudly. To be safe, she pulled up the dungeon challenge panel to see if that kill counted. And sure enough, it did. ¡°Good,¡± Astrid said calmly, despite running through the forest. ¡°That only leaves twenty-five left before we complete the challenge.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± The mage looked back over at the rest of the pack chasing them. ¡°These guys could be the other nine if we do this right.¡± Astrid followed her gaze and made a slight grin. ¡°I¡¯ll graze as many as I can. Then you use that sickle spell from before.¡± ¡°Sounds like a plan!¡± Hazel nodded, tightening her grip around her staff. Pulling the string of her bow, the dark elf loosed another arrow at the pack, striking one of their limbs like before. She then did the same for the rest in rapid succession thanks to the help of [Quick Shot]. A volley of arrows hurtled toward the pack, striking each dire wolf one at a time. Each shot only wounded the beasts, either piercing their legs or torsos. It didn¡¯t take long before the rest of the wolf pack were incapacitated as they collapsed on the dirt ground. Seeing this, the player pair stopped in their tracks. Since the wolves were immobile from Astrid¡¯s volley, they were of no threat to them now. The dark elf and mage cautiously walked back over to the pack, ready to finish them off. Hazel stared at the wounded beasts, watching them struggle to get back up and either attack them or run away. Despite seeing such a sight, Hazel knew what needed to be done and could not feel remorse for them. Keeping that in mind, the mage proceeded to cast multiple mana bolts at the dire wolves, killing each one at a time. [Level 1 Dire Wolf has been defeated!] [Level 3 Dire Wolf has been defeated!] [Level 4 Dire Wolf has been defeated!] [Level 2 Dire Wolf has been defeated!] [Level 3 Dire Wolf¡­!] With the pack eliminated, glowing purple fragments erupted into the air when their vessels shattered. Hazel and Astrid watched the dancing lights for a few moments before walking away to continue their hunt. As they walked, Hazel pulled up the challenge panel to check their current progress. [Progress: Monsters Team-Killed [14/30]] ¡°Looks like we only need sixteen more kills,¡± She noted. ¡°Hopefully, it will be another large group like that pack. That will speed up our progress quite a bit.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± They were making a lot of progress considering that they started their challenge nearly ten minutes ago. Once they killed a few more monsters, their challenge would be completed. Though, that got Hazel to wonder. What was their plan after the challenge? Do they stay in the forest or attempt to leave the island and investigate the rest of the dungeon? ¡°Hey, so, are we going to be staying in the forest for the next remaining time or are we going somewhere else?¡± Since Hazel and Astrid were partners, if only temporarily, the novice mage needed to know what her partner¡¯s plan was while they worked together. While she didn¡¯t think the dark elf had a plan, it didn¡¯t hurt to ask.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Well, we had three objectives to pick on how to survive in this dungeon. We either stay here for thirty days and return home when the timer runs out, take down a sub-boss to leave the dungeon early, or go after the Dungeon Boss.¡± Astrid turned around to face Hazel with a curious gaze. ¡°Which option do you think we should choose?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking for my opinion?¡± Hazel inquired, taken aback. The dark elf creased her brow irritably. ¡°You make it sound like I was going to call all of the shots without asking for your input.¡± Hazel remained silent, not even attempting to respond to her comment. She simply stood there and looked at her partner, waiting for her to figure it out herself. Astrid soon got the picture and remembered their previous confrontation. How she boldly declared to the mage about their partnership and what was supposed to happen. The gray-skinned ranger started to look guilty after coming to this realization. ¡°Right, yeah, I guess that¡¯s what I did before. My bad.¡± ¡°At least you figured it out yourself without me having to spell it out for you.¡± Astrid glared intensely at the mage, only for her to shrug her shoulders in a taunting manner. Seeing this, the dark elf sighed while irritably scratching her head. ¡°Look, I know that my previous attitude was unfair, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± Astrid hesitated to answer as if whatever she was about to say bothered her. ¡°I¡­can¡¯t put my trust in people right now.¡± Hazel stared at the dark elf with an arched brow. But instead of asking what she meant, the mage simply kept quiet. Judging from her comment about trust, something must¡¯ve happened to Astrid to give her such a mindset. It would be unnecessary for Hazel to pry into her partner¡¯s business since it wasn¡¯t her own. So, she decided to change the subject to avoid the awkward silence they found themselves in. ¡°A-anyway, about what I asked earlier. Staying in this forest will only do so much for us before we hit a wall in our growth. So, I think once we¡¯re done with this challenge, we should leave the forest island and explore the dungeon. What do you think?¡± ¡°I think that plan sounds reasonable. You¡¯re correct that this forest could only do so much for us, so staying here until the challenge is complete sounds like a good idea.¡± From what Hazel saw when she looked at the endless void that was space, there were plenty of other islands for them to investigate and explore. Sure, they could just stay in the forest until their thirty days were up, but their main objective while in this dungeon was to get stronger as well. The player duo could stay here the whole time, killing monsters, but it won¡¯t take long before they run out of XP to farm. What then? It would be better if they kept moving and mapped out more of the dungeon as they went. ¡°Before we continue with this challenge, I think we should head back to my hideout,¡± Hazel suggested. ¡°I have some food and stuff that we could eat and replenish ourselves.¡± ¡°That and we should probably choose a place where we could both rest. At least while we were in this forest island.¡± ¡°Sounds like a plan to me,¡± Hazel said with a firm nod. Changing their plans a bit, the pair decided to take a detour back to their bases to gather supplies. After doing that, their next objective was to finish this challenge. And leaving this island altogether. ¡­ ¡°This is your shelter?¡± Astrid asked skeptically, staring at the foxhole that Hazel created. ¡°Hey, cut me some slack, alright? I¡¯m not much of a forest gal. This is the best I could do with the resources and skills I had on hand.¡± Walking over to her foxhole, Hazel moved her makeshift cover to the side. Reaching into the hole, she pulled out her pack. Setting it down next to her, the mage rummaged through it before pulling out two pieces of jerky. She tossed one to the dark elf while digging into her own. ¡°You have quite a lot of supplies,¡± Astrid noted, meticulously scanning the bag. ¡°Were they from other challenges you took before?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden curiosity, huh? I thought you wanted to avoid pointless chit-chat?¡± The dark elf groaned at Hazel¡¯s comment. ¡°You¡¯re not going to let me live that down, are you?¡± ¡°Not really, no,¡± The novice mage shrugged with a sly grin on her face. ¡°Well, I take back what I said before, alright? Happy?¡± ¡°Sure. And to answer your previous question, they were from my previous challenges. The first loot box I got saved my life in more ways than one since it had food. The island I was stuck on before coming here had nothing edible, so I was running fumes by the time I was rewarded with the loot box. Then there was this.¡± Hazel then took out one of the healing potions she received from the loot box. Astrid eyed the glass vial with slight shock. ¡°One of those healing potions¡­¡± The dark elf muttered. ¡°Yeah. You got one of those too?¡± Astrid nodded. ¡°I do. I used to have two of them, but ended up using one after getting severely injured when I first got here.¡± ¡°Sounds about right.¡± That was what happened when Hazel got severely injured and received her loot box. If she didn¡¯t receive that potion, who knew how long it would take for her to recover from those injuries? Of course, that was only if she managed to stay alive long enough to fully recuperate. ¡°I¡¯m going to scout the area while you deal with this,¡± Astrid declared. ¡°Alright, but don¡¯t take long. I¡¯m almost done, anyway.¡± ¡°It should only take a minute or two.¡± Saying nothing else, Astrid took to the trees to do a little scouting. Meanwhile, Hazel continued to organize her belongings, making sure she wasn¡¯t missing anything important. She had her books, her food and water, her potions, and even her blanket and pillow she took from the tavern room. Thankfully, she was more or less carried light, aside from the books, so there wasn¡¯t a lot for her to keep track of. A minute or so passed by before Hazel received a message from Astrid. [Astrid Skogr: I found some monsters nearby.] Seeing the message, Hazel smiled. [Hazel Thatcher: Cool, that means more monsters for us to team kill. How many?] The mage waited for Astrid¡¯s reply, and what the dark elf said next got her excited. [Astrid Skogr: ten Monsters. All of them are Orcs.] ¡°Ten Orcs¡­that¡¯s plenty then.¡± [Hazel Thatcher: Keep an eye on them. I¡¯m on my way.] After sending the message, Hazel placed her bag back in the foxhole. Taking it with her would only drag her down. Because now, it was time to hunt once again. [RV] Chapter 34: Orc Squad Hazel soon found Astrid after leaving her hideout spot. The dark elf was perched on a thick tree branch, looking ahead with an intense gaze. The novice mage followed her line of sight but saw nothing but bushes and trees. Astrid must have been using her [Eagle Eye] skill to spot the monsters. Which meant they were quite far from their current location. Instead of talking to the dark elf normally, Hazel messaged her through the Chat room. [Hazel Thatcher: What¡¯s the current situation?] The dark elf turned to glance at Hazel, realizing that she was close by before turning her gaze back on the Orcs in the distance. [Astrid Skogr: The Orcs are lazing around at the moment. But I don¡¯t know why.] [Hazel Thatcher: Maybe they¡¯re just bored?] [Astrid Skogr: Could be¡­but I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s the case.] [Hazel Thatcher: What do you mean?] [Astrid Skogr: It¡­just looks like they¡¯re waiting for something] Hazel stared at the message in confusion. She didn¡¯t like the idea of whatever the Orcs were waiting for. And didn¡¯t want to be anywhere near it. [Hazel Thatcher: Waiting for what exactly?] [Astrid Skogr: I don¡¯t know. But I think we should deal with them now while we have the upper hand.] [Hazel Thatcher: Roger that. How should we go about this, then?] Despite the ominous behavior of the Orcs, neither player could ignore the sight of twenty monsters just waiting to be killed. [Astrid Skogr: Attacking them from here would be preferable, but I won¡¯t be able to incapacitate all of them before they catch on. That and I would need to use more arrows to wound them enough.] [Hazel Thatcher: Makes sense. These guys aren¡¯t like the Dire Wolves, so we have to do something else to deal with them.] [Astrid Skogr: My thoughts exactly. Which is why I feel that we should do a sneak attack and ambush them that way.] [Hazel Thatcher: You mean like we take down a couple in one go? What about the Challenge?] [Astrid Skogr: If we both attack, then the team kill should still count.] [Hazel Thatcher: Okay, so how should we do this then?] [Astrid Skogr: I¡¯ll use [Quick Shot] to fire multiple arrows at the Orcs, then you¡¯ll use [Baneful Sickle] to kill them. As for the rest, we¡¯ll deal with them like we did with the last group of Orcs.] [Hazel Thatcher: Alright, let¡¯s get this show on the road then.] Setting their plan in motion, the dark elf jumped off the tree and gracefully landed next to Hazel. Not even making a sound as her feet touched the ground. Hazel wasn¡¯t sure how she pulled that off, but a part of her was jealous. But she would never admit that to the gray-skinned ranger. She would take that secret to her grave before confessing such a thing. The players then crept over to where the Orcs were located. Once they got close, the pair hid behind some trees. With their backs against the bark, they then peered their head over to take a look at the monsters. Not surprisingly, the Orcs were doing exactly what Astrid said before. The hulking green beasts were just lazing around like a bunch of fools. Some of them were either sitting on boulders or tree stumps while the rest were standing. While looking at the monsters, Hazel used this chance to identify them to see their levels. To which she discovered that their levels ranged from seven to ten. A good majority were closer to Level ten. Despite this, Hazel didn¡¯t feel intimidated. Maybe it was because she fought monsters stronger than her before or the fact that she had Astrid assisting her. Either way, the novice mage felt confident in her chances against them. And that was all that mattered. Hazel turned to Astrid, making eye contact with the dark elf. [Hazel Thatcher: Ready when you are.] Astrid read the message before giving a firm nod to the mage. With her bow in hand, the ranger pulled the string with a hint of determination in her eyes. A split second later, she loosed the arrow. Then another. And another. And another. Each shot was faster than the last.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. The Orcs were assaulted by a volley of arrows striking them out of nowhere. Hazel could hear their angry roars as they stood up in preparation for a battle. Just as they did, Astrid¡¯s arrow barrage seized immediately. [Astrid Skogr: You¡¯re up!] Hazel didn¡¯t even need to see the message to know what was supposed to happen next. Gripping her staff, she moved away from the tree and revealed herself. The Orcs instantly spotted her, but not before she fired a Baneful Sickle at them. The spinning sickle zipped through the air with malicious intent before cutting some of the Orcs in its path. The other hulking monsters dove out of the way as their brethren who weren¡¯t so lucky were killed in an instant. [Level 7 Orc has been defeated!] [Level 8 Orc has been defeated!] [Level 8 Orc has been defeated!] [Level 7 Orc¡­!] Hazel ignored the kill notifications, not wanting to get distracted while in the middle of a fight. After eliminating some of the Orcs, the rest got ready for battle, setting their sights on the mage that slew their brethren. A couple of them rushed at Hazel, their weapons high and bloodlust through the roof. Just before they got close, more arrows were fired, striking their necks. The Orcs that were hit stumbled to a stop, looking like they were about to collapse. Hazel saw the opportunity before her and hurled a few Mana Bolts. Her bolts penetrated the wounds where Astrid¡¯s arrows, serving as the killing blow. ¡°Try not to destroy all of my arrows, Thatcher,¡± Astrid scolded. ¡°I do reuse those to save me the trouble of making more.¡± ¡°S-sorry,¡± Hazel apologized, nervously laughing. Astrid shook her head dismissively before charging at the remaining Orcs standing before them. She strapped her bow on her back and whipped out her daggers, resorting to close combat. Getting close, one of the Orcs slammed their spiked club down on the ranger. She easily shifted to the side to avoid it. And with her dagger, the dark elf dug her blade into the Orc¡¯s ankle. Its Achilles heel, more specifically. If it was a normal monster, they would¡¯ve instantly collapsed from the pain and pressure placed on the wound. However, this creature was a Fractured. A corrupted, undead monstrosity that didn¡¯t feel pain. So, to neither Hazel nor Astrid¡¯s surprise, the Orc was barely fazed by the injury and resumed its assault. But just as it was about to swing its club again, a mana bolt could be seen hurtling toward the monster, piercing its ankle. The spell destroyed the beast¡¯s ankle, leaving only bits of fractured flesh left. Unable to support itself, it fell to its knees with a loud thud. Hazel was about to fire another spell to finish it off but Astrid beat her to it. She lunged at the beast, latching onto its back and holding on for dear life. The dark elf ignored the fierce and angry roars of the Orc as she thrust her dagger into its skull. The noise ceased right after as the green beast collapsed on the spot. Astrid rolled along the ground before repositioning herself. Just in time for two more Orcs to appear from behind. She leaped back, avoiding their weapons as they descended upon her. She blurred toward one and slashed its chest and stomach. Neither were life-threatening, but they were enough to register as an attack for Hazel. A few more mana bolts were fired, striking its chest and exiting through its back. Astrid wasted no time and got to work on the other Orc, closing the distance in an instant. She climbed its body like a spider, stabbing it multiple times with her blade. The Orc tried to get her off, attempting to grab her but failed. It looked like it was trying to scratch a spot on its body it couldn¡¯t reach. Hazel provided the necessary support, launching several more mana bolts at the Orc to keep it from getting her. It wasn¡¯t long before Astrid finally finished the job and slit the beast''s throat. The mage watched as the dark elf dug the blade deep into its neck while sliding it across. If these fractured beasts still possessed blood, she imagined its neck spraying like a faucet with how the ranger carved into it. Ignoring the Orc turned to purple fragments, the dark elf moved on to her next victim. Meanwhile, Hazel did her part and supported her partner from a distance. With how this fight was going, they were going to win in no time. Not only that, but they were also close to completing their challenge as well. Just a few more team kills and they would soon be rewarded for their little hunt. If only things turned out so easy¡­ While eyeing the Orcs around Astrid, a sudden chill crawled down Hazel¡¯s spine. And by pure instinct, the mage bent down in a flash just as a battle axe struck the spot of the tree her head was previously. Shards of bark pelted the mage, but that was the least of her concerns at the moment. In a panic, Hazel moved away from the tree and in essence, the enemy that nearly took her head. Looking back, she saw another Orc towering before her as it ripped its weapon out of the tree. How did she let one of the Orcs get behind her? They should¡¯ve all been focused on Astrid instead. Looking back, the mage counted the Orcs surrounding her partner, only for her face to turn pale. All of the ones near Astrid were the ones they spotted before. Which meant¡­the Orc that nearly killed Hazel was a new one. And it wasn¡¯t the only one either. Emerging from behind the Orc, more of its kind appeared. First one, then two, then five. Including the first Orc, there were a total of six new Orcs. And all of them looked even more dangerous than the ones she and Astrid were currently dealing with. And just before Hazel could wonder how things could get worse¡­they did. Very terribly, at that. Marching toward the front, one Orc stood before the mage. It stood well over eight feet tall with tattoos drawn all over its body. Its hair was longer and braided with even more beads and other accessories decorated on it. But what really terrified Hazel regarding the beast was the nasty scar on its face. It looked like another monster left three claw scratches on its face. The scar went down to its mouth, revealing bits of its teeth. Hazel stared at the beastly Orc with widened eyes, unsure of what she was staring at. Judging from its fierce and commanding appearance, it looked like the leader or boss of the other Orcs. Her suspicion was only proven further when she tried to identify it. Level 17 The Leader of an Orc Tribe. Its desire for power and control was extremely heightened due to the corruption from the Mana Overload. Its skills are far superior than any Orc within its tribe, and its intellect is just as exceptional. Players are to beware of encountering such a beast, especially if it''s leading its fellow orcs into battle. ¡°Could have told me that before I encountered one, don¡¯t you think?!¡± The mage grumbled, reading its description. Just then, the Orc chief looked down at Hazel. Its piercing purple eyes stared right into her soul. The Orc¡¯s lips curled into a vicious smile as if spotting its next prey. Meanwhile, Hazel was slowly starting to regret her life choices. Since it was possible she won¡¯t be alive for long to do that. [RV] Chapter 35: The Orc Chief Other than the Orc Chief, its companions behind it were all over level ten as well. If their robust and savage appearance wasn¡¯t enough for Hazel to know this. ¡°Hazel!¡± Astrid called out to the mage. Hazel turned around to see the dark elf still dealing with the other orcs. A few arrows were sticking out of their bodies, none of them lethal. But that was the least of the novice mage¡¯s concerns right now. Turning back, Hazel watched as one of the Orcs swung their weapons down on her. There wasn¡¯t enough time to cast a mana shield, so she resorted to her next best option. The mage whirled her staff at the monster and sent a barrage of mana bolts in its direction. Surprised by the sudden assault, the Orc canceled its attack and tried to block the spell. Its body was pelted with mana bolts as it stumbled back from the force. Hazel then scrambled away from the Orc chief and its posse, making her way over to Astrid. Just before she got far away from the Chief, she decided to give the boss a little surprise. With her staff in hand, she cast the Decay spell at her target. Ethereal purple wisps came out of the staff before blurring toward the Orc Chief. But what happened next surprised Hazel. As soon as the violet tendrils of decay slithered their way toward its target as if sensing them, the Chief immediately grabbed one of its men and pulled them in front of it. Just as the decay spell phased through the lackey orc, purple cracks began to fester at the spot. Hazel watched with wide eyes. Did that Chief sense her decay spell? Was that even possible? The description of the beast did say that its intellect was exceptional but seeing it in person diminished Hazel¡¯s confidence quite a bit. That was one of her best spells and now she had to wait a little less than thirty seconds to use it again. If the Chief won¡¯t kill her before that happens. And if she could successfully cast the spell on it. Although she failed to inflict the Chief with her decay spell, the Orcs were distracted long enough for her to return to Astrid. Just in time too as she just got done finishing off the other Orcs from before. ¡°Sorry I couldn¡¯t help you with those Orcs,¡± Hazel apologized. ¡°It looked like you had your hands full over there, so it¡¯s fine.¡± Astrid turned her gaze over to the other Orcs that made their sudden appearance. She especially kept a close eye on the chief. The Orc Chief returned the gaze with a snort. ¡°Those must be what the other Orcs were waiting for,¡± The dark elf noted. ¡°Oh yeah, you mentioned before that they looked like they were waiting for somebody.¡± Hazel wished that Astrid¡¯s previous statement was nothing more than a guess, but reality was often cruel. Especially to her. To think that those Orcs were waiting for their chief. Perhaps Hazel should¡¯ve waited for the Chief to show up so they could take them down at the start. It was too late to worry about what-ifs, so the mage dismissed those thoughts and focused on the task at hand. ¡°The Chief seemed to have noticed my decay spell when I cast it. The bastard even used one of its own men to take its place.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s perceptive and clever. That¡¯s troublesome¡­¡± Astrid grumbled, glaring at the Orc chief with a newfound disdain. Right now, the Orc Chief was going to be the player pair¡¯s biggest problem. How it reacted to Hazel¡¯s decay spell before proved that. If it could easily perceive Hazel¡¯s spell like that and react just as fast, something told the mage that this fight wasn¡¯t going to be so simple. ¡°We need to take down its lackeys first,¡± Astrid said. ¡°Going after the Chief first in this situation would be too risky.¡± ¡°Sounds about right. So how do we-?¡± Before Hazel could ask what their plan was, the chief let out a roar while thrusting its hand toward the player duo. It was pointing its finger at them, ordering the other Orcs to attack. Two of its lackeys acted first and charged at the pair. Instead of charging head-on, the orcs spread out while closing in. It looked like they were attempting a pincer maneuver. Without saying anything, Hazel and Astrid took action. The novice mage dealt with her Orc by spraying several mana bolts in its direction. The monster raised its arms and weapon to block the barrage. Several of her bolts were then lodged into its forearms, but none of them struck any vital areas. Only receiving a flesh wound, the Orc continued its charge, growling as it got closer to Hazel. Getting a closer look at the Orc, Hazel saw that the wounds she inflicted were cracking at an alarming rate. This should only happen if she used Decay or Baneful sickle on a Fractured. So how come its cracks were festering like that? That was when the mage noticed that this Orc was the same one the Chief used to shield itself from her Decay spell. Realizing this, it made sense why Hazel¡¯s mana bolts were affecting the Orc-like day. Its body was deteriorating from Decay. Although she held the upper hand in their fight, Hazel couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit suspicious. Was it really a coincidence that this Orc out of the rest of them chose to attack her? Or¡­was it the Chief¡¯s doing? Hazel spared a glance at the Chief, curious of what it was doing. That was when she saw the Orc Chief calmly watching the battle unfold. Its eyes were glued on the mage as it cautiously observed her. As if¡­it was expecting something. A chill crawled down Hazel¡¯s spine at this. There was no doubt about it now. The chief was observing the effects of her decay spell. It wanted to know what was going to happen to it if she successfully cast it. This chief¡­was a lot more dangerous than she thought. The slowly decaying Orc swung its weapon at Hazel, threatening to cut her head in one go. She crouched to the ground, letting the monster miss its target. While prone, Hazel whirled her staff at its legs, hurling another barrage of mana bolts. The Orc couldn¡¯t react in time, not even to shift to the side, and its legs were completely obliterated. Several of her mana bolts that passed through made their way over to the rest of the Orcs. Sadly, they were prepared and effortlessly blocked the spell with their weapons. Hazel clicked her tongue when she watched them destroy her bolts so easily. It didn¡¯t help that the Orc chief just stood there like a statue, carefully monitoring the mage¡¯s battle. Ignoring the Chief for a moment, Hazel turned to Astrid just as she mortally wounded her Orc, carving out a piece of its neck. It clutched the wound while stumbling away, but before it could move any further, a Mana Bolt appeared and pierced right through its skull. [Level 12 Fractured Orc has been defeated!] Astrid whirled out in surprise, staring at the culprit. Hazel simply shrugged her shoulders with a sly grin. Just then, the dark elf pulled out her bow and loosed an arrow in her direction. Instead of hitting Hazel, the arrow zipped past her and struck the Orc behind her instead. Hazel turned to face the Orc, a bit bewildered and relieved. She didn¡¯t expect her own partner to kill her in such a situation, but the sight of Astrid drawing a bow on her did make her blood turn cold for a moment. With the two Orcs dead, Hazel and Astrid turned their sights on the remaining ones. To their surprise, all of them were simply watching the fight, not even attempting to engage with their brethren. It was almost as if¡­ ¡°That Chief¡¯s testing us¡­¡± Astrid growled, glaring at the Orc Chief. ¡°It sent only two of its men to see how we fought. It wanted to know just how strong we were before attempting to attack us as well.¡± That certainly explained why the other Orcs weren¡¯t helping in the previous fight. They were merely test subjects for the Chief to learn about the pair¡¯s power and combat capability. This was beyond what Hazel expected the Orc Chief to be capable of. This thing wasn¡¯t acting like a Fractured that behaved savagely and reacted on pure instinct. Its behavior was that of a logical and clever monster with years of combat experience. Not even the Fractured Rogue and Warrior could compare to the monster standing before them. And that deeply terrified the novice mage. ¡°We need to kill that chief now¡­¡± Hazel declared. Even though Hazel agreed that dealing with the Orcs following the chief was a priority, she decided that it would be best for them to get rid of the boss now before it was too late. And thankfully, Astrid agreed. She didn¡¯t even say anything but gave Hazel a firm nod, realizing her train of thought. The two players then readied their weapons and faced the remaining Orcs, including the chief. ¡°Can you still cast your spells?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I can feel that I¡¯m nearing my limit¡­¡± Hazel muttered with a couple of beads of sweat trailing down her face. She could feel a slight pounding in her skull. It was a dull pain but persistently lingered, signaling Hazel that she was running low on mana. If it was possible, she would like to wait a little so her mana could replenish itself, but she knew that wasn¡¯t going to happen.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Which meant she needed to deal with these Orcs now before her mana was completely depleted. Before the pair could continue their conversation, the Chief let out a fierce roar that caused Hazel¡¯s body to shudder. A moment later, the Orcs following it disbursed and rushed at the players. ¡°We need to get them in a single line¡­¡± Hazel stated. ¡°Got it¡­!¡± Taking action, Astrid moved in front of the mage, acting as the vanguard. And with her bow, she fired several arrows at the charging Orcs. None of her projectiles hit any vital areas, but the sudden barrage caught them off guard. But they still weren¡¯t in a single line¡­at least from Hazel¡¯s current angle. Not wasting this opportunity, the novice mage moved from behind the dark elf, circling the Orcs and attacking them. Getting in position, she saw all of the Orcs in a straight line, which meant she could finish them off in one go. Hazel whipped her staff toward them, prepared to hurl a devastating baneful sickle spell. Then this happened¡­ ¡°Hazel, watch out!¡± The mage noticed that her partner was drawing an arrow at her once again, but she knew there had to be a reason. And that reason why towering next to Hazel. Turning to her left, Hazel saw the chief right in front of her, waiting for its massive battle axe in the air. But how did it get so close to her so quickly? No, she shouldn¡¯t be worried about something like that. What she needed to focus on was¡­ Dodge! She reacted in an instant, as if her instincts took hold of her. Hazel¡¯s legs tensed as she leaped back, just as the Orc swung its axe at her. Despite her quick reflexes, it still wasn¡¯t enough. While jumping back, the axe still managed to make contact with Hazel, cutting through the fabric of her robe and tearing into her flesh. Hazel hissed in pain, feeling her wound burn as if someone placed a hot iron on it. Due to the pain, the mage tumbled across the ground, scraping her body against the rough dirt. She let out a groan after her body crashed onto the solid soil. It felt like her insides were rattling from the collision, making the experience even more uncomfortable for her. Hazel''s mind was in a daze from the searing pain in her stomach. When she raised her head to look up at the Chief, her vision was slightly blurry, making it difficult to see clearly. She still managed to find the chief, but only because she could still make out color which allowed her to see a hulking body-builder of a monster standing near her. As her sight began to clear, Hazel watched as the Chief was getting attacked by Astrid. A volley of arrows pelted the monster¡¯s skin but barely managed to even penetrate it due to the tribal armor protecting it. Unlike before, the other Orcs were standing on the sidelines and assisting their chief against the dark elf. They surrounded Hazel¡¯s partner, closing off any escape route as they attacked her all at once. Despite getting tag-teamed, Astrid maintained her composure while maneuvering around her enemies. With each step and leap she made; the Orcs struggled to even lay a hand on her. But Hazel knew that her partner wouldn¡¯t last for long. She needed to lighten her burden or the chief could do the same thing to Astrid. Hazel struggled to pull herself up, feeling her wound sting intensely. Despite that, she pushed down the pain and focused on the monsters. Reaching for the staff that was lying right next to her, she readied her spell. But before she tried to cast it, she needed Astrid to avoid getting caught in her attack. [Hazel Thatcher: Move now!] While fighting the Orcs, the dark elf abruptly stopped, signaling that she just now read the message. And without even looking at the mage, Astrid did as she was told; and jumped out of the way. The Orcs were surprised by this, their gaze following the fleeing dark elf. Except for the chief, who instead set its eyes on Hazel. Although the mage was a bit taken aback by its gaze, she didn¡¯t stop her spell and soon fired her baneful sickle at the monsters. The spinning scythe blurred toward its targets, determined to kill them. The orcs could do nothing as they were severed in one go. Some of them were lucky, only losing an arm or leg, while a couple weren¡¯t and lost their lives instead of a limb. As for the Orc Chief, that beast moved away before it could get caught up in Hazel¡¯s attack. Though, to her surprise, it didn¡¯t attempt to warn its subordinates of the attack. And just avoided the spell in silence, leaving its own to die. That was rather cold. Then again, this was a monster, so that was likely inevitable. Free from the encirclement of Orcs, Astrid rushed over to Hazel¡¯s side, keeping a close eye on the remaining enemies that weren¡¯t killed by the Baneful Sickle spell. ¡°How are you holding up?¡± The dark elf asked with concern, her eyes now glued to Hazel¡¯s wound. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it looks, thankfully,¡± Hazel grunted, her complexion a little paler than before. Despite her injury, the pain wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as she thought it would be. This was thanks to her Durability stat being high enough to mitigate the pain. Still, it wasn¡¯t like the burning sensation was completely gone, so she wasn¡¯t completely fine. ¡°More importantly,¡± Hazel continued. ¡°That chief evaded my spell. It¡¯s not even injured, unlike the rest of its brethren.¡± Looking back at the Orcs that were caught up in her spell, she watched as the survivors slowly began to deteriorate from the Curse effect. None of them were even able to stand properly as they all fell to their knees. And despite this scene unfolding¡­the Chief simply stood there and watched. Not a single ounce of emotion was shown. No anger, sadness, or fear. It just looked¡­indifferent toward the demise of its brethren. Once again, Hazel couldn¡¯t help but shudder at the Chief¡¯s behavior. Just what in the world did the corruption do to this thing? ¡°Hazel, I think you should run while you can.¡± ¡°¡­huh?¡± Surprised by Astrid¡¯s words, the novice mage stared at her with widened eyes. Just before she could say anything else, the Orc chief appeared in front of them in a flash. It raised its weapon in the air and slammed down like a comet. Hazel and Astrid dove out of the way as the ground they stood on turned into a massive crater from the impact. Both they and the Chief were assaulted by dirt and pebbles hitting them. The Orc chief wasn¡¯t finished though, and quickly set its sights on Hazel. Its menacing purple eyes flashed brightly as it charged. Hazel prepared herself for the sudden attack, praying to find the right moment to strike. Just then, Astrid stepped in and drove her dagger into the Chief¡¯s shoulder. It looked like the dark elf attempted to pierce its skull, but the Orc seemed to have noticed her presence and shifted its body, avoiding a fatal attack. She pulled her dagger out and attempted to stab its neck, only for the monster to shift its body forward, sending the mage flying to the ground. Instead of tumbling, the dark elf used her momentum to readjust herself, getting into a kneeling position while facing the Orc. ¡°Your wounds will only get worse if you continue to fight! I¡¯ll hold the bastard off! Just run away while you can!¡± Astrid urged the novice mage. The Chief attacked once more, swinging its battle axe at her. Astrid stepped to the side, narrowly avoiding its attack. Before she could retaliate, the orc chief then slammed its arm against her, sending her flying backward from the force. Unlike before, Astrid tumbled across the dirt field before catching herself and landing on her feet. She heaved, clutching onto her chest in pain. The Orc¡¯s smack from before must¡¯ve damaged one or a few of her ribs. The chief continued its pursuit, rushing at the dark elf like a bull seeing red. It slammed its foot on the ground, causing a slight tremor. Astrid tried to steady herself, leaving her open for the monster to grab her in an instant. The dark elf screamed in pain, likely feeling the chief, tighten its grip around her. Yet, despite the pain, she turned over to Hazel. ¡°Just run already, dammit!¡± She begged with a pleading gaze, desperate to get Hazel away from here. Instead of listening, all Hazel could do was stand there for a moment, as if her words didn¡¯t register. While deep down, something began to stir within her. A strong emotion that was slowly reaching its boiling point, threatening to explode at any moment. Just then, Hazel instinctively fired a barrage of mana bolts at the Orc chief. The assault startled the beast enough to where its grip loosened around Astrid, allowing her to escape from its grasp. She hastily landed on the ground before putting some distance between herself and the Chief. ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me¡­¡± Hazel muttered, shifting her attention toward her partner. ¡°You think I¡¯m going to back out after getting hit once by this bastard? Like hell! This isn¡¯t my first time fighting a strong enemy like this guy.¡± She took down a giant Cyclops and an Alpha Dire Wolf. And both of them were several levels higher than Hazel, just like this Orc. While she was appreciative of the dark elf¡¯s concern, asking her to run away in this situation only offended the mage. She wasn¡¯t going to back down from a fight after coming this far. Not like this. ¡°If you want to run away, then go away,¡± Hazel declared with a look of disdain. ¡°But don¡¯t expect me to do the same like I¡¯m some weakling. I¡¯m taking this bastard down one way or another. So, either step aside or help me fight it.¡± Hazel didn¡¯t come this far to just run away from her enemy. She didn¡¯t do so with the cyclopes or the Alpha. So why start with some damn Orc chief? No, Hazel was going to see this fight to the end. And she was determined to be the last one standing. Making her declaration, the novice mage readied another spell. The chief was faster though and blurred toward her at an alarming speed. It closed the distance in an instant while bringing its weapon down on Hazel. The mage shifted gears and jumped out of the way. While in the air, though, she fired another mana bolt spell. With insane reflexes, the chief leaned its head to the side, barely avoiding the spell. Its cheek was still grazed as cracks began to form on the wound. She wanted to use Baneful sickle on the Orc but knew that she couldn¡¯t waste a spell like that. If it missed without even grazing the monster, it would take her ten seconds to cast it again, and she couldn¡¯t afford to wait that long. She needed to wait until the right moment was shown to her. When that moment came, that was when Hazel would strike. To ensure her chances, Hazel needed to get close. But that in itself held several problems for her. If she couldn¡¯t cast her spell fast enough, the chief could easily swat her away, or worse, cut her in half with one swing of its axe. So, what should she do¡­? Out of nowhere, multiple arrows were hurled at the chief, forcing it to raise its arms in a defensive stance against the volley of projectiles. Hazel looked over at the source and saw Astrid using her [Quick Shot] skill, assaulting the monster with her arrows. Then a message panel appeared. [Astrid Skogr: You won¡¯t be able to take it down from a distance because of its reflexes, right? Then we¡¯ll close the distance and prevent it from evading us! Move closer and get ready!] As if on cue, Astrid continued firing more arrows while moving closer to the Chief. Her momentum with her stride and using her bow was amazingly consistent, to the point where it seemed like she was on autopilot. Instead of standing around like a deer staring at headlights, Hazel followed along and closed the distance between herself and the chief. She didn¡¯t want to waste any more mana, since she was extremely close to her limit, and simply made a beeline for her target. Meanwhile, Astrid changed weapons and pulled out her daggers. Together, the two players attacked the chief. Astrid was the first to strike and lunged at the beast, plunging her daggers into the Orc¡¯s back. The chief roared while struggling to get the dark elf off. With its attention pulled away, Hazel used the opportunity to cast a couple of mana bolts at one of the Chief¡¯s legs. She carved out a good portion of its flesh, leaving fractured bits in its wake. Unable to support its weight, the Chief soon took a knee, nearly threatening to completely collapse on the ground. The monster then turned its sights on Hazel while growling. The mage was intimidated and prepared to finish the job. Just as the chief was about to swing its weapon at Hazel, Astrid jumped in and stabbed the beast in the eyes, blinding it in the process. ¡°Do it!¡± Astrid shouted. Hazel wasted no time and quickly cast a spell. A malicious purple sickle was formed and then hurled at the Chief. Once again, as if by instinct, the beast raised its weapon to block the attack, only for the baneful sickle to go right through the shaft of the axe before tearing into the Chief¡¯s torso. Getting hit; the Orc chief paused. Not a single word or noise was uttered by the beast, but its expression said it all. It knew its time had come. And in that moment, the upper torso of the beast slumped over, landing on the ground with a loud thud. [Level 17 Orc Chief has been defeated!] [You have leveled up! You are now Level 14!] [Baneful Sickle is now Rank 5!] [Mana Bolt is now Rank 6!] [Dungeon Challenge has been completed!] [You have been rewarded five stat points!] [You have been rewarded an Uncommon Loot Box!] Seeing the stream of messages, Hazel released a heavy sigh as she fell on her back. Astrid did the same but sat on her rear as soon as she got off the Chief. While on the ground, the players enjoyed the blissful silence that befell them. Then Hazel was the first to break the silence. ¡°I¡­told you so¡­¡± She huffed, feeling proud of herself. ¡°Yeah¡­you did,¡± Astrid muttered with a chuckle. Instead of checking out their rewards, the pair stayed still for a little while longer. Taking full advantage of the peace, they were also gifted after killing all of the Orcs. [RV] Chapter 36: Bonding and Rewards If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Chapter 37: Where To Next The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Chapter 38: Flying Monsters are the Worst Hazel dove to the side, avoiding the sharp spear of the flying monkey as it dove into the ground next to her. Repositioning herself, the mage whirled her staff at the monster and hurled a mana bolt at it. The bolt hurtled toward it, but before it could hit its mark, the flying creature flew like a rocket, avoiding the mana-condensed projectile. Hazel glared at the flying monkey that dodged her attack, clicking her tongue irritably. ¡°This is why I hate flying monsters!¡± Just as she was about to conjure up another spell, another flying monkey dove down to stab her. Hazel spun around to see the monster closing in but couldn¡¯t react in time to dodge. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t need to as an arrow whizzed toward the beast and pierced its neck. The flying monkey then fell to the ground before shattering to pieces due to the Fractures overwhelming its vessel. Hazel¡¯s eyes widened after watching one of the winged beasts get killed. She glanced over at Astrid, who was the culprit that killed the monster for her. Her bow was out and she knocked back the string, prepared to launch another arrow at one of the harpies flying around. Two of them flew down as a pair, attempting to tag team Astrid and kill her that way. Sadly, they underestimated the dark elf. Greatly, at that. Just as the flying monkeys got close, Astrid rushed toward them before sliding on her knees, moving under them as they flew past her. Before they were out of range, the dark elf had her bow ready and fired another arrow, striking one of the winged primates in its spine. The creature then fell, missing the platform, and descended into the abyss. The other flying monkey watched in horror as one of its members fell toward the void. It then whipped around and glared at Astrid, its eyes seething with rage. It let an angry screech and flapped its wings, barreling toward its foe. A smile formed on Astrid¡¯s face. She sheathed her bow and brandished two daggers. Getting close, she slashed at the creature. Her first attack missed because the flying monkey fluttered to the side. But it seemed Astrid anticipated this and as soon as the monster avoided her strike, she hurled her other dagger in its direction. The flying monkey didn¡¯t react in time as the blade plunged into its chest, killing it instantly, and immediately shattered when it fell to the ground. Astrid turned her gaze at Hazel, giving her a thumbs up, to which the mage reluctantly returned one. Once again, she was a bit annoyed that Astrid was hitting her shots and taking down the flying monkeys while she struggled. Then again, Astrid was far more experienced when it came to fighting, so acting like an envious child wasn¡¯t going to do her any good. Still, a part of Hazel found it unfair how the dark elf was easily killing the winged primates. It only made her more competitive to do better. It had been a while since she felt like competing against someone. The last time that happened was her senior year in high school when she and a friend of hers challenged each other to see who would get the highest score on one of their tests. And Hazel one by at least two to three points. And now she felt that urge again. A drive to do better than Astrid, even though their lives were at stake. And yet¡­she couldn¡¯t resist the compulsion, willing her to try harder.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. One of the other flying monkeys flying around Hazel descended from the pack, making a beeline straight for her, releasing a primal battle cry-like screech. Hazel raised her head and made eye contact with the monsters. Her expression was neutral yet it gave off a cold aura. Just as the winged monkey closed in on Hazel, a blue transparent dome materialized around the mage. The monster couldn¡¯t stop its momentum and clashed against the dome and bounced off, crashing into the ground. While in a daze, Hazel got rid of her mana shield and cast a mana bolt, firing it at the monster. Her magic projectile struck the monster in the skull, obliterating it and sending fractured shards flying around, even pelting Hazel with some as well. ¡°Ha!¡± Hazel cheered. ¡°Eat shit!¡± She taunted the fragments of the flying monkey as they disbursed into the air. Before she could gloat further, the sound of more primate screeches caught her attention along with a familiar scream coming from Astrid. Hazel spun around and saw her partner taking on at least five flying monkeys at once. And she wasn¡¯t winning. They surrounded Astrid, attacking her all at once and not giving her a chance to defend herself. Because they were so close, she couldn¡¯t rely on her bow and resorted to using the daggers from before. But even that wasn¡¯t enough. Every time she slashed at one of the flying monkeys, another one flew behind her and stabbed her with their spears, digging blades deep into the dark elf. Astrid screamed in pain, stacking more injuries as the fight carried on. ¡°Crap¡­!¡± Hazel panicked, realizing that her partner was in danger and rushed toward her. Since she was playing as support, her main goal was simply attacking from a distance. But that proved to be a problem since she couldn¡¯t use her magic while Astrid was in the middle of the horde. And if she didn¡¯t do something quick, her partner was dead. ¡°D-dammit¡­¡± She bit her lip, trying to come up with a plan to save Astrid. An idea then came to mind, and Hazel took a deep breath. ¡°Astrid! Duck and roll now!¡± While being ganged up on by the flying monkeys, Astrid hastily turned to face Hazel. Their eyes met for a moment, before the dark elf¡¯s widened with shock and fear, realizing what the mage was planning to do. She didn¡¯t even hesitate and ducked and rolled out of the way, allowing Hazel to deal with the monsters. The mage directed her staff at them, preparing to launch a spell. However, before she could, a sharp pain coursed along her back, as if something pierced her skin. Hazel didn¡¯t need to know where it came from since she immediately heard a familiar and annoying screech from another winged monkey. She was then pushed into the ground by the monster, as it continued to dig its blade into her back. Hazel groaned in pain but still tried to take it down before it could fully pin her. She tried to lift her arm that held the magic staff and point it at the monkey. Sadly, another flying creature appeared and pinned her arm to the ground, stabbing the back of her hand. ¡°A-agh¡­!¡± She was hit with unimaginable pain as the monkey pushed its spear deeper into her hand and back. It reminded her of the time she accidentally stabbed her palm with a hunting knife her grandfather had. She was messing around with the blade and accidentally tripped, stabbing her hand in the process. The accident left a nasty scar and Hazel became very cautious with sharp objects since then. Hazel was beginning to lose feeling in her hand. To make matters worse, the flying monkeys kept poking her body with their spears, drawing more blood. Even while pinned to the ground, she could see her life essence pooling around her. She was beginning to lose a lot of blood and her vision was beginning to get blurry. The last thing she saw was Astrid moving away from her group of flying monkeys, shifting her gaze toward the mage. The dark elf looked alarmed as she watched Hazel slowly get done in by the monsters on her side. ¡°Hazel!¡± Astrid called out to the mage, trying to reach out, but her voice became muffled by the constant screeches of the winged primates. The last thing Hazel saw was the dark elf rushing toward her with haste as darkness enveloped her vision. Chapter 39: Cursed Resilience Stolen story; please report. Chapter 40: The Tower Fort Stolen story; please report. Chapter 41: Exploring The Fort ¡°This place doesn¡¯t look like your everyday fort or tower,¡± Hazel noted, panning around to admire the first floor of the fort. Hazel¡¯s impression of the Fort Tower was that it was some kind of military stronghold. A place where soldiers used to watch over and defend their territory from invaders or criminals in medieval times. However, from what she saw in this building didn¡¯t give that feeling. If anything, it looked like a home that something simply lived in. Hazel raised her hand that grasped the Magic Torch, allowing it to illuminate more of the floor for them to see. To which they saw some shelves with books, unlit candles hanging on metal frames on the wall, and even a fireplace situated on the far end of the wall to their right. ¡°Perhaps someone used this place as their home rather than an actual fort,¡± Astrid surmised, glancing around the room as well. They stopped near a table that was covered with papers. The parchments were wrinkled and stained brown as if someone spilled coffee on them. Taking a closer look, Hazel and Astrid noticed that there were some words and pictures scribbled on them. Hazel picked one of the papers up to examine it closely. There was an illustration of several plants and herbs along with their descriptions written next to them. ¡°It looks like whoever lived here was doing a lot of research,¡± Hazel said, scanning the sheet. ¡°The notes on this paper talked about certain plants and what kind of effects they have on living creatures.¡± She squinted her eyes, looking at a particular section of the research paper. ¡°Apparently, one of these plants feeds and thrives on blood like a vampire.¡± ¡°Vampires are certainly the worst,¡± Astrid shuddered. ¡°I remember encountering one several decades ago back when I was still a rookie member of the legion.¡± Her expression darkened as if reliving a very terrible memory. ¡°My group came across a noble vampire feeding on other elves within the forest. We were nearly killed if one of the captains didn¡¯t appear and defeated the bloodsucker.¡± Hazel awkwardly turned to face the dark elf, looking very anxious after hearing her story. ¡°So, vampires exist in your world too, huh?¡± ¡°We do,¡± Astrid answered, almost matter-of-factly. ¡°Does your world not have vampires?¡± ¡°I mean, there¡¯s Robert Patterson, but I don¡¯t know if that counts, honestly.¡± ¡°Who is that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I was just making a joke. You wouldn¡¯t understand unless you¡¯re from Earth.¡± ¡°Valid point,¡± Astrid shrugged. Hazel placed the paper down on the table before reaching for another one. Much like the previous sheet, it had research notes scribbled on it about plants and certain monster species. Whoever used to live here clearly spent their life studying whatever came to mind. Whether it was plant life, animal and monster anatomy, and more. ¡°It seemed that the person who wrote all of this just studied whatever caught their attention. Plants, potions, monsters, and their weaknesses, it¡¯s all here. However, the contents are scattered and unorganized. I can¡¯t tell which is first or last.¡± Hazel picked up two pages, trying to discern which one came before the other. Sadly, she couldn¡¯t find it and placed them back down. A sigh escaped her lips at the disorderly mess in front of her. ¡°I can tell that the author of these pages was clearly sloppy and lazy. Instead of organizing the pages, they simply set them wherever they liked without a care in the world. Just thinking about it is beginning to annoy me.¡± Hazel wanted to read the pages, but since there were multiple subjects involved along with how jumbled it was, her enthusiasm to read slowly diminished the longer she stared at the pages on the table. It was quite depressing, to say the least. ¡°Then, I believe we should leave the table and continue searching around,¡± Astrid suggested. ¡°There are likely other things that would prove more valuable and useful than the scattered scene before us.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right,¡± With her shoulders slumped, Hazel moved away from the table and continued with their search. Walking a bit, Hazel and Astrid stopped in front of a wall where a picture was hanging. It was a painting of some kind of battlefield. Two armies were charging at one another, wielding all kinds of weapons like spears, swords, battle axes, and more. What was really interesting was that they were also firing magic spells. Hazel took a closer look at the painting and saw magic spells being cast. There were balls of fire being hurled at one another, sharp icicles hailing from the sky, earth spikes erupting from the ground, and even mana bolts rocketed toward their targets. It was quite a bloodbath. So much so, that Hazel found it difficult to admire the art without feeling a sense of dread overwhelm her. There was also something else that caught her attention. She felt like she had seen this type of painting before. It didn¡¯t take long before she quickly realized where. ¡°The War of Totem¡­¡± Hazel muttered.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°What?¡± Astrid inquired. ¡°This painting¡­I¡¯ve seen it from the War of Totem book I got from a shop. It described Totem, the first merged world when the System appeared. Totem was a combination of four worlds combined into one. When Totem was created, it started a global war called the War of Totem, where all residents of their respective worlds fought one another for dominance. It was also called the First War of the Multiverse.¡± Back in the Town and Forest Island, Hazel frequently read the books she took from the shop. It was not only to pass the time but to also learn more about the world that turned into a dungeon. The same world the system dumped Hazel and Astrid in. And this war painting was also shown in the War of Totem book. ¡°A war¡­¡± Astrid mumbled, cautiously staring at the painting. ¡°Do you think the same will happen with¡­our world.¡± Hazel paused, unsure of how to respond to her question. She looked away from the picture frame and hung her head, a mixture of dread and anxiety building up within her. She hadn¡¯t thought about what her new world was going to be like. Her main priority was simply to leave the dungeon and find Damien and their mother. But now that Astrid brought up the topic, she suddenly realized a very frightening truth. Now that their worlds were merging, there was bound to be war. Whether it was for territory, freedom, power, or even glory, there was one undeniable truth in the grand scheme of it all. This war¡­was only going to be the beginning. And her family was likely going to get involved in the bloodshed one way or another. And Hazel feared that there was nothing that she could do to try and stop it. If she could at all, anyway. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what will happen,¡± Hazel confessed with a depressing tone. Taking a moment to collect herself, she turned to the right and walked away. ¡°We should keep moving.¡± Astrid didn¡¯t say a word and silently followed behind Hazel. They both remained quiet while making their way to the stairs. Since the first floor of the fort didn¡¯t have anything useful for them to take on their journey, it was time to move on to the next floor. Neither of them knew how many floors there were, but they did plan on going to all of them and discover if there were any valuable items that could assist them on their journey. Much like the first floor, the others above it weren¡¯t all that interesting. The second floor seemed to have been a large storage room where all kinds of boxes and crates were piled up. There were also miscellaneous items placed around them like more paintings, antiques, parchments, and scrolls. Hazel was curious if there were any grimoire pages, but even after looking through all of the boxes and papers, not a single one was found. Depressed, they moved onto the next floor. The third floor didn¡¯t have much like the previous two. All that was there was a large round table with chairs placed around it. Astrid assumed that it was some kind of meeting room where people would gather together and talk about certain topics. There were a few bookshelves placed against the walls, but neither of them wanted to go through any of them and simply moved on. Climbing up to the fourth floor, the pair paused when they reached the top of the steps. Looking ahead, they saw that the floor was filled with statues. It was like a fancy gallery where people would go and admire the works of art. ¡°This¡­¡± Astrid began, unable to find the words to describe what she was seeing. ¡°Is creepy.¡± Hazel finished, perfectly expressing both of their feelings regarding the floor. Neither of them could understand why someone would have an entire floor filled with statues. Especially the ones standing before them. The statues came from a variety of shapes, sizes, and species. Walking further into the floor, Hazel and Astrid glanced around to look at the sculptures. They saw knights, goddess-like women in robes, angels, and even gargoyles like the ones that were on top of buildings in big cities like New York. Despite being immobile figures, Hazel couldn¡¯t help but feel intimidated by them. It felt like one of them was going to come to life and attack them like in a horror movie. As they strolled passed them, Hazel felt a chill run down her spine. It felt like something was watching her. Like some predator carefully spying on its prey, waiting for the right moment to strike. She stopped and turned around, trying to locate whatever was staring at her. ¡°Astrid, did you¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I felt that too¡­¡± She replied, swiftly pulling out her daggers. It seemed that the mage wasn''t the only one who felt the presence. Hazel did the same and raised her staff, prepared to fight whatever creature was watching them. They turned around and placed their backs against one another, allowing them to watch each other¡¯s blind spots. Out of the corner of Hazel¡¯s eyes, she witnessed something blurred past one of the statues. She spun her head around, attempting to catch a glimpse of whatever she saw, but it was too fast for her to see. ¡°There¡¯s definitely something here¡­¡± Hazel warned Astrid. ¡°And it¡¯s fast¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t help that these statues are in the way¡­¡± Astrid grumbled, keeping her daggers raised to defend herself. Because they were surrounded by over a dozen statues, neither of them could properly pinpoint their enemy as it kept moving around the sculptures. They could hear the creature growling, but the sound was reverberating all over the floor, further complicating the matter. Just then, Astrid grabbed Hazel¡¯s shoulder, gripping it tightly. ¡°Conjure your shield, now!¡± Instead of questioning the dark elf¡¯s request, Hazel hastily raised her staff and called upon her Mana Shield. A pale blue light emitted from the tip of her magic staff before a Transparent blue dome began to envelop them. As soon as the barrier was created, something emerged from the shadows, lunging at Hazel and Astrid with killing intent. Thankfully, it harmlessly bounced off the dome and crashed into the stone floor. And in that moment, both of them were able to see what it was that tried to attack them. Its body was completely made of stone along with purple cracks streaking across its body. It had a humanoid appearance but was on all fours. Horns protruded from its head along with giant menacing wings sprouting from its back while its tail curled and lashed against the floor. ¡°I-is that¡­?¡± Hazel muttered, looking bewildered by the creature in front of her. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Astrid nodded grimly. ¡°It¡¯s a Gargoyle¡­¡± Laying on the ground before them was none other than a Gargoyle. A Mythical creature that may have taken on the appearance of a stone statue but was, in fact, a living creature. Despite their grotesque appearance that made them look like demons, gargoyles were supposed to be protectors who warded off intruders and evil spirits. So why was this one¡­oh. ¡°Uh, Astrid¡­I think the Gargoyle views us as intruders.¡± Hazel and Astrid entered this building unannounced and without permission. And that¡­appeared to be enough for the Gargoyle to consider them enemies. The gargoyle stood back up and stretched its wings while letting out a guttural growl. Its glowing purple eyes glared at the pair. It then went into a pouncing position and maintained eye contact with the so-called intruders. Suddenly, Hazel¡¯s barrier began to disappear, which meant ten seconds passed by. Seeing the dome fade away, the Gargoyle made an evil grin, realizing that they were no longer protected. Flapping its wings, the creature lunged at the Dark Elf Ranger and Human Mage. Chapter 42: The Gargoyle The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. [Level 13 Gargoyle has been defeated!] Chapter 43: The Final Floor [Patreon Announcement!] Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Chapter 44: The Magic Circle The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Chapter 45: Summoning Time Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Chapter 46: The Nightwing Bat The Nightwing followed behind Hazel and Astrid as all three of them left the summoning chamber. Once out, the familiar stretched its wings, expanding them in the air before retracting them right after. The Nightwing scanned his surroundings, observing the final floor of the Fort curiously. ¡°Is¡­this your home¡­master?¡± The familiar asked, shifting his crimson eyes on Hazel. Hazel shook her head nervously. ¡°No, we¡¯re currently in a dungeon. We¡¯re currently undergoing our tutorial.¡± ¡°I¡­see¡­¡± The bat monster blinked. ¡°By the way¡­¡± The mage spoke up, nervously staring at her Familiar. ¡°What¡¯s your name? I assume it''s not Nightwing, right?¡± Nightwing was the name of its species. As for what this Nightwing¡¯s name was, Hazel had no clue. Not even the description during the summoning ritual told her. ¡°My name¡­is Nycteris.¡± ¡°Nycteris, huh? That¡¯s a nice name,¡± Hazel smiled. ¡°Thank¡­you¡­¡± Nycteris bowed his head in response. Out of curiosity, Hazel decided to check his status to see what it showed. Race: Nightwing Bat Master: Hazel Thatcher |Level 1 A demon bat monster that has never explored the mortal realm before, due to being stuck in the Demon Realm its whole life. Hazel narrowed her eyes at the description. He¡¯s been stuck in the demon realm for his entire life? That sounded a bit sad. She was a bit intrigued by the new information which showed that she was Nycteris¡¯s master. Could that be because he was now a Familiar and in a contract with Hazel? It certainly made sense. ¡°Well, Nycteris,¡± Hazel said while placing her hand out. ¡°It¡¯s nice to properly meet you.¡± The Nightwing familiar stared at Hazel¡¯s hand, his head twitching to the side. Then, it brought its head closer and nuzzled against her palm¡­and began to purr like a cat. Hazel¡¯s heart skipped a bit, not from fear but excitement and joy. She stared lovingly at her familiar, completely overwhelmed by his actions. ¡°Aw, you¡¯re so cute¡­!¡± Hazel then got closer to the Nightwing and hugged it. Her hand reached over to his bat head and started gently scratching as if it were a dog. Nycteris responded by closing his eyes and purring more, moving his head around to let Hazel scratch other spots.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Despite Nycteris¡¯s monstrous appearance, Hazel couldn¡¯t help but feel attached to her Familiar. It was like she just got a pet for the first time and was reveling in the joy of having one. As Hazel continued to rub and scratch Nycteris, the Master and Familiar Duo heard a loud cough originating from behind them. Turning around, they saw Astrid standing there with an eyebrow raised as she stared at them. Realizing what she was doing, Hazel moved away from Nycteris. She wore a wry smile and rubbed the back of her head nervously. ¡°M-my bad,¡± She apologized. ¡°I just¡­couldn¡¯t really help it, you know? He¡¯s just so cute¡­¡± Astrid glanced at Nycteris with a doubtful gaze. ¡°Cute, huh?¡± Hazel paused. Did the dark elf have a different opinion regarding Nycteris¡¯s appearance? Before Hazel could question Astrid about it, the dark elf spoke up first. ¡°Well, since you managed to summon a familiar, that will make things easier for us. Of course, after checking his description, we¡¯ll have to get him stronger before attempting to find and kill a Sub-Boss.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right about that.¡± Although Hazel now had a familiar, Nycteris was only level 1, while they were ten levels above him. In a way, he was technically weaker than them and that won¡¯t do. So, their next goal was to help her familiar level up and get strong enough to assist them in battle. And Hazel and Astrid knew just the place to help Nycteris get stronger. And that was the City Island. The place that the dark elf wanted to go to before Hazel convinced her to check out the Tower Fort first. And thankfully, it was worth their time considering what they obtained from it. ¡°I guess our next stop is the City then, huh?¡± Hazel brought up. ¡°Yeah,¡± Astrid nodded. ¡°But before that, I want you to check out the other item from the chest. That and we should also take anything interesting or useful in this fort.¡± She then pulled out the items and gave them to Hazel to identify them. The mage stared at the ruby-studded wristband. Rare Item A Wristband that lets the user summon a shield to protect them. The shield will last for around five seconds and can be redeployed after ten seconds. A wristband that could summon a shield to protect the user. It was much like Hazel¡¯s Mana Shield skill. In this case, the item was completely useless to her. Much like the Magic Armor skill she came across during her first marker, having a second defensive skill seemed a bit pointless to her. Plus, unlike Hazel, Astrid didn¡¯t have any defensive skills to protect her from danger. So instead of her having it, it would be better if the dark elf possessed the item. With that in mind, Hazel gave the wristband back to Astrid. ¡°You¡¯ll need this item for than me. Besides, I already have the necklace and my Mana Shield skills. You, on the other hand, have no form of defense whatsoever. Case and point, that wristband will be more useful to you than to me.¡± Astrid smiled. ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right.¡± She then began to equip the wristband. Raising her arm for a second, the dark elf closed her eyes. As she did, the gem on the wristband flashed brightly. Then, a large red shield materialized in front of Astrid, hovering in the air while keeping her behind it. The three marveled at the shield for a moment before Astrid dismissed it, watching it disappear just as fast as it showed itself. The dark elf laughed while staring at her item. ¡°Oh, I like this item,¡± She said with a grin. Seeing her reaction, Hazel couldn¡¯t help but smile as well, glad that she decided to give her partner the wristband. ¡°Alright, before we head out, let¡¯s go and double-check this floor.¡± ¡°You got it.¡± Declaring this, Hazel and Astrid decided to do one more sweep around the final floor. Chapter 47: Investigating The Tower A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Chapter 48: The City Island You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Chapter 49: The Hunt Continues Hazel watched as Nycteris bit the head of another Fractured Human and ripped it off from its shoulders. The Fractured creature then crumbled to the ground as the cracks on its body spread all over, completely engulfing it before breaking apart like glass. Several more Fractured humans attempted to take down the Nightwing Bat, but he whipped his tail at them, sending them tumbling to the ground. Raising his tail above them, Nycteris slammed it against his foes, crushing them. Meanwhile, Hazel and Astrid did their best to reduce the number of enemies the Nightwing had to deal with. The dark elf sent a volley of arrows hailing down on the horde, making sure to keep Nycteris out of range of her attack. The storm of projectiles pelted the Fractured humans like rain, striking them down with malicious intent. Some of them were peppered with arrows, hitting their skulls, torsos, and limbs all at the same time before they went down and shattered. Astrid didn¡¯t let up though and continued to notch her arrows and shoot, making sure to aim her projectiles at a vital area of the Fractured Humans to instantly kill it. She was firing like a machine gun, each arrow she launched, another one was right behind it in a split second. Hazel witnessed this with widened eyes, amazed at how proficient her partner was with her bow. Of course, she wasn¡¯t the only one pulling her weight in the team. Using her free hand that wasn¡¯t holding the magic staff, Hazel activated her telekinesis, levitating a nearby pebble and hurling it at a nearby Fractured Human. Her aim was a little off, and instead of hitting its skull, she nicked its shoulder as the stone flew off god knows where. ¡°Tch¡­!¡± She irritably clicked her tongue. ¡°I really need to work on my aim with this spell.¡± Just before she attempted to lift another pebble with Telekinesis, Hazel could feel a slight headache throbbing between her eyes. She slightly staggered but managed to use her staff to keep herself from collapsing. ¡°Hazel, are you alright?¡± Astrid called out to her with a hint of concern in her voice. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Hazel huffed, grimacing from the headache. ¡°Just a little tired. Using Telekinesis consumes a lot more Mana than my other spells.¡± The dark elf nodded and moved in front of Hazel. ¡°Stay behind me until you get you¡¯re strength back, alright? We can¡¯t have you collapsing on the spot while in the middle of a fight.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Listening to Astrid, Hazel took a moment to collect herself, allowing her depleted mana to get replenished. She leaned against her staff, using it as a cane to keep herself from collapsing. Heavy breaths escaped her lips as she stared at the horde around them. She shouldn¡¯t have been too reliant on using Telekinesis in the fight. Unlike her other spells, it constantly drained her mana for as long as it was activated. While Mana Bolt, Mana Shield, Baneful Sickle, and Decay used a fixed amount of mana to be cast, Telekinesis would continuously drain Hazel¡¯s energy until she either stopped using the spell or ran out of Mana. Just lifting and hurling a pebble a few times put the mage in her current predicament. Of course, Hazel knew that this would happen. Especially when the Description even said it as well. But because she was so eager to learn and use the spell, she completely overlooked how drained she would get by utilizing it a few times. Thankfully, she wasn¡¯t completely depleted over her mana, which would¡¯ve been possible if not for The Necklace of the Arcane, increasing her Intelligence stat by twenty points. If that stat remained at thirty points, then she likely wouldn¡¯t have been capable of using Telekinesis as long as she had before nearly reached the limit.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. However, because of how much mana Telekinesis was consuming, Hazel was going be putting more points into her Intelligence and Wisdom Stat to make things a little more manageable for her. Which was frustrating considering that her Intelligence stat was in the sixties now thanks to her ring and dress. This showed just how taxing the spell was for Hazel to use, in both mana and experience. Thankfully, she technically didn¡¯t have to worry about her physical stats anymore since she had Astrid and Nycteris backing her up. However, in the future, she would like to do at least get them to at least twenty points shortly. It didn¡¯t take long before Hazel¡¯s mana was replenished, once she noticed that her splitting headache was gone and felt less drained than before. With her energy back, Hazel rejoined the fight, assisting from a distance like before. She hurled a Baneful Sickle at the Fractured Humans, tearing through the horde as her vision was filled with kill notification. ¡°Nycteris!¡± She called out to her familiar. ¡°Fly up in the air and slam into the ground!¡± The Nightwing turned to Hazel and nodded. He then expanded his wings and ascended into the sky. The Horde raised their heads to stare up at their enemy flying away from them, not knowing that their fate would be sealed if they didn¡¯t attempt to flee in the next few seconds. Once Nycteris was high enough in the air, at least around the height of the Clock Tower, he immediately dove down back to the street at blind speed. And like a meteor, the Nightwing slammed into the ground, creating a massive shockwave that blew away all the Fractured Humans in the vicinity. Hazel and Astrid even witnessed some of the horde soar past them before crashing into buildings or the ground itself. This move seemed to have done the trick since as soon as the monsters crashed, their bodies shattered in an instant, filling the street with purple light fragments disbursing into the air. The player duo watched the light show in awe as Nycteris barreled toward Hazel like a puppy running to its owner. He then lovingly nudged his head against her body while staring at her. ¡°Was that¡­to your liking¡­master?¡± He asked with an eager and hopeful expression. ¡°Yes, it was,¡± Hazel said, rubbing Nycteris¡¯s head. ¡°You did a good job, Nycteris!¡± Before Hazel could continue praising her familiar, an abrupt coughing sound pulled her attention away as she looked over at Astrid, who was the source of the noise. ¡°Check his level before you do all of that, now,¡± Astrid reminded with a scolding tone. ¡°Oh, right¡­¡± Hazel remembered with a wry smile. ¡°My bad.¡± She rubbed the back of her head nervously. Before Astrid pestered further, the mage used identify on Nycteris, immediately seeing that her familiar was now level four. Hazel beamed with joy at her Nightwing¡¯s rapid growth and proceeded to pet him as a reward. ¡°You¡¯re level four now, Nycteris!¡± She noted with a singing voice. ¡°Only six more levels and you¡¯ll be level ten!¡± Nycteris wasn¡¯t the only one who was making some improvements as evident by the panel flashing before Hazel¡¯s eyes. [Telekinesis is now Rank 2!] She finally managed to get Telekinesis to Rank 2. Although she didn¡¯t expect her spell to allow her to lift heavy objects, this was still an improvement since she was making her spell stronger. Just to be safe, Hazel mentally pulled up the Telekinesis spell description to see if there were any changes. Rank 2 A spell that allows the User to manipulate objects without touching them. Lifting slightly heavier objects like blades or large rocks is easier to manipulate with Telekinesis. ¡°Cool, I can lift weapons now.¡± She smiled while cocking a brow at a certain phrase in the description. ¡°And large rocks, apparently.¡± This was quite the improvement that Hazel was expecting. However, it was also a welcomed one since it allowed Hazel to do more with telekinesis. Hazel was a bit disappointed that she hadn¡¯t hit Level fifteen yet, but she expected this to happen since the Fractured Humans were barely past Level Three. If she wanted to level up, then she needed to fight stronger enemies. But that would come after helping Nycteris reach level ten. Since he was their main fighter, he needed to get stronger so he could protect Hazel and Astrid from enemies. ¡°Should we keep going?¡± Hazel asked Astrid. The Dark elf shook her head. ¡°No, it would likely be better if we took a break. You already reached your limit, so if we push it any further, then it would cause more issues than benefits.¡± ¡°Alright, then. Let¡¯s go find a place to relax for now.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Astrid nodded. ¡°Understood¡­master.¡± Feeling more or less satisfied with their progress, the trio decided to take their first break within the City Island. Chapter 50: The New Plan If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Chapter 51: Experimenting Astrid, Hazel, and Nycteris had spent the last half hour or so taking a breather after hunting some monsters in the Fractured City. Since there was nothing to entertain themselves with while they waited, the trio sat silently, doing their own thing. Astrid was crafting more arrows, using pieces of stone from the forest to carve them into arrowheads. She leaned up against a wall as she carefully used her dagger and shaped the stone into her desired weapon. While she did have the new quiver that allowed her to create more arrows with mana, she didn''t possess of enough to fully rely on this feature, which was why she was still crafting more arrows the old-fashioned way. As for Nycteris, he was curled up into a bat ball, lazily lying on the ground. He remained very still, only letting his breathing cause any movements as Hazel gently laid on him while occupying herself in the tavern. While sitting around in the middle of the tavern, Hazel fiddled with her gnarled staff, rhythmically tapping on it while staring at the wooden debris scattered around them. She then got an idea and shifted her hand over to one of the wooden shrapnel on the floor. Her eyes were trained on the chip before it began to slightly hover in the air, barely a couple of inches off the ground. With her telekinesis, Hazel raised the wood chip a little higher until it was now at least a foot and a half high in the air. Instead of moving it around, Hazel simply let it hover them motionlessly. Her head tilted to the side as she meticulously stared at it. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± With a flick of her finger, Hazel then forced the chip to rotate counter-clockwise. First slowly then began to pick up the pace until it was about as fast as a fan on the lowest spin setting. She let the chip spin for a little bit before halting its rotation and kept it suspended in the air like before. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Astrid asked, curiously staring at Hazel with a cocked eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m testing something¡­¡± Hazel vaguely explained, keeping her eyes on the wooden chip. ¡°Mind telling me what you¡¯re exactly testing? Cause it just looks like you¡¯re messing around with that piece of wood with your Telekinesis spell.¡± Incidentally enough, that was what Hazel was supposedly doing. However, there was more to it than just that. Hazel wasn¡¯t just experimenting with telekinesis, she was also discovering something rather crucial involving the spell. And it was a rather remarkable discovery at that. ¡°You see how I¡¯m simply levitating the wood chip?¡± Hazel asked, pointing at the shard of wood. Astrid hesitantly nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I¡¯m asking what you were doing with it.¡± Hazel gave the dark elf a knowing look before sighing, then shifted her attention back to her wooden chip. ¡°I¡¯m testing the consumption rate when using Telekinesis, and I found out something rather interesting.¡± Astrid tilted her head in confusion. ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Well, for starters, the consumption rate for the spell isn¡¯t fixed. It varies depending on how I use the spell.¡± Hearing this, the dark elf¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Really?¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Hazel nodded. ¡°Yeah. When I levitated the wood chip and kept it in the air, a certain amount of mana was consumed. But when I started to rotate it, the consumption rate increased.¡± Previously, Hazel believed that spells used a fixed amount of mana since the rest of her spells were like that. Baneful Sickle, Mana Bolt, Decay, and even Mana Shield did this. To make an example, Mana Bolt would use maybe five Mana Points and if Hazel had a total of one hundred MP, then she would be able to fire the spell at least twenty times before her mana was depleted. And the same thing applied to her other spells as well. But Telekinesis was different. Instead of relying on a fixed rate, the mana consumption varies depending on what exactly she was using the spell for. For instance, simply levitating the chip or spinning it like a disk or basketball. Now, that might not be significant at first glance, but to Hazel, it was. Because if the consumption rate of mana varies from her actions, then there were likely other variables involving it as well. Like, instead of making a certain action with Telekinesis, does the consumption rate apply to something else like¡­weight? Glancing around, Hazel soon spotted a piece of floor debris near her. It was around the size of her hand, making it bigger and heavier than the Chip she was currently levitating. With a curious gaze, Hazel deactivated her telekinesis on the wood chip, not even watching it fall to the floor while setting her sights on the piece of debris. And with her hand, she used Telekinesis on it. The piece of debris then slowly hovered in the air, floating a couple of inches to a couple of feet in a few seconds. As Hazel raised her hand to increase the height, her hand began to tremble like she was low on energy. As she kept the debris in the air, the mage could feel her mana slowly but surely drain from her. Even more so than when she levitated the wood shrapnel. Sweat beaded down her face as she felt a slight throbbing manifested behind her eyes, pounding away in her skull as if someone was playing with drums inside. Seconds later, Hazel stopped using Telekinesis, letting the debris fall on the floor with a loud crack. Staring at the debris, her chest heaved as she attempted to catch her breath. Her hand was placed on her head in an attempt to calm the pounding migraine drumming away inside. ¡°Well¡­that explains that,¡± She mumbled with a groan. So, Weight was a factor involving Telekinesis¡¯s Consumption Rate, which could also mean that there were likely other variables that could also determine the mana consumption. Hazel started feeling giddy as her lips curled into a sly grin. Despite the pounding headache assaulting her senses, she was actually having fun. Learning how her magic spells worked gave her a sense of thrill, unlike anything else. Maybe it was because she was slowly understanding how her spells work or possible that by learning the mechanisms behind the spells, she could also discover certain loopholes they possess. For instance, when Hazel was lifting the floor debris, just making it hover for a little bit drained her mana. But when she did it with the wood chip, she was more or less fine. This meant that lifting heavy objects drained more mana than lighter objects, but there was also something that Hazel discovered regarding this. If she used telekinesis on a light object, she could potentially keep it in the air indefinitely. And this would be thanks to her Wisdom Stat. While Intelligence focused on Mana Capacity, Wisdom was more focused on Mana Regeneration. The higher the stat, the faster your mana was replenished. Which led to the loophole Hazel discovered. If she found a balance between her mana capacity and mana regeneration, she could use Telekinesis almost indefinitely. It would start with lighter objects, but once she ranked up her spell and increased her Intelligence and Wisdom stat, Telekinesis could become the strongest spell in her arsenal. She didn¡¯t consider the concept of the loophole because of one annoying factor. The cooldown feature. A good majority of Hazel¡¯s spells had a cooldown upon being used like Baneful Sickle and Decay. So, technically, even if she previously discovered the loophole, it would be useless until she completely got rid of the cooldowns from her spells, and who knew how long that would take? But Telekinesis was different. Much like Mana Bolt, it had no cooldown due to its constant mana consumption upon being used. And it was because of its lacking grace period function that allowed Hazel to figure out this discovery. That and the possibilities that the loophole provided for her. Once she raised Intelligence and Wisdom enough, she could easily use Telekinesis without worrying about her Mana being depleted thanks to her vast mana capacity and regeneration. She could potentially use it without having to take a break. And that¡­excited Hazel more than anything. As the mage wore a wide and sly grin on her face, she then started to levitate the wood chip once more. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation as she realized her next objective. ¡°It¡¯s time to see just how much potential Telekinesis truly possessed¡­¡± Chapter 52: Marketplace Hunt The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Chapter 53: Not Alone Hazel, Astrid, and Nycteris swept through the marketplace, eliminating any threats that were caught in their line of sight. It was mostly Nycteris who did the killing since, unlike the player pair, he needed to level up more than them. Every time they encountered a Fractured monster; Hazel would send her familiar to tear them to shreds. It didn¡¯t take all that long before the entire marketplace was wiped clean of hostile creatures. As a result of their extermination, Nycteris reached level seven. He only needed three more levels before getting to level ten. After reaching level five, Nycteris was able to obtain another skill like Hazel and Astrid did when they reached their threshold. When he reached the threshold, he asked Hazel what skill to select to make himself stronger. Hazel felt that it was his choice and told him as such. In the end, he chose a skill called [Stunning Screech]. It allows Nycteris to make a deafening noise that stuns his enemies. With this skill, the group now had two ways of restricting their enemies'' movements, which were Hazel¡¯s telekinesis and the [Stunning Screech]. They would likely have to rely on Nycteris¡¯s skill more since Hazel was still perfecting her Telekinesis techniques. With their business done in the marketplace, the trio strolled out of the area as fragments of purple lights floated in the air behind them. It was as if they just left a performance of some kind. Not even five seconds later, the group noticed more Fractured Humans ahead of them. Hazel sighed while pinching the bridge of her nose. Astrid attempted to pull her bow out but the novice mage stopped her by placing her arm in front of her. ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± Hazel told her before turning to Nycteris. ¡°Please deal with them, Nycteris.¡± ¡°Understood...!¡± The Nightwing firmly nodded his head, followed by a slight twitch before rushing toward the Fractured humans ahead of them. Hazel and Astrid then watched as the familiar did what he did best; rip and tear. The pair was left with a familiar sight much like before, witnessing Nycteris slaughter the Fractured humans until they burst into purple particles. ¡°Coming to this city was certainly a good idea,¡± Astrid stated while crossing her arms and keeping a close eye on the slaughter fest before her. ¡°By the time we¡¯re done with this place, Nycteris could possibly reach level fifteen or twenty.¡± ¡°That would be nice, honestly. But what about us?¡± At the moment, both Hazel and Astrid were at level fourteen. Ideally, they wished to reach level fifteen before their two weeks were up. But due to the level difference between them and the monsters here, that could take longer than they wished. Plus, they were also prioritizing Nycteris¡¯s growth since he was a bit behind. However, due to the sheer number of Fractured humans, despite their low levels, there was a chance for them to achieve that goal. There was also the fact that the city was quite large, and possibly contained all kinds of monsters other than Fractured Humans roaming around. Monsters that could be strong enough to assist them in reaching level fifteen. Of course, that would only be possible if the pair stepped up their game. While pondering over this, Nycteris soon returned to Hazel and Astrid, sitting in front of the pair with an eager expression, like a dog waiting for his owners to praise him for doing a good job. And Hazel wasn¡¯t one to shy away from giving out praises. ¡°Good job, Nycteris!¡± She declared, vigorously rubbing her familiar¡¯s head. The Nightwing bat responded by pressing his skull against her palm lovingly. After letting this continue for about half a minute, the familiar pulled away from Hazel¡¯s hand while staring at her and Astrid. ¡°What...shall I do next...master?¡± Hazel pondered over what kind of order she should give to her familiar. Her first thought was just search and destroy, but she couldn¡¯t risk her companion facing an enemy without back, even if it was just a horde of undeads. So, the only option she had left was...reconnaissance. Making her decision, Hazel pointed ahead of them, up near the roof of the buildings. ¡°Go and survey the area ahead of us. Notify me if there are any Fractured creatures ahead.¡± ¡°Understood...!¡± The Nightwing bat expelled a low screech before ascending to the sky, zipping over to the area where Hazel directed him. The player pair watched as he disappeared behind the buildings, eager to complete his mission given by his master.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°It¡¯s really cute when he¡¯s so eager,¡± Hazel smiled. Astrid rolled her eyes in response. ¡°You¡¯re not going to start gushing again, are you?¡± ¡°Oh, come on,¡± She turned to the dark elf with a glare. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a pet or animal companion back in your village like a wolf or deer?¡± Astrid shrugged in response. ¡°I don¡¯t, but there are others of my tribe that do have an animal companion.¡± She then narrowed her eyes at Hazel. ¡°And they gave off the same gushy appearance you have when they¡¯re near them.¡± ¡°My god, you are such a downer. You need a hobby or something, you know that?¡± ¡°I do have a hobby, thank you very much.¡± ¡°If you say that your hobby is either hunting or following missions, then I¡¯m going to tell you now that neither of them are good hobbies. Well, the hunting one is fine, but it honestly depends on how you normally hunt.¡± Astrid¡¯s brow arched as she stared at the novice mage. ¡°Meaning?¡± ¡°Well, do you hunt to pass the time or do you hunt when you are ordered to?¡± At Hazel¡¯s sudden question, Astrid was unable to respond. Seeing how silent she was, the novice mage made a sly smile, realizing she won the battle. ¡°Yeah, see? You only when it''s required, not when you feel like it.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ve been hunting monsters while in this dungeon without being ordered...¡± Hazel narrowed her gaze as she stared at the dark elf. ¡°Yeah, to survive and get stronger, dumbass. Hobbies are supposed to be fun and relaxing. Not life-threatening and chaotic.¡± The dark elf groaned, unable to refute Hazel¡¯s statement. Meanwhile, the mage simply stood there triumphant, having won a conversation over her. Just then, she got a mental call from her familiar... Master... Nycteris was able to call Hazel through telepathy due to their connection as Master and Familiar. It was very similar to the Chat Room that she and Astrid have after forming a party with one another. Surprisingly enough, despite being part of the same group, Nycteris had no access to the Chat Room. Hazel and Astrid theorized that it could be because the Nightwing was a Familiar instead of a Player. That and he and Hazel are under a Master/Familiar Pact which overrides the Party System. Of course, those were simply theories with no real evidence, so neither player knew the reason behind this. Not even Nycteris, but Hazel didn¡¯t hold that against the familiar. How could she when he acted so cute and lovable toward her? Hazel shifted gears, wearing a serious expression while responding to Nycteris. What¡¯s up, Nycteris? I found...humans... Hearing this, Hazel paused, taking a moment to make sure what she heard was correct. ...Come again? Humans...I found some...nearby... A-as in Fractured Humans? No...humans like...you... ¡°H-humans...?¡± Hazel muttered out loud, catching Astrid¡¯s attention. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She asked, looming closer to the mage with a curious expression. ¡°U-um...¡± Hazel faltered, struggling to form words. ¡°N-Nycteris found some humans...living humans.¡± The dark elf¡¯s eyes widened after hearing this. ¡°Are you serious? Where are they?!¡± Surprisingly enough, Astrid seemed just as interested. Maybe it was because neither of them had encountered any living beings aside from each other. However, instead of looking eager, Hazel¡¯s partner looked more concerned than anything. ¡°H-hold on, I¡¯ll ask.¡± Nycteris, where are these humans you found? A couple...of blocks away...where you pointed before... Have you been spotted by them? No... Good. Stay hidden for now, Nycteris. ¡°They¡¯re a couple of blocks that way,¡± Hazel pointed at the location where Nycteris disappeared to. ¡°Should we avoid them and move to the opposite side of the city?¡± ¡°No...¡± Astrid muttered. ¡°It¡¯s better for us to observe these humans before we decide that. Besides, in case they''re enemies, we need to know who we¡¯re dealing with to avoid getting caught off guard.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Hazel could tell that Astrid felt nervous about the humans. Perhaps it was because they could be humans from her world. Thinking about it, she didn¡¯t know much about the dark elf¡¯s home world. Mainly because she initially never discussed it. However, that was because Astrid wasn¡¯t very social. Maybe now that they¡¯ve been together for a little bit, and the fact that the dark elf already opened up to her once, Astrid could tell her about the humans from her world. The player pair made their way over to Nycteris¡¯s location. According to the familiar, he was on top of a roof nearby, so they looked for the building he was located on. They made sure to stealthily get to the building without alerting any Fractured humans, and more importantly, the Player humans that Nycteris found. They quickly found the building and entered it. Thankfully, no Fractured creatures were nesting inside, allowing the pair to climb the stairs to the roof without any distractions. Making it to the top, the door to the roof was gently opened as they emerged outside. Ahead of them, Hazel and Astrid saw the Familiar Nycteris, staring down at the street below. He was crouched down, his stomach and chest pressed against the floor while his head peeked over the edge like a nosy kid, snooping on his neighbor next door. Hazel and Astrid followed along, crouching down while slowly approaching Nycteris. Once they stood next to him, the pair imitated the nightwing¡¯s posture, laying on their stomachs while gazing below them. Where do you see them, Nycteris? To prevent them from getting caught, Hazel resorted to using telepathy with Nycteris. While they were on the roof, none of them could afford to take any chances with their current situation. The Nightwing shifted his head to the right, his beady red eyes gesturing Hazel to look in that direction. Over...there... Hazel followed the Nightwing¡¯s gaze, searching for the humans he spotted before. It didn¡¯t take long before she caught a glimpse of the group. Located at least a block away to their right, Hazel saw four human-like figures strolling down a street of the city. Although she could barely see them, Hazel knew instinctively that those figures were human. But that didn¡¯t stop the mage from asking for a second opinion. [Hazel Thatcher: Are they human, Astrid?] Astrid took a moment to stare in the direction of the supposed humans. Her eyes narrowed as she intently studied them from a distance. A few moments of silence later, she gave her answer. [Astrid Skogr: They¡¯re humans, alright. All four of them.] Hazel stared at the message panel for a few seconds, her mind slowly coming to terms with this realization presented before her. Despite how hopeless it seemed at the beginning when Hazel first came here, she somehow managed to come across humans. And yet...a part of her felt anxious about their presence. Even though Hazel wasn¡¯t certain why, she knew that this wasn¡¯t the time to celebrate just yet. Not when there was a major question regarding them hanging over the air. Were these humans good...or a threat to the group? Chapter 54: Problematic Situation Hazel continued to stare at the humans still roaming down the street. Her mind raced with questions regarding their identity and more. After taking a couple of deep breaths, the novice mage calmed her nerves before turning to Astrid. ¡°Can you tell if they¡¯re really human?¡± Hazel asked. Despite her excitement, she didn¡¯t want to get her hopes up in case those people down there weren¡¯t humans. And since Astrid possessed the [Eagle Eye] skill, she was the best person to confirm their suspicions. ¡°They are,¡± Astrid told her. Seeing the message, Hazel expelled a sigh, relieved that those were humans. But, she knew that they weren¡¯t out of the woods yet. ¡°Could they be from your world or mine?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell from a glance. You humans look the same to me.¡± Hazel glared at Astrid, to which the dark elf shrugged her shoulders, hardly fazed by her expression. ¡°Can¡¯t you read their lips or something?¡± ¡°Do I look like a jack of all trades?¡± ¡°Please just identify them and tell me what you can know about.¡± Instead of making a response in the chat room, Astrid gave a firm nod before shifting her gaze back to the mystery humans. She gazed at her targets, using this moment to likely identify them and know who they were exactly. A moment later, Astrid¡¯s brows creased annoyingly. Just as Hazel noticed her partner¡¯s sour expression and attempted to ask what was wrong, the dark elf spoke first. ¡°I can¡¯t tell for sure, but they could be from my world.¡± Astrid scowled as her eyes narrowed angrily at the group of humans. Hazel stayed silent, not sure how to respond. She wanted to ask Astrid what the humans were like in her world, but judging from the dark elf¡¯s darkened expression, she could tell that it wasn¡¯t good. But she still needed answers. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you have a bad history with humans?¡± Hazel asked, doing her best to not agitate Astrid. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I have a bad history with them,¡± Astrid replied. ¡°I mean, my people did have a bad history with humans, but that was a couple hundred years ago. And while our current relationship wasn''t bad, I just can¡¯t necessarily trust them.¡± Her words stung Hazel since she was human too. Of course, the mage held back from making such a comment. ¡°Do you think we can trust those humans?¡± Since they¡¯re not from Hazel¡¯s world, the mage needed to rely on Astrid¡¯s knowledge. Even if they were a bit biased due to personal reasons. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Astrid muttered, keeping her eyes trained on the humans. ¡°The humans from my world aren¡¯t known for being trustworthy. Especially toward their own kind.¡± ¡°Sounds like the humans from my world,¡± Hazel mumbled. ¡°Then maybe it¡¯s a human thing,¡± Astrid snarked with a small grin. ¡°I can¡¯t really argue with that...¡± Humans from Earth could be very secretive and deceptive when they wanted to. Hazel remembered reading about how the Cold War involved a lot of espionage. America would wiretap Russian lines to obtain information that was vital to know like weapons development, secret military advancements, and even political strategies. And this was a cold war between humans. Hazel could only imagine what kind of suspicious things the humans from Astrid¡¯s world did. Especially against the other species like Elves. ¡°Can you at least tell me what their classes and levels are? If we can¡¯t tell that they¡¯re trustworthy, then we should know what we¡¯re dealing with.¡± ¡°Two are them are Warriors; one is a ranger like me, and the other is a Rogue. Even without checking with identify, their outfits give it away.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong there...¡± Hazel noticed that when you choose a class, the system would give you an outfit that suits your choice. In her case, she chose The Mage Class, and as such, she received a Mage¡¯s robe and staff. The same went for Astrid with her Ranger Class. ¡°As for their levels...they¡¯re basically at our level. Except one of the warriors is level sixteen.¡± ¡°Level sixteen?! Geez...¡± Hazel and Astrid had been killing plenty of monsters but were still stuck at level fourteen. The novice mage couldn¡¯t help but feel envious of the warrior¡¯s progress. However, she put her personal feelings aside for now and focused on the task presented before her.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°So, if they are hostile toward us...then we would likely have a difficult time dealing with them then, right?¡± Astrid grimly nodded. ¡°I would suppose so, yes. Of course, we have a chance to take them down if we use the element of surprise.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re suggesting an ambush?¡± ¡°More or less,¡± The dark elf shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°It¡¯s better than exposing ourselves and getting attacked on sight.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so...¡± Hazel hesitated. ¡°But I think we should hold off on that until we know for sure that they have ill intentions.¡± While Hazel agreed with Astrid about wanting to take down the players to gain the upper hand, she felt a bit hesitant to do such a thing when she wasn¡¯t certain of their alignments. Were these players good or bad? The novice mage couldn¡¯t, in good conscience, just attack the players and kill them without knowing if they were hostile or not. And for once, Hazel couldn¡¯t trust Astrid¡¯s words regarding the humans. Not unless she saw it for herself. ¡°And how do you suppose we do that?¡± Astrid asked with a stern tone. ¡°Are you just going to just go down there and greet them?¡± She scoffed a laugh. ¡°That¡¯ll be something if that¡¯s the case.¡± Hearing Astrid¡¯s sarcastic remark, an idea suddenly materialized in Hazel¡¯s mind. Her eyes widened from her realization of what to do, much to the dark elf¡¯s anxious expression. ¡°Y-you¡¯re not seriously suggesting we actually go down there and pull such a stunt, are you? For all we know, those bastards would kill us when our guard is down!¡± Astrid had a point. If the group decided to introduce themselves to the players, they could kiss their little ambush plan goodbye. Once they exposed themselves like that, there was no way for them to gain the upper hand. Luckily, Hazel had a plan to avoid this little problem. A very dumb and risky plan, at that. ¡°Not us...¡± Hazel said. ¡°Just me.¡± Astrid spun her head to face Hazel after hearing this as she stared at her with widened eyes. ¡°Are you out of your mind?!¡± The dark elf hissed. ¡°If you show yourselves to them, they¡¯ll kill you!¡± ¡°She¡¯s...right...!¡± Nycteris agreed, jumping into the conversation after staying quiet for so long. ¡°They...could...kill you...!¡± ¡°That will only happen if they¡¯re actually hostile...¡± Hazel insisted. ¡°And the possibility of that is still high!¡± Astrid retorted. ¡°We can¡¯t trust them!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m doing this. To see if we can trust them.¡± Although it looked like it, even Hazel wasn¡¯t stupid enough to reveal herself to others in such a way. Though Astrid was a fluke since she tried to save her in the heat of the moment. If Hazel and the others introduced themselves to the human players, they would lose the element of surprise they had against them. But if Hazel approached them alone, they could see if the group could be trusted or that they needed to be taken care of. ¡°While I try to befriend the group, you guys will stay on the sidelines and stay hidden. If those players attempt to kill me, you two will be able to ambush them since they¡¯ll be focused on the mage.¡± ¡°And what if they believe you¡¯re not alone?¡± Astrid questioned sharply. ¡°They could try and attack you to draw us out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very possible, but I still want to see if these guys can be trusted. If they can¡¯t and attack me, then we¡¯ll deal with them then.¡± ¡°You say that like it¡¯s not that big of a deal.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s the only plan I can think of to know if we can trust these guys or not.¡± ¡°How about we just kill them and avoid this issue altogether.¡± Hazel shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill them if they aren¡¯t bad.¡± ¡°Then let me!¡± Astrid insisted. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with them. You won¡¯t have to get your hands dirty.¡± Hazel paused while staring at her dark elf partner. She could tell from the determined gaze in her eyes that she was capable of fighting those humans without a problem. Likely because she had done this before. But that didn¡¯t mean Hazel was going to accept that. ¡°We aren¡¯t going to kill them until they are a threat to us,¡± She declared sternly. ¡°Let me introduce myself to them and see what they do. I¡¯ll deal with most of the problems that come with it. And if things go bad, you have my permission to ditch me, alright?¡± Hazel knew that what she was saying was both reckless and selfish. Not only was the mage putting herself in danger, but also her partner. If those players were deemed hostile, the pair would have a difficult time fighting them. But this was the only way that Hazel could confirm this. They could¡¯ve just simply spied on them and learned about the group that way, but that in itself was just as risky thanks to that Rogue. But by having Hazel join the group, she could draw their attention to her while also seeing if they were enemies or not. This was the best solution without outright killing them. And Hazel was willing to take that risk. Which was why she told Astrid to leave if or when things got out of hand for them. Astrid stood there, baffled by Hazel¡¯s words. She wanted to make a retort, but her words couldn¡¯t come out. The dark elf then sighed before glaring at her mage partner. ¡°I can¡¯t ditch you when you know about me, Thatcher,¡± She stated. ¡°If I leave you to them, you could possibly tell them everything and put my life at risk. And I can¡¯t have that.¡± ¡°Then just kill me,¡± Hazel said almost immediately, surprising the dark elf and Nightwing Bat. ¡°I told you when we made that deal that if I betray you or look like I am, my life would be in your hands. So, since you don¡¯t want to ditch me at the risk of being hunted down, then kill me along with everyone else when you have the chance.¡± Obviously, Hazel had no desire to betray Astrid. The entire reason she made that deal with the dark elf was because she knew she wouldn¡¯t do such a thing. While she sounded nonchalant, Hazel knew what she was doing. The dark elf stayed silent for a few moments, possibly contemplating her words. It wasn¡¯t until she lifted her head to stare at the mage with a firm expression that she spoke up once again. ¡°If you so much as think of betraying me, I will kill you, Thatcher.¡± Hearing this, Nycteris growled at Astrid, opening his mouth as if attempting to rip her head off with his teeth. But Hazel stopped him by raising her hand, making the Familiar freeze in an instant. ¡°I know,¡± Hazel replied calmly while keeping Nycteris at bay. ¡°But I have no intentions of betraying you. I simply want to know if they can be trusted or not. If they can¡¯t, then we¡¯ll deal with them accordingly.¡± While Hazel was hesitant to kill humans, she was willing to make an exception if they were scum and attacked her first. Even so, there was still a part of her that felt hesitant to take a human life. Thankfully, she had Astrid, who she knew would finish the job if things got out of hand. Or at least she hoped for that to be the case. Plus, there was also Nycteris who Hazel knew would certainly defend her when shit hits the fan. It was because of Hazel¡¯s faith in Astrid and Nycteris that she was confident to try and pull this plan off. They may have been outnumbered, but if they played their cards right, it was Hazel¡¯s team that held the advantage. ¡°Now then,¡± Hazel said while getting up from the floor. ¡°Let¡¯s go see what those players are up to, huh?¡± She turned her gaze toward the four players still within eye-shot. Chapter 55: The Human Party Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Chapter 56: Playing Along [Astrid Skogr: Are you sure about this? We both know that these people are dangerous, correct?] [Hazel Thatcher: Yeah, but leaving now would only put us in a bind. Even if we know that they are hostile, we would still have to deal with them in the future.] [Astrid Skogr: Then why don¡¯t we? All you need to do is lead them somewhere and we can take them down that way.] [Hazel Thatcher: I¡¯m not saying that we don¡¯t. I¡¯m simply saying that we should hold off until I know more.] [Astrid Skogr: More what? The people they¡¯ve killed or worse? You¡¯re putting yourself in unnecessary danger, Hazel.] [Hazel Thatcher: Aw, and here I thought you didn¡¯t care about me.] [Astrid Skogr: Keep messing around like this and I really won¡¯t care about what they do to you.] [Hazel Thatcher: Duly noted. But what I meant before was that I wanted to know if they had any valuables, we could take from them.] [Astrid Skogr: We could¡¯ve easily done that by spying on them.] [Hazel Thatcher: True, but with them being focused on poor, naive me, their guard will be down. That and by the off chance that they were good people, I wanted to at least talk to them and see if we could cooperate with them.] [Astrid Skogr: I refuse to work with humans.] [Hazel Thatcher: She said to the human she currently cooperating with.] [Astrid Skogr: We both know that I¡¯m only cooperating with you because you are useful to me. And vice versa.] [Hazel Thatcher: Yes, yes, I know about our little deal.] Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Chapter 57: Eavesdropping This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. The question now was why. Did they do something to the other players from Earth? Something that they planned to do to Hazel when they get the chance, or if they deem her as a threat? Chapter 58: The Truth and Plan This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Chapter 59: Hook, Line, and Sinker This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Chapter 60: The Lure Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Chapter 61: The Jig Is Up If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Chapter 62: Looting The Hideout After threatening to make Soren¡¯s last moments a true living hell, the four of them then flew toward her hideout. They could¡¯ve walked, but neither Hazel nor Astrid wanted to waste any more time with this and wanted to end it as soon as possible. Before they left, Astrid and Hazel looted the corpses of Soren¡¯s former party. Sadly, aside from extra arrows and throwing daggers, none of her allies had anything useful. While Hazel wasn¡¯t expecting much since none of them was a mage like her, Astrid was a bit disappointed regarding the Ranger¡¯s lack of unique items. The bow was the same as hers, and none of the arrows were special. Needless to say, the group left very disappointed in the loot they acquired. As the group flew in the air, Hazel and Astrid flew on Nycteris¡¯s back while Soren hung from his mouth by the back of her collar. Just because the warrior was complying with the group didn¡¯t mean she deserved better treatment. If anything, Hazel was being generous with Soren at the moment. There were plenty of ways to drag her body toward her base aside from that. And most of them were even worse than hanging by Nycteris¡¯s mouth. Several minutes flew by before the group finally arrived at their destination. ¡°It¡¯s down there...¡± Soren said, pointing down. ¡°Which building?¡± Hazel questioned. ¡°The one next to the large pile of broken barrels scattered along the street.¡± Although it sounded like Soren was screwing with them, when Hazel looked down to check, there were in fact, broken wooden barrels scattered along the area, which meant she was telling the truth. ¡°Descend there, Nycteris,¡± Hazel told her familiar while pointing. ¡°Understood...!¡± Once given another command, Nycteris rapidly descended back to the ground of the City Island. As they landed, Hazel and Astrid hopped off the Nightwing while Soren was once again dropped onto the ground without an ounce of care. ¡°U-ugh!¡± The warrior groaned. ¡°You...could¡¯ve at least told your monster to be more gen-?!¡± Soren barely managed to finish what she was saying before her head was slammed against the ground via Hazel¡¯s telekinesis. She then raised the warrior¡¯s head as she saw blood dripping from her forehead. However, instead of being concerned, the mage simply stared at her with the same cold gaze like before. ¡°I told you to not insult Nycteris,¡± She chided. ¡°That includes calling him a monster. Even if he was one. Do I make myself clear?¡± Soren hastily nodded, not wanting to have another taste of the concrete by angering Hazel. Once they came to an understanding, the mage then nodded at Nycteris, who picked up her signal and proceeded to pick the warrior back up by the back of her collar. ¡°You¡¯re being quite aggressive with her,¡± Astrid noted. Hazel turned to the dark elf with a cocked brow. ¡°Is that apprehension, I¡¯m hearing?¡± According to Astrid, she had a very rough relationship with humans. She didn¡¯t despise them, but also didn¡¯t fully trust them either. And yet, Astrid appeared to be uneased with Hazel¡¯s attitude toward Soren. ...Or so she thought. ¡°Are you joking?¡± Astrid scoffed. ¡°To me, that woman is getting everything she deserved. If anything, she needs to be punished more.¡± ¡°I can still hear you two...!¡± Soren snarled which Hazel and Astrid ignored. Stopping in front of the line of buildings in front of them, Hazel looked over at Soren with an expectant gaze. ¡°Which building?¡± ¡°The one in the middle,¡± Soren responded while pointing at the building in the center. Much like the rest, it was wedged between two buildings but gave off no significance or unique features like signs, color, or anything else of the sort. Hazel stared at the ordinary building for a moment before shifting her gaze to Soren. ¡°Are you playing with us?¡± Soren sighed. ¡°If I did that, you would be sending me to a gruesome and prolonged death. Why would I risk that?¡± ¡°True.¡± She shrugged. Taking her word for it, Hazel marched over to the middle building along with Astrid and Nycteris following behind her. Getting to the door, she turned the knob and slowly opened it. The door creaked loudly as it opened and revealed the inside of the building.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Do you see any traps?¡± Hazel asked the dark elf as they both took a peek inside. ¡°Not from what I¡¯m seeing. But just to be safe, you go first.¡± Hazel turned to glare at the dark elf. ¡°Haha. Just get in there already.¡± Astrid followed her request and was the first to enter the building. The gray-skinned Ranger carefully strolled further into the place, looking around as she did to spot any traps that could be placed inside. But, after a bit of observing, Astrid turned to Hazel while giving her a thumbs up. ¡°We¡¯re clear. No traps.¡± Hearing this, Hazel expelled a sigh and walked inside herself. Entering the building, she noticed that this place was a general store. There were several shelves with various items stacked on them ranging from tools to even bag food products. However, when Hazel took a closer look at the food, she realized that they were all empty, leaving only dust inside the hollow bags. She even pulled one out and emptied it just to witness dust pour out and scatter in the air. Hazel stifled a groan before tossing the bag aside. Turning around, she noticed that Nycteris hadn¡¯t entered yet as he patiently waited outside with Soren still hanging from his mouth. The mage stared at her familiar for a moment, looking confused. ¡°Nycteris, aren¡¯t you going to come in?¡± Could it be that he needed to be invited in? He was a variant of a vampire, so that could be the case. However, Hazel was sorely mistaken. Just then, she heard the Nightwing make a low screech almost like he was whimpering. ¡°The door...It¡¯s...too small...¡± ¡°Oh...?¡± Hazel took a look at the entrance, realizing that her familiar was correct. It was too small for Nycteris to walk through. In fact, even if the Nightwing crouched down and attempted to crawl in, it wouldn¡¯t have worked. As soon as she realized this, Hazel held back a chuckle, not wanting to upset Nycteris anymore. She then cleared her throat while taking a moment to compose herself. ¡°Well, just stay outside until we¡¯re done. You can be on lookout!¡± Hazel suggested, catching the Nightwing¡¯s attention as he eagerly looked at his master. ¡°While keeping an eye on Soren, you¡¯ll also be watching out for any monsters nearby. Can you do that?¡± ¡°Yes...!¡± Nycteris said with glee while nodding his head, thus shaking Soren at the same time. Hazel couldn¡¯t help but crack a smile at the blond warrior being lightly thrashed from her familiar¡¯s shaking. ¡°Hey, Hazel, I found their belongings!¡± Astrid told the mage. Hearing this, Hazel made her way over to where her partner was. Getting there, she saw the dark elf couched down in front of the loot from Soren¡¯s party. The mage soon joined Astrid as they both rummaged through the party¡¯s supplies, curious as to what they had. They found more food and water along with more potions, both Healing and Mana. Aside from that, the pair also found miscellaneous weapons and the like piled next to the bag of food and potions. There were daggers, swords, bows and arrows, and even axes and spears. They all looked fairly worn down and stained in blood. It only took Hazel and Astrid a moment to realize where Soren and her group found these items. They were spoils of war from killing multiple players during their time in the Dungeon. Judging from the weapons displayed, they seemed to have killed Warriors, Rogues, and Rangers. But there were two classes that neither Hazel nor Astrid could see. ¡°I¡¯m not seeing any items that came from previous Mages or Healers,¡± Astrid noted. ¡°They likely don¡¯t have any from those classes. At least for the mages. When I first encountered them, they seemed pretty surprised to see a player with the Mage class. I don¡¯t know about the Healers.¡± Hazel was the first Mage that Soren and the others encountered. And from what they could tell from their haul, none of them had encountered a Player with the Healer Class. Then again, if they did, they wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to just kill them off, even if they were a pest to them. Having healing skills would be extremely beneficial for a party that¡¯s constantly getting injured in battle. That and healing potions weren¡¯t exactly plentiful, even when you could obtain them through Dungeon Challenges. ¡°Still, to kill all of these people,¡± Hazel muttered, gazing down at the pile of weapons from fallen players. Some of these may have been from players from Earth. Players like her. And Soren¡¯s party killed them. Whether it was because they were no longer useful or just for the hell of it didn¡¯t matter. It was the fact that Soren¡¯s party killed them and didn¡¯t care about the lives they¡¯d taken. And that...angered Hazel. Unable to stare at the loot any longer after realizing where they came from, Hazel abruptly stood up. Astrid was startled by this as she stared at her partner with concern. ¡°Hazel?¡± Hazel said nothing and simply spun around then marched over to the entrance with only one thing in mind. Ending Soren¡¯s party once and for all. Approaching Soren and Nycteris, Hazel glared at the blond warrior still hanging by her collar. She looked up at the mage with a pale complexion. Fear stricken across her face as she mentally questioned what Hazel planned to do to her. ¡°You¡¯re not going to be hurting anyone else anymore,¡± Hazel declared with a cold and menacing tone as she looked down at Soren with a glare. ¡°P-please no...¡± Soren pleaded fearfully. Then, Hazel waved her hand toward Nycteris, signaling him to finish the job. The Nightwing let out an ear-piercing scream and then pounced on Soren, sinking his massive and razor-sharp teeth into the blond warrior¡¯s body. Blood spurted from the wound and splashed on the wooden floor tiles, staining the varnished wood in crimson. Hazel watched as Soren reached her hand out toward her, begging for the mage to save her life. Her eyes streamed with tears as blood spilled from her mouth. But instead of helping, Hazel remained still and simply observed from her current position. It didn¡¯t take long before Soren stopped moving and her raised limb fell to the ground with a wet thud as it splashed against the blood pooling around her. Her eyes glazed over and forever lifeless. Hazel couldn¡¯t help but stare into her dead eyes, believing that she had to. Unlike before Hazel did not feel guilt or remorse over killing another player. Maybe it was because the player in question was nothing more than an irredeemable scumbag that deserved it. In the end, Hazel couldn¡¯t be bothered to try and muster up the energy to feel guilty. She just felt...tired. Tired of it all, really. She wanted to return to Earth. She wanted to go home. Even if it changed, even if it was no longer the world she used to know, going back seemed a lot better than staying in this dungeon any longer. A whole lot better... Chapter 63: The Northern District With their business with Soren and her hideout officially done, Hazel and her group took their loot, left the area, and flew over to their next destination; the Norther District. Soren stated before that they believed that there was a sub-boss located there, so they planned to investigate the area and see if what she told Hazel was actually true. As the trio flew toward the district, a heavy silence accompanied them. Ever since Hazel ordered Nycteris to finish off Soren, neither she nor Astrid has spoken about it. Or anything for that matter, thus leaving them in the quiet solitude. That was until Astrid finally broke the silence. ¡°How are you holding up, Hazel?¡± Hazel stayed silent for a moment until she finally responded with a sigh. ¡°Are you concerned over my mental state after what happened with Soren and the others?¡± ¡°I...would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t.¡± Hazel knew why Astrid was bringing this up. It was because she knew that this was her first time killing people, even if indirectly. The dark elf was concerned that Hazel might snap under pressure or lose focus during battle and possibly get herself killed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me, Astrid,¡± Hazel told her. ¡°Although this was my first time taking a life, I have no regrets. Besides, with the world as it is now, something tells me that I would have to get used to this sooner or later.¡± Because of everything that was happening to them and their worlds, Hazel doubted that everything would be all sunshine and rainbows when they left this dungeon and returned to their newly merged home. There will be conflict, chaos, and most definitely, war. And like it or not, Hazel was going to get caught up in the middle of it. It was the goddamn apocalypse for crying out loud. She was bound to get her hands stained with blood sooner or later, so despite her apprehension, Hazel felt that this was necessary for her to survive. That and the fact that Soren and the rest of her group were vile players who killed other players for enjoyment or just for the hell of it. While Hazel had mixed feelings about taking a life, she didn¡¯t and would never regret taking theirs. That much was certain. ¡°I...would advise against that.¡± Hazel turned to Astrid with a confused expression. ¡°What?¡± This was not something she expected to hear from the dark elf. Hell, just before they entered Soren¡¯s hideout, Astrid didn¡¯t even stop Hazel from aggressively mistreating the blond warrior. If anything, she seemed to have encouraged it. And yet, for some reason, the dark elf said something like that. But why? ¡°I¡¯m not telling you to avoid taking a life,¡± Astrid continued. ¡°If you feel the need to kill your enemies, then do it. But you must never grow used to killing. That is the one thing you must avoid at all costs.¡± Hazel hesitated to speak. Her words stuck in the back of her throat, threatening to choke her from the suspense and fear. ¡°And...why is that?¡± She finally asked. ¡°Because I¡¯ve seen firsthand what happens to a person when they grow used to killing,¡± Astrid declared grimly as her expression darkened. ¡°It fundamentally changes you. For better, or most likely, for worse.¡± Hazel could tell by Astrid¡¯s tone that she was serious about this. She wasn¡¯t being sarcastic or just plain rude. She meant every word uttered and knew what she was talking about. Which begged the question; who was she referring to?Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. She stated that she witnessed this happen to someone else. Someone who was accustomed to killing, and that it permanently changed them. And it seemed to be in the worst way possible as well. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, who was this person that got used to killing?¡± Although Hazel was aware that she could be crossing a line by prying into Astrid¡¯s life, she couldn¡¯t help but ask after what she just heard. It wasn¡¯t just urging her to know but also a simple yet strong desire to know more about Astrid. More than anything; to also know why she was saying such things to her now of all time. Astrid was hesitant to answer as she bit her lip in frustration. Hazel said nothing, and simply let her partner decide what to do. If she wanted to tell Hazel, then she would. And if not, then the mage wasn¡¯t going to pester the dark elf any further. Then, miraculously enough, Astrid finally replied. ¡°My brother. He...is the one I¡¯m referring to.¡± ¡°Your brother...¡± Hazel muttered as she processed this information. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had a brother. Or really siblings for that matter.¡± ¡°I have a few siblings, actually,¡± Astrid told her with a sigh. ¡°There are five children of the Tribal chief, and I am the first and oldest daughter. My brother who I was talking about, Kollr, is the second child and first son of the chief.¡± ¡°I see...¡± This was quite a bit of information for Hazel to process. Not only did Astrid have siblings, but she was also the oldest child out of the five. Which made both of them the oldest child of their families. Then there was the part about one of her brothers, the second child, that changed after growing accustomed to killing. Hazel wanted to know more about Kollr but wasn¡¯t sure Astrid was ready or willing to talk about such a subject. She was honestly surprised that the dark elf was even mentioning such a thing in the first place. That must show how much she was concerned over Hazel¡¯s state of mind, and her attitude toward taking lives. She clearly didn¡¯t want to experience another rehash of someone she knew going down that path. Before Hazel or Astrid could say anything else, the duo player looked ahead with wide eyes as they soon arrived at the Northern district. And as they got closer, Hazel was slowly beginning to believe Soren¡¯s word about the place. ¡°I-is that...¡± Astrid muttered in horror. ¡°Yeah,¡± Hazel replied grimly. ¡°Looks like Soren was telling the truth about the sea of Fractured swarming the northern district.¡± Looking down as they flew by the northern district, all they could see was a massive horde of fractured. So many to the point where none of them could even see the street itself. Just the Fractured humans packed together like sardines as they shambled along the streets like a flood. ¡°H-how many do you think...¡± ¡°Too many to count. I doubt that we¡¯d be able to even take out a quarter of them before the day was done. This is no different than an infestation. I don¡¯t even think there would be this many rats in New York...¡± Needless to say, Hazel and Astrid were having a hard time processing the sheer number of Fractured humans swarming the northern district. It made the previous Horde Hazel encountered in both this city and the Town Island look like nothing more than a small crowd. And somewhere within this little sea of Fractured...was where one of the Sub-Bosses of this dungeon was located. And if that was the case, where would they even begin to search? ¡°Nycteris, keep flying around the northern district. We need to find the location of the Sub-Boss before leaving.¡± ¡°Understood...!¡± Per Hazel¡¯s command, Nycteris remained in the air and flew around the Northern District of the city island. While in the air, Hazel and Astrid did what they could and searched down in the district below them from above. They observed every building, street, and back alley, desperately searching for what could be a clue to the Sub-Boss''s location. A few minutes of flying around later, the group soon stumbled across a possible hint regarding where the Sub-Boss could be. ¡°So, I¡¯m not the only one seeing a small herd of flying fractured monsters circling that building, am I?¡± Hazel questioned. ¡°No, you are not,¡± Astrid stated. ¡°I can see them too.¡± Over to their right, Hazel soon spotted a swarm of what appeared to be various flying Fractured monsters pivoting a particular building. She didn¡¯t know what that building was used for, but Hazel could tell that it was built for something extravagant or formal. It wasn¡¯t a castle or a mansion, but just as grand and massive. A place that could fit hundreds of people with ease. Wanting to get a closer look, Nycteris landed nearby so they could properly view the building. Even as they landed, the flying fractured remained in the air, hovering over the building like vultures finding food. And as Hazel took another look at the building, a sudden chill ran down her spine as she sensed something within. While it was faint due to how far she was, the presence was still close enough for her to detect it. There was definitely something in that tower. Something strong and menacing. Which meant...it had to be the Sub-Boss. ¡°Alright,¡± Hazel said with a wry smile. ¡°I think we just found the location of a Sub-Boss monster.¡± Despite being scum, Hazel couldn¡¯t help but thank Soren for telling her such an important piece of information. Chapter 64: The Second Marker Hazel hurled her Baneful Sickle into a horde of Fractured humans, slaughtering them in an instant. Moments later, she watched their bodies burst into purple fragments before scattering in the air. [Level 3 Fractured Human has been defeated!] [Level 1 Fractured Human has been defeated!] [Level 2 Fractured Human has been defeated!] [Level 2 Fractured Human has been defeated!] [Level 3 Fractured Human has been defeated!] More Fractured appeared, however, refilling the spots where the previous purple-cracked undead stood before. Hazel was annoyed by this and fired a barrage of mana bolts into the horde, killing them one by one. ¡°If it¡¯s this difficult to take down a small horde of Fractured like this, something tells me that the sea of Fractured will be even worse.¡± The mage grumbled while moving away from the horde she was attacking. ¡°Well, we still have plenty of time to prepare and get stronger,¡± Astrid noted while firing a couple of arrows into the crowd of Fractured. ¡°So, we should use the time we have and make the most of it. And if it¡¯s impossible to deal with the sea of Fractured, we could always just fly over them and enter the building.¡± Hazel looked over at Astrid with a cocked brow. ¡°Did you forget the part about the flying Fractured monsters as well?¡± The dark elf shrugged. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be our first time fighting flying monsters. Besides, if we enter the building fast enough, those things won¡¯t be much of a problem either.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re not wrong.¡± While the Flying Fractured posed as much of a threat as the shambling sea of Fractured humans; they were also just as avoidable if Hazel and the others were smart about it. Of course, fighting them would also benefit the group since they could get stronger as well. But, by the time they attempt to fight the flying ones, they would likely be wasting time on them when they could be using that time to deal with the Boss. But that was a problem for later. At the moment, Hazel and the others needed to focus on leveling up more. At the moment, everyone¡¯s level was either at level ten or above it. Despite that, Hazel knew that they weren¡¯t ready to face off against a Boss. Sensing the Boss¡¯s presence inside the building from before proved that. Which was why they needed to get stronger. And fast. There were only two and a half weeks left before they completed the thirty-day objective for the Dungeon. If they didn¡¯t gain enough levels before the final days arrived, they might not be able to complete the objective of defeating a sub-boss. And while that was fine, since they could still return home after the thirty days were over, Hazel would feel a bit disappointed not being able to get the rewards from defeating a boss. As Hazel and Astrid talked, Nycteris was in the background mowing down the Fractured humans that tried to get to the players. The player duo could hear the Nightwing bat screeching as he slashed the Fractured into pieces while also ripping them apart with his teeth. They didn¡¯t even need to see the fight to know Nycteris was showing no mercy toward the Fractured. It was almost to the point where Hazel felt pity for them. Almost, anyway. One of the Fractured managed to shamble away from Nycteris as it made its way over to Hazel and Astrid. However, it was soon stopped in its tracks when Hazel fired a lone mana bolt through its skull, making it explode into purple fragments. [Level 3 Fractured Human has been defeated!] [You have leveled up! You are now Level 15!] [Second Marker has been met! New skills available!] Hazel¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden panels before her eyes as a wide grin was plastered on her face. ¡°Alright, I made it to level 15! And I reached the second Marker!¡± ¡°Wait, are you serious?!¡± Astrid questioned with a hint of excitement in her voice. Hazel nodded. ¡°Yeah. It seems that reaching level fifteen allowed me to achieve the second marker. Now I get to obtain a new skill!¡± Hazel had been curious regarding the requirements for obtaining her second marker. She received the first one when she reached level five. Her initial thought was that she would obtain a marker every five levels, but that was proven false when nothing happened after reaching level ten.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! But now, at level fifteen, she reached the marker. So, did that mean that the level requirement doubles with every marker obtained? Like it starts at Level 5, then Level 15, then Level 35, and so on? She¡¯d have to find out once she reached Level 35 to see if her new theory was correct. Until then, though, she should focus on which new skill she should obtain. [Current Skills Available for Player to Determine Path] Rank 1 The caster is given the ability to drain the life force of other living beings, stealing their essence to replenish their health and mana. Rank 1 A spell that allows the user to conjure Aether, an element that was theorized to be derived from the heavenly realm itself, and deliver a devastating strike to their enemies. The cooldown is fifteen seconds. Rank 1 The caster is capable of summoning a cursed spear that corrupts and damages their enemies over time. The caster will be able to conjure up three cursed spears at a time or at once before initiating a ten-second cooldown to replenish each spear. Rank 1 A spell pulled from the deepest depths of the void that allows the caster to destroy their enemies using darkness itself with a cooldown of ten seconds. Rank 1 A spell that allows the caster to call upon a bolt of lightning, striking down any enemy they wish to target. Inflicts internal damage from the electricity coursing through their body once struck by the bolt with a cooldown of ten seconds. Rank 1 With this spell, the caster is capable of gathering mana from within themselves and around them, condensing the mass of energy before releasing it all at once, resulting in a devastating burst of power that will blow away your foes and possibly even destroy them depending on the power. The cooldown is one minute. Unlike before, Hazel was given more options of what spells to choose. So, she took a moment to read through them all before making a decision. The life drain spell piqued her interest quite a bit. Not only would she drain the life force of her enemy, but she would also simultaneously be replenishing herself in the process. If she had this spell, Hazel didn¡¯t have to worry about running out of mana. All she needed to do was find a player or monster and take their life force. While that sounded grim, Hazel had already crossed the point of no return after killing Soren and the rest of her party. Even if they were scumbags, they were still humans, and she took their lives. However, despite how good the spell was, she couldn¡¯t select it for two reasons. The first reason was its current use. Much like the Raise Dead spell, Life Drain was completely useless to her due to one glaring problem; the Fractured humans. They weren¡¯t exactly alive and were nothing more than hollow husks of their former selves. Which meant they possessed no life force, ergo, the spell was worthless while she was stuck in this dungeon. And while she could still select the spell and simply wait until she was finally out of the dungeon, there was the other reason why she couldn¡¯t pick it. By selecting Life Drain, Hazel would most likely get addicted to taking the life force of players and monsters, essentially making her a life-stealing monster. While the possibility of that was low, she still couldn¡¯t risk possessing such a spell. As for the remaining spells, all of them were attack-oriented. And even if she went through them all, Hazel already knew which spell she wanted. It was the Cursed Spear spell. Considering her current spell arsenal, Cursed Spear fit right up her alley. That and she had been waiting to find another curse-related spell. There was also the little feature where she could summon three cursed spears before receiving a ten-second cooldown for each spear thrown. While a bit taxing in terms of time, that in itself, was extremely valuable to Hazel. Her other options if she didn¡¯t decide on Cursed Spear would¡¯ve been either Mana Burst or Aether Strike. While the one-minute cooldown was a bit of a pain, Hazel could see herself using it as a last resort type spell that could save her in the nick of time. As for Aether strike, the concept of the spell being derived from the heavenly realm intrigued her. What exactly was this Heavenly Realm like? And why were mages capable of harnessing something from that realm? Hazel wanted to know but held back since she had a proper build going for her already. And with her decision already made, Hazel soon selected her spell. [You have chosen The Cursed Spear Spell!] Hazel¡¯s smile deepened upon reading the message. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see just how strong this spell really is.¡± The mage turned toward the horde, her intentions visible on her face as she stared at the group of targets before her. She then raised her staff toward the shambling Fractured and focused on summoning her cursed spear. A moment later, a menacing violet javelin condensed of pure cursed energy manifested before the mage. It hovered in the air for a moment, waiting to be used. Hazel admired the cursed spear for a moment, mesmerized by the malicious spell. Then, with a single thought, she willed the cursed spear forward, hurling it into the horde of Fractured humans. The spell easily tore through its targets, leaving a path of purple fragments dispersing in the air before abruptly disappearing. Hazel witnessed the destruction created by her spear with widened eyes and a wider grin on her face. Almost immediately after, Hazel conjured the remaining two spears, watching them materialize in a violent matter with purple ethereal wisps emitting from the spell as if they were being created from a dark and malicious force beyond her comprehension. With the spells materialized, the mage wasted no time and hurled both of them into the horde, watching the devastation brought upon by the cursed javelins. In the back, Astrid and Nycteris watched in both shock and awe at the power of Hazel¡¯s new spell. After hurling her final two cursed spears, she now had to wait at least thirty seconds to use all three of them again. Satisfied, she then turned around and faced her allies, her wide and menacing grin remaining on her face. ¡°Well, I know what I¡¯m going to be using a lot during our little grind fest,¡± She beamed like a young girl that found an interesting toy to use. Chapter 65: The Grind With their objective set and the location of the boss found, Hazel and her group then spent the rest of their remaining days getting stronger and leveling up as much as possible. And they weren¡¯t just trying to level up themselves but also their skills and spells. Hazel knew that the battle against the Sub-boss wouldn¡¯t be easy or simple. It was going to be a difficult fight. Probably one of her most fierce and dangerous fights yet that would put her previous battles against monsters like the Fractured Class Humans, Cyclops, and the Alpha Dire Wolf to shame. Which was why she was also going to be increasing the ranks of her spells as well. Until either, they were high enough to where she couldn¡¯t increase their rank that easily or when the time to go up against the boss had arrived. With that in mind, Hazel used the remaining days she had to train her spells as much as possible. From Baneful Sickle to Telekinesis, to even Mana Shield. Every spell in her arsenal was going to be used and improved. No exceptions. And so the day of grinding in the City Island began. It started with Hazel simply spamming her spells at the horde of Fractured humans infesting the streets of the city island. Whether it was Mana Bolt, Baneful Sickle, or even Cursed Spear, she would use it until her mana was completely depleted. She did this to understand the activation and timing of her spells. How strong they were, and how fast they were fired, among other things. Then she would be more strategic with them. She would fire one spell and then a different one to catch her enemies off guard. Hazel practiced this by hurling either a cursed spear or Baneful Sickle at the horde, then she would deliver a barrage attack of mana bolts. She would also do this in reverse by hurling multiple mana bolts at the horde then when the time was right, cast either Baneful Sickle or Cursed Spear. There were also times when Hazel would mix it up by doing a barrage of mana bolts, sneak a baneful sickle or Cursed spear in the mix, and then return to the barrage. Hazel was attempting all of these combos as a way to increase her experience and skills with her spells. The more she understood how to use them in a fight, the better it would be for her when the fight against the sub-boss finally arrived. It wasn¡¯t just her spells she was improving but also her physical capabilities as well. While she wasn¡¯t faster, stronger, or more durable than Astrid or Nycteris, she could still do some training that involved her physical stats as well. One of them being her reflexes. During the days when she took a break from magic, Hazel would be training with Astrid by having sparring matches. Spoilers; she lost every single time against her. Not only was Astrid faster, but she was also skilled enough to completely overpower her in a second. Every time Hazel attempted to avoid one of Astrid¡¯s attacks, the dark elf would still take her down in a split second.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. It was during these little sparring matches that Hazel realized how lacking she was in terms of physical capabilities. Then again, she was a mage, so fighting with her fists and feet wasn¡¯t her style. Though, she wished that she didn¡¯t have to realize that after getting her ass handed to her six ways to Sunday. Aside from Hazel¡¯s training, Astrid and Nycteris were also on the bandwagon. Both of them improved their skills for the upcoming battle. Nycteris worked on his role as the group¡¯s tank; not only taking the hits for them but also drawing the attention of the enemies to prevent Hazel and Astrid from getting hurt or killed during the fight. His role was crucial for the fight against the sub-boss since he would need to keep its attention on him while also tanking a lot of its hits, while Hazel and Astrid did their best to weaken it. Without Nycteris, the player pair would have a very difficult time with the boss. As for Astrid, she focused on areas that she needed to improve on, which was her mana. Due to her low Intelligence and Wisdom stat, she was unable to fully rely on the magic quiver that could conjure more arrows after she poured her mana into it. According to her, she was only able to conjure at most five arrows every half hour or so. And this was because of her low mana capacity and mana regeneration rate. By the time she conjured the fifth arrow, she would be completely exhausted as if she had run a marathon. And Hazel made sure to enjoy every minute of it as a form of payback for the dark elf kicking her ass in their sparring matches. Of course, they only got worse because of Hazel¡¯s constant harassment, but she refused to surrender and kept doing it regardless of the treatment. During those times they took a break, and the pair got a little closer as well. Hazel would occasionally talk about certain things from her world like history and pop culture, and Astrid would do the same and explain certain traditions and cultures that her tribe follows. They never talked about anything personal like their family dramas or traumatic experiences they faced in the past before getting sent to this dungeon. Hazel didn¡¯t even attempt to press Astrid regarding the relationship with her brother. She knew that there was more to their relationship than meets the eye. Especially after Astrid confessed about her brother¡¯s fate after growing used to taking lives. However, Hazel was also aware that it was none of her business. Whatever the problems were with the dark elves were of Astrid¡¯s concern, not hers. Hazel had enough problems as it was once she finally escaped this dungeon. Not only did she have to follow her brother and mother, but she also needed to find a place to keep them safe or at least where they wouldn¡¯t be affected by the upcoming war that was bound to occur due to their two worlds merging into one. Hazel didn¡¯t want her family to get involved in that kind of chaos. Not when there was a possibility that they could die in the process. If something happened to either of them...she didn¡¯t know what she would do. But she couldn¡¯t focus on the morbid future regarding her family¡¯s fate. If she dreaded over that constantly, she would lose her sanity in no time. So, she simply focused on the grind, trying to get as much done as possible before the deadline. Days went by in a flash as the group made progress. Hazel¡¯s spellcraft, Astrid¡¯s archery, and even Nycteris¡¯s power. All of them were getting stronger as time went on, marching toward the target date as they slaughtered every monster in their path, seeing them only as XP farms for them to harvest at a moment¡¯s notice. And soon...the days of grinding had come to an end. And the final days of their time in the dungeon were about to come to a close. Chapter 66: The Big Day ¡°Looks like it¡¯s the big day, huh?¡± Hazel said, sounding less than excited. ¡°It certainly seems that way,¡± Astrid replied while placing some arrows into her magic quiver. It had been exactly twenty days since Hazel, Astrid, and Nycteris had begun their grinding fest to get stronger. And the results were quite exceptional. Status Window Name: Hazel Thatcher Race: Human Level: 18 Class: Mage Free Points: 0 Attributes: Strength: 7 Agility: 16 Endurance: 20 Intelligence: 38 (+33) Wisdom: 36 (+18) Willpower: 12 (+10) In nearly three weeks, Hazel and Astrid were able to increase their levels by three to four points, putting them both at Level 18. Considering that they were only two levels away from reaching level 20, the duo considered attempting to grind it out a little longer to get there. However, there wasn¡¯t enough time. There was only less than a day left of their time in the Tutorial Dungeon. If they wasted their time to try and get to Level twenty, then they wouldn¡¯t have enough to attempt their battle against the boss. There was also the added fact that Hazel and Astrid reached level eighteen three to four days ago, and haven¡¯t made any progress since then. However, that was also because of how low leveled all of the monsters were in the city, due to them being Fractured humans. Because of the lack of progress, Hazel and Astrid decided to proceed with their plan against the boss at their current level, while also praying that it will be enough. Aside from their levels, Nycteris had just recently made it to level fifteen, which allowed him to receive his second marker and skill. And the skill he chose was called [Bloodlust]. This skill allowed Nycteris to enter a berserk-like state that increased his stats to about ten percent. This ability will be very helpful for them when they fight against the boss. By increasing his power, he would be able to stand a better chance against the boss, if only a little bit. However, there was a problem that the group faced involving the [Blood Lust] skill. While under its effect, he couldn¡¯t control his body and was completely overtaken by his primal instincts as a vampiric creature of the night. Of course, Hazel and Astrid learned this the hard way when Hazel stupidly wanted to test Nycteris¡¯s ability against the swarming sea of Fractured humans in the northern district. At first, Nycteris was doing fine while slaughtering the fractured. But that didn¡¯t last long when the Nightwing changed targets, aka, Hazel and Astrid. Just as Nycteris lunged at the player duo, Hazel knocked him unconscious by using Telekinesis and swing him around until he passed out. Needless to say, that moment was an extremely close call if she hadn¡¯t sent the Nightwing bat away in time. With a bit of preparation, Hazel and Astrid proceeded to test out the capabilities of Nycteris¡¯s [Bloodlust] skill. From a very safe spot and out of sight of the Nightwing bat. They held no desire to experience something like before again. Aside from ranking up Nycteris¡¯s skills, Hazel¡¯s and Astrid¡¯s skills have improved as well. Rank 5 A spell that allows the User to manipulate objects without touching them. User is capable of picking up objects larger than their heads, while also having the capability to lift multiple objects at once. The more objects under the influence of Telekinesis, the more mana is used. Rank 9 A spell that lets the user summon a bolt of condensed mana to strike their enemies down. This spell does not have a cooldown. Rank 7 Allows the user to summon a shield made of mana for fifteen seconds. It will be able to protect the user and block most attacks. The cooldown lasts five seconds. Rank: 9 Gives the caster the ability to fire a sickle-like blade at their enemies. The sickle is made of cursed energy that damages the enemy over time. Curse Dmg is increased by 15%. It¡¯s a skill that is highly used by Witches. The cooldown lasts ten seconds. Rank 7 A skill that allows the caster to deteriorate anything or anyone they wish. By being afflicted with decay, their vessels slowly decompose, withering away until they are nothing but ash and dust. Rot dmg is increased by 13% It is a common ability used by witches due to its fast-acting effects. The cooldown is thirty seconds. Rank 5 The caster is capable of summoning a cursed spear that corrupts and damages their enemies over time. Curse Dmg is increased by 9% The caster will be able to conjure up five cursed spears at a time or at once before initiating a ten-second cooldown for each spear. Hazel had been quite busy during the past twenty days. But it was worth it, considering how much stronger she became. Both Mana Bolt and Baneful Sickle were one rank away from reaching Rank 10. Then there was Telekinesis. After constantly using it so often when fighting monsters, she got the hang of properly controlling the spell. While it still took quite a bit of mana to move things so often, she could more or less handle it better than before. Because Hazel had the most abilities compared to Astrid and Nycteris, she had a tougher time increasing all of their ranks. She had come to learn that juggling the number of spells she possessed was not an easy task. But her hard work still paid off in the end. Astrid¡¯s skills were of a similar rank to Hazels. Her [Hawk Eye] was Rank 8, [Rapid Fire] was Rank 9, [Piercing Shot] was Rank 8, and her latest skill [Quick Step] was Rank 6. Much like Hazel, Astrid was working just as hard. If not more. Hazel and Astrid continued to pack their belongings that they planned to bring with them to the final battle. They believed that once the boss was defeated, they would be teleported away right after. Or at least after they received their rewards and such, so they needed to take everything that was theirs to not lose them in this dungeon after completing the objective. During the past couple of weeks, Hazel also used the opportunity to return to the Tower Island to retrieve a few items for when they finally left this dungeon. A Majority of the items that she took were the paper schematics, several books regarding magic and the like, and other miscellaneous things. Hazel was able to get this done with quickly without wasting a lot of time thanks to Nycteris flying her back and forth. With their belongings packed, the group placed them on a saddle currently attached to Nycteris. Hazel found this item a couple days back when she was exploring the city and searching for fractured to kill. The item was just big enough to place over the Nightwing bat, and it had hooks and the like that allowed them to hang their stuff on. ¡°Alright, I think that¡¯s everything,¡± Hazel said with a sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving.¡± ¡°Understood...¡± ¡°Lead the way, then,¡± Astrid advised. The group made their way out of the tavern they¡¯d been using as their base. Once outside, Hazel and Astrid climbed on the Nightwing bat as he prepared to take off. The player pair was soon seated on Nycteris as he took a pouncing position while spreading his wings out.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. And with a single flap, the group ascended into the sky much like before. They blitzed past the rooftops of buildings in seconds as they soared over to their next and final destination. The northern district. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Astrid asked. ¡°A bit anxious, I guess. Then again, we are on our way to fight against a very strong enemy who is also a Boss of this dungeon, so I feel that I should be more than just anxious.¡± While Hazel did everything she could to prepare for this day, there was a part of her that felt she wasn¡¯t ready yet. That she was jumping the gun. If the boss they were about to fight was too strong, then it was possible that they could die before even completing the tutorial. And it was this morbid thought that clung to the back of her mind, plaguing her with doubt and fear that she could be in way over her head in this scenario. But despite the risks that were clearly presented to them, Hazel couldn¡¯t help but think about the reward if they were able to succeed. Defeating a sub-boss of a Tutorial Dungeon had to be a big deal. The kind where they could obtain more powerful items to make them stronger for when they leave the Tutorial Dungeon. And that was the only reason why Hazel didn¡¯t back down and planned to go through with this plan to face and defeat a sub-boss. The higher the risks, the better the rewards. And the risks that Hazel was taking were pretty high right now. Which made their upcoming rewards that much sweeter to get their hands on. ¡°We should be approaching the Northern District,¡± Hazel told her group. ¡°Be ready for anything.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me twice,¡± Astrid stated while drawing her bow and arrow. Nycteris let out a vicious snort, likely acknowledging his master¡¯s orders. The trio was rapidly reaching their destination, and all of them prepared for a fight. As they approached the northern district, Hazel looked down to see the familiar and numerous sea of Fractured humans still roaming around the area. ¡°The fact that we weren¡¯t even able to eliminate a good quarter of them is a bit frustrating,¡± Hazel grumbled, intently peering down at the monsters below her. Hazel and the others spent a good majority of their time fighting against this horde of monsters. Due to the sheer number of them, the group was able to receive a lot of experience from killing them. However, that number also proved to be the horde¡¯s biggest advantage since Hazel and the rest of her group were unable to even diminish the population enough to be significant. Regardless, the fractured in this district were still perfect for obtaining experience, if only a little, due to their levels. But, because of the time they were currently under, the group wasn¡¯t going to bother fighting their way through to get to the boss. Especially when they could simply fly over the horde thanks to Nycteris. Sadly, the horde had a flock of their own flying allies. Ones that were flying around the very building they were heading toward. ¡°You think they¡¯re going to notice us?¡± Hazel asked. Immediately after she uttered this question, the group flew close enough to the flock of monsters that they were then registered as a threat. A good majority of the flock then soared over to the group, determined to take them down. ¡°You just had to ask, didn¡¯t you!¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s definitely on me!¡± Seeing the small group of flying monsters zip toward them like a horde of moths to a light, Nycteris dove down to avoid them. Hazel and Astrid braced themselves as the Nightwing attempted to avoid them. ¡°Nycteris, head to the entrance!¡± She told her familiar. ¡°Astrid and I will try and keep them off you!¡± ¡°Understood...master!¡± While the Nightwing maintained course, Hazel and Astrid carefully spun around to face the flock monsters chasing them. It was a mixture of harpies and wyverns much like before. Thankfully, there were no flying monkeys in the mix. Raising their weapons, the player duo aimed at the flock. A moment later, they unleashed hell upon their enemies. Five menacing purple spears of cursed energy materialized in front of Hazel before being hurled at the flock with malicious intent. The cursed spears barreled toward the flock and tore through a good majority of them, either killing them instantly or mortally wounding them. Either way, the ones struck by Hazel soon descended from the sky, falling into the horde below them. Hazel figured that the Fractured wouldn¡¯t attack their own, so she didn¡¯t expect a scene like in a zombie movie where the undead ripped someone who fell from the sky apart as the rest of the characters watched in horror. The sound of screeching from the harpies and wyverns filled Hazel¡¯s ears as her sight was flooded with kill notifications. She mentally pushed them to the side to focus on the flock still chasing them, only to witness several arrows zip through the air like a bullet and obliterate more of them. More of the flock fell from the sky, unable to stay in the air from their injuries. Before more could appear and take the place of their fallen brethren, Nycteris soon made it to the entrance. ¡°We¡¯re...here!¡± Hazel looked in the Nightwing bat¡¯s direction and witnessed them rapidly descending to the ground. The very ground where a lot of the fractured were roaming around. As soon as the mage saw this, her eyes widened before she held Astrid and pulled her closer. ¡°Brace for impact!¡± Not waiting for another second, both Hazel and Astrid clung to Nycteris¡¯s body. The familiar soon crashed into the ground, delivering a devastating shockwave that blew away the fractured humans nearby. Their bodies flew in the air for a few moments then crashed into the ground much like Nycteris did, but not so gracefully. Seeing that they were no longer surrounded, if only temporarily, Hazel and Astrid hopped off the Nightwing bat and made their way to the door. They made it to a pair of double doors that led inside. Both Hazel and Astrid placed their hands on the door and pushed it open with all of their might. The entrance creaked open, revealing a lavish lobby room inside the building. ¡°Get inside, quickly!¡± Hazel urged the group. Astrid and Nycteris followed her command and rushed inside the building, entering the lobby room. Hazel was the last to get inside, and once she was, all three then pushed the doors closed to prevent the horde from following them inside. They could still hear the distant moaning, snarling, and groaning from the Fractured getting closer to the door. Then numerous poundings could be heard, signaling the group that the horde was desperate to get inside. Hazel and the others backed away from the door, but not before grabbing nearby heavy furniture and placing it in front of the entrance. The pounding and distant ground could be heard from beyond the entrance, but the group made it their mission to ignore it. They had bigger fish to fry at the moment. ¡°This place is quite...lavish, to say the least,¡± Hazel noted, glancing around at the lobby room they found themselves in. The lobby of the building could only be described as grand or extremely goddamn expensive. There were gold-colored tiled floors that were polished to the point where you could see your reflection, beautifully crafted chandeliers made of some kind of expensive glass material, and very pristine and artsy columns that supported the ceiling above them. Taking a closer look at the snow-white columns, she noticed that there were rough lines of gold engraved on the grooves. It reminded her of that Japanese technique where you restored broken bowls and cups using gold. She believed that the term was called Kintsugi, but she wasn¡¯t certain. Moving away from the columns, the group made their way to the other end of the lobby where a lone entrance door was located. Standing in front of the entrance, Hazel and Astrid both then pushed open the door to see what was inside. Only to be mesmerized by what they saw. On the other side of the door was possibly the biggest amphitheater or opera house in the world. Numerous chairs were lined up in rows, leading all the way down to the stage where people would be on stage to either place music or act. Even the walls were riddled with private rooms where people could sit and watch the show from that spot. The group slowly entered inside, completely taken away by the sheer magnitude of the amphitheater. Just then, the doors were slammed shut behind them, startling the trio. Hazel turned around to see that their only exit was now possibly locked. Her face creased into an irritable frown. She should¡¯ve been more afraid of this scenario, but instead, she felt more annoyed than anything. ¡°Ooh, scary~¡± She taunted. ¡°Give me a break.¡± Hazel had seen plenty of scenes similar to this. The main characters enter some haunted building, and the doors creepily close behind them, without anyone doing it. A moment later, a panel appeared. [You have entered The Sub-Boss room ¡°Jester¡¯s Opera House!¡± Until the sub-boss is defeated, you cannot leave the room.] Reading the new panel, Astrid sighed. ¡°Well, looks like we¡¯re not going anywhere anytime soon...¡± ¡°At least not until we took down the sub-boss.¡± Speaking of which, where was the sub-boss located anyway? Hazel and Astrid glanced around the opera house, searching for their opponent. The dark elf then pointed down with a somewhat grim expression. ¡°You think it¡¯s the thing on the stage platform?¡± Hazel followed Astrid¡¯s gaze before spotting the center stage where actors and the like would usually do their act. She then strained her eyes as she quickly saw a lone figure right in the middle of the stage. It was some kind of jester, wearing a multi-color outfit with baggy pants, four drooping horns with bells attached to each one, and funky red clown shoes where the tips of the footwear curled up. But what caught Hazel¡¯s attention was the menacing smiling mask it wore. The eyes were carved as Xs and the mouth bore sharp teeth, as if ready to eat its next victim. After staring at the sub-boss for a moment, the group decided to walk down the path to get a closer look, being cautious of the jester before them as they did. Getting closer to the stage, the Jester began to twitch, which caused the group to pause as they readied themselves for battle. And just as Hazel brought her staff up to prepare a spell, the Jester monster suddenly disappeared from the stage. The mage¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°W-where the hell did it...?!¡± She couldn¡¯t even finish her sentence before the Jester revealed itself before them...as it blitzed toward Hazel with a dagger aimed right for her throat. Chapter 67: The Jester If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Chapter 68: Clones are The Worst The clone Jester lunges at Nycteris, swinging all four weapons at him. The Nightwing bat screeches and jumps to the side to avoid the attack. A moment later, several mana bolts were hurled in its direction. The clone used all four blades to deflect Hazel¡¯s bolts, watching the spells shatter from the collision, sending bright blue particles in the air. As soon as Hazel stopped firing, the Jester copy saw an opportunity to attack. It blitzed toward her like a lightning bolt, closing the distance in mere moments. Hazel could barely react to the Jester¡¯s absurd speed. Panicked, she scrambled to raise her staff, using it as a shield. Three blades clashed against the gnarled staff, digging into the wood as the Jester pushed against Hazel. As for the fourth blade, the Jester used one remaining limb and slashed at her face. Hazel managed to note the fourth weapon gliding toward her face. She then jerked her head away, barely avoiding the blade and leaving a small cut on her cheek as a result. Before the Jester could attempt to attack again, its attention was briefly pulled away from her when it heard Nycteris¡¯s screech. It snapped its head around like an owl, so it could look at the nightwing. Seeing this, Hazel saw an opportunity. She pulled one of her hands off her staff and placed it in front of the Jester. Then, she hurled a Baneful Sickle directly at its torso. The spell tore through the monster, cutting it in half. The two halves of the Jester collapsed on the floor. As soon as they fell, they burst into purple particles. But Hazel didn¡¯t receive a kill notification. She narrowed her eyes angrily. So, clones didn¡¯t count as proper kills, then. That in itself was rather annoying. It was one thing to be fighting against clones, but the fact that they couldn¡¯t obtain any experience from them only made them more bothersome to deal with. They were basically killing monsters without any benefit. No XP, no anything. And that proved to be very vexing for Hazel. ¡°Master...behind!¡± Nycteris called out to his master. Hearing her familiar warned her, Hazel didn¡¯t bother turning around to look and simply cast Mana Shield to block whatever attack came her way. The sound of metal clanging against her barrier could be heard from behind. When she turned around to see what it was, her eyes laid upon two more Jesters being recoiled from their attacks. Before they could land and try again, Hazel lifted her staff and summoned two Cursed spears, and launched them at the Jesters. The menacing purple javelins pierced through their torsos, leaving a large hole in their wake as the copies exploded into fragments. Sadly, this proved to be a useless effort. Even when Hazel managed to down the two Jester copies, two more simply appeared out of nowhere to attack. They sprouted two more arms like one of the previous clones and made a beeline for her. ¡°For the love of...!¡± Frustrated with the never-ending clones, Hazel waved her hands together, activating Telekinesis. The jester copies were frozen in place for a brief moment, restricted by Hazel¡¯s spell. Then, she smacked her hands together, making the two jesters clash against one another. The sudden force of the collision killed them in an instant. Their bodies were twisted around as if they were attempting to fuse into some kind of jester ball. But before the fusion could be complete, purple cracks spider-webbed along their bodies. A moment later, they shattered in an instant. Hazel breathed heavily after killing the clones. Her hands were visibly shaking as the overwhelming fatigue slowly took hold of her. She clutched her head in pain, feeling a sharp migraine assault her brain. ¡°Wonderful...¡± She grumbled. ¡°Just wonderful.¡± Her mana reserves were running low. Any attempt to cast more spells would put her at an even bigger disadvantage right now. As if her problems couldn¡¯t stop there, more Jester copies were coming out of the woodwork. What used to be two Jesters now became four. All of them with their attention set on the mage herself. ¡°Dammit...¡± Hazel muttered a swear. ¡°Nycteris!¡± Hearing her call, the Nightwing appeared next to her immediately. He expelled a low screech and glared at the newly made jester copies. ¡°Keep them busy for me, alright?¡± The Nightwing firmly nodded, narrowing its crimson-red eyes at the clown-like creatures. A second later, he rushed toward the jesters with the determination to achieve his master¡¯s command. With the Jesters occupied, Hazel turned around to go find the bag that carried their supplies. Specifically mana potions. She rushed down a path between rows of chairs as her legs bumped against every seat and back she came across. ¡°I wish this damn dress had pockets or something like with my magic robe.¡± Because Hazel¡¯s dress had no pockets, she couldn¡¯t carry a mana or health potion on her person. And because of that, she was scrambling to find their luggage that carried their supplies. Thankfully, making it over to where the fight initially started, the mage managed to find the bag laid out on the floor in front of her. Hazel rushed toward the bag, desperate to get a mana potion. Sadly, life had different plans for her. Just as she got close to the bag, another Jester landed in front of her, as if falling from the sky. The mage came to an abrupt stop upon seeing the monster. She raised her staff to try and attack it, but the Jester was faster, dashing toward her with its two blades ready to strike her down. Hazel changed gears and went to cast a Mana shield. The barrier began to form around her as the Jester got closer. However, the monster didn¡¯t even get a chance to strike its blade against her shield before an arrow could be seen piercing its skull. The arrow didn¡¯t stop and went right through its head, shattering its mask and then clashing against Hazel¡¯s barrier. The mage¡¯s heart nearly leaped out of her chest while watching the projectile getting rebounded off the blue transparent dome of pure mana.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Hazel shifted her head to see the culprit of the shot, witnessing Astrid appear behind the Jester she just killed. The dark elf proceeded to pull back another arrow in preparation to shoot another jester copy. The mage scowled. ¡°You do realize you could¡¯ve killed me if I hadn¡¯t cast Mana Shield right?¡± ¡°Which is why I didn¡¯t shoot that arrow until you did.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve at least given me a heads up!¡± ¡°True,¡± Astrid shrugged. Her face then turned stern as she raised her bow above Hazel¡¯s head and immediately loosed the arrow. The projectile zipped past the top of Hazel¡¯s head, striking the Jester copy behind her. She turned around just in time to watch the copy completely fracture, unable to maintain its physical form. ¡°Get a mana potion while you can,¡± Astrid instructed, preparing another arrow to shoot. ¡°I¡¯ll take down any more clones that get in your way.¡± Hazel gave the dark elf a brief nod while making her way to the bag. Crouching down, she pulled out a mana potion before immediately downing it. A cool wave of energy washed over Hazel; a sign that her mana was being replenished. Finishing off the potion, she tossed the glass vial to the side without giving it a second thought. She then joined Astrid to support her now that she was at one hundred percent again. They were now back-to-back, covering each other''s rears from any Jester copies coming their way. And like before, a pair of the copies appeared on one of the rows of chairs, staring down at the player duo. Astrid fired several arrows at the jester copies, only for them to easily dodge them like it was a game of dodgeball. But just when they were about to charge, their bodies froze from Hazel¡¯s Telekinesis restricting their movements. No words were said between the two players. Astrid saw that Hazel obstructed the jester¡¯s movements, and followed up with an arrow volley. Unlike before, the projectiles hit their mark, all of them striking the Jesters from head to toe. Their bodies riddled with arrows, the copies were soon turned to fragments upon reaching their expiration date. ¡°These things are weak, but their numbers are a problem for us,¡± Astrid noted. ¡°Yeah, we need to find the real jester...¡± From what Hazel noticed, the clones weren¡¯t that much of a threat to them. This was because their levels were too low. But the problem didn¡¯t come from their levels but their numbers. Much like the Fractured horde, even a group of low-level monsters can be a considerable threat. If you weren¡¯t careful, they could easily overwhelm you before you could even have a chance to either retaliate or escape. So far, the real Jester had only been sending out a couple of copies when one of the previous ones got destroyed. While that didn¡¯t seem like much of an issue, it was for Hazel and the others due to one fact; stamina. Hazel, Astrid, and Nycteris were bound to get tired of fighting the Jester copies. And when they got hit with fatigue, that was when they lost the fight. It was a battle of attrition between them and the real Jester. Which side will go down first? That was what this current battle boiled down to. And Hazel knew that if they didn¡¯t find the real Jester soon, they were fated to lose this fight. Hazel¡¯s eyes darted around the opera house, desperately searching for the Jester that they needed to take down. She looked among the stage and audience chairs before her, hoping to find a lone Jester in the distance. ¡°The bastard has to be somewhere...¡± Astrid grumbled. ¡°I bet it¡¯s watching this unfold as if it was watching some kind of performance.¡± Upon the dark elf¡¯s words registering in Hazel¡¯s mind, she was able to figure out a clue regarding the Jester¡¯s location. Throughout the entire fight, The Jester displayed very sporadic or theatrical displays. The dramatic bow, the hand-stand on Nycteris, even the dancing when it was dodging their attacks. These factors led Hazel to discover one vital characteristic involving the Jester. This boss was a showman. It was always putting on a show. A display as if appealing to an audience. And right now, if what Hazel and Astrid were doing was something like a performance on stage, then the Jester could possibly watch it unfold with front-row seats. Or in this case, private seats. Hazel darted her eyes over to the walls that had dozens of private boxes displayed. She scanned every single one, feeling close to finally spotting the real Jester. And sure enough, she did. The clown-like boss was seated in the middle of the other private boxes, eagerly observing the performance of its copies attacking Hazel and her allies. However, as soon as the mage spotted the boss, it immediately knew that its cover was blown. Despite wearing a mask, Hazel could tell that the Jester was in a panic, realizing that it was discovered. It then reached for the edge of the box, attempting to jump out and possibly hide somewhere else. ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t!¡± Hazel shouted while raising her staff at the Jester boss. She then conjured five cursed spears, hurling them at the target. The malicious spears of cursed energy zipped through the air, closing in on the Jester. The boss didn¡¯t hesitate and instantly leaped out of the Private Boss, escaping the range of the spears. Oh, so it thought. ¡°Like hell, I¡¯m letting you escape so easily!¡± Using her free hand, Hazel hastily activated Telekinesis. But instead of using it on the Jester, she targeted the cursed spears. Putting all five of them under her control. The violet-cursed spears then halted in mid-air as if caught in some invisible net. Hazel could feel her connection with the spears through Telekinesis. She had all of them within her grasp. This was something she had been practicing during her training session for their battle with the Sub-boss. While testing the limitations of Telekinesis, a sudden thought occurred to Hazel. That thought was if Hazel could cast Telekinesis on her spells, allowing her to control them after being cast. And after a couple of experiments, her theory was a success. Not only that, but Hazel¡¯s spells were weightless, diminishing the mana cost by quite a bit, allowing her to use Telekinesis more when applying it to her spells. And it was time to make use of it. A wicked smile formed on her face. And what she did next was icing on the cake. With a single motion, Hazel swung her arm back, forcing the spears to change course...and continue their pursuit of the Jester. All five cursed javelins turned around and made a beeline for the boss, relentlessly to take down their target. The jester looked behind and noticed the spears coming its way. It went into a panic, flailing its arms and legs around to move in the air, but made no progress. And just before the cursed spears could hit it, the Jester conjured two more arms and pulled out more blades, placing them in front of it to act as a shield. The spears then made contact with the Jester, somehow either rebounding off the blades or grazing it as it sailed past their target. Hazel witnessed the Jester¡¯s miraculous survival with a dumbfounded expression. Continuing its descent, the Jester crashed into more of the auditorium seating, kicking up dust and broken-off pieces of the seatings. During this moment, Nycteris finally regrouped with Hazel and Astrid after dealing with the other Jester copies. ¡°We need to do another volley attack, now!¡± Hazel urged. ¡°Right!¡± Both Hazel and the dark elf raised their weapons, preparing to hurl more spells and arrows at the Jester while it was down. They were, unfortunately, too late and they were hit with a massive explosion, flinging more seats and debris at them. Nycteris rushed in front of them, using his body as a shield. Multiple chairs and the like struck the Nightwing¡¯s body. But thanks to his sturdy body, they merely bounced off him without inflicting much damage. The shockwave soon seized, preventing any more debris from being thrown at the group. Knowing that the initial attack was over, the Nightwing moved away to allow Hazel and Astrid to proceed with their assault. That was when they spotted the Jester sub-boss, emerging from the spot where it crashed. But something was different compared to before. Walking out of the crater of chairs and debris, the Jester faced Hazel¡¯s group. An ominous aura emitting from its body. It was an oppressive energy that caused all of them to quiver with fear. But that wasn¡¯t all. The Jester was wielding a large scythe that was resting on its shoulder. The weapon possessed a chrome black color as its base with purple and black designs engraved in the handle and a blade with purple mist emanating off it. Hazel had never seen such a weapon before. But she did know this; that scythe was dangerous. Very dangerous. Approaching the group, the Jester pulled its scythe off its shoulder before twirling it around, displaying its technique and skills with the weapon. After pulling off its little performance, the scythe was then directed at them. The Jester locked eyes with Hazel, seeing a flash of red in its eyes behind the creepy smiling mask. Hazel responded by gripping her staff, preparing for another battle against the Boss. It was time for Round Three. Chapter 69: Jesters Scythe Hazel made the first move and conjured more than a dozen Mana bolts at once, hurling all of them at the Jester. As they zipped toward their target, she also applied Telekinesis to increase their momentum, making it difficult for the Jester to dodge or deflect them. Surprisingly enough, the Jester went beyond Hazel¡¯s expectations. It rapidly twirled its menacing scythe around, and when one of the bolts got close, the weapon easily deflected or blocked it. Shards of bright blue mana shattered upon impact as each and every Mana bolt zipped toward the Jester. When the last spell was destroyed by the scythe, the boss stood there, triumphantly. Hazel glared at the boss. ¡°What is this crap? Are you on your third phase or something?¡± The Jester made no effort to respond. Whether it even could speak or not was debatable, and honestly, not all that important in the grand scheme of things. Without skipping a beat, the boss then blitzed toward the group, pulling its scythe back in preparation for a heavy swing attack. Nycteris then released a loud screech that reverberated throughout the opera house before zipping forward to meet his enemy halfway. The Jester attacked first, slashing its weapon at the Nightwing¡¯s head. He avoided it by ducking low, crawling on all fours, and closing the distance further. With both hands, Nycteris clawed at his enemy, aiming at its torso. Despite Nycteris¡¯s speed, the Jester was shown to be faster as it easily leaped back to avoid his claws, only having a piece of its attire getting torn as a result. But Hazel¡¯s familiar wasn¡¯t done and continued with his pursuit. He slashed his claws at the Jester, desperate to land a hit, but each of his attacks was easily deflected by the scythe. When Nycteris pulled one of his claws back to strike once more, the sub-boss swung first and managed to cut the Nightwing, nicking his shoulder. The familiar screeched before leaping back, realizing that he was vulnerable. He clutched his wound as purple mist steamed off it. Even when Nycteris put some distance between them, the Jester, knowing that he was vulnerable, planned to finish him off while it still had a chance and rushed toward him. Before it could get close enough, the boss abruptly stopped moving due to Hazel¡¯s telekinesis. A second later, a volley of arrows struck the Jester, flinging it back from the force as it crashed into more chairs. Astrid then rushed past Nycteris and went after the Jester to hold it off. She fired more arrows at the boss, only for it to swiftly move out of the way in an instant. Astrid did her part and kept the boss at bay, shooting her arrows while pushing it back and away from Hazel and Nycteris. As the dark elf and Jester fought, the mage went over to familiar. ¡°Nycteris!¡± Hazel shouted, rushing toward the Nightwing. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Fine...¡± He said with a low screech. ¡°But it¡¯s...burning...¡± Hazel glanced at her familiar wound, noticing the Purple smoke coming off it. She could hear the light sizzling of the Nightwing¡¯s flesh from whatever was damaging him. Seeing this, the mage turned toward the Jester while it was busy fighting Astrid, setting her eyes on its weapon to try and identify it. And what she discovered only worried her more. Rank: Epic A weapon that allows the Jester to reap the smiles of his victims with its acidic touch! Inflicts 25% Acid Dmg. Her eyes widened upon reading the description. ¡°Acid damage?!¡± She took note of the purple mist emitting from the blade of the Scythe, believing that was the acid effect in play. She knew that the boss¡¯s weapon was dangerous, but discovering the scythe¡¯s true effect still surprised her. They needed to be careful now that they knew about what the Jester¡¯s scythe could do to them. Nycteris should be able to endure the pain since he was their tank. But Astrid and especially Hazel were different stories. While Hazel¡¯s endurance stat was a bit higher than likely the average mage class, she knew better than to believe she could endure the acid effects of the scythe. She could likely handle a couple of slashes from the blade, but if the damage and effects kept stacking up, even she would have a hard time dealing with them. Hazel glanced at Nycteris, who was still clutching his wound. The Purple smoke hadn¡¯t dissipated yet, telling her that the acid damage was still active. ¡°You can still fight right, Nycteris?¡± ¡°Yes...!¡± The Nightwing firmly nodded. Seeing her familiar¡¯s determination, the mage smiled deeply. ¡°Good. Because I¡¯m going to need you to damage it as much as possible. ¡°You...can count...on me!¡± He screeched before getting into a battle stance. Hazel nodded, then issued an order. Keep it distracted for a moment, and I¡¯ll provide you with the chance to severely wound it. Got it?¡± ¡°Understood...!¡± Acknowledging his master¡¯s command, the Nightwing flapped his wings and blitzed toward the Jester, charging at the boss like a rocket. Sadly, the boss noticed Nycteris too soon while fighting Astrid. It spun its scythe around, forcing the dark elf to move back and avoid the acid effect of the blade, which allowed the boss to jump back and avoid Nycteris¡¯s tackle assault. The Nightwing landed on the floor with a loud thud then turned his gaze toward the clown-like Fractured.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The Jester leaned its head to side curiously as if examining the Nightwing¡¯s movements and intentions. Nycteris scraped his claws against the floor, like a bull trying to intimidate its opponent. A loud screech expelled from his mouth, echoing across the Opera house as he made a beeline for the boss. Astrid followed behind, providing a bit of support with her arrows. Getting close, Nycteris slashed at the Jester, aiming for its vital areas like its head, neck, or torso. The boss simply moved and danced around the Nightwing while swinging its scythe to deflect his claw strikes. Even when Astrid had a clear shot at its head and fired an arrow, the entertainer seemed to have noticed and twirled its scythe in the direction of the projectile, diverting it with a single swing. With its focus trained on Nycteris and Astrid, Hazel tried to get into position. She moved toward another row of chairs, setting herself right in front of the Jester as it continued its scuffle with the dark elf and Nightwing. Once she was ready, Hazel used her staff and conjured all five cursed spears. Immediately after, she cast Telekinesis on them, having full control over the spears'' every movement. And with both hands, the mage hurled them at the Jester. The cursed javelins hurtled toward the boss with malicious intent. Despite its attention being on Astrid and Nycteris, it still managed to notice the five cursed spears barreling toward it. The Jester then leaped in the air, avoiding both the cursed spears and the dark elf and Nightwing team up. But it didn¡¯t learn from its previous mistake, and Hazel took full advantage of that. With a flick of her wrist, she easily changed the trajectory of the spears, redirecting them back on the jester. Despite wearing a mask, the jester was surprised once more by Hazel¡¯s homing spells. However, it was just as prepared for an assault and once again twirled its scythe. As soon as the blade touched the spears, they were instantly disintegrated, without a single one getting past the weapon. But Hazel wasn¡¯t done. Although her spears were destroyed, she still had Telekinesis to work with. As soon as her connection with her five cursed javelins was severed, the mage set her sights on the Jester itself, firmly grasping it with her spell. The boss froze in the air, completely ensnared by Telekinesis. But Hazel could feel a bit of resistance along with the added weight of the Jester¡¯s body. The combined factors rapidly drained her mana unlike before, forcing her to act quickly. Using both hands, Hazel swung her hands down which resulted in the Jester getting slammed into the ground from at least twenty feet in the air. Broken chairs were flung in the air from the boss¡¯s descent. But the battle wasn¡¯t over yet. The Jester managed to pull itself up, clearly winded from Hazel¡¯s telekinetic hold on it. It staggered while walking out of the crater. And in that moment, Astrid and Nycteris jumped in and attacked it together. The sub-boss did its best to defend itself against the two, using its scythe to block Nycteris¡¯s claws and deflect Astrid¡¯s barrage of arrows. However, its movements were very sluggish and slow, allowing the two to cause some damage. Its shoulder was clawed, an arrow pierced its leg, and even the side of its mask was nicked from a rogue mana bolt jumping in the fray when it least expected it. It tried to run away, putting some distance between it and its attackers, but Hazel didn¡¯t allow that and once again restrained its movements like before. Hazel¡¯s hand visibly shook as she metaphysically held the Jester in place, knowing that this battle was nearly over. All she needed to do was play her part and restrain the boss when needed, allowing Nycteris and Astrid to deliver the final blow. However, this fight was far from over...and the Jester had no plans to go down so easily. Even when the boss was held in place, it still possessed enough willpower to resist. Hazel could feel her hold against her enemy weaken as if the ethereal robes that were binding the Boss were slowly coming undone. Then, as if knowing that it was close to being free, the Boss released a burst of energy using its scythe, sending out a powerful shockwave and blowing everyone back. Even Hazel who was the farthest back was caught in the line of fire and was flung over to the stage where the Jester was first spotted. She tumbled along the floor, feeling her bones roughly smack against the surface. She at least sprained or possibly broke a couple of bones from the throwback alone. The mage, unable to move from the pain, lay on the stage floor. Every movement she made only caused her body to flare up in pain, preventing her from doing anything. Her head then sluggishly turned to face the direction of the Jester along with Astrid and Nycteris. Both of her companions were in similar situations as they were laid out on the rows of chairs before them. As for the Jester, it was standing in place after unleashing that burst, in the middle of its aftershock. It was wreathed in a purple glow as if it was taking the form of some divine being. But Hazel knew better than to believe such a thing when this Jester was nothing more than a Fractured monster. The clown-like bastard then whirled its head in Hazel¡¯s direction, its glowing purple eyes glaring directly at her. The mage froze in place from the Jester¡¯s stare, realizing its next mission. It planned to take her down first. The monster followed through and marched over to Hazel, scythe in both hands. Hazel tried to move her body but was still in pain from the shockwave that flung her backward. She could feel that some of her energy was coming back to her, but not fast enough with how hastily the Jester was making its way toward her. If she didn¡¯t do something quickly, she was going to end up as the first casualty of this battle. And that was the last thing she wished to happen after everything she was forced to endure after getting dumped in this dungeon. As if responding to her desperation to survive, Nycteris appeared out of nowhere and tackled the Jester to the ground. The only thing Hazel heard was the high-pitch screech from her familiar before he and the Boss plunged into more audience chairs. The two beasts rolled along the ground, destroying more chairs without a second thought. Nycteris lifted the Jester before clawing at its face and torso. From this attack, he was able to inflict a bit of damage on the mask it wore, leaving four claw marks across it. This seemed to have triggered the Jester, because after that, in a fit of rage, it whirled its scythe around, deflecting Nycteris¡¯s claw strikes before inflicting some grievous wounds of its own on the Nightwing Bat. Nycteris howled in pain while stumbling back. However, the Jester wasn¡¯t finished as it slashed at the Nightwing one more time. This time, the scythe sliced across his torso, leaving a large slash mark in its wake. Purple mist sizzled from the wound, a sign of the acid damage taking effect on Hazel¡¯s familiar. Before the Nightwing could attempt to retaliate, the Jester then delivered a heavy and devastating kick into his stomach, sending him flying backward from the force. Once again crashing into more chairs, Nycteris was unable to continue fighting as he lay there motionless. At first, Hazel feared that he died, but she received no notifications regarding his death nor sensed their connection being severed. Which meant he was thankfully still alive. But that still left Hazel with an even bigger issue at hand. The Jester... Realizing that the Nightwing was no longer a problem, the sub-boss shifted its attention back to Hazel, clearly determined to end her first. Thankfully, while it was having its scuffle with Nycteris, she managed to recover enough energy to pull herself up from the floor. Of course, even with her standing before the Jester, prepared for another battle, a part of her feared that she wasn¡¯t going to last long against it. But...that was simply a risk she had no choice but to take to survive. Chapter 70: Cursed Finale Hazel eyed the bag in one of the rows a little away from her before taking another glance at the Jester. The boss leaned its head in a ninety-degree angle, creepily staring at the mage. A moment later, Astrid struck first and dove at the clown entertainer with her daggers. The Jester noticed her presence in time to spin around and deflect her attacks with its scythe. It twirled the weapon effortlessly while fending off against the dark elf¡¯s rapid strikes. With their enemy distracted, Hazel hastily cast Telekinesis and pulled the bag toward her. It zipped through the air and then landed in her hand. She then rummaged through the bag and pulled out another mana potion. Downing the bottle, she felt the cold and crisp liquid pour down her throat until it was empty. A moment later, Hazel¡¯s mana was then replenished, feeling a wash of energy come over her. Feeling energized, Hazel set her sights back on the Jester who was still fighting Astrid. The dark elf continued to slash her daggers while trying to get closer to her enemy, only for the boss to deal with each of her attacks easily. Astrid used [Quick Step] and blitzed toward the Boss, closing the distance and allowing her to land a proper head. She let her blade cut through the Jester¡¯s side before she immediately jumped away as she saw the scythe being swung down on her. The resulting attack from the Jester destroyed several more chairs, leaving a considerable space around it and Hazel. The undeniably visible evidence of their battle prolonging for so long. With no apparent end in sight for either side. Now that her mana had recovered once more, Hazel joined the battle, hoping to change the tide and finally finish the Boss fight. Five cursed spears were conjured before the mage. Then, they were fired one after another. The Jester once again noticed the spears, pulling its attention away from Astrid to defend against Hazel¡¯s spell barrage. It swung its scythe and instantly destroyed each cursed spear that came in its direction. However, while it was busy with the spears, it still hadn¡¯t noticed an unknown attack coming its way until it was too late. After firing all five cursed spears at the Jester, Hazel used that opportunity to conjure a Baneful Sickle. But instead of hurling it directly at the boss, she fired it in another direction and then used Telekinesis to redirect it back to its intended target from a different angle. As soon as the Jester took care of the last cursed spear, its head spun to the left as it finally noticed the Baneful sickle, just as it was mere inches from it. Despite knowing that it was likely going to get hit, the Jester still attempted to leap away from the spell. Or it would¡¯ve if Hazel hadn¡¯t entrapped the boss with her Telekinesis. Frozen in place, the Baneful sickle zipped toward its target with malicious intent. In an act of deviance and pure willpower, the Jester used all of its strength to resist Hazel¡¯s telekinesis as it swung its scythe in front of the spell, determined to survive its attack. And it succeeded with great results. The spell clashed against the Scythe, causing the Jester to get pushed back from the force and crash into more chairs, damaging the opera house even further. Meanwhile, Hazel suffered from a sort of rebound effect due to the Jester¡¯s force of deviance against her telekinesis. She clutched her head and collapsed on her knees. The world around her started to spiral, making it difficult to see anything. Despite literally seeing her surroundings spin around like a top, she still managed to spot the Boss. Though, what she was looking at wasn¡¯t what she expected. After getting flung backward from blocking Hazel¡¯s spell, the Jester stood back up before angrily glaring at the mage. Its eyes flashed purple for a brief moment, displaying its indignant rage toward its adversary. And responding to that rage, the Jester hefted its scythe and swung it in Hazel¡¯s direction, sending an acid wave attack like it did with Nycteris. Still disoriented from the rebound, Hazel knew she couldn¡¯t dive out of the way like before, and instead cast Mana Shield in hopes that it was enough to protect her. The barrier was conjured, forming around the mage as the acid wave attack barreled toward her. It soon struck Hazel¡¯s shield, causing a slight shockwave from the collision. But a moment later, the barrier shattered to pieces as the wave maintained its course. Although she was completely out of its range, Hazel was far enough away from the attack as the wave cut through her side like butter. Even her staff was unable to withstand the wave strike and split in two. Both halves clattered to the ground as a searing pain coursed through her body, causing her to collapse on the floor. She then began to feel every bit of the acid burning through her skin. Much like with Nycteris, her wound sizzled like boiling water scalding her skin. She continued to writhe on the floor, feeling every last bit of pain from the acid burning her wound. Hazel lay there in pain, unable to do anything about it. Her eyes trail over to the Jester, who was menacingly marching over to Hazel, mostly likely attempting to finish the job. Up close and personal, at that. Hazel struggled to move, grimacing in pain from the slightest motion. She couldn¡¯t even use Telekinesis because her mind was too clouded from her injury. She couldn¡¯t focus on anything except the burning sensation radiating across her wound.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. As the Jester got closer, making its way over to the stage. Just as it was about to climb up the platform, Astrid appeared from behind and lunged toward the Jester, driving both of her daggers into the monster¡¯s shoulder. Although it had no voice, the boss displayed its surprise and possibly pain as it flinched before trying to pull the dark elf off it. It managed to do so and turned its attention to Astrid instead of Hazel. Astrid seemed to have wanted this and prepared for battle. However, judging from her heavy breath, trembling arms, and the multiple wounds on her body, she wasn¡¯t going to last long in the fight. And yet, she seemed determined to win. Or at least, determined to fight to the fullest and not die in vain. Astrid was the first to strike. She blitzed toward the Jester and slashed her daggers at its face. The Boss retaliated with its signature scythe twirling technique, allowing it to easily deflect and block her attacks. The sound of metal clashing against metal reverberated throughout the opera house, filling Hazel¡¯s ears with its irritating clanging sound. Even when the dark elf was on the offensive, the Jester had the edge in their fight. It still possessed plenty of stamina to use while Astrid was running on an empty tank right now. It wouldn¡¯t be long before she hit her limit. The Jester soon shifted gears and started attacking Astrid, swinging its scythe against her blade. She was being pushed back from the force of its blow, causing her shoes to skid across the floor. Astrid nearly fell on her butt before repositioning herself. Only to get forced back from the Jester¡¯s persistent assault. Hazel knew that if she didn¡¯t do something, then her partner would end up being the sub-boss''s first causality. Helplessly watching the fight, she got an idea. A very reckless and stupid idea. But it was the only solution to their current issue regarding their opponent. In the middle of the fight, Astrid glanced over at Hazel, soon locking eyes with the mage. [Hazel Thatcher: Try to get thrown onto the stage.] Astrid briefly read the message in between blocks against the Jester¡¯s strikes with a concerned expression. [Astrid Skogr: What are you planning?] [Hazel Thatcher: Just trust me. This is the only way or we¡¯re dead.] As if sensing the urgency in Hazel¡¯s message, Astrid turned to the mage while giving her a firm nod. The dark elf then used [Quick Step] to move behind the boss. The Jester spun around to maintain eye contact with its opponent, then swung its scythe toward Astrid. She raised her blades to block the attack, only to get flung backward onto the stage like Hazel wanted. Her back scraped against the stage floor as she slid near Hazel. The Jester leaps on the stage, whirling its scythe down on the dark elf. Astrid rolled to the side, narrowly dodging it. A good quarter of the blade dug deep into the floor, briefly inhibiting the boss. That was when Hazel saw her chance. Blurring her hand forward, she instantly cast Telekinesis, practically pouring all of her mana into the spell. The Jester was once again locked in place, unable to move, even if only for a second. But Hazel wasn¡¯t just keeping the boss from moving. She also needed to use this opportunity to get that damn scythe out of its grasp. Clenching her hand, she tightened her grip around the Jester then yanked it back, simultaneously pulling the Jester away as well. And when she did, she also managed to get the Jester away from the scythe. Which meant now was the time to put things to an end. ¡°Pin it down!¡± Hazel shouted. Astrid didn¡¯t give out a response as she hastily pulled her bow and drew four arrows at once, aiming right at the Boss¡¯s legs and foot. She loosed the arrows and hit her target, piercing both of the Jester¡¯s legs into the floor. The boss was surprised by this but eventually attempted to get out, before setting its eyes on Hazel. She was standing up while conjuring a Baneful Sickle. It levitated above her, spinning around like a frisbee with more purple energy swirled around it from a different spell. Her decay spell. The two spells clashed against one another as if refusing to cooperate. But Hazel had no patience for this and used all of her will to make this spell work. ¡°Fuse already...dammit!¡± She continued to infuse Decay into Baneful Sickle, desperately pushing their abilities together. Hazel knew she couldn¡¯t win with Decay or her cursed spells alone. Decay will be able to weaken its defenses, but she would need to hit the monsters to do that. Even then, the Boss wouldn¡¯t be incapacitated for her to cast one of her cursed spells afterward. She needed a stronger effect. Something that will destroy the Boss in a single strike. A spell that was strong enough to destroy anything in its path. Then something clicked, and the resistance she felt from her conflicting spells finally ceased as they began to merge into something else. [Element Curse and Element Rot are being merged together!] [Element Curse and Element Rot have become Element Entropy!] [Skill Baneful Sickle is Evolving!] [Skill Baneful Sickle is now Skill Entropy Sickle!] [Skill Decay is Evolving!] [Skill Decay is now Skill Entropy!] The shade of Hazel¡¯s former Baneful Sickle became darker as if a dark and menacing force took hold of it. Even the energy it emitted was far more potent and dreadful than before. Hazel took one last look at the Boss, staring right through the mask and into its eyes, seeing the fear in them. ¡°Die, you bastard!¡± Hazel roared before hurling her Entropy sickle at the Boss. The spinning sickle barreled toward its target, making direct contact with its body. There was very little resistance from the Jester as Hazel and Astrid watched the spell tear right through the enemy with ease. The two halves of the Jester fell to the floor as purple cracks rapidly spread across its body. Much faster than the Fractured previously killed, even with the assistance of either decay or her other cursed spells hastening their demise. Then, unable to maintain its form for long, the boss disintegrated. Instead of going out in an explosion of purple fragments, its body simply turned to dust, as if the very fragments that made up its body were rotted away as well, leaving the player pair to witness a rather somber yet devastating death. [Sub-Boss Fractured Jester has been defeated!] [You have Levelled Up!] [You have Levelled Up!] [You have Levelled Up!] [You have completed one of the Three Objectives of the Tutorial Dungeon!] [Congratulations! Your rewards will be distributed shortly!] [Conditions have been met! Player is capable of undergoing a Class Evolution!] Seeing the stream of notifications, the corner of Hazel¡¯s lips curled into a slight grin. ¡°Hell yeah...¡± Chapter 71: Mystery Tablet With the Sub-Boss defeated, Hazel and Astrid used the time they had to recover as much as they could. Collecting the bag that contained their potions, they used the healing potions to recover from their injuries during the fight. Hazel downed the cold yet bitter liquid, feeling the burning sensation in her side slowly fade away in the process. By the time the bottle was empty, her wounds were entirely healed. Once her injuries were gone, the mage made her way over to Nycteris. Much like Hazel and Astrid, the Nightwing was in a pretty bad condition. The large carved wound inflicted by the boss was still there, inflicting an acid effect even when the Boss was defeated. Instead of healing Nycteris with a potion, Hazel used a different method. Using one of Astrid¡¯s daggers, she cut her hand, deep enough to where blood spilled from the wound. She then placed her bleeding hand over Nycteris¡¯s mouth, letting the crimson liquid pour into his gullet. ¡°Don¡¯t move, alright?¡± Hazel told her familiar. The Nightwing said nothing and simply followed his master¡¯s command. Thanks to Nycteris being similar to vampires, he possessed the ability to recover and even grow stronger by drinking blood. He only ever drank blood from Soren and the others when they ambushed and killed the party. Once they returned to their world, Hazel expected that Nycteris would be able to get stronger now that there would be plenty of blood bags for him to consume. Within reason, of course. She wasn¡¯t planning to let her familiar run rampant and kill humans left, right, and center. She wasn¡¯t heartless. After consuming some of Hazel¡¯s blood, the nightwing¡¯s wound began to slowly heal. Even the large gash wound from the Jester was mending together as if time was being reversed. It didn¡¯t take long before his wounds were entirely healed. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Hazel asked, examining her Familiar¡¯s body to check for more wounds. ¡°I am...better.¡± The Nightwing said. ¡°Much...better.¡± Hearing this, she smiled and stood up. ¡°Rest a little more. You need to preserve your strength for when we head to my world.¡± Now that the Boss was defeated, that meant Hazel was able to return to Earth. There was also Astrid¡¯s world that she was going to be dealing with now that their worlds were merged together. Leaving her familiar while he continued to recuperate, Hazel walked over to Astrid who was sitting on the stage platform, looking off into space. Or perhaps her Status Window. ¡°What level are you now?¡± The mage asked. ¡°Level twenty-one. You?¡± ¡°Same level. Who knew killing a sub-boss would give us three level-ups.¡± ¡°Well, for one thing, it¡¯s a Boss, so that alone should tell you what you need to know.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± By defeating the Jester, both Hazel and Astrid rose to level twenty-one. A rather big surprise for Hazel since she only expected to level up at least once after killing the sub-boss. Of course, she wasn¡¯t going to complain when this only made her stronger. Speaking of which, by leveling up three times, that also meant she earned nine points for her efforts. And she knew exactly what stats to invest her points in. Status Window Name: Hazel Thatcher Race: Human Level: 21 Class: Mage (Class Evolution Available!) Free Points: 9 Attributes: Strength: 7 Agility: 16 Endurance: 20 Intelligence: 38 (+33) Wisdom: 36 (+18) Willpower: 12 (+10) Pulling her up stats, Hazel immediately invested five of her points into Intelligence and the remaining four into Wisdom. Combined with her additional stats from her Arcane Dress and Magic Ring, Intelligence was now at seventy-six points and Wisdom was at fifty-eight. She was less than thirty points away from reaching the three digits with Intelligence and less than fifty with Wisdom. She should be able to reach that threshold with Intelligence once she was at least level thirty. Aside from her stats, Hazel¡¯s eyes soon trailed over to her class. More specifically, the brackets talking about a Class evolution. ¡°A class evolution?¡± She leaned her head curiously. ¡°Does that mean you can improve your class?¡± ¡°I would assume, so,¡± Astrid muttered, still staring at her status window. ¡°By the way, what was that spell you used against the Jester? It gave off a very powerful and menacing energy and easily took it down.¡± Hazel paused with a hesitant face. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I think I created it. I was just trying to make my spell stronger so I could kill the Boss in a single strike.¡± During their battle, Hazel¡¯s cursed spells barely did enough damage to the Jester. And she couldn¡¯t even hit it with Decay due to its speed and reaction time. That and Decay likely would¡¯ve ended up with similar results to her cursed spells. Because of that, Hazel needed a stronger spell, which was why she tried to combine the Rot and Curse Element together. And that was how she created her so-called Entropy Sickle. Out of curiosity, Hazel pulled up the skill to read its information. And what she discovered surprised her quite a bit. Rank 1 A sickle composed of both Cursed and Rot, becoming a source of Entropy; the end and disorder of all things. This sickle¡¯s sole purpose is to destroy and end any and everything in its path until it returns to nothingness. The cooldown is thirty seconds. Hazel¡¯s eyes widened upon reading its description. ¡°This new spell seems quite similar to Decay, but on a much more powerful scale. I don¡¯t even know where to begin with this spell.¡± According to the spell¡¯s information, this Entropy sickle seemed to act similar to Decay, but on a higher scale. It was able to destroy anything in its path, no matter what it was. This explained how the sickle easily destroyed the Jester. This spell was likely responsible for its grim death as well. When the Jester died, it didn¡¯t burst into purple fragments but disintegrated into nothing.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. So this spell doesn¡¯t simply kill you. It erases every bit of your being. Until there was nothing left. Then there was the thirty-second cooldown. It seemed that after becoming a strong spell, the cooldown got longer as well. Which annoyed Hazel greatly. She also noticed something even more bothersome, she couldn¡¯t find the old Baneful Sickle spell. Which meant that she could no longer use it, and was stuck with this spell. While she was grateful for the powerful spell, she wished that she could keep the original version of it. This also seemed to apply to Hazel¡¯s old Decay spell as well, which was now the Entropy Spell. Rank 1 The Final Form of Decay that possesses the sole purpose of extinguishing everything in its path, reducing it to nothingness. By being inflicted with this spell, the User will deteriorate until they are nothing more than dust in the wind. Even the dust itself will be reduced to nothing in the end. This spell can only be used once per day. ¡°Great,¡± She grumbled, palming her forehead in frustration. ¡°Just great.¡± Judging from the Description alone, Hazel had created something absolutely insane in her desperation to kill the Jester. And the fact this spell could only be used once a day only elevated this spell¡¯s potential power. And her fear of it. She hadn¡¯t even attempted to use the spell yet, and she feared what kind of devastation it would bring if she was careless with it. Just what in the world did she create? ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Astrid asked, looking both curious and concerned over Hazel¡¯s reaction. Before she could explain her troubles to the dark elf, their conversation was interrupted by another stream of panels. [Reward Pending Process is now over! You may now receive your rewards!] [Reward Ranking has been calculated! For Defeating a Sub-Boss of the Dungeon, Players who participated in the event will receive an Epic Chest Box!] Out of nowhere, two chests materialized out of thin air before Hazel and Astrid. Each chest was presented in front of a player, gesturing that the chest was theirs and theirs alone. ¡°Nice, we got another chest!¡± Hazel beamed, looking at her chest box. Much like before, there was a noticeable difference in the qualities of the Chest Box. The Common Chest box was simply a worn-down wooden crate that looked like it came from some junkyard, while the Uncommon Chest box was a bit more polished with metal bindings on it, to reinforce its structure. But the Epic Chest was even more presentable than the previous two. It was made of some kind of bright red wood with gold rims reinforcing it, making it gleam from the light around it. Hazel stared at the box, practically salivating at the item before her. A wide grin then formed on her face, displaying her glee and anticipation. ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s inside!¡± Eagerly opening her chest, Hazel took a look inside, curious about what her rewards were. Unlike the previous chests, there was no food or water, which she wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about it. But the other items inside certainly made up for that. First off, there were more potions, and there weren¡¯t just Mana or Healing Potions. Picking up a couple of the new ones, Hazel found a Stamina Potion, a Strength Potion, and even a Cure-all Potion that cures her of certain poisons and even curses. Looking further into the chest, she then stumbled across another great item; a silver bracelet with a purple gem at the center. A bracelet that beat the potions by a landslide. ¡°No way...¡± Rarity: Epic A Bracelet that allows the user to store a certain volume of items inside. The item¡¯s storage capacity is 500 cubic feet. The mage¡¯s eyes sparkled at the absurd item in her hand. ¡°I finally got my bag of holding! Or I guess I should call it my Bracelet of Holding.¡± She snickered at her own joke. Now that she possessed a sub-space item, she could store all of her belongings in her bracelet. ¡°Oh, you got a storage bracelet too?¡± Astrid said, causing Hazel to spin her head in her direction to see. And sure enough, Astrid received the same item. However, Hazel noticed the dark elf¡¯s bracelet possessed a different color gem. A Green one. At first, Hazel thought Astrid received a different item because of the color, but after reading its description, she confirmed that they were both given the same item. Why the gems had different colors, she had no idea. Perhaps that was an aesthetic choice from the maker of the item. Aside from the Bracelet, Hazel saw that Astrid was rewarded some kind of magic string for her bow and a dark green cloak that matched her Ranger outfit. Instead of putting the storage bracelet on right away, Hazel placed it aside to experiment with it later. She still had a couple of items left. Reaching for her next reward, she pulled out a pair of black gloves with purple designs on them. Rarity: Epic Magic gloves that allow mages to use magic without the assistance of staves or wands. ¡°This is nice,¡± She grinned. ¡°This will definitely be a step up from the staff...especially since it¡¯s destroyed.¡± Because her magic staff was destroyed during her fight with the Jester, Hazel was in need of a new magic item to help her cast spells. So, she was grateful to obtain this item. Although she was still capable of casting spells without a magic staff, it was really the casting time that caused problems, and these gloves would be able to solve that little problem. Once again, instead of immediately putting on the gloves, she set them next to the bracelet to test them out later. Hazel then moved on to the last item. Though, out of all of her rewards, this was the one that confused her the most. ¡°Huh? It¡¯s...a stone tablet?¡± Pulling out the last reward, Hazel discovered that she was currently holding a large stone tablet. It was a dark gray stone slab, riddled with cracks and broken bits. What concerned her more was the purple engravings etched into the stone. From what she could tell, the engravings looked like symbols, but she couldn¡¯t understand what they meant. Or maybe she wasn¡¯t supposed to understand it. Curious, she decided to identify it and see what this item really was. Rarity: Epic A stone tablet that contains a mysterious power! Once unsealed, The User can obtain its power and use it however they see fit! ¡°Hmm...¡± Hazel mused while reading the description. Other than being vague in terms of what kind of item it was, the description didn¡¯t even tell her how she was supposed to unseal the tablet. Did she have to cite some secret word or something? Throw her a bone here! Not only that but what kind of power would she get from it when unsealed? Why was this tablet so damn vague in telling her about its information. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Astrid asked, still looting her chest. ¡°It¡¯s this tablet,¡± Hazel showed the stone slab to the dark elf. ¡°The description is saying that I can obtain some kind of power from it when unsealed, but I don¡¯t know how to even do that.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t say how?¡± Hazel shook her head irritably. ¡°No, it¡¯s telling me to figure it out myself. What an ass!¡± She clenched her hands into a fist before smacking it against her leg. The mage groaned while intensely examining the stone, determined to figure out how to unseal its power. She couldn¡¯t read the purple symbols engraved in the stone, nor could she sense any mana from it. Then a thought occurred to her. What if this item was like the Magic Torch from the Tower? To activate the torch, she had to pour her mana into the item. Maybe the same concept applied to this tablet of power. Eager to test this theory, Hazel placed both hands into the stone and immediately poured her mana into it. At first, there was a bit of resistance, as if the tablet was fighting back against the mana. Sensing the resistance, Hazel narrowed her eyes angrily. ¡°You think you have the right to resist, you bastard? Just accept my mana, dammit!¡± She then forced more of her mana into the stone, practically overloading it with energy. Purple cracks soon formed around the tablet, as if unable to contain the power within anymore. ¡°U-uh, Hazel...?!¡± The dark elf noticed the cracks forming and instantly backed away with a concerned and fearful expression. But Hazel could only smile in response to it. She was close to unsealing the tablet. She could tell from the energy leaking out. So instead of stopping, she went all in. ¡°Unseal already!¡± Unleashing more of her mana, more cracks began to form, spiderwebbing across the tablet-like glass that was close to shattering. The purple engravings then started to glow. And the more mana Hazel poured into the stone, the brighter it became. The tablet trembled in her grasp as if threatening to break free, but Hazel held the item tightly, not wanting to let it escape. Not until she obtained whatever power was inside. ¡°H-Hazel, I-I think you should-!¡± Before Astrid could finish warning Hazel, the tablet suddenly exploded in her hands, as all of them were blinded by the purple light. Next thing Hazel knew...her eyes began to burn. Chapter 72: Evil Eyes and Class Evolution Hazel writhed on the stage floor as her eyes continued to burn like hell. It felt like they were splashed with a powerful acid, melting her eyes until they were completely liquefied. Each blink only resulted in more agony, as if the light entering her vision intensified the searing pain she was already feeling. She let out a pained scream that rivaled Nycteris¡¯s screeches, displaying how much agony she was in. All the while, despite being unable to see, Notifications continued to flood her lacking vision. [You have unsealed The Tablet of Ancient Power!] [You have received the Ancient Power ¡°Evil Eyes!¡±] [By Obtaining Ancient Power ¡°Evil Eyes¡±, Intelligence Stat has been increased by 20 Points!] [By Obtaining Ancient Power ¡°Evil Eyes¡±, Wisdom Stat has been increased by 15 Points!] Hazel could hardly understand, much less read the panels displayed before her. She couldn¡¯t even question how she was capable of seeing her notifications with her eyes closed due to the searing pain she felt right now. And it didn¡¯t plan to stop any time soon. Hazel aggressively clutched her eyes, trying to mitigate the damage as much as possible. Nothing was working, and the pain only got worse. ¡°Hazel...!¡± ¡°Master!¡± She heard the voices of her companions, but she could not see them with her eyes blazing like a burning campfire. Their concerned voices called out to the mage, but she could do nothing to ease their worry, for she was barely keeping herself together because of the Tablet¡¯s power surging within her. And so, Hazel lay on the floor, suffering from the Tablet¡¯s unsealed power enveloping her very being, especially her eyes. After a little while, for what felt like minutes, the eyes started to stop burning, allowing her a brief moment of relief. Realizing that her eyes no longer felt like they were on fire, Hazel slowly rose from the floor while clutching her head due to the pounding migraine assaulting her skull. And as soon as Hazel opened her eyes, she immediately shut them. ¡°Hazel, are you alright?!¡± Astrid asked, lightly touching Hazel¡¯s shoulder while keeping a somewhat firm grip on her. ¡°Agh...¡± She groaned, keeping her eyes closed. ¡°Why is everything so bright...?¡± For some reason, her surroundings were a lot brighter than usual. Whether it was because of the ancient power enveloping her vision or something else, she didn¡¯t know. But she needed to do something about the blinding light filling her vision every time she opened her eyes. Hazel once again tried to open her eyes, this time keeping them open so that she could adapt to the current lighting. The light irritated her eyeballs, and tears streamed down her face. After blinking a few times and rubbing the tears away, her vision finally adjusted to the current illumination. But what she saw next surprised her greatly. Whatever that Tablet of Ancient power did to her, it quite literally opened her eyes to a new world. Everything around her became a lot clearer. No, clear wasn¡¯t an appropriate word to describe what Hazel was seeing right now. Perhaps detailed was better to explain her current situation. For some reason, Hazel could see things in finer detail compared to before. From the individual particles of dust hovering in the air to the microscopic view of the very floor beneath her. She could see every crack and splinter on every plank that made up the stage. The mage looked around in awe, flustered by the sudden clarity of her vision. ¡°Hey, guys,¡± Hazel turned to look for Astrid and Nycteris. ¡°You cannot believe what I¡¯m seeing right...now?¡± Her face fell when she spotted her companions, noticing that both of them were frozen in place. And for some reason, they both looked terrified as they stared at the mage, even going as far as trembling with fear. ¡°Are you guys, okay?¡± Hazel asked with concern. "What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s...your eyes...¡± Astrid muttered, fearfully while pointing at Hazel. ¡°My eyes...?¡± She repeated, sounding confused. Her brows then rose in realization after remembering what the panels from before stated.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The ancient power she obtained was called Evil Eyes...did that mean?! Hazel scrambled for Astrid''s dagger that was lying on the floor next to her. Picking it up, she turned the blade to see her reflection on the flat side. As soon as she did, she noticed something different about her eyes. Instead of them being amber-color like they¡¯ve always been since birth, they were now a shade of violet. What was even more surprising was that her eyes were glowing as if experiencing bioluminescence. ¡°W-what the...?¡± Hazel mumbled, still staring at her new eyes. Then, a new panel appeared. Rank 1 An ancient power that allows the user to possess supernatural vision. With Evil Eyes, the user is currently capable of instilling fear into their enemies, making them freeze in place out of sheer terror. Other features will be unlocked when Evil Eye¡¯s rank will be increased. This skill will be permanently active for as long as the User is alive. Reading the description, Hazel narrowed her glowing violet eyes in anger. ¡°As much as I like this ability, why can¡¯t I turn these damn things off!¡± Now she knew why her companions looked like they were seeing a ghost. It was because of one of her abilities with Evil Eye. By merely glancing at an individual, she was capable of instilling some kind of fear status on them, making them freeze in place. While useful, the fact that she couldn¡¯t deactivate the Evil Eye''s ability was a major problem. With her skill constantly on, Hazel would be constantly instilling fear in people, both bad and good. It¡¯s one thing if she was just facing monsters, but doing this with humans or other intelligent beings would prove to be a bit of a hassle for her. And she was already facing that issue due to her current predicament with Astrid and Nycteris. Noticing that both of her companions were still fearful of her because of her Evil Eyes, Hazel hastily turned around. ¡°S-sorry,¡± she said, feeling flustered. ¡°The Tablet suddenly gave me an ancient power called evil eyes. If I stare at a living being, they¡¯ll be stricken with fear by my gaze, so I can¡¯t look at you guys now.¡± A gasp expelled from Astrid as she took a few heavy breaths. ¡°Y-you said before that you couldn¡¯t turn it off?¡± Hazel nodded. ¡°Yeah. For some reason, these eyes are permanently on for as long as I live, which in itself, is a bit of a problem.¡± ¡°After witnessing that power firsthand...I agree.¡± Hazel kept her back turned against her companions, afraid that she would mistakenly instill fear in them like before. She thought about closing her eyes, but that would be a bit dangerous. She would also likely make a mistake and open them on accident, triggering the skill. While fretting over her newfound problem, another panel materialized in front of her. [Would you like to begin the Class Evolution? Y/N] She narrowed her eyes at the panel before letting out a heavy sigh. ¡°Hey, Astrid, are you getting a notification about the class evolution¡± ¡°I am. I think we should deal with this and see what our options are. We don¡¯t know how long we have before we leave the dungeon.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± Neither Hazel nor Astrid knew how much time they had left in the dungeon. After defeating the Boss, they completed one of the objectives, which allowed them to return home. But before doing that, they needed to take care of everything so they were prepared for what came next. And right now, their current objective was checking out their Class Evolutions. With that in mind, Hazel soon accepted the panel, thus beginning her class advancement [Current Class Evolution Available]: Evolved Class Sorcerers are Practitioners of the Arcane. Magic is their blood and life, and they will do anything to learn their secrets. Even at the Cost of their own life. User will receive a 15% Mag Dmg for all spells and +15 Intelligences and +10 Wisdom Evolved Class Spell Weavers are capable of bending the very nature of magic to their will. Their goals are to not simply learn magic but to also create and weave new spells into existence. User will have more control over spells and become capable of creating new spells through research and practice and +10 Intelligences, +10 Wisdom and +10 Willpower Evolved Class Witches are a rare Evolved Class that specializes in Curses, Hexes, Alchemy, and summoning demons as their familiars. By selecting this class, Users will receive 20% Curse Dmg for all cursed-based spells and +15 Intelligence, +10 Wisdom and +10 Willpower Evolved Class Entropy Casters are capable of manipulating the final form of Decay itself, allowing them to create spells that tear and deteriorate their target''s very being on a molecular level, leaving nothing including dust and ash. 20% Mag Dmg to all Entropy-based spells and +10 Intelligences and +10 Wisdom ¡°Hmm...¡± Hazel mused. Despite only having four options, each one seemed very interesting. Especially the Spell Weaver class. At first, she didn¡¯t know why this was even an option until she remembered her Entropy Sickle. The same went for Entropy Caster until she came to the same conclusion. But, even though Hazel was allowed to weave new spells into existence as the description told her, there was one class that caught her attention more than that. The Witch Class. The Practitioners of curses and hexes. The very Build that Hazel possessed since the very beginning. Ever since she first obtained the Baneful Sickle spell, Hazel was always curious about Witches and what they were capable of. And now, she had the opportunity to find out. Then there was the fact that she would receive a 20% increase in Curse dmg for her curse-related spells. Thinking about it more, Hazel would be a fool not to pick this class. So, what other option was there, honestly? Gazing at the Witch class, a small grin formed on her face as Hazel finally made her decision. ¡°I choose the Witch class!¡± [Evolved Class ¡°Witch¡± has been selected!] [By possessing the Witch Class, all cursed-related spells will now have a 20% increase in Curse Dmg.] [Intelligent Stat has been increased by 15 Points!] [Wisdom Stat has been increased by 10 Points!] [Willpower Stat has been increased by 10 Points!] Chapter 73: The Departure [End of Book 1!!!] Status Window Name: Hazel Thatcher Race: Human Level: 21 Class: Witch Free Points: 0 Attributes: Strength: 7 Agility: 16 Endurance: 20 Intelligence: 78 (+33) Wisdom: 65 (+18) Willpower: 22 (+10) Staring at her stats, a small grin formed on her face. ¡°Well, this is quite the Development.¡± She didn¡¯t expect to experience such a large boost in her stats after defeating the Sub-Boss. She used to be at around sixty points in Intelligence, but now that skyrocketed to over a hundred points in an instant. Even her Wisdom Stat was in the Eighties now while her willpower stat was in the thirties. And this was just from her level up, the ancient power she received along with her Evolved Class. And in such a short amount of time at that. Hazel continued to grin at her stats, thrilled at her accelerated development. With her stats as they were now, she was confident about her survival as soon as she returned home. Speaking of which, since they were able to return to their world at any time, they could use this opportunity to make sure all of them had everything prepared. ¡°Astrid,¡± Hazel called out to her partner, still keeping her back turned to them until they took care of her eye situation. ¡°I just picked out my evolved class. How about you?¡± ¡°I did too,¡± She replied. ¡°What did you pick?¡± ¡°I picked the Witch Class since it increased the curse dmg of my spells and also allowed me to summon more Familiars. And you?¡± ¡°I picked the Hunter Class since it gave me some leeway compared to the other evolved class offered to me.¡± According to Astrid, she was given four evolved class options like Hazel, including the Hunter Class. There was Arcane Ranger, Beast-Master, Sentinels, and Hunter. Arcane Ranger appeared to be your typical magic archer where you can cast magic arrows and such. While Astrid was intrigued by the concept, she was curious about her other options. Beast-Master was some kind of Taming Class where the dark elf could tame creatures and make them her allies. This would let her possess a small group of animal companions that would assist her in battle. Hazel could imagine Astrid having a small pack of wolves at her side, ready to tear apart her enemies at a moment¡¯s notice. The Sentinel Class was a bit unique due to its specialty in searching for enemies and such. According to the Description, if Astrid chose this class, she¡¯d be able to weed out intruders and the like. Sadly, this class wasn¡¯t nearly as interesting as Arcane Ranger or Beast-Master. Then there was the class Astrid did choose; The Hunter Class. As a Hunter, Astrid was capable of maintaining her Archery skills while also picking up the ability of a Beast-Master, allowing her to make an animal companion to assist her on her hunts. Hunters were also known for their stealth, hunting capabilities, and being familiar with nature and the forest, which Astrid was an expert in all three fields. Seeing her options, choosing the Hunter Class was a no-brainer. While she was a bit interested in the Arcane Ranger class since she would be capable of using magic, the Hunter class was the best choice for her. If it was Hazel, she would¡¯ve chosen that class as well. However, she would also be more inclined to select the Arcane Ranger because she could use magic. Even after everything she¡¯d been through, Hazel still adored magic. Before she could say anything else to Astrid, a new panel appeared catching her attention [You have selected your Evolved Class! You are now capable of learning a new spell!] Hazel¡¯s eyes widened at the message. ¡°I can learn a new spell? Awesome!¡± This day was just getting better and better for Hazel. ¡°Hey, Astrid, are you getting a new skill after selecting Hunter?¡± ¡°Yeah, I am...¡± The dark elf replied. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that would happen.¡± ¡°Me neither, but I¡¯m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, you know? The more abilities we have, the better.¡± With that in mind, Hazel waited for the other panel that would display her new spells to appear. A moment later, that notification revealed itself to her. [Current Skills Available for Player to Determine Path] Rank 1 User can conjure an invisible floating magic eye, allowing them to see things from a distance without having to move from their spot. Can only summon one Astral Eye, and there are no cooldowns. Rank 1 Allows the Caster to summon and shoot a poison bolt filled with cursed energy at their enemies. The cooldown is ten seconds. Rank 1 An ice attack infused with cursed energy. Once inflicted with this spell, the victim suffers from a freezing curse that will slowly envelop them until they''re completely frozen solid. Cooldown is One-Minute Rank 1 Caster can charm their enemies into doing their bidding, depending on their Mental Fortitude. The charm effect lasts for at least ten minutes and Caster can only charm a single person at a time. Rank 1 Caster can inflict a spell that causes their enemy to feel pain, even though they aren¡¯t even harmed. The false pain lasts for ten seconds and the cooldown is fifteen seconds. She had quite a variety of options. And from what Hazel could tell, they were all more oriented with her Witch class. She was quite interested in Baneful Poison and Cursed Frost. Both were cursed-related spells with a second damage effect. With her Witch class, she would be increasing the curse dmg by 20% if she picked one of them. Sadly, there was another spell that she had her eyes on that she desperately needed because of what happened with the Tablet of Power. And that was the Astral Eyes spell. Because her Evil Eye powers were permanent, Hazel was unable to turn them off. That meant she was forced to keep her eyes closed or wear a blindfold to keep her eyes from looking at people and activating her abilities. And with her eyes either closed or covered, she would be completely blind to her surroundings, and would need to rely on Nycteris or someone else to guide her around. But if she picked Astral eyes, those problems would instantly be solved. So, even if she had her eyes closed, she¡¯d still be capable of seeing things, and without the risk of her Evil eyes being triggered as well. Or well, she hoped the last bit was true. Otherwise, it would be a complete waste of how she intended to use it.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. While it pained her to lose the opportunity to obtain more cursed spells, she needed Astral Eyes, or else she would be quite literally walking around blind for the rest of her life. And that wasn¡¯t going to happen with how things were at the moment. ¡°I choose Astral Eyes.¡± [You have chosen Astral Eyes spell!] [Astral Eyes Spell has been obtained!] Upon obtaining the spell, Hazel eagerly tried to use it, conjuring an Astral Eye. A moment later, a floating purple orb appeared in front of her at eye level. It was transparent, almost looking like some kind of ghost. Hazel was a bit surprised that she could see the orb, considering that its description said that it was invisible. Then again, maybe that meant it was unseen by everything excluding the Caster. Now that made a lot more sense to her. Regardless, now that she cast the spell, how was she supposed to see through it? Perhaps she was supposed to close her eyes and try and establish a connection. Running with that theory, Hazel shut her eyes, watching as everything went dark. Then, she attempted to focus on the floating purple orb, attempting to connect to the spell. A moment later, the mage felt a mental click as she managed to successfully make her connection. Her darkened vision was then assaulted with a burst of light peeking through. Taking a moment to adjust to the sudden change, Hazel then marveled at what she was seeing. Or in this case, who she was seeing. Standing before Hazel was none other than...herself. She was currently gracefully sitting on her knees with her head slightly lowered. Strands of her black hair hung from the angle, shrouding her face. It was like she was staring through the eyes of a drone using a VR headset, or that was what it felt like to her. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit taken aback by the spell¡¯s usage firsthand. Hazel stared a bit more at herself, mesmerized by the spell¡¯s capabilities. ¡°Cool...whoa!¡± As soon as she spoke to voice her joy over the spell, she watched her mouth move in response, startling her in the process. ¡°O-okay...¡± Hazel stuttered. ¡°I guess I can still talk with my body. Oh, I wonder if I can still move my body as well.¡± Testing it out, Hazel tried to stand up using her real body. And sure enough, it worked as she witnessed. Through her Astral eye, her physical body stood up. But, she stumbled a bit due to the bizarre position of her eye. ¡°Huh...¡± She mused, raising her hands. ¡°So, I¡¯m still connected with my body and can move around. Though it feels a bit difficult.¡± Despite her connection between both her body and the Astral Eye, Hazel could tell that there was a bit of lag when she attempted to move. She¡¯d probably get used to it after a bit of practice, but for the moment, it was a bit difficult to adapt to. But now came the bigger question. Was Evil Eye still active with the spell? ¡°Astrid,¡± Hazel called out to the dark elf. ¡°Can you turn and face me?¡± She used her Astral Eye and moved closer to Astrid, curious about what would happen. The sudden motion made her physical body stumble, but it remained standing. Floating behind the dark elf, she waited for her partner to turn around. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Astrid asked, turning around as Hazel asked her. She was now face to face with the Astral eye, and so far, nothing was happening. ¡°Do you feel fine?¡± Hazel asked, a bit curious. ¡°Yeah, why?¡± Astrid answered, sounding a bit confused. Judging from her tone, Astrid couldn¡¯t see the Astral Eye floating right in front of her. This made sense considering that the spell was supposed to be invisible. Only Hazel could see her little purple floating orb. From this experiment alone, Hazel had concluded that her Evil Eye spell didn¡¯t transfer over to Astral Eyes. This was perfect since she now had a means of seeing things while keeping her eyes closed. Feeling satisfied, Hazel deactivated the spell as her vision completely went dark again. She then opened her eyes to notice that she was seeing things from her real eyes again. ¡°Okay, that spell worked out nicely. Astrid, I think it¡¯s about time we wrapped this up and prepared to leave the dungeon.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll get our bags.¡± ¡°Roger that...¡± While Astrid went to retrieve their belongings, Hazel reached over and grabbed her Storage Bracelet and Arcane Gloves. She equipped the bracelet first before putting on the gloves. The item felt nice to wear like she was wearing laced gloves for some kind of ball. With the Bracelet around her wrist, Hazel attempted to test out the item¡¯s storage capabilities. Finding a piece of debris, she lifted it and focused on it, imagining it being stored in the bracelet. A moment later, the piece of debris vanished in an instant. It was so fast that Hazel jumped from the sight. After collecting herself, she then tried to pull the item out of the bracelet, and much like before, the debris reappeared in Hazel¡¯s hand. However, she managed to keep herself composed when this happened. ¡°Awesome.¡± She smiled in delight. Astrid soon returned with their supplies, and the pair got started in officially packing their belongings into their storage bracelets. Before that, Hazel grabbed her former mage cloak that she used before obtaining her magic dress and ripped a piece of it. With the shredded piece, she wrapped it around her eyes, using it as a blindfold to keep her Evil Eye powers from activating. With the blindfold, Hazel then conjured an Astral Eye before getting to work in a store with her stuff in the bracelet. She grabbed her bag that contained her stuff like the books, food and drinks, and items she took from the Tower along with her rewards from the Epic Chest. Placing them all together, Hazel proceeded to then store them in the bracelet, watching all of her stuff vanish in the blink of an eye. Once all of her belongings were stored, she marveled at the bracelet again. ¡°Man, this would¡¯ve made our travels so much easier.¡± ¡°Just be glad we have them now, instead of never,¡± Astrid advised. ¡°You got everything?¡± Hazel nodded. ¡°Yep. And you?¡± ¡°All of it right here.¡± She said with a small grin, showing off the bracelet. Aside from the bracelet, Astrid was also sporting a green magic ranger¡¯s cloak. According to its description, it was called the Hunter¡¯s Cloak. The cloak could erase her presence when she¡¯s in hiding, allowing her to remain hidden from others. It also granted her a speed boost, allowing her to make a hasty escape in case of emergencies. There was also the Enchanted bow String called a Kinetic Bowstring. From what Hazel read, the string increased an arrow¡¯s kinetic energy, making them more deadly when released. If she combined that with her [Piercing Shot] or [Rapid Fire] skill, her enemies would stand no chance against her. And much like Hazel, Astrid also learned a new skill from her Class Evolution, which was [Snipe]. The skill increased her precision when shooting arrows. Considering that her whole forte was archery, having that skill was practically a necessity. And with her experience, she was going to be a formidable enemy. Hazel returned a smile while calling her Familiar over. Nycteris stood next to her while Astrid stood in the front, allowing them to face one another. For one last time. ¡°Well, I guess this is where we part ways then, huh?¡± Hazel said, sounding a bit sad. ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± Astrid answered while shrugging her shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re a pretty good partner. For a human, that is.¡± She gave the mage a sly grin. ¡°Oh, wow, so that¡¯s how you¡¯re going to send me off, huh?¡± Despite the light insult, Hazel couldn¡¯t help but laugh a bit in response. Once the pair were ready to depart, they believed that they would return to the place where they were first summoned by the system. For Hazel, it would be in the Cafe shop. And for Astrid, it was likely in her forest near her tribe. That meant that this would possibly be the last time they would see one another. At least for a while. ¡°Is it possible for me to come visit you after we return?¡± Hazel asked. ¡°After hearing about your tribe, I¡¯m a bit curious to see what it¡¯s like.¡± Astrid let out a small chuckle. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll inform my people to keep an eye out for you. How¡¯s that sound?¡± Hazel gave an enthusiastic thumbs up. ¡°That¡¯s all I needed to hear!¡± She felt a bit depressed that she would be returning without Astrid with her, but after hearing that she could come visit, that brightened Hazel¡¯s mood a lot. Once she took care of finding her family, her next move was visiting Astrid and checking out her home. ¡°Alright, then,¡± Hazel said, feeling determined. ¡°Until we meet again.¡± She waved at Astrid. Astrid smiled before returning the gesture. ¡°Yes, until we meet again.¡± The pair took a moment to bask in the moment before they felt that it was time to leave. They then focused on leaving the dungeon as multiple panels manifested before them. [You are now leaving the Tutorial Dungeon! You have now officially completed the Tutorial and will now be sent back to Earth!] [In addition, all party members will be teleported to the same location once exiting the Dungeon. The Destination of where will be random as you are transported to one of the previous locations you were at before being transferred to the Tutorial dungeon.] Hazel¡¯s eyes widened at the last panel. ¡°Wait...!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Astrid yelled before turning to look at Hazel. The mage turned her gaze toward the dark elf before getting into a panic. ¡°Cancel the party! Cancel the party now!¡± Both players immediately forgot that they were part of a party group. Then again, they didn¡¯t think that they would get dragged someplace else after completing the Dungeon Tutorial. This meant that if they successfully teleported out of the Dungeon while still in their party, one of them was going to get dragged back with the other. And that could not happen with their new objectives opposing one another. However, even when both players desperately tried to cancel their party...it was already too late. [Party cannot be canceled during Dungeon Exit!] ¡°Oh, you¡¯re...!¡± ¡°Kidding me!¡± Before either of them could do anything else in an attempt to disband their party, they were both enveloped in a pillar of light and were immediately teleported out of the Dungeon, with no traces of their presence within the Opera House left behind. With their time in the Tutorial Dungeon finally at an end, they now begin a new journey involving the System back to their newly merged home. Chapter 74: The Return [Start of Book 2!] [Tutorial Dungeon has been completed!] [You have returned to your newly merged world!] [All newly integrated residents have not yet completed their tutorial. Until all remaining and living integrated residents return to the newly merged planet, The Initial Integration process will still be in effect. Once all residents return, the next phase of the Integration Procedure will commence.] Hazel awoke with a start as she pulled herself off the ground. Her head whirled around, trying to discern her location, but she couldn¡¯t see anything. All she saw was black. In a panic, she feared that she was in some void, but immediately remembered that she was wearing her blindfold to block out her Evil Eyes. Expelling a sigh of relief, Hazel soon conjured her Astral Eye to see where she was. Connecting to the spell, the black void behind the blindfold was then replaced with a rather familiar scenery. It was the Cafe shop from before she was teleported to the Tutorial Dungeon, which meant that she was finally back home. The interior looked a bit different than before. None of the lights were on, leaving her in semi-darkness. The chairs, tables and other furniture were scattered all over the floor, and the shelves were destroyed, leaving remnants of their presence on the wall or the floor, along with the furniture. Shattered glass, cups, and several coffee-making machines blanketed the floor where Hazel was lying down. It was clear to her that this shop had seen better days. It looked like she was in the aftermath of an apocalypse. Then she was reminded that her world essentially was enduring an apocalypse. Not only was Earth being merged with another planet, but there were now monsters roaming around as well. She didn¡¯t know what kind or how many there were, but she was certain of one thing; her hometown wasn¡¯t the same as it used to be. But Hazel didn¡¯t care. All that mattered now was that she was finally free from the Tutorial Dungeon. She was finally home. A wide smile formed on Hazel¡¯s face after realizing that she was finally free. But her joy only lasted a few moments before she remembered one crucial problem regarding this revelation. She wasn¡¯t the only one who came here. ¡°Crap...Astrid!¡± Hazel called out to her dark elf partner. Back when they were leaving the dungeon, there was a notification that stated all players that are part of a party will be teleported to the same location together. So, if Hazel was in the cafe shop...then so was Astrid. ¡°Astrid, where are you?¡± The mage slowly stood up, still adjusting to her drone-like vision with the floating Astral Eye. Her body wobbled around, trying to stay upright but struggled to do so not only from her awkward vision that was disconnected from her actual body but also from the damn magic dress she was wearing. Trying to step forward, Hazel unsurprisingly got caught in her dress and tripped as a result. Before fully collapsing on her ass, something managed to pick her up as she was slowly lifted back on her feet. She grasped the unknown figure, feeling the soft and comforting fur that could put her to sleep if she rested on it. In fact, she actually has back in the Dungeon.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Turning her Astral Eye to face the figure, Hazel realized that what she was holding onto was none other than her giant Nightwing Bat familiar, Nycteris. ¡°Ah, Nycteris...¡± Hazel breathed a sigh of relief upon knowing that it was her familiar that saved her. ¡°Thank you for helping me up.¡± ¡°Please...be careful...master...¡± He told his master, letting out a soft screech while twitching his head. ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± The mage chuckled. ¡°Anyway, we need to find Astrid. She should be here somewhere in this shop.¡± Desperate to locate the dark elf, Hazel quickly used her Astral Eyes and surveyed the area. Since she could move the eye anywhere she wished and was obstructed by nothing, she should be able to find Astrid quickly. After a moment or two, she soon spotted a figure lying near the wall of windows. The figure had long silver hair, wore a green ranger¡¯s outfit with a cloak, and had a bow strapped to her back with a magic quiver at her side. It was Astrid. Hazel pointed in the direction where the dark elf was unconscious. ¡°Nycteris, take me over there.¡± ¡°Understood...¡± The Nightwing then guided Hazel over to the wall of windows, making their way to Astrid. Getting there, Hazel saw through her Astral Eye that they were standing over the dark elf who was still asleep. Without hesitation, the mage crouched down over to Astrid, making sure that she was alright. She lightly touched her shoulders, before placing two fingers on her neck, checking for a pulse. Thankfully enough, the dark elf was still alive. But it was time to wake up. ¡°Astrid! Astrid, wake up, now!¡± Hazel told the dark elf, lightly shaking her body. The dark elf began to stir, letting out a light groan while frowning. ¡°Astrid, I¡¯m serious, you need to wake up now!¡± Hazel shook her partner a little harder, which did the trick as her eyes shot open; vigilance filling her being. She shot up from the floor in alarm, whipping her head around to get a layout of her surroundings. ¡°W-what...¡± She huffed, still disoriented. She grasped her head with a grimaced expression, likely suffering from a headache. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on...?¡± Hazel hesitated to reply, knowing that the next words that came out of her mouth were going to deeply upset the dark elf. But she also couldn¡¯t leave her partner in the dark and decided to just rip the bandage off and get it over with. ¡°Well...¡± Hazel faltered. ¡°The good news is we¡¯re out of the Tutorial Dungeon. The bad news...¡± She didn¡¯t even get a chance to finish before witnessing Astrid¡¯s face as her eyes widened upon the sudden realization. She whipped her head around again, taking another glance at her surroundings as reality began to set in. ¡°T-the forest...¡± She muttered; eyes stricken with fear. ¡°I-I¡¯m not in the Forest! I¡¯m not home!¡± Her eyes then zipped in Hazel¡¯s direction, intently staring at the mage. ¡°Where are we?!¡± Hazel stared at the confused and frightened dark elf, unsure of how to explain the situation to her. Only for her to say the first few words that came to mind. ¡°Welcome to Portland, Maine...my hometown.¡± It took a moment or two for Hazel¡¯s words to register in Astrid¡¯s mind. The mage then watched as her partner¡¯s face shifted from confusion to realization, to shock, to finally a look of absolute dismay and defeat all in a matter of a couple of seconds. The dark elf flopped on her back, practically slamming against the tiled floor of the coffee shop. All the while, her eyes were filled with dread as she continued to mutter something. ¡°I-I¡¯m not home...I''m not home...I¡¯m not...home.¡± Instead of doing anything, Hazel simply allowed Astrid to have her moment, since she knew that her partner likely wouldn¡¯t be able to hear her anyway. The distant look in the dark elf¡¯s eyes was all Hazel needed to see to know that no matter what she said, it wouldn¡¯t reach her ears. So, Hazel simply sat there with Astrid, listening to her worried rambling. Waiting until she got it all out of her system so that they could come up with a plan for their current predicament. While listening, she gazed out the wall of windows, viewing a preview of what was in store for them when they finally left the shop. From the desolate streets that were filled with empty and flipped-over cars, partly destroyed buildings, and deformed pieces of the land all over from the quite literal planetary terraforming from the Merging of two worlds. It surprisingly reminded Hazel a lot of the Tutorial Dungeon. And that alone gave her dread over what she was bound to face once they were ready to leave and explore the city. Chapter 75: Lashing Out Several minutes passed by before Astrid finally managed to collect herself. All the while, Hazel had to witness her partner go through the five stages of grief, helpless to do anything since she knew that the dark elf would be unable to listen to her while in that state of mind. Thankfully, that phase was over but now Astrid was sitting on an intact stool chair with her face buried in her arms over the bar counter. As soon as she went to the final stage, which was acceptance regarding her current situation, the dark elf miraculously moved back a stage, ending up back in depression and was currently at her lowest point. While her current depression stage wasn¡¯t as bad as her initial one, Hazel couldn¡¯t help but feel awkward while staring at her Partner, whose current situation was beyond screwed up. But, she also knew that wasting more time here after finally leaving the Tutorial Dungeon wouldn¡¯t solve anything either. ¡°Astrid,¡± Hazel calmly called out to her partner. ¡°I understand that you¡¯re upset, but we need to focus on our current situation.¡± ¡°And what situation is that?¡± The dark elf snapped, jerking her head out of her arms to face Hazel with a glare. ¡°The fact that I¡¯m in some unknown land that I have no knowledge of? The fact that I¡¯m probably miles away from my home? Oh, or is it maybe the fact that even if I try and find my way back, something is going to get in my way at every damn turn?!¡± Hazel took a slight step back, feeling the seething rage radiating off of Astrid. It looked like she reverted to the second stage of grief; anger. Despite their current problem, a part of Hazel wondered if Astrid would enter the Bargaining or Denial stage again. Putting that pointless and unnecessary thought aside, Hazel focused on attempting to calm down the dark elf. ¡°Look, I know that this isn¡¯t what either of us expected. But we can still fix it, alright?¡± Astrid scoffed. ¡°Oh, really? And how are we going to fix this, huh? There¡¯s no way for us to navigate our way to my tribe. You wanna know why? Because our worlds were fused, causing a planetary Terraformation! That means maps are useless and so is our common geographical knowledge of our worlds! So, tell me how are we going to solve this problem of mine?¡± Hazel hesitated to respond, knowing that everything that Astrid just said was more or less correct. Since their worlds were merged into one, their current maps are useless since there are currently no records of the geographical landscape of this new planet. To make matters worse, Astrid¡¯s tribe could be on the opposite side of the globe from them, so they had no real way of getting there at the moment. Hazel wasn¡¯t sure if any of the vehicles from her world like cars, boats, and planes even worked after the System Integration. Then again, they could also just have Nycteris fly them to Astrid¡¯s location, but something told Hazel that this wasn¡¯t going to be enough to ease the Dark elf¡¯s rage. So, her best hope of getting through to Astrid was simply calming her down and reason with her like before. ¡°Our worlds may have merged, but there¡¯s likely a way for us to figure out-¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to figure out, Thatcher?!¡± Astrid snapped, flailing her arms around dramatically in a fit of anger. ¡°Even if we find my way home, it¡¯ll take forever to do so, and probably even longer to get there in the first place!¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°It¡¯s better than us just sitting around and complaining about it the whole damn time!¡± Hazel snapped back, finally losing her patience with Astrid. ¡°I¡¯m trying to help you here, alright? So, the least you can do is cooperate with me so we can fix this problem together.¡± ¡°Yeah, and that¡¯s the problem!¡± Hazel¡¯s eyes widened as she was taken aback by Astrid¡¯s words before they narrowed angrily. ¡°The hell is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°What do you think? I wouldn¡¯t be in this situation if I hadn¡¯t teamed up with you! It¡¯s your fault that I¡¯m stuck here now!¡± ¡°My fault?!¡± Hazel repeated, sounding offended. ¡°How was any of this my fault? I didn¡¯t know about the stupid party teleportation!¡± ¡°Yeah, well, if I hadn¡¯t joined your stupid party, none of this would¡¯ve happened! The fact that I even encountered you was a mistake!¡± Hazel scoffed after hearing this. ¡°A mistake, huh? I think you meant to say a blessing, considering I¡¯m the reason why you¡¯re still alive.¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re calling yourself a blessing now?¡± ¡°Damn right! Because, in case you¡¯ve forgotten, if I hadn¡¯t shown up when I did, you would¡¯ve been slaughtered by that group of Orcs back in the Forest Island. So, yeah, you¡¯re alive because I risked my life to save your sorry ass.¡± Hazel wasn¡¯t fond of bringing up such a petty thing like her saving Astrid when they first met, but after hearing the Dark elf blame her, she couldn¡¯t help but utter such a retort. That was how infuriated she was with her partner. ¡°Maybe I would¡¯ve been better off being killed by those damn Orcs than being saved by some human who stranded me away from my home!¡± The two players glared at one another, seething from their argument. Neither of them made a move, but both of them wanted to. They felt a strong urge to pick a fight with one another as if believing that venting their frustration out on the other would quell the boiling rage blazing within them. Astrid tightly clenched her hands while Hazel cautiously flexed her fingers, preparing to cast a spell at a moment¡¯s notice. Their standoff continued as each player readied themselves for a fight against the other. In the background, Nycteris prepared himself as well as he crouched low, getting into a pouncing position. He let out a low growl while intently glaring at the dark elf, knowing that if she made a single move against his master, he would be there to not only stop it but also possibly stop her. Permanently. Astrid took a brief glance at the Nightwing before focusing back on Hazel, keeping her eyes trained on both threats. ¡°You sure you want to try this, Astrid?¡± Hazel asked with a cold and menacing tone. ¡°I sure as hell am thinking about it...¡± While Hazel felt hesitant to pick an actual fight with Astrid, she wasn¡¯t going to be stupid enough to get killed over her aversion. If she was forced to take on the dark elf, then she would do it in a heartbeat. And just when the tension had reached its limit...a third party reared its ugly head. All of a sudden, something burst through one of the intact walls of glass before piercing the ground next to Hazel and Astrid. The two players momentarily stopped glaring to turn their attention to the object that was thrown in the coffee shop. Looking down, they saw a long spear lodged into the tile floor. It was six to seven feet tall with a red ribbon wrapped near the shaft of the weapon. The player pair stared at the spear for a few moments, both of them curious regarding its origin. Then, Astrid was the first to turn in the direction where the weapon was thrown as Hazel followed suit. Looking out the shattered window, they then witnessed a large group of bulky green monsters from across the street from the shop. They wore battle armor like chest plates, bracers, and helmets while wielding a variety of weapons from spears, swords, battle axes, and bows and arrows. They looked like a tribal warrior army. Hazel and Astrid instantly knew what they were facing. It was the very same species they fought back in the Tutorial Dungeon. Even without the glaring purple cracks spiderwebbing across their bodies that displayed their rapidly deteriorating vessels, they were able to identify their enemies. ¡°Oh, great...Orcs,¡± Hazel groaned as her shoulders slumped in annoyance. ¡°Out of all the monsters that could¡¯ve interrupted us, it had to be those bastards of all things,¡± The dark elf fumed, narrowing her eyes at the tribe of Orcs. Seeing their new targets, Hazel and Astrid glared out the window and directly at the Orcs before them. Just then, a small group of Archers emerged from the group and presented themselves before the players. They readied their bows, aiming right at the coffee shop where their targets were. And a moment later...they fired. Chapter 76: Fleshy Orcs Hazel closed in on Astrid before casting a Mana Shield around both of them. They then watched the transparent blue magic dome materialize around them as the volley of arrows made contact with her shield and bounced off. Hazel and Astrid heard grumbling and roaring from the Orcs outside, expressing their outrage that they couldn¡¯t kill the players. ¡°I believe that¡¯s the second time I saved you,¡± Hazel smirked. The dark elf rolled her eyes irritably. ¡°Just get me out of this so I can kill those bastards. Unless you want to get shot as well.¡± Hazel could tell from Astrid¡¯s tone that she wasn¡¯t joking, and that alone was enough to make her get rid of the shield. If her attention was focused on the Orcs, then those hulking green monsters could feel her wrath instead. With the barrier down, Astrid readied her bow, pulling back an arrow while moving closer to the wall of windows to get a better shot at the army of Orcs. Meanwhile, Hazel scrambled toward Nycteris, who was hiding behind some tables. Moving behind the tables with him, Hazel turned toward her Familiar. ¡°Nycteris, you ready to charge at those Orcs?¡± Because of the Nightwing¡¯s role as their Vanguard, he needed to keep those monsters focused on him so she and Astrid could attack them from a distance. Hazel was concerned over their numbers, but she knew her Familiar could handle them. If anything, Hazel or Astrid alone should be capable of dealing with the monsters without any assistance. All Hazel needed to do was conjure all five cursed spears and use Telekinesis to remotely kill the Orcs. Hell, if she was bold or confident enough, she could¡¯ve just used Telekinesis alone and slaughtered them that way. While it was frightening how Hazel was coming up with multiple methods to kill the Orcs, she was honestly too angry to care. Thinking about it rationally...she likely didn¡¯t need Nycteris to act as the Vanguard in this battle. ¡°On second thought,¡± Hazel muttered. ¡°Stay here and rest a little more, bud. Astrid and I have this covered.¡± At first, the Nightwing looked alarmed, as if his master was thinking of doing something reckless but decided to not point this out seemingly out of fear. Hazel could tell that his fear wasn¡¯t toward her but something else as the familiar poked his head out to view what was outside the Coffee shop. He couldn¡¯t have been afraid of the Orcs, so what was it? Contemplating over this, Hazel and the others were then hit with another arrow volley attack. Multiple projectiles struck the floor, chairs, and tables within the shop. ¡°Just stay down until we¡¯re done, alright?¡± Hazel told Nycteris. The Nightwing glumly nodded, as if hesitant to follow her order out of concern but reluctantly did so. Once Hazel confirmed that he was going to listen, she moved out of her spot with the Nightwing and moved closer to the wall of windows, hiding behind a set of tables that Astrid was using as a barricade. She placed her back against the turned-over table and faced the dark elf, who was firing multiple arrows at the Orcs. Using her Astral Eye, Hazel glanced over at the monsters, watching a couple of them get killed by Astrid¡¯s projectiles. ¡°Nice shot.¡± ¡°Save it,¡± Astrid scowled. ¡°If you¡¯re just here to bother me, then get lost already.¡± Hazel narrowed her eyes angrily at the dark elf. While she understood her anger regarding her situation, venting out her frustration on her wasn¡¯t going to solve anything. The mage simply hoped that killing these Orcs would diminish the boiling rage within her. With her new magic gloves, Hazel then cast a Cursed Spear, conjuring it before her. Reaching her hand out, she then cast Telekinesis on the spell, imprinting her control over it. Once she felt the mental click that established the connection, she got to work. With the help of Astral Eye, Hazel spotted the Orcs while still hiding behind the table. A moment later, she guided the cursed spear over to the small militia of the hulking green beasts. The dark purple javelin zipped through the air, making its way toward its target. The Orcs soon caught on to Hazel¡¯s intentions with the spear as one of the monsters roared at their brethren. ¡°Raise your shields!¡± Hearing this, Hazel faltered and immediately lost control of her spear as it blitzed toward the Orcs without her influence. It struck one of the shield-bearing Orcs, easily piercing through its shield, and killed the user behind it. Hazel watched it collapse on the spot through her Astral Eye. ¡°One of our brothers has fallen! Someone take his place now!¡± The Orc from before shouted at its fellow brethren. Immediately after, an Orc from the back moved forward and took the place of the one that Hazel killed. It picked up its shield and raised it just like the rest of the shield-bearers, acting as part of the wall that protects the Orc tribe. As Hazel witnessed this, a pang of panic washed over her as she was hit with confusion. ¡°Those Orcs can talk?¡± ¡°Of course they can talk!¡± Astrid chided. ¡°What did you expect?¡± ¡°Well, I mean, none of the Orcs back in the Dungeon spoke, so...¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°That¡¯s because those Orcs weren¡¯t even alive. They were walking husks being controlled by whatever destroyed that world before it became a damn dungeon.¡± What Astrid said was correct. Hazel couldn¡¯t follow the logic that applied to the Tutorial Dungeon. Even the Descriptions regarding the Fractured monsters stated that they weren¡¯t alive and only controlled by their basic instincts. But these Orcs were different. They weren¡¯t Fractured monsters that only followed their impulses. They were living beings that could think. How the commanding Orc ordered its men to refill the gap in their defenses immediately after losing one of their own displayed their intellect. And when Hazel attempted to use Identify on them, that was when she knew these Orcs were different than the ones back in the Fractured Dungeon. [Trakal, Level 9, Class: Warrior] These Orcs were players, just like Hazel and Astrid. All of them with various classes much like the mage and ranger. But surprisingly enough, when Hazel used the opportunity to check all of them, she realized that a good majority of the Orcs were below level ten. Making them extremely weak. So, how did they leave the dungeon before the thirty day trial? Was it because their difficulty wasn¡¯t as bad as Hazel¡¯s or were they able to escape by assisting a strong player in defeating a Sub-Boss? While Hazel was curious about this, she had no desire to ask the Orcs, who were about to die in a few moments. There was also something else Hazel couldn¡¯t apply her experience from the Tutorial Dungeon. She gazed over at the deceased Orcs lying on the ground as blood seeped from the wounds, she and Astrid inflicted on them. Since these Orcs weren¡¯t Fractured...that meant, they weren¡¯t going to die like one. So, instead of seeing her enemies burst into purple fragments, all she was going to witness now were mountains of corpses and an unhealthy amount of blood and viscera from her kills. She was now up against fleshy monsters rather than cracked ones. Hazel¡¯s stomach lurched from the sight before she took a moment to collect herself. She inhaled sharply while psyching herself up for the battle. Just because these monsters weren¡¯t Fractured didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t kill them. It was her or them. And she still had things to do and couldn¡¯t afford to die like this. Once she was mentally prepared, Hazel turned to her dark elf partner. ¡°I¡¯ll try and break their shield barricade, so they have no defenses. When I do-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll deliver an arrow volley of my own. I got it.¡± Resisting the urge to make a retort to Astrid interrupting her, Hazel prepared her spell, summoning four more cursed spears. As soon as she applied Telekinesis on them, the four javelins were sent off to do her bidding, barreling toward the Orc army. The spears that were currently together soon split off and moved in separate directions, confusing the Orcs and forcing them to raise their shields to defend themselves. However, due to the directions of the spears, they couldn¡¯t predict them flanking the army before striking them from the sides. In a single moment, the Orc shield wall was destroyed. Each hulking beast holding up a shield was killed as the spears pierced through their bodies and met in the middle. The commanding Orc was alarmed after witnessing all of its brethren at the front collapse on the spot. But, despite the loss, it maintained its composure and tried to take control of the situation. ¡°Our walls are down, shelter yourselves now!¡± Heeding their commanding order, the remaining Orcs scrambled to find a place to hide behind. But Astrid wasn¡¯t going to let that happen. As soon as the shield wall was taken down by Hazel¡¯s cursed spears, the Dark elf emerged from her barricade and rushed outside of the shop. Then, with her bow drawn, she activated her [Quick Draw] skill and fired multiple arrows at the Orcs, delivering an arrow barrage of her own on the enemies. The Orcs dropped like flies, each one getting killed by Astrid¡¯s vengeful arrows. One moment they were alive, seeking shelter; the next, they collapsed on the ground with an arrow either sticking out of their neck or skulls. Hazel watched from behind the table barricade, amazed and terrified by Astrid¡¯s arrow barrage. The commanding Orc was in the same boat, watching the scene unfold before its eyes before taking action. ¡°Charge at the Dark Elf! Kill her before it''s too late!¡± The remaining Orcs did as they were told and left their hiding spots to attack Astrid, determined to take her life before she took theirs. But they forgot one thing; she wasn¡¯t alone. As the Orcs charged at the dark elf, several mana bolts were hurled in their direction, massacring a good portion of them and leaving the rest for Astrid to deal with. Knowing that she no longer had the advantage with distance, she strapped her bow on her back and pulled out her daggers, prepared to commence a CQC. She blitzed toward her first Orc using [Quick Step]. Getting close, she slashed her enemy¡¯s leg and then jammed her blade into its neck. With it dead, Astrid moved on to her next victim without a second thought, slaughtering each Orc that came her way. Hazel watched with Astral Eye, witnessing the entire thing with a Bird¡¯s eye view. Due to the level distance between her and the remaining Orcs, Astrid was barely breaking a sweat from the fight, and practically one-shotting the monsters without much trouble. It didn¡¯t take long before she killed off the remaining Orcs. All except for one. ¡°Damn you, dark elf!¡± The Commanding Orc roared at Astrid, standing before her while brandishing its giant battle axe. ¡°For slaying my brethren, I will avenge them!¡± Astrid glared at the Orc, clearly unamused by its declaration for vengeance. If anything, she looked more annoyed. ¡°Just shut up and come at me, already,¡± The dark elf said calmly, barely raising her voice at her enemy. ¡°You...bitch!¡± The commanding Orc snarled, peeling its lips back to reveal its jagged and disgusting teeth along with two tusks protruding from its jaw. It then raised its axe and charged at her. Astrid simply stood there, waiting for it to come to her. Once it was close enough to her, the commanding Orc swung its axe down on Astrid, as if trying to cut her down the middle. A moment later, the dark elf vanished as the weapon struck the concrete ground, sending bits of debris everywhere. The Orc¡¯s eyes widened in shock. It jerked its head around, trying to locate its enemy. And before it could even spot her, Astrid was seen latched onto the Orc¡¯s back as she proceeded to jam her dagger right on top of its head, killing it instantly. The Orc collapsed on its knees and then fully fell to the ground with a loud thud. Meanwhile, Astrid simply jumped off and walked away, disinterested in its death. While walking away, Hazel scanned the corpses scattered along the street, feeling a hint of nausea wash over her. She knew they weren¡¯t going to burst into purple fragments, but a part of her wished they did due to how gory this scene was. Regardless, Hazel pushed aside that matter for the moment and focused on something else. Mainly her dark elf partner. As Astrid walked back to the coffee shop, Hazel emerged from her hiding spot and cautiously approached her. They soon stopped when they were a couple of feet apart, initiating another standoff. ¡°So...you vented enough or do you still have some frustration left in the tank that you need to get rid of?¡± Hazel knew that if Astrid wasn¡¯t fully vented, then the next battle would be between her and the dark elf. And the witch didn¡¯t want that to happen. Astrid intensely stared at Hazel, as if contemplating her suggestion. Hazel felt a bit nervous from her stare but maintained her composure, cautiously waiting for the next move. A split second later, the dark elf expelled a heavy sigh. ¡°Whatever.¡± She then crossed her arms and stopped scowling at Hazel. ¡°So, what exactly do you plan to do about my situation?¡± Hearing these words, a small grin appeared on Hazel¡¯s face followed by a light sigh of relief. Looked like she dodged a bullet there. ¡°Well, that¡¯s what we need to talk about, don¡¯t we?¡± Chapter 77: The Coffee Map With Astrid more or less calmed down after everything that happened, she and Hazel walked back inside the coffee shop so they could come up with a solution regarding how they could get the Dark Elf back home. Sitting down on an intact stool bench, Astrid watched Hazel walk over to a wall and pick up a large landscape frame with a picture of a map along with various coffee mugs and coffee beans painted on the continents. According to the title of this picture, it was called the map of coffee. ¡°Thank god this thing is still intact,¡± Hazel grunted while hefting the framed picture over to Astrid. Getting over to the bar counter, she then placed the landscape frame down, letting it face the dark elf, who was staring at it with a cocked brow. ¡°And why are you showing me...this picture?¡± Astrid hesitantly asked. ¡°This...¡± Hazel patted the frame with a sly smile. ¡°Is a map of my world called Earth. Just ignore all the coffee stuff and focus on the map itself.¡± Astrid shifted her gaze back and forth between Hazel and the supposed map she was referring to with a suspicious and doubtful gaze. She then let out a heavy sigh while burying her face in her hands. ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with...¡± The dark elf muttered while pulling her face out to stare at Hazel. ¡°Alright, so why are you showing me this...map?¡± ¡°I¡¯m showing you this map to use as a base for my theory,¡± Hazel stated. ¡°A theory?¡± ¡°Pretty much. I could be wrong about it but it¡¯s at least a start for us to try and understand how the Planetary Fusion works.¡± Astrid opened her mouth to say something, but immediately closed it, knowing that anything she said wouldn¡¯t make a difference. So, she did the only thing that was currently rational to her; she left Hazel to continue. ¡°Alright, explain...¡± A small grin appeared on Hazel¡¯s face, displaying her enthusiasm. She then proceeded to explain her theory involving their worlds'' integration and fusion. ¡°Okay, so we know that our worlds were merged into this new planet for the System or whatever.¡± ¡°Right...¡± Astrid nodded. ¡°Well, my theory regarding the merging is that what if our planets were merged in the exact positions like on both maps. Of course, both worlds would have to have been in the exact position at the exact moment of the fusion due to the planetary rotations but considering that our two worlds were merged which should''ve been scientifically possible in its own right, I''m hoping for this to be right." Astrid stared at the map for a second, a hint of hope sparkling in her eyes before reality manifested and crushed those hopes without mercy, leaving her feeling completely demoralized. ¡°Even if we follow along with your theory, there¡¯s no way we can know for sure that it¡¯s even true.¡± ¡°Actually, we can. We can by trying to recognize famous landmarks from your world and seeing if they matched in the same area on both maps of Earth and your world.¡± The dark elf faltered, slowly understanding Hazel¡¯s train of thought as she mulled over the concept behind her theory. She placed a finger on her chin and thought deeply about what the mage was telling her. ¡°That theory of yours...might very well be something we could test out.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re considering my idea?¡± ¡°I am considering it, yes. But, we also can¡¯t just fully rely on this theory alone.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not. We¡¯re simply going to test the theory and see if we¡¯re right and work our way from there. And with Nycteris, we could easily fly around and do that.¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The dark elf turned toward the Nightwing bat, who was sitting next to his master as she explained all of this. He looked unamused by their conversation. Either that or he simply didn¡¯t understand what they were talking about. Putting that aside, having Nycteris was certainly a blessing for Astrid. Back when he was first summoned, the Familiar flew both her and Hazel over to the City Island from the Tower Island, saving them a lot of time during their journey. With Nycteris, they could very well fly in the sky and scan the area for any famous landmarks to use as reference. ¡°You said before that this place was Portland?¡± Astrid asked Hazel while turning her attention back to her. The witch nodded. ¡°I did. We¡¯re currently in Portland, Maine, which is located here.¡± She circled her finger around the upper right area of the US continent. ¡°If my theory is correct and our worlds could¡¯ve been merged like two maps placed on one another, do you know any famous location that is within this area?¡± The dark elf stood up and approached Hazel and the map. She then crouched down and intensely stared at the coffee map, scanning the geography of the witch¡¯s world. ¡°If this little theory of yours is correct...then I might be closer to my home than I originally thought.¡± ¡°Seriously?!¡± Hazel eagerly raised her voice. ¡°Where?!¡± Astrid brought her finger over to the map, pointing at a rough estimate of her home¡¯s potential location. ¡°Your home is in Canada?¡± Hazel questioned, staring at Canada on the map. ¡°Is that what you call this piece of land on your world?¡± ¡°Yeah. Also, I can¡¯t believe that your home is so close to Maine.¡± ¡°This is just a rough estimate, mind you,¡± The dark elf reminded Hazel. ¡°There¡¯s also the fact that even if your theory is correct, I doubt my home is exactly in that area. What with the world¡¯s merging and also moving around to adjust to the integration.¡± ¡°Oh, like a continental drift-type situation,¡± Hazel concluded, snapping her finger. Astrid leaned her head to the side curiously. ¡°A continental drift?¡± ¡°Oh, so back a long time ago, it was theorized that all the continents on my world used to be one big piece of land called Pangea until they experienced a continental drift that separated them into their current positions. With both worlds combining, the continents of both worlds might have moved around and adjusted around to create our current world. If not this, then we could be in a bit of a pickle since if our worlds weren''t in the exact same position during the merging, your forest could be in China for all we know since our planets rotates and moves around the sun. Which is why this little idea of mine is only a theory at the moment." ¡°Does your world always resort to making these theories?¡± Hazel shrugged her shoulders. ¡°It was thanks to us making and testing those theories that we made so much progress in the world. Putting that aside, since our worlds did merge, that meant our newly combined planet is likely a lot bigger compared to both worlds separate. So, with the bigger planet, that could also mean that the land on both worlds also expanded to fill in the extra space provided to a certain extent.¡± She rubbed the back of her head nervously. ¡°But again, this is still all just a theory and I could very well be wrong.¡± ¡°Well...that¡¯s why we test these theories out, right?¡± Astrid said with a small grin. ¡°To see if they¡¯re correct?¡± Seeing the dark elf¡¯s expression, Hazel couldn¡¯t help but crack a smile as well, thankful that her partner no longer hated her. Now that they possessed a semblance of a plan compared to before, it was time to finally leave the coffee shop so they could explore and see what Hazel¡¯s hometown had become in her absence. With that in mind, Hazel walked over to Nycteris to inform him of their next move. ¡°Hey, Nycteris, we¡¯re going to be leaving...Nycteris?¡± Before she could finish explaining their situation, the witch noticed something was off with her familiar. The Nightwing was lying on the floor, looking exhausted. No, exhausted wasn¡¯t the right term to describe his condition. He looked drained like all of the energy left his body without warning. Worried, Hazel moved closer to her familiar to see what was wrong. ¡°Hey, Nycteris, are you alright?¡± Nycteris sluggishly turned to stare at Hazel. His crimson eyes drooped like he couldn¡¯t stay focused while his body swayed from some kind of vertigo. ¡°No...¡± The Nightwing uttered with a low screech. ¡°Tired...¡± Hazel was confused by his statement. ¡°Tired? Did the Dungeon transfer take a lot out of you or something?¡± Nycteris didn¡¯t seem all that exhausted when they first arrived in the newly merged world. It was only around when the Orcs appeared that Hazel noticed that something was off about him. But what exactly was it? The Nightwing then pointed over at the wall of windows, as if showing Hazel something. The witch stared outside for a moment, still confused at what her familiar was attempting to tell her. It was only when she spotted beams of light from the sun that she soon figured out what was wrong with him. ¡°The sun...¡± Hazel muttered, finally putting the pieces together. ¡°You¡¯re tired because it¡¯s daytime.¡± Since Nycteris was a type of vampire variant, it should¡¯ve been obvious to her that he would also possess some of the glaring weaknesses of one. Like vampires being weak in the sun. And that was when Hazel realized the other issue regarding her familiar¡¯s current predicament. Since he obviously couldn¡¯t go outside in the sun...that meant they couldn¡¯t rely on him until it was nighttime. This meant they were just met with their next hurdle after finally overcoming the first one involving Astrid¡¯s situation. Hazel stared out the window, finally aware of their current predicament. ¡°Ah, crap...¡± Despite finally coming home, she could tell that nothing was going to get any easier from now on. And that only depressed the witch deeply. She just couldn¡¯t catch a break, could she? Chapter 78: Change of Plans Change of Plans ¡°Okay, change of plans!¡± Hazel declared while clapping her hands together. ¡°We explore the city on foot and wait until it''s nighttime for us to have Nycteris fly us around to get a better layout of the land.¡± ¡°Fine with me,¡± Astrid nodded. ¡°Seeing things from ground level might be better since we can see everything up close compared to in the sky.¡± Due to their recent discovery of Nycteris¡¯s aversion to sunlight because of his vampiric trait, the player duo decided to postpone their flying session until nighttime, when the Nightwing was capable of assisting them properly. Walking over to the Familiar, Hazel crouched down and softly stared at him. She placed her hand on his head, lightly petting him like a dog that wasn¡¯t feeling well. She wore a kind and sympathetic smile; one that showed that she deeply cared about Nycteris and didn¡¯t want him to strain himself. ¡°Alright, big guy, until it¡¯s nighttime, I''m going to de-summon you, alright? If we left you here, we might be too far away for you to come and rescue us when the sun goes down. This way, when the time comes, you¡¯ll be with us when I summon you back, okay?¡± The Nightwing sluggishly raised his head to stare at his master. His crimson eyes looked distant and almost clouded. It looked like the fatigue was slowly getting to him. Hazel could tell that it wouldn¡¯t be long before he ended up falling asleep until it became nighttime. Nycteris then softly nestled his head against Hazel¡¯s hand, letting out a low purr-like screech. Hazel struggled to hold back the urge to vigorously pet the Nightwing like a doting pet owner. Right now, she had bigger fish to fry, and she couldn¡¯t waste much time. Taking a moment to assure Nycteris that she would bring him back, the witch then proceeded to try and de-summon her familiar. She never tried it before, but the panels from when she first summoned the Nightwing stated that she could summon or de-summon him at will. Hopefully, that meant all she needed to do was focus on de-summoning him instead of having to make a magic circle to use as a base or catalyst. Taking a deep breath, Hazel closed her eyes and focused on canceling her summon. For a brief moment, her chest flared intensely, as if it became a blazing stove. She could practically feel the heat emanating through her ribs before the sensation faded away right after. Then, out of nowhere, a purple magic circle materialized under Nycteris. While Hazel and Astrid were startled by the sudden appearance, both of them inching back in response, the Nightwing simply lay there, as if expecting this. Nycteris then gave one last look at his master, looking a bit glum. ¡°See...you...soon.¡± Hazel faltered, feeling her chest ache uncomfortably. It reminded her of when she had to say goodbye to an old friend of hers whom she had known for a long time because they were moving away. It made her...depressed. But that didn¡¯t mean this would be the last time Hazel and Nycteris would see each other again. She was only de-summoning him so they wouldn''t be separated. She knew that and yet couldn¡¯t push away the aching sensation in her chest. But Hazel did her best to act strong and gave her Summon a confident smile. ¡°Yeah, bud. See you soon too. Very soon.¡± After exchanging their temporary farewells, a purple beam of light erupted from the magic circle, engulfing the Familiar whole. A loud roar from the light assaulted Hazel and Astrid¡¯s ears, forcing the duo to cover them to block out some of the noise. The beam remained for a few seconds before it abruptly stopped. When the light disappeared, the Nightwing was nowhere to be seen. The only thing that remained was the magic circle that took Nycteris away. The circle was no longer glowing like before and sizzled, possibly from the effects of the light beam. Hazel stood there for a moment as if taking in her familiar¡¯s absence. As she did, Astrid walked over to her and placed her hand on her shoulder. ¡°Are you alright?¡± The dark elf asked, clearly concerned. Hazel took a moment to give a reply as if struggling to form her words. ¡°Y-yeah, I''m fine. Totally fine.¡± Hazel was, in fact, not fine, but she couldn¡¯t let Astrid worry over her like that. The dark elf had more pressing issues right now. She couldn¡¯t burden her partner more with her emotions.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Astrid started at the Witch for a moment, clearly knowing that she wasn¡¯t telling the truth. However, instead of saying anything, she simply let out a sigh and pulled her hand away. ¡°Alright, then. If you say so,¡± The dark elf said with a shrug before turning around and making her way over to the exit. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving, then. We still have plenty of sunlight, so we should take advantage while we can.¡± Hazel, while calming her nerves, nodded in response before following behind the dark elf. ¡°Right. Let¡¯s start exploring Portland.¡± With their business in the coffee shop finished the two players left the building and took in the current state of Hazel¡¯s hometown. And much like before...it was very different from what she remembered. Not only was the city eerily quiet, with not even the sound of a few car alarms blaring in the distance, but the current state of Portland looked just as baffling. The entire street they strolled on was destroyed with large and long cracks spanning across the entire road. It was like an Earthquake just happened, but ten times worse. Glancing around, Hazel noticed that a lot of the buildings around her were partly destroyed with half of its structure completely missing. There were even some dangerously leaning to the side like the tower of Pisa. Aside from the massive cracks spider-webbing across the entire street, there were also dozens of cars scattered around them. Some were flipped over, others were obliterated beyond repair, leaving remnants of the vehicles all over the place. But what caught Hazel¡¯s attention was the occasional street quite literally sprouting out of the cracks. It was such a bizarre sight that the witch couldn¡¯t help but stare at the various trees emerging from the crevices. ¡°Geez,¡± Hazel muttered with astonishment. ¡°Portland had seen better days.¡± ¡°I¡¯m assuming that the rest of our world will likely be like this as well. It¡¯s even a miracle that there are even buildings left standing from the planetary merging.¡± Calling their current situation a miracle seemed appropriate regarding what they were facing right now. Not only did they have to deal with their world¡¯s merging, but also the source behind it; that being the System that teleported Hazel and Astrid to the Tutorial Dungeon. Hazel knew that the Tutorial they went through was just the start, and once the rest of the residents from both worlds returned home if they survived, the System was bound to start something else. And a part of her dreaded the potential hell she and Astrid were bound to face in the future. The two players continued to walk down the desolate street of Portland, with no noise other than the eerie wind accompanying them. It began to remind them, especially Hazel, about their days back in the Tutorial Dungeon. Specifically, her time in the Town and City Island with the streets that were either completely devoid of life or overrun with Fractured humans. ¡°Despite being home, it feels like we¡¯re still in the Dungeon...¡± Hazel noted grimly, keeping her Astral Eye trained on their surroundings, darting around and keeping an eye out for any danger. ¡°Considering what our current surroundings are like, that much is inevitable. That and the fact that we spend a whole month in that hell hole, doing our best to survive.¡± ¡°Especially during the beginning...I nearly died so many times that I¡¯m amazed that I survived for so long.¡± Despite her initial journey in the Dungeon being almost a month ago, Hazel could still remember the hell she went through when she was first dumped in there as if it was yesterday. There were so many things that nearly killed her back then. From the Dire Wolf to the Fractured humans, to the Fractured classes, to even the Fractured Cyclops. There was also the Fractured Dire wolf pack plus the Alpha that accompanied them. But despite all of those monsters attempting to kill her, she still managed to come out on top. And continued to do so until she finally left that accursed dungeon. That and she got a lot stronger in the process. It was thanks to those near-death experiences that Hazel was able to grow and become what she was today. A Witch with curse spells and a vampire bat familiar. Even though she was enduring almost thirty days of the RPG-like, somehow, a part of her still couldn¡¯t wrap her head around all of it. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll run into any survivors of the Tutorial Dungeons?¡± Hazel asked while walking alongside Astrid. ¡°Technically, we did,¡± she noted. ¡°Those Orcs that tried to kill us.¡± ¡°Ah, right...¡± Remembering the Orcs, Hazel got her answer about finding survivors. So, if the Orcs managed to survive, then there were likely humans that survived and completed their tutorials as well. And since those Orcs were on their merged world before they were, that meant they completed one of the other objectives excluding the thirty-day one. Though, if that was the case, then why were their stats so low? Maybe it was because they were being carried? Either that or their tutorial difficulty wasn¡¯t as pressing as Hazel and Astrid¡¯s. Either way, after witnessing the Orc players, Hazel was certain that there were human players out there as well. And hopefully, her mother and brother were part of it. However, that would also mean Hazel would be the last one to complete her tutorial, and she wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that. Putting that thought aside for now, she and Astrid continued to explore the city, moving from block to block while scanning their surroundings. They came across a couple of shops and other buildings that caught their eye. Mainly the fact that a lot of them were nearly collapsed, leaning to one side to the point where they could tip over, or something else incredibly baffling to see firsthand. Then they soon came across something that caught their attention. Especially Astrids. ¡°Is that...?¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± Astrid muttered with a somewhat stunned expression. ¡°I think it is.¡± While walking around, the two players soon stumbled upon a rather unique building. One that wasn¡¯t and couldn¡¯t have been from Hazel¡¯s world. It was a house. But not just any house you would find in a suburban residence. This house...was medieval and gave off a very old appearance despite the lack of withering bricks and whatnot. That could only mean one thing. This house...was from Astrid¡¯s world. Which meant they stumbled upon their first sample of Astrid¡¯s planet mixed in with Hazel¡¯s world. Chapter 79: The House The two players continued to gaze at the clearly out-of-place building before them. A building that wasn¡¯t from Hazel¡¯s world but Astrid¡¯s instead. The house was slightly sandwiched between two other buildings, both surprisingly enough were from Hazel¡¯s world. Looking down at the cracked and split ground, the pair noticed that there was a dirt path mixing together with the concrete street as if the dirt was part of the road as well. Following the dirt path, Hazel and Astrid realized that it led right toward the house they just stumbled across. Which meant the dirt path also belonged to Astrid¡¯s world as well. Considering that their worlds were merged, Hazel and Astrid knew that they would come across something like this. Two structures from two very different eras and planets blend in with one another both naturally and unnaturally. Even so, being faced with that type of reality...was a harder pill to swallow than they initially thought. ¡°Do you...¡± Hazel faltered. ¡°Do you think anyone is in there?¡± ¡°...Only one way to find out,¡± Astrid stated with a determined expression. The dark elf then took a couple of steps toward the medieval house before Hazel stopped her by placing her hand in front of her. ¡°How about I do a little search first before we go in ourselves,¡± she suggested while pointing at her floating Astral Eye near them. Although the floating eye was invisible to Astrid, she still got the hint of what Hazel giving her and nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably a good idea.¡± Once Astrid gave the go-ahead, Hazel mentally commanded her Astral Eye to enter the house before them. Hopefully, due to it being in Astral Form, it would simply phase through the house and keep them from opening the house, thus alerting whatever was inside. As soon as the floating eye made contact with the building, much to Hazel¡¯s relief, it simply passed through like a ghost. The witch let out a sigh before placing her attention back on her Astral eye. With the eye inside, Hazel used it like a remote-controlled camera drone and scanned the area, curious to see what was within the house. Looking around, the house looked incredibly messy with broken chairs and a table lying all over the floor, leaving bits of wooden shrapnel in their wake. There didn¡¯t appear to be anything living inside. Nor was there anything within the house that Hazel found useful. No important papers haphazardly lying on the floor or any mystical weapon that could prove useful to her or Astrid. In every sense of the word, this place looked like your typical abandoned house with little significance. Realizing this, Hazel felt a bit disappointed. She figured that there was something inside that could be useful, but there was nothing of the sort. ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be any living creatures inside,¡± Hazel informed the dark elf calmly. ¡°The house is a bit messy though.¡± ¡°Did you find anything interesting inside?¡± Astrid asked curiously.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°No, but I think we should go inside to inspect the place further,¡± She suggested. ¡°There might be something I missed when inspecting the place.¡± ¡°Right, then let¡¯s go inside and get a better look.¡± Declaring their next move, Astrid proceeded to make her way over to the house as Hazel followed behind her. Entering the building, the two players explored the living room, searching for anything that could potentially tell them where this house came from. Looking down to see the scattered sheets of paper, Hazel and Astrid crouched down to pick some up and examine them. Clasping at a sheet, Hazel took note of how different the paper was compared to the ones from her world. The sheet was tanned like someone spilled coffee all over it with various ripped spots on the sides. It gave off the appearance of a fantasy/medieval sheet of paper like in an RPG or fantasy novel. Taking a closer look at the sheet, she read the contents to see what it was talking about. It appeared that the paper was a letter to someone, talking about the sender¡¯s travels and what they were seeing during it. There was one keyword that caught Hazel¡¯s attention. ¡°Hey, do you know about a place called Mossley?¡± She asked the dark elf. Astrid paused to ponder over the question before giving a response. ¡°I do. I¡¯ve been there a few times when I was doing my reconnaissance missions. Why?¡± ¡°Because I think that¡¯s the place Portland merged with,¡± Hazel then showed the dark elf the paper. ¡°This letter stated that the sender can¡¯t wait to return to Mossley, which is here. You said before that you¡¯ve visited this place before, right? Does that mean your home is near here?¡± ¡°It is,¡± She nodded. ¡°The entire forest where my people reside neighbor a kingdom called Briarhart. This Mossley town is located within that kingdom.¡± If what Astrid said was true, then that meant the dark elf was closer to home than they both thought. Which meant Hazel¡¯s theory from before was slowly becoming a fact. ¡°Okay,¡± Hazel beamed. ¡°If what you''re saying is true, then that means we¡¯re currently in the Briarhart kingdom, which is close to your neck of the woods. Emphasis on woods, heh.¡± Astrid rolled her eyes at the joke, clearly unamused by her humor. ¡°From what I remember, Mossley was a month''s journey from my village to here.¡± Hazel turned to the dark elf with an arched brow. ¡°Why did it take a month to get here? Did you have to walk here or something?¡± Although she stated that last part of her question with sarcasm, what Astrid said next surprised her. ¡°I did,¡± She declared while nodding. Hazel took a moment to process her partner¡¯s words, unsure of how to respond. She then said the first words that came to mind. ¡°Why would you walk from your village to this town for a month? Don¡¯t you guys have mounts or carriages to take you there? Maybe some flying griffins?¡± The dark elf shrugged her shoulders. ¡°At the time, I was tasked to endure a long journey in preparations for future missions that would take even longer than my trip to Mossley.¡± ¡°But still...a whole month?¡± Hazel questioned, still looking baffled. ¡°Like I said. I¡¯ve had longer and more tedious journeys. I still remember when I took a mission that sent me to the Port City of the Ruinvia Empire.¡± ¡°And...where is that exactly?¡± ¡°At the bottom of the Triumis Continent.¡± ¡°Yeah, okay, so I think we might need to talk more about the geography of both our worlds since I have no idea what you just said.¡± It had become painstakingly obvious that Hazel had no knowledge regarding Astrid¡¯s world. She didn¡¯t know about the Port Town Mossley, the Briarhart kingdom, or even the Ruinvia Empire. She could¡¯ve asked when they were in the Tutorial Dungeon, but they were more focused on surviving than anything else. Still, that wasn¡¯t an excuse for her current predicament right now. Hazel only had herself to blame for not striving to learn more about the other world merging with Earth. But that was going to end now. Now that Hazel was finally out of the Dungeon, she needed to adapt to her current situation. And that meant it was time to do some geography lessons. For a moment, she dreaded the idea of learning, remembering her time back when she was in college before dealing with the apocalypse and monsters. However, if she didn¡¯t attempt to learn about Astrid¡¯s world, she was going to have a hard time adapting to their current surroundings. And Hazel couldn¡¯t afford to let that happen. ¡°Hey, Astrid...¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Tell me more about your world...¡± Chapter 80: Study Time Getting back on topic, Triumis was ruled by three kingdoms: the Briarhart Kingdom, the Ruinvia Empire, and the Great Forest of Mier. According to Astrid, there used to be a few more kingdoms, but they were merged with Briarhart and Ruinvia during the Great War of Triumis, which occurred several hundred years ago. Although Hazel was curious about the war, her biggest concern was the kingdom they were in, Briarhart. This kingdom occupied a large portion of the western and middle continents. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Chapter 81: The Trek Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Chapter 82: Attack of the Evil Eyes Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Chapter 83: The Power of Entropy Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Chapter 84: The Spider Swarm If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Chapter 85: The Unexpected Cavalry This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Chapter 86: The Spider Sentinel The players scrambled away as the green liquid sprayed out of the giant spider''s mouth. The substance splashed on the ground before it sizzled and bubbled on the concrete. Watching further, Hazel and the others then witnessed the stone dissolving on the spot from the strange bodily substance that ejected from the giant spider. Hazel was the first to realize what the monster attempted to spray them with. ¡°A-Acid...?!¡± So, they weren¡¯t just facing a giant spider but also a giant spider that could spit acid? Where the hell did this thing even come from? Well, aside from underground, anyway. The other players aside from Astrid and Hazel were in a panic, their voices and yells overlapping one another from fear. However, they were all silenced at once as another voice shouted at them. ¡°Do not panic and get into positions, now!¡± The blond-haired knight named Zoe ordered. ¡°All mages will attack from the back while vanguard players will draw its attention to them! Now go!¡± The players who were previously panicking now regained their composure while following Zoe¡¯s command. All the magic users, including the mage that bantered with the Brawler, got into formation, lining up in a single row. Then, while facing the giant spider, they raised their magic staves and wands and cast their magic spells. A flurry of different spells from fireballs to Mana Bolts to other spells like sharp shards of rock or crescent blades made of pure water, were then hurled at the massive eight-legged monstrosity, barreling right toward it. The spells collided against it, sending the creature reeling back from the force. It released an ear-piercing screech that shook the very ground beneath them. The players struggled to keep their balance, waiting for the Giant spider¡¯s screech to cease, so they could continue their assault. As Hazel covered her ears to avoid having them bleed from the sound as well, she tried to identify the creature, wanting to know what exactly they were dealing with. Level: 32 One of the Spider Queen¡¯s strongest soldiers that are normally sent out to weed out enemies that are a threat to the nest. They act as the spider queen¡¯s wrath and bear their fangs at her enemies. Reading the description, Hazel¡¯s face grew pale. It wasn¡¯t just the fact that this bastard was ten levels higher than her but something even worse. This thing served a Queen, which meant there was a stronger monster out in some kind of spider nest, the description stated. Could the nest be within the sinkhole where Hazel used her Entropy spell? No, if that were the case, instead of the Sentinel, the spider queen would¡¯ve shown up. But she had to have been close after seeing so many spiders crawl out of that damn hole and chase after them. And if not...then how big was the spider queen¡¯s nest to house so many of its children? Actually, now that the thought crossed Hazel¡¯s mind, if the spider sentinel was this big...then how large was the Spider Queen? Hazel pushed the thought aside for now while refocusing her attention on the battle, watching the other players continue their assault on the Spider Sentinel. More spells were hurled in its direction, and various explosions were made on its body upon them making contact. Meanwhile, the vanguard players charged and attacked the giant spider up close. All of them carried various weapons, from spears, swords, axes, etc. They swung their weapons at the monster¡¯s massive legs, attempting to cause some kind of damage. However, they only bounced off upon impact, barely doing any damage to them. The Spider Sentinel angrily hissed while raising its two front legs high in the air. The other players knew what was about to happen and frantically retreated to avoid getting caught in its range. As soon as the sentinel slammed its pointed legs into the ground, bits of debris were flung in the air, hailing down on the players like rain. A couple of mages conjured a Mana barrier to protect themselves while the rest ran around to avoid getting crushed. Hazel was one of the mages that summoned a dome of mana. She wasn¡¯t alone as she pulled Astrid in to protect her under the barrier as well. ¡°This fight is only going to get worse if we don¡¯t kill that thing now...¡± Hazel muttered to the dark elf. ¡°And what do you suggest we do? Take it on ourselves? This isn¡¯t like our fight with the Jester Sub-Boss. Fighting that thing won¡¯t be easy.¡± Astrid wasn¡¯t wrong about it being difficult to take on the monster. But they had to do something if they wanted to get out of this situation alive. Hazel was tempted to try her Evil Eyes skill again but wasn¡¯t certain that she could pull it off because of what happened before. They might overload again or might not even work because they were still under the effects of the initial overload panel.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. She should be able to keep it restrained with Telekinesis, if only for a short while. Unlike with the horde, Hazel could at least handle the spider Sentinel. Even if its size was a problem, compared to having to control multiple things at once with the spell, she was more than capable of pulling it off. But to make sure that they could kill the monster, they needed someone to kill when the chance arose. Someone strong enough to strike down the sentinel in one blow. And Hazel believed there was such a person... ¡°Vanguards, retreat!¡± Zoe ordered the players to attack the spider sentinel. ¡°Focus on defending the mages while I deal with it.¡± Making this declaration, the female knight charged forward, brandishing her blade in preparation for her fight. The sword began to pulse a vibrating blue aura radiating with power. Zoe dashed toward the sentinel before leaping toward it in a single bound. Gripping her weapon with both hands, the knight delivered a heavy swing down on the monster. The blade made contact with the massive beast, creating a small shockwave that lightly breezed against Hazel and the other players. Aside from that, the monster was more or less alright. But the knight¡¯s attempt did do something; it pissed the sentinel off. Roaring deeply, the sentinel then spat more acid around, attempting to kill Zoe with its attack. One of the acid attacks barreled toward the knight before miraculously swerving down as if gravity increased tremendously on it and completely missing her. Zoe glanced down at the acid splashing against the ground, dissolving the concrete in seconds from the highly acidic substance. Meanwhile, Hazel groaned after forcing the liquid to rapidly descend on the street. While it wasn¡¯t difficult to manipulate the substance to follow her will, doing it so abruptly was a bit of a pain. And the problems didn¡¯t end there. Seeing that its acid attack didn¡¯t do the trick, the spider sentinel then shot webs out of its mouth, attempting to restrain the knight to make it easier to kill her. The glob of web made its way toward Zoe, determined to hit its target and restrain the knight on the spot. But once again, the web blob unnaturally moved to the side, narrowly missing its target before hitting the ground next to her. Much like before, Zoe stared at the web, clearly confused by what was happening. Even the spider sentinel was questioning what was happening. Despite not having an expressive face, Hazel noticed that its eyes narrowed while its head slightly tilted in confusion. Then it let out another screech of anger and glared at the knight, believing that she was the cause behind it. In a fit of rage, the sentinel charged at the knight, lashing its arms at her with intent to kill. Before it could do anything to the knight, another barrage of spells struck it, sending its body to the side. However, once it readjusted itself, the sentinel glared at the mages that attacked it before turning back to face Zoe, recognizing her as its biggest threat at the moment. The knight braced herself, lifting her sword in preparation for battle. The sentinel screeched once more while slamming one of its legs down on her. Zoe leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike. While rolling along the ground, the previous spot where the knight stood before moving was now nothing more than a crater dug into the concrete street. Just as the sentinel raised its limb out of the hole, Zoe took action and hurled an aura blade slash at it. The bright blue crescent-shaped attack struck the monster, sending it reeling back and howling in pain. The aura slash did enough damage to the monster to the point where a grievous wound was present, with emerald green blood gushing and dripping out. Despite the injury, the sentinel was more pissed than ever and proceeded to charge at the knight, ignoring the other players that attempted to attack it. Each step it made dug a hole in the concrete as it got closer to its enemy. It took a couple more steps toward Zoe, determined to kill her in an instant, but was caught off guard by the brawler player from before. He leaped into the air and barreled toward the spider sentinel like a bullet. Getting close, he reeled his arm back before delivering a powerful punch to its torso. The part of its body that was punch caved in while the sentinel was pushed to the side from the force. Just when the monster oriented itself and turned to glare at the brawler, a barrage of mana bolts was hurled at it, striking its head and torso. The mana bolts were from the mage from before as well, who stood behind the brawler. The sentinel endured the shower of bolts before abruptly spitting more acid at the players that got in its way. The brawler and mage backed away to avoid the acid, watching it splash against the stone and get dissolved in the process. Missing once again, the spider screeched in anger, slamming its legs down and causing a minor tremor in the process. The brawler and mage players were unperturbed by this and resumed their assault on the sentinel. The brawler lunged at the beast and struck one of its legs, slightly bending it from the attack. An audible snap and crack were heard, resulting in the spider sentinel roaring in pain while stumbling back. The players didn¡¯t relent and pushed forward, assaulting the sentinel with everything they had. Even Zoe finally joined in and launched another aura slash attack at one of its legs, carving a good chunk of its joint, causing the monster to collapse slightly from the wound. Just before the three players could finally finish it off, the sentinel, seemingly having enough of this nonsense, let out a powerful screech similar to the first screech that came from the sinkhole. The screech that summoned all of those Infant spiders from before. ¡°I have a bad feeling about this...¡± Hazel said in a low voice that only Astrid heard her. Almost immediately after the sentinel¡¯s screech, the ground beneath their feet once again began to tremble. Everyone within the vicinity tried to keep their balance while enduring the quake, waiting for it to cease. As the tremors continued, the ground behind the sentinel soon burst as a new monster appeared from under the rubble. It was another giant spider sentinel like the first one. Hazel likely didn¡¯t even need to try and identify it to know, but she did anyway, just to be certain. And sure enough, it was also a sentinel. The second sentinel walked beside the first one, standing side by side of each other. The two eight-legged monstrosities then peered down at the players with their eight crimson eyes while releasing a duo screech at their enemies. Hazel grimaced at their situation, knowing that things were going to get much more difficult than before. If one spider sentinel was bad...then two were even more troublesome for them. Chapter 87: Double Trouble The two spider sentinels spit their acid attack at Zoe and the other players, hoping to take them down. The Female knight, Brawler, and mage maneuvered around to avoid the acid splash. They jumped and stepped all over the area, narrowly dodging the super corrosive material being vomited out of the sentinels¡¯ bodies. Seeing how their acid wasn¡¯t working, one of the sentinel''s changed tactics and swapped out their acid spit for web spit. A long strand of web shot out the sentinel¡¯s mouth and barreled toward one of the players causing them trouble; the brawler. Kane easily saw the web attack and moved to the side. However, he was too slow and the web managed to glue itself onto his shoulder. He jerked back from the force, nearly falling over if he hadn¡¯t corrected his position in time. But that wasn¡¯t the end of the sentinel¡¯s assault. The moment it realized that it managed to catch one of its prey, it immediately took action and pulled the brawler toward it. Kane yelped while getting dragged away by the spider sentinel, close to becoming its next meal. The brawler attempted to break free from the sticky binding, but he made a rookie mistake and touched the webs, inevitably getting his hands caught in the substance as well. This action further solidified his fate to be turned into the spider sentinel¡¯s food. That was until the mage from before stepped in and saved him. As the brawler was being dragged by the web, getting closer to the massive eight-legged thing of nightmares, the mage took action and fired several mana bolts at the web, severing the connection. Being free from the web, Kane flopped on the ground before pulling himself up and hastily moving away from the monster, not wanting to take any chances. The sentinel screeched irritably before turning its glare onto the mage that took away its meal. She responded by waving her gnarled staff at the monster as if inciting the spider sentinel to attack her. That seemed to have done the job because the sentinel growled while charging at her. It thrust one of its legs forward, sending it straight toward the mage. Before it could make contact, Kane suddenly appeared and punched the leg away just in time. Seeing the opportunity, the mage also stepped in to help, casting several more mana bolts and firing them at the sentinel¡¯s body. Their combined efforts pushed the monster back, putting some space between the two parties. Meanwhile, Zoe and the first Sentinel were fighting one-on-one without either of their allies assisting them. The spider sentinel swung one of its legs at the knight, attempting to swat its enemy to the side and weaker her. This failed when she ducked before swinging her sword and hurling another aura slash attack again. The attack made contact, gouging out a portion of the sentinel¡¯s torso. A howl of pain came from the beast as it slammed the ground with its legs, kicking up large pieces of debris and rocks. Zoe maneuvered around the falling debris, moving closer to the monster in an attempt to take it down. The sentinel appeared to be one step ahead of her as it smashed one of its limbs against the ground again, not only causing a minor tremor but also kicking up more large pieces of rocks that obstructed the knight from moving in for the kill. Even when she used her aura slash attack to cut one of the rocks descending upon her, more of them made an appearance after, forcing her to retreat and avoid getting crushed. She blurred away in the blink of an eye. The skill looked similar to Astrid¡¯s [Quick Step] skill. Moving away, the knight attempted to try another method of attacking the beast, which was striking it from a distance with her aura slash. The blue crescent aura blades zipped toward the monster like an incoming tsunami, striking its target in multiple parts of its body from its legs, torso, and its head. Green blood spilled from the sentinel¡¯s various wounds. Even so, the monster didn¡¯t relent against the knight player as it angrily glared at its enemy with disdain and a newfound hatred. Momentarily pulling its attention away from Zoe, the sentinel called out to its sibling, as if asking for assistance. The sentinel sibling responded, ignoring the other two players, and joined it. With both sentinels together, they then spit their webs at the knight. However, instead of the traditional web thread being launched like a cannon, the spider sentinels seemed to have adapted and made something different and more effective. Spinning the two threads together, the sentinels crafted a makeshift web net and threw it at Zoe. The knight braced herself, raising her sword in preparation to cut the net into ribbons. It was when she did this that the sentinels pulled out another tactic from their web bag of tricks. With their prey focused on the net, they immediately vomited acid at her. The green liquid shot out like a water hose and went straight for its target. Although the Knight only realized their true intention late, she still had enough time to move out of the way. However, despite avoiding the acid, she still got caught up in a piece of the web. The webnet snagged her down and trapped her on the ground. Just as her back slammed against the stone street, her sword fell out of her hand and clattered on the road out of her reach. Seeing the knight finally pinned and defenseless, the two spider sentinels eagerly screeched with joy while the first one crawled closer to its helpless prey. Before getting too close, Kane appeared once again and burst toward the beast with frightening speed, closing the distance in seconds. And much like before, he reeled his fist back before driving it into the sentinel¡¯s head, sending it tumbling to the ground. He glared at the other one as if daring it to try something. ¡°Come on then, you overgrown insect!¡± He then presented the spider sentinel with the middle finger and made a face. ¡°Come and get me!¡± The sentinel screeched loudly, sending vibrations all over Hazel¡¯s and everyone else''s bodies. Enraged by the player¡¯s daring taunt, it ignored the knight and charged at him instead. Seeing this, Kane smiled and rushed in the other direction, keeping the sentinel away from Zoe. With neither monster attempting to kill her at the moment, the mage rushed over and assisted Zoe in getting out of the web net. She cast a simple fire spell from her staff, shooting it on one of the threads of the net. The web instantly lit up and burned away, allowing the knight to break free. No longer restrained by the spider sentinels¡¯ joint webbing, the mage helped her up and both of them then retreated to catch their breaths if only for a moment. Meanwhile, Kane kept the other sentinel busy while the first one was already recovering from its concussion by the brawler¡¯s previous attack.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°This battle is taking too long,¡± Hazel muttered, watching the entire battle unfold with her Astral Eye. ¡°If this keeps going, they might call a third sentinel to finish the job.¡± Zoe and the other two players were already struggling with two spider sentinels. If a third one appeared, then it might be game over for them. They needed to end this fight and fast. ¡°Help me get up, please,¡± Hazel told Astrid. ¡°What do you plan to do?¡± She asked nervously. ¡°The faster we end this fight, the better. And I have a spell that could prove useful to them if they¡¯ll allow me to help.¡± It only took the dark elf a second to realize what she meant by this before voicing her objection. ¡°You¡¯re seriously planning to use one of those entropy spells to solve this problem? Have you lost it?!¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t do something, then things are only going to get more dangerous for us.¡± Having this battle prolonged any longer would only end in their defeat. Just when Zoe and the other players were about to finish off the first one, the sentinel called a second one to assist it. And Hazel knew for a fact that if they didn¡¯t do something now, then they were dead. Astrid stared at Hazel for a moment, likely trying to come up with something to convince her to not go through with her plan. However, she instead simply sighed and helped her up while getting her over to Zoe and the mage. Making their way there, both players turned to face them, looking both concerned and confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you two are here, but you need to stand back,¡± Zoe declared, motioning them to fall back. While Hazel understood why the knight told them this, she couldn¡¯t back down now. ¡°If we waste any more time on this, a third sentinel is going to show up. We can help, alright?¡± The mage eyed Hazel, noticing her bleeding eyes and how Astrid was supporting her. Her brows then creased into a brow. ¡°As much as we appreciate your concern, we don¡¯t-¡± Before she could finish, the first spider sentinel finally stood back up and towered over them. Just as the four players noticed, they all scrambled out of the way when one of its legs was raised and descended upon them. While being carried in Astrid¡¯s arms, Hazel soon conjured five cursed spears and with the help of Telekinesis, she willed them over to the spider sentinel. Waving her hand up, the spears responded and ascended over the monster. For some reason, though, her hand controlling the spears trembled. It was like she was low on sugar and it was affecting her body. Could the rebound be affecting the rest of her body other than her eyes? The sentinel didn¡¯t seem to have noticed her spell or just didn¡¯t care at the moment as it angrily glared at Zoe, still seeing her as the only threat. And that was its first mistake. With the spears high enough in the air, Hazel then slammed her hand down, forcing them to barrel down toward their giant target. Descending like falling stars, spears soon pierced through the sentinel, striking the ground below the monster with an audible thunk. Overwhelmed by the pain, the giant eight-legged monster once again fell to the ground, causing a minor quake in the process and kicking up some dust from the crash. A low and pained screech was expelled from the sentinel as it struggled to get up. Hazel spun her head to face the Knight, who looked back with a shocked expression. ¡°What are you waiting for?!¡± She snapped. ¡°Kill it!¡± The knight nodded while brandishing her blade. The same blue energy from before pulsed around the sword, filling it with energy. Seeing it charged, Zoe charged at the sentinel and jumped in the air, ready to deliver the final blow. She swung down and hurled one more Aura Slash at the sentinel, aimed directly at its head. The attack made contact and obliterated it, sending green blood everywhere in the process. As the sentinel¡¯s emerald life essence sprayed in the air, Zoe stood on top of the monster with a cold yet triumphant expression. But the battle wasn¡¯t over yet. There was still more spider sentinel to deal with before it was too late. As if on cue, Kane started running over to the others with the last sentinel right on his tail. The eight-legged monstrosity screeched at the brawler, prompting him to run faster as if his life depended on it. And in all honesty, it did. ¡°Someone kill this thing, already!¡± He pleaded at the top of his lungs. ¡°None of my punches are doing any lethal damage to it!¡± Taking a closer look at the sentinel as it pursued the brawler, Hazel could confirm that he did land a few more blows on it before coming this way. There were several crater-shaped wounds riddled on its body. But, as Kane said, none of them were quite that lethal to put the monster down. Watching the sentinel make its way over to the rest of the, via Kane leading it, Zoe and the mage braced for battle. Meanwhile, Hazel sighed before turning to Astrid. ¡°Can you try and blind it?¡± She asked. ¡°I would normally bind it with telekinesis, but that rebound weakened me a bit. Just moving those spears with the first sentinel took a bit out of me.¡± When Hazel conjured and maneuvered those spears at the spider sentinel, she struggled to focus from the rebound. She could barely keep her hand steady when guiding the spears toward the sentinel, and nearly lost focus in the latter half of her attack, almost ruining their chance to further weaken the monster. Because of her current state, she didn¡¯t want to risk trying to restrain the spider sentinel and fail. And she needed a moment to cast the Entropy Sickle spell and clearly wouldn¡¯t have enough time to conjure then hurl it at the enemy. Knowing their circumstances, Astrid listened and placed Hazel down before drawing her bow. Then, activating her [Quick Draw] skill, she fired multiple arrows at the spider sentinel, aiming for all eight eyes. The projectiles zipped through the air before hitting their target. Well, most of them anyway. Out of the eight arrows she fired, only six of them hit their marks, striking and plunging into the Spider Sentinel¡¯s eyes. The sentinel reeled back and expelled and pained screech with blood dripping from its destroyed crimson eyeballs. That moment of pain was what Hazel needed as she managed to conjure the Entropy Sickle as it hovered in front of her. Then, with the help of Telekinesis, she hurled it at the Sentinel. Thanks to Telekinesis, she was able to accelerate the sickle of death fast enough to where it tore through its target with ease. The sentinel didn¡¯t even know what happened before its body suddenly collapsed on the ground, shaking the ground for a moment from the collision. Then, its body started turning to dust in seconds. Hazel and the others watched as the sentinel slowly faded away into dust and ash, scattering into the wind. With its two remaining eyes that Astrid, unfortunately, failed to hit, it gave the witch one last glare before the rest of its body disintegrated. As the last remnants of the spider sentinel vanished into thin air, something rather unexpected happened. The ground once again shook violently, causing everyone to struggle to maintain their balance. ¡°I-is another sentinel coming...?!¡± Kane panicked. The last thing they needed was another sentinel to come and attack them after they struggled to kill two of them. A couple of seconds passed before the tremor finally stopped, allowing the players to take a moment of peace. But that peace didn¡¯t last long when Hazel received some rather...disturbing panel messages. [The Spider Queen is enraged by the death of her children! The Spider Queen has now recognized you as the culprit of their deaths!] [You have been cursed with [The Mark of the Spider Queen]! If you are within range of the Spider Queen, she will be able to sense your presence and send a swarm of her spider children to attack and kill you. The curse has five stages that will plague you. With each stage, the Spider Queen¡¯s range of detecting you will be increased along with the types of children it will send out until you are dead. Upon reaching the final stage of the curse, The Spider Queen herself will take matters into her own hands to chase and kill you!] [The first stage of [The Mark of the Spider Queen] will now commence! The spider queen is currently able to sense you within a Five-Hundred-Meter radius! Within that range, she will send Infant Spiders and Spider Sentinels to attack and kill you! The curse can only be broken when either the players marked by the Spider Queen or the Queen herself dies!] [Time Remaining until Next Stage: One Day] Chapter 88: The Mark and Ride A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Chapter 89: The Talk ¡°How long have you all been back here after completing your dungeons?¡± Hazel asked, maintaining her calm smile as she began to grill her saviors for information. ¡°Nearly a week, I believe,¡± Zoe answered, keeping her eyes trained on the witch. ¡°We¡¯re mostly investigating the area and seeing where we were. According to what we¡¯ve discovered, we¡¯re in a place called Portland, from Earth, and Mossely, from my world, Meine.¡± That was what Hazel and Astrid discovered as well when they investigated that house from Meine. Hopefully, they knew more than just their current location and possessed more valuable information for Hazel and Astrid to discover, like with the system and what was in store for them. They¡¯d been back for almost a week, so they had to know something more important. ¡°You said before that we were heading to your base?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Zoe nodded. ¡°You are from Earth, yes?¡± Hazel hesitated to answer, not sure if she should tell them the truth. However, if she lied about something obvious, then it was game over for her and Astrid. So, for now...it would be wise to stick to the truth as much as possible without crossing the line regarding personal information. ¡°I am,¡± She answered with a hesitant nod but kept the same smile on her face. ¡°I see, then I suppose you lived here? In Portland, I mean?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. I lived in Portland since birth, so this place is my hometown.¡± ¡°Then you have a bit in common with our second in command here, then,¡± Zoe turned to the left and stared at the soldier from before. He stood next to Zoe and kept his head down, likely resting after everything that happened. However, after hearing his title being called, the soldier raised his head and turned her attention to the knight first before her gaze trailed over to Hazel. The soldier stared at the witch for a few moments, prompting her to feel uncomfortable by his gaze. Sadly, she couldn¡¯t tell him to stop doing that since she was acting blind and didn¡¯t want to blow her cover. The staring lasted for only a few moments before the soldier finally responded. ¡°My name is John Grainger. I¡¯m a First Lieutenant in the army. Or at least I was. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± Before replying, Hazel used Astral Eye to inspect John¡¯s status, curious about what kind of class he possessed and what his current level was. [John Grainger, Class: Gunslinger, Level 20] It appeared to be a Gunslinger class, which Hazel found a bit unique compared to what the other classes she found were. Maybe it was because he was a soldier? But if that was the case, how did he bring his weapon with him then? When you get sent to the Integration space, all of your belongings would be gone in the process. So, how did he obtain that class? There were too many questions for her to find answers to all of them, especially when she needed to give the Gunslinger a reply before it became awkward. ¡°To you as well, First Lieutenant,¡± Hazel nodded, keeping her head faced in front of her instead of at the soldier. ¡°Mr. Grainger is fine if you don¡¯t mind,¡± He told her. ¡°Like I said before, I used to be a First Lieutenant. After everything went to hell and I ended up in that damn tutorial dungeon, I don¡¯t hold that position anymore.¡± ¡°So, you haven¡¯t been in touch with your fellow soldiers from your base?¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. When I returned, I attempted to try and contact them, but communications were down. It was a miracle that these vehicles worked compared to the rest of our technology.¡± ¡°I¡¯m assuming that means we have no cell service then?¡± John nodded. ¡°The same goes for the wi-fi, any TV broadcasting station, and even our radios. Everything is down.¡± So, any forms of communication were out of the window then. Aside from the Chat Room, though, that was only because you had to be part of a party to use it. Hazel figured that Zoe and the other players here were part of one, which meant they had access to their own Chat Room. ¡°Because we have no way of communicating with others who have returned, we¡¯ve been scouring the area, looking for any survivors and bringing them back to the shelter for what¡¯s to come,¡± Zoe added. ¡°You mean the System, right?¡± ¡°Correct,¡± she nodded. ¡°When we first returned to our newly merged world, the system stated that until all surviving integrated residents return from their respective dungeons, the next phase won¡¯t begin yet.¡± Hazel remembered that message as well when she first woke up in the coffee shop. Considering that all surviving players would return after the thirty-day objective was completed or if the surviving players completed the other objectives, which were defeating a Sub-Boss or the Boss of the Dungeon itself, that meant they only had less than a day before the supposed next phase began. As for what that next phase was...Hazel was not eager for what was in store for them. Not one bit at all. ¡°Do you have any clues as to what the next phase is?¡± Hazel inquired, curious if they had discovered anything. Zoe shook her head. ¡°No, we have not. None of us have received any messages from the system related to the next phase, which means we likely won¡¯t know anything until everyone returns here.¡± ¡°Knowing the kind of hell we went through when we were stuck in those dungeons, I doubt it¡¯ll be anything pleasant,¡± Kane chimed in, expressing his disdain toward the System for what it did. The Brawler wasn¡¯t wrong. Knowing what the Tutorial Dungeons were like, Hazel did not doubt that this was only the beginning of their new hell under the watch and domain of the System. However, it seemed that for right now, Hazel had to wait until the next phase was truly initiated. Hopefully, by the time that happened, she would be prepared for what was to come next. Both mentally and physically. ¡°We haven¡¯t found many players aside from you two and the ones currently at our base, which isn¡¯t a lot, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Zoe stated. ¡°Though, I believe that¡¯s because the remaining players are likely simply trying to survive their respective dungeons instead of attempting to fight monsters and grow stronger.¡± ¡°That sounds about right,¡± Hazel scoffed. Aside from individuals like herself, Astrid, and the current players with them, who were driven to get stronger to survive, there will be those who are the opposite. Instead of using the system to their advantage and getting stronger to protect themselves, those players will simply cower and hide until someone else comes and saves them. And while Hazel held no ill will toward those kinds of individuals, she also had no desire to protect such people. That was because the moment she decided to try and save them, those people would cling to her like glue and stay on for dear life because, in their minds, Hazel could protect them. She had power and could easily kill any monsters that came their way. With that kind of mindset, they would force Hazel to protect them and do all the hard work without helping her at all. And she wasn¡¯t planning on letting that happen to her. Hazel had enough problems currently and didn¡¯t need to deal with civilians seeing her as some protector and making her defend and protect them from danger. Again, she possessed no grudge against these types of people, but she also refused to be associated with them, knowing that she would end up unwillingly protecting them because they were too weak and simple-minded to take advantage of the system. Hazel honestly felt that it would be a miracle if those types of individuals managed to survive in their respective dungeons. Then again, parasites live off the benefit of others, so it wasn¡¯t necessarily impossible for that to happen. ¡°Oh, it looks like we¡¯re close to the base,¡± Zoe stated, looking ahead to where they were driving. Hazel followed her gaze using Astral Eye. At the moment, the cargo vehicles were driving down a highway with a path cleared out for them. Looking from side to side, she watched various cars that were pushed to the edge zip past them as they drove on. When Hazel looked ahead to see where their base currently was, she nearly exclaimed her discovery but managed to keep her composure and not say a word. However, as if telepathically sensing her reaction, Astrid communicated with Hazel in the Chat Room. [Astrid Skogr: You seem surprised. I¡¯m assuming you know where we¡¯re going?] Hazel took a moment to read the message before providing a response, her Astral Eye still glued to their next destination. [Hazel Thatcher: Yeah, I do. It seems that their base of operations...is the Portland International Jetport.] Off in the distance ahead of them, Hazel¡¯s astral eye gazed at the Portland airport as the building complex got bigger and bigger the closer they got to it. Chapter 90: The Jetport Shelter Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Chapter 91: Off To See The Cleric This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Chapter 92: Reunited Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Chapter 93: Resting Leaving the restroom, Hazel and Evelyn walked over to Astrid, who was calmly waiting while leaning her back against the wall. Once the dark elf noticed that her partner and the mother were approaching her, she immediately straightened up, likely not to act disrespectfully toward her mom. ¡°You must, Astrid,¡± Evelyn said while pulling her hand out toward the dark elf. ¡°My daughter told me a little bit about you. Thank you for being by her side when she was in that dungeon.¡± Astrid stared at the mom¡¯s hand for a second as if hesitant to return the gesture. However, feeling compelled, she nonetheless did and shook it. ¡°I...only did so because it would ensure our survival.¡± Evelyn laughed softly. ¡°Regardless, you still helped bring my daughter back home, and for that, I thank you.¡± ¡°I-it was nothing, really.¡± The dark elf turned away, clearly embarrassed by what was happening. Evelyn simply laughed a little more before backing away to give her some space. ¡°Now then, since you girls have just recently returned from the tutorial, I¡¯ll guide you over to the resting quarters.¡± ¡°You guys have a resting quarter?¡± ¡°Of course. In fact, you girls actually just passed it when coming over to me.¡± Evelyn then guided Hazel and Astrid to the resting quarters, where they could relax for a little bit after everything that happened. And they only walked a couple of steps before standing before their current resting station, which was one of the Jetport restaurants called Shipyard Restaurant. It had polished wooden walls and floors and various ceiling lights hung over the area. However, there were none of the tables and chairs that customers would need. The place was completely devoid of customer necessities, and it didn¡¯t even look like much of a restaurant. It was more like a restaurant that had just shut down forever, and everything was being taken away. Replacing the chairs and tables were multiple blankets, covers, and the like, with a few players either sitting or lying on them. Hazel and Astrid looked at the restaurant resting station with a bit of hesitation. Evelyn noticed their gazes before speaking up. ¡°This resting station is only temporary. I¡¯m sure Zoe or John told you about the village we found in the airport field, yes?¡± Hazel nodded at her mother¡¯s statement. ¡°Yeah, and she said that you guys planned to turn it into a proper settlement.¡± ¡°That is the plan, considering what those two have in store for the future. Since that mysterious System will be proceeding with the next phase when the Integration is over, Zoe and John are trying to get a head-start and have everything prepared for that. And so far, they seem to have everything coming together.¡± Hazel agreed there. So far, not only did this group manage to establish their base, but they also had been surveying Portland, mapping out the changes and such, so they knew where everything was, and they weren¡¯t just aimlessly roaming around the city. ¡°The blanket I rest on is over there at the corner,¡± Evelyn pointed inside the restaurant. ¡°You can use that to rest for a little bit.¡± Following her direction, the pair looked within and noticed a bright blue blanket lying down in the left-hand corner of the restaurant. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I don¡¯t think that...¡± Just when Astrid was about to protest, Hazel quickly sent a message in their chat room to stop her. [Hazel Thatcher: Don¡¯t try and refuse because it won¡¯t work. She¡¯ll only urge you to take it before giving you the mother glare. And as someone who has experienced that look, you do not want to try and challenge it, alright?] Reading the message, Astrid gave a glance at Hazel, who looked back and simply shook her head, urging her to listen to what Evelyn said. They maintained eye contact for a few more seconds before the dark elf finally gave in. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Turning back to face Hazel¡¯s mom, she simply sighed and admitted defeat. ¡°Of course, ma¡¯am.¡± Hearing Astrid¡¯s reply, Evelyn beamed with joy, knowing that Astrid was listening. She clapped her hands together while maintaining her gleeful grin. ¡°Wonderful! I¡¯ll let you two rest over there then. I need to get back to the other players that are still injured and heal them.¡± She then turned around and walked back over to the other players. Before leaving completely, she looked back and waved at Hazel and Astrid. ¡°Be back soon!¡± Hazel and Astrid simply waved back, knowing that they couldn¡¯t do anything else at the moment. Once Evelyn was out of sight, the player duo sighed before making their way over to the blanket spot where she instructed them to go. Walking past the other players who were resting like they were about to be, the pair made it over to the blanket. While the cover was big enough for both of them to sit and or lie on, Astrid simply sat next to the cover while Hazel lay on it. She tried to get the dark elf to sit on it as well, but she refused. Hazel didn¡¯t bother pushing the matter and simply made peace with what they had. As they sat there for a little bit, Astrid was the first to speak up. ¡°So, that was your mother, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Hazel chuckled. ¡°She can be a bit overbearing at times, but she has a good heart.¡± ¡°That much I could tell when she saw you and rushed over to hug you.¡± Hazel nervously rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Ah, that was a bit embarrassing, I¡¯m not going to lie.¡± While Hazel was elated that her mother was alive, it didn¡¯t stop the embarrassment she felt when she was hugged in front of so many people. At the time, she didn¡¯t care, but now, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit self-conscious by that display. ¡°A mother caring for their child shouldn¡¯t be embarrassing, especially in our situation.¡± Hearing this, Hazel faltered, realizing Astrid¡¯s hidden meaning in her statement. In a situation like theirs, many children might never see their parents again, and vice versa. Hazel was lucky to come across her mother in such a situation. But there were likely other players that weren¡¯t so fortunate like her. ¡°Not to pry, but...¡± Hazel hesitated to ask. ¡°Do you have a good relationship with your parents?¡± For a moment, Astrid hesitated to reply, causing Hazel to believe that she crossed a line she shouldn¡¯t have. However, a moment later, a heavy sigh escaped her lips before the dark elf provided the witch with a response. ¡°While my mother isn¡¯t overbearing like yours...she does care and worry about me,¡± She began to chuckle softly as if reminiscing about something. ¡°I still remember how she got anxious and frightened about me joining the Legion.¡± ¡°I¡¯m assuming that¡¯s the equivalent of joining the military?¡± Astrid nodded. ¡°The Legion is a group of warriors of the Greyvolk tribe. To become part of the Legion is to become the sword and shield of the tribe. You must put your life on the line to protect your tribesman and fight your enemies with all you got.¡± Hazel nodded. ¡°Yep, that definitely sounds like the military. What about your dad, the Chief? Did he oppose you joining, or did he support your decision?¡± ¡°My father told me and my siblings that we must choose our paths ourselves, and he and mother will simply support us however they can. And that¡¯s what we did. For better or worse.¡± Astrid¡¯s face fell, leaving her looking depressed and melancholy. Hazel noticed her expression and quickly tried to lighten the mood. ¡°Since we¡¯re here, we should rest as much as we can in preparation for tonight.¡± Astrid looked up with an arched brow. ¡°So, you¡¯re still planning to summon Nycteris and fly around Portland to fully grasp our surroundings?¡± ¡°Of course. Do I need to remind you that I need to bring you back to your village?¡± Hazel hasn¡¯t forgotten her current objective involving Astrid. Right now, they were possibly hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away from Astrid¡¯s home. And Hazel was pretty much responsible for that because of the party system. With that in mind, Hazel wanted to try to fix this problem by bringing Astrid back to her village so she could reunite with her tribe and family. With everything that was happening, her people needed all the help they could get. Hearing this, Astrid leaned her head against the wall, looking hesitant. ¡°Are you sure I should be your priority at the moment? What about your mother and brother?¡± ¡°What makes you think that sending you back home will take us that long? It might¡¯ve taken a month if we simply walked there, but we have Nycteris who can fly. Have you forgotten that he saved us so much time flying us around when we were in the City Island?¡± Nycteris was a life-saver for the pair in more ways than one. Not only was Nycteris a perfect tank for their enemies, but his flying capabilities were essential for them to get around the dungeon faster. If Hazel hadn¡¯t summoned him, a lot of time would most definitely have been wasted. And it¡¯s because of Nycteris that Hazel believed that they could easily fly over to Astrid¡¯s tribe and fly back to continue her search for her brother. While Hazel did prioritize her family, she owed her dark elf partner this much after everything they had been through. ¡°For now, we¡¯ll wait until it¡¯s nighttime and then take Nycteris out for a little flying in the city,¡± Hazel declared, lying down on the blanket. Instead of saying anything, Astrid simply nodded and rested alongside Hazel. As the two took their time to catch their breaths and relax, they watched as time ticked on until nightfall. Chapter 94: Nightfall If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Chapter 95: Night out on The Town Hazel, Astrid, and Nycteris flew over the city of Portland/Port Town of Mossley. Despite the entire area being completely blacked out with no lights whatsoever aside from the stars and Moon above, they could somewhat tell that the two locations were merged thanks to the sky view they had. Several buildings from Mossley town and Portland city were bunched together like sardines in a can. While flying around in the sky, Hazel scanned the city, trying to find a good place to land. ¡°Where do you think we should land?¡± Hazel asked Astrid. ¡°Anywhere away from the spider queen nest,¡± The dark elf said with a grim expression. ¡°Yeah...that we can do.¡± Since they were currently under the curse of the spider queen, they needed to be careful where they flew around in the city. If they were careless, they could end up on the queen¡¯s radar and end up getting swarmed with more spiders again. Speaking of the curse, Hazel and Astrid needed to start coming up with a plan on how to get rid of the mark. At least before they enter the last stage and end up getting chased by the spider queen herself. Those spider sentinels were over level thirty, so how powerful was the Spider Queen, then? Hazel was sickeningly curious but also hesitant to find out because of the morbid possibilities of their chances of surviving against it. For now, though, they should try and focus on their main task, which was exploring the city a little more to get their bearings. And once they had all the information regarding their location, the two players could form a plan to get Astrid back to her village. Scanning the city below them, Hazel spotted a building to land in the north-western district of Portland. If her guess was right, it was the Highlands area of Portland, practically dead center into the city. Hazel pointed down at one of the buildings. ¡°Nycteris, land over there so we could walk around a bit.¡± The Nightwing followed his master¡¯s command and rapidly descended from the sky. Hazel and Astrid tightly held onto the familiar, making sure that they were thrown off him from the sudden dive into the city. It only took a few mere seconds before the Nightwing closed in on the building that Hazel instructed him to land on. Getting closer, he spread his wings out, allowing them to slow down his descent. Thanks to this, the trio landed on the building without crashing into it. Once Nycteris planted his feet on the rooftop, Hazel and Astrid hopped off and walked over to the edge to check out their current location. Much like the east side of Portland, the Highlands district looked just as jumbled and messy with the additional buildings from Astrid¡¯s world mixing in. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that they had a view from the sky, Hazel likely couldn¡¯t tell where they were from a single glance. Putting that aside, the two players looked at the neighborhood they landed on. Normally, the streets would be bustling with life and lights, but it was completely dark as if the neighborhood was experiencing a blackout. Or in this case, the entire city of Portland was experiencing a blackout. It wasn¡¯t completely dark, thanks to the night sky with the countless stars and three moons hovering above them. That and the fires occurring in various buildings and streets within the area. Seeing something like that, solidified Hazel¡¯s reality that she was, in fact, experiencing a genuine apocalypse. And she knew it would only get worse when the remaining survivors of the Tutorial Dungeons finally returned. Hazel could imagine the amount of chaos that was about to ensue once the Tutorials were over and the System truly began. The witch continued to gaze at the Highlands neighborhood, taking note of all of the changes from the Planetary fusion at the hands of the System. There were many houses destroyed and turned to rubble while others were intact but were grouped together with medieval-style buildings like what appeared to be a Tavern, a stable house, and possibly even an adventurers guild. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Hazel didn¡¯t know much about the Port Town called Mossley but knew a little from what Astrid told her. It was a popular town in the Briarhart kingdom due to it being near the ocean. It is also known for its seafood delicacy, but Hazel figured that she¡¯d never know personally considering the current state of the town. Pushing aside her desire for seafood, Hazel and the other two soon jumped down the building they were on and proceeded to roam through another part of Portland. Hopefully, their journey within the area wouldn¡¯t end up as chaotic as before with the spider swarm. Hazel held some doubt that it wasn¡¯t possible for a peaceful trek through her hometown after what happened previously, but that didn¡¯t stop her from hoping that things were different at the moment. And if not, then that was simply how it was for her at the moment. The trio walked through the street of Highlands, taking note of all the changes in both worlds. Nycteris trailed behind the two players, acting as the rearguard in case someone attempted to ambush them from the back while Hazel and Astrid took the lead. ¡°So, how do we plan on dealing with the spider queen curse,¡± Hazel asked, choosing that topic as a conversation starter. ¡°Well, our best bet would be to leave Portland as soon as possible,¡± Astrid suggested calmly. ¡°The farther we are, the better chance we have at escaping the Spider Queen¡¯s wrath.¡± ¡°Yeah, but the message panels stated that we can¡¯t get rid of the mark unless we die or the Spider Queen. If we ran away, then that would only be delaying the inevitable.¡± The panel that displayed the Spider Queen¡¯s curse stated that Hazel and Astrid could only remove the mark by either dying or killing the queen. Simply running away wouldn¡¯t solve their problem, but merely prolonging it. Especially when they reach the final stage of the curse. Just the thought of witnessing the spider queen leaving its nest and attacking the two players gave Hazel the chills. And after seeing the Sentinels¡¯ levels, she knew that the Queen was far stronger than them. And that deeply disturbed Hazel, since they stood no chance against her as they were now. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you have a better idea?¡± Astrid glanced at Hazel with an arched brow. ¡°I mean...I might have one,¡± Hazel thumbed her fingers together nervously. Seeing her act like that, the dark elf let out a groaning sigh and palmed her face. ¡°Alright, what¡¯s the big plan, then?¡± Hazel hesitated to answer, but seeing her partner glaring at her and urging her to spit it out was enough for her to confess to what her plan was. ¡°I say we use the spider swarm to our advantage.¡± As soon as Astrid heard those words come out of Hazel¡¯s mouth, she leaned her head to the side while looking at her partner with a doubtful gaze. ¡°Come again?¡± ¡°We use the spider swarm to our advantage,¡± Hazel repeated. ¡°Like what we did with the Fractured Humans at the City Island.¡± It didn¡¯t take long before Astrid managed to understand what Hazel was trying to say. But that didn¡¯t seem to be enough to convince her to follow along with the plan. ¡°We only did that with the Fractured humans because they could barely walk toward us, much less run. You saw what happened when you disturbed that spider nest. We barely escaped if it wasn¡¯t for the knight and her allies coming in to save our hides.¡± Astrid wasn¡¯t wrong. Not only were the spiders faster, but they were more persistent than the shambling fractured humans from the tutorial dungeon. Even if you disturb them and they chase after you, after running a bit of way, those shuffling creatures will sooner or later give on you if you¡¯re lucky. But the spiders that tried to kill Astrid and Hazel were different. They were far more dangerous because of their speed. And that posed a problem to the pair since they couldn¡¯t run very far. Then again, now that they had Nycteris with them, there was a chance for this plan to work, but Hazel wasn¡¯t confident to test that theory just yet. ¡°Still, don¡¯t you think this will be a good opportunity for us to get stronger? Especially after seeing Zoe and the other¡¯s levels? Even if they were only a couple of levels higher than us, it¡¯s the fact that they have an edge over us in that area that bothers me. Doesn¡¯t it bother you?¡± Astrid hesitated to respond as she contemplated her words with a pensive expression. Hazel could tell that what she said was bothering her. Whether she wanted to admit it or not. Just as Hazel was about to say something else to further prove her point, she immediately stopped in her tracks, causing Astrid and Nycteris to stop as well. The Nightwing and dark elf stared at the witch, curious and cautious regarding her behavior. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Hazel?¡± Astrid asked, growing concerned. Hazel took a moment before giving a response as her face turned grim. ¡°It...looks like we got company.¡± Using her Astral Eyes, Hazel scanned the surrounding area before spotting several presences hiding among them. Some hide in trees, bushes, or even behind and inside the houses around them. Counting them one by one, she concluded that at least twenty enemies were spying on them. And from what she could tell...all of them were players. That could mean only one thing. Hazel and the others appeared to have walked into an ambush. Chapter 96: Another Reunion This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Chapter 97: Unforgivable [Hazel Thatcher: I got this. You focus on that Dolk guy.] This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Chapter 98: Confrontation This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Chapter 99: Deception You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Chapter 100: New Curse Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Chapter 101: Curse Bombs Nycteris flew over the swarm, hovering above the eight-legged monsters. Astrid and Hazel looked down at the horde, watching the sea of monstrosities easily engulf the streets of Portland. ¡°Hazel...¡± Astrid called out to her partner with a worried tone. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know.¡± While above the swarm, Hazel held the condensed purple ball of cursed energy over the spiders. Then, with a sharp breath, she released the ball and let it drop. It rapidly descended from the sky, landing in the middle of the swarm, blending into the darkness that made up the horde. However, even when the ball entered the swarm, nothing happened as the spiders kept going. Witnessing this, Astrid got worried, believing that the spell failed. However, Hazel looked down at the horde with a wicked grin, as if she got exactly what she requested. Then, she raised her hand, placing her middle finger and thumb together. ¡°And...boom.¡± And with a snap of her finger, a large black explosion erupted from within the swarm. Hazel and Astrid watched as a few dozen spider monsters flew in the air from the explosion. [Level 2 Infant Spider has been defeated!] [Level 1 Infant Spider has been defeated!] [Level 1 Infant Spider has been defeated!] [Level 3 Infant Spider has been defeated!] [Level 3 Infant Spider has been defeated!] [Level 1 Infant Spider has been defeated!] [Level 2 Infant Spider...] When Astrid watched the purple blast, her eyes widened in shock. She turned to look at Hazel with the same bewildered expression. ¡°Did you...?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Hazel nodded, with a smile. ¡°And now I can create more!¡± As if proving a point, Hazel then summoned another cursed bomb, letting it hover over her hand with a calm yet eager expression. And just like with the first bomb, she let it drop into the swarm before exploding it in an instant. The trio watched another purple dome of cursed energy expand rapidly, pushing back the spiders and creating an opening in the ground. ¡°Oh, this is going to be so much fun...!¡± With the flood gates opened involving Hazel¡¯s restraints, the witch then began to drop bomb after bomb on top of the spider swarm, effortlessly killing the eight-legged monstrosities with ease as multiple explosions were made amongst the horde. Hazel watched as her vision was flooded with kill notifications, displaying dozens upon dozens of deaths she had inflicted upon the swarm. All the while she had one of the most wicked and sinister grins on her face, giving her the impression of some evil villain slaughtering innocents. However, despite seeing so many kills, it seemed that even her bombs were doing enough damage to the horde. She hurled at least two or so dozen cursed spheres into that swarm, and yet the spiders were still engulfing the streets like an incoming flood. She could feel her mana reaching its limit because of the constant use of the curse bombs. It seemed that casting this spell packed more of a punch than she initially believed. Then again, it was her first time casting it, so that made sense. But it wasn¡¯t enough for the horde. She needed to do more damage. Enough damage to where she could kill a considerable amount of spiders and dimmish their numbers significantly. And Hazel just came up with a good idea for that. Her eyes darted at the buildings around her, and she was instantly reminded of when Zoe used buildings to completely destroy the swarm. So Hazel planned to do the same thing as well. With an eager grin, Hazel instructed Nycteris to fly around the buildings she told him to go by. Following her orders, the Nightwing blitzed toward the designated structures, allowing her to do her part. When the trio flew by one of the buildings, Hazel then planted a few of her cursed bombs around it. Upon doing this, the malicious purple spheres stuck to the walls like glue. ¡°Hey, they''re like sticky bombs...¡± She chuckled while planting more bombs around the building. With her new spell in hand, Hazel proceeded to plant multiple sticky cursed bombs on all of the buildings around the area. She couldn¡¯t just use one or two, she did at least six bombs per building to ensure that when they detonate, they will make the structures fall. Once all the bombs were planted, Nycteris then flew up in the sky to avoid getting caught up in the explosions and aftermath. While flying high in the air, Hazel and Astrid stared down at the swarm, watching them march their way toward the players with malicious intent, desiring to kill them at the command of their queen and mother. But that wasn¡¯t going to happen. Because they were going to die just like their siblings the first time around. And Hazel planned to watch it all unfold until the last spider was crushed under the rubble. ¡°Eat shit, you eight-legged freaks.¡± Hazel snapped her fingers once more, detonating all of the sticky cursed bombs at once. Multiple explosions were heard as the buildings around them were damaged in the process. So much so that they could no longer maintain their structure and soon collapsed on the spot. The trio witnessed the multiple buildings crash and break down, falling over the swarm that was both unfortunate and stupid enough to be in the area at the time. As the buildings fell, a cloud of dust was kicked up, blanketing the entire area and obscuring their sight of what lay below. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Meanwhile, Hazel continued to get flooded with kill messages. Each kill popped up a split second after the last. She became disoriented by the panels and mentally ignored them to focus on the task at hand. That being the swarm she just crushed with the buildings. So far, none of the spider infants had emerged from the dust cloud, and it was eerily quiet. Instead of hearing the scuttling of spiders, all she heard from the crumbling rubble from the buildings and the whistling wind. ¡°Did you get them all...?¡± Astrid asked. ¡°Just to make sure we¡¯re clear; you can never ask something like that in a situation like this. It¡¯s a red flag and by asking that, instead of us actually winning the fight, the spiders will turn out okay and we¡¯ll have even more problems.¡± Astrid simply stared at Hazel in confusion, clearly not understanding what she meant by that. Instead of trying to explain, the witch simply sighed before waving off the comment and turned her attention back to the swarm. The three of them watched from above, waiting for the dust to settle so they could see if her plan worked. A few moments passed and the dust cloud finally started to dissipate. When it did, Hazel and the other two got a good look at the devastation from the cursed bombs. The entire block was covered in the rubble of the various buildings that collapsed. However, there wasn¡¯t a single spider swarm shown. Seeing that all of the spiders were dead, Hazel and Astrid breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that they were currently done with the swarm. ¡°We took down the swarm, but what about the sentinels?¡± Astrid questioned. ¡°Those guys didn¡¯t show up until we took down the infants first.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡± Hazel mumbled, keeping her eyes peeled at the rubble below them, waiting for something else to happen. However, instead of seeing sentinels bursting from the rubble, nothing happened at all. Hazel and the others were confused by this, wondering what exactly was happening until they saw a panel manifest in front of them. [First Wave of the Swarm has been annihilated! Second Wave will commence in Five minutes. Please leave the range of the Spider Queen if you wish to avoid the second wave.] ¡°Oh, so she¡¯s sending her children in waves, huh? Actually, how many kids does this queen have to be sending waves of them like that? That¡¯s a bit concerning if you ask me.¡± Hazel was once again surprised by the game-like features of the apocalypse. So much so that she didn¡¯t expect to encounter some kind of monster wave mechanic. What was next, tower or base defense? Anyway, with the horde currently taken care of, there was one more thing that Hazel needed to take care of. And that involved Astrid. Turning around to confront her dark elf partner, she crossed her arms while staring intently at her. ¡°Alright, I think it¡¯s time you explained that whole thing with that dark elf named Dolk. And don¡¯t leave anything out, alright?¡± Although Hazel respected Astrid¡¯s privacy, she at least needed to know what the deal was with Dolk and why she held such animosity toward him. Astrid¡¯s face fell upon Hazel¡¯s confrontation. Instead of looking hesitant, she seemed to be more resigned to her fate as if expecting that this would occur sooner or later. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± The dark elf said while looking up. ¡°I think it¡¯s time you know about what happened.¡± ... ¡°So, let me get this straight,¡± Hazel began. ¡°That Dolk guy was your best friend you knew since childhood, and before the System appeared, he tried to kill you because he was ordered to by your brother? Do I have that right?¡± Astrid glumly nodded at Hazel¡¯s brief summarization. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Hearing the dark elf confirm this only caused Hazel to bury her face in her hands out of sheer frustration and shock. ¡°No wonder you have trust issues...¡± she commented. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you even accepted my partnership when we first met considering what you went through. If it were me after what happened to you, I wouldn¡¯t have accepted my offer and just left.¡± ¡°I certainly considered that. Unfortunately, the person who offered the partnership was very persistent in teaming up with me.¡± ¡°Ha ha,¡± Hazel said sarcastically. ¡°But, seriously, I¡¯m still processing everything you told me about Dolk and your brother. What kind of family member tries to...you know, what, I¡¯m not even going to finish that question since there are plenty of people like that in my world.¡± Although Hazel had never seen something like that in person, she had heard plenty of stories about siblings killing each other over many things from petty arguments to life-changing decisions that ultimately put them at odds. Thankfully, she and Damien were never like that. While they were the type of siblings who fought often, they still had each other¡¯s backs when it mattered the most. Sadly, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case for Astrid and her brother, aside from the fact that her sibling tried to get her killed with the help of her best friend. Hazel couldn¡¯t even begin to process such a turn of events. It was one thing to have one of them try to kill you, but both? That would be too much to handle even for Hazel. But this also explained a bit as to why Astrid was so desperate to return to her village. Apparently, her brother was planning something big, and he was doing it with the help of the High Elves. From what Hazel remembered regarding the origin of the Dark Elves, it didn¡¯t make sense for Astrid¡¯s sibling to try and work together with the people who both made and tried to get rid of them. Perhaps there was more to their supposed partnership than meets the eye. Maybe the brother was being forced into cooperating with the High Elves, though Astrid stated that wasn¡¯t possible. The way she sounded so certain of that made Hazel uncomfortable. She really didn¡¯t have a good relationship with her sibling considering that she immediately crossed out the idea of him being forced to work with the High Elves against his will. But, if that wasn¡¯t the case, then what exactly was the deal between her brother and the High Elves? What were they planning together, and was killing Astrid part of that plan? But more importantly... ¡°What do you plan to do now?¡± Hazel suddenly asked. ¡°Since Dolk is somewhere in Portland, are you going to chase after him?¡± In the beginning, Astrid¡¯s main objective was to return home. But now that one of the people who betrayed her was within Portland, did she plan to stay here a little longer until she dealt with him? If it were Hazel, she would hunt down the bastard that nearly killed her and make them pay. But, she wasn¡¯t Astrid. There also wasn¡¯t enough time before the rest of the players still in their dungeons returned. That meant members of her tribe, including her brother, would return if the latter hadn''t already completed his tutorial. So, if she wasted her time on Dolk...Kollr was bound to cause trouble at the village in her absence. ¡°For now,¡± Astrid spoke up. ¡°I need to deal with Dolk. He likely knows more about the relationship between Kollr and the High Elves. If I can get to him, I can learn about what those bastards are planning.¡± In the end, she was prioritizing what was currently within her grasp. Hazel couldn¡¯t really say that she wouldn¡¯t make the same decision if placed in the dark elf¡¯s shoes. It was a smart decision since she could obtain information by capturing Dolk. Then there was the bonus of getting some sweet revenge for trying to kill her. ¡°Do you plan to chase after him now? We managed to deal with the spiders, so you should be able to find him without being bothered by the swarm.¡± Astrid shook her head. ¡°As much as I want to, I can¡¯t right now. My...head is in too much of a mess,¡± She held her head while grimacing. ¡°It was one thing encountering the bastard that tried to kill me. It¡¯s an entirely difficult problem after being told that your sibling was working with the very bastards that want us dead after creating us in the first place. I...need some time to process what I¡¯ve learned right now.¡± Hazel could understand Astrid feeling overwhelmed by everything that happened just now. If she tried to chase after Dolk in her current state of mind, then she could very well end up getting herself killed if she wasn¡¯t careful. For now, it would be best to head back to the Jetport and rest a little bit. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get moving, then,¡± Hazel declared while walking over to Nycteris, prepared to hop on him. ¡°The sooner we get back to the base, the sooner we can sleep this off and prepare ourselves for tomorrow.¡± Astrid nodded. ¡°Good idea.¡± The dark elf soon climbed on the Nightwing along with Hazel. Once both were on the Familiar, he then ascended into the night sky and soared back over to the Jetport. Chapter 102: The Next Day of Hell After everything that happened with the players, Dolk, and the Spider Swarm, Hazel, and Astrid soon returned to the Jetport and just called it a night. There wasn¡¯t much they could do about their current situation and simply decided to hold their problems off for the next day. Sadly, their problems weren¡¯t going to stop with just what happened last night. They were going to have a lot more problems. A lot more. Hazel soon woke up on the blanket in the Shipyard Restaurant. With what she went through last night, she couldn¡¯t resist the fatigue slowly overwhelming her. However, her efforts from yesterday were not fruitless. Not only did she learn a new spell, but according to one of her message panels, she also leveled up twice! Hazel was now level 23. And obviously, her free points were immediately invested into her Intelligence and Wisdom stat. And now her stats were like this. Status Window Name: Hazel Thatcher Race: Human Level: 23 Class: Witch Free Points: 0 Attributes: Strength: 7 Agility: 16 Endurance: 20 Intelligence: 82 (+33) Wisdom: 69 (+18) Willpower: 22 (+10) She was now less than twenty points from having her Intelligence at one hundred points, and nearly third points left for her Wisdom to reach the same threshold. Technically, one of them was technically past one hundred, but that was due to the combined attribute effects of her magic dress and ring. However, she wanted her stats to reach that threshold on their own and without the assistance of her equipment. And she planned to do and get stronger in the process. Sitting up from her spot, Hazel stretched a little to loosen her muscles. Next to her, Astrid was calmly leaning back against the wall while sitting. The dark elf soon noticed that her partner was awake and faced her. ¡°You were sleeping pretty soundly,¡± She commented. ¡°Also, you seem to snore a lot.¡± ¡°Yeah, I get that a lot,¡± Hazel groaned while stretching. ¡°What happened while I was asleep?¡± ¡°Nothing much. Your mother was working the night shift, healing and organizing everything. Zoe Callahan came by to talk, but since you were asleep, she took a rain check. She did mention something about village renovations. Other than that, it was a somewhat quiet and calm night.¡± Hazel stared at the dark elf curiously. ¡°Did you get any sleep?¡± From what she could tell, it didn¡¯t look like Astrid got a lick of sleep last night. There were no eyebags present, but for some reason, Hazel could just tell that her companion didn¡¯t sleep at all. Perhaps it was the aura she was emitting? ¡°I¡¯ve been trained to stay up for many nights without sleep. A day without sleep is nothing to me.¡± ¡°Whatever you say. Anyway, what do you plan to do about Dolk? Are you going to try and search for him?¡± ¡°Even if I wanted to, I wouldn¡¯t know where to start. Even if it was just the Port Town from my world, I don¡¯t know much about the area to search for him. And I have no idea what he¡¯s planning while in this place.¡± Neither Hazel nor Astrid knew much about Dolk¡¯s objective or why he was in Portland. He was likely sent here because he was with a party member that used to be in Portland before. So, if his situation was like Astrid¡¯s, then he might be trying to find a way back to his tribe while also building his own force. According to Astrid, Dolk and her brother Kollr were working together and attempted to kill her. They failed because the System suddenly appeared and transported her and Dolk to their respective tutorial dungeons. However, now he was here in the same area as Astrid. And if he was here, then Astrid¡¯s brother might have been also within Portland. And from what Hazel learned about her brother, she had no desire to meet that guy. ¡°Maybe there are clues in the city,¡± Hazel suggested. ¡°Since we plan to go back into Portland, we should be able to find something related to Dolk.¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible, but I doubt we¡¯ll have a chance to do something like that,¡± Astrid said grimly. ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Hazel asked while leaning her head to the side. ¡°Have you already forgotten what today is?¡± ¡°Today...?¡± She arched a brow before both rose in surprise. ¡°Ah...right. Today is the end of the thirty-day Tutorial Dungeon. Which means...¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Yes,¡± Astrid nodded. ¡°This means all players that managed to survive the last thirty days have completed their Tutorial Dungeon, and will be returning soon. Thus beginning the next phase of the bloody system.¡± With what happened last night, Hazel honestly forgot about the Tutorial Dungeon ending soon. Though considering what she went through, she wasn¡¯t too hard on herself for forgetting. Though, now that she remembered, Hazel couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous about what was going to happen soon. ¡°Should we meet up with Zora and the others to prepare for what¡¯s about to happen-?¡± Before Hazel could suggest their next move, she was interrupted by a new message panel. The Message panel. [Tutorial Dungeons have now been officially completed! All remaining players that survived will now be transported back to their newly Integrated world.] [Congratulations on completing your Tutorial Dungeons, newly Integrated Residents! By surviving your respective dungeons, you all have shown your determination to survive and grow stronger, which is an extremely important trait if you wish to continue surviving in your new reality.] [With the Initial Integration Process being completed, The Next Phase of the Integration will now commence!] [While the first phase was to allow newly integrated residents to grow accustomed to the new changes initiated by the Integration, the next phase will be preparing you all for what lies beyond your world.] [As you may already know, your merged world isn¡¯t the only one in the multiverse. There are actually numerous worlds that are part of the Greater Multiverse. And all of them have been part of the System much longer than your world. That means, before you are fully introduced into the Multiverse and the other worlds, you must first prepare yourselves for the encounter.] [As of now, all residents of the newly merged world will have approximately Two Years to meet the requirements of your Planet becoming an Official World among the Multiverse. Failure to meet said Requirements will result in losing your System Protection, leaving you vulnerable as you hopelessly fend yourself off from other greedy and violent worlds that are just waiting to take a visit to your world and make it their property.] [The Requirements to make your World officially part of the Multiverse that stands among the other Powerful worlds are as follows:
  • Your World must have an Official Guild that manages it and its residents! (There can be more than one Guild, but there must be a single guild that acts as the Representative for your world) [Global Representative Guild Established (0/1)]
  • Your World must accumulate at least 1,000,000 World Points from completing Quests and Dungeons created by the System. [World Points Acquired (0/1,000,000)]
  • Your World must compete in the World Trials, where Players Represented by the Official Guild must complete certain trials and tasks against other newly integrated worlds. (This requirement can only be completed when the first and second requirements have been met!)
[The Second Phase will now commence! Good Luck and Strife to become one of the most renowned and best World that stands among or above the rest!] Hazel and Astrid stared at the screens, completely shocked by what they just read. Around them, the other players were in just as much shock as they blanket stared at their respective panels with widened eyes along with horror being written all over their faces. While still gawking at the panels displaying the next phase, Hazel vigorously gulped hard upon realizing the type of difficulty they were faced with now. Not only was their world being threatened to complete these so-called requirements within two years, but if they didn¡¯t, they were destined to become simply fodder for other worlds that wished to enslave them. Hazel wished that the system was simply joking, but after everything she¡¯d been through, she knew that this wasn¡¯t a prank. This was real. And if her world didn¡¯t meet the requirements to become an Official World among the Multiverse...they were essentially screwed beyond imagination. Hazel glanced over at Astrid, who looked just as surprised as her, if not more because of the implications of what they needed to do. ¡°Be honest with me, Astrid,¡± Hazel whimpered. ¡°Just how screwed are we, right now?¡± Astrid hesitated to answer, knowing that the next words that came out of her mouth might demoralize Hazel. However, just when she was about to say something, the pair heard an explosion coming from outside. The sudden blast shook the entire Jetport building, causing everyone inside to panic. Hazel and Astrid on the other hand, switched gears and went to investigate what was happening. They rushed out of the Shipyard Restaurant and tried to find Zoe or someone else who knew what was going on. The pair made their way to one of the terminals and spotted Hazel¡¯s mom who was currently escorting players from a terminal section. A couple of them looked injured while the rest were just fearfully running away and screaming. Hazel and Astrid rushed over to Evelyn, both worried and curious about what was going on. ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡± Hazel asked, placing a hand on her mom¡¯s shoulder. ¡°E-enemy players...!¡± She gasped, clearly terrified of what happened. ¡°They just suddenly appeared and...¡± Behind the group, screaming and roaring could be heard from behind them. Within the building of the Jetport. When they turned around to see what it was, they saw more players run away while seeing humanoid monsters chasing after them. That was when Hazel and the others realized that they were being attacked. But by what? [Dungeons are now available!] [System Quests are now Online!] [System Quest has been triggered!] ¡°Stop the Invaders!¡± Difficulty: Easy Objective: Stop the invaders that were just teleported from their Tutorial Dungeon and attacking the residents of your base! Reward: 100 World Points and Common Loot Box Hazel spared a glance at the new quest they had just received, already understanding the situation now. All the while, she had a sour expression on her face. ¡°This is just typical...¡± She let out a groan, knowing what her next move was. It was time to complete her first quest. Chapter 103: Stop The Invaders You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Chapter 104: The Honored Warrior Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Chapter 105: To The Village Hazel and the rest of the group left the not-so-safe confines of the Jetport building, rushing over to the Airfield, where the village was located and where Zoe and the other players were battling the rest of the invaders. Hazel, Astrid, and Chegyaeyi were at the front, leading the other players into battle. While making their way to the village, Hazel used the opportunity to catch glimpses of the village with her Astral Eye. Since she was running, her vision was constantly switched back and forth so that she could pay attention to her surroundings to avoid tripping over something. The last thing she needed was to get distracted and fall on the ground during such a serious situation. Especially in front of her mom and everyone else. If she was by herself, then that was fine. But she refused to humiliate herself in such a way. If that were to happen, she would want to kill herself to end the embarrassment right there and now. While briefly looking through her other perspective, Hazel caught a glimpse of the village they were heading toward. For one thing, the entire airfield was practically covered in a canopy of trees and the like. Looking closer from above, she got a view of a large opening in the rather vast forest that occupied the airfield now. Within that opening were multiple houses, tents, and other buildings, making up a decent-sized settlement where a small community could live in. It was the village that Zoe and the others were talking about. And it was currently going through hell. Moving her Astral Eye down to the village, Hazel could see several battles and fights occurring throughout the village settlement. The conflict was between the human players and a small variety of monster players from goblins, Orcs, Gnolls, and even a new group of monsters she had never seen before. The newly discovered monsters were about the size of the goblins if not a couple of feet taller and looked like humanoid lizards like Chegyaeyi. However, these lizardmen looked more primitive and inferior compared to the Lizardfolk warrior. In fact, they look more like crocodiles or alligators due to their long scaly snouts. Perhaps they were distant relatives? Putting that irrelevant thought aside, the group slowly made their way to the forest, rushing past the plethora of trees and bushes planted all over the forest. Hazel only caught a glimpse of the vast greenery around her as she ran forward. ¡°Mom, does Zoe know that we¡¯re on our way?¡± Hazel asked, using her Astral eye to look at her. ¡°Yes. They¡¯re currently holding them back, but could use some reinforcements so they could end the fight a lot faster before they experience any further casualties.¡± Judging from Hazel¡¯s other Astral Eyes, a good majority of the invaders appeared to be in the village. Which Zoe and the rest of the players there were practically in the hot zone. Taking that into account, she wasn¡¯t surprised by the idea of casualties occurring. However, that didn¡¯t mean that the body count had to go any higher. If they lost too many people, then they likely wouldn¡¯t be able to keep the invaders at bay and would either die or retreat somewhere else, possibly losing their base in the process. And Hazel couldn¡¯t let that happen. Hazel took another look at the battle taking place in the village. She witnessed several monster invaders attacking the human players, pushing them back, or killing them. The humans did their best to fight back against the creatures but were unsuccessful due to the number difference. There were far too many monsters compared to the human players, which resulted in them being overwhelmed and slaughtered in the process. The sight was so horrific that Hazel had to change her vision before witnessing one of the Gnoll invaders take a vicious bite out of one of the human player¡¯s necks. A part of her wished that her Astral Eyes didn¡¯t allow her to hear everything she saw through them. Just hearing the tearing of flesh followed by the pained screams of dying players gave her chills. She doubted that she could get any sleep tonight after what happened today. Moving away from the dreadful sight of death, Hazel changed her objective and decided to search for Zoe. If she and the others could regroup with the Knight, they might be able to deal with these invaders once and for all. Her Astral Eye zoomed across the village, blurring past monsters and humans alike without even catching their attention in the least. A bit of searching later, and it wasn¡¯t long before Zoe the Knight was finally spotted. Hazel watched through her magic floating eye as the blond-haired knight easily cut down one of the Orcs that stood before her. The sword she wielded pulsed a rhythmical blue aura while embedding itself into the hulking green-skinned monster¡¯s flesh. The Orc howled in pain, desperately backing away to pull the sword out of its body, but Zoe didn¡¯t let that happen and dug her weapon deeper into the monster before completely cutting through it with a second slash attack. The two halves of the Orc collapsed on the ground, its blood and intestines spilling out from the exposed opening of its insides. Just as she slayed the Orc, a couple more monsters charged at her like feral animals. One was a Gnoll and the other was the crocodile/alligator creature. They appeared to have planned on attacking Zoe together, basically tag-teaming her to take her down that way. Sadly, that plan failed when two fireballs burst forward from behind Zoe, colliding with the two monsters. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Their bodies were instantly set ablaze, causing them great pain and agony as they slowly burned alive from the intense heat engulfing them. Their screams of anguish could be heard along with the sound of the crackling fire and burning flesh. Zoe watched the monsters burn to death before turning around to spot her savior, who was the mage that had been accompanying her since the beginning. Apparently, her name was Anais, and she possessed the Sorcerer class; the one Hazel was offered as one of her evolved classes. Behind Anais was the Brawler player, who rushed past both her and Zoe and blurred toward one of the Gnolls that was about to attack them. He pulled his gauntleted fist back as it radiated a violent red energy. Once he was only a couple of inches in from the Gnoll, he then thrust his fist forward, practically burying it in his enemy¡¯s stomach. The resulting force from his punch blew a giant hole, pushing out remnants of its intestines and organs that weren¡¯t destroyed by his attack. The gnoll then collapsed on the ground with a wet thud, remaining completely still and lifeless. Once he confirmed that the creature was dead, Kane proceeded to attack the other nearby monsters like the other Gnolls, Orcs, and goblins. His attacks were swift yet deadly, easily allowing him to kill a monster with relative ease so he could move on to the rest. While the brawler continued to kill the other invaders, Anais and Zoe took a moment to converse. ¡°To think our first quest involved an invasion,¡± Zoe fumed. ¡°I knew that this system wasn¡¯t going to make things easier for us.¡± ¡°When has it ever gone easy on us?¡± Anais questioned while hurling several more fireballs at some nearby monsters chasing their members, setting them ablaze. The players being chased didn¡¯t even stop when they saw their enemies getting burned alive. They simply continued to run away, thankful for the assistance and that they were given another chance to survive. ¡°Evelyn said that she, her daughter, and Astrid were on their way here,¡± Zoe declared. ¡°Once everyone was present, dealing with these invaders should be easier for us.¡± Hazel wanted to continue viewing the scene from her Astral Eye, but her attention was soon pulled away by Astrid¡¯s voice. ¡°Hazel, we¡¯re at the village!¡± Hearing this, Hazel switched her perspective and realized that her dark elf companion was telling the truth. Seeing ahead of them, she saw glimpses of the village buildings. And the closer they got, the clearer she could see the structures. Along with the various fights occurring around them. Hazel glanced to her left and saw three players struggling against around a dozen or so goblins attacking them. The human players all wielded swords, which meant they all possessed the Warrior class. However, after appraising them, their levels were extremely low, not even past level ten while a couple of the goblins were actually past that threshold. Just when one of the goblins lunged at the players, they were immediately taken out by a cursed spear impaling its skull in a heartbeat. The gremlin creature was then taken away by the spear before hitting a nearby tree. Both human players and goblin invaders fearfully glanced at the dead goblin corpse that was instantly killed. Before the other goblins could do anything else, a flurry of arrows erupted from their left and struck various parts of their bodies. Once they were riddled with projectiles, the remaining goblins dropped like flies, leaving the players who just got saved completely speechless. Hazel and the others didn¡¯t look back and kept moving further into the village settlement. Several more monsters appeared this time, their sights on Hazel¡¯s group. One of two of the monster invaders were gnolls while the rest were goblins. The gnolls appeared to have been leading the goblins toward them since they were at the front while commanding the goblins behind them. ¡°Kill for the Champion!¡± ¡°Kill them or get killed, you bastards!¡± Hazel arched a brow. ¡°The Champion...¡± She muttered to herself. ¡°Could that be their leader or something?¡± While she was curious about who or what this ¡°Champion¡± was, Hazel wasn¡¯t going to waste her time by asking the invaders. She figured that they would encounter the leader of the invaders anyway. So why bother questioning them? With that mindset, Hazel proceeded to cut down the two gnolls that were commanding the goblins. Instead of wasting her cursed spears, she cast a couple of mana bolts and hurled them at her opponents. Since the spell was rank 9, they were far deadlier than they used to be. Her mana bolts easily pierced through the hyena-looking monsters, leaving bowling ball-sized holes in their chests. Her spells didn¡¯t stop there and also even injured a couple of the goblins that were unfortunately within the path of them. But they weren¡¯t killed like the Gnolls, which Hazel found both annoying and disappointing. Before she could finish off the goblins with another spell, Astrid and Chegyaeyi stepped in and took care of them. The lizardfolk warrior blurred toward the goblins and effortlessly swung and thrust her spear at them, cutting them up like it was nothing. Meanwhile, Astrid provided support and fired several arrows aimed at the ones that attacked Chegyaeyi while she was busy with their brethren. With them, it didn¡¯t take very long before the remaining goblins were completely slain. Once the invaders were dealt with, the group moved on, making their way to what appeared to be the center of the settlement where the chaos was happening. Everywhere they looked, there was some kind of battle occurring. Looking around, Hazel soon spotted Zoe and the others before making their way over to them. The knight quickly noticed the group while expelling a heavy sigh. ¡°I¡¯m glad you could all make it,¡± She said with a soft smile. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Evelyn said, rushing over to them. ¡°There were invaders at the Jetport building, so we needed to take care of them.¡± ¡°Yes, you said something similar in the message. But, all that matters at the moment is that you¡¯re here now.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Evelyn nodded. ¡°So, what¡¯s the current-!¡± Before she could finish a distant roar could be heard within the forest, causing everyone including the invaders to stop in their tracks. Hazel and the others looked in the direction of the woods outside of the settlement, only to see a large figure emerging from within it. It was a hulking Orc that put the other green-skinned warriors around them to shame. His body was riddled with red and blue markings, looking like tribal paint. He wore a fur mantle with a lavish bone talisman around his neck. Judging from his overall appearance, he looked to be the boss of the monsters currently invading them. Either that or he worked directly under the leader, likely acting like their second in command. Just then, more Orcs and other monsters like Gnolls and goblins emerged from behind the bigger Orc, either standing by his side or standing behind him. There were likely over thirty of the invaders as they stood together with the leading Orc standing at the front. Taking in his appearance, Hazel knew one thing regarding this situation. They were now up against the boss of the invaders. Chapter 106: Orc Champion Hazel and the others stared at the goliath of an Orc standing before them with his army of invaders standing behind him, waiting to be given the order to attack. The vicious invaders glared daggers at the human players while emitting a powerful killing intent, showing no effort in concealing their bloodlust. While a good majority of the human players cowered in fear, Hazel and the rest of her group simply stood before the Orc leader and his army, barely fazed by his appearance or demeanor toward them. While staring, Hazel used the opportunity to appraise the Orc with one of her Astral Eyes. [Urlgan, Class: Champion, Level 24] He was nearly the same level as Zoe. Though, that didn¡¯t mean that the two players were of equal stranding. A player¡¯s level wasn¡¯t the only factor that needed to be considered when fighting. You also needed to pay attention to their skills and also equipment and weapons they wield in battle. Despite Hazel only being level 23, she could very well take down an enemy that was a couple of levels higher than her because of her abilities and equipment. But the same could be said about her opponent. And it seemed that this Urlgan Orc was rocking some nice equipment right now. Hazel could sense a faint magical trace from the various equipment on him from the fur mantle, his spiked bracers, the skull belt around his waist, and even the bloodied battleaxe that he hefted in his right hand. That axe concerned Hazel greatly because of the menacing aura being emitted from it. Getting a closer look with the help of her astral eyes, Hazel spotted symbols engraved in the blade. They pulsed a bright orange color as the blade itself sizzled, as if it was on it was burning. Rank: Epic A battleaxe that¡¯s too hot to handle! By pouring mana into the weapon, the blade of the battle axe becomes hotter, to the point where it can easily melt objects and its opponents with ease. Judging from the description...that battleaxe was bad news. While the effect was rather cliche, Hazel couldn¡¯t deny that it was a powerful weapon to possess. Depending on the Orc Champion¡¯s mana, in this case, his Intelligence and Wisdom stat, he could very well burn his enemy¡¯s weapons upon making contact. That and also cut through his enemy in the process. ¡°My name is Urlgan!¡± The Orc leader announced to the human players with a booming voice that made everyone''s body tremble. ¡°As of now, this settlement is now ours! If you wish to continue living, then I suggest you follow my command. If not, then you can die where you stand!¡± Urlgan¡¯s soldiers got riled up after hearing the ¡°die¡± part, clearly eager to slaughter their enemies and display their might before them. A chorus of roars and laughter erupted from his army, growing louder as they got more excited. From how roused his men were it was very obvious that they wanted to battle and fight. Hearing this, Hazel couldn¡¯t help but scoff. This bastard just returned from his Tutorial Dungeon, and the first thing he decided to do was try and claim the settlement as his? Could the System be urging him to do this? This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Considering that Hazel received a quest to stop these invaders, it would make sense for the invaders to get a quest where they were to conquer the settlement and make it part of his territory. In fact, she was certain that Urlgan had a quest that told him to conquer the settlement. And if she was right, it was possible that there might be even a sub-quest or bonus quest for him to turn the residents he¡¯s invading into his subjects. Why else would this guy announce such a thing after everything he had done just now? ¡°I am waiting for your response, humans!¡± Urlgan snapped with an annoyed tone. ¡°I do not wish to be-!¡± A blue wave attack barreled toward the Urlgan, threatening to cut him in too. However, just when the wave got too close to the Orc Champion, a blue shield materialized and protected him. The blue wave clashed against the shield, sending a decently strong shockwave outward. Hazel and the others raised their arms and fought back against the wind created by the attack. That attack didn¡¯t appear to be from one of Urlgan¡¯s weapons. No, that shield just now...came from a spell from a mage. Considering that the Orc Champion possessed, well, the Champion class, there was no way that he could¡¯ve cast that spell. Which meant someone else within his little army protected him. Hazel scanned the members of UIrgan¡¯s forces, desperate to locate the culprit that was protecting him. Just then, her Astral Eye spotted a lone figure in the back of the group. He wore a brown cloak with runic symbols drawn into the fabric and wielded a rather menacing-looking staff with a deer skull mounted on the top. While holding the staff, Hazel caught a glimpse of his arm wielding it. It was rather scrawny and feeble, even for a mage. It almost made her believe that the enemy was either old or malnourished. There was also the weird black tattoo drawn on it. Because the cloak was blocking most of the marking, Hazel couldn¡¯t get a good look at it. But she did notice that the tattoo was emitting a magical energy. Which meant that it wasn¡¯t an ordinary tattoo. [Yatum, Class: Shaman, Level 23] Hazel raised a brow curiously under her blindfold. A Shaman? That was a new class. Then again, so was the Champion that the Urlgan Orc possessed. From what she knew about Shamans, they were spiritualistic people who were connected with nature and the spirit world. They were a lot like Druids in a sense, but not completely. Aside from that, Hazel knew that this guy shrouded in the brown cloak was the one that protected Urglan just now. And something told her that he wasn¡¯t going to become a rather annoying opponent while they were facing his leader. Meanwhile, the Orc champion stood in place with a scowl, his eyes directed at the culprit who attempted to attack him as he spoke; Zoe. The knight had her sword out after hurling an aura blade at her enemy, hoping to take him down in a single strike. Hazel could even see traces of the aura blade trail off her weapon like smoke. Urlgan creased his brows in irritation and rage. ¡°...Is that your answer, human?¡± Zoe smiled while staring at the Orc Champion. She then stood up and confronted her enemy, standing tall and defiant like a rebel against her oppressors. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± She sneered softly with a calm tone. ¡°Should I have done something else to tell you my answer? I believe what I¡¯ve done has completely expressed my opinion on the matter, don¡¯t you think?¡± The Orc champion gnashed his teeth, revealing his yellow tusks as he intently glared at the Knight, deeming her as his prime opponent. ¡°If that is truly your answer, then I no longer see a point in continuing this worthless conversation!¡± He roared in anger before raising his hand. ¡°Kill them! Slaughter every pathetic human here and leave none of them alive!¡± Receiving their new orders, the Orc champions'' warriors cheered and growled at their enemies. A split second later, the battle once again commenced as the monsters charged at Hazel and the rest of the human players. Chapter 107: Battle of the Village The human players took defensive positions, preparing themselves for the monster invaders'' assault upon them. Players with shields stood at the front with mages and rangers taking the back to provide support. Several of the mages raised their staves and wands, casting multiple spells from Fireballs, Rock Bolts, and Wind blades before hurling them at the incoming enemies. The Rangers joined in the barrage attack, notching several arrows in their bows and loosing them on the invaders. The monsters were then bombarded with arrows and spells, inflicting a significant amount of damage on them. A few were taken down in an instant, crumbling to the ground while the rest of their allies trampled over them, not bothering to move out of the way. As for those who weren¡¯t hit by the spell and arrow barrage, they managed to get close to the human players and attacked the vanguards holding the line. The goblins weren¡¯t much of a threat as the players with shields and swords simply cut them down and moved on to the next opponent. It was the Gnolls and Orcs that posed a bigger problem for them. The humanoid hyenas and hulking green warriors charged at the human players, barely fazed by the spells and arrows pelting them. A few of the Orc and Gnolls dodged and weaved out of the way of the spells while others blocked with their shields, barely being pushed back from the force. Just as they got closer, one of the Orcs wielding a massive hammer, slammed it into the ground, cracking the very earth they stood on. The sudden cracks and tremors from the hammer smash attack caused the vanguard to lose their balance, ruining their defensive formation. That was when the Gnolls took advantage of the chaos and blurred toward them with malicious intent. They got up close and person with the vanguard players before attacking them like a pack of wild animals. They swung their weapons down on the vanguard, pushing their shields aside before delivering another strike once they were vulnerable. Even with the human vanguard armor that protected them, the Gnolls relentlessly assaulted them, wailing their weapons without any mercy as they maimed and killed a few. Despite the chaos, the remaining vanguards didn¡¯t panic and simply maintained formation, holding back the gnolls and Orcs as much as possible. It didn¡¯t take long before the big guns finally appeared and took action. Several of the gnolls that nearly broke through the formation were instantly pushed back as several spells and bullets struck them from the back. Some were instantly killed either getting a bullet through their skull or a blade of wind severing their head from their shoulders. Upon their deaths, two support players emerged from the back. It was Anais and John. Instead of a bow, John wielded an old-fashioned rifle. Hazel couldn¡¯t tell what type but it looked old western to her, like something a cowboy would use in the Wild West. Considering that his Class was Gunslinger, it wasn¡¯t surprising that he possessed such a weapon. However, Hazel was curious as to how she obtained the weapon. With the two players at the front, they raised their weapons and proceeded to fire more spells and bullets at the monsters. However, when the projectiles got close enough to the Orcs and Gnolls, a magical barrier appeared in front of them, protecting them. Hazel used Astral Eye to take a glance at the Shaman enemy from before. When she did, she noticed the Shaman raising its staff while casting a spell. Even its tattooed arm was emitting a sickly green glow upon casting. The barrier soon disappeared, allowing the enemy to advance forward. Some of the Orcs and Gnolls even fired their own arrows and spells at the human players, attempting to even the odds. The human side was able to defend themselves against the barrage and stood their ground while facing the enemy. Meanwhile, the monster invaders advanced forward, closing the distance and pressing the human players more. When the rearguard tried to fire another volley at the invaders, they were once again protected by a barrier, watching their projectiles harmlessly bounce off the shield. Even John and Anais¡¯s attack barely did anything to the barrier. And just before the rearguard could prepare another attack, the barrier disappeared, allowing the invaders to advance. This time, their steps were more vigorous and heavier, expressing their eager and fierce movements. As for the Orc champion, he watched from afar, waiting for his group to completely decimate the human players. He likely did this because he believed that his people would finish the job quickly and without trouble. But that was a mistake on his part. Zoe soon joined the fray along with Kane and Chegyaeyi as the three of them jumped in front of the group to face the invaders. The knight was the first to act and slashed her sword while it emitted a familiar bright blue aura, hurling a wave attack toward them. The aura strike made contact with the enemy, pushing back the ones that blocked while instantly killing those that were both slow and unlucky enough to get hit. The monster invaders were in a state of disarray, if only for a brief moment. This allowed Kane and Chegyaeyi to take advantage of their weakness and blur toward them. And in a flurry of punches, thrusting, and stabbing, they slain a good amount of the Orc champion¡¯s army and watched them drop like flies. Before the duo could proceed, several spells and arrows were hurled in their direction, forcing them to fall back and avoid the barrage. Just then, the Orc champion decided to jump into the battle. Literally. Leaping from the spot where he stood and watched the fight unfold, the champion landed in the middle of their battlefield, standing before Chegyaeyi and Kane. With his blood-seeking battleaxe gripped in both hands, he roared at his opponents. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°No more, games! You now face Urlgan! Leader of the Orc Tribe and future ruler of this settlement!¡± He swung his weapon down and directed it at the humans. ¡°None of you will survive my wrath after forsaking my mercy! Now, come and die!¡± The Orc champion then charged at the duo, deeming them as his first sacrifice. Chegyaeyi didn¡¯t back down and simply blurred toward her opponent in toe, meeting him in the middle. Urlgan swung his weapon down on the lizardfolk to cut her in two with a single slash. The spear dancer shifted to the left, effortlessly dodging the swing while thrusting her spear in the Champion¡¯s face. Much like before, some kind of magical field materialized around the champion''s body, protecting him from the spear thrust. He watched the weapon bound off the protective barrier coating him before swinging his arm back, striking Chegyaeyi¡¯s face. The lizardfolk warrior stumbled back, slightly stunned by the attack. He then swung his axe at her, clashing his weapon against the lizardfolk¡¯s spear. Hazel noticed from afar that the Champion¡¯s axe was turning a bright orange color as it rapidly heated up, activating its skill. Chegyaeyi moved the weapon to the side, bringing the axe down, but still got cut in the process. She winced in pain as it sizzled like bacon on a pan. If that got any closer to her body, she would¡¯ve lost that arm. Just then Urlgan attempted to swing his axe again and end his opponent¡¯s life before Kane jumped into the fray and landed a solid punch in his face. The champion staggered from the blow, taking a few sluggish steps back while trying to orient himself. Kane attempted to strike the Orc again, only to get pushed back when his fist collided into the magical barrier surrounding him. Putting some distance, Chegyaeyi and Kane remained cautious in front of the champion, not sure of what to do in their current situation. Urlgan noticed their hesitation and sneered with delight and glee. ¡°Afraid to attack me, humans?! There¡¯s no point in hesitating now because I have no plans to spare any of you vermin!¡± Just when the champion was about to attack, another aura wave attack barreled toward him, forcing him to raise his weapon to block it. Urlgan was pushed back from the strike, making his feet slide across the dirt path they stood on. The Orc lowered his weapon and glared at Zoe, who was now standing with Chegyaeyi and Kane. She shifted her gaze over at the champion, raising her weapon at him. Urlgan snarled, glaring daggers at the knight, clearly enraged by her interference. Meanwhile, Hazel kept observing the Shaman who was calmly supporting the Champion and his men on the sidelines. However, that wasn¡¯t going to last very long. The Shaman then raised his staff again, casting another spell. Every time he did, the tattoo on his arm would glow brightly, as if responding to his spell activation. However, instead of casting protective shields like before, this time he summoned poison projectiles in the shape of arrows. If Hazel had to hazard a guess, that spell must¡¯ve been Poison Arrow or something. Upon summoning the arrows made of poison, the shaman then hurled his spells at the enemy. In this case, Zoe and the others. Just as the arrows barreled toward them with malicious intent, they immediately lost all momentum before crashing into the ground. The shaman was flabbergasted by what just happened. Even though his face was concealed under the cloak, Hazel could still hear a slight gasp escape his lips upon witnessing his spells suddenly nose-diving into the ground for some strange reason. Even Urlgan was surprised by this. However, his shock was quickly overwritten with anger as she turned around to glare at the shaman. ¡°What are you playing at, Shaman?!¡± He growled, narrowing his eyes at one of his own allies. The Shaman flinched in fear, clutching his staff like his life depended on it. ¡°I-I do not know what happen-behind you!¡± Upon his warning, the Champion turned around to face the humans, only to witness Chegyaeyi lunging at him with her spear pointed at his chest. Urlgan responded by raising his battle axe and deflecting the attack. A wave of red exploded upon the clash, forcing the lizardfolk and Orc back from the force. Urlgan stumbled backward before whirling his head to once again scold his shaman. ¡°Properly support us, or you will be my next victim!¡± Hazel could tell that the Champion¡¯s words greatly affected the Shaman as he trembled in response. A moment later, he raised his staff again to cast a spell. But Hazel was ready for it. She could tell that the Champion was only having an edge in the fight because of the Shaman supporting him. So, to even the odds, she simply dealt with the support herself. She raised her hand and cast several mana bolts, firing them into the sky. Then, with the help of Telekinesis, she swung her arm down, directing the bolts of mana in the direction of the Shaman. Just in time to strike him down before could cast another spell to assist the Champion. His screams could be heard, causing Urlgan to turn around once again to see what was wrong. The champion¡¯s eyes then widened upon seeing the Shaman nearly die at the hands of Hazel. The cloaked figure was on the ground, not knowing what to do. Seeing the cowardly magic user, the Champion finally had enough of his antics. ¡°Damn you, Shaman! This is what I get for-agh!¡± Kane interrupted him and punched the Orc from behind, sending him tumbling to the ground. Chegyaeyi and Zoe soon joined in along with Astrid and Anais, who attacked the champion together. Despite nearly getting taken down, Urlgan still put up a decent fight, defending himself against all of his enemies. While the battle between them raged on, Hazel calmly walked over to the Shaman who was still trembling like a coward. Some of the other invaders that weren¡¯t helping the Champion set their sights on Hazel who was approaching the Shaman. Due to their levels being significantly lower than Hazel¡¯s, She easily dispatched them with a mana bolt, not even using her Curse Spear or her newly acquired curse bomb spell. And just to do a bit of flexing, Hazel cast Telekinesis on one of the goblins charging at her, lifted them in the air, and then hurled them at the other goblins coming her way. She knocked them down like bowling pins, practically receiving a Strike. The tougher monsters, that being the Gnolls and Orcs attempted to defend the Shaman, standing in front of their ally while facing Hazel. That was their first mistake when she summoned a couple of cursed spears and moved them toward her enemies with Telekinesis. The invaders tried to defend themselves against the cursed spears, but with the help of her increasing the speed of the spells, they easily pierced through the Gnolls and Orcs, killing them instantly. Hazel continued to mow down the monsters, whittling their numbers with ease through her spells. It didn¡¯t take long before she finally came face to face with the Shaman. When the cloaked invader looked up at Hazel, he attempted to flee but was pushed against the ground through Telekinesis. Despite being trapped, the shaman struggled to break free, hoping to escape. However, Hazel kept a firm hold on her opponent, not giving him a chance to leave. Watching the feeble cloaked figure struggle to escape, a small yet wicked smile formed on her face, finding this incredibly amusing. Chapter 108: Spoils of The Battle The battle against the invaders soon ended in the human side¡¯s victory. Urlgan was soon killed along with all of his followers, including the Shaman, who Hazel killed personally. After the fight was over, the players got to work in repairing the damages the invaders caused on the settlement. Even Zoe, Kane, and Anais were helping with the repairs. Various players were either picking up scraped pieces from buildings or carrying supplies that would be used to fix the buildings that were damaged. Evelyn and other players with the cleric class were tasked with healing the severely wounded. They even set up a little station within the settlement to do it. As for Hazel, she was focused on her little discovery. After killing the Shaman, she searched through his person to see if there was anything useful she could take for herself. And there were a couple of unique items that he possessed. The first item she obtained was a book. It was a leather-bound tome with a title that said ¡°Rune Crafting¡±. Hazel couldn¡¯t stop herself from gawking at the book, realizing that she just hit a gold mine in terms of magic. Rune crafting was an incredible specialty that allowed mages to invoke magic power into objects and the like. You could cast wards, and barriers, and even enhance weapons to make them more powerful. With this knowledge, Hazel¡¯s capabilities would skyrocket. A part of Hazel wanted to read the book now, but she held off and checked out the other items she obtained from the Shaman¡¯s corpse. The next one was a glass vial with some strange rainbow color liquid inside. When she appraised the item to see what it was, she was met with an even more shocking discovery. Rarity: Legendary A magical substance used for rune crafting. The substance can be used for making magic tattoos or item enchantment, enhancing both subjects with its magical essence. ¡°Magic ink, huh? That explains the tattoo on the Shaman¡¯s body.¡± When Hazel examined the Shaman¡¯s corpse, she took a closer look at the tattoo on his arm. It was a complex design that almost looked like some kind of circuit with symbols inscribed. She guessed that the ink used was the magic ink, and the design was likely some kind of rune formula that the shaman read from the tome. Whenever the Shaman cast a spell, the tattoo would light up as a result, as if responding to the spell being invoked. The rune might have enhanced the shaman¡¯s spells. Either that or it decreased the casting time or mana consumption rate. There were plenty of possibilities for Hazel to choose from. She¡¯d likely have to read through the tome to get a better understanding of the tattoo used. Still, the item was a great find so Hazel immediately placed it in her storage bracelet for her to examine it more later. Other than those items, Hazel also found some potions, both healing and mana. There were no special potions like the ones she obtained, but they were still stowed in her storage nonetheless. She wasn¡¯t going to pass up on more potions. Speaking of potions, since Hazel and the others completed their first quest, they also received some Common Loot boxes and some World Points. As usual, the Common loot boxes held both food and potions, but nothing else aside from those. If her memory served her right, Hazel obtained her magic ring from an Uncommon Loot Box. Then again, her spoils from the battle certainly made up for that. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The last items that Hazel took from the Shaman were his cloak and staff. Neither of which she planned to use or wear in the future. However, their descriptions nearly tempted her. Rank: Epic A cloak capable of increasing one of a User¡¯s Stat by 15%. This only applies to the stat that possesses the most points. Rank: Epic A Staff capable of enhancing a Shaman¡¯s elemental spells by 10%. The Higher the Rank, the higher the power. Between the two, Hazel was more tempted to use the cloak due to its feature of enhancing a player¡¯s stat. The only reason why she was hesitant to do so was because of one annoying problem...she didn¡¯t like the color. While she wasn¡¯t that big on fashion and such, even Hazel had to cross the line by wearing a brown cloak over her purple magic dress. It was a very annoying reason, even for her to let it bother her, but she just couldn¡¯t bring herself to wear it. If she was like her brother, Damien, then she would¡¯ve worn the item as soon as she realized its effects. Compared to her, Damien was effects over appearance. He could wear a bunch of mismatched items in his RPG games that made him look ridiculous, but he would be incredibly powerful. Hazel still remembered that one time she watched him play one of his games and noticed that his character was wearing a goofy hat compared to the elegant outfit he wore. Despite how he looked, that strange hat apparently gave him a 25% increase in spell damage, so Damien didn¡¯t care about the design and wore it. A part of Hazel wished that she possessed a portion of her brother¡¯s mentality when it came to items. Sadly, that wasn¡¯t the case. Perhaps she could get a redesign of something to fix the issue. Either that or she could give the cloak to Astrid. Then again, her Hunter¡¯s cloak allowed her to conceal her presence when she was hiding along with a speed boost. If Hazel was Astrid, she wouldn¡¯t give up her current cloak for an increase in a single stat. As for the staff, it was honestly completely useless to her. While the elemental enhancement from the staff sounded enticing, she preferred her arcane gloves more since she had a bit more versatility with them. Plus, Hazel frequently used Telekinesis, and that spell was a terrible match-up with staves. Someone else might find this item more appealing, so she planned to give it away. Of course, not for free. There was likely someone who would want the staff and could give her something useful in return. Until then, both the staff and cloak were stored within the storage bracelet like everything else. After going through her spoils, Hazel stood up from a broken piece of log she sat on to walk around. Before she could, something interesting happened once again. [System Quest has been triggered!] ¡°Form or Join a Guild!¡± Difficulty: Easy Objective: You must either form or Join a Guild of your choosing. Reward: 10 World Points for Joining a Guild/1000 Points for Creating a Guild [System Quest has been triggered!] ¡°Curse of the Spider Queen!¡± Objective: Free yourself from the Spider Queen¡¯s curse! Reward: 1,500 World Points and an Epic Loot Box [System Quest has been Triggered!] ¡°Bring The Dark Elf home!¡± Objective: Keep your promise to Astrid and bring her back to her Tribe. Reward: 1000 Points and the Gratitude of the Greyvolk Tribe Hazel¡¯s eyes widened after seeing the three system quests materialize in front of her, with each one surprising her. Reading the quests over a bit, a small grin appeared on her face. ¡°Well, looks like I¡¯m going to be quite busy.¡± Chapter 109: The New Quests Seeing three more quests materialize before her very eye, Hazel scanned all three of them to see what she was working with. The first one was pretty simple; she needed to either join a guild or create one. The reason why this quest was even a thing was likely because of the requirements for her world to become an Official one among the Multiverse. For their home to become one with the multiverse, they would need a Global Guild to manage it. This quest was essentially the start of that race. She had to join or create a Guild, and most likely fight other guilds and make hers the Global Guild that represents their world. While the concept was more or less straightforward, Hazel couldn¡¯t help but worry about it. She knew that once a few guilds began to form, it wouldn¡¯t be long until a battle between them would start. All for the sole purpose of obtaining the status of representing the planet. And that thought alone...terrified her due to the many possible outcomes this could draw. If they weren¡¯t careful, their world could be represented by a dictator, which honestly sounded just as bad as their home turning into a simple resource for other planets if they were to fail to complete their requirements. So, with the rise of Guilds soon approaching, they needed to have one that met a certain criterion that was worthy of them having the honor of becoming a Global Guild. For one thing, the Global Guild couldn¡¯t run their world like a dictatorship. It needed to be fair to the people and provide opportunities for them to grow. There was also the fact that the guild needed a strong and dependable leader who was willing to do anything to protect their home; minus the dictatorship route. But most importantly, it needed to be a guild that the civilians of their new world could trust and rely on. That meant the guild needed to possess a substantial reputation that would show people that they were capable of running their world without worry. All these requirements were already giving Hazel a major headache. And this was just from her overthinking the effects of the second quest she received. ¡°I have more pressing issues than joining or creating a guild,¡± Hazel mumbled. ¡°Both of which I have no intentions of doing at the moment.¡± While joining or creating a guild was clearly important, Hazel had a lot more on her plate than just that. And those happened to be her two quests after the guild one. The Curse of the Spider Queen quest piqued her interest quite a bit. Not only because she could receive a lot of world points from it, but also another Epic Loot Box. Her last epic loot box gifted her with some nice items like her storage bracelet and gloves. That and the mystery tablet that gave her the evil eyes ability. In terms of how she was supposed to complete the quest, it didn¡¯t say. It only stated that she needed to break free from the spider queen¡¯s curse. From what Hazel remembered from the message panels that first told her about the curse, the only way to break it was to kill the Queen. So, to complete this quest, the Spider Queen needed to die. Hazel already planned to do that because of the stupid stages and the ever-increasing range upon each stage they reached. Speaking of which, the next stage of the curse was going to commence soon. Right now, the spider queen¡¯s range of detecting them was only a 500-meter radius. Once they reached the second stage, that range could very well double or triple. While the range wouldn¡¯t reach the Jetport, that didn¡¯t mean the other stages were the same. They needed to deal with that queen before they inevitably ended on the final stage. The one where the spider queen herself would finally emerge from her nest and hunt them down personally. And knowing how the sentinel spiders were, Hazel could only guess how strong their mother was. Last but not least was the quest involving Hazel¡¯s promise to bring Astrid back to the village. Even if she didn¡¯t receive this quest, she was bound to do this anything, since she wanted to keep her promise in the first place. Though, the world points were certainly a nice incentive. She wasn¡¯t sure about the Gratitude of the Dark Elves. Did that mean they were her allies or something? While that would be nice, she¡¯d much rather just get another loot box for her troubles. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Of course, she¡¯d never tell Astrid that. That last thing she needed was an angry dark elf who believed she was being used for points. Now that she thought about it, if Hazel got a quest about taking the dark elf home, didn¡¯t that mean Astrid got a similar quest? She¡¯d likely have to ask to be certain. And as if right on cue, Hazel¡¯s eyes looked up and spotted her dark elf companion walking through the village with Chegyaeyi. Seeing Astrid, the witch immediately walked over to her, urgent to speak to her about the quests. ¡°Hey, Astrid,¡± Hazel called out to her partner. The dark elf heard her voice before turning her head in her direction. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re already done looting the Shaman from before.¡± She noted, looking over at the shaman¡¯s corpse that was currently stripped of all of his belongings, practically making him naked. ¡°Pretty much,¡± she shrugged. ¡°He had a lot of good items on him, though, so it was honestly worth it. Did you two get anything from the Orc champions?¡± ¡°I did not find anything worth taking from his corpse,¡± Chegyaeyi was the first to respond, shaking her head glumly. ¡°The bracers did not fit, and I already possess a weapon to aid me in battle, so the battleaxe was out as well.¡± ¡°The mantle was also not something either of us wanted,¡± Astrid chimed in. ¡°According to its description, you receive a slight boost in defense and resistance to the cold and ice spells. I guess that he obtained that item because he was in a cold environment tutorial dungeon.¡± That made sense, considering the effects it possessed. If they were in a colder climate, not to say Portland doesn¡¯t get cold, that item likely would¡¯ve been sought after more. Hell, even Hazel might¡¯ve wanted the mantle if it could help resist the cold. ¡°Hey, Astrid, did you get any quests after completing the first one?¡± ¡°I did, actually,¡± Astrid replied, sounding a bit surprised. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Did any of them involve you going home?¡± The dark elf¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s right. But why...¡± ¡°Because I got a guest likely similar to yours. The system seemed to remember my promise to take you back home and officially made it one of my quests. Then there was the guild one and the spider queen one. Making it a total of three quests.¡± A part of Hazel wondered why she didn¡¯t get a quest about finding her brother. If the system took into account her promise to Astrid, then why not her obvious obsession with locating her family members? She already came across her mom, so why not add a little honey to the point and urge her to find her brother? Just to be clear, Hazel was going to search for her brother with or without the assistance of the system. She was simply curious as to why it took into account one objective while completely disregarding another. But, as much as she wanted to know, something told Hazel that she probably wouldn¡¯t get her answer to this question any time soon. Walking with Astrid and Chegyaeyi, the trio soon stumbled across Zoe, Kane, and Anais. They were currently grouped together while looking off into space. Or in this case, their message panels. The three approached the Knight and her companions, curious about what they were doing. ¡°Hello, Zoe,¡± Hazel greeted the Knight, instantly grabbing her attention as she pulled her eyes away from her panel. ¡°Ah, Hazel, it¡¯s nice to see you. Have you finished looting the shaman?¡± Hazel nodded. ¡°Yeah, I got what I wanted from his corpse. More than enough, honestly,¡± She let out a soft laugh. Zoe nodded in response. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be having one of our people put his corpse with the rest of them.¡± Her eyes then shifted toward Astrid and Chegyaeyi. Specifically, the Lizardfolk warrior. ¡°We haven¡¯t been introduced yet. My name is Zoe Callahan, and I would like to thank you for assisting us in battling the invaders.¡± Zoe then bowed her head, showing her respect to the one who helped her and her people. Chegyaeyi firmly nodded. ¡°I only did what was necessary. Those Invaders were causing trouble and killing people. They needed to be stopped, and simply supported you to ensure their defeat.¡± Hazel took note of the Lizard folk''s humble comment. It looked like Astrid was right about her being part of a respectable and honor-bound tribe. Most people would¡¯ve gloated a bit about their assistance. Maybe not to the point where they were seen as an asshole, but certainly enough to show people that you were arrogant. But Chegyaeyi didn¡¯t even take much credit for it. She was certainly humbler than Hazel. Despite being a bit shy when it came to being complimented, that didn¡¯t mean that the praise wouldn¡¯t go to her head. And the last thing she needed was an inflated ego right now. ¡°Anyway, what were you guys doing?¡± Hazel asked, curious about their previous activity. ¡°Were you checking your stats or something?¡± Zoe shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s something else actually. Something far more important.¡± Hazel tilted her head in response, curious waiting for the knight to explain what she meant. ¡°You see, it seems that we¡¯re currently capable of starting a guild.¡± Upon hearing this, Hazel¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Not because of what Zoe declared but how soon she stated it. It looked like the rise of the guilds was going to start now. Chapter 110: Birth of A New Guild ¡°You can already form a guild?¡± Hazel questioned while arching her brow. ¡°That was quick.¡± They only got the quests a few moments ago, and yet it appeared that Zoe could now form a guild. Maybe there were requirements that only Zoe completed that allowed her to create one? Though, if that was the case, then, shouldn¡¯t the system tell them the requirements like it did with how they were supposed to make their planet officially part of the multiverse? Zoe nodded upon Hazel¡¯s question. ¡°Yes. According to Quest, I made all of the prerequisites to officially form a guild.¡± ¡°How do you know about the prerequisites?¡± She became curious as to how Zoe knew the answers and yet Hazel didn¡¯t. Or was she just not looking hard enough? ¡°If you mentally pull up the Guild quest and focus on it, there will be another panel that appears and tells you the conditions.¡± Hazel nearly palmed her face in annoyance. So, she wasn¡¯t looking hard enough, then. That was certainly one way to find out, to say the least. Mentally kicking herself, Hazel then tried to summon the Guild Quest to check out the requirements. When she did and focused intently on the screen, a new panel materialized soon after. [Requirements to create a Guild:
  • Player must be over level 20.
  • Player must lead a group of more than ten people.
  • Player must possess a certain amount of territory to create their guild.
She stared at the conditions for a moment, taking in each one to fully understand how a guild was created. So far, all three requirements were pretty straightforward. You had to be at a certain level along with commanding a certain number of players while owning a bit of land to stake your guild on. And all three conditions were reasonable. A guild needed a strong leader, a certain amount of members, and land for it to be properly established. Which was why Zoe had met all of them with flying colors. At the moment, Hazel only completed the first condition since she was currently Level 23. If she wanted to create her own guild, she would need to lead more than ten people and own a piece of land like the Jetport. Sadly, she possessed neither, and honestly, didn¡¯t plan to do it any time soon. While the idea of creating a guild sounded fun, she also knew that it was a complete hassle, since she would have to manage the guild and her members while also trying to make her group the Global guild that represents their world. Of course, she also didn¡¯t plan to join a guild either. Not yet at least. Even when Zoe formed her guild, Hazel wasn¡¯t going to immediately join her. She had a few things to deal with and had to take care of those first before making any serious decisions regarding her status with a guild. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°So, since you met all of the requirements, how will you form the guild?¡± Chegyaeyi asked curiously. ¡°Well, apparently, all I need to do is choose the form a guild option and then select what you want to call your guild.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that easy?¡± Hazel tilted her head to the side. Zoe nodded. ¡°It would seem so. I¡¯m currently figuring out what kind of name I wish to call the guild.¡± ¡°I suggested The White Knight Guild,¡± Kane chimed in, telling them his idea. ¡°While I suggested Righteous Hope Guild,¡± Anais added. Hazel mused over the names. Having the right name for their guild was certainly important. It was what was going to define the group and what they stood for. Though, from what Hazel had heard right now, neither name was...all that good. She could tell that Kane and Anais were using Zoe to base their guild. Not only did they see her as a heroic knight in shining armor but also a symbol of hope since she not only saved them but was also leading them toward salvation. The problem was that their name suggestions were way over the top. While having a name was crucial for the development of the guild, it didn¡¯t have to be something extravagant or imposing. If anything, having a simple name was much better. A simple name that still represented the guild in a way that White Knight or Righteous Hope could never do. Watching Kane and Anais argue over their names while Zoe struggled to come up with one herself, Hazel suddenly got an idea for a guild name that fit their group. ¡°How about The Valiant Guild?¡± Hearing this, Zoe and the others turned in Hazel¡¯s direction with a mixture of confusion and surprise in their expressions. Hazel hesitated to continue due to the various and pressing stares directed at her but managed to do so regardless. ¡°Well, Knights are supposed to be brave and heroic, and since Zoe is a knight, she''d obviously fit those descriptions, especially after seeing her in action. So, wouldn¡¯t Valiant be the perfect name?¡± While it was a stretch, Hazel thought the name suited the concept of their group. They were brave players who not only protect the people under their watch, but also fight against those that wish to destroy or enslave them. And their previous battle with the Orcs clearly displayed their bravery and valor. While not all of them were Knights like Zoe, they were still brave and heroic, which is why the term Valiant could still apply to them. If anything, it showed that you didn¡¯t need to become a Knight to represent the term. Zoe, Kane, and Anais took a moment to consider Hazel¡¯s idea. They thoughtfully mused over it like a bunch of scientists in a Think Tank. Then, all three turned and faced one another before nodding their heads in unison, as if making their final decision. ¡°Valiant certainly sounds good,¡± Anais stated. ¡°Yeah,¡± Kane nodded. ¡°It¡¯s certainly a lot better and simpler than our names.¡± ¡°Then I guess the decision has been made,¡± Zoe declared with a smile. ¡°As of now, the name of our Guild will be Valiant.¡± Upon making this declaration, Hazel suddenly felt a shift in the atmosphere as if something enveloped her surroundings. If she had to put it in words, it felt like she just passed through a thin membrane barrier and everything now felt foreign and strange...like she didn¡¯t belong there. Just then, a new panel materialized before her very eyes. [You are within the Territory of the Valiant Guild! All non-Guild Members will be seen as a Guest until they either leave or join the guild! Upon Joining the guild, Players will receive certain benefits that it possesses with its current rank.] Hazel creased her brows skeptically. So, she was currently within the Valiant Guild¡¯s territory. That meant that this applied to other guilds as well. And Hazel knew what that meant...this battle of the guilds was going to be turf war as well. She could already tell what kinds of headaches she¡¯d be dealing with once she went deeper into Portland. The amount of territory she¡¯d accidentally step into and also alert the other members of the guild. Hazel grasped her head while letting out a heavy sigh. What a pain in the ass... Chapter 111: The Tour ¡°Looks like the Guild Creation was a success,¡± Hazel noted, still staring at the panel that declared her as a Guest of the newly made Valiant Guild. Zoe nodded. ¡°It would appear so. I¡¯m already getting bombarded with message panels related to my Valiant Guild. There are so many that it will likely take me a while to understand everything.¡± That made sense. Now that Zoe officially became a Guild Leader, the system was likely showing her all of the duties and privileges that come with the role. Then there was the issue with taking in members and how to properly manage the guild. Right now, the only members of the Valiant Guild would be the people currently following her. But that could change in the future to where the number of members would expand. And that in itself would be a hassle if Hazel was the leader since she would need to keep an eye on all of her people while doing other things as well. Needless to say, Hazel did not envy Zoe¡¯s current position. If anything, she only felt pity because of what was in store for her in the future. Being a leader was not an easy job, and Hazel had no plans to become one herself. ¡°I¡¯m going to head back to the Jetport base and study all of these panels,¡± Zoe declared, turning around in an instant. ¡°You guys can stay and help out with the other players. In fact, Kane and Anais, can you show Hazel and the other two around the place?¡± Hazel arched her brow curiously. Was she planning to give them a tour of the village? Kane and Anais nodded after receiving Zoe¡¯s orders. ¡°We¡¯ll show them around while you deal with your newfound responsibilities,¡± Kane declared with a smile. Zoe nodded then walked away. As she did, she waved at them as a way to say goodbye. Hazel and the others watched the newly appointed guild leader head back over to the Jetport base with a new objective of understanding her current responsibilities that came with the role. Once the Knight was gone, Kane and Anasis faced Hazel, Astrid, and Chegyaeyi. ¡°Alright, since our leader will be busy with the Valiant Guild, we¡¯ll be giving you guys a brief tour of our little village.¡± Anais declared. ¡°Follow us, and we¡¯ll show you around.¡± Upon declaring this, Kane and Anais turned around and walked a couple of steps away from Hazel and the other two before they started following the duo. Thus, the village tour had begun. ¡°At the moment, only a few houses within the village are suitable for living while the rest are required to be repaired from the planetary fusion,¡± Anais explained, pointing over at the village buildings around them with her staff. Hazel spared a glance at the structures, taking note of the severe damage inflicted on them. Some had holes in their roofs and walls, while also were either completely demolished and nothing more than scrapes of wood and stone or partly destroyed like a split house or a missing wall being present. Walking past the group, she spotted players carrying supplies, likely to fix the damaged houses and make them suitable for living. Glancing around, Hazel also noticed that several players were gathering supplies like wooden logs and the like to possibly build more houses and expand the village. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Knowing that Zoe was planning to take in more members, expanding the village was the right call. Even though the Jetport was capable of housing hundreds of people, Hazel knew that having a proper settlement where people could live and survive was the ultimate goal for them. It¡¯s likely chaos out in the city because the people from both worlds had just returned. It was the same within the Valiant Guild¡¯s territory. Aside from the monsters invading the base, several dozen players survived the Tutorial Dungeons and managed to return home. Those same survivors were currently taking residents within the village and Jetport. This also included Chegyaeyi. After everything that happened, Chegyaeyi decided to stay within the Valiant Guild¡¯s territory until she knew what her next move was. Hazel figured that the Lizardfolk warrior was going to return to her tribe, but something told her that wasn¡¯t the case. It had something to do with what Astrid had discussed before. Cheyaeyi stated that she was a former member of her tribe. Did that mean she left or, worse, was banished from her home? But that didn¡¯t make any sense because of what Astrid said about her tribe being honor-bound. Hazel couldn¡¯t help but find all of this as nothing more than a major hassle. Instead of worrying about the lizardfolk warrior, she should focus on her issues first. And after everything that happened today, she had plenty on her plate to deal with right now. Hazel and the others continued to explore the village, taking note of its current conditions due to the various factors that put it in that state. While it wasn¡¯t all that homely or welcoming, she knew that this place had plenty of potential to become a great settlement. Of course, whether she decided to stay there for that to happen or not was still in the air. While this place was nice for her to live in with her mother, Hazel couldn¡¯t forget her other duties like finding her brother and bringing Astrid back home. Then there was ensuring that her world meets all the requirements to become an official world among the multiverse and avoid being fodder for the other planets currently eyeing this one. ¡°This place is progressing nicely,¡± Chegyaeyi said, calmly scanning the current state of the village. ¡°Your leader was certainly wise to take advantage of the territory she procured upon returning.¡± ¡°She is,¡± Anais nodded with a smile. ¡°At first, our main objective was the Jetport building because of what John told them about this place. However, upon seeing the forest after we finally made this place our territory, we took a closer look around before stumbling across this place. With the Jetport, this settlement, along with the rest of the land around us, it was possible for us to slowly rebuild our society.¡± Anais¡¯s expression soon turned grim. ¡°Of course, there are plenty of obstacles for us to overcome before we can achieve that dream.¡± Hazel could more or less tell what the mage was referring to. Those obstacles were not just the monsters roaming the world...but also the players who planned to turn this world into their own personal playground so they could do whatever the hell they wanted. And now that Guilds were going to be a thing, there was bound to be some kind of turf battle going to happen soon. And Zoe¡¯s guild was most definitely going to get caught up in the war, especially if the fate of their guild was at stake. Which was why they needed to prepare as much as possible for the upcoming conflict between guilds. Aside from that, there were other problems to deal with like the Dungeons and their current quests, like the spider queen¡¯s curse. Speaking of which, the second stage was bound to start soon. Once it did, Hazel and the others were going to be dealing with even more problems then. As if sensing Hazel¡¯s dread...a new panel appeared alerting the witch in an instant. [The Second stage of [The Mark of the Spider Queen] will now commence! The spider queen is currently able to sense you within a One-Thousand-Meter radius! Within that range, she will send Infant Spiders, Spider Sentinels, and Web Weavers to attack and kill you! The curse can only be broken when either the players marked by the Spider Queen or the Queen herself dies!] Hazel stared at the new panel, displaying that they were on the second stage of the Spider Queen¡¯s curse. That meant there were three more stages to go before the Queen decided to deal with them herself. Chapter 112: The Cursed Problem After seeing that the second stage had begun, Hazel and the others decided to put their village tour on hold for a bit and made their way over to Zoe. They could no longer ignore the looming threat that hung over them. They needed to come up with a plan to deal with the Spider Queen...and fast. While returning to the Jetport, the group then talked about their current predicament. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect our 24 hours to be up so soon,¡± Kane uttered. ¡°Of course, I also didn¡¯t expect that Queen¡¯s range radius to increase to 1000 meters.¡± ¡°It seems that the Spider Queen¡¯s range doubles with each stage,¡± Anais noted. ¡°Which means the third stage could very well be 2000 meters. Then 4000 thousand in the fourth stage...and who knows when we hit the final stage.¡± ¡°Probably infinite, though I hope I¡¯m wrong because that would be extremely busted.¡± The Radius of the Spider Queen¡¯s range was concerning Hazel a bit. Anais could be right about her range doubling with each stage. And if that¡¯s the case, then it won¡¯t be long before the spider queen could sense them all the way to the Jetport base. This led to a rather big question; how were they supposed to deal with something like this? Not only were they on the clock, but none of them were strong enough to stand a chance against the queen. The Sentinels they fought before were level 30, which meant the Queen had to be higher than that. That alone told Hazel everything she needed to know about their situation. But again, what exactly could they do about the situation? Hazel had a couple of ideas about that...but she wasn¡¯t certain that Zoe or the others were going to agree, knowing how risky it is. ¡°May I ask what you all are referring to regarding this spider queen?¡± Chegyaeyi asked, walking beside Hazel and Astrid. Right, Hazel forgot that the lizardfolk warrior wasn¡¯t there when the whole spider swarm attack happened before. She was likely confused as to what they were talking about. ¡°Some of us got cursed by the Spider Queen for killing her children,¡± Hazel explained. ¡°After an entire swarm was disturbed and chased after us,¡± Astrid added. [Hazel Thatcher: You still haven¡¯t forgiven me for that?] [Astrid Skogr: Shouldn¡¯t that be obvious?] Hazel stifled a grumble while mentally putting the chat room away. ¡°Ah, and now that you¡¯re cursed by the queen, she is trying to kill you?¡± Chegyaeyi surmised. ¡°Pretty much,¡± Hazel answered. ¡°According to the quest, the curse has five stages. We just entered the second stage, which means we have three more left before the fifth and final one.¡± ¡°And what happens when you reach the fifth stage...?¡± Chegyaeyi asked hesitantly. ¡°Then the queen will come out of her nest and deal with us herself,¡± Astrid answered. ¡°Well, that is rather problematic, isn¡¯t it...?¡± ¡°You have no idea,¡± Hazel said with a heavy sigh. ¡°Because we¡¯re now on the second stage, we need to talk with Zoe so we can figure out how to deal with this,¡± Anais explained. ¡°If we wait any longer, the final stage will be upon us, and then we will be dealing with the Spider Queen. And we¡¯ll be completely unprepared when they happen.¡± Anais was unfortunately right about them being on the clock right now. Especially after taking a look at their current time until the third stage. [The Second stage of [The Mark of the Spider Queen] will now commence! The spider queen is currently able to sense you within a One-Thousand-Meter radius! Within that range, she will send Infant Spiders, Spider Sentinels, and Web Weavers to attack and kill you! The curse can only be broken when either the players marked by the Spider Queen or the Queen herself dies!] Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. [Time Remaining until Next Stage: One Day] It seemed that each stage would commence after a single day. After today, the third stage would be upon them. Then the fourth, then the last stage. And if their time was consistent, that meant they had three more days before the final stage would commence. They clearly didn¡¯t have a lot of time, which was why they needed to come up with a plan and fast. Before it was too late. The group sprinted through the woods, making their way over to the Jetport building. It didn¡¯t take long before they finally made it to their destination. Upon their arrival, they entered the building and searched for Zoe. They knew she likely wasn¡¯t on the first floor, so they climbed up to the second and searched the floor for her. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t take long before they stumbled across the Knight who was currently sprinting around, likely trying to get to Hazel and the others after seeing the message panels as well. As soon as the Knight spotted Hazel and the rest, she rushed toward them in a panic. ¡°I assume you all are here because of the message panel regarding the spider queen?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Kane responded with a sly grin, prompting Anais to drive her elbow into his side. While Kane groaned from the slight pain, Anais spoke up in his stead, not that he had much of a choice in the matter. ¡°The panel stated that we¡¯re now on the second stage and much like before, we only have a day before reaching the third.¡± Zoe nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Which is why we should deal with this situation while it''s still manageable.¡± She then turned her back to the others. ¡°Follow me. We should discuss this further somewhere else that¡¯s more private.¡± Hazel and the others didn¡¯t waste any time and followed the Knight. Instead of staying on the second floor, the group soon climbed up to the third floor, which was more vacant than the previous one. With them being in a very desolate part of the building, the group moved away from the stairs and walked over to one of the many empty spaces provided for them. ¡°We should really make a meeting room or something,¡± Kane grumbled. ¡°Talking like this out in the open is not it.¡± ¡°We can work on that later,¡± Zoe stated as she turned and faced them. ¡°For now, we have bigger problems. Like how we plan to deal with the spider queen and her curse.¡± Now that all of the members, excluding Chegyaeyi, were present, it was time to discuss the matter of the curse placed on them. ¡°Maybe we should just go into the queen¡¯s nest and kill her?¡± Kane suggested while raising his hand. ¡°Usually in situations like this, the best solution is to kill the queen before reaching the final stage.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± Zoe questioned. ¡°Because normally, when a boss monster hits a final stage, they become stronger. So much so that they could very well become impossible to kill. And considering our current levels, that would put us in a very bad spot.¡± Hazel¡¯s eyes widened upon Kane¡¯s explanation. She hadn¡¯t thought about their situation like that, but considering how everything was so game-like, then what he said could very well be true. And that terrified her greatly. If what Kane said was true, that meant once they were on the fifth stage, the spider queen would become a lot stronger likely due to the Stage¡¯s buffs applied to her. This meant that their best option was to go into the next and kill the queen before reaching the final stage. But that in itself wasn¡¯t so easy, and that was because of one major problem. One that prevented them from attempting this. ¡°Even if we wanted to storm into the queen¡¯s nest to kill her, she¡¯s capable of sensing us from a one-thousand-meter radius,¡± Anais pointed out. ¡°The moment we step one foot in her range, then she would send her children out to kill us.¡± That¡¯s right. Because of the queen¡¯s ability to sense them when they were within range, there was no way for the group to sneak into the nest and take her down. Plus, there were other issues with this plan as well. By entering the spider queen¡¯s nest, they essentially would be entering her domain. That was both too reckless and disadvantageous for them. The queen and her children had the upper hand if they fought in their territory. However, there might not be much of a difference if they fought outside of the nest when they reached the fifth and final stage. Putting all of this into account, it was clear to everyone that they were at a clear disadvantage when it came to dealing with the spider queen. They couldn¡¯t risk going into the Queen¡¯s nest because not only could the queen sense them from a thousand meters away, but also because they would be in her territory and lose the upper hand against her if they even had any. Despite their obvious problems, Hazel still saw an opportunity presented to them. And she knew just how to handle the situation and turn it to their advantage. Hazel raised her hand, catching the eyes of the others. ¡°What is it, Hazel?¡± Zoe asked. ¡°I have an idea of what to do about this.¡± Hearing this, Zoe and the others waited for her to give an answer. Hazel paused for a moment to conjure the courage to say it. Then, she simply blurted it out without pondering over it much longer. ¡°I think we should simply prepare ourselves for the final stage and attack the Spider Queen then.¡± As soon as she uttered those words, the rest of the group blankly stared at Hazel while looking dumbfounded. All the while, she simply waited for the others to collect themselves so she could further explain her plan. Still, she knew that it likely wasn¡¯t going to be easy to explain her train of thought involving this, but this was pretty much the only solution for them. Since they couldn¡¯t attack the Queen on her turf, their only option was to prepare to attack them when she inevitably entered theirs. Chapter 113: Trip to The City Despite being initially against Hazel¡¯s plan, upon further explaining what she wanted to do, Zoe and the others soon warmed up to it and concluded that it was their only option at the moment. They couldn¡¯t invade the spider queen¡¯s nest without entering her thousand-meter radius range, and they also couldn¡¯t just send other players that weren¡¯t cursed due to them being too weak to actually take on and defeat the spider queen. The only players currently strong enough to even attempt such an extradition would be Zoe¡¯s group, Hazel, Astrid, and Chegyaeyi. All of whom, except for maybe John, were unable to do this because they were marked. Of course, even if they weren¡¯t diving into the queen¡¯s territory was a recipe for death. Their best chance to survive at the moment was currently Hazel¡¯s plan. And that was what they were doing now. After going through Hazel¡¯s plan back at the Jetport, the group then drove back to Portland. Specifically, the West End of Portland. Because the radius had increased by another five hundred meters, the Queen¡¯s current range was now a solid one thousand. After checking the map of Portland back at the Jetport, this meant that The Old Port, West Bayside, India Street, Arts District, and Downtown were within the range of the Spider Queen¡¯s detection. If Hazel or the others currently marked attempted to enter any of these areas of Portland, they would immediately alert the swarm and get bombarded with spider monsters. Of course, alerting the horde was part of the plan, but not right now. Right now, they needed to make their preparations for the Swarm. Stopping their vehicles in the middle of West End, all the players including Hazel, Astrid, and Chegyaeyi stepped out while being greeted by the city before them. Once out, Chegyaeyi was the first that stared at the towering buildings before her in awe. ¡°Amazing,¡± She muttered in shock. ¡°For such tall buildings to exist...and even those mechanical carriages...¡± She turned back to look at the military cargo vehicles. ¡°Those are called trucks,¡± Hazel explained. ¡°They¡¯re one of the many vehicles invented on Earth.¡± ¡°It is remarkable...¡± Chegyaeyi said. ¡°Normally, it should¡¯ve taken us several hours to cover this kind of distance, even by carriage. And yet those vehicles...it got us here in no time.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Anais noted, agreeing with the Lizardfolk warrior. ¡°Despite riding it plenty of times myself, I still can¡¯t comprehend how advanced everything is compared to our world.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you guys have magic in your world?¡± Hazel questioned. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t some of our advancements be covered by that? Like flying and such?¡± Although Hazel was flattered by their amazement over her world¡¯s technological achievements, they should¡¯ve had some of them substituted with magic. A good example would be transportation. Shouldn¡¯t they be able to cover long distances with flying spells or teleportation? ¡°While magic exists in our world, there were certain limitations to it,¡± Zoe explained. ¡°For one thing, not everyone was capable of using magic. Those that could were called Mages or Magicians.¡± ¡°Like myself,¡± Anais proclaimed. ¡°Still, using magic to fly is very restricting and draining. The most we can do is use the elements to attack and such.¡± Well, that made sense. Though it was also very disappointing as well. Hazel figured that since they could use magic then they were capable of doing many things with it. But apparently, that wasn¡¯t the case. How tragic. ¡°So, you guys don¡¯t have any teleportation device or anything like that?¡± Hazel asked. Anais leaned her head to the side while skeptically looking at her. ¡°Why would we have something like that? Spatial Manipulation isn¡¯t possible with our current capabilities with magic. At least back when our world was on its own.¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Hazel couldn¡¯t help but hang her head in despair. Although she expected their magical advancements to be a bit stagnant, she didn¡¯t expect this kind of snail''s pace. Spatial Manipulation was probably one of the strongest types of magic. If you could master it, the possibilities were endless. Teleportation, pocket dimensions, and so much more. Hell, one of Hazel¡¯s items currently allowed her to store items in a pocket space. If that was possible, then teleportation should be just as plausible. But they shouldn¡¯t be worried about that right now. Their main priority at the moment was the swarm and most importantly, farming them. Since the queen was quite likely stronger than them, Hazel and the others needed to level up more to stand a chance against her when they reached the fifth and final stage. The only way to do that was simple; they planned to use the horde and farm for experience points. Hazel did this last knight and yielded tremendous results. So, to deal with the queen, they needed to deal with her children first. ¡°Alright, everyone,¡± Zoe announced, catching everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°You know the drill. We will be setting up multiple guard points around the spider queen¡¯s radius to try and lessen the numbers by splitting them up. There will be at least five to six groups around the edge of the queen¡¯s range. Now, go to your designated checkpoints and wait for my signal!¡± Everyone including Hazel, Astrid, and Chegyaeyi nodded upon hearing Zoe¡¯s orders before marching off to their respective checkpoints. What all of them were planning was rather simple. It was a tactic called Divide and Conquer. Right now, their opponents were a large swarm of spiders that could easily overwhelm them because of their sheer number. However, there was a solution to deal with this. Instead of fighting the spider swarm as a whole, their best chance at defeating them was splitting the swarm up into smaller and more manageable numbers for the players to take on. But the real question came with how they planned to accomplish such a thing. Well, the answer to that was rather simple, and it was actually thanks to the Spider Queen that they were able to make this plan work in the first place. They planned to separate the swarm by using the players that were cursed as bait. Upon entering the spider queen¡¯s range, she was capable of detecting those under her curse and thus sends her children to kill them. So, if she detected Hazel and the others who were cursed in multiple different spots, then it should be possible for her to split her forces to catch all of them. And by doing that, the numbers would become more manageable for the group to deal with. That was Hazel¡¯s plan anyway. By splitting their numbers and making them easier to take on, all of the players participating in the fight would be able to level up from this battle and grow stronger from it. And if they do this enough, their levels should at least be on par with the Spider Queen, or at least be enough to inflict significant damage on her. Hopefully, Hazel¡¯s plan would work and this strategy could assist them in getting stronger. She and the other needed to at least reach level 30 or higher if they wanted to take down the queen when she finally arrived. That and they could use the time given to improve their skills as well, and possibly obtain or make new ones. If they were right, then there were only three days left of the spider queen¡¯s curse before she decided to come out of her nest and attack them herself. Three days to prepare. While that seemed impossible, Hazel knew from experience that there was a chance after everything she went through in the Fractured Dungeon. Hazel rode alone in the military cargo ship as she and several players joining her made their way over to their checkpoint. The reason why Astrid wasn¡¯t with her was that since she also possessed the curse, it would be best for her to go to a separate checkpoint to assist in splitting up the forces as much as possible. Thankfully, she wasn¡¯t entirely alone. Sitting next to her was none other than Chegyaeyi, the Lizardfolk warrior. When the group split up to drive to their checkpoints, Chegyaeyi asked which group she should join. That was when Astrid told the lizardfolk warrior to join Hazel¡¯s group. Neither Chegyaeyi nor Hazel objected and simply listened to her offer before heading off in their separate vehicle. ¡°Do you believe that this plan of yours will work?¡± Chegyaeyi suddenly asked. Hazel, who was sitting calmly next to her, took a moment to respond, organizing her thoughts accordingly. ¡°The spider swarm only targets those that are under their queen¡¯s curse,¡± she explained. ¡°In theory, by entering her range from multiple areas, the swarm should split off and hunt down the marked players, thus mitigating their numbers exponentially compared to if they fought as a whole.¡± ¡°But this is still only a theory, yes? What if you¡¯re wrong?¡± Hazel hesitated to answer. It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t know what to do. It was more along the lines of her praying that it doesn¡¯t happen and things went exactly as she wanted them to. Since that would be less of a hassle for her. ¡°If I¡¯m wrong...then we¡¯ll simply retreat and come up with a new plan. That¡¯s all we can do at the moment.¡± Instead of responding, Chegyaeyi remained silent, either having the answer she was searching for or she didn¡¯t want to further plague Hazel¡¯s mind with doubt. Chapter 114: The Checkpoint It didn¡¯t take long before Hazel and Chegyaeyi arrived at their checkpoint, which was the two-ninety-five interstate above Forest Avenue. The trip there was a bit difficult due to the various cars blocking the way. It got to the point where Hazel had to step out and move them with her spells before they could proceed with the trip there. Thankfully, they were able to make it to their destination, stopping within the interstate that let them get on and off Forest Avenue. All of the players including Hazel and Chegyaeyi stepped out of the military cargo truck and started preparing their area for the upcoming battle against the swarm. Aside from this checkpoint, there was the one on the other side of the two-ninety-five interstate near Diamond Street, the Casco Bay Bridge near the commercial street, the checkpoint on Congress Street that was connected to Kellog Street, and finally, Congress Street again that was connected to Deerling Lane. Using these five checkpoints around the border of the Spider Queen¡¯s range, Hazel and the others planned to attract the swarm and kill them one by one. While all the players with Hazel and Chegyaeyi were busy moving the cars out of the way to establish their positions, the pair walked over to the edge and looked down from the interstate, taking note of the various buildings and the like before them. ¡°This transportation structure is certainly remarkable,¡¯ Chegyaeyi remarked with a bit of awe in her tone. ¡°Yeah, they are,¡± Hazel said in response. ¡°Interstates like this were invented to make long trips go faster. And they''re connected all throughout the United States, which means you can drive from one state to another when driving on one.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± Chegyaeyi marveled at Hazel¡¯s explanation. ¡°That is incredible.¡± Hazel shrugged her shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s just one of the many things my world has created. Before the Interstate, there were also Railroads, though, those were mostly used to transport products and the like across the country to save time and improve our economy.¡± While Hazel wasn¡¯t an expert on the topic, she at least knew that Railroads for vital in America because they assisted in transporting economical products like agriculture or architecture supplies from one area to another with relative ease. It was thanks to this that America was able to prosper so much. ¡°Alright then,¡± Hazel clapped her hands together. ¡°Here¡¯s the plan for us. We¡¯ll be using this interstate as our station where we¡¯ll confront the horde. Since there are two interstate lanes, we¡¯ll have to get rid of one to avoid having it overrun with monsters. We¡¯ll also need to block all paths that lead up to us and have them focus on directing attack us at the front. We can¡¯t have them block off our escape route, so we need them to stay focused on the front and only the front.¡± ¡°And if there are some that get past them?¡± Chegyaeyi asked. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of those since I¡¯ll be able to swiftly eliminate them and return to the frontlines. If the numbers are reduced as I hoped, then there shouldn¡¯t be as many of them to deal with, making it easy for us to keep them attacking us at the front and not overwhelm us with their numbers.¡± ¡°May I ask how we plan to escape if their numbers prove to be too much for us?¡± Hazel smiled. ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked.¡± She then turned around and pointed behind them, on the other side of the interstate. ¡°We¡¯ll have the cargo transport stationed next to one of the buildings near the interstate. While the other players retreat, I¡¯ll hold them off with my spells while also destroying the checkpoint to buy us enough time.¡± It wasn¡¯t a solid plan, but it was the best Hazel could come up with on the spot considering their current timetable. She avoided having any of the players with them stationed on the ground in front of the interstate out of fear of them being unable to hold off the swarm. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Right now, their checkpoint focused more on ranged attack rather than close-quarters combat. Due to the sheer number of the spiders that were about to invade them, Hazel couldn¡¯t afford to let any vanguards get swept up by the swarm and killed in the process. While on this interstate, her team more or less had the high ground, and she planned to abuse that advantage as much as possible. And with her spells like her curse bomb, it should be easier for them to deal with their portion of the swarm coming after them. Hazel continued to survey her surroundings, taking note of everything she saw that could either pose a threat to her plan or benefit it. From what she saw, they were a considerable distance away from the buildings in front of them. This was good since that meant that didn¡¯t have to deal with spiders jumping off the buildings around them to attack. The most important thing for Hazel and her team was that they held the advantage of the high ground. By having higher ground, they could easily take down the spiders coming that way or climb up. And because of their low level, it should be easy for this group to easily dispatch the swarm. From what Hazel noticed when fighting the spider swarm, all of the infant spiders were incredibly weak, ranging from level 1 to at most, level four or five. All of the players on Hazel¡¯s team were at least above level ten. Honestly, the only problem they had at the moment was the Spider Sentinels and the web weavers. Thanks to their previous experience, Hazel and the others knew that the sentinels were around level thirty or so, making them the strongest enemies that her team needed to face. As for these so-called Web Weavers, she had no information on them, and that concerned Hazel greatly. Information was vital when fighting your enemies. If you attack without gathering any important info on what you¡¯re facing, then the chances of you dying to some unknown element by the enemy were high. And that was what worried Hazel regarding the Web Weavers. Judging from their names, Hazel concluded that these spider¡¯s specialty was weaving webs. But all of the spider monsters could do it, so what made them so different? It could be that their proficiency with their webs greatly outclassed the infant spiders and even the spider sentinels that possessed the same ability. Instead of just simply shooting out the webs, perhaps the Web Weavers were capable of manipulating their webs to do more than just entrap their prey. Maybe they could build web bridges to make it easier for the rest of the swarm to attack Hazel¡¯s team, or maybe it was something else that she couldn¡¯t even imagine. Just thinking about the possible variables that could affect her plan involving the web weavers made her anxious. Hazel just couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that this new spider species would cause her a lot of problems when this fight occurred. And it was because of this growing fear that Hazel made a declaration regarding them. If she or any of the other players even caught a glimpse of the weavers, they were their primary target. This was the only way to avoid having her plan against the swarm backfire. Taking down as many of the spider queen¡¯s swarm was their best chance to prepare for the Curse¡¯s fifth stage. If Hazel and the others like Astrid and Zoe could reach over level thirty, then there was a possibility that they could take on the queen and take her down. While Hazel fretted over plans, a message panel from her chat room suddenly popped up. [Astrid Skogr: We just arrived at our checkpoint near Diamond Street. How¡¯s your side going?] Hazel smiled, seeing the message. ¡°Good, looks like they made it without trouble.¡± Due to the current radius of the queen¡¯s range, it would¡¯ve been nearly impossible for Astrid¡¯s team to get to their checkpoint. That was if they hadn¡¯t realized that bits of Back Cove Trail were still accessible without triggering the Queen¡¯s detection. Of course, by using that path, it took them a bit longer to get to their checkpoint. If Astrid¡¯s group made a mistake and accidentally got the dark elf within range, then their plan would¡¯ve backfired big time. Thankfully, that didn¡¯t appear to be the case. [Hazel Thatcher: We¡¯re almost set here. Just clearing out the paths to make it easier to see the swarm.] Hazel glanced over to her right and left where she witnessed several players cut down the trees in the grassy area near the two entrances of the interstate. Since they were blocking their view because of the leaves and branches, Hazel felt that it would be best for all of them to cut the trees down. While they did that, Hazel soon got to work in setting up her little cursed bombs. Having Chegyaeyi carry her as they descended from the interstate, the pair landed on ground level before Hazel got to work on one last thing; it was bomb time. Chapter 115: Preparations Are Complete As Chegyaeyi watched over Hazel, the witch carefully planted multiple curse bombs all over the street of Forest Avenue near Two-nine-five Interstate. Each bomb she created was around the size of her skull or bigger. While doing this, Hazel learned that she could adjust the size of the bombs however she wished. From her little experiments, while placing the bombs on the street, she discovered that they could be made as small as a pea or as big as a watermelon. However, the bigger the curse bomb was, the more mana was needed to make it while it was the reverse when she created tiny bombs. To cause as much damage as possible, Hazel made the bombs as big as she could; practically draining her mana to the point where she needed to take a few breaks to allow it to fully replenish before proceeding to make more bombs. This process took around half an hour or so before she finally managed to blanket not only a good portion of Forest Avenue that was right in front of the interstate but also the grass parts right next to it that was connected to the path that led up to the entrance of the interstate. Hazel made sure that the bombs were far enough away from the open parts of the interstate to avoid the structure from collapsing upon the various kabooms that were about to occur. Upon planting her final bomb, Hazel exhaled a sigh of relief while reveling in her diabolical work. ¡°That should do it,¡± She declared with a slight grin on her face, marveling at her curse minefield. The entire area was now covered in dark purple balls of cursed energy just waiting to be blown up. It was a sight that Hazel couldn''t help but evilly grin at. ¡°I have been meaning to ask this, but...how are you able to see with that blindfold?¡± Chegyaeyi suddenly inquired, startling Hazel. She hesitated to answer, unsure of how to explain her circumstances. Now that she thought about it, she wasn¡¯t acting blind while in front of Chegyaeyi. Hazel wasn¡¯t sure why, but she somehow noticed that she wasn¡¯t keeping up her act with the Lizardfolk warrior. That was a mistake on her part. Sadly, there was no way for her to play it off and try and act blind. So, Hazel decided to change things up. ¡°My other senses are heightened to where they allow me to perceive my surroundings. Like Daredevil.¡± Chegyaeyi leaned her head to the side skeptically. ¡°Who is this Daredevil person? Is he some kind of demon with a similar condition in your world?¡± Hazel paused before immediately remembering that much like Astrid, this Lizardfolk warrior wasn¡¯t from Earth, so she wouldn¡¯t understand the reference. It was days like this that reminded her that despite being back home...she really had no one who could fully understand her references. Of course, there was her brother, Damien, but she still had no idea where he was and every time she thought about it...she could only fret over his safety. And considering her current situation, she couldn¡¯t let her emotions distract her from her tasks. She would find Damien soon enough. She had to. But for now, her main priority was preparing for the spider swarm. That was all she could do at the moment. Hazel glanced around, taking a look at the progress that the other players with her were making. The second lane of the interstate was already destroyed, and there were multiple cars placed at the front to serve as barricades against the spider swarm. Since they mainly had long-range players like Archers and mages along with a few support classes like the Clerics, this group''s main focus was attacking at a distance and keeping the swarm from getting close. As for the ones that do, those will be dealt with by the few close-range players like Rogues and Warriors to deal with. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Hopefully, Hazel¡¯s plan would work and they would be able to at least deal with the first wave of spiders. She could worry about the second wave afterward. Once she believed everything was set for the upcoming battle, Hazel pulled up the Chat Room to see how everyone else was doing. [Hazel Thatcher: We just got done here. How is it going on your end, Astrid?] [Astrid Skogr: We¡¯re about ready as well. And according to John, so are the other three at their checkpoints.] At the moment, there were five checkpoints since there were five players cursed by the spider queen. Hopefully, having five routes was enough to split the swarm up to a manageable amount for them to deal with. But they could only know for sure when they began with Hazel¡¯s plan. Which would begin shortly. Knowing that their preparations were nearly complete, Hazel walked a little closer to the border where the Queen¡¯s range was. If their prediction was right regarding the radius of the queen¡¯s detection, the border should be around where the first entrances and exits of the interstate were. Hazel walked into position, waiting until she got work from Astrid that everything was completely ready for them to proceed. All the while, Chegyaeyi stood next to her, waiting for when she needed to carry Hazel away upon seeing the swarm approaching them. ¡°You have faced this swarm before, yes?¡± The Lizardfolk questioned. ¡°Twice, actually. The first time was a bit daunting since I was completely off guard, but the second time went a lot better.¡± ¡°Then I guess it is because you have experienced the swarm¡¯s overwhelming numbers before that you are capable of standing here without fear.¡± Hazel shrugged. ¡°I guess you could say that, yeah.¡± It wasn¡¯t like this was Hazel¡¯s first time dealing with a Horde of monsters before. The Tutorial Dungeon she got sent to was filled with monster hordes, which were mainly the Fractured humans. She could still perfectly remember that sea of Fractured humans swarming the northern district of the City Island. There were so many of them that Hazel believed that it would¡¯ve taken her months to completely clear them out. However, if it was the current version of her, then it was likely possible for her to easily eliminate the horde within a few days at most. Of course, that was because she had her curse bomb spell in her arsenal. If she possessed this spell back in the tutorial dungeon, then that horde wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. Regardless, it was almost time. ¡°Alright, so once we trigger the Queen¡¯s detection, you need to carry me back over to where everyone else is so we can safely wait for them.¡± Chegyaeyi nodded firmly. ¡°Understood.¡± Once the Lizardfolk warrior knew her task, Hazel waited for Astrid to call. A few moments passed before receiving the message. [Astrid Skogr: We¡¯re all set. Wait for the cue.] [Hazel Thatcher: On it.] Hazel calmly stood in place, staring ahead of her into the streets of Portland from within the Queen¡¯s domain. The moment it was time; all she needed to do was step forward so the Spider Queen could detect Hazel along with everyone else. She gripped her hands tightly, feeling beads of sweat build up from her nerves. Despite already dealing with the swarm twice, Hazel couldn¡¯t help but fret over what was about to happen. But unlike before, she was much more prepared. And, she reminded herself that all of this was for their upcoming battle against the queen herself. By killing all of her children, everyone will be able to level up and get stronger. That way, there was a chance for them to win against the queen when she finally left her nest to attack them. A little while later, another message popped up. [Astrid Skogr: Do it, now!] Upon reading the message, Hazel immediately moved forward. She didn¡¯t stop until she crossed the border and instantly triggered the queen¡¯s detection. Upon doing so, a familiar panel appeared. [You are within range of the Spider Queen! The Spider Queen has now sensed your presence and is sending her children to hunt you down!] Almost immediately after reading the message, Hazel suddenly felt the ground beneath her trembling like mad. It got to the point where her knees buckled under the shaking, making it difficult for her to properly stand. Thankfully, Chegyaeyi was there to keep her from falling, firmly wrapping her arm around Hazel¡¯s. Despite wearing sleeves, she could still feel bits of the Lizardfolk¡¯s scaley skin that wasn¡¯t covered in armor. She also noticed that there was a firmness when her arm pressed against Chegyaeyi¡¯s. It was likely her muscles since she was a member of a warrior tribe. Before she could delve further into the Lizardfolk¡¯s muscles, the tremors from before became stronger, quickly alerting Hazel as she reeled her head over at the source. A chorus of familiar yet grim hissing sounds followed by numerous stomping noises could be heard ahead of them. And they were getting closer. A few moments later, the first thing Hazel could see was practically a sea of spiders suddenly appearing in her view and getting bigger and bigger the closer it got to her and the others. Upon seeing the black sea of spiders, she knew then that the real fight...started now. Chapter 116: The First Wave As soon as Hazel spotted the swarm coming her way, she frantically spun around to face Chegyaeyi. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go, now!¡± Hazel urgently declared. ¡°Right!¡± The Lizardfolk warrior then rushed toward Hazel before picking her up and carrying her princess carry style. Once she was in her arms, Chegyaeyi sprinted toward the Interstate, desperate to get there before it was too late. Behind them, Hazel watched the black sea that was the spider swarm getting closer and closer. Maybe a bit too close for Hazel¡¯s liking with their current positions. Despite her anxiety rising, Hazel stayed focused and waited until she and Chegyaeyi were on the interstate. Getting closer to their destination, the Lizardfolk warrior immediately jumped, lunging at the bridge. Just to be sure they made it, Hazel flexed her hands and cast Telekinesis on the Spear Dancer, giving her a bit of a boost to ensure that they made it. Thanks to that, the lizardfolk warrior leaped in a single bound, easily landing on the interstate bridge. Once Chegyaeyi landed, she immediately placed Hazel down as the pair along with the rest of the players with them got into position for the battle. Hazel stared over at the incoming swarm, anxiously watching them getting closer and closer to the Interstate bridge. However, upon looking closely at the wave of spider monsters, she noticed that the numbers were a lot less than she expected. While it was still a sea of black rushing toward them...it wasn¡¯t like a tsunami like the previous two swarms Hazel dealt with. Which meant that their plan to split the swarm was working. However, she could only know for sure when she contacted Astrid to see how she and the other checkpoints were fairing. For now, though, her focus was on her swarm. Keeping her eyes peeled on the spider wave coming their way, Hazel patiently waited until they got to her cursed minefield. Meanwhile, the other players anxiously watched and waited until it was time to strike. The reason why they weren¡¯t doing anything at the moment was because they were waiting for Hazel¡¯s curse bombs to go off first. If they attacked prematurely, they would¡¯ve triggered the bombs before the spiders could get close enough to them, practically making all of her efforts in planting them pointless. It didn¡¯t take long before the swarm was within range of the cursed bombs, but Hazel hadn¡¯t set them off yet. They were close, but those eight-legged bastards weren¡¯t all over the bombs. A few seconds passed before a good majority of her bombs were blanketed by the wave of spiders crawling over them. A few more and the spiders were now a few meters from the bridge. And that was when Hazel finally took action. She then raised her hand and pressed her middle finger and thumb against one another. A moment later, she then snapped her fingers and triggered the bombs. What happened next could only be described as a chorus of explosions along with the various screeching noises of the numerous dying spiders getting caught up in the blast. This was also followed by a stream of kill notifications filling Hazel¡¯s vision, practically blocking her view of the majestic yet destructive scene taking place before her. Hazel mentally dismissed the notification, not wanting to get distracted by them and miss something crucial. Upon doing so, she then heard Chegyaeyi shout at the other players. ¡°Fire!¡± She roared with determination. The other players proceeded to cast and fire numerous spells and arrows at the swarm, determined to take down as many spiders as possible. Hazel watched various explosions and the like transpire before her very eyes as the swarm was being destroyed in the assault. However, it wasn¡¯t enough. Amid the chaos, Hazel spotted several of the spiders miraculously move past the spell and arrow barrage and moved closer to the bridge, determined to climb up and kill the players on it. Seeing this, Hazel knew their next move and looked over at the players near her. ¡°Any mages that can cast a firewall, do it now!¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Hearing her order, several mages sprinted toward the edge of the bridge. They then raised their staves or wands and cast the Firewall spell, placing it on the street in front of the bridge, mere inches away from the spiders that were crawling closer to it. The wall of flame blazed to life, igniting in a swift yet powerful explosion. Despite seeing the fire barrier being erected before them, the spiders didn¡¯t relent and simply moved forward, determined to get to the players. This resulted in the eight-legged monsters going through the wall, only to come out completely burnt to a crisp as smoke emanated from their charred corpses. Hazel could hear the pained screeches from the spiders as their bodies sizzled and burned from the intense heat of the firewall. It reminded her of when she witnessed the first wave of spiders getting burned alive when they fearlessly walked through the wall of fire, inevitably dying at the hands of the flame they crossed through. Thanks to the blazing firewall, they were able to keep the spider swarm at bay. The majority of the spiders were enduring a hail of projectiles from giant fireballs to blades of wind, to even mana bolts along with various enchanted arrows and the like raining down on them. As for the ones that managed to survive that malicious onslaught and move past it, they would then have to deal with the wall of fire blocking their path. So far, the strategy was working. Not only were the players holding their own against the spider swarm, but they were actually reducing their numbers quite a bit. That was because Hazel knew that there weren¡¯t as many of the queen¡¯s children as before. If there were, their attacks would barely put a dent in the swarm¡¯s numbers. It would¡¯ve been like taking water out of the sea with a bucket. It would hardly make a difference due to how massive the sea was. In their current situation, they were taking water out of a tub with a slightly small bucket, in a sense. While the process was long, Hazel and the other players were still doing something. As the fight raged on, Hazel assisted in the battle by firing multiple mana bolts into the swarm. While she wanted to use her Cursed spear spell, she could only summon around five at the moment before hitting a cooldown. Of course, there were also her curse bombs, but those consumed a considerable amount of her mana if she kept making them the size of a watermelon before throwing them into the crowd. The only spell at her disposal that she could use without worrying about her mana depleting so fast was Mana Bolt. Since her Intelligence and Wisdom stat was pretty high, Hazel could effortlessly hurl dozens of mana bolts into the swarm without breaking a sweat. The consumption rate of her mana when using the spell paled in comparison to her mana regeneration rate. Even if she fired over a hundred bolts in a minute, she would¡¯ve barely lost a quarter of her mana from it. And in a situation like this, Hazel couldn¡¯t afford to run out of steam in the middle of the fight. If she did along with the rest of the mages, then the situation would instantly turn in the swarm¡¯s favor, and none of them could afford to let that happen. While hurling mana bolts at the swarm, Hazel glanced down at the firewall to see how it was going. That was when her face paled when she noticed several of the spiders that passed through the wall looked less burnt than their predecessors. And they were beginning to move closer to the bridge. ¡°Dammit,¡± Hazel clicked her tongue before facing Chegyaeyi. ¡°Hey, some of the spiders managed to get through the wall and are coming over here. Could you and a couple of players deal with them?¡± The lizardfolk nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± She then turned around and sprinted to the other side of the bridge while gathering some players to follow her. Using one of her Astral Eyes, Hazel kept an eye on Chegyaeyi to make sure that everything was fine on her end. Since they weren¡¯t part of a party, they couldn¡¯t communicate with the Chat Room feature. With her Astral Eye trained on them, Hazel watched Chegyaeyi and the other players jump down the bridge and land on the street of Forest Avenue. Once they were on ground level, the group of players then faced off against the surviving spiders that miraculously managed to survive both the barrage of spells and arrows along with a blazing wall of fire that would easily burn them to a crisp if they stepped through it. One of the spiders that survived lunged at Chegyaeyi, attempting to tackle her to the ground. The lizardfolk warrior moved to the side, dodging its lung before driving her spear into the eight-legged monster¡¯s body. With a single strike, she killed it in an instant. Two more spiders soon attacked Chegyaeyi, clearly trying to finish what the first one started. However, the lizardfolk easily dispatched them by slashing her spear at them, decapitating both monsters with ease. Hazel couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the sight. That was until she heard the spiders from the swarm, instantly pulling her attention away from Chegyaeyi¡¯s fight against the survivors. Switching visions, Hazel set her sights back on the black swarm that engulfed a good portion of Forest Avenue in front of her before casting more mana bolts in their direction. The battle against the swarm continued for a while, giving Hazel and the rest of the players no time to rest. However, little by little, the swarm¡¯s numbers were lessening by the second, and that was enough for Hazel¡¯s group to keep going. As long as they didn¡¯t give up, they would be able to survive against the Queen¡¯s army of spiders. Time went by in a flash, and sure enough, they managed to survive through the first wave before being greeted with a familiar message panel. [First Wave of the Swarm has been annihilated! Second Wave will commence in Ten minutes. Please leave the range of the Spider Queen if you wish to avoid the second wave.] Chapter 117: Brief Intermission As soon as Hazel and the others saw the message panel informing them of their brief intermission, everyone took a collective sigh of relief before immediately using the time they had to rest. Meanwhile, Hazel went over to the border of the queen¡¯s range with Chegyaeyi to make sure that they didn¡¯t lose the second wave opportunity. While within the range of the spider queen¡¯s detection, Hazel and Chegyaeyi watched the other players either rest or clean up the spider corpses scattered all over the area. There were so many dead spiders that a putrid smell enveloped the entire area around them. It became so unbearable that Hazel had to cover her nose to avoid smelling it. ¡°Well, the first wave went pretty well,¡± Hazel declared, taking note of the aftermath. ¡°Indeed,¡± Chegyaeyi said, staring at the scene as well. ¡°I¡¯m assuming your plan to split the spider swarm up worked then?¡± ¡°It certainly did. If the entire swarm came at us, then we wouldn¡¯t have lasted even a minute against these things.¡± The only reason Hazel¡¯s group survived against the spider swarm was because only a portion spider horde attacked them. And she could tell that even dealing with a small group of the swarm was still enough to tire them out from the onslaught of attacks they hurled at the spider army. Hazel didn¡¯t keep track of the time, but she figured that it took them a good ten or so minutes to deal with this horde. Maybe even longer. Considering how haggard everyone was, she feared that they wouldn¡¯t be capable of enduring the second wave of the swarm. And it was the second wave that mattered. During the first wave, they only went up against Spider Infants. Neither the Spider Sentinels nor more importantly, the Web Weavers weren¡¯t present in the fight. Which likely meant that they would show up in the second wave. The spider infants were extremely weak, only being as dangerous as they were because of their numbers rather than their individual levels. Even Chegyaeyi proved that they were easy to deal with if only one or two of them tried to attack them. But an entire swarm of infant spiders? That would be too much for anyone if confronted by such a thing. There was also the issue of Hazel not leveling up despite killing so many. When she pulled up her status window to check her current progress, she was disappointed to see that she hadn¡¯t gained a single level from killing so many infant spiders. Though, that wasn¡¯t all that surprising due to the level difference between her and her enemies. Since she was over level twenty, taking down monsters barely past level two or three obviously wouldn¡¯t give her a lot of XP. Sure, she should be able to achieve another level up if she kept this up, but that was only if she was alone like before. The only reason Hazel was level 23 was because she not only took down all of the queen¡¯s spiders that were sent, but she also did this alone. Neither Nycteris nor Astrid assisted in that battle. Which meant she took all of the XP for herself. Sadly, this wasn¡¯t possible in her current situation. A lot of players were getting their fair share of kills and most importantly, XP. Because of that, Hazel hardly got enough to even make a difference. Aside from that, her skills, however, did improve. However, it was mainly Curse Bomb making it to Rank 3. According to its description, the curse damage was now around 15%. With this kind of effect, she¡¯d be able to deal with the spider swarm a lot better than before. While Hazel wanted to plant more bombs, she found it difficult to do so because of her current position. If she left the range of the spider queen, the second wave would likely get canceled, leaving Astrid and the others to deal with her portion of the swarm, which wasn¡¯t an ideal situation for any of them. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. As she waited patiently for the next wave to commence, Hazel contacted Astrid to see how it went on her side while checking up on Zoe and the others. [Hazel Thatcher: How did it go on your end? Had any trouble with the swarm?] [Astrid Skogr: Not as much as I feared, so it looked like your plan to split the swarm up worked perfectly.] A small grin formed on Hazel¡¯s face as she was filled with confidence and pride. [Hazel Thatcher: Was there any doubt that it wouldn¡¯t have worked?] [Astrid Skogr: Are you sure you want me to answer that?] [Hazel Thatcher: Ha ha...anyway, how are Zoe and the other two? Did their groups fair any differently?] [Astrid Skogr: According to John, their swarms were manageable as well. All of them handled their portion of the spider horde.] Hazel sighed heavily, feeling relieved that the others did well against the swarm like her. [Hazel Thatcher: Is your group able to proceed with the second wave?] [Astrid Skogr: More or less. We¡¯re currently just cleaning up the spider corpses blanketing the area.] [Hazel Thatcher: Yeah, same here. Since we have less than ten minutes to spare before the second wave occurs, that should be enough time for us to recover and get ready.] [Astrid Skogr: Yeah, though I¡¯m assuming the second wave won¡¯t just have the spider infants, right?] [Hazel Thatcher: If I¡¯m right, then the spider queen could be sending the sentinels and web weavers this time.] [Astrid Skogr: I don¡¯t think the low-level members of our groups will be able to handle them.] [Hazel Thatcher: Which is why only players with an evolved class like you, me, Zoe, and the others are going to deal with the sentinels. As for the web weavers, I have no idea what they''re capable of yet, so I don¡¯t know how to handle them yet.] [Astrid Skogr: Well, let¡¯s hope they¡¯re easy to deal with like the infants.] [Hazel Thatcher: Something tells me that isn¡¯t going to be an option for us.] [Astrid Skogr: Guess we¡¯ll have to see, then.] Finishing their conversation, Hazel dismissed the chat room before placing her attention back on the streets in front of her, patiently waiting for the second wave to begin. Switching her vision, she also monitored her group¡¯s progress in cleaning up the spider corpses, noticing that a good majority of the bodies were already disposed of. Knowing that they had very little time, the group was hard at work in getting rid of any hindrances that could cause problems for them during the second wave. Other players were also setting up barricades of cars on the street in front of the interstate bridge. At first, Hazel was confused as to why they were doing this before remembering how they previously set up a firewall to keep the spiders that survived from moving any closer to the interstate. They were likely setting this car barricade up in an effort to preserve the mages¡¯ mana for attacking the spider army. That way, they won¡¯t be wasting it to create a wall of flames and could simply use the car wall to hold off the remaining spiders that get past the spell and arrow barrage. Although this was a good strategy, Hazel knew that the spiders could easily climb over the wall, so she couldn¡¯t see much of a point in making the wall like this when the wall of flame was much more effective in keeping the remnants of the swarm at bay. Putting that thought aside for now, Hazel decided to use her time wisely and ultimately set more curse bombs. Since her curse damage had increased upon reaching rank 3, that meant they would cause more destruction and the like for the second wave. And right now, they needed that knowing what was in store for them. While she was still stuck within the range of the spider queen¡¯s detection, that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t work her way around it to recreate her little cursed minefield. Which was where Telekinesis came in handy. As soon as she created a watermelon-sized curse bomb, Hazel then cast her Telekinesis spell on it and placed the ball of condensed curse energy into position. She then repeated the process with the rest of the bombs, taking momentary breaks to somewhat replenish her mana before continuing. As soon as she was done placing the last curse bomb into position, another message panel materialized before her very eyes, signaling her about the next wave. [The Second Wave will now commence!] It didn¡¯t even take a second after the message was displayed before Hazel felt the rumbling once again. She then turned over and faced the direction where the spider swarm was coming. A moment later, another black sea was presented as it made its way over to her and the rest of her group again. Chapter 118: The Second Wave Much like before, Chegyaeyi grabbed Hazel and bolted for the bridge. The Lizardfolk warrior was much faster than before, so it didn¡¯t take long for them to reach their destination in another single bound. As soon as the pair landed on the bridge, both along with the rest of the players turned and faced the incoming swarm. By the time Hazel and Chegyaeyi got to the bridge, the army of spiders was a lot closer than before, rushing toward them like a black sea. Though, there was a considerable difference compared to before. Along with the swarm of infant spiders...there was also a familiar species of spiders marching toward the bridge. To the point where when each of their eight legs made a step, the very earth they stood on trembled. ¡°What...is that?¡± Chegyaeyi questioned with widened eyes, displaying her shock. ¡°That is the Spider Sentinel.¡± Standing out among the swarm of spider infants, the spider sentinel could be seen as it trekked closer to the interstate bridge. It was very easy to see due to its sheer size compared to the human-sized eight-legged infants crawling along the street. Chegyaeyi continued to stare at the spider sentinel, completely surprised by the goliath of a monster coming their way. Even the other players were taken aback by the creature, telling Hazel that this was likely their first time seeing one in the flesh. Meanwhile, Hazel smiled while keeping her eyes peeled on the sentinel. ¡°How do you suppose we deal with that monster?¡± Chegyaeyi questioned, already looking for a solution to deal with their new foe. ¡°That¡¯s just it,¡± Hazel declared. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t going to be dealing with it. I am.¡± The Lizardfolk whipped her head in Hazel¡¯s direction with a confused and hesitant look on her face. ¡°You¡¯re planning to take down that monster alone? Ms. Thatcher, I understand that you possess power, but there is no way that you could accomplish such a feat on your own.¡± ¡°That¡¯s where you''re wrong,¡± Hazel evilly grinned. ¡°I have a spell that can accomplish said feat with relative ease, actually.¡± The Lizardfolk''s brow arched skeptically as if she doubted Hazel¡¯s words. ¡°And may I ask what this spell is?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough. For now, just focus on the infants.¡± Hazel and Chegyaeyi then turned their attention back to the infant spiders, just as the eight-legged monstrosities entered the cursed minefield like their siblings in the first wave. Once again, Hazel waited until a good majority of the initial horde covered the cursed bombs blanketing the area, making sure that the explosion would annihilate them and then some. The players watched the swarm get closer and closer, closing the distance between them in seconds. The tension in the air was high, but Hazel kept her cool and waited for the right moment to strike. Just as she watched the entire minefield get covered, she immediately snapped her fingers to trigger the bombs. Another chorus of purple explosions was displayed once more along with the dozens of scorched corpses of the infant spiders flinging in the air. Many of the players covered their ears, having no desire to go deaf from the loud noise while also keeping their eyes peeled on the ground level that was currently covered in explosions. The smoke soon settled, allowing Hazel and the others to watch the rest of the spider swarm march over to the bridge, even crawling over their dead and charred siblings in the process. As soon as they saw the swarm maintaining their steadfast march, the players immediately took action and launched their first barrage of spells and arrows into the sea of black rushing their way toward them. More explosions occurred followed by the various screeches of dying spiders as they were crushed in an instant, flung in the air, or cut to ribbons by a blade of wind barreling toward them. Instead of assisting in the long-range barrage, Hazel carefully observed the Sentinel, watching it get closer and closer to the bridge like the rest of its smaller siblings attempting the same thing. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Noticing that it was getting close to their location, Hazel was just about to conjure her Entropy Sickle and hurl it at the sentinel. However, her attention was then pulled away when she heard thwipping noises. When she looked down to see what the source of the sound was, her eyes widened upon seeing multiple strands of webbing attached to the bridge. Hazel¡¯s Astral Eye darted toward the other end of the web and bore witness to several spiders crawling on it, using it as a makeshift bridge to get to the interstate faster. Seeing this, she clicked her tongue irritably while glaring at the spiders. That was when she remembered something regarding the new spider species that would be joining the swarm. The Web Weavers. Seeing the web bridge immediately told Hazel that this could¡¯ve possibly been their doing. Out of curiosity, Hazel scanned the swarm with her astral eye, searching for the new spider species that was already causing them problems. That was when she spotted a couple of the eight-legged monstrosities that looked different compared to the rest. They were slightly larger than the infant spiders and bore a white design that looked like a web on their abdomen. Another thing she noticed was that when a couple of the spells clashed against the web bridge, instead of being instantly destroyed, they maintained their structure as if the attack did nothing. It was clear that those webs...were not normal at all. And she already guessed as to what was responsible for this, eyeing the abnormal spider with the web design on its body. Noticing this, Hazel quickly appraised the monster to see what she was dealing with and wasn¡¯t surprised by what the description said. Level 12 A spider species known for their specialty in weaving their webs into anything they desire from bridges, traps, and the like. Web Weavers are one of the most dangerous spider species because of the properties of their webbing, displaying incredible durability against physical and magical attacks. Hazel grimaced. ¡°So, that¡¯s a Web Weaver, huh? It¡¯s certainly living up to its name, I guess.¡± According to the descriptions, these Web Weavers seemed to generate some kind of special web that was highly resistant to certain attacks, which explained why the barrage of magic spells and arrows didn¡¯t destroy the web bridge when it made contact. Hazel knew that this bridge was going to cause problems in this wave. More web bridges were created, getting attached to the bridge and allowing a couple of members of the swarm to climb on to get closer to the players without suffering from the barrage attack below them. But that wasn¡¯t going to last very long. Hazel stared down at the multiple spiders climbing on the web bridge with a narrow gaze. Then, she raised her hand, directed it at the multiple monsters, and fired several mana bolts at them. After doing this for a while, her aim had improved significantly as each of her bolts struck the head of a spider, killing it instantly. Sadly, when her bolt struck the web after going through the spider, all it did was dissipate upon contact. Hazel¡¯s brows creased irritably. ¡°You¡¯re not going to make this easy for me, are you?¡± If they wanted to take down those web bridges, then they needed a stronger attack. Thankfully, Hazel had such a spell that could possibly do the job, but was faced with a bit of a problem as she turned her gaze from the web bridge to the spider sentinel, now only a couple dozen meters away from them now, and getting closer by the moment. ¡°Dammit...¡± Hazel grumbled, looking back and forth between the bridge and the sentinel. ¡°If I use that spell on either one, that¡¯ll be thirty seconds before I could do that again on the other.¡± Hazel¡¯s initial plan was to use Entropy sickle, pretty much one of her most powerful spells, only second to Entropy itself, and hurl it at the Spider Sentinel to kill it. However, with the web weavers'' incredibly durable web bridges making a scene, she feared that she would have to change her plans. Her gaze trailed down to the web bridges before locking on to the source of the problem, the Web Weavers. Even as she glared down at the trouble arachnids, they were still spewing out webs and molding them into bridges for the rest of their siblings to climb on. Even if she took down the spiders climbing the web bridge, she still couldn¡¯t get rid of the webs. Not without her Entropy Sickle. But before she could do that...it would be best to deal with the Web Weavers first. It would be pointless to use her spell to destroy the webs if those pesky eight-legged monsters were just going to make more of them right after. Using her Astral Eye, Hazel scanned the swarm to locate all of the Web Weavers present. It helped that the web-shooting monsters were standing completely still as they continued to craft more web bridges, making them sturdier and more troublesome for the players by obstructing their view of the swarm below them. ¡°Chegyaeyi, you¡¯re gonna have to get off the bridge and deal with any of the spiders that manage to get past our defenses,¡± Hazel told the Lizardfolk. Hearing this, Chegyaeyi firmly nodded, knowing what her next task was. ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll leave the bridges to you then.¡± Hazel gave the lizardfolk a thumbs-up as she left. ¡°You can count on me for that.¡± Chegyaeyi said nothing and simply went to the other side of the bridge to jump off it. While doing so, she gathered some players to act as support in facing the surviving spiders that came their way. With the lizardfolk focused on that, Hazel kept her attention on the swarm, the web bridges, the web weavers, and most importantly, the Sentinel spider as well. She took note of all of the chaos happening around her before letting out a heavy and tired sigh. ¡°This is such a damn pain in the ass...¡±