《Ascension of Souls Online》


 Prologue - Praying on a Miracle

    A young boy awoke on a bed in a white room, a faint huff of air escaped his pale lips as frustration and despair washed over him as his nightmare continued even after a long rest.


    He lacked the strength to lift himself, muscles atrophied from the mysterious illness that racked his body. His once emerald green eyes were slowly fading into a milky white as even his vision deteriorated day by day, he could barely see now and if this illness persisted another month, he would be blind¡­.if he lived that long.


    The hospital he had been living in for the past 2 years had been like a prison to the boy, confined to a room where he was destined to wither away and disappear. His only family was his big sister who worked while attending school, paying for his hospital bills instead of taking care of herself.


    *BZZZZZZ*, the sound of a door being unlocked jolted the boy from his depressing thoughts as a soft voice called out "Leone? Are you awake?". The voice was tinged with pain and sorrow despite trying to remain cheerful.


    "Sis?! What are you doing here? Don''t you have school today? Did something happen? What''s wrong?!" The boy began to panic, unaware of why his sister was there, the pressure of the unknown possibly hurting his sister made him attempt to get up despite his own fragile body screaming in protest.


    "Leone! Calm down! There is nothing wrong! I am just here to wish you a happy birthday and to give you a present! How can I not give my baby brother a present on his birthday!" she laughed but Leone could hear the hiccup in her voice, she was trying not to cry when she looked at the shell of a person he had become


    Leone, stopped his struggle as he collapsed back onto his pillow, a faint sigh of relief escaping him before he turned his head in the direction of his sister


    "You shouldn''t have wasted the money on me Sis. You should return it and get something for yourself. That would be the best present for me" He smiled faintly, his chest heaving a bit as he huffed for air.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Little brother, you are lucky you are sick, otherwise I would have smacked you upside the head for that one!" she grumbled


    "You are the only family I have in this world so you can''t stop me if I want to spoil you!".


    The sound of a chair screeching on the linoleum floor meant that his sister had dragged a chair closer to him.


    "What I got you was a headset for that new game that just came out a little while ago. Rumor has it that some people have had diseases that have improved while playing. I know it is unlikely but if there is any chance, I want you to take it! I have already asked the doctors and they have agreed to try it.


    Leone''s already furrowed eyebrow scrunched up a bit more hearing such unscientific nonsense and how his doctor had so readily agreed to such a crazy idea but he couldn''t bring himself to say no to his sister who had sacrificed so much for him already.


    With a sigh, he then smiled and softly said "Fine, you win sis¡­..Can you help me set it up? I have no idea what I am looking at, I don''t have my glasses" He said jokingly, trying to liven up his sisters'' mood even if only for a little.


    The small joke elicited a soft chuckle from his sister who murmured "What a fool¡­Alright! Your beautiful and magnanimous sister will lower herself to help you this one time. Be grateful~!", her voice picking up a bit as she shot back a small joke of her own before helping Leone put on the VR helmet.


    When the helmet covered his head, Leones already faint vision went completely black as a visor covered his eyes.


    "Once I leave little brother, just say ''Game start'' and you should be in the game. Good luck, I know you will make me proud~!"


    his sister said with a cheerful voice. Leone couldn''t help but sigh softly, not wanting to betray her expectations but at the same time wondering what was the point of such a pointless endeavor. The sound of his door opening and closing soon after meant that his sister had left.


    With nothing to lose, Leone took a deep breath


    "Game¡­Start"


    From the door, Luna looked at her little brother and waited until he had entered the game before she turned to leave.


    The cute and innocent demeanor she had shown to her brother disappeared from her face like a fog, a frosty expression gracing her features as she walked down the hospital halls.


    The halls grew quiet as she passed by, eyes glued to her in a mixture of awe and a hint of fear as the young woman gave off an intimidating presence as if there was a wild beast beneath the surface despite her seemingly average height.


    The rumor about changes happening because of a single VR game was more than just a rumor, she was living proof of that herself.


    It was potentially a small blessing that her brother''s eyes had deteriorated to near blindness as she did not wish to worry him with her own changes.


    Her brown eyes had recently turned a crimson red reminiscent of blood and her hair had lost all pigment, becoming a snow white.


    She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palm to the point where blood trickled from her hands as she left the hospital. Looking up at the sky


    "Please god ... .Don''t let him die" she murmured as she placed her final bet on a miracle.

 Chapter 1 - Game Start

    Leone waited with his eyes closed, waiting to hear or feel something different that would let him know that the helmet worked yet he felt nothing.


    At first he thought that the helmet was defective and that his sister had been conned out of her money but as time passed he realized that he in fact felt nothing.


    He didn''t feel the pain that constantly ate away at him and it didnt hurt him to breathe. A few moments later, he realized that he was actually standing which prompted him to open his eyes, jaw dropping a bit at the spectacle before his eyes.


    He stood in a vast open plain with a starry night sky, a moon of resplendent silver illuminating like a beacon while the stars decorated the darkness like fireflies before dawn.


    "So beautiful¡­"


    he couldn''t help but exclaim that as he soaked it all in, a stark contrast to the ceiling of the room he stayed in for days on end.


    [Oh? I wonder what this little girl is seeing~]


    A voice entered Leones ear which jolted him from his stupor. Leone instinctively jumped away from where he stood before looking to see who had spoken.


    From seemingly out of nowhere, a tall slender man stood there wearing a colourful penguin tailed suit that shimmered like a rainbow while seeming to be incorporeal and hazy.


    Leone hadn''t even said a word before the man began to speak once more in rapid fire


    [Oh? You aren''t a girl it seems. My apologies. You just looked so cute! You won''t hold it against me right~?].


    The words sent Leone on a rollercoaster of emotions, from confusion to caution and then anger at his appearance being mocked.


    "Who are you calling a girl asshole! Just because a guy is sick, you can''t just insult me like that!" he roared with outrage but as he looked at the man, unease welled up within him.


    He forgot all about his anger when he looked at the mans face, or lack thereof. The man while dressed elegantly was expressionless as the stranger had a void where his face should have been. Leone couldn''t hide his surprise and caution at the man who was some sort of monster.


    [Hmm? What''s with that look? Do I have something on my face?] The stranger asked while tilting their head in confusion. A shiver ran through the figure as a thought ran through the stranger, something they thought was impossible.


    [Could it be? You are making me curious here boy! What do you see? What do I look like to you?] the figure asked, curiosity and intrigue dripping from their voice.


    [Tell me! What do I look like to you? Tell me and I will help you out here to the best of my abilities!] the stranger said, making a peace sign and trying to act cute which invited a sense of dissonance.


    Leone took a step back from the figure, cautious and skeptical of this stranger but as if to read his mind they said


    [Don''t worry, I won''t hurt you if you say no. This is just my own personal curiosity. I won''t harm you. I promise you young man~].


    Leone flinched but with nothing to lose, he opened his mouth and said "Ummm¡­.there is nothing there¡­I mean your face. It''s like your face is a void. Plus that rainbow suit is a little gaudy."


    The figures body shook for a moment, clearly taken aback by what they had heard.


    [Oh my¡­Oh my! You can see that?! This puppets illusions has been seen through by a dying young boy? How very interesting! One moment my dear~!].


    The figure laughed, the synthetic voice seemingly transitioning into a feminine voice over time.


    However, that laughter suddenly stopped as the puppet began to shudder in place. With a sickening crack, the voidlike face seemed to split, a inky black liquid spewed into the air, forming a cocoon in the air. Leon took a step back, his heart racing as the foreign scene played out in front of him.


    Before he could do anything, the cocoon split, revealing a pale woman wearing a long black one piece dress, her jet black hair cascading over her shoulders, blocking the view of one of her eyes. She had a faint smile on her face as she looked down on Leon, her one revealed eye shimmering in the colors of a rainbow, giving her an ethereal presence.


    "It would be rude for me to continue our talk through a puppet, so forgive me for that okay~?" the woman said as she slowly floated to the ground. Once her feet touched the ground, she began to look around and Leon could tell that she was curious and he couldn''t help but feel uncomfortable as if she was prying into something private about himself.


    Unable to stop himself, he raised his voice and said "Okay this game is getting creepy now. Who are you supposed to be? Where is this anyways and what am I supposed to be doing here?"


    The woman had a wry smile on her face as Leone asked so many questions in such a short span of time, probably having expected that much at the very least from what she had shown him just now.


    "I''m sorry my dear boy but I can''t answer all your questions, I am limited in what I can tell you now. I will probably get in trouble for showing myself like this to you but it was totally worth it~!" she said with a small chuckle.


    Her brows furrowed slightly as she suddenly began to speak seriously.


    "I truly can''t explain too much and I don''t have much more time so I will say this only once. This space is unique to you and is a reflection of your inner self and is an indicator of your natural element. In your case yours is so rare that it may as well not exist¡­ In fact the fact you are standing here is very surprising. From what I know, your kind is incompatible with this element."


    Leones body shook in response to being told something very alarming. "What do you mean by incompatible!" He shouted, anxiety and fear creeping into his voice as even a game began to hint at his own illness.


    The woman sighed before saying "It means the fact you aren''t dead is nothing short of a miracle my dear boy" in a blunt tone, her rainbow eye seeming to see right through Leone, making him feel incredibly small as even a game character was commenting on his own fragile mortality.


    Leones head drooped down, his expression unreadable as the reality that he was going to die soon began to weigh heavily on his shoulders again. However he flinched when the mysterious woman said cheerfully "But now that I am here, how could I let such a cutie die without giving them a chance~!".


    The faint possibility of hope, even if it was in a fake digital world was like a lifeline to Leone as he raised his head in surprise where he saw the womans face was inches away from his own.


    "I shall give you a quest, if you are lucky, you will be given a chance to live~! We have to create your avatar here, if you have 4 or more races that you have a compatibility that exceed the standard, I will give you a ticket to head to a special armory. In that armory, there is some items there that can possibly save you~!" the woman said with a chuckle.


    At that moment, a rainbow fog screen appeared before Leone in response to the words that the mysterious woman had said.


    [????????? has issued you the quest: Affinity~!]


    Quest Details: Achieve 90% compatibility with at least 4 different races


    Difficulty: EX


    Completion Reward(s): Soul Armory Ticket [EX grade]


    90%+ Compatible Races (0/4)


    Quest Failure: Erasure of Memories


    Additional information: Humans on average are compatible with 3 to 4 races and average compatibility outside of Human is approximately 60%.


    Do you wish to accept the Quest [Accept/Decline].


    Note: Refusal of the Quest will result in a Quest Failure automatically.


    Leone was flustered at that and his eyes darkened when he saw what would happen if he failed. "Erase my memories? So this would never happen huh? What happened to not hurting me huh?!" he growled, clearly incensed by this insane quest.


    Even to a non gamer like himself, he knew that EX was a ridiculous premise of a reward but the risk was equally great. What if his memories were completely lost?! He would die knowing nothing? That was not acceptable.


    The woman shook her head "I have to impose conditions to at least this degree to give out this reward. Don''t worry my dear boy, I believe that you will be able to clear this quest easily~!".


    The woman then tilted her head and smirked a little bit "Besides¡­Do you have any alternatives on surviving?"


    Leone groaned at that before growling "Fine! I will play along with you¡­for now.", clearly displeased but unable to refute her as he pressed Accept.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    The woman laughed lightly before saying "Then lets begin~!".


    As soon as she was done speaking, she began to float into the sky, a smirk gracing her beautiful face. When she was about 30 feet in the air, she flourished her hands gracefully and looked up towards the stars.


    As if on cue, The stars in the night sky seemed to twinkle. Just as Leone was wondering what was happening, his eyes widened as he noticed that about a dozen of these ''stars'' were getting bigger.


    It was too late to run away as the ''stars'' seemed to be heading right towards him. With a thunderous boom, the impact lifted Leone into the air as dozens of Ivory pillars were embedded into the ground around him.


    Leone barely managed to catch himself, landing on all fours as he inwardly shivered in shock at almost being hit by massive pillars.


    He couldnt help but feel his body to make sure that he was okay, heart now racing at the thought he could have been crushed by one of those pillars. Seeing the utter confusion he was in, the woman couldnt help but giggle


    "Silly boy! These pillars represent races you are compatible with. There are quite a few here huh~?".


    Leones shock turned to a frown as he looked up at the woman and yelled "DID YOU HAVE TO ALMOST DROP THEM ON MY HEAD?! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!!!". His frustration rising even more at the strange NPC and the absurdities he was facing.


    The woman was unphased by his anger and said "All things have risks dont they~? How about you check the results Hmmm~" the woman said as she floated down, sitting atop one of the pillars.


    WIth no choice, Leone shot her one final glare before saying "How do I check? Do I have to touch them or something?", getting a bit discouraged as he looked at all the pillars.


    The woman tilted her head and said "Usually yes, but since there are so many and I dont have much more time, I will just scan them all and provide the results~. Hope you dont mind, just ignore that tingle okay~?" with a faint smile.


    Leone saw her wave her hand again as a flash of rainbow light burst from her fingers, spreading across the field in a ring shape for a few moments before receding back like a tide.


    Leone would never admit it but he found that light beautiful and enchanting. He was about to turn away in embarrassment when he felt the hair on the back of his head stand up. He realized that he had a sense of foreboding from the direction of that woman. He quickly noticed she had a somewhat sadistic gleam in her eyes as the ivory pillar she sat on had begun to turn a sickly purplish green obsidian color. "


    Now be a good boy and stay still kay~!" she cooed before giving him a wink and blowing him a kiss. Leones eyes however widened in shock as instead of it being a simple flirtatious move, a beam of pure white light shot out at him at a frightening speed. Before he could react, his head whipped back as that beam hit him directly in the forehead and somehow there was a force behind it that was so strong that his feet slipped out from beneath him and his back hit the ground.


    Smoke rose from his forehead as he laid there dazed for a few moments, however soon enough he raised his head up


    "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!!!!!? THAT FRICKIN HURT!!!!" He screamed, a clear red circular mark remained on his forehead as smoke lazily drifted up from it.


    However, the woman was no longer there,l seemingly have disappeared silently while Leones eyes were off of her.


    The pillars remained, including the sickly looking pillar that seemed ready to crumble into pieces that gave Leone a sense of unease and discomfort somehow.


    With nowhere to vent his anger and frustration, he stomped his feet on the ground and hissed "What a shitty game. Is it trying to make their players quit?!".


    He had half a mind to log out then and there but the thought of returning to his hospital bed and the agony that accompanied it did not bode well for him either. Swallowing his anger, he let out a sigh


    "So how am I supposed to check this? Am I supposed to say something like Check Details or [Inspect]".


    The moment the last word left his lips, a transparent screen floated in front of him, over 3 dozen names were listed alongside a %. Naturally, Leone could tell that these were the different races that he had innate compatibility with and the %. There were a lot of unique sounding ones but there was a different why the list surprised him.


    Adaptive Beastfolk


    124%


    Void Elf


    99%


    Elemental Dragonfolk


    98%


    Dark Angel


    98%


    Holy Demon


    95%


    Half Elemental


    92%


    Demonic Dwarf


    90%


    ...


    ...


    Human


    -98%


    The list was full of amazingly high and equally strange races but what bothered him was at the bottom of the list was human compatibility. He had never seen such a thing before and he felt hurt that the idea that he wasn''t fit to be a human while he was one in the real world.


    "Oho~? I see~, I see how it is~!" a voice came from behind Leone, causing him to whip his head around to see the strange female NPC standing there with a strange smile on her face as she too observed the list.


    "W-what the¡­.Where the hell did you come from? Wait no, scratch that. Tell me what the hell does a negative compatibility even mean?! And why the hell is it Human of all things!" Leone shouted, unnerved and anxious at seeing this.


    The woman tilted her head to the side, crossed her arms with her index finger near her lips as she said "Muuuu¡­.It means exactly what it means~? You aren''t suited to be human. How someone like you ended up here is what I would like to know~!"


    Leone flared up in righteous indignation and was about to hurl obscenities at this strange woman when her next words made him freeze. "I mean, making someone whose soul isn''t suited to be human a human would result in rejection. In mild cases, its just stiffness or lack of coordination but if the incompatibility is great enough, it could lead to complete body shutdown and even death..."


    His eyes quivered as he shook in place, how could a game mock even create such a ridiculous story about his illness. How dare a game mock him and the very illness that was killing him. Leone opened his mouth, ready to shout every obscenity that came to his mind when his eyes met the womans own. He couldn''t understand how or why but the depth of them was unsettling. She was just a NPC of a game but why could he see the realization of horror and worse still¡­ pity as she looked back at him.


    The words he was going to say fizzled into nothing as the womans voice became extremely sombre as she said "Oh my dear boy...I am so sorry¡­. Who could do something so awful to such a young child¡­". Before he could respond, the woman closed the distance between them and embraced him in a tight hug. "Im so sorry¡­".


    It was only 3 words but it was enough for Leones eyes to water. Unable to hold himself back, tears began to stream down his face, burying his face in her chest as she comforted him, stroking his hair as if she was comforting a child.


    At that moment, he no longer felt like he had to hold himself together for anyone and was allowed to cry, after all he was just a young man, barely out of his childhood and yet burdened with so much. His soft cries were like a release for all the pain and anguish in his hearts, heard only by the woman and the pillars around him.


    He didn''t know how long he cried but when he felt somewhat refreshed, the realization of what he had done left him feeling embarrassed. He put his hands on the womans shoulders and pushed himself away from her, quickly saying "I am fine now, no need to hug me anymore. Really". He turned his back on her in an attempt to hide the blush on his face but still he did mumble a soft "Thanks though".


    The woman smiled as if she was looking at something cute before she said "That was nothing young boy, you should save your thanks for me IF my reward can save your life."


    Those words caught his attention as he remembered the rumor that he had heard from his sister. "What do you mean by that?! You mean to tell me there''s a chance for me to live?!".


    He was skeptical still but even if it was an infinitesimally small chance he could live, he would cling to it as he had no wish to die.

 Chapter 2- Soulbound Partner

    Seeing the expressive boys eyes seem to light up with the faintest of hope, the woman smiled as she nodded and said with a small laugh "Thats it boy. That look suits you so much better"


    Before answering his question, she snapped her fingers lightly and another screen appeared in front of Leones eyes.


    [Quest: Affinity~!]


    Quest Details: Achieve 90% compatibility with at least 4 different '' race types.


    Difficulty: EX


    Completion Reward(s): Soul Armory Ticket [EX grade]


    90%+ Compatible Races (17/4)


    Quest Failure: Erasure of Memories


    Additional information: Humans on average are compatible with 3 to 4 races and average compatibility outside of Human is approximately 60%.


    Quest Status: Complete


    Completion Grade: SSS+


    [Accept Reward: Soul Armory Ticket [EX grade]]


    Upon looking at the woman who nodded at him in a silent prompt for him to accept the reward, he pressed the accept button on the screen floating in front of him. Then out of nowhere, a small prismatic paper slip slowly floated down in front of him. By instinct, Leone reached out and snatched the slip despite still being unsure of what the purpose of this ticket was supposed to serve despite its fancy name.


    "Once you have selected your race, tear that ticket and you will enter the Soul Armory, A repository of ancient and unique weapons and armor that have been isolated from the world itself. You will have 5 minutes to pick out one that speaks to you. If you cant pick one out in time, you will have wasted it"


    The woman explained lightly as Leone inspected the ticket. "In order for you to have a chance to survive, you are going to need a powerful weapon bound to you that can grow. But I have to warn you, you will only be able to inspect the details after you leave the armory!" she said with a serious expression unlike anything she had shown him so far.


    "You will have to trust in your instincts and pray that your choice is the right one my boy~" However, no sooner had she said that, her head snapped to a different angle, staring at something in the distance before turning back to Leone


    "I am sorry but I can''t stay here much longer. Remember what I have said and with any luck, we will be seeing each other again!" she said softly.


    With a snap of her fingers, her body became incorporeal as it scattered into the air like smoke, leaving Leone all alone, still reeling from the sudden information and the burden that this choice could possibly affect his life or death. What pulled him out of his thoughts was the systems notification.


    [Race Selection]


    All currently available playable races confirmed. Please select Desired Race to continue to the [Starter Village]


    Soul Armory Ticket detected. Ticket will be automatically used upon confirmation of the Players Race.


    Note: Stat Bonuses or Penalties will be applied based on Compatibility rate.


    Seeing this notification, Leone was not pleased as he was still hung up on the negative compatibility with the [Human] Race. With little to no choice, he finalized his choice as [Adaptive Beastfolk]. As soon as he pressed the confirmation, He felt his body begin to burn up, a fiery pain unlike what he knew coursed through him, his ears, hands and back feeling the worst of it. The agony of it brought him to his knees but just as quickly as it came, the pain suddenly disappeared.


    Huffing on his hands and knees, Leone immediately realized that his in-game body had been modified as he felt a protrusion on his back near the base of his spine. He also noticed that his finger nails had changed as well, claws had extended from them and were digging into the ground as he caught his breath. When he lifted his hands off the ground and relaxed a bit, the claws retracted like that of a cat. The absurdity of it all made Leones ears twitch but when he realized that, his hands shot to his head as cat ears had grown on top of his head. Craning his neck to look behind him, he saw a cute furry tail akin to that of a kitten swishing in the air. The revelation that he had turned into a catboy was a mortifying situation to the young man.


    Despite wanting to hide in a corner, the system did not allow that as the space around him began to glow. As the light intensified, Leone was forced to close his eyes. When he reopened his eyes, he found that the plains had disappeared, instead he stood before an ornate metal door that was at least 20 feet tall and was locked with heavy chains. Besides the door, there was nothing there, the ground, the sky and everything else was pure white. The chains locking the door suddenly burst and the door creaked open, revealing a warehouse of sorts, various weapons and armors lined up in displays like a museum. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Leone did not have the luxury of observing these displays leisurely as another notification appeared before him.


    Soul Armory Ticket (EX) has been used. Quest has been Generated.


    Quest: Soulbound Partner


    Quest Details: Please Select a Weapon, Armor or Accessory from the display before time runs out in 300 seconds. Failure to choose will result in no reward.


    Completion Reward(s): ????


    Difficulty:N/A


    Quest Failure: ???


    Additional information: The Armaments in this Armory have an ego. With a high enough compatibility, the egos will attempt to communicate with the player. Choosing a weapon that has no compatibility with the player will incur penalties.


    Remaining Time: 297/300 Seconds


    As if to help Leone keep track, a Red alarm appeared in the corner of his eyes, counting down from 300 to let him know how much time he left until this new quest of his ran out of time. Wanting to use his time most efficiently, Leone rushed through the door into the warehouse that now seemed more and more like a museum with hundreds of cases on display. However as soon as Leone entered the hall, he buckled over holding his head in pain.


    [Coooooomeee tooooooo meeee¡­..]


    [PICKMEPICKMEPICKMEPICKMEPICKME]


    [I am your destiny, pick me and I shall lay the world at your feet]


    [Quack Quack Quack]


    Thousands of voices called out to him, screaming, beckoning and cajoling were like incessant echoes inside his head. His vision blurred as blood trickled from his ears and nose, time became a blur to him as even his eyes began to bleed. However, before he passed out, A deafening roar ripped through his mind.


    [SILENCE]


    As if by magic, after the roar, the voices disappeared as if they had never been there to begin with.


    .


    Leone struggled to his feet but stumbled due to the sudden lightheadedness from the blood loss. Leone took a glance at the timer to see how much time was left and was horrified when he saw [Remaining time: 94/300 Seconds]


    With no time left to waste, Leone picked a direction and hobbled off, looking at the various weapons in ornate display cases as he passed. The sheer mystical presence of some of these weapons were impressive like sleek obsidian sword that glimmered with a faint light reminiscent of the moon, twin daggers that had a sickly jade colour to them and Wings made of what looked to be molten metal.


    Despite their fancy appearances, Leone felt deep down that they were not meant for him, they were not good enough! Leone felt like he was about to pass out but he kept moving forward, seeking for something that even he did not know.


    [Remaining time: 15/300 Seconds.]


    Out of breath, Leone found himself at a wall with a solitary piece of equipment on display. However, unlike the other weapons, the case was dirty, the equipment inside was a rusty pair of bracelets, looking as if they would fall apart at the slightest touch. Despite all that, Leone couldn''t look away as he felt his heartbeat accelerate, his instincts screaming at him that this was the one.


    It was at that moment that Leones feet gave out on him, tripping forward, his bloodied hand pressed against the case. A display appeared before him. Without the time to check the details, Leone murmured: "I choose this one¡­.." before his consciousness faded, slumping to the ground unconscious. The timer had ticked down to 1 second


    [What a bold young man. Following your heart and not being swayed by appearances even as he is about to die. Was it Fate that led him to us? Or was it something else?].


    A soft but deep voice reverberated through the air as the case around the bracelets shattered, glass scattering as the bracelets floated into the air, suspended in the air above Leone.


    [We can''t let him die so soon, Lets first ensure his survival, and lets see the future he yearns for. Today is not where this childs'' story ends].


    The bracelets turned into a ball of light before dropping into Leones body, disappearing inside of his chest. At that moment, Leone was unaware of the details of the quest completion rewards as his own body began to turn into a ball of light, disappearing from a now empty room.


    Quest: Soulbound Partner


    Quest Details: Please Select a Weapon, Armor or Accessory from the display before time runs out in 300 seconds. Failure to choose will result in no reward.


    Completion Reward(s): Star Bracelets of Creation and Destruction (??? Grade)(Growth-Type)


    Difficulty:N/A


    Quest Failure: Death


    Additional information: The Armaments in this Armory have an ego. With a high enough compatibility, the egos will attempt to communicate with the player. Choosing a weapon that has no compatibility with the player will incur penalties.


    Remaining Time: 1/300 Seconds


    Quest Status: Complete


    Completion Grade: EX.


    Additional Reward: Body Adaption (Unknown Grade)


    The hospital was in chaos, doctors and nurses who had been in charge of a young boy confined to a bed with a mysterious illness suddenly began convulsing on his bed while playing a game his sister had brought for him. A relatively new nurse covered her mouth and turned away, unable to watch any further as the boy began to vomit blood.


    The doctors tried to pry the helmet off his head so they could check on and try to help him but despite their best efforts, the helmet seemed to be glued to his head. Despite their best efforts, the doctors and nurses were powerless to help them as the EKG machine that tracked his already weak heartbeat flatlined.


    Even using a defibrillator proved to be useless as the boy remained unresponsive. WIth no other choice, the doctors began to call the time of death Some of the nurses who had gotten to know the boy silently sobbed. They were all in total disbelief that the young boys condition could deteriorate so quickly in just 5 minutes.


    The doctors and most of the nurses began to leave the room, some to clean the blood off their bodies while others went to fill out the paperwork and call the next of kin to inform them of the boys passing. As the last doctor, an old man who had long grown tired of loss, was about to leave the room, the EKG machine that had flatlined suddenly began to detect a pulse.


    "What¡­.? WHAT?! EVERYBODY, COME BACK! H-HIS PULSE! HE"S ALIVE" The old doctor shouted at his colleague, rushing back into the room to check on him.


    The young boys frail body was still on deaths door but somehow the weak pulse had become stronger, his chest visibly rising and falling in a steady motion meaning the boy was beginning to breathe. The doctor was flabbergasted, he had heard of the Lazarus effect happening before but in all of years of practicing medicine, it looked like the boys condition was improving. It was a situation so preposterous that it could only be called a miracle.


    The doctor stared at the boy, a weird premonition came to the doctors mind but he quickly dismissed it. It was as if the boys body was evolving in real time. That was impossible¡­.right?

 Chapter 3- First Fight

    When Leone opened his eyes, he found himself on an unfamiliar bed, staring at a wooden ceiling.


    "Where¡­.Am I?" he murmured, groggy and not recognizing where he was as he regained consciousness. As if to answer him, a screen appeared before his eyes


    Welcome to Ascension of Souls Online.


    You have now entered the World of Melodia.


    You are currently in the Beginner Village (Beastkin).


    Please Confirm your Status and set your Character Name.


    To check your Status, Please say [Status]


    Please Note. Due to the nature of a Previous reward currently modifying your body, you are unable to log out for 168 hours.


    Remaining Time: 163 hours, 14 minutes, 57 seconds


    Leone eyes widened at the message. Did that mean he was trapped here for a week?! Wouldn''t he die of starvation or dehydration during that time?!


    "Hey! Stupid game! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!" He shouted into the air, panicking as he looked for a method to log out but unable to figure it out.


    [Calm down Child. Your body in the other world will remain safe. We guarantee it] A sudden voice rang inside of Leones mind.


    Looking around for the source of the voice, Leone noticed that he was alone in what looked to be an abandoned cabin. His hair standing on end, the young man shouted: "Who''s there?! Show yourself!",


    [Child, we are on your wrist. You chose us to be your Partner did you not?] The voice said softly as if to console him. Looking down, Leone saw the rusty bracelets on his wrist. Instinctively, he reached for them trying to pull them off but despite his best efforts, they didnt even budge.


    [Child you are now Partners with us. We are with you for Life. You can think of it as long as you provide us with Sustenance and Entertainment, we shall give you Power and Life.]. The contents of the voice seemed a bit sinister but Leone remembered that strange quest that the Quest previously said that some of the weapons had Egos. ''This had to be one of those ego weapons.'' Leone thought and was about to give up and move on when the voice spoke again seemingly annoyed


    [How Dare you compare us to that Trash that was kept in that Room! We are far superior! Those toys are mere trinkets before our power at our most glorious peak!] it growled. It was then that Leone realized if these bracelets could speak inside his mind, that means it could probably read his thoughts too!.


    [There is no need to fret Child, As you grow stronger, we too will regain our strength and can support you further. We will admit that you are unable to ''Log Out'' because of us but we have a good reason. If not for us, you would have already died. We are modifying your body so that you may continue to live and grow¡­ We can''t have our Partner be a corpse after so many years of being alone]. The voice explained, shocking Leone into silence. He knew that even if this was just a setting within a game, there was nothing he could do to change it so the only thing he could do was continue on the path laid before him.


    "[Status]"


    Character Status


    Name: [Not Set]


    Race: Adaptive Beastfolk


    Title: N/A


    Class: N/A


    Age: 18


    Level: 1 (0/100exp)


    Status: Sickly (Body Upgrade in Progress)


    Health: 70/70


    Mana: 30/30


    Strength: 4


    Endurance: 2


    Agility: 10


    Dexterity: 9


    Intelligence: 7


    Wisdom: 3


    Charisma: 10


    Luck: 10


    Free Points: 0


    Skills: Chimerafication (Innate Racial), Invocation of Evolution (Sealed), Bond of the Zodiac (Sealed), Appraisal (Innate), Battle Sense (Innate)


    Equipment: Star Bracelets (N)


    [Oh? For a child who has stood on the doorstep of death for so long, your status is quite impressive¡­Wait what? Why is our grade Normal?! Quickly [Appraise] us Child!] The voice urged, seemingly unnerved by the N next to its name which meant its grade was Normal. With the nagging of the voice, Leone tried to inspect the bracelets on his wrist


    "[Appraisal]"


    Star Bracelet (N)


    A pair of bracelets that have a trace connection to the stars. Potential for Growth


    Innate Skills: Invocation of Evolution (Sealed), Bond of the Zodiac (Sealed),???,???,???,???,


    Stat Bonuses:


    N/A


    Uprade Status: 0%


    [... We are going to go cry now. Don''t bother us] the voice said, despair tinging its soft voice.


    Leone was somewhat bemused by the bracelets, but not wanting to spend his time in another world confined to another bed, he stood up and headed towards the door, intent on exploring the Beginner Village.


    When his hand touched the door, the young man took a deep breath and said "From now until I am gone, my name here will be [Leo]."


    When his name was set, the door swung open slowly, revealing a beautiful scenic village with the sun shining down. Taking a step out into the light, Leo was marvelling at the realism. He could feel the heat of the sun on his skin and could smell the fragrance of flowers on the wind from a nearby garden.


    "Welcome Young lad to our humble village. I am a guide to help you acclimate to thisssss world." An elderly man with a long grey beard called out while standing hunched over in the centre village where a small fountain was set using a cane to support his body. When Leo got closer, he noticed that the elders skin was covered in small scales, indicating he was a reptile of some kind.


    "Oh my, A youngling like yourssself is quite rare around here. I can ssssee a bright future ahead of you. Feel free to explore the village and complete the villagers requests and receive rewards in exchange. When you are ready to journey out into the world, please consider helping ussss reduce the goblin population on the outskirtsssss before you go. Its been so long ssssince we have had an adventurer here. The goblin horde has gone untouched for too long. If nobody takesss care of them, we may be overrun!"


    The village elder looks at Leo, anxious about the potential dangers that surrounded the peaceful village he called home.


    Leo, seeing this couldnt but help but feel motivated as he growled "Leave it to me! I will wipe them out for you!" Before charging towards the nearby forest.


    The elder was stunned by the bravado of the lvl 1 Leo. However by the time the man yelled "W-wait! I dont think you are ready yet!" it was already too late as Leo disappeared into the foilage with a rustle.


    "The child doesn''t even have a weapon. Oh Goddess, please let that child survived" the elder mumbled, clearly shaken by the young boys'' unfounded confidence.


    "Hahaha! This feels so nice~!" Leo shouted as he ran, loving everything about this in the moment . He felt so free, the soil beneath his feet, the sun upon his skin, the scent of fresh plants and the wind rushing past him were nostalgic feelings that he had almost forgotten after being confined to a hospital bed for so long.


    "KIIIIIEEEEEK"


    Leo entered a small clearing but came to a stop when a small green humanoid leapt out from behind a tree. Startled slightly about the monster in front of him, He couldn''t help but look at the monster a bit more closely. It was the size of a small child, sickly pale green skin with a head that was far too big for its body and wearing nothing but a dirty loincloth. Its head was misshapen with pointy ears and with its mouth open, Leo could see that its teeth were jagged, its tongue hanging out a bit as it drooled. But when the catboy looks in the monsters beady little eyes, confusion quickly turning to horror and disgust as the young man recognized the goblin was staring at him lustfully!


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "OH HELL NO!" he shouted, recoiling from the deviant beast in front of him. He hated to admit it but his slender arms and legs, his demure height, somewhat long hair and cute tail made him look like a cute little tail made him seem like an adorable little girl.


    The monster lunged forward with a feral intensity, acting as if the person before it was merely easy prey it could pin down. With that and his own masculinity being questioned by a mere monster, Leo felt something in his mind snap.


    Like lightning, Leo sidestepped the goblin as it charged last him, spinning in a tight circle, using his own arm as a whip to lash out at his attacker. Leo felt the claws at the tip of his fingers catch on something for a brief moment before it gave way.


    [Critical Strike]


    [-60!]


    Two notifications popped over the goblins head as it stopped to hold its throat. Blood began to bubble from its throat and it collapsed to its knees. It tried to speak but no words came out. It reached out for Leo with one hand but collapsed forwards and became motionless


    [Level 1 Goblin Defeated]


    [+20exp]


    Despite his anger, Leo felt like he was going to throw up as the realistic nature of the game made it feel like he had just committed murder. It was a slight relief to him when the body disappeared into particles of light, leaving a single copper coin on the forest floor.


    He was also surprised that his body had reacted the way it did, he had never been in a fight before but that had felt all too easy to the point of being scary. Leo took a moment to catch his breath when he heard a rustling of leaves. Turning his head, he saw 3 more goblins enter the small clearing, coming to a stop about 20 feet away from him. Unlike the previous one, these 3 were equipped with weapons, albeit crude ones in the form of clubs


    "KIEK!KIEK!"


    "KRAAAIIE!"


    "SKREE!"


    They cry out almost immediately after noticing Leo whose own rage was reigniting once again as he noticed the same lustful gleam in their eyes. The goblins were smarter this time as they looked around, trying to see if their prey was alone.


    "You lil shits!" Leo shouts as he takes the initiative to attack first, rushing at them and launching himself into the air so he could use his knee to strike the goblin in the leads face


    [-25]


    The monster let out a startled cry as its head snapped back, blood gushing from its broken nose, its two companions letting out their own confused shrieks before raising their clubs and swinging at Leo. In response, Leo flipped his body over the bleeding goblin, grabbing its head and using his own momentum to flip the monster over him afterwards, using the goblin as a makeshift weapon to use against one of the other goblins causing them to collapse .


    [-35]


    [-40]


    [Level 1 Goblin Defeated]


    [+20exp]


    The 2 goblins screeched in pain, the 3rd goblin became stunned from the shock of violence Leo initiated. In the pile, the goblin on tops neck was twisted in am unnatural way, its dull eyes betraying its fate while the other was stunned. Before it could pull itself out from beneath its kindreds corpse, Leo was already by its side, his leg coming down like an axe, his heel digging into the goblins skull with an audible crunch.


    [-40]


    [-10]


    [Level 1 Goblin Defeated]


    [+20exp]


    Leo winced from the pain shooting up his leg, his heel injured from breaking the goblins skull. The remaining goblin took a step back, intimidated by the ferocity the small boy had displayed. However, instead of fleeing, the goblin raised its club and charged with a snarl. With his foot damaged, Leo was unable to dodge this time so he raised his arms in an attempt to block the blow. The goblin swung the club and unfortunately for Leo, it struck one of his elbows.


    [-27]


    Leo inadvertently let out a scream.as one of his arms fell to his side listlessly at an odd angle, clearly broken. With a damaged leg and arm, the boy was getting desperate. Without thinking, Leo instinctively used his remaining arm to grab the Goblins wrist, pulling it towards him before it could swing again. Off Balanced, the Goblin stumbled forwards and Leo crouched before launching himself forward, tackling it to the ground.


    [-5]


    Scrambling to a kneeling position after knocking it down, Leo was able to mount the goblin but with no immediate means to kill it, he used the only weapon that he had left.


    Using his one good hand, he pushed the goblins head to the side before lunging in and biting down on the goblins neck before fiercely pulling away, tearing out its throat.


    [-71!]


    [Critical Strike]


    [Level 1 Goblin Defeated]


    [+20exp]


    Leo felt the taste of iron on his tongue as the goblin underwent its final death spasms beneath him, blood oozing uncontrollably from the wound and covering the young boy in it.


    Unable to bring himself to stand up, Leo continued to kneel in place, trying to catch his breath and allow his mind to comprehend what he had just done.


    [Child, I don''t know if I should call you brave or foolish. You killed 4 beasts with your bare hands. That alone is worthy of praise. As expected of someone we chose to be our partner].


    The voice of the bracelets was heard once again, complimenting Leo but still finding some way to praise itself in the process.


    "What the hell did you do to be so great?!" he snapped back, visibly annoyed with his useless partner as he kept spitting, trying to get rid of the nasty taste of goblin flesh from his mouth. "I had no help here! Also why is this so hard? How the hell are people supposed to clear this?!"


    [.....]


    The voice was silent for a moment before saying


    [You entered the forest alone with no equipment or armor. If you had listened to that old elder, you probably could have grown stronger before your first fight¡­.].


    Each point made Leos ears twitch as he realized that every single thing that was said was indeed factual and a result of his own impulsive behaviour.


    "I get it¡­ its my fault this time" he admitted, lowering his head, noticing the bodies of the goblins disappearing, leaving more than just a coin this time.


    On the ground were 2 wooden plank shields, a bottle with faint pink liquid inside and 4 copper coins, hard earned loot from his first life threatening fight.


    [Oh? We could make use of those. Shall I teach you how to make us stronger? That wooden trash shall be the start of our rise! HAHA!]


    The bracelets let out a boisterous laugh, not bothering to enlighten Leo what the hell it was talking about.


    "What?....I am starting to believe that I might just be going insane¡­" Leo murmured, questioning his own sanity.

 Chapter 4- Lily and Luna

    Luna put her phone into her pocket, cold sweat dripping from her forehead and her hands were shaking slightly. The doctors had called her to give her an update about her brother and how he had almost died. They still didn''t know the cause of his sudden crash of his condition but were even more confused about his currently stable state. The doctor in charge had even told her that Leone''s body was slowly but steadily improving and it was possible that he may make a full recovery.


    Exiting from a nearby alleyway, she reached inside of her jacket pocket to pull out a cigarette from a carton, she inhaled deeply before letting out a puff of smoke in relief. She looked at the ceiling, relief washing over her as she stood there. Her brother was going to be okay. Her prayers had been answered.


    "Ms. Luna, Smoking is bad for you! You know how I feel about it¡­it stinks and makes you smell like an old man. I don''t want my best friend to smell like some old fart!"


    A lively voice calling her out made Luna turn her head to see a blonde young lady in a light lilac one piece dress puffing her cheeks up in a pout. However, the pout quickly faded into surprise as she noticed the change in Lunas'' expression.


    "Luna? What happened? Was it something good?" she asked, tilting her head as she approached the girl with an age similar to her own


    "Ahh. Young Lady. It is nothing you need to concern yourself with¡­" Luna began, bowing to the young lady in deference.


    "Don''t gimme none of that Young lady crap. It''s just the two of us, you don''t need to act like my bodyguard, before anything else, we''re friends!" The girl interrupted, looking into Lunas eyes with the sternest look she could muster but all it did was make her look cute.


    "Haha¡­Lily you really are stubborn" Luna sighed, her eyes beginning to water up, threatening to spill tears as her lips twitched slightly upwards in a small smile. She took the cigarette and flicked it to the ground, snuffing it out by grinding it into the ground with her shoe.


    "That was the hospital calling me¡­" Luna began, turning her head, not looking Lily in the eyes as she spoke.


    "Something happened to your brother?! Do you need to go see him?! We can go there right now if you want!" Lily said, starting to visibly panic.


    Seeing her panic, Luna let out a soft chuckle before saying "No he''s fine. I mean they said he was in a dangerous spot but he is okay now. In fact they said there is even a chance he could make a full recovery!". The thought of that alone made Luna break into a wide smile, tears streaming down her cheeks in relief which was a stark contrast to her usual stoic expression.


    Lily covered her mouth at the shocking revelation before cheering "YAY~! That''s so good to hear! Maybe we should drop by the hospital when he is better and I can introduce myself to him~!". Near the end of her statement she narrows her eyes, intent on teasing her best friend.


    "Absolutely not." Luna replied almost instantly, her bright smile instantly disappearing, replaced by her usual cold expression as she wiped her eyes.


    "Ehhh~?! Why?!" Lily replied, shocked at the immediate refusal from her best friend.


    Luna looked over her friend, waist length blonde hair accented her baby blue eyes, a petite stature but with an hourglass figure alongside her beautiful white jade like skin. Luna looked down at herself with her more modest figure, disappointed in herself.


    "I''m protecting him from indecency." she coldly said, turning and beginning to walk away.


    "Eh?! Indecent? Me¡­ Indecent? Is this how you''re gonna treat me? W-wait for me!" Lily asked confused and somewhat offended but chased after her friend, afraid to be left alone.


    Neither of them to bothering to check on the dozen men who lay wasted in crumpled heaps in the alley, having been viciously beaten for coveting a beauty and attempting to kidnap them, unaware that they were under the protection of the famous bodyguard who had recently risen to infamy in certain circles of the underworld as the [Rabbit of Carnage].


    The two walked down the street illuminated by street lights, the two bantering back and forth, but Lily was all too quickly finding herself running out of breath, unable to maintain the same speed as Luna due to her own lack of exercise.


    "Luna! Stop walking so faast" Lily complained in exasperation. "Why are you in such a hurry? Are you trying to get rid of me?" she whined, puffing her cheeks in indignation and trying to catch her breath. .


    "Your stamina is still as trash as ever, perhaps you should exercise more often. If you want, I could train you¡­" Luna shot back almost immediately as she came to a stop to look at the girl, hoping this was the catalyst to get her charge to attain some level of fitness.


    "You train me?! NEVER! I would rather die! I dont want no Spartan Training!!!" Lily shouted back, eyes widening in a bit of fear. She had seen the intense training Luna put herself through and wanted no part of it for herself. If she wanted to torture herself, she would swap out her pop for the diet version and have sugar free snacks.


    "....Hopeless" Luna sighed, her head drooping down in defeat and dismay. Her lazy young miss was just like a fat cat, only wanting to eat, sleep and play to her hearts'' content.


    "Rude" Lily huffed, crossing her arms before saying "Is this how you talk to the person who got you a headset for you and your lil bro?" with a smug expression.


    That statement made Luna shut her mouth. Based on her own experiences, it was more than likely that the headset that saved Leones life. Taking a deep breath, Luna bowed her head and said "I will never forget that and you will always have my thanks¡­"


    "Hey Hey. None of that. You and me, we are friends. That won''t change for anything!" Lily said softly, her hands placed on the shoulder of her friend.


    Born Liliana Franscesa Gattioni, Lily was the sole daughter of the head of the Gattioni Family. Formerly known as a Crime syndicate, they had turned over a new leaf, sponsoring multiple nonprofit organizations and charities. They had since distanced themselves from committing crimes as her father Lucian followed the wishes of his late wife who had been a police officer. He had raised her with great care but due to his past reputation, parents had instructed their children not to play with her, leaving her isolated.


    The children who did approach her though were off putting as even the young Lily could tell they had ulterior motives for being her friend. They wanted to be her friend because of her family, not because of who she was. She grew used to being alone and thought it would be okay but Luna was the one who changed her mindset.


    Lily and Luna met in their first year of high school and by chance had ended up sitting beside each other. Lilys first impression of her classmate that her given name of Soluna was interesting. Also the way she didn''t smile all that much and was so serious, her short chocolate brown hair and eyes gave her a cool impression like some sort of Prince. Instead of cracking a joke, she instead put on her smiling mask and said "What a pretty name~! My name is Liliana Gattioni. Nice to meet you~". Thinking her name would get some reaction out of the girl, making her show her true colours.


    "Thanks¡­.and uhh nice to meet you¡­?" Luna responded somewhat uninterestedly, tilting her head. Completely unaware of her name. Her classmates however reacted, some clambering to make their acquaintance with her, talking about how they wanted to be her friend, asking about her family and any plans they had that Lily knew about.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Lily could only continue to fake her smile, afraid to reject their advances outright, instead rebuffing them in the vaguest ways she could. While she and her classmates laughed, she began to feel even more alone.


    "So annoying. You girls are so fake¡­. You aren''t trying to be her friend, you just want to take advantage of her because of her family. A true friend doesn''t care about crap like that. Now buzz off!" Luna had growled, stunning both Lily and her classmates.


    "H-how dare you!" one of her classmates shouted, cheeks flushed in embarrassment at being called out like that. "We aren''t like that! You know that Ms. Gattioni?!"


    "You don''t even dare call her by her first name? Some friend you are" Luna scoffed before glaring "Class is about to start. Go away now or you can spend the first period in a hospital!" she threatened, narrowed eyes and cold gaze resembled the gaze of a fierce beast.


    This scared the girl off which Lily couldn''t help find refreshing. She didn''t think she would ever be able to do something like that. She began to grow more curious about her seat neighbour but unable to bridge the gap herself.


    "Let me know if they bother you again, I don''t mind chasing them away" Luna suddenly whispered "...Also I think your name is cool." before turning her head away to look at the front. Lily looked surprised at the sudden compliment but she noticed that the tip of the girls ears had become a bit red. ''She''s embarrassed? That''s so cute!''


    Eliciting a small giggle, Lily whispered back "Well in that case, please take care of me~! You can call me Lily, thats what my family calls me!" she whispered


    "...Luna..and likewise" was the soft response.


    That was how their beautiful friendship began. Lily eventually became more extroverted, willing to put herself out there and make friends, even if it was only at a superficial level while Lunas cool expressionless face had made her quite popular with the girls, some even going as far as calling her a ''Prince'' while Lily was the ''Princess''.


    Of course, Luna was outraged by such a nickname but she didn''t have the energy to constantly complain about it out loud, resorting to grumbling about it when the two of them ate lunch together. Deep down, Lily believed that her friend would never know how much their first encounter had meant to her. She had saved her from the darkness of isolation, bringing light and colour into her world that had been so dominated in shades of grey.


    Two years flew by when tragedy struck Lunas life. One day without notice, her parents vanished. There was no note, no reported accident, they were just gone as if they had disappeared into thin air as if they never existed. She had been left to raise her little brother alone. She could no longer hang out after school, needing to find a job to provide food for her family. Lily had tried to help but Luna''s pride had pushed her away, threatening her with never talking to her again if she tried to bring mone into their friendship as she didn''t need any handouts.


    Left with no choice, Lily could only back away at the time, not daring to step on her friends'' toes even though it hurt her to see Luna like this. To make matters worse, less than a month later, Lily found Luna bawling her eyes out in the stairwell. It turned out that her little brother had contracted a mysterious illness with no cure and needed to be hospitalized.


    Never before had she seen her friend, someone who seemed so calm and collected all the time crumbling. Unable to hold herself back, Lily hugged her friend and whispered in her ear


    "I''m here for you. Let me help¡­. Please!".


    Her heart ached for her friend as their tears soaked her shoulder. It took about 20 minutes of consoling for Lunas tears to stop. Once she had composed herself, Luna had flushed in embarrassment and tried to assure Lily that she was fine and didn''t need help.


    "Lily..I''m fine. Really. Things will work themselves ouagh..?!" she had said but a strong flick between the eyes caught her off guard.


    "DON''T GIMME THAT! I''M HELPING AND THATS FINAL!" Lily shouted back, holding her hand, her finger stinging in pain.


    "If your pride wont let me help you for free. Fine. Then I will just hire you! Whether it''s as a bodyguard, secretary or companion, it doesn''t matter! You and me, we are friends. That won''t change for anything!" Lily had said with a charming smile.


    "Lily¡­."


    "Also why the hell is your head so hard?! I feel like my finger might be broken!" She added, holding up her finger which had started to swell.


    "....." Lunas touched expression faded, a sigh escaping her lips before she let out a soft laugh "Hahaha ... .You really know how to kill the mood huh!"


    "Eh? How did I do that?" Lily said, oblivious to why her friend was laughing at her.


    "So should I be calling you Young Miss going forward?" Luna teased while patting Lilys head.


    "Bish, you dare!" Lily growled, glaring at her like she was a mortal enemy but the head pats quickly melted her expression into a somewhat sloppy smile.


    "Girl you are really hopeless¡­" Luna sighed. She swore to herself that she would never say it aloud but she hoped that Lily would never change. In a world where it felt like the world around her could slip away without a moments notice, she was grateful that she had such a soft and loving best friend.


    From that moment onwards, the two best friends were practically conjoined at the hip, always hanging out together whenever possible. Lily did not encroach on Lunas'' personal time with her brother, even going as far as never having met him in person.


    Lily would have been content with that but Luna was not. She had taken Lilys statement all too seriously and had decided to act like a true bodyguard in public settings, even going as far as signing up at a famous gym to train her body. She had apprenticed under a retired pro boxer and researched other martial arts in her spare time which resulted in teasing from Lily calling her things like ''Macho Lady'' and ''Tiny Terminator''. However, each stupid nickname earned Lily a flick to her forehead and always ended with Lily tearing up as she held her head in pain, promising never to do that again only to repeat her behaviour a few days later.


    It was Lily who had first heard about Soul Ascension and had pestered Luna to play it with her, trying to come up with various schemes to get her to play. Luna had felt like it was a waste of money for a sketchy game but relented when Lily showed up with 2 consoles.


    "What should I set my username as?" Luna had asked while fidgeting with her helmet while sitting on her friends couch, across from the bed where Lily sat examining her own helmet with barely concealed excitement. She was unsure about playing a game but still somewhat eager for a welcome distraction from her situation.


    "Muu¡­. What about Lady Killer? You were popular with the girls no? and you can kick most boys asses too yeah~?" Lily had suggested with her usual teasing expression. She kept her distance, thinking she was safe from her friends lethal finger flick.


    What she forgot though was that Luna had a good arm as well, a pillow hitting her squarely in the face, eliciting a small squeak from Lily as Luna shot back. "In that case, your name should be ''Piggy'' or Chonk!", a small vein throbbing on Lunas forehead showed her agitation and annoyance at being called a Lady Killer.


    Lilys cheeks puffed up as she cried "Thats so Rude! I am NOT FAT!" in outrage. However her complaint fell on deaf ears as Luna had already put on the helmet. Grumbling in annoyance, Lily put her helmet on as well and entered the game.


    The two girls had found themselves in two very different areas for their Character Creation Areas. Lily was in the middle of a tropical rainforest, the muggy heat teemed with life and put her mind at ease plus her guide had been a cute lil animal eared boy who guided her through the process. He had been so cute that Lily had wanted to hug and squeeze him as if he was a teddy bear.


    In the end, her Affinity ended up being 98% for the [Wood Tiger] race which had modified her figure and hair, going from Blonde to a vibrant green alongside cat ears and a tail of the same colour. She thought it was so cute that she was tempted to act like a cat and talk with a Nya every now and then!.


    Lunas space was an open grassland. However, various weapons were scattered across the field, The scent of blood hanging in the air which somehow made her heart beat quicker as if she was some sort of hunter seeking prey. However she felt her heart drop when her guide appeared. He had looked eerily familiar to her brother but the mannerisms were all off, he was too calm and unfeeling as if he was some sort of robot. Ignoring the nausea that came from looking at him, she quickly selected her race as a [War Bunny] with a compatibility of 100%.


    Her already cute appearance became even more accentuated when her hair became snow white and her eyes became a dark red, reminiscent of blood. With a certain outfit, she would look like the perfect bunny girl but she mentally scoffed at the idea of wearing one, it was far too embarrassing to even think about.


    The two of them had both started in a Beastkin village but had taken different approaches to exploring, agreeing to meet up when they were done. Lily had chosen to seek out the alchemist in the city, hoping to learn how to make potions to earn money to learn a taming skill while Luna found the Lumberjack, hoping to use the experience as his apprentice as a way to train.


    The two of them had spent about a day training in their respective fields when they decided to log out to have food. Feeling somewhat hot after taking off her helmet, she asked.


    "Lily what do you want to eat? I will have the chef make it for you¡­what is it? Whats wrong" her eyes furrowed when she saw Lily looking at her with a horrified expression, looking around to see what sort of danger had her so shocked.


    "Y-y-your Eyes! H-hair too!" she stammered, unable to find the words to explain.


    "What?" Luna replied confused before walking over to her friends bathroom to look in the mirror. "WHAT?!" Luna screamed when she saw her reflection. Her short brown hair had become a flawless snowy white while her eyes had gone from chocolate brown to blood red, reminiscent of rubies. It was almost identical to her in-game appearance!


    KRRRRSH


    The sound of the granite sink countertop cracking followed her scream. Looking down, Luna saw two massive spiderweb cracks on the counter spreading from the centre of her hands, even her strength had increased massively compared to before!


    Shock overcame the young womans mind as she struggled to comprehend why her appearance and strength had changed so drastically. It took her a few minutes to compose herself, needing deep breaths to prevent herself from having a panic attack.


    It was then that she noticed a change that sparked something she hadn''t felt in a long time: Hope. Part of the reason why she had agreed to play the game at the time was that she had injured her knee and had been ordered by a doctor to rest it for about 2 weeks or it could become much worse. With every step she took, she could feel her knee twinge in pain but refused to show it, pretending everything was okay. Now though, her knee felt better, in fact it felt even better than ever. If this game could fix her knee, could it also fix her brother?!


    Without thinking too much beyond that, Luna turned to her friend and shouted "Lily! Could you get me another headset please? I- I think this could help my brother!" while shaking. She didn''t want to get her hopes up too much as she feared that if this hope was dashed, she would be left even more devastated.


    Lily had of course granted her friends wish without even a moment''s hesitation and had waited outside of the hospital while Luna delivered the birthday present to her brothers room.


    Lily even drove the car when she saw her friend was on the verge of tears after leaving the hospital.


    The phone ringing again brought Lily and Luna out of their thoughts about the past that led to this moment.


    "Hello? Speaking¡­" Luna began, her eyes furrowing as she mouthed the word ''Hospital to her friend''.


    Lily brought her hands to her mouth, nerves getting to the both of them as the thought of it being bad news inevitably crossed their minds.


    Luna was silent as she listened to the doctor on the other end while Lily waited on pins and needles. All of a sudden Lily jumped in surprise as Luna shouted.


    "My little brother is growing a WHAT?!"

 Chapter 5- Ego Name

    Leo sat in the forest clearing with his arms crossed, praying that no other goblins showed up as he waited for his health to regenerate after drinking the faint pink potion. In front of him were the spoils of his first fight: 4 copper coins, the empty potion bottle and two plank shields.


    [Child¡­ Those two shields shall be the foundation of your strength. Put them in front of us and place your hands on both of them.]


    While skeptical, Leo did as he was asked, he moved and placed both of his hands on the shields. All of a sudden,


    [Haha~! Time to feast!] The bracelets roared excitedly and before Leo could say anything, his hands turned pitch black interspaced with faint dots. The shields instantly shatter into fragments before being absorbed into his hands as if they were a black hole.


    "What the Fuu¡­.MY LOOT?!" Leo shouted, jun aggrieved at the loss of his hard earned loot.


    "Where is it. Where is my loot! What did you do?!" Leo shouted at his wrists, shaking his arms, making him look like a small child throwing a tantrum trying to get an answer from his so called ''partner''


    [BURP].


    Leos eyes froze after hearing the bracelet making a burping noise. His brain seemingly shutting down, unable to comprehend that the useless bracelet ate more than half of the spoils of his first fight.


    "Y-you a-ate it¡­..?" he stammered, his eyes and ears twitching while his tail swished in the air annoyed.


    [C-child. Please wait a second. I-I just need a moment¡­] The bracelets said nervously, sensing just how angry its partners was becoming.


    Leo opened his mouth but he didn''t get a chance to say anything before he saw a screen appear before his eyes as a swirling sensation could be felt on his wrists.


    Star Bracelet (N) attempts to use Sealed skill: [Invocation of Evolution]


    Low Grade Materials detected, Skill use granted. Result: Successful


    2 Goblin Shields have been consumed.


    Star Bracelet (N) has reached the evolution prerequisites to use [Star Shield Gauntlets] as its base combat form.


    Do you wish to proceed with Evolution? [Y/N]


    [Child, you just need to accept it and you will see!] The bracelets said. Even without a face, Leo could tell somehow that they were somehow acting smug.


    He sighed as he had no choice but to accept this Evolution. Mentally saying [Yes] in his mind, the screen disappeared and his bracelets melted into a smooth but sticky silvery gold liquid. The liquid began spreading up his forearms and covered his hands, once up to just below his elbows were covered with the mysterious liquid, it began to glow, obscuring its overall shape and bubble like boiling water but Leo didn''t feel any heat, instead the experience was pleasant like soaking his arms in lukewarm water.


    After a minute, the glow faded to reveal thin gauntlets covering both of his arms. They were extremely light with faint but ornate stars engraved into the metal and due to its structure they did not restrict his arm movement in the middle. Leo noticed that there was a curved blade along the outer edge of the gauntlet, with the thickest part being by the wrist. The gauntlets even covered his fingers up to the knuckles but was soft and malleable, allowing him to move his fingers dexterously.


    [Child, put your arms together as if you are going to block an attack! Do it quickly!] the bracelets urged, eagerly wanting to show off that it wasn''t useless.


    Suppressing a small smile, he did as was requested. As if by magic, the gauntlets seemed to melt a bit before fusing together, forming a large shield in front of him. The shape of the gauntlets on both of his hands was actually 2 halves of a massive bladed shield?!


    Star Bracelets (N) has evolved to Star Bracelets (R)


    Stats Adjusted to fit Upgrade


    Sealed Skills have been Partially Unlocked.


    Star Bracelets (R)


    A pair of bracelets that have revived a small connection to the stars. Potential for Growth


    Innate Skills: Invocation of Evolution (Low)[New!], Bond of the Zodiac (Low, Currently Unavailable)[New!],???,???,???,???,


    Bound to Player: Leo


    Stat Bonuses:


    Def+ 10Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Atk+5


    Uprade Status: 0%


    Star Bracelets (R) has met the requirements to be named.


    Bonuses will be applied based on Affinity of the name with the nature of the Ego.


    [See Child! We ARE Useful. Feel free to shower us in praise] The bracelets said with a gleeful noise, happy to show off, seeking praise from its partner.


    Leo had to admit that the bracelets had indeed surprised him as message windows popped up from the upgrade. Yet still he furrowed his brow as he had one more problem he needed to deal with before continuing on this partnership.


    "Yeah yeah. You aren''t useless but you and I need to get one thing sorted out. I am NOT a child and I am already sick of you calling me that¡­" He grumbled in annoyance. "How would you feel if I called you [Brat] all the time?".


    As soon as he said that, another screen appeared in front of his eyes.


    Do you wish to set the Ego name of the Star Bracelets (R) as ''Brat''


    [Y/N]


    Leo felt the gauntlet squirm and panic through their mental connection as it quickly said


    [Ch-child¡­ No Leo! Please don''t! We won''t call you that anymore! Please! Dont do this. You will destroy our dignity if you name us that! WAHHHH!~] it pleaded, crying like a small child.


    Leo could tell that they were begging him and if it had a human body, it probably would have been clinging to his leg with tears in his eyes.


    "As long as you understand. You call me by my name and I shall call you by yours okay?" he said, smiling wryly as he dismissed the screen with a No.


    [Sniff Sniff okay¡­.] it replied with a sniffle. Its childish behaviour made Leo feel like he was making a deal with a small child and it made him feel guilty that he made it cry.


    With a wry smile, he looked at his wrists and said "Well in that case, I look forward to working with you. [Astra], I look forward to working with you!".


    [Astra¡­..? Thats a pretty name¡­.is it really for us?] the voice that came from the gauntlets, clearly liking the name but was hesitant to accept such a pretty thing after being left neglected in a case for so long.


    Do you wish to set the Ego name of the Star Bracelets (R) as ''Astra''


    [Y/N]


    "Of course its for you" Leo chuckled, patting his gauntlet covered arm with one hand. "If what you told me is true, we will be together for a long time. I cant be calling you ''you'' all the time right? Besides, a pretty name suits such a pretty weapon~!" he added with a smile. A surge of heat coursed through his mind when he pressed [Yes], clearly a sign that he made his companion embarrassed.


    Star Bracelets (R) Name has been set as ''Astra''


    Compatibility: 100%


    Bonuses Being applied. Please wait¡­


    Leon felt the heat surge through his arms again as Astra squirmed again, the feeling of discomfort being passed through their mental connection.


    [AHHHHH!] Astra shouted as the engravings of stars became more pronounced. Leo noticed 12 spherical indents being made on the surface in a perfect circle, 6 holes on each gauntlet with lines criss-crossing, connecting them in various ways.


    Bonuses applied.


    Unique Skill: Elemental Conversion (Growth)


    Description: Distinct Elements gathered through the unique abilities of ''Astra'' shall allow Player ''Leo'' to convert their personal element into chosen element.


    Skill Lvl: 1/??


    Usage Limitations: Can Only use (1) Distinct Element at a time.


    Distinct Elements Available: 0


    Cost: N/A


    Note: As Player Leo is of the ''Void'' Element, Element Conversion will drastically affect the appearance and abilities of the Player. Drastic Changes will result in Pain. Overloading Skill will result in multiple side effects which may permanent damage and or Permanent Death.


    [Wow! We feel so much stronger! It is entirely possible we can restore ourselves to our peak of power! Maybe even surpass it!] Astra exclaimed with surprise.


    "That Unique skill is kinda scary though. What does it mean by Overload? And what do you mean will result in pain?!" Leo said, his attention focusing on the note about this new skill.


    [My dear boy~! Overloading is where you use a skill at a level beyond your current ability. So dont try to use 2 elements to convert to at the same time!] Astra explained, still on a high from the newfound potential power that it had gained from having a name.


    "My dear¡­.. boy?" Leo narrowed his eyes, glaring at his arms, conveying his annoyance to Astra who let out a small cough in response.


    [I mean Leo!.....So petty] it said before grumbling in a small voice, deflating a little bit from the narrow mindset of its partner.


    Just as Leo was about to ask a few more questions, his head jerked up as another goblin entered the clearing. This one was equipped with an iron sword in hand and was a bit bigger than the ones from before. It appeared to be looking for something as looked around the clearing


    "Kek! Kiek! Kiii! Kree!" it called out as if it was barking orders before its eyes settled on Leo. Unlike the ones before it, the goblins eyes were vigilant as it eyed Leo, perceiving him as a threat. From its back, it grabbed a small buckler and raised it up, on guard for any attack Leo might throw at it.


    [Seems we are out of time! You ready Leo?] asked as Leo readied himself as well.


    "I''m all good to go" Leo grinned bouncing a bit on the balls of his feet as he punched his palm, a lust for battle washing over him, acclimating quickly to this world of violence. His wounds had long since healed thanks to the potion he had drank earlier.


    With a snarl, the goblin lunged forward, stabbing its blade towards Leos heart, in response, the young man shifted his weight to the side, using one of his gauntlet to parry the blow, while he used another to throw a punch at its head.


    [Parried!]


    [Blocked!]


    The goblin grunted as it tried to recover from the parry. While offbalanced, it managed to raise its buckler in time and blocked the counter but was left stumbling backwards. Leo however did not chase after it, instead flipping his arm, opening his palm and beckoning the goblin to come at him in a taunting manner.


    The goblins forehead twitched as it grew aggravated, it roared as it charged again, swinging its sword down in a heavy chop. Leo once again sidestepped the blow, using his left foot as a pivot, he spun counter clockwise and sent a backfist to the Goblins temple.


    [Miss!]


    [-20]


    This time, the blow connected cleanly with the goblins head, causing it to jerk to the side after it was hit in the side of the head. The gauntlet covered blow stunned the goblin, causing it to stumble as it tried to regain its bearings. Not missing the chance this time, Leo then used his right foot to pivot back, using the bladed edge of his gauntlet to slash at the goblins chest


    [-30]


    A loud scream filled the air as blood splashed from the goblins chest. The goblin took a few steps and took a deep breath. Having a bad feeling about what would happen if he did nothing, Leo launched himself forward at the goblin, using one of his legs to try and kick the goblin in the chest to cut off its breath.


    [Crtitical Strike!]


    [-40!]


    Leo had miscalculated the distance as he was still unused to his new speed, getting much closer than he had intended to and before his brain could react to it, his leg was already rising to kick. The goblins face contorted in extreme pain, silently screaming as it was deprived of its breath as the sound of eggs breaking reverbrated through the forest.


    Leo had unintentionally kicked the goblins crotch so hard that its legs lifted off the ground. Even Leo grimaced at the brutality he caused accidentally. Leo felt extremely guilty as the goblin looked at him with its beady eyes somehow looking pitiful.


    [We know that the goblins before it were degenerate scum¡­.but this one acted like an honourable warrior. Our Partner is a cruel man it seems] Astra remarked, making Leo feel even worse about himself.


    The goblin unable to stand any longer, fell over holding its crotch, tears streaming down its face as it whimpered in agony. However that noise soon faded to nothing.


    [Level 2 Goblin Supervisor Defeated]


    [+30 EXP]


    [Level UP]


    [Title Achieved: Cruelty of Man]


    Leos face was frozen in shock as he had to come to terms with the fact that he had just killed a goblin by kicking it in the balls really really hard.


    Trying to distract himself from what even he considered to be inhumane, he turned his attention to the new title he had gained.


    Title: Cruelty of Man


    Description: Granted to players who have taken a life by destroying the liferod of a man. Perverts be warned, They will crush your balls!


    Effect: Fame +5


    "@*&#^*#&@^" Swear words reverberated through the forest,

 Chapter 6- Level 2

    Chapter 6


    It took a while for Leo to stop swearing, cheeks flushed with embarrassment from the ¡®achievement¡¯ that he viewed as shameful. First Goblins had challenged his masculinity and now he had a bit of fame for crushing balls?!


    ¡°Stupid game¡­.¡± he grumbled for the umpteenth time.


    [It''s done now¡­You can¡¯t change the past. Just don¡¯t end any more bloodlines and it will be forgotten...probably?] Astra tried to console him but was clearly not very good at it.


    ¡°Shut up about it!¡± he hissed back, the fur of his tail puffing up, showing his extreme agitation.


    [Umm¡­ uhh, well you did level up so maybe take a look at that? That might cheer you up] Astra said in an attempt to distract her angry partner.


    ¡°Ahh?! Thats right!¡± Leo shouted, his eyes gleaming in interest as he remembered that he did hear a notification that he had indeed leveled up. Somewhat excited, he opened to his status to see how it had changed. Now that he had upgraded Astra and leveled up, his stat page showed a little bit more detail.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Character Status


    Name: Leo


    Race: Adaptive Beastfolk


    Title: Cruelty of Man


    Class: N/A


    Age: 18


    Level: 2 (10/200exp)


    Status: Sickly (Body Upgrade in Progress)


    Health: 70/70 ¡ú 90/90


    Mana: 30/30 ¡ú 40/40


    Strength: 4 ¡ú 5


    Endurance: 2 ¡ú 4


    Agility: 10 ¡ú 12


    Dexterity: 9 ¡ú 10


    Intelligence: 7 ¡ú 7


    Wisdom: 3 ¡ú 4


    Charisma: 10 ¡ú 11


    Luck: 10 ¡ú 10


    Free Points: 2


    Fame: 5


    Attack: 50 (+5)


    Defence: 15 (+10)


    Dodge: 22


    Resistance: None


    Skills: Chimerafication (Innate Racial), Invocation of Evolution (Low), Bond of the Zodiac (Low), Appraisal (Innate), Battle Sense (Innate), Elemental Conversion(Unique), Shield Arts (F)


    Equipment: Astra (R)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Leos tail twitched as he saw that dreaded title on his Status page but quickly became distracted by the other changes. He noticed that the new stats like Attack had correlations with his direct stats but didn¡¯t know what Fame did or how to obtain a class.


    With no one else to ask, he turned to Astra and asked ¡°So do you know how Free points work? I have a vague idea but I could be wrong¡­¡± he said hesitantly.


    [Hohoho~! Our time to shine! Just call us Teacher Astra! Our Pupil shall shine under our guidance!] Astra huffed, their self esteem skyrocketing after their partner had asked them that question.


    ¡°Nevermind. I will go back to the village and ask¡± Leo interrupted before beginning to walk back towards the village, not all that willing to entertain the egotistical brat he was bound to.


    [W-wait! I¡¯ll explain! Let me do it!] Astra whined.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m listening¡± Leo sighed, feeling like he was bullying Astra but knew that if he wasn¡¯t tough now, they would most likely become unbearable in the future.


    [Free Points are Free Points. You can use them however you want!] Astra explained.


    ¡°.....Are you an idiot?¡± Leo asked, his expression changing to look at Astra as if they were mentally challenged.


    [H-how Rude! Learning Skills, Investing in Stats, Trading for money. You can do all that with Free Points! You can also receive Free Points as rewards from Quests!] Astra added, feeling offended by Leos reaction. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Leo remained silent as he digested what Astra had told him. If his deductions were right Astra would become incredibly versatile in the future so he had no need for other weapons. What he would need though were skills that complimented those various weapons!


    Mentally taking note that he would most likely need to save up Free points to learn skills, he chose not to invest them at the moment. Preparing to leave the clearing, Leo noticed a shabby looking necklace made of teeth and animal bones in the grass and picked it up.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Obtained Goblin Necklace


    Quest item.


    Description: A necklace of a Goblin Supervisor that was recently defeated in the Beginner Forest. Turn into Village Elder for a reward.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He was surprised when a screen popped up stating that the necklace itself was not equipment but something that could get him a reward despite not receiving an actual quest from the Village elder before.


    With his curiosity burning him up inside, Leo took off in the direction he had come from, humming a tune as he ran off at a brisk pace.


    Leo had been lucky that he had left when he did as not even a minute after leaving, over 10 goblins charged into the clearing, each one wielding weapons made of iron like the Goblin Supervisor had been wielding. At their head was a goblin more than twice the size of the others and had adorned itself with a crown made of thorns and twigs.


    ¡°KRAAAAAAAAA!¡± it roared into the air, bloodlust emanating from its whole body. When its voice was met with silence. With no leads, the crowned goblin turned back, heading back deeper into the forest, its men following it obediently.


    The return journey was relatively uneventful from Leos perspective as he tried to communicate more with Astra, trying to see if he could hear anything about their past. Unfortunately, every time Astra tried to say anything of importance about itself, something seemed to interfere as all he heard was static noise. Upon exiting the forest, he saw the village and felt a strange peace wash over him. It was a quaint village but from a distance, it looked beautiful, calm and relaxing. A place to call home.


    Leo shook his head at that thought, shrugging away that notion as a passing folly since anything would be better than the hospital he had been chained to for so long.


    ¡°Who goes there?!¡± a booming voice rang out, causing Leos ears to ring in pain, flattening against his head as he turned to the source of the voice. He saw a burly bear of a man standing a short 20 meters away from him in front of a log cabin that lay on the outskirts of the forest. The man was shirtless which showed off his bare chest, though his chest hair and unkempt beard made him look a little bit grizzly. He held a massive lumber axe in his hand and radiated bloodthirst that made Leo feel a little bit scared. The man was clearly on guard against Leo.


    Leo wasn¡¯t sure why that was the case until he took a better look at his current appearance. His shirt which had been a thin white linen material had become dark red after being coated in blood. His clothing was also torn, making him look disheveled, having barely escaped with his life from the forest or in the worst case scenario, a bandit who had wandered into the village.


    Realizing this, Leo held up his hands, signalling he meant no harm as his gauntlets glowed before transforming back into bracelets. ¡°I just want to let you know the blood isn¡¯t mine¡± he began but realized that it was a stupid thing to say, that only made him look more suspicious! He became flustered as the other man seemed to become even more vigilant of Leo ¡°I-I mean I just came from the Forest. The blood is goblin blood!¡± he hastily explained which caused the bear mans already furrowed brows to become even more pronounced.


    ¡°What? Goblins? So close to the village? How can you prove it.¡± The man questioned, not bothering to hide his skepticism at Leos explanation. With no other choice, he pulled the necklace out of his pocket and showed it to the burly man. Seeing that necklace, the man scowled before breaking out into a boisterous laugh, the bloodthirst evaporating nearly instantly.


    ¡°My apologies little one! I thought you were a bandit! I almost chopped you in half with my axe!¡± he guffawed loudly. In a single moment, the man had gone from intimidating brute to easygoing giant. The man walked up to Leo who was still trying to comprehend the sudden shift in attitude and patted the young man on the head.


    ¡°Not many young ladies like you have the guts to go into the forest alone and kill goblins. Consider this uncle impressed¡± he said brightly. Hearing the man call him a lady made Leo want to cry. Where was his masculinity? He didn¡¯t want to be cute! He wanted to be cool! With tears threatening to form in his eyes, Leo looked up at the man and growled


    ¡°I am NOT a GIRL! I am a MAN!¡±


    The burly mans hand froze at that statement, his expression becoming awkward as he looked down at the cute young boy(?) before him.


    ¡°I am sorry young lad¡­I just thought you were a girl because you were uhh¡­cute?¡± The man said, retracting his hand to awkwardly scratch his head.


    Being called cute was like an arrow to the heart for Leo who felt like he was going through an identity crisis. He didn¡¯t like the idea of being considered cute by a macho man.


    ¡°The name¡¯s Barry. The local Lumberjack around these parts. Nice to meet ya kid. ¡± the man said with a smile. Holding out his hand for a handshake. Feeling it would be rude not to, he reciprocated the handshake and said ¡°My name is Leo. Nice to meet you too. Oh and this is Astra¡±. While using his free hand to point to his bracelet.


    ¡°Firm Handshake. I like it¡­Barry had confusion on his face as he looked at the young man before his gaze became somewhat pitiful. ¡°I see¡­.well tell Astra that it is nice to meet her too¡±.


    Leo felt like something wasn¡¯t quite right with the way that Barry had begun to look at him but for his own mental sanity, decided to pretend he didn''t see it.


    ¡°I would offer you some food lad but I don¡¯t have much to offer you. I have sent out my newest apprentice to go pick up some supplies for me. If you want to stick around for a bit, this old man can teach you a move or two¡± Barry said with a soft laugh before looking into the distance, perhaps looking for that apprentice he spoke of.


    ¡°She shouldn¡¯t be too much longer. What do you say lad?¡± Barry asked, turning his head back with a smile.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Barry the Lumberjack has issued you the quest: Guidance


    Quest Details: Receive guidance from Barry (Gorillakin) on the method of using axes


    Difficulty: F


    Completion Reward(s): Axe Mastery (Passive), 1 Free Point


    Requirements: Strength 10, Dexterity 5


    Quest Failure: None


    Additional information: Barry feels sorry for you. He mistook you for a bandit and then a girl. He is also wary of your mental state and feels it would be best to teach you something while you reside in the vilage


    Do you wish to accept the Quest [Accept/Decline].


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Looking at the additional requirements, Leo couldn¡¯t honestly say that it didn''t irk him but the reward in itself was something that he couldn¡¯t quite possibly ignore. However the requirements broke his heart.


    Groaning, he looked Barry in the eyes and said through clenched teeth. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t think I am strong enough to learn from you yet.¡±


    ¡°Haha~! No worries Kiddo. Feel free to come back when you think you can handle it!¡± Barry said, not taking offence, unaware of Leo''s inner turmoil at being unable to initiate his quest. Barry smacked Leos back as a form of encouragement but his massive hands and strength made it feel like he smashed a block of wood against his back.


    ¡°Oh look who''s finally back. Took you long enough!¡± Barry remarked, raising his voice as he noticed someone approaching the cabin.


    ¡°You really like to complain for an old man¡­¡± a cool voice responded nonchalantly. ¡°Who¡¯s this? A guest?¡± they said.


    The newcomer''s voice was something Leo knew all too well. Turning around, he saw a beautiful young woman wearing a brown leather vest, black leggings with 2 small axes attached to her waist standing there. One of her hands was on her hips, her face was frozen, eyes widening in shock when she saw Leo.


    ¡°Uhhh¡­Hi Sis..Hehe¡­.¡± Leo chuckled nervously.


    He never expected that the apprentice Barry was speaking of was his own sister!

 Chapter 7 - Family Reunion

    With a few exceptions, Luna looked almost exactly the same as he remembered when his eyes were still good. The new long rabbit ears on the top of her head and ruby red eyes accentuated her cuteness.


    Leo became nervous when his sister didn¡¯t say anything. He had forgotten to go look for her in the game up until now and his current state of dress was less than ideal.


    Barry looked between the two of them before turning to Leo and curiously asked ¡°Do you know that brat?¡±. He was wondering what sort of relationship between the two of them and couldn¡¯t resist the urge to ask the question.


    ¡°Oh y-yeah. She is my SistAAAAAAAGHH¡± Leo began but his words ended up in a scream as Luna launched herself at him, practically tackling him and bear hugging him as she loudly cried out ¡°LEEOOOOOOO!!¡± with tears streaming down her face.


    Gone was the cool and sophisticated yet still cute girl, replaced by a blubbering mess of a girl who cried at reuniting with her brother. She didn¡¯t want to let him go and squeezed him tighter.


    [-60]


    An alarming damage number flashed above Leos head as he felt his bones being crushed from her overbearing hug. Growing up with her, he knew that she was strong but this was ridiculous! One hug and he was almost dead.


    ¡°H-hey! Let go of him! He will die if you dont!¡± Barry shouted in panic, trying to pry Leo from Lunas grasp. It took a minute or so but Barry was able to pry open Lunas arms, allowing Leo a chance to breathe.


    The tears of a foolish sister only became stronger seeing her brother alive and well. The relief that washed over her seeing him alive and in good shape felt like a massive burden off her back was too overwhelming for her. She sank to her knees in front of Leo bawling, trying to wipe her eyes with her hands as they kept falling, even her nose beginning to run.


    ¡°Sis¡­its okay! I¡¯m okay¡­. We will all be okay¡± Leo consoled Luna, giving her a gentle hug himself while trying to catch his breath, giving Barry a look of gratitude for saving his life from what would have been an embarrassing death.


    It took nearly 10 minutes for Luna to stop crying and to compose herself. She stood up, dusting her legs as her ears burned a fiery cherry red, the shame of crying so uncontrollably was a big blow to her pride.


    She coughed a bit before growling ¡°Today never happened. If you even breathe a word about this, I will make you wish you were dead¡­¡±. Her voice fading as Leo began laughing softly.


    ¡°Whatever you say Sis. Your words are the law right~?¡± he said between laughs, a bright smile plastered on his face. Even if today was just a dream and this was the end, it would still be a happy family reunion.


    ¡°Thats right. You should always listen to your beautiful and wise older sister! It is a little brothers duty to make their big sister look good¡­OK?!¡± Luna put her hands on her hips and said with a serious tone.


    There was a brief moment of silence before both of them burst into laughter, their cheerful demeanour showing how much they loved and missed each other. To the both of them, it was almost like they had gone back in time to a point before everything had gone downhill.


    Barry watched his apprentice smiling and laughing so happily after reuniting with her sibling, something that he had never seen from before. He had thought the girl had been a little cold, every one of her smiles or laughs around him had felt forced at best. He was gratified to see that she could truly smile like a girl her own age should.


    ¡°So what do you think of the game so far? I¡¯ve only played for a week but it has felt really intense. I feel like I have grown even stronger¡± Luna asked, her eyes showing how curious she was about Leos own experience leading up to the village.


    Luna then noticed the bloodstains on Leos clothes. Barry and Leo felt the surrounding temperature drop several degrees and a rumbling noise came from Lunas body. The light in her eyes dimmed and red trails of smoke rose from her body: Bloodlust given physical form.


    ¡°Who¡­?¡± Luna said emotionlessly as she stared at the blood on her brothers clothes. Leo could feel sweat dripping down his back as he recognized that his sister was beyond furious now.


    ¡°Who.. am I going to have to execute for hurting my baby brother!¡± Luna snarled, even with her rabbit ears, both Barry and Leo couldn¡¯t help but be a tiny bit afraid.


    ¡°Sis its not my blood!¡± Leo shouted before Luna could charge off somewhere and cause unspeakable havoc.


    ¡°Its blood from the 5 Goblins I killed. I¡¯m Level 2 now!¡± he continued, grabbing his sisters shoulders in an attempt to get her to focus on him.


    His plan worked as Lunas eyes regained light as she remarked ¡°You are Level 2 already?! I still haven¡¯t reached level 2 yet. Stingy old man doesn''t give much Exp to level up!¡± she said before glaring at Barry, feeling wronged.


    ¡°I¡¯m not an old man! And it can¡¯t be helped. You are supposed to gather a foundation before you face off with monsters. Inexperienced hunters may die if they aren¡¯t careful around monsters like goblins. Not everyone can be lucky like your brother and survive an encounter with a..Wait a second, did you just say you killed 5 goblins?!¡± Barry retorted, trying to explain but was instead shocked by the information Leo had nonchalantly blurted out. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Yeah. It was really rough fighting 3 of them alone at the same time but I managed.¡± Leo shrugged.


    Barry felt his jaw drop as he looked at what he could only describe as a little monster in the making. Luna puffed up her chest with pride, giving the Lumberjack a smug grin as if to show off that she was proud to have such a talented little brother. Her anger quickly fading when she found out the monsters that tried to bully her brother were already dead.


    ¡°By the way Sis. What do your stats look like? I didn¡¯t really have a baseline to what is considered good¡± Leo said, his own curiosity rising as he looked at his sister with a pleading gaze. She could tell he wanted to see her stat page. Letting out a sigh she said ¡°Oh what am I gonna do with you~...Alright [Status].


    The status screen showed up before Lunas eyes and with a little bit of fiddling, it quickly became visible to Leo as well.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Character Status


    Name: Luna


    Race: Warbunny


    Title: Lumberjack Apprentice


    Class: N/A


    Age: 19


    Level: 1 (79/100exp)


    Status: Healthy


    Health: 105/105


    Mana: 10/10


    Strength: 10


    Endurance: 7


    Agility: 10


    Dexterity: 5


    Intelligence: 2


    Wisdom: 1


    Charisma: 7


    Luck: 4


    Free Points: 0


    Skills: Bloodlust (Innate Racial), Axe Mastery (F), Throwing (F), Appraisal (Innate), Rampage (Innate Racial)


    Equipment: Hatchet(x2), Leather Vest, Leather Pants


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°So how is it?¡± Luna asked, eyes shining brightly as she expected her brother to praise her for being so strong.


    ¡°It is exactly what I expected from you Sis¡­.¡± Leo smiled, trying not to laugh as it was almost exactly what he was expecting to see from her. Having grown up with her, he knew that behind her usually calm cool exterior that she showed to others, Luna was in actuality an airhead. While she may be a genius in the sense of physicality, she was a lost cause when it came to academia. However, Leo did not have the guts to tell her that as he knew that it would end in one of two ways: He either gets punched or makes her cry again. None of those were ideal, especially the punch since he had almost died from a mere hug. The thought of taking a punch from her made him shiver.


    ¡®Nope. No way!¡¯ Leo thought, shaking his head before he said ¡°You are really amazing Luna!¡±. It was always better to play it safe and compliment her.


    Lunas cheek puffed her cheeks as if she sensed something was off with the praise Leo was giving her. ¡°Is it because of my low intelligence and wisdom stats?¡± she asked with narrowed eyes.


    Leo gulped nervously, eyes trembling as he mentally cursed his sisters senses. ¡®Why the hell were they so unnecessarily sharp in cases like this?!¡¯


    Trying to hide his nervousness, Leo tilted his head ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about Sis¡­¡±


    Leo thought that his poker face was pretty good and had hid his expression well but Lunas suspicion became a fact in her mind as her little brothers tail was tucked close to his body and his cat ears were laid flat against his head, showing that he was nervous just like any other typical cat.


    ¡®He¡¯s so cute as a kitty!¡¯ Luna thought as she glared at him. However no matter how cute he was, such a cheeky brat needed to be punished.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you lie ya little turd!¡± she roared, raising her hand and flicked Leo between the eyes. A short scream came from Leos mouth as a loud bang akin to a gunshot rang out.


    [-19]


    [Stunned!]


    Leos head snapped back as the finger connected with his head. His feet left the ground and his eyes rolled back and his vision became white as he lost consciousness. Smoke rose from the spot where Luna flicked his head.


    Luna made ¡®Hmph¡¯ noise as she crossed her arms, somewhat satisfied with the punishment she had doled even as Leo was laid out flat on his back, slight twitching the only sign that he wasn¡¯t dead yet. Smoke rose from Leos forehead as Barry panicked seeing his apprentice nearly murder their brother in front of him


    Barry pulled out a potion and knelt down to feed Leo. Luna looked on without saying anything  but deep down felt really guilty. How could she be grateful that her brother was alive only to nearly kill him herself! However, her pride didn¡¯t allow her to apologize. Instead she crossed her arms and growled


    ¡°Did you learn your lesson? Don¡¯t mess with the majesty of the big sister!¡±.


    As the potion rapidly recovered his wounds, Leo sat up coughing a bit. He felt wronged but didn¡¯t dare say anything. He had no desire of being beaten again. ¡®Would there ever come a day that a younger brother could triumph over his elder sister? He wondered but he knew today was not that day.


    ¡°Thank you Mr. Barry¡± Leo said, turning back to face his saviour. ¡°You have saved my life again¡±. He said sincerely.


    ¡°No.No. There¡¯s no need to thank me. I can¡¯t let a young talent like you die before you have a chance to soar¡± Barry said back sheepishly, not willing to admit that his apprentice was scaring him a little bit as she reminded him of his own older sister.


    Despite not saying it, Leo recognized that look in his eyes, having seen it quite often on his own face. Leo held out his hand to Barrys and whispered ¡°Comrade..¡±.


    Barry looked at Leos hand then at the boy himself. When he looked in his eyes, he realized what he meant. He then firmly grasped the boys hand and replied ¡°Comrade!¡±.  The two of them had formed a bond of mutual understanding: Older Sisters are scary!


    Luna looked at the two men bonding and for some reason felt annoyed but chose to not act upon it. Instead she sent a message to Lily, telling her that she had found her brother in the game. Lily had almost immediately replied and said she would be there soon as her shift at the shop was over so they could party up and go questing together. With no other choice,she sat down and waited for her friend to show up. Her eyes began roaming over her brother''s body, especially in the areas around the ears and tail which looked fluffy and cute even to her eyes.


    Leo noticed his sisters gaze and approached her again.


    ¡°Sis. I have a few questions I have to ask. I need to know¡± he began, growing nervous, afraid to hear the answers be the worst case scenario.


    ¡°What is happening in the real world? Am I okay? Or am I still going to die?¡± he said, biting his lips.


    Luna closed her eyes and replied with a soft voice ¡° The doctors say that you are getting better. They are seeing noticeable improvements in real time. Though there was one thing that surprised me.¡±


    Relief washed over Leo as he heard what he had hoped to hear. A game had somehow managed to save his life. But the last part of his sisters statement piqued his curiosity.


    ¡°What was that?¡± he asked, tilting his head.


    ¡°The doctors told me that it seems that you are growing a tail¡± she replied with a smirk.


    ¡°Sorry. I dont think I heard you correctly. What did you say?¡±


    ¡°No you heard correctly. Somehow you are growing a tail¡±


    Leo felt his sanity rapidly crumbling when he heard that.


    His mind was left blank, leaving only 3 words for him to say.


    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK?!¡±

 Chapter 8- Im not Crazy... Right?

    Chapter 8


    Leo was horrified at the news that he was growing a tail in reality. The thought of becoming a real life cat boy was mortifying in itself. Would he end up ending every sentence with a ¡®nya¡¯ or something? The thought of that alone made him want to throw up.


    ¡°It''s not all that bad right?¡± Luna said, trying to be comforting after seeing how hard he was taking the news. ¡°It will just serve to make you look even cuter!¡±.


    Leo looked blankly at his sister, he knew it wasn¡¯t intentional but her words felt like she was kicking him when he was already down.


    ¡°Astra! What is the meaning of this!¡¯ he angrily shouted , shaking his wrist in frustration


    [We don¡¯t know. All we did was pour our energy reserves into your body!] Astra replied, clearly nervous at the sudden surge of anger directed towards it.


    ¡°Well you clearly did something! A Tail? A tail of all things. I am going to look like a freak¡± Leo moaned, holding his head as horrific scenarios played in his head. Even Astra seemed disturbed by what they were seeing.


    [Gross¡­] Astra said after a moments pause.


    ¡°Tell me about it!¡± Leo groaned, slowly growing fearful towards the day he would log out and be back in his own body.


    Leo felt a tap on his shoulder, turning his head, he saw his sister looking at him with an extremely concerned look on her face.


    ¡°Umm. Who are you talking to Leo? Who¡¯s Astra?¡± Luna asked, afraid that she had hit her brother so hard that he might have started imagining things.


    ¡°Astra is this. The bracelets on my wrists¡± Leo explained, feeling wronged ¡°They are my weapon and they are very talkative, a little bratty sometimes. Don¡¯t you hear it?¡±.


    Lunas eyes watered a bit before she gave Leo a gentle hug, ¡°I am so sorry. Your sister didn¡¯t mean to hit you that hard!¡±. She was fully blaming herself for her brother to start hearing imaginary voices.


    ¡°No¡­ he was saying that before you hit him.¡± Barry interjected. ¡°He was mentioning this Astra before so it wasn¡¯t you who broke his mind¡­you may have broken his skull before¡± he said, the last words closer to a murmur but still didn¡¯t escape Lunas hearing. Luna glared at her teacher accusatorily but decided to not pursue the matter.


    ¡°Wha¡­ Astra is able to speak! They are a soulbound weapon or something! C¡¯mon, tell them Astra!¡± Leo shouted, hoping that his partner would vouch for him.


    [We would but it matters not. They wouldn¡¯t hear us anyways. It¡¯s not like we have an actual voice. You are hearing us inside of your head. We communicate via telepathy¡­] Astra replied non committedly.


    This revelation was like a bucket of cold water being dumped on him. He had thought Astras voice was coming from the bracelets. It somehow never occurred to him that Astra wasn¡¯t physically saying anything. No wonder why Barry had looked at him like he was pitiful when he first explained it.


    ¡°Soulbound weapon¡­.? Wait I think I have heard about that sort of thing before¡± Barry said with a furrowed brow, trying to recall where he had heard that term before.


    When he remembered, his eyes widened in shock as he shouted ¡°I-is it really a soulbound weapon?! I thought they were a myth! Each one is said to hold some earth shattering power. Power that can let one challenge even the gods!¡±.


    [I like this one. He is aware of our greatness.] Astra remarked, their self esteem spiking from the shock and awe Barry was showing.


    Despite Leo nodding yes, Barry leaned in closer to inspect the bracelets and said with furrowed brows ¡°Are you sure you weren¡¯t swindled? These look a little¡­ shoddy to be such a mystical piece of gear. What grade is it anyways?¡±


    [....Nevermind. We take it back. We don¡¯t like this ignorant gorilla!] Astra said, offended about being called shoddy.


    ¡°Well if I read the description earlier, Astra is currently at the Rare Grade. I was the one to name them too¡± Leo replied honestly. Perhaps Barry would have more information about what sort of entity Astra was.


    ¡°Rare? That settles it, you were scammed. Lets go down to the village and find the scamming piece of trash who took advantage of you. I will help you get your money bac Barry growled in rage. Luna nodding in approval at his suggestion. Barry picked up his axe and began storming off in the direction of the village but stopped after a few steps. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    With his back facing away from the 2 siblings, he said ¡°Hold on¡­Did you say ¡®currently¡¯? What do you mean by that?¡± he asked, having noticed something off about the way Leo spoke of it.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Astra was normal grade earlier but they ate 2 shields and upgraded to the Rare grade. Can even transform too!¡± Leo explained, raising both of his arms, the bracelets glowed briefly before changing into the form of the gauntlets.


    Luna thought the transformation was cool, growing a bit jealous, wanting a cool transformation weapon herself, staring at them with stars glimmering in her eyes. Barry on the other hand felt his body shaking in surprise. ¡°Go see that old fart Pyrs. He is the village blacksmith. He will be able to teach you more about your weapon I think. You should go now¡± he explained, not wanting to embarrass himself in front of his apprentice.


    ¡°Ehh? Alright..¡± Leo said with a confused look on his face. He wasn¡¯t sure why Barry was so intent on getting rid of him so soon.


    ¡°Alright Old Man, I will be back later. I will be going with my brother now¡± Luna said, waving goodbye to her Teacher who was in awe when he turned to see Astra transforming back into a set of bracelets. Luna grabs Leos hand and pulling him along and away from the log cabin.. Unable to break free from his sisters grasp, he waved with his free hand to Barry calling out.


    ¡°I will make sure to visit Comrade¡­ Bye for now¡± he said while Barry waved.


    ¡°You too ... .take care. Also I am not an old man. I am middle aged at best!¡± Barry replied with a somewhat forced smile but still retorted to the rude behaviour of Luna. He had sent out his apprentice to grab him some supplies and she had left without handing them over. Once the two of them were out of sight, he let out a sigh. He shook his head at the thought of his silly apprentice but his thoughts kept drifting back to what Leo had called Astra.


    ¡°Pyrs will have a field day if that is really a Soulbound Weapon¡­If it¡¯s growth based too¡­. We may finally have some hope¡­¡±  he murmured in front of his cabin. He looked towards the forest which had begun to grow darker with the setting of the sun.


    Hand in hand, the siblings arrived in the village relatively quickly. At some point during their walk, Luna managed to regain her composure, acting all cool and mature again but her own rabbit ears twitching betrayed her joy and excitement that was hidden.


    The two of them arrived at a small stone building with a large chimney, black smoke emanating from it, the scent of burning coal and metal hanging heavily in the air. On the door was a sign that said ¡®Pyrs Smithery¡¯ which meant they were at the right place.With nothing to lose, Leo pushed the door open and entered the shop, Luna following closely behind him.


    ¡°Whoa¡­.¡± Leo exclaimed in awe. Along the walls were weapons of various types lined up along the walls. Behind the counter stood a bald man wearing a pair of heavy goggles with a grey beard and was covered in soot and ash. The man grunted before shouting ¡°Oi Young Lass! What are you doing here! Did your teacher send you on another errand? That brat still owes me 10 silver for fixing that axe of his!¡± in a loud gruff voice.


    ¡°He sent us here to talk to you Sir. Besides, my teacher said that he covered the cost of your tab at the tavern again. He said its you who owes him now. 2 silver was it?¡± Luna replied back cooly, not even flinching at the mans shouting.


    ¡°HAHAHAHA¡± the man guffawed before coming out from behind the counter. Leo was shocked when he saw the man was actually a dwarf, barely over 4 feet tall but had a strong muscular frame. Leo couldn¡¯t help but stare at the dwarf, something he had never seen before. His gaze while pure, seemed to agitate the man


    ¡°What are you looking at lil lady! You have a problem with me? Never seen a dwarf before?!¡± he growled at Leo. Being called a lady again made Leo frown but before he could retort, Luna interjected.


    ¡°Mr. Pyrs¡­ this is my BROTHER Leo. My teacher told him to come see you about his weapon. He said you may know something about it.¡± she said with a slight smile. While it did seem like she was being polite, her eyes were staring at the dwarf coldly, clearly not okay with her brother being treated so rudely. Pyrs didn¡¯t overtly react, simply turning away and saying ¡°My bad lad. Follow me to the back. I shall inspect this ¡®weapon¡¯ of yours¡±.


    Somewhat happy that someone else had stood up to protect his pride, he flashed a grateful smile to his sister before following the stout dwarf to the back of his shop where he saw a decent looking forge, anvil and long table.


    ¡°I will be back in a bit. I am going to go meet my friend. When you are done we can go hunting in the forest and level up. Olay?¡± Luna said before turning to leave the shop, not bothering to listen to Leos response, before leaving him alone with the Blacksmith.


    ¡°Alright then. Show me the weapon. Though be warned if it involves pulling your trousers down, I will beat your skull in with my hammer¡± Pyrs warned arrogantly, leaving Leo appalled at the statement.


    ¡°Its not that¡­¡± Leo said, suppressing the urge to try and beat the Blacksmith up. Instead he raised his arms, showcasing Astras transformation ability.


    ¡°Hohoho~! Now that is interesting. Where did you get this? What Grade is it? SR, SSR, UR?¡± the blacksmith said, his curiosity now piqued.


    ¡°Well it tells me that it is a Soulbound Weapon and it is Rare grade for now. It can be upgraded apparently¡± he answered. Just like Barry, Pyrs froze upon hearing those words. Without a word, Pyrs rushed closer to Leo, fully intent on studying Astra. He looked like a little kid opening presents on Christmas day.


    ¡° I have never seen one before but I have heard the legends and myths. Plus its a growth type? That¡¯s even rarer!¡± Pyrs gushed, clearly believing every word Leo had told him. ¡°I shall use a high level analysis of that gear, what did you say its name was?¡± Pyrs began to explain but remembered that he had yet to ask for its name.


    ¡°Its name is Astra¡± Leo replied, a little caught off guard by the sudden change in the behaviour of the gruff dwarf.


    ¡°Ahh. Astra huh. Pretty name for a pretty weapon~¡± Pyrs chuckled softly.


    [Hehehe! This one is much better] Astra giggled, clearly pleased at the praise.


    ¡°It will take a bit to get the spell ready. Would you like a drink while you wait. I have coffee, tea, ale and water¡­ I mean I guess humans would consider it beer.¡± Pyrs said, showing surprising amount of hospitality.


    ¡°Im good thanks. I¡¯m fine¡± Leo said with an awkward smile. Pyrus walked a short distance away, preparing to do a deeper appraisal of Astras abilities.


    While Leo was waiting for Pyrus to finish, he noticed a small blinking mail icon in the corner of his vision. Someone had sent him a message.


    Opening it, Leos expression crumpled into a frown as it was a letter from a Pharmaceutical company.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    To Mr. Haronyu


    It has come to the attention of Samael Pharmaceutical Corporation that you are experiencing a previously unseen medical phenomena. We seek your cooperation in the betterment of society and request that you donate your body to our medical research team. Please be aware that if you choose to deny our request, we will have no choice but to seek compensation for the unpaid medical bills from your sister. Please take your time and consider your options. We look forward to your cooperation in the near future.


    Regards,


    Anthony Samael.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡±

 Chapter 9- Bastard Child: Ouroboros (1)

    The Samael Pharmaceutical Corporation or the SPC for short was globally recognized as one of the biggest sellers of medical technology, provider of life insurance as well as being board members of multiple different hospitals, including the one where Leones body was.


    When a notice was sent out about a patient who was experiencing a previously unseen medical phenomena, it inevitably reached the ears of the Acting CEO of the SPC.: Anthony Samael. A middle aged man with short black hair and grey eyes but he was by no means attractive as he was a known womanizer and quite chubby. In addition to that, he was petty, greedy and had trouble keeping his anger issues under control.


    Hearing about this medical marvel, Anthony came to the conclusion that he needed to monopolize this and immediately drafted a message to Leone who was stuck in the game. He was essentially telling him to die in the name of ¡®Science¡¯ but the reality of it was that he was just chasing glory and credit, something that would allow him to retain the seat of CEO when his father returned from overseas. He did not trust any of his 7 younger brothers and sisters to not try and backstab him to take his place. The only ones he ever called upon were his secretaries and the youngest ¡®sibling¡¯ Adam.


    Adam was unlike his other siblings, he was a child of a mistress and raised outside of the family for most of his life. Adams father might have never known of his existence if not for the terrible tragedy that had taken the life of the young boys mother. From the Age of 7, he was ostracised from his brothers and sisters, often being bullied out of his fathers sight by them as well. He had no reprieve at school either as both students and teachers alike made his school life a living hell in attempts to get into his siblings good graces.


    The reason they bullied and abused him was for a simple petty reason: He was the only among the 9 of them that had inherited their fathers golden amber coloured eyes. Fearing that if he was left unchecked, they had banded together to crush a young boy who just craved familial affection.


    Whether his father noticed it or not, he refused to help Adam, leaving him to fend for himself. All of this left lasting scars on Adams psyche but he refused to show it. He did not want to give the monsters he was related to by blood any satisfaction from abusing him.


    As time passed, his siblings grew bored of tormenting him. No longer viewing him as a threat, they turned on each other, dragging each other through the proverbial mud in often messy and savage schemes. Adam had been a witness to his 7th sibling Jeffery being arrested for the rape and murder of a young intern who had gone missing, her body having been dredged out of a river. Adam had not moved when his brother pleaded for his help with tears in his eyes.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t murder her! I swear! You have to believe me¡± he had cried.


    Adam knew that was true¡­ Jeffery had only raped the girl, it was his sister Elise who had killed the girl and had it dumped in the river, knowing it would be found in an attempt to damn her brother in the process. He had spent a day in jail before the family lawyers had him out on bail. Not even a day later, the charges too were dropped and journalists were bribed to bury the story, leaving the family to go about its business as if nothing had ever happened.


    None of them viewed life as something sacred, viewing themselves as being greater than the common rabble so the life and death of these ¡®ants¡¯ were nothing to them.


    Adam hated it with every fiber of his being, he missed the days he spent at the dinner table with his mother, just the two of them. He missed cuddling with her on the couch watching cartoons, he missed the way she read him books when he was sick. Now every day felt so cold as he waited to see what fresh new atrocities his siblings would cook up.


    While his eldest brother was the Acting CEO, their father had assigned Adam to be his brothers secretary and helping him out wherever he could. Anthony did not appreciate that and had dismissed Adam from the role almost immediately after their father had left, replacing him with a couple pretty girls to fool around with despite being married and even having a daughter who was only a few years younger than Adam.


    Adam did not attempt to reverse the dismissal, instead continuing to play the role as the family black sheep. He constantly flirted with women, openly acting like a degenerate playboy douchebag but he never laid his hands on any of them. He couldn¡¯t bring it upon himself to truly be like his siblings nor could he find it in what remained of his heart to love anyone. He didn¡¯t wish to drag someone he loved down with him while he plotted and carried out a scheme of his own: To tear down the Samael Family and the den of vipers that was the company.


    While Anthony had unfounded confidence that his letter would work, he nevertheless called his brother to the office.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Listen here you lil bastard. I need you to do something for me. I need you to enter this game and make contact with whoever this Leone Haru or whatever his name is and agree to the request made of him by the SPC. An orphaned brat like him will fold like a rice cracker when a big company threatens to force him to pay his medical bill.


    Adam narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing Anthonys request. Clearly he had not taken a look at Leones file. He had failed to notice that the boy had a sister and that sister was well known as the closest confidant of Liliana Gattioni, the sole daughter of the Gattioni Family. While that family as a whole had turned over a new leaf, their origins were still stained with blood from countless crimes. They would most certainly protect one of their own and by extension, that boy most certainly was one of them.


    ¡°You do well here and I will make sure you are treated as a proper family member around this company and not just some scummy bastard. Do we have a deal?¡± Anthony asked with a disdainful smirk. He truly believed that Adam would be happy to be treated like a proper member of the family. Of course Anthony had no intention of following through on this promise, he did not wish to be associated with a urchin taken off the streets like Adam. He was far more noble than that and having someone with ¡®dirty blood¡¯ like Adam would be a stain upon his own dignity once he secured his position.


    Anthony knew that the news couldn¡¯t possibly be suppressed for something like this so he had to prepare a scapegoat to take the heat when things went south. Naturally his choice for that was Adam.


    Little did he know, The seemingly bullied and dull useless brother he planned to backstab could tell what he was thinking all too easily. Adam decided to go along with Anthonys plan for now but would backstab him first. He had no interest in Leone but he did have a plan for the connection to the Gattioni family. If he played his cards right, the Samael family could possibly be crushed.


    ¡°Sure thing¡­Brother¡± Adam had replied. In response, Anthony threw a console at him, his expression fierce as he hissed ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE CALL ME THAT!¡± with quiet fury.


    ¡°Sorry. Sorry~¡± Adam said with a smile, catching the box with relative ease before leaving the office. He took the console home and laid down his bed, loading the game up.


    He had heard a rumour that the Character Creation Area of a persons character was a reflection of their nature and personality. So when he found himself in a pit full of snakes of various species, he wasn¡¯t surprised and instead remained calm. Sitting on the edge of the pit, a young girl sat, leaning over to look down at the cold young man.


    ¡°Oh? A person in a den of snakes and vipers. You must be pretty twisted¡± The girl had said with a bright innocent smile that didnt reach her eyes.


    ¡°Well considering how I grew up, that sounds fair. But Im not some deranged psychopath. I have a goal.¡± He replied unphased as he felt some of the snakes climbing his body.


    ¡°Oh~? Whats your goal then?¡± the girl had asked


    ¡°To destroy my so-called family!¡± he hissed, venom in his gaze. He truly hated them and in a place where he could be free, he no longer hid how he felt.


    ¡°That¡¯s so crazy! I like it~!¡± the girl had said before tossing a piece of paper down into the whole.


    Adam caught the ticket and saw it was emblazoned with the words Soul Armory.


    ¡°Thats from my personal stash, take your time and pick your favourite~! I look forward to seeing how things pan out for you~¡± The girl giggled before her body fell apart like a sandcastle that had become soaked in water.


    Feeling like he had to choose a snake to proceed, he thought about how to pick but then a daring thought came to his mind: Why choose one? Couldn¡¯t he technically pick multiple if he provoked them into attacking him?


    Unafraid, he tested his theory by trying to punch and kick at the snakes in the pit with him. The result was as expected: he was bitten by dozens of snakes that bit down on his arms and legs, their venom coursing through his veins. He didn¡¯t stop though even as he began to vomit purplish black blood. It was only when he was on the ground, barely able to move when the 100th snake bit him.


    At that moment, all the pain in his body faded away, strength began to course through him as the snakes turned into blobs of liquid and entered through the holes they had punched in his body.


    A screen appeared in front of him, confirming that his choice had been the right one.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Congratulations on achieving the Hidden Snakekin Race: Myriad Hydra.


    Additional Unique Skill Generated.


    Poison Resistance (B) has been generated.


    Fame +20


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡®How fitting¡¯ he thought as he tore the ticket he had been given. I grew up in a den of them so I became a snake myself.


    In a flash of purple light, Adam found himself in a dimly lit cave, various ominous looking pieces of equipment hung from stalagmites, each one looking extremely eerie as if they were cursed or possessed.


    Adam could feel alarm bells going off in his head as he looked around. He needed to pick something quick and run away or something bad would happen. It took him a moment but he ended up picking a curved dagger, the blade a sickly obsidian color attached to a large spool of thread. Tugging on the string, he felt that while it had a bit of stretch to it, it was extremely durable. Having made his choice, he felt his body begin to turn into smoke. When it was just his head that was left, he noticed a large amber coloured stone resembling an eye looking directly at him. The cave began to rumble as the stone pulled away. Adams'' own eyes widened in horror as he realized that stone that was more than 10x his height was in actuality the eye of a gigantic snake monster!


    Adam found himself waking up on a bed sweating uncontrollably as he tried to calm himself down. Taking deep breaths, he quickly regained his composure and stood up. He looked at his body in a mirror to see what changes had occurred. While he had grown a few scales all over his body, the most eye catching change was his eyes. They remained the same golden amber colour but now there was a vertical slit for his pupil, resembling that of a venomous serpent.


    When the screen asked him to select his name, only one came to mind when it involved his ultimate goal. If he wanted to destroy the company and his family, he would most likely have to consume himself in the process.


    ¡°My name will be [Ouroboros]¡±

 Chapter 10- Bastard Child: Ouroboros (2)

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    <tbody>


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    <td>


    Character Status


    Name: Ouroboros


    Race: Myriad Hydra


    Title: N/A


    Class: N/A


    Age: 19


    Level: 1 (0/100exp)


    Status: Healthy


    Health: 125/125


    Mana: 50/50


    Strength: 5


    Endurance: 10


    Agility: 10


    Dexterity: 9


    Intelligence: 5


    Wisdom: 5


    Charisma: 9


    Luck: 1


    Free Points: 0


    Fame: 20


    Skills: Regeneration (Innate Racial), Appraisal (Innate), Poison Blood (Innate Racial), Poison Resistance (B), Serpents Eye (Innate)


    Equipment: Arachne (Unique)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Ouroboros was relatively pleased with how his stats had come out. He had done his homework prior to jumping into the game. As a starting point, a base stat of 5 was considered the average for an adult. So having an Endurance of 10 meant that he had the ability to endure pain twice that an average person would be able to take.


    Attaching the large spool of thread to his waist, he left his cottage. He had a job to do. He wanted to make contact with Liliana and work out an alliance with her to help take down his family. He didn¡¯t dare imagine that he would be able to get away from this scott free. Once he stepped out into the open, the serious look on his face was replaced with a flippant one. A button on his linen shirt was open as he walked with a bit of a slouch, making him look a bit like a little hooligan.


    As he wandered about the village, he began to take mental notes of the layout of the buildings and the people that called it home. He realized that this behaviour was akin to that of a lowly criminal, he still needed to cover for all possibilities. Failure was not allowed as far as he was concerned.


    After walking through the village a couple times, he walked towards the alchemy shop, intent on becoming an apprentice there to make use of poisons since even his blood was apparently poisonous.


    A bell rang as soon as the door to the shop opened but no one greeted him. Looking towards the counter, he saw the person manning the counter was a pretty young girl who had light green hair and was seemingly asleep, a small puddle of drool was forming near her mouth. He poked the young girls shoulder softly and said


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    There was no response from the shopkeep who continued to sleep peacefully. In response, Ouroboros yelled


    ¡°HELLO! CAN I GET SOME HELP!¡± near her head.


    That barely worked as the young girl stirred. She picked her head up off the wooden counter and stretched her arms lazily above her head, somewhat accentuating her voluptuous chest.


    ¡°Nya~ I only put my head down for 5 minyates boss~¡± the girl said, rubbing her eyes, still not fully awake. Seeing someone with cat ears actually saying nya in their sentences was a bit of a surreal experience. He wasn¡¯t sure if he should be laughing or feel embarrassed from the second hand cringe.


    ¡°I¡¯m not your boss but I wouldn¡¯t be adverse to you calling me Daddy~¡± he said with a wink, choosing to act in the way that felt most natural to him. When the girl heard him say that, the sleepiness in her eyes disappeared almost immediately.


    ¡°My Daddy is my Daddy and you are not my Daddy¡± the girl said with a smile, innocently deflecting his halfhearted attempt to flirt with her. ¡°How may I help you today sir~?¡± the girl said with a tilted head. Ouroboros felt like he recognized the girl from somewhere but couldn¡¯t quite place it for some reason.


    ¡°I was hoping to speak to the boss. I was gonna ask to learn from him. I will need to learn a few poison recipes for what I plan to do in the future.¡± he said honestly before leaning forward, putting his elbow on the counter ¡°But after meeting you, I hope he will teach me how to make love potions too~¡± he cooed.


    ¡°I am pretty sure the boss doesn¡¯t know how to make a potion like that. He is a healer after all¡± the girl replied, casually ignoring the remarks that made even he groan internally.


    However when she said he was a healer, the young man couldnt help but reply ¡°Every medicine is poison in the wrong dose and poison can be used as a cure when used correctly¡± in a serious tone.


    After all that was the story of his life. A family that was supposedly dedicated to the better of man fed off of them like bloodsucking parasites. They were the perfect example of medicine becoming poison. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Fair point I guess¡± the girl admitted with a shrug. ¡°The boss was called out to help an old friend with something. He should be back soon. You are more than welcome to wait here.¡± the girl said


    Ouroboros laughed softly and said ¡°Alright~! I would be glad to do so if it means I can get to know a sexy girl like you better.¡±


    The girl laughed as well this time ¡°Oh silly snake, we already know each other very well~¡± she said covering her mouth as she giggled.


    The man felt something was wrong at that moment, he heard the sound of the door open. Before he could turn around, he felt the cold touch of a metal blade pressed up against the back of his neck. Without turning around, he finally realized why he felt  the shopkeeper girl felt familiar to him.


    ¡°What I want to know is why is the youngest of the Samael Family  sniffing around here. Care to explain before my friend here decides to cut your head off~?¡± The girl said with a soft smile, but her eyes were as cold as ice as if she was staring at scum.


    ¡°Hah¡­.¡± he sighed, holding up his hands in surrender as he stood up straight. ¡°Can you tell your friend to put their weapon away? I¡¯ll talk okay? I¡¯ll tell you whatever you want to know¡­.Liliana Gattioni¡±


    Lily hadn¡¯t expected for a Samael family to show up at her teachers shop. The reputation of the family nowadays was at an all time low since the Family head had stepped away for an unspecified reason. Seeing how cooperative Adam was, Lily silently signalled for Luna to stand down who did so begrudgingly. ¡°One step out of line and I will be cutting you up and making wine with your corpse!¡± Luna growled before backing away a bit.


    ¡°Haha, feel free to come at me anytime~¡± he replied with a wink.


    ¡°Cut the crap and start talking Adam¡± Lily growled with a frown, clearly displeased with the mans frivolous behaviour.


    ¡°Well considering lil miss bunny is here too, I presume you know what my family wants right?¡± Adam began, acting as if it was no big deal. Luna clenched her fist with rage evident in her eyes while Lily looked disgusted.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be frank. My brother Anthony wants the Bunny Girls brother but he just skimmed his background. I have no intention of fighting either of you on this honestly. In fact I hope he takes it too far so he gets crushed!¡± he added with a bit of venom in his voice


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you family? Why would you wish for that?¡± Lily asked, skeptical about the mans true intentions.


    ¡°Family? You really believe that shit? Those parasites view me as nothing more than the Bastard Child. If I died today, not one of them would shed a tear for me.¡± Ouroboros shot back, his chest rising in anger at the thought someone believed he would take their side for anything.


    ¡°I find it hard to believe¡­¡± Lily began


    ¡°He¡¯s totally lying! Don¡¯t trust him!¡± Luna interjected, wanting nothing more to kill him right there on the spot.


    ¡°It¡¯s the truth. Whether you believe me or not is up to you.¡± he shrugged in response. ¡°I personally would love to work with you lovely ladies.~¡±.


    Lily furrowed her brow at that remark before she asked the question that was gnawing at her. ¡°What is your end goal here Adam?¡±


    The man narrowed his eyes and gave her a sly grin. ¡°I plan on dragging down my enemies and their supporters so they can be buried 6 feet deep! Oh and my name here is Ouroboros. I don''t want my siblings tracking me down here too easily, okay?¡± There was an electrifying intensity coming from his eyes.


    From that, Lily knew the man''s frivolous scumbag reputation of his was definitely a persona he used to hide himself behind. She could tell that there was more to the story but did not dare to pry.


    ¡°We will work with you¡­¡± Lily said after taking a few moments


    ¡°LILY!¡± Luna shouted, outraged at the decision her friend was about to make.


    ¡°On two conditions¡± Lily finished, glancing at Luna with a look that pleaded for her to trust her.


    The nonverbal communication between the two of them didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Ouroboros. Instead he tilted his head with a wink and said ¡°Sure. Whatever you want Sweetheart~¡±.


    ¡°First is you promise to leave Lunas family alone, at the first sign you try to doublecross us, the entire strength of the Gattioni family will be mobilized to crush you!¡± Lily said firmly


    Ouroboros smirked before saying ¡°Are you trying to scare me with that? Well Mission successful, I am shaking in my boots here~! I will be a good boy~! Lets get along Ms. Hoppity¡± turning to look at Luna who scowled but did not say anything.


    ¡°The second condition is I want your help investigating a case that has grown cold.¡± Lily added. Luna eyes widened in shock as she realized what Lily was about.


    ¡°If I can be of any help in tracking down a lead, I will do my best to help. Whats the case?¡± Adam asked as he turned back to face Lily, curious what piece of dirty laundry his family had attracted the attention of the Lazy Tigress of the Gattioni Family.


    ¡°A man who has been working for my family for years recently received news that his estranged daughter''s body was recently found. From what we know, the girl was raped and murdered after going missing for weeks while working for your family. We want the killer!¡± Lily growled, rage burning in her eyes.


    ¡°What will you do with them when you get them?¡± Adam asked, unable to contain his curiosity.


    ¡°We will ¡®deal¡¯ with them. Whether they are ever found or not is up to the grieving fathers wishes¡± Lily replied coldly


    ¡®Ahh¡­ A tiger can¡¯t change its stripes so easily after all¡¯ Ouroboros thought. He quickly began to plot how to best take care of this in order to make the situation work better for his own plans.


    ¡°The father believes it is the work of the Eldest son. However due to his personal security, he is planning on taking an eye for an eye and target his daughter¡±.


    The frivolous look on Ouroboros face disappeared in an instance as he slammed his hands onto the counter ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE TOUCH PENNY! She is innocent!¡± he roared, his teeth bared in fury at the thought of someone targeting the only person in the family whose hands were clean.


    ¡°Then who was it. You need to tell me. For the sake of our cooperation and that girls life¡± Lily calmly replied, unflinching in the face of the Snakes'' unconcealed rage.


    ¡°....There are 2 culprits. The rape and murder was done by two separate people.¡± he said after taking a moment to calm down.


    ¡°My 7th ¡®Brother¡¯ Jeffery raped her and his twin sister Elise killed her to make him look bad in order to damage his reputation in the family. They¡¯re all fighting for the seat of CEO¡± he said, his voice slowly becoming colder and colder.


    Lily looked into his eyes as he spoke. She could tell that every single detail he spoke of was the truth. It also surprised her that a man who was considered the black sheep of an already twisted and unhinged family had hidden himself so deeply.


    ¡°I will relay what you told me. We look forward to working with you¡­¡± Lily said offering a hand in a handshake but Ouroboros refused, clearly in a horrible mood.


    ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have some errands to run and I will need to compose myself before I talk to anyone else.¡± Ouroboros said before turning around and heading to the door. He opened the door but froze in the doorway. He then spoke over his shoulder. ¡°Do me a favour will you?¡±.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Lily asked curious to see what the Snake would say.


    ¡°Tell your guy I am sorry for what happened to his daughter¡­ and when he gets his hands on them. Make sure they Suffer!¡±. The last word was full of barely controlled rage.


    ¡°Sure thing¡­¡± Lily promised, taken back by the hatred in his voice.


    ¡®So his niece is his reverse scale huh¡¯ Lily thought. There was clearly much more to this ¡®Bastard Child¡¯ and she knew that with time, his secrets would probably see the light of day.


    The only thing she knew right now for sure was that Ouroboros had someone he cared for and that alone was enough to set him apart from the rest of his family.

 Chapter 11: Vital Quest

    Chapter 11


    Seeing the message, Leo couldn''t help but panic. How had his sister paid for his hospital fees for so long? Did she take out a loan? What if she borrowed money from some sleazy old man!. His mind was spiraling from the mere thought that his only family member was in danger because of him.


    Navigating the menu, he sent a message to his sister.


    <table>


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    <td>


    Hey Sis.


    I just got this weird message from a guy named Anthony Samael who said that he would charge you for unpaid hospital fees if I didn¡¯t donate my body for science. What the hell is this about? How did you pay for the hospital?


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    However there was no immediate response as Pyrs returned with a tall middle aged woman who had feathers peeking out from behind her ears and wore a shawl and was wearing a pair of glasses. ¡°Pyrs, if this turns out to be a waste of time, we will have a very serious problem¡± The woman warned but Pyrs was unfazed.


    ¡°Rori, it will be, trust me. Have I ever let you down?¡± Pyrs asked with a confident expression on his face.


    ¡°3 times this week alone¡± the woman responded while adjusting her glasses. Pyrs facial expression froze as he became a bit dejected.


    Leo turned to face the newcomer. The woman smiled gently back at him and said ¡°Nice to meet you young man. My name is Rori. I run the alchemy shop in this little village.¡± in a gentle voice, seemingly noticing Leos unstable mental state.


    ¡°Y-yeah. Nice to meet you¡± Leo said, constantly checking for messages, unable to concentrate on finding out more about Astra.


    ¡°This old sack of dwarf bones doesn¡¯t know how to use advanced appraisal magic so he came and got me¡± Rori said, the callous treatment of the dwarf made Leo almost pity the dwarf but he naturally preferred Rori over Pyrs. After all, Rori noticed that he was a boy from the beginning.


    A notification came back from his sister, the message was short but it did relieve him a little bit.


    <table>


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    <td>


    Bit busy at the moment. Long story short is everything is fine. I have a friend who I work for. She paid all of your bills. I am with her right now. We will see you soon. I¡¯ll explain more then.


    </td>


    </tr>


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    Leo sighed in relief. He knew his sister would never lie to him about something like this. With that relief, Leo was able to focus on Rori and Pyrs.


    ¡°Sorry. I was just getting a message from my sister¡± he apologized, bowing his head a bit but Rori replied ¡°It is alright child. Now may I see this weapon that needs to be appraised?¡±


    Leo held out his wrists ¡°This is it Ms. Rori¡± he said, nodding towards Astra. Rori looked at the bracelets before glaring at Pyrs, silently wording ¡®Are you kidding me?¡¯ with her gaze.


    ¡°Well might as well since I am here¡± Rori mumbled before beginning to chant. Holding her hand above Leos wrist


    Leo was unable to understand what was being said but he felt an indescribable feeling around him as something swirled on top of the womans hand.


    ¡°[Detailed Analysis]¡± Rori shouted. A large status screen appeared before the 3 of them, All 3 of them feeling their jaw drop a little bit at the results.


    <table>


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    Skill Level Inefficient


    Skill Partial Failure


    Partial Information displayed.


    Weapon Type: Soulbound (Growth Time)


    Star Bracelets (R)  Max Potential: ??? Grade


    A pair of bracelets that have revived a small connection to the stars. Potential for Growth


    Innate Skills: Invocation of Evolution (Low),Bond of the Zodiac (Low, Currently Unavailable),Ego Creation (Low) [New!],???,???,???,


    Bound to Player: Leo


    Stat Bonuses:


    Def+ 10


    Atk+5


    Uprade Status: 0%


    Upgrade Requirements: ???


    Upgrade Materials: Any Weapon/Armor/Accessory


    Invocation of Evolution (Low): Summon the power of the void to consume Materials. Materials used will be used to evolve ¡®Astra¡¯ and unlock additional formsEnjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Bond of the Zodiac (Low) : Bonds formed from companions you have shared life and death with can be connected to each other via the power of the stars. Affinity based. (Max use is 12. Currently 0/12 in effect)


    Ego Creation (Low): Create an ego to be inserted into a weapon. Weapon grade will be reset upon successful integration. Failure will result in weapon destruction.


    </td>


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    </tbody>


    </table>


    The three of them were surprised by different things that they saw. Leo was surprised at Astras versatility, capable of becoming a weapon, armor or accessory. Rori was surprised by the fact that despite using relatively advanced magic, she still failed to fully appraise a pair of bracelets. What stunned Pyrs though was Astras potential. It seemed like there was no cap on it and one of its skills was capable of turning other weapons into Ego Weapons!


    It would be a lie to say that Pyrs wasnt interested in taking Astra for himself but he knew better. He deemed it would be impossible for Leo and Astra to part, they must have incredible affinity to have a potential like this.


    [Do you see our Greatness now? We are impressive no?] Astra asked, seeking praise and this time Leo couldn¡¯t help but agree that what he saw was indeed impressive.


    ¡°Yes yes. Very impressive¡± he admitted, stroking his wrists affectionately. His words drew curious looks from Rori and Pyrs. Without skipping a beat, he said ¡°Astra can talk, but only I can hear her¡± in a matter of fact manner. Pyrs nose flared, his interest rising, wanting to know even more. But before he could say anything, Rori covered his mouth and said ¡°You should go now. If you don¡¯t leave now, this old man is gonna yap so much your ears will fall off.¡±.


    Not wanting to waste any more time, he nodded his head at Rori in thanks before saying ¡°Thank you sir. I will drop by again another time¡± before rushing out of the room, heading to the village centre in search of the chief. He had the necklace to turn in for a quest reward.


    He sent another message to his sister, telling her to meet him there with her friend. In the centre of the village, the old village chief was standing there, seeming to enjoy the fresh air. Turning to the newcomer, he saw the young cat who had run off without listening to him.


    ¡°Oh my poor child. Sssseems you got lucky in getting away from those monsterssss¡± the old snake remarked putting his hand on the boys shoulder, thinking that the boy had gotten lucky in escaping from the goblins with only a few scratches.


    ¡°Lucky? I killed the ones I came across¡± Leo huffed, growing tired of people assuming that he was incapable of defending himself. ¡°I even came across a bracelet and thought I should give it to you¡± he added, pulling it out to show the chief, thinking that there would be a reward of free points or experience points.


    ¡°A bracelet? Oh no¡­¡± the old man sighed in distress. ¡°The Goblin Leader isss getting clossser to our village. We need to wipe them out!¡± the old man said, his legs trembling as he tried to head off somewhere but stopped in his tracks.


    ¡°You said you killed them right? Will you help usss?¡± The village elder pleaded with tears beginning to form in his eyes.


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    Samuel has issued you the quest: Goblin Extermination


    Quest Details: News of a goblin settlement has been spotted too close to the village. Form a party and wipe them out within 24h.


    Difficulty: B


    Completion Reward(s): 1 gold. 10 Free Points, 3000 exp


    Requirements: Party of 4. (Current Party 1/4)


    Quest Failure: Village Destruction


    Additional information: If the village is destroyed, all players within the village will have their characters deleted.


    Do you wish to accept the Quest [Accept/Decline].


    Note: Declining the request will result in Village Destruction


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    </tbody>


    </table>


    The reward for handing in the bracelet was a surprisingly serious Secret quest. Leo became incredibly nervous when he saw the requirements. Even with the addition of his sisters friend, it would only be the three of them. With no choice but to accept , he began to think about what to do and how to find a 4th member when a loud voice called out to him.


    ¡°Leo! We¡¯re here¡± Luna shouted waving her arm at him as she and her friend got closer. Leo saw the woman with green hair that reached her waist with ears similar to her own and couldn¡¯t help but be distracted for a moment. She was extremely pretty in his eyes but didn¡¯t want to say that in front of his sister. He didn¡¯t want her to think he was the kind of guy to hit on his sisters friend.


    When the two of them got close to Leo, Luna turned to her friend and said ¡°Lily, this is my brother Leo. Leo, my friend Lily¡±. However, Leo noticed that Luna was glaring at Lily for some reason before she turned her gaze to glare at him. ¡®What did I do?!¡¯ he thought feeling wronged while being looked at like that.


    ¡°Pleasure to meet you Leo. I am your big sisters best friend. Lets get along!¡± Lily said with an amicable smile. She was trying her best to not break out into a sloppy smile as she looked at the cute cat boy in front of her.


    ¡®Oh. My. GOD. He is SOOO CUTE!¡¯ she internally squealed, covering her mouth just to make sure she wasn¡¯t drooling. Lunas ice cold stare was now understandable to Lily, if some other girl tried to steal such a cutie from her, she would want to kill them too.


    ¡°Please take care of me and thank you for looking after my sister¡± Leo replied, bowing his head a little in Lilys direction. Luna puffed up her cheeks in disapproval, already regretting letting the two of them meet.


    Leo had lots of questions to ask but the quest from the old man standing next to him took priority in this very moment.  ¡°So ladies, I will need your help with something¡± Leo began, speaking a bit nervously.


    ¡°What is it? This Big sister would be happy to help¡± Lily said immediately, Luna scowling at her friends words, clearly not pleased with Lily calling herself a big sister.


    ¡°So I just came across a quest¡­ and it requires a party of 4. Failing the quest will result in the destruction of this village and the deletion of our characters. To make matters worse, I can¡¯t be sure but my gut tells me if my character gets deleted, I might die for real¡­¡± he confessed. After all, he wasn¡¯t able to log out for another 150 or so hours. Glancing at the timer he saw


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    Body Upgrade In progress.


    Remaining Time: 150 hours, 29 minutes, 12 seconds


    Unable to log out until Time reaches 0.


    Note: Leveling up will reduce the Remaining time.


    </th>


    </tr>


    </thead>


    </table>


    Luna and Lily exchanged shocked looks before they nodded at each other, coming to a mutual understanding. ¡°We won¡¯t let that happen¡± Luna said adamantly as Lily turned away for a moment. ¡°We just happen to know someone who can be our 4th. Lily is calling them over now¡± she explained.


    ¡°Oh? What kind of person are they?¡± Leo asked curiously but grew apprehensive when his sister looked a bit disgusted.


    ¡°He is a jerk. The way he talks to girls bothers me. He is so fake.¡± Luna growled, the displeasure of thinking about him was written all over her face. She wanted nothing to do with him but was willing to make sacrifices if it was to ensure that her brother remained safe.


    Just as Leo was about to ask for clarification, a tall slender man with black hair slicked back and Amber eyes approached their group. ¡°Oh my~! When you called me over, I thought it was for something serious. Did you call me to act as a guard for this party of pretty flowers~¡± the man said with a wink.


    Leo felt an instant aversion to the man. He was the textbook definition of sleazy but something felt off about him. Despite the mans attitude, Leo couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the way he acted was unnatural, as if everything he did and said was manufactured in some sort of act.


    ¡°So Ms. Bunny. Since when did you have a sister. She is just so cute. Kind of makes me want to steal her away for myself.¡±


    Leo¡¯s expression became frosty as he glared back up at the man.


    Never before had he thought a face could look that punchable.