ã€ŠReturn of the Runebound Professor [BOOK 6 STUBBING In 2 WEEKS]ã€‹


 Chapter 1: Even in death

    Death, Noah Vines found, was not what he had been expecting. He¡¯d never considered himself a particularly religious man, but he¡¯d always thought there was something that came after.

    He was pleased to discover that there was indeed something.

    He was less pleased to discover that the something involved waiting in a line. A very, very long line. To make matters worse, he had absolutely no idea what he was waiting for. There hadn¡¯t been any introduction. He even would have settled for an onboarding video.

    Instead, he found himself standing behind another man, as naked as the day he was born, slowly wandering toward something. The only thing that existed was boredom. There was nothing around them but more lines of people, winding through empty space and standing on faint, translucent paths of energy. Time passed ¨C at least, Noah felt like time was passing. He didn¡¯t have any way to tell for sure.

    Several times, he thought about talking to someone. Each time, he decided against it. It just didn¡¯t feel right. Perhaps that came with being dead. It did give him a little time to self-reflect, though.

    Unfortunately, what he reflected on didn¡¯t make him feel particularly great. He would have loved to arrive at the afterlife ¨C whatever it was ¨C with a little bit more to be proud of. Thousands of successful students, or perhaps a loving wife and kids.

    He hadn¡¯t quite made it that far. Noah had a grand total of four years of teaching under his belt, along with a useless university degree that had barely gotten him the job ¨C the same job that had forced his fellow teachers to give up their sick days so he could afford the hospital bills.

    God ¨C Gods, however many or whatever type there are, I hope those kids have a good start to their life. They deserve it.

    The line inched along. Time stretched. It passed, but by how much Noah was unsure. Hundreds of years. Thousands. He wasn¡¯t sure anymore. The only thing that really kept him company was his own voice, echoing within the silent confines of his mind.

    He just stood, occasionally taking a step whenever the soul in front of him moved.

    The world changed.

    Noah wasn¡¯t sure exactly when it had happened. But, one moment he was standing in line floating in infinite nothingness, and the next his feet were on solid ground. The lines all converged on a single point, where a tall woman towered above them all. Behind her was a huge lake full of glimmering silver water.

    Unlike everyone else, she wore clothes. Beautiful silk hung from her body and danced around her like streamers, but nothing on or beside her could compare to the woman herself. She was perfect to such a degree that the only emotion that Noah felt was fear. Without a doubt, she was not human.

    One by one, the people in the lines stepped up to her. They paused for a minute, as if in silent conversation. Then they continued, walking into the lake dipping their hands into it. They raised the silver liquid to their lips and vanished, transforming into streaks of white light.

    The line continued on. Before Noah could even truly process it, he was standing before the beautiful woman. Time froze around him as they locked eyes.

    ¡°Noah Vines,¡± she said, as if reading from some invisible prompt. ¡°Died at the age of twenty-six. You were an influential figure for eighty four of your pupils. Many prayers have been sent up for you. A life well lived.¡±

    ¡°I ¨C are you god?¡± Noah asked, speaking for the first time since he¡¯d died and instantly cursing himself for it.

    ¡°I am Renewal, one of the many goddesses of Reincarnation,¡± she replied, looking slightly bored at the question. ¡°You have been chosen to be reincarnated in a higher plane. Drink from this well of the Waters of Life and, in losing the memories of your current life, continue unto your next. A suitable body will soon be born for you.¡±

    ¡°Wait, I won¡¯t remember anything? Nothing at all?¡±

    Renewal opened her mouth to respond. Then time snapped back into motion. Thousands of streaks of black light carved through the nothingness like a shower of falling stars. Noah stared up at them in awe, his mouth hanging askew.

    The first star hit, falling into a line of people just a short distance away from Noah. It obliterated them and smashed through the floor, sending huge chunks of it spiraling away into nothingness.

    A massive rumble shook the ground as more of the stars fell, each one tearing the serene scene into smithereens. Renewal raised her hands. A beautiful pink flower bloomed in the air before her, moments before a lance of black energy slammed into it.

    It crushed the flower and narrowly missed Renewal as she spun out of the way. More of the stars continued to rain down all around Noah, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to move. All he could do was watch as they tore through the other souls surrounding him, ripping them to shreds or sending them plummeting into nothingness.

    A deep, grating howl echoed through the air. Renewal staggered as a jagged black spear erupted from her shoulder. Cracks formed in the air around her and a gurgling mass seeped out from within it, pouring onto the ground like sludge.

    Screaming faces rose up within it, as if they were straining to escape the bubbling goop. It rose up, forming into the blobby shape of a man. He ripped the spear free of Renewal.

    ¡°I finally found you, Renewal,¡± the man said, his whispery voice laden with a mocking tone. ¡°My beautiful flower.¡±

    Renewal¡¯s face didn¡¯t budge. She thrust a hand toward the man. A beam of brilliant energy erupted from her palm, searing into him. A thousand voices screamed in pain and he clutched his chest. Black liquid poured down his body and into the pool of silver water, tainting it.

    Another falling star slammed into the ground just beside Noah, snapping him out of his reverie. There wasn¡¯t a single other soul left that he could see. He¡¯d been so close to Renewal and the terrifying man that he¡¯d been spared from the destruction so far, but it didn¡¯t take a genius to tell that sticking around for a battle between gods was a terrible idea.

    His eyes latched onto the Waters of Life. He glanced up at the two, but neither of them were paying attention. Noah scrambled to his feet and threw himself forward. The man turned, and for a single instant, he locked eyes with Noah.

    Then Noah plunged into the silver pool. He drank without waiting to see what would happen. It poured into his throat, sweet and syrupy. A sense of peace enveloped Noah, cradling him in its comfort.

    The terror that had been gripping him just instants ago faded away. He was safe. There was nothing to fear. All that mattered was moving on to his next life. His past didn¡¯t ¨C

    Noah recoiled as something bitter hit his tongue. It spiked through the peace, binding around him like a thorny vine. The fraying memories of his mortal life suddenly stopped decaying and rushed back into him, packed into his body along with the disgusting taste.

    And then Noah was gone, a streak of light shooting across the cosmos.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Worlds stretched past him in a blur of color across a black canvas. He streaked through the infinite black, his mind a muddled mess as he tried to comprehend the visions flashing before him. Time became a foreign concept. To Noah, existence became the dancing shapes and universes that he passed by.

    But, as all things must, it came to an end. He felt a sharp jerk in the area that would have been his chest, had he had a physical form. The dull pain was the first thing that he had felt in ¨C well, Noah wasn¡¯t sure. A while.

    Images bloomed before him, no longer of flitting worlds or stars, but of endless green fields and massive mountains. Lakes the size of an ocean and intricate cave systems deep below. Awe filled his being as he hurtled through the new world, his awareness sputtering as it tried to fully reignite.

    For the briefest instant, Noah spotted two massive, reptilian eyes looking down at him from within the stars. Then he was gone, getting lower and lower to the surface of the planet. A faint drawing force pulled him down into a village and he slipped through the wooden planks of a small house.

    A woman laid in bed, a newly born infant mewling in front of her. Her features were a mixture of relief and pain, but Noah didn¡¯t get to examine them long. The force tugged at him, pulling him toward the child¡¯s body.

    He descended, brushing the crying boy¡¯s face for an instant. Tight bands wrapped around him, sending flashes of agony throughout his body. No more than a second later, he was yanked away and sent hurtling across the planet once more.

    Several more times, Noah was pulled into scenes of births, where his floating body tried and failed to merge. The tightness grew stronger, to the point where he could barely even muster the meagre thoughts that he¡¯d managed thus far.

    Noah caught a glimpse of the towering walls of an enormous castle the size of a city an instant before he shot through them. He pushed through the cracks in the stone and continued onward, hurtling past forests and great plains.

    He slammed to a halt in a small clearing surrounded by charred, blackened trees. They stretched into the air around him like withered hands reaching for the heavens. To his surprise, there was no child. There wasn¡¯t even a mother. A greasy black haired man sat beside a dying campfire beside a small lake. His features were sharp and pinched in pain. Blood trickled down his chest from a deep wound. Noah wasn¡¯t a doctor, but he was pretty certain that it wasn¡¯t the kind of wound that people walked away from.

    The corpses of several furry creatures laid around him. They roughly resembled monkeys, but had large, jutting fangs and claws far longer than any monkey on Earth. Their fur still smoldered, and they were all riddled with holes as wide as quarters.

    Drawing a labored breath, the man fumbled in his belt and pulled out a small gourd. He snapped the wax seal at the top and lifted it to his mouth with trembling hands, drinking greedily from it.

    Noah tried to move, but he had no control over his body. All he could do was float and watch. The wound on the man¡¯s stomach rippled and bubbled. Strands of flesh and organ reached out, reconnecting themselves.

    The man went to take another drink. He stopped halfway through the motion, his eyes bulging as he grabbed at his throat. The bottle slipped from his hands and fell to the ground, liquid spilling from its mouth.

    A sharp tug pulled on Noah¡¯s navel. The man glanced up just as Noah was yanked downward and into his body. Ice rushed through Noah. It felt as if he¡¯d been plunged into the freezing ocean.

    A scream split through his thoughts, but only later did he realize that it hadn¡¯t been his voice. Noah drew a ragged, desperate gasp for air ¨C and it worked.

    Noah froze. He slowly reached up to his face, pressing against skin instead of ghostly ectoplasm. He patted himself down, slowly at first, then leapt to his feet. His foot landed on a patch of bloody mud and he lost his footing, slamming onto his back with a loud crash.

    Pain flashed through him, but he didn¡¯t even register it. Noah scrambled on all fours over to the lake and peered into it. What stared back was the man¡¯s body, but no traces of his wound remained.

    ¡°Gods above,¡± Noah muttered. His head throbbed and he grimaced. He ran his hands along himself again, just to make sure he could still feel. ¡°I¡¯m alive. I¡¯m alive!¡±

    Noah burst into hysterical laughter and slapped himself across the face, just because he could. He had a physical body again. Sinking down into a small ball beside the lake, Noah continued to laugh until tears streaked down his cheeks.

    He was alive.

    The bout passed, bringing considerably less joyous emotions with it.

    ¡°I thought I was supposed to lose all of my memories and be reborn,¡± Noah said, staring at one of his pale hands. The voice that emerged from his mouth wasn¡¯t his, though it wasn¡¯t all that different from it. ¡°Neither of those seem to have happened.¡±

    A shudder ran through him at the thought of the terrifying creature that had attacked Renewal. Whatever it was, he never wanted to see it again. But, possibly worse, someone had been inhabiting this body before his¡­ arrival.

    ¡°Did I just murder someone? Or did I just watch them get murdered and take advantage of it?¡± Noah asked himself, swallowing nervously. He crawled over to the gourd the man had drunk from and picked it up.

    A small piece of parchment was tied to its lip with tweed. To Noah¡¯s surprise, he could read the words on it perfectly, despite knowing full well that they weren¡¯t English.

    Thanks for everything, Magus Vermil. I hope this healing potion helps you out.

    Evidently, some of the man¡¯s memories were still bouncing around in his head. That might have explained the throbbing headache. Something sharp poked into his chest. Noah reached up, pulling a small metal badge with the words Magus Vermil carved into it from a slot in his jacket. He tucked it into his pant pockets with a grimace.

    Judging by the man¡¯s expression moments before he¡¯d died, Noah was pretty sure that this potion had done more than just heal him. From the looks of things, it actually did more to kill him.

    Whoever this guy was, he had some enemies.

    ¡°Tough luck, man,¡± Noah muttered. ¡°The line isn¡¯t too bad when you get used to it, though. Hope things go better for you next time around.¡±

    He gave it a hesitant sniff. The gourd smelled like honey and cinnamon. Noah carefully set the gourd back on the ground, making sure not to spill any of its contents on himself. Just because it didn¡¯t seem to be affecting him anymore didn¡¯t mean it wouldn¡¯t work again if he got more of it on himself.

    ¡°Well, this certainly isn¡¯t anything like monkeys on Earth,¡± Noah said, studying one of the dead monkeys. Now that he had an actual pair of eyes to look through, he was even more certain. The dead monkey¡¯s eyes were bloodshot and its fur was so matted that it could have been armor. There was no word to describe it other than monster.

    He pushed himself off the ground, standing on shaky legs. Strangely, Noah felt no panic or fear. He¡¯d spent more than enough time coming to terms with his life when he was waiting in line for the afterlife.

    If gods existed, it wasn¡¯t hard to extrapolate that monsters did as well. More importantly ¨C something had seriously injured the previous owner of Noah¡¯s body, and he wasn¡¯t sure if it was still around.

    An image of a towering, furry mass flickered through Noah¡¯s mind. He paused, trying to bring it back, but the memory was already gone ¨C and it certainly wasn¡¯t one of his.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Noah muttered, rubbing his eyes. ¡°Is that what gored this Vermil guy before I got around to him? I hope not. I don¡¯t want to be anywhere near that thing.¡±

    A shadow passed over Noah¡¯s head. He stared down at it, as it eclipsed him, passing far into the campsite. His lips pressed thin. ¡°Ah. Of course. It¡¯s behind me.¡±

    He turned around and came face to face with the fattest, ugliest monkey he¡¯d ever seen. The monster towered nearly twice his height and had long, gangly arms that ended in disproportionately long clawed hands.

    Its eyes were small and beady, and fangs jutted out of its mouth in every which direction. If someone had taken a rabid orangutang and shoved a bunch of extra teeth into its mouth before driving its face into the wall half a dozen times, then it probably would have been this thing¡¯s mother.

    ¡°Hello there,¡± Noah said, lowering his gaze as he desperately tried to dig through his old memories of earth to recall what to do when one came face to face with a predator. Avoid smiling. Don¡¯t make eye contact. Give a firm handshake and talk with confidence.

    Wait, that last one might be for an interview. LinkedIn articles didn¡¯t prepare me for this. I don¡¯t think ¨C

    The monkey screeched. Its awful voice tore through Noah¡¯s ears like a rusty saw. He clapped his hands over his head and spun, sprinting away as fast as his legs could carry him.

    Screw the rules. Those are for bears, not the goddamn sasquatch¡¯s hillbilly son.

    Heavy thumps behind him marked the monkey as it charged after him, but Noah didn¡¯t dare waste the time to glance back at it. He was fairly sure it was gaining on him, but the jagged trees surrounding the clearing could slow it slightly.

    Out of the corner of his eye, Noah spotted a massive gangly claw hurtling toward his head, jagged claws glistening in the light of the setting sun. Panic flooded through him. His body moved of its own volition. His hands rose into the air and white lines danced in the air before him, forming a strange pattern.

    A streak of wind ripped out from his palms. It bit into the monkey¡¯s paw, carving a deep cut into it, and pulling a pained screech from the monster¡¯s lips. Noah stumbled as energy rushed out of him. He stared at his hands in disbelief, overwhelmed for a moment.

    ¡°I just did magic. I can do¨C¡±

    Four huge claws slammed into his head as the monkey swung its other hand at him, carving down through his body and cutting the rest of Noah¡¯s sentence as short as his life.

    It was his first death on this new world ¨C but it would be far from his last.

 Chapter 2&3: Civil

    Screaming in agony, Noah¡¯s soul split apart from his body. The desecrated corpse pitched to the ground, its top half cut into ribbons. He stared down at it, the pain fading now that he no longer had a body with which to feel.

    ¡°Well, shit,¡± Noah said. ¡°That was fast.¡±

    Invisible energy tugged at his chest, pulling him away from the world. Noah sighed.

    Oh well. So long as there are other places to revive, I already know what¡¯s going to happen. What¡¯s a few thousand more years of waiting?

    Something wrapped around his throat. Noah¡¯s ghostly eyes bulged and he choked ¨C something he hadn¡¯t thought actually possible for a spirit. A black ribbon materialized around his neck, leading back off into the clearing.

    The force pulling him away from the world vanished as the black ribbon yanked him back down to the world. Pain erupted throughout him once more and his eyes snapped open, drawing in a ragged gasp and clutching a hand to his thundering heart. He was in a body once more.

    His head slammed like an entire orchestra had been trapped within it. Noah groaned in pain, unable to even move from his spot. It was several minutes before he gathered the energy to push himself upright.

    There was no sign of his clothes. He was completely naked. Noah staggered upright. A heavy fog hung around his mind, even though the pain started to recede. He was in the same clearing.

    The gourd of poison still sat on the ground where he¡¯d left it. In the all too close distance, Noah could hear crunching noises from the direction of where he¡¯d run. Swallowing heavily, Noah crept up to the pool of water and peered inside it.

    The face of the man whose body he¡¯d stolen looked back at him. He¡¯d kept it, somehow. Unfortunately, the clothes didn¡¯t seem to be part of the package deal.

    ¡°I came back to life?¡± Noah whispered to himself. He touched his face, just to make sure it was there. A roar split the forest behind Noah and he paled, launching himself into the lake. He swam down as deep as he could go and latched onto a stone at the bottom, holding onto it for dear life.

    He wasn¡¯t sure how long he waited there. Time had lost most of its meaning during his stay in the afterlife. Noah didn¡¯t dare release the rock until his lungs burned so much that he could hardly feel them and shadows danced before his eyes.

    His body barely managed to propel him back up to the surface of the lake. He gasped for air, slumping over the edge as his lungs desperately pulled oxygen in. Suppressing a groan, Noah rolled over and glanced around.

    The clearing was empty. His head still felt like mincemeat, but it was better to feel it than to actually become mincemeat¡­again. Noah pulled himself the rest of the way onto dry land and pushed himself upright.

    He glanced at his hands, then held them up before him. The image of the strange pattern that had appeared before them felt etched into his mind. He tried to picture it forming before him, but the fog surrounding his head grew thicker. A spike of pain ran down his spine and Noah dropped his hands, grimacing.

    A cold breeze rustled by him. He shivered and tilted his head to the side, listening as hard as he could. He couldn¡¯t hear the monkey anymore. That didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t still there ¨C he hadn¡¯t forgotten how silent it could be when it wanted to be.

    Pants or not dying? Which one is more important?

    Noah crept into the burnt woods. He hadn¡¯t made it far in his previous escape attempt. He spotted the bottom half of his corpse lying in the tussled dirt between several trees. There was no sign of his upper body or the monkey.

    He crept up to his former legs and quickly tugged his pants and belt off. Noah pulled them on, grimacing at the still-warm blood covering them. A small book clipped to the belt thumped against his side as he pulled it on. As soon as his legs were through the holes, Noah shuffled off into the trees, tying his belt with numbed, fumbling fingers as he walked.

    Despite his best ¨C and largely ineffective ¨C efforts to be stealthy, Noah winced at every dry branch that cracked beneath his feet. He threw glances over his shoulders every few feet, jumping at the slightest winds.

    He didn¡¯t allow himself to calm down until he¡¯d been walking for so long that the sky started to darken and night fell. Noah slumped against a scorched tree and slumped down.

    ¡°This is not how I saw my afterlife going,¡± Noah said to himself in a low whisper. He shivered as a cold wind dragged its chilly fingers across his bare chest. The fog covering his mind had only just started to peel away a few minutes ago.

    Inventory. I need to take inventory. See what I have.

    He dug through his pockets. They were empty.

    Right. A book, a badge, and some torn up pants. That¡¯s it. Not bad considering I didn¡¯t even have a body yesterday.

    Noah unclipped the book from his pants and flipped it open. Detailed notes drawn in tight, flowing handwriting covered many of its pages, each of which was dedicated to a single, complicated pattern similar to the one he¡¯d drawn in the air a few hours ago.

    A Rune.

    The words drifted to his mind of their own volition. Noah frowned. Runes certainly felt like the right way to describe the feature, but he was quite certain the thought wasn¡¯t his own. He¡¯d retained a lot of his previous body¡¯s memories, but it didn¡¯t seem like he could access them consciously.

    At least I can read.

    Noah flipped through the pages, searching for the Rune he¡¯d envisioned while fighting the monkey. His efforts were rewarded by an old page near the very back of the book. It was covered with dozens of sketches of plants and animals that he didn¡¯t recognize, along with descriptions of each one.

    ¡°Wind Rune,¡± Noah read, tracing the pattern with a finger. He raised his hand from the book, picturing the Rune in his mind. A thin blade of wind leapt from his palm and carved deep into the brittle trunk of the tree in front of him. A faint blanket of weariness fell over his shoulders.

    Noah scrambled to his feet, eyes darting around to see if anything had heard him. He stood still for several seconds. Nothing came. He crept over to the tree, inspecting his handiwork. The magic had carved a deep cut into the rough bark.

    He envisioned the Rune again, this time pointing his palm at the ground. Another blade of wind leapt forth and bit into the earth. The weariness grew stronger, but the fog didn¡¯t encroach on his mind again.

    Okay. Brain fog comes from dying. No magic when foggy. Conclusion: don¡¯t die.

    Noah looked up at the night sky. Bright stars twinkled far above, glowing with faint golden light. Despite his situation, he let a small breath of awe slip out from between his lips. It was beautiful. Nothing like the dull, smog-muted stars that he could make out through his apartment window back on Earth.

    He looked back down at his book, determination etching itself into his features.

    ¡°I need to get to civilization.¡±

    ***

    Noah didn¡¯t sleep that night. He just walked, trying to move in a straight line as much as possible. It was as good a direction as any, and the last thing he wanted to do was wander in circles.

    The crunch of dead and burnt foliage beneath his feet was the only noise in the still night. Windy gusts slithered through the trees, but despite their stark chill, they were nearly soulless. The trees had no leaves with which to rustle.

    Noah came to an abrupt halt as he stepped around a tight group of scorched trees and found himself face to face with a monkey. His breath caught in his throat and a tiny yelp slipped out of mouth before he managed to silence it. The monster¡¯s eyes were closed in sleep. It hung upside down from a blackened branch with its hind legs.

    He swallowed heavily, taking a slow step backward. This monkey was roughly the size of the ones that had been lying dead in the clearing when he¡¯d arrived in this world, but that didn¡¯t make its claws and teeth any less deadly.

    A branch cracked beneath Noah¡¯s heel. The monkey¡¯s eyes snapped open, instantly catching onto him. It hooted, dropping from the tree and landing on all fours. Noah cursed, scrambling backward and thrusting a hand toward it.

    Wind whipped from his fingertips, and a thin blade of white magic carved into the monkey¡¯s chest. It screeched in pain and blood splattered across the ground from a deep wound. The monster threw itself at Noah and he threw himself to the ground.

    It flew over his head, slamming into a tree behind him with enough force to crack the wood. He bolted upright and sprinted in the opposite direction of the monster as fast as he could. Loud whooping yells followed Noah, growing closer at an alarming rate.

    Noah spun, raising his hands to fire another arc of wind into the monster. He had a pretty good head start on it, so he was pretty sure that there should have still been enough room to ¨CIf you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Its face was an inch away from his. Noah screamed, his bolt of magic cutting across the monster¡¯s shoulder an instant before its claws dug into his throat, ripping it out. Agony seared through the wound and he choked, gasping for air that wouldn¡¯t come.

    The monkey screeched in victory. It didn¡¯t last long. A final arc of wind leapt from Noah¡¯s numbing fingertips and caught it in the throat, severing the monster¡¯s head from its body. A weak grin flickered across Noah¡¯s lips, even as blood bubbled up behind them.

    ¡°Serves you right,¡± he muttered.

    A strange feeling of warmth flooded into his body. For an instant, he felt Greater than he had before ¨C but Noah didn¡¯t get time to appreciate it.

    Death took him for the second time that day. Noah¡¯s soul slipped out from his body. He hovered above his corpse for an instant, but a familiar force started to pull him away within seconds.

    Noah narrowed his eyes, memorizing his surroundings as best as he could. The pull grew stronger, and then he was hurtling through the forest. Noah focused, keeping track of the trees that whistled past him and taking note of anything that could be used as a marker to orient himself.

    A few seconds later, reality slammed into him. Cold, wet dirt pressed into his bare back and his eyes snapped open. Heavy fog hung in his mind. His lips felt gummy and dry. Noah grimaced, pushing himself to his feet.

    He was naked. Again.

    The clearing was empty, at least. Noah shivered in the cold night wind. The empty gourd rested just by his feet, in the same place he¡¯d left it. A small frown flickered across his lips as a thought pushed its way out of his muddled mind.

    ¡°Why do I keep coming back to this clearing?¡±

    He turned in a slow circle, trying to see if there was anything that might be causing him to reform here rather than anywhere else in the world. Aside from the dead monkeys and the empty gourd on the ground by his feet, there was nothing.

    The gourd.

    Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. He picked the gourd up carefully. It sloshed faintly, a little liquid still left within it. He studied it for a moment. The gourd certainly didn¡¯t look like anything special.

    He scanned the ground until he spotted the wax seal. He picked it up and carefully pushed it back into place. Noah would have loved to have a pair of pants to hang the gourd from right about now.

    ¡°Right. You¡¯re coming with me,¡± Noah muttered. He looked up at the sky, then located the direction he¡¯d come from. Then he set off once more. There was a pair of pants waiting for him.

    His second trip through the forest went quicker than the first. He hadn¡¯t managed to memorize everything perfectly, but he¡¯d gotten enough of his bearings to retrace his steps. It was several hours, but he spotted his body lying on the ground across from an equally dead monkey.

    Noah grinned despite the bitter cold. He jogged up to his corpse and stripped it, pulling his pants back on and tucking the gourd into a loop on his belt. Whole once more, he turned in a slow circle. The fog in his mind finally peeled back, letting him think properly again.

    Unfortunately, the dead forest stretched in every direction for as far as he could see. Rows on rows of scorched, dry trees stood in silent parade arrest for a general that would never come.

    What the hell was this Vermil guy doing here in the first place? Did he have a death wish? He had to have some way to get out. And then there¡¯s that feeling I got when I killed the monkey thing. What was that?

    No answers came. Noah pursed his lips, then shrugged. Standing still was making the chill even worse, so he set off once more.

    Noah continued for several more hours, but he quickly realized that there was a bigger problem. Even though he didn¡¯t seem to be getting much hungrier, weariness had started to set in. It had taken longer than Noah had expected, but it was relentless in its approach.

    No more than a few minutes after Noah first realized he was getting tired, he found himself barely able to drag his feet across the dry ground. He staggered up to a large tree and, after a cursory glance in the area to make sure nothing was watching right behind him, he curled up into a ball and fell into a restless sleep.

    Noah wasn¡¯t sure how long he slept. When his eyes cracked open again, the sun hung directly above him. He grimaced, blinking heavily and wiping the crust from his eyes as he slowly stood up. He was absolutely parched, and his stomach rumbled irritably.

    At least nothing attacked me this time.

    He reoriented himself, then strode away in search of pretty much anything other than the endless trees.

    Time passed. How much Noah wasn¡¯t exactly sure. The sun was moving overhead, but he had no idea if the days were as long on this planet as they were on Earth. The burning emptiness in Noah¡¯s stomach grew stronger with every step, but he had no choice but to ignore it.

    Trees blurred together as he passed them. Either the forest was getting more uniform, or he was just so exhausted that he couldn¡¯t recognize the differences in it anymore. Noah was so distracted as he walked that he nearly bowled straight into a monkey hanging from a tree directly in front of him.

    Noah caught himself at the last second. He¡¯d managed to come up on the monster¡¯s back, and it didn¡¯t seem to have noticed him yet. He instantly raised his hands. A blade of wind shot from them, carving straight through the back of the monster¡¯s head. It dropped from the tree before it could make a noise, dead.

    A wave of energy rippled through his body, starting at his toes and rising up until it reached his head. With it came a strong feeling of refreshment. Noah¡¯s hunger abated and his parched lips felt just a little wetter.

    Noah froze, basking in the feeling for a few seconds before it faded away. He glanced around, checking to see if there were any other monkeys in the area. When he found that there weren¡¯t, he wasn¡¯t sure if he was relieved or disappointed.

    Somehow, killing the monkeys seems to sate me. Magic, I guess. When I get out of this stupid forest, the first thing I¡¯m going to do is sit down and figure out how all of this works.

    Before he moved on, Noah¡¯s eye caught on the monster¡¯s long claws. He paused a moment, then knelt beside the monkey. He gingerly picked up one of its hands, holding a claw like a knife and working out one of the claws on its other hands.

    It was bloody, grisly work that ended with him covering a good portion of himself and the monkey with rancid blood, but he finally managed to hack it free after several agonizing minutes of constantly glancing over his shoulders to make sure nothing was gaining on him.

    The claw came out with a finger length piece of bone attached to its end, which suited Noah just fine. He tested its weight in his hand, then nodded to himself. He¡¯d handled more than a few knives in his previous life ¨C and every single one of them was for cooking, not stabbing people. Still, the claw felt hefty and sharp enough. He set back off through the forest, leaving the corpse in his wake.

    ***

    The monkey was back. Noah pressed his back to a large tree stump, struggling to control his terrified breathing. The huge, lanky monster that had killed him just seconds after his arrival in the burnt forest was somehow right in front of him, and he was pretty sure it had been looking in his direction.

    Everything had been going so well.

    Well, I suppose nothing at all was happening other than walking. Nothing is better than something, though. I¡¯m going to count that as well.

    It didn¡¯t particularly matter what he counted as well. What did matter was the slow, uncomfortably heavy breathing of the massive ape as it slowly grew closer. The beast took deep, ragged breaths, as if savoring the scent of his fear.

    Noah¡¯s eyes darted around and he searched for any place to hide or trap the creature. Running wasn¡¯t an option. He¡¯d already gathered that much. And, worse, he¡¯d brought the gourd with him. He¡¯d yet to determine just how long it took to revive. If the monkey was still around when he came back¡­

    A shudder ran down Noah¡¯s spine. He could end up getting killed over and over again ¨C forever. Dying now wasn¡¯t an option.

    He did a quick mental check of what he had to work with. A gourd. His book. A pair of pants. A monkey¡¯s claw. He barely suppressed an amused snort that would have given his position away immediately.

    I¡¯d almost wish for a monkey¡¯s paw over a claw at this point.

    An excited hoot echoed through the dry forest. Noah flinched, but nothing happened. For whatever reason the monkey hadn¡¯t done anything yet. It was close, though. He could smell the stench of its matted fur, like a mixture of sickly sweet earth and week old feces.

    Noah¡¯s grip tightened around the claw in his hand. He stilled his breathing even further.

    Okay. On the count of three.

    Three.

    Two.

    Noah sprinted out from behind the tree, bringing a blade of wind to his fingertips. The monkey jerked upright, standing just a few trees away from him. It spun in his direction, opening its mouth in a shriek.

    The wind blade carved into its chest, splattering thick blood across the ground. Noah charged the monster and it reared back. In the back of his mind, Noah noted the move. It was the same one he¡¯d been killed with.

    He dove to the side, predicting the monster¡¯s strike. Its claws ripped through the air where he¡¯d been standing and he rolled to his feet, lunging forward and driving his makeshift knife into the monkey¡¯s chest.

    The padded fur was far harder to penetrate than he¡¯d expected. His claw bit deep, but not deep enough. Noah cursed, trying to disengage, but he heard the next strike coming before he saw it.

    He threw himself to the ground, but it was too late. Thick claws raked across his back, tearing apart flesh and snapping bone. Noah screamed in pain. He grabbed the gourd from his side, throwing it into the trees with the last of his strength.

    A heavy foot crashed down on his head an instant later, tearing his body free of his soul. Noah snarled as his ghostly form was tossed into the air, ties to flesh severed. The monkey grabbed his corpse and lifted it into the air, sniffing curiously at it.

    Energy gathered around Noah¡¯s neck, tugging him into the forest. Toward the gourd. A tiny grin flickered across his lips, but it was equal parts nervous. If the revival process took any real amount of time, the monkey might just find him before he was alive again. The only way to know was to find out.  He was yanked forward, hurtling past several trees before he slammed back into existence.

    Noah snapped into being, stiffening to keep the pained groan from escaping his lips. Every part of his brain thumped in protest, and nausea passed over him with such strength that he nearly threw up over himself.

    Instead, Noah rolled to his feet. Through squinted eyes, he could just barely see the back of the large monkey chewing on something. Noah was pretty sure it was one of his arms. He clenched his fists, trying to call on his magic.

    All that responded was a deep, throbbing pain. Noah gritted his teeth and padded forward, moving as silently as he could as he approached the monster. His dagger laid at its side, discarded.

    He didn¡¯t give himself time to think. He couldn¡¯t afford it. Noah sprinted, scooping the blade off the ground and spinning toward the monster in all his naked glory. Its eyes widened and it screeched, tossing his arm aside and lunging for him.

    Another attack Noah recognized ¨C this time, the one that had literally just killed him. He rolled backward, narrowly avoiding the massive claws as they carved through the air above him. It reared back, lifting its paws above its head.

    Noah lunged, driving his knife into the open wound on its chest. He twisted the blade, then threw himself to the side just in time to avoid the monkey¡¯s overhead slash. As soon as its hands hit the ground, he lunged forward and threw all of his weight into the dagger.

    Something crunched as Noah¡¯s shoulder slammed into the monster¡¯s enormous ribcage. Bone gave way and the dagger punched deeper, driving into the monkey¡¯s heart. It shuddered, and Noah locked eyes with it for an instant.

    He bared his teeth in a primal snarl, fury and determination swirling in his eyes. All that met them was terror.

    The monkey pitched back and crashed to the ground, blood pouring from the deep wound in its chest and flowing down its fur to pool in the ground around it. Noah took a shaky step back, his head still pounding furiously.

    Energy filled his body, rushing through his limbs like a cold river ¨C more than what he¡¯d gained from killing the smaller monkeys. Much more. It did nothing to assuage his furious headache, unfortunately.

    On autopilot, he staggered over to what remained of his corpse and pulled his pants off. He tugged them on, then trudged into the woods to retrieve his gourd. He looped it into his belt, then headed back over to the monkey.

    He pulled the claw from the monster¡¯s chest, shaking the blood from it. Noah looked down at his tormentor, his lips pressed thin. Part of him almost felt bad for it. That part was very, very small. After all the time he¡¯d spent dead, Noah had absolutely no desire to try it again. If monkeys had an afterlife, he hoped that its wait would be extra-long.

 Chapter 4: Arbitage

    Noah flopped down against a tree. He couldn¡¯t remember what time of day it was, and his head hurt too much to look up at the sky to find the answer. He squeezed his eyes shut and massaged his temples, trying to push some of the pain away while he recovered.

    He wasn¡¯t sure how much time passed as he sat there, but a distant noise reached his ears. Noah blinked, letting his eyes crack open. His head was still thundering in pain, but he could have sworn ¨C

    ¡°¡­somewhere here.¡±

    Holy shit, people.

    Noah scrambled to his feet and yelled as loud as he could. ¡°Help! Over here!¡±

    A moment passed and he strained to hear if anyone had picked up his calls.

    ¡°Hello? Please, I¡¯m lost! I need help!¡±

    Two men floated into view above the trees, each standing on a long piece of ornate metal. Both wore sleek black robes with hoods that cast their faces in shadow, even from the angle he was at. Noah stared up at them, his eyes wide.

    ¡°Gods, what are you doing?¡± one of the men asked as they lowered, touching down in the clearing across from him. ¡°What happened to you?¡±

    Noah opened his mouth then froze.

    I can¡¯t tell them anything. I don¡¯t know what Vermil was doing here. I don¡¯t even know who he is.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m injured,¡± Noah said lamely. ¡°I got hit on the head pretty hard by some giant monkey, and my memories are all screwed up. I don¡¯t know where I am or how I got here. All I know is that my name is Vermil.¡±

    The men exchanged a glance as Noah pulled the small metal badge out of his pocket and held it out. One of them pulled his hood back, revealing a grizzled salt and pepper beard. He took the badge from Noah and studied it.

    ¡°He¡¯s a teacher at Arbitage,¡± he said, glancing back at his partner. ¡°Must have been quite some monkey. Was it the Hellreaver?¡±

    ¡°Of course it wasn¡¯t,¡± the other man said with a scoff. ¡°He¡¯s alive and not scorched to a crisp. Was probably one of the Maulers. Do you really think he¡¯d be walking around if he ran into that flaming demon? Let me guess. Was it a big ugly bastard, about this high?¡±

    He held his hand up above his head. Noah frowned.

    ¡°No. It was about twice that high.¡±

    ¡°Slasher,¡± the bearded man said, grimacing. ¡°Tough buggers. I can see how that might have done some damage. You don¡¯t look cut up, though. Didn¡¯t you have any healing potions?¡±

    Noah grimaced and patted his waistband. ¡°I don¡¯t remember. All I¡¯ve got is the badge on my uniform and my book. Look, can you get me back to¡­ Arbitage, was it? I¡¯m sure they can help me. I might collapse if I have to stand much longer, though.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll take you. It¡¯s not too far,¡± the man said with a nod. ¡°It¡¯s an ill omen if Slashers are getting strong enough to beat teachers. Not a good sign at all. Come stand on the back of my board. I¡¯m Fredrick.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Noah staggered over, still barely able to believe his luck, and stepped onto the metal plate. He steadied himself on the man¡¯s shoulders as it shimmered and lifted into the air.

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Fredrick said. ¡°And at least warn me if you think you¡¯re going to fall off. I don¡¯t want to have to deal with explaining that one of Arbitage¡¯s teachers leapt to his death while I was ferrying him around.¡±

    Noah grunted his assent. Fredrick¡¯s partner floated into the air as well, and then they were off, rocketing through the sky just above the burnt treetops. Noah clutched Frederick¡¯s shoulders for dear life, squeezing his eyes shut to keep his already throbbing head from imploding.

    His consciousness fluttered in and out, and it took everything he had to keep his hold on Frederick. Noah wasn¡¯t sure how long they hurtled through the air, but it felt like it couldn¡¯t have been more than a few seconds.

    Someone nudged him, and he realized that the howling winds had stopped. He slowly let his eyes open, grimacing at the sudden bright light that pierced into his skull. Noah squinted, raising a hand to block out the sun.

    They¡¯d landed on the grass before a tall, ornate stone building. Large pillars rose along the sides of the buildings. Statues of monsters clung to them, as if trying to claw them apart during their climb toward the top.

    The letter ¡®T¡¯ was emblazed upon each of the pillars in shimmering gold, each one roughly the size of Noah¡¯s head. Noah squinted at it.

    Actually, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the literal letter T as much as the closest translation to English. Egh. This is just making my head hurt even more.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be in good hands,¡± Frederick said. Noah glanced around for any sign of Frederick¡¯s partner, but the other man had somehow vanished without him noticing.

    I suppose that probably wasn¡¯t too difficult to do in my current state.

    ¡°Where are we?¡± Noah asked.

    ¡°Arbitage, the Fourth Bastion,¡± Frederick replied. He saw the blank look on Noah¡¯s face and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If there¡¯s anything that can be done, you¡¯ll be fixed up. Any moment now¨C¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    A pair of double doors with a chimera carved into them swung open, and a short man strode out following after Frederick¡¯s still unnamed partner. He wore plain white robes and carried a small wooden staff in his hand, though he didn¡¯t seem to be getting much use out of it. The two of them hurried over to Noah.

    A frown passed over the short man¡¯s features and he slowed, losing nearly all of the panic that had been originally on his face.

    ¡°Magus Vermil. You appear... injured.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ hi. Are you a healer?¡± Noah asked, rubbing the back of his head to try to force the pain and fog away.

    ¡°I was informed that you suffered from a bout of memory loss,¡± the short man said. ¡°Do you remember who I am?¡±

    Noah shook his head. ¡°I ¨C no. Not at all. I¡¯m sorry. Should I know you?¡±

    ¡°My name is Richard. I am specialized in healing Runes.¡±

    Richard paused, studying Noah¡¯s face. It remained blank. They stared at each other for a few moments.

    ¡°Nothing?¡± Richard asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. I don¡¯t recognize you in the slightest.¡±

    Richard chewed his lower lip. He stepped toward Noah and raised a hand, pressing it to his chest. "Where did you find him?"

    "In Scorched Acres," Frederick replied. "I know what you''re thinking, but I don''t think he''s been replaced. He''s too... helpless."

    "We shall see," Richard said. ¡°Stay still for a spell.¡±

    Noah obliged, and what felt like a cold spotlight filled his insides. It traveled throughout his entire body, starting at his stomach and running up his spine and into his head before slowly dispersing throughout the rest of him.

    The small cuts that remained on his body from the fight with the monkey sealed over and faded away. His headache didn¡¯t abate in the slightest, though. If anything, Noah was pretty sure the fog in his mind got even thicker.

    ¡°He''s indeed human. But... strange. I don¡¯t see anything physically wrong with you beyond some minor injuries, but it¡¯s quite clear that your memories are not intact.¡±

    ¡°Really? How can you tell?¡± Noah asked.

    And, more importantly, can you tell that the old Magus Vermil is dead and gone?

    Richard snorted, which Noah felt was quite the odd thing to do in the face of such a question.

    ¡°No reason in particular, Magus Vermil. You may simply need to spend some time resting, but there is nothing a healer can do for you. Your mind and body are as intact as they have ever been. If anything, better.¡±

    ¡°Better?¡±

    ¡°Never mind that,¡± Richard said, shaking his head and failing to suppress a small smile. That only served to confuse Noah even more, but he wasn¡¯t about to press his luck. The less people questioned his supposed memory loss, the better.

    ¡°I see,¡± Noah said. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ unfortunate.¡±

    ¡°Quite,¡± Richard said dispassionately. ¡°Frederick, thank you for delivering the good Magus. We¡¯ll ensure that your efforts are properly rewarded.¡±

    Frederick touched the edge of his cowl. ¡°Any good man would have done the same. Best of luck, Magus.¡±

    He hopped back onto his board and shot into the air. Noah watched them for as long as his throbbing eyes would allow, then turned back to Richard. He raised a hand to block the sun from poking needles into his sore eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have absolutely no idea what I¡¯m supposed to do,¡± Noah said. ¡°I really can¡¯t remember anything.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite all right. I¡¯ll let the headmaster know you were injured. I can lead you to your room for the time being, so you can get some rest,¡± Richard offered.

    ¡°That would be great. Thank you.¡±

    Richard just nodded in response. He headed back toward the ornate building, and Noah followed after him.

    The halls were a vague blur to him, and Noah wasn¡¯t exactly sure where in the building they went. He recalled walking up several stairwells and traveling through halls lit only by the light outside, but everything melded together in his addled mind.

    They finally came to a stop before a plain stone door with a keyhole in its center. A metal plaque to its side read Magus Vermil. Richard sent Noah an expectant look.

    ¡°Key?¡± Richard asked.

    Noah stared blankly at him. Richard sighed.

    ¡°Override it is, then.¡± He pressed his hand to the door and thin lines of white energy stretched out along it, illuminating a pattern hidden within the rock. The door clicked and swung open smoothly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have someone sent to check on you soon,¡± Richard promised. ¡°I suggest you remain here until then. Perhaps some of your memories will be jogged.¡±

    Noah nodded absentmindedly and stepped inside. A small frown flickered across his lips. The room was a complete mess. Piles of papers covered a large wooden desk and had fallen to the floor around it. A metal key sat on top of the desk beside an unlit candle.

    This is probably for the door. Why did Vermil leave it behind?

    The bed was messy and unmade, and the window behind it was covered with grime and dust. A small door in the side of the room led into a bathroom, which wasn¡¯t in much better shape.

    There was a soft thud as Richard wordlessly closed the door behind Noah. He glanced over his shoulder.

    Something tells me he doesn¡¯t like me much.

    Noah pushed the haze and pain to the side. He walked up to the desk and leafed through the papers, trying to see if there was anything that could be of any use.

    ¡°Skinwalker group spotted in the area. Be wary of colleagues or students that you recognize that speak or move in an odd manner, especially those that have been missing for more than three weeks,¡± Noah read aloud. He tossed the paper to the side.

    He leafed through a few more, then paused as something caught his eye.

    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Noah asked, picking one of the papers up. It had been a while since he¡¯d seen something of its like, but he¡¯d filled out more than enough of them in the past to recognize the key features. It was an extension request for some sort of assignment.

    A signature had been scribbled across the bottom, along with an extra line. Noah¡¯s mouth dropped open in disgust as he read it.

    Meet me in my room an hour after class if you want the extension. Wear something cute.

    Magus Vermil

    Noah looked back over the note, desperately hoping he¡¯d misread something, and this was meant for the man¡¯s lover. There was no such luck. Without a doubt, this note had been submitted by a student. It even had their year number beside their name.

    ¡°Shit. The last bloke in this body was a creep. No wonder someone killed him.¡± Disgust washed over Noah¡¯s face. He leafed through more of the papers and some of the blood drained from his face. ¡°Wait. He was a teacher. Am I supposed to teach people magic? I don¡¯t even know how to use it myself.¡±

    Noah ruffled through the rest of the papers, desperately trying to find out if there was any semblance of order to them. Unfortunately, Vermil must have taken some degree of pride in the complete mess that was his room.

    Half of the papers were ruined by water stains ¨C at least, Noah hoped it was water ¨C and the others were either outdated, worthless, or just made absolutely no sense. He did his best to organize them, filtering out the most useless papers of the lot and stacking them by the door.

    Before he realized it, nearly two hours had passed. His headache finally receded somewhat, though some of the fog remained. The fruits of Noah¡¯s work was a fairly clean wooden desk and somewhat dusted floor. Noah sat down in the chair across from the desk and chewed his thumb.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Noah said to himself, rocking back slightly in his chair. ¡°I can work with this. I¡¯m good at teaching. It¡¯s not like I ever had all that much time to prepare myself on subjects back on Earth. There¡¯s got to be some sort of reference packet, right?¡±

    The back of his hand brushed against the book hanging from his belt. He unhooked the book and flipped it open. His head throbbed again and Noah pressed his hand to his temple. He lowered into his chair, studying the pages.

    Maybe, if he could make some real sense of its contents, he could pass his memory loss off and avoid detection.

 Chapter 477: Choice & START OF BOOK 6

    Violet¡¯s eyes fluttered open. The world buzzed and twisted around her, dancing to a tune that only it could hear. Her lips felt gummy and her head throbbed. Spider, on the other hand, didn¡¯t even seem slightly bothered.

    Violet swallowed. That was the only action she could manage to muster. Pain and new strength swirled into a churning mix in her soul. She¡¯d managed to keep her misgivings wrapped when Spider had bought the Mind Meld potion.

    If that had been the price for power, she¡¯d been more than willing to pay it ¡ª but it quickly became abundantly clear that Spider didn¡¯t have any plans of using the potion for its intended purpose.

    He¡¯d asked her a few dozen questions about her goals and what she wanted to accomplish. Violet could barely even remember what her answers had been. All she¡¯d wanted was to be strong. To be able to protect Aylin and Edda and Rorick. Nothing else mattered.

    Whatever Spider had wanted in return, she¡¯d been prepared to give it. The demon had handed her Rune after Rune, ordering her to draw them into her soul.

    Shame wrapped around Violet like a metal cloak at the memory. As it turned out, having absolutely no experience drawing in Runes had made her horrid at it. Even though the power had been right in front of her, it had taken minutes to draw in every single one.

    The impatience in Spider¡¯s posture made it apparent that Aylin had taken to drawing in the new runes considerably faster than she had. Everything Violet had wanted had been right in front of her, and she couldn¡¯t grasp it.

    By the end of the thirty-minute window Spider had warned her of, Violet managed to bring in Six new Runes and draw in energy from a rune the stronger demon shattered to fill her current Demon Rune.

    Then it had come time to combine them. Even now, Violet¡¯s stomach twisted. Spider had handed her everything ¡ª and she¡¯d failed.

    Even with Spider¡¯s instructions, the combination had been horrible. She¡¯d known it from first glance. The rune had been nearly sixty-five percent full. A complete failure. Then the potion¡¯s effects had ended and Violet found herself sitting back on the ground of the tent.

    It had been humiliating.

    But, as her stomach twisted itself into knots so tight that they could have cut through metal, her defeated gaze had been met only by Spider¡¯s hand holding a second potion.

    A second chance. One that put her so impossibly deep into debt that she couldn¡¯t even begin to comprehend the extent of it. Violet had taken it without hesitation. Shame did nothing. Even if she had a crippled rune, she couldn¡¯t afford to do anything but take every advantage that Spider was willing to offer her.

    She had no clue why he was willing to spend so much effort on a demon with no potential and no skill, but she didn¡¯t care. Anything Spider wanted from her would be his if he could let her keep up with Aylin.

    But when they had returned to her mind, Spider didn¡¯t procure new runes. Instead, he simply ordered her to close her eyes and brace herself. Violet almost let out a scornful laugh at the memory.

    She¡¯d been so confident she was prepared for anything Spider would demand.

    She¡¯d been wrong.

    Her memories of what happened next were a haze. There was a wall of pain, so immense that it threatened to swallow her completely. She¡¯d screamed until her throat went raw, but not once did she open her eyes.

    And then there was nothing. The pain had faded as if it had never been there. Spider gave her the order to open her eyes once more, and Violet had found herself in her soul, surrounded by the runes she¡¯d failed to combine.

    It was in that moment that Violet realized the difference between herself and Spider. He had undone her mistake as if it had never happened. She was a demon ¡ª but he was a god. That was the only explanation for it that her mind could manifest.

    Violet didn¡¯t mess up the second time around. She combined the runes into a Rank 2, and Spider¡¯s only response was to manifest a new Rank 2 in her soul. And thus, they had continued. She was still far from fast at her work, and it took the entire thirty minutes to gather the rest of the Rank 2 runes in her soul. This time it didn¡¯t faze her.

    Spider didn¡¯t care about how long it took her. Time was meaningless to a god. And, for some reason, that was a comfort. Violet focused, pushing away the fear and worry to completely train her mind on what mattered.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Success. She was aided by a god. Nothing else was possible.

    Her newfound confidence was proven right. When she combined her runes for the second time under Spider¡¯s guidance, she made no more mistakes. The potion had worn off just moments later.

    ¡°Well?¡± Spider asked, his words shattering Violet¡¯s thoughts like a fist through glass.

    She looked down at her hands, flexing her fingers and swallowing heavily. Her body, similar to Aylin¡¯s, hadn¡¯t had any significant changes from the advancement to Rank 3.

    That wasn¡¯t to say she hadn¡¯t changed at all. Muscle had filled in her thin form and, as Violet ran a hand a long her face, she found that her features had sharpened. Her body felt steady. Firm. Like the earth itself had risen up to fill her from within.

    She felt unstoppable ¡ª and she knew that couldn¡¯t have been farther from the truth. Violet stared up into Spider¡¯s cloaked face.

    Why is someone like this here? A god made flesh¡­ just gifting power to street urchins? Is this just a game to him? Or is there something more that we don¡¯t understand?

    ¡°I ¡ª I¡¯m fine. I feel strong,¡± Violet said, not wanting to keep Spider waiting any longer.

    ¡°That would be all the Earth Runes,¡± Spider mused. ¡°What about range of mobility? Stiff? Are your thoughts sluggish?¡±

    Violet blinked. She lifted a hand and waved it around, then shook her head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think so. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d say I feel any faster, but I don¡¯t feel dumber or slower.¡±

    ¡°I see. So the change is more related to your demon rune than the normal ones,¡± Spider mused under his breath. He looked to her again. ¡°And what of your emotion? Do you know what you feed on? It¡¯s fast, but¡ª¡±

    Violet knew. Before Spider had even finished, her heart had already set itself on the one thing in life that mattered to her. ¡°I want to protect my family.¡±

    That gave Spider pause. He tilted his head to the side in apparent curiosity. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting emotion for a demon. Kinder than I would have expected. It isn¡¯t really an emotion either. Explain.¡±

    What kind of question is that? Is he trying to see how much I understand of myself? Actually, it doesn¡¯t matter. Anything he wants from me is his if it lets me become strong.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just emotion. It¡¯s feeling. The feeling of protecting what belongs to me,¡± Violet replied. ¡°I¡¯m not strong or lucky enough to eat pure emotion. Most of us have something more specific. A feeling that¡¯s usually made up of a bunch of smaller emotions in combination.¡±

    ¡°But your feeling is protecting others. Do you consume your own energy?¡±

    I don¡¯t know if I can explain something that just feels completely instinctive¡­ that must be why he¡¯s asking. To make me look deeper.

    Violet¡¯s brow furrowed as she thought and searched for words. ¡°It¡¯s not the feeling I get. I want to feel their appreciation. Their understanding that I¡¯m protecting them,¡± Violet said. ¡°And it¡¯s not just others. It¡¯s my family. I want to protect the ones that belong to me.¡±

    Spider¡¯s head inclined. ¡°I see. A powerful desire. A dangerous one, if you let it get away from you. Does any living being truly belong to another?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know,¡± Violet admitted with a frown. Her emotion pressed against her logic as she struggled to find a way to balance them. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to say it. I want them to be mine. My siblings. They don¡¯t belong to me, but they¡¯re mine.¡±

    ¡°Interesting. Not too dissimilar from Lee, but¡­ no. Never mind. I won¡¯t tell you how your emotions work, but I encourage seeing how far you can push them. How strong you can become, not just in the ways you know, but in the ones you don¡¯t,¡± Spider said. ¡°I¡¯ll be watching with interest. You have potential.¡±

    Me? I failed to combine my runes. How do I have any potential? Is Spider just trying to be nice? But¡­ why even bother? I don¡¯t understand him at all.

    They were silent for a few seconds. Then Spider blew out a small breath. He put a hand on Violet¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Keep that family of yours safe. I haven¡¯t given Aylin an easy task. He¡¯s got a lot on his shoulders. He needs all the help he can get ¡ª and remember that you¡¯re part of your family as well. I know the look in your eyes. You can only protect them as long as you protect yourself. I know you and Aylin are wondering why I¡¯d do something like this. You¡¯re probably trying to figure out what would cause me to choose you.¡±

    Violet nodded mutely.

    ¡°The answer is simple. You were there,¡± Spider said. ¡°Aylin had the curiosity and need to seek me out. I didn¡¯t come with ulterior motives beyond the ones you have already seen. I need someone to fill Golon¡¯s spot, and I need someone to control the gangs I bring in under my control. I will give you and Aylin everything I can to accomplish that. Your only job is to keep yourself and Aylin alive until then. And, when you do, you¡¯ll have a choice.¡±

    ¡°A choice?¡± Violet¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out when the time comes,¡± Spider replied with a chuckle. ¡°Until then, just focus on the present. You¡¯re stronger now, but we¡¯ll be up against more powerful enemies soon enough. These next few days are just training. Bring the gangs under Aylin¡¯s control. Learn how to use your abilities and protect him ¡ª and prepare for what comes next.¡±

    Violet¡¯s jaw set. Spider hadn¡¯t had to say anything. His orders were the exact ones she¡¯d already resolved herself to. It was strange. Despite the inconceivable gap between them, for some inexplicable reason, Violet felt safe with Spider.

    It almost felt like he cared.

    ¡°I will,¡± Violet promised.

    ¡°Good,¡± Spider said with a smile. He held out a hand and helped Violet to her feet. Then he nodded to the tent flap. ¡°Now, shall we go check on Aylin? I believe his fight is over, and I¡¯m not above looking forward to watching his reaction when he sees you.¡±

 Chapter 478: Hoarder

    ¡°Someone¡¯s heading in this direction, but we¡¯ve got a little before they arrive,¡± Aylin said, his ears twitching as he picked up on noise outside the tent. He licked his lips as he tried to place the taste, but there were just too many in the camp to make out any details now that everyone had come back out of their tents.

    He and Vrith rose from where they sat and Aylin brushed the dust off the backside of his pants. Looking like a bumpkin when some new arrogant demon showed up was not high on his list of things to accomplish.

    ¡°You still owe me more food. Don¡¯t think an interruption is going to get you out of the rest of it,¡± Vrith said. She paused for a second. ¡°Given in the way we agreed on, mind you.¡±

    Aylin suppressed a laugh. ¡°I know. You can have the rest of it once I make sure everyone that wants food can get it. I still need to give the other street kids time to hear the word. I doubt the demons I sent out to announce that people can have some food have gotten to everyone yet.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think they¡¯re all going to take you up on it?¡±

    ¡°No. Just the truly desperate ones. It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not about if they take me up or not. It¡¯s about keeping my promise.¡±

    ¡°Some streetlord you are.¡±

    ¡°Are you really strong if you have to lie to protect what¡¯s yours?¡± Aylin asked. ¡°Act like what you want to be, not what you are. That¡¯s how you achieve your goals.¡±

    Vrith pursed her lips and crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Don¡¯t start spouting off fancy quotes to me. I was around literally less than a day ago when you were shaking so much that you probably raised the temperature of the air around you by a bit.¡±

    ¡°It did sound kind of knowledgeable and wise though, didn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Anything sounds knowledgeable and wise if you¡¯re cryptic enough. The words you speak manifest the reality you experience. See? I can do it too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty good line, actually.¡± Aylin scratched his chin. ¡°I¡¯m taking it.¡±

    Vrith let out a long-suffering sigh. ¡°All yours, boss.¡±

    Aylin¡¯s ears twitched again. He nudged her shoulder and nodded to the entrance of the tent as his features turned serious. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡±

    Vrith adjusted her stance and stepped back to let the shadows at the corner of the tent wash over her. She didn¡¯t quite completely disappear, but even though Aylin knew where she was, he could barely see her.

    Aylin tasted the air again. There were two demons headed toward the tent. He recognized one of them instantly. Goosebumps raced across his skin as his chest tightened.

    Spider.

    The demon was likely coming to check on how his investment had gone. Aylin quickly ran through everything he¡¯d done. He was pretty sure he¡¯d handled things exactly how Spider would have wanted him to.

    That didn¡¯t stop the fear from setting in. There were some things in life that were wise to fear. Fear didn¡¯t exist for no reason. It was the most primal of warning systems. It kept people alive.

    But the fear Aylin felt was tinged with something else ¡ª curiosity, and not just toward Spider. The other demon with him felt strange. Familiar, but at the same time, different. It was a mixture of flavors that he didn¡¯t have nearly enough experience to place before the tent flap was pushed aside.

    Spider stepped inside and held the flap open for a female demon following after him. She was on the shorter side, with beautiful ivory horns that curled up around her head to end in razor-sharp points. Lean muscle covered her body and she seemed to walk in the same manner as a rock sliding down the side of a mountain.

    There was a moment of silence as the two groups stared at each other. Something tickled the back of Aylin¡¯s head. The taste of familiarity grew stronger. His eyes widened as he finally realized who the second demon was.

    ¡°Violet?¡± Aylin exclaimed in disbelief. If he¡¯d been sitting in a chair, he would have leapt straight out of it. His eyes shot over to Spider and he hurriedly gathered himself before he could cause any offense. Greeting her before the unbelievably powerful demon was definitely disrespectful. ¡°Forgive me. I was surprised. Master Spider. I hope you have approved of the work I¡¯ve done in your name.¡±

    Spider let out a laugh and waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve already mentioned I don¡¯t care about honorifics or any of that shit. As long as you listen to my orders, I don¡¯t care if you say my name first or second. And I¡¯m just a fly on the wall. Ignore me. You¡¯ve done a great job, but I¡¯m only here to escort Violet.¡±

    Aylin found it doubtful that Violet had done anything to earn an escort from Spider himself, but he wasn¡¯t about to question the other demon. He stared at Violet, taking in every detail as his mind fought to overlay her new form with the one in his mind.

    Her facial features were all similar. Her horns had definitely gotten nicer, but the more Aylin looked at her, the more he realized that Violet hadn¡¯t truly changed. She¡¯d just become the demon she was always meant to be.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Aylin asked. ¡°You look so¡­ well, you. It¡¯s like someone added you to yourself.¡±

    ¡°Eloquent,¡± Violet said with a huge grin. She strode up to stand before him and grabbed him by his sides. Aylin let out a yelp as Violet effortlessly lifted him into the air and spun him in a circle before setting him down again. ¡°And I¡¯ll give you three guesses as to what happened.¡±

    ¡°Spider?¡±

    ¡°Maybe I should have given you less guesses.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°It¡¯s kind of a freebie,¡± Aylin agreed. He glanced over to Spider before returning his gaze to Violet. A flicker of trepidation twisted through his stomach. ¡°What did you have to pay for this? You¡¯re okay, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Violet said, clasping Aylin¡¯s shoulders and giving him a reassuring smile. ¡°We¡¯re all wrapped up in this anyway. Spider just gave me the power to defend us. Your job is definitely a lot harder than mine.¡±

    ¡°If you think keeping this little crazed thing alive is easy, then you¡¯ve got another thing coming,¡± Vrith said, but the sarcasm in her voice was overshadowed by shock. ¡°Are you really the girl that was here earlier?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m her and more, courtesy of Spider,¡± Violet replied. Her eyes narrowed and she set her jaw. ¡°Why are you still hanging around? Don¡¯t you have a gang to be managing?¡±

    ¡°I do not. Aylin invited me to be his second and I accepted. A new second will have to be chosen for the Ravagers.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Violet exclaimed. She spun back to look at Aylin. ¡°You chose her? Why?¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Aylin asked. ¡°She¡¯s been really helpful. If it wasn¡¯t for Vrith, Rekeba would have completely crushed me. Vrith isn¡¯t as intimidating as she looks. She¡¯s actually nice.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s an assassin,¡± Violet said, the suspicion in her tone evident. ¡°It¡¯s good that she helped, but I¡¯ve got your back now. You don¡¯t have to keep a monster like her lurking at our backs.¡±

    Vrith¡¯s eyes narrowed. She took a step forward, her lips pressing thin. ¡°Keep your words to¡ª¡±

    Aylin lifted a hand. Vrith¡¯s mouth snapped shut.

    Huh. I didn¡¯t think that would actually work.

    ¡°I love you Violet, but you don¡¯t know Vrith yet,¡± Aylin said, picking his words carefully. ¡°Jumping to conclusions like this isn¡¯t going to help anybody. Vrith and I have a pretty good deal going, and we need all the help we can get.¡±

    ¡°But can you actually trust her?¡± Violet asked, thrusting a finger in the furred demon¡¯s direction. ¡°A deal is only good as long as both parties get something out of it. How do you know she won¡¯t just turn and stab you in the back at the first opportunity?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m not trying to get eviscerated by Spider,¡± Vrith said. She stepped out of the shadows and walked to stand directly before Violet.

    The two demons stared each other down. Aylin went to open his mouth but caught Spider¡¯s eye. The masked demon shook his head and, wisely, Aylin let his mouth close.

    ¡°So the only reason you¡¯re here is because you¡¯re scared,¡± Violet said. She crossed her arms and matched Vrith¡¯s stance. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I was saying. You¡¯re obviously competent, but I don¡¯t see any reason to keep someone around that¡¯s only looking out for their own skin. You don¡¯t have anything in the game other than not wanting to die.¡±

    Vrith¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

    ¡°Yeah? What is it?¡± Violet pressed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying,¡± Vrith said flatly. ¡°It¡¯s none of your concern.¡±

    ¡°Then how do we know you¡¯re actually on our side?¡±

    ¡°Because I said I am. Aylin and I have a deal that I can¡¯t replace elsewhere. That¡¯s the only explanation you¡¯re getting.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t expect me to believe that any deal is irreplicable. That¡¯s not a convincing argument in the slightest,¡± Violet said. She looked at Aylin expectantly. ¡°You can¡¯t tell me I¡¯m wrong here, can you? I don¡¯t know what this deal is but making her your second is a huge commitment. You need to be able to trust your second more than anyone else. A bad second can completely destroy you and everything you¡¯ve built.¡±

    When did Violet learn so much about gangs and how they operate?

    Aylin fought to keep his powers repressed. The last thing he wanted to do was accidentally take a bite out of Violet¡¯s energy.

    ¡°This deal is irreplicable,¡± Vrith said before Aylin could say anything. ¡°It¡¯s not something I can get anywhere else. I won¡¯t claim anything to the rest of the guild, but I have Aylin¡¯s back and he knows it.¡±

    Aylin was slightly surprised to taste the truth on Vrith¡¯s words. He¡¯d believed they had a working agreement, but her claim went beyond just that.

    ¡°She¡¯s telling the truth,¡± Aylin said.

    Violet blinked in surprise. ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°I can taste the truth,¡± Aylin replied. ¡°I¡¯m a knowledge demon. There¡¯s a lot I haven¡¯t had a chance to completely catch you up on yet, Violet. We need to fix that as soon as we can, but you can trust me ¡ª and you can trust Vrith as well.¡±

    Spider¡¯s head tilted to the side at his words. Something had caught his attention, but he didn¡¯t say anything and Aylin didn¡¯t ask.

    Violet studied him and Vrith quietly for a few seconds. Then she uncrossed her hands and let them fall to her sides. ¡°Okay. If you trust her, then I¡¯ll trust your judgement. I can¡¯t say I like it. I¡¯m the one that¡¯s going to protect all of us.¡±

    There was more in her voice than just sisterly care. It was the drive that only a demon could understand. Aylin clamped down on his powers, but it was too late. His mind brushed across Violet¡¯s and her eyes widened.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°Did you just take a bite out of her?¡± Vrith demanded.

    ¡°No,¡± Aylin said, letting out a relieved breath. ¡°But I may have subconsciously tried to. Sorry, Violet. I learned something big about you and almost stole energy on accident. I¡¯m still figuring out how to keep my strength under control.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s immune? You¡¯re kidding me,¡± Vrith muttered as she looked down at her hands. ¡°Does that mean her Runic energy is stronger than mine? Spider is unfair.¡±

    ¡°I think we should sit down and really discuss what we¡¯re capable of,¡± Violet said slowly.

    ¡°That might be a good idea,¡± Aylin said.

    Vrith glared at him. ¡°Of course you and your sister think it is. You aren¡¯t the ones that are going to get chunks bitten out of them from sharing. I¡¯ll pass.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Violet raised an eyebrow. ¡°So much for that loyalty. Spider ordered me to keep Aylin safe. That includes knowing the abilities of his subordinates.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you in private,¡± Vrith said. She shot a glance at Aylin. ¡°When he isn¡¯t there.¡±

    ¡°You could lie. Aylin is the one that can tell if you¡¯re speaking the truth or not,¡± Violet countered. She crossed her arms again. ¡°I believe Aylin, but I also won¡¯t let myself get blindsided because you decided to hide something from me. I¡¯m taking this seriously. Are you?¡±

    ¡°Violet, it¡¯s fine,¡± Aylin said. ¡°We don¡¯t have to¡ª¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Vrith said. She let out a weary sigh. ¡°Violet is right, and I¡¯ve seen demons like her before. She¡¯s a Hoarder.¡±

    ¡°A Hoarder?¡± Aylin asked. ¡°You mean her feeling? How do you know? And what does that have to do with our conversation?¡±

    ¡°Because Hoarders are some of the best damn guards there are. I¡¯ve done jobs on noble houses that use them, and they¡¯ve never gone well,¡± Vrith said as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. ¡°Hoarders are great at protecting things. They don¡¯t like giving their hoard away, after all. And given how Violet is speaking, I¡¯m pretty sure her hoard is us.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the people I care about,¡± Violet corrected. ¡°Don¡¯t include yourself in that.¡±

    Vrith opened her mouth to respond, then let out a pained hiss. She glared at Aylin and he winced.

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    Vrith just sighed. ¡°I figured it was going to happen. Either way, Violet was right. I haven¡¯t gone up against a Hoarder that gathers other demons, but I¡¯d imagine she¡¯ll be a damn effective guard if you let her do what she wants. If this is part of it, then I¡¯ll do it ¡ª but sitting down rather than standing. I get the feeling it isn¡¯t going to be very fun for me.¡±

    Violet gave Vrith an approving nod and sat down across from her. Aylin hesitated for a second before joining them on the ground.

    I might need to start allocating more food for Vrith. And time. I¡¯m going to have to feed her a while to make up for this.

 Chapter 479: Smiles & Letters

    Noah was pretty sure he¡¯d been forgotten. It wasn¡¯t that he particularly minded that ¡ª he had told Aylin and the others to pretend as if he wasn¡¯t there. He just hadn¡¯t actually expected them to do it.

    That said, he had never been happier to have been forgotten. He¡¯d learned so much about demons in the last few minutes that he was worried he might actually forget some of it. The corner of his mouth quirked up.

    Who would have thought. Demons that live in the Damned Plains actually know a little bit more about themselves than I do. What¡¯s interesting is that Lee knew so little. She understands the basics, but even Aylin knows more about being a demon than she does.

    Is that because she spent all her time alone in the Wastes instead of in a city? I get that the cities were dangerous, but Aylin is weaker than Lee. His whole group is. So how is it they were managing to survive even at Rank 1 when Lee was scared of the cities at Rank 3?

    Noah¡¯s brow furrowed as he thought. Azel had been Lee¡¯s father. He¡¯d known she¡¯d followed him into the mortal plane. Hell, he¡¯d encouraged it. There was no doubt he¡¯d been lurking around Lee for quite some time, probably since she¡¯d been born.

    Could he have intentionally kept Lee away from the other demons? He was a Rank 5. That¡¯s no joke. Azel knew a lot more than he let on. Damn it. I wish I could have been there when he died. Actually, and I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m thinking this, but I wish he hadn¡¯t died. If he could seal Lee and stop her from losing herself, then he knew a lot more than I do.

    But the past was the past. No matter what they knew now, there was no way to turn back time and ask Azel the questions that Noah needed answered. All he could do is move ahead with what he¡¯d learned ¡ª and that wasn¡¯t an insignificant amount.

    Lee and Violet have a lot of similarities. That¡¯s incredibly useful. If I can figure out how Violet¡¯s runes work, I can make progress toward Lee¡¯s as well. For that matter, Aylin also has some similarities with her with his ability to taste things that shouldn¡¯t be tangible like truth. Honestly, that¡¯s an incredible ability.

    That wasn¡¯t Aylin¡¯s only incredible ability. Noah wasn¡¯t sure if he should laugh or rub the bridge of his nose as he looked at the trio of demons sitting in the center of the room. Vrith was laid out flat on the ground, having gotten the energy drained out of her about a dozen times over the course of their conversation.

    Aylin had sent for someone to get food and was absently feeding her as they spoke. He¡¯d propped her head up against his crossed legs. Vrith had objected to it at first due to Violet¡¯s presence, but it had only taken about two more questions before she¡¯d changed her mind.

    I was a bit worried about Violet¡¯s change in personality at first. She was obviously a driven girl before, but the Rank 3 Rune really strengthened her resolve. For a moment it looked like she was going to turn into an obsessed guard that didn¡¯t let Aylin do anything on his own.

    Fortunately, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Violet¡¯s expression had been steadily softening throughout the conversation. The more Aylin and Vrith discussed their abilities and the clearer it became exactly what their deal was, the less Violet seemed to dislike her. Noah could almost pin the point where Violet¡¯s opinion of Vrith switched from distaste to curiosity and then to amusement.

    ¡°So you don¡¯t want anything from us other than to continue doing¡­ this?¡± Violet asked, waving vaguely in Aylin and Vrith¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Vrith said once she¡¯d finished chewing a large grape. ¡°Could you stop asking that? And feel free to ask Aylin to verify this, but I will kill you if you go around telling anyone about this.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s lying,¡± Aylin said.

    Violet snickered as Vrith¡¯s glare bored into Aylin¡¯s skull.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it to myself,¡± Violet promised as she placed a hand over her heart. ¡°But I¡¯m curious. Was the deal that someone has to feed you? Or does it have to be Aylin?¡±

    ¡°This has absolutely nothing to do with the original line of questioning. I will not be answering that.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s telling the truth.¡±

    Violet shrugged and stretched her arms over her head with a yawn. ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. I think I¡¯m satisfied. It doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re going to stab us in the back, so I really don¡¯t care what you think of Aylin.¡±

    ¡°That was a lie,¡± Aylin said automatically. He paused, but it was too late to take back his words. He cleared his throat. ¡°The latter half, that is.¡±

    It was Violet¡¯s turn to glare at Aylin. Vrith joined her, united against a common enemy. ¡°I no longer like this ability. Turn it off.¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Aylin said sheepishly. ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m working on learning how to control it, but I¡¯m not very good at that yet.¡±

    ¡°Maybe focus on not ripping energy out of everybody you speak to first,¡± Vrith suggested with a sigh. Then she opened her mouth and gave him a pointed look.

    Aylin fed her another fruit. Noah was starting to get hungry watching them. He wasn¡¯t about to go ask Moxie to feed him, though. That felt like a bit much.

    At least they¡¯ve figured out something that works for all of them. It¡¯s interesting to see how effective the perfect runes are in comparison to the normal Rank 3s here. Vrith is getting snacked on constantly, but Aylin and Violet are equally matched so he can¡¯t accidentally eat her energy. I wonder if he could do it on purpose.

    Noah tapped a finger against his leg. This was good information, but he needed more to decode how to help Lee. There was always the option of testing different qualities and types of runes on a bunch of different demons. That thought made Noah¡¯s lips curl in distaste.

    He was entirely fine with killing anyone that posed a threat to his group or him. Using a ton of demons as nothing more than test subjects¡­ that felt a little far, especially given the things he needed to test.

    I¡¯m not a saint. Never claimed to be. I¡¯m not going to be a monster either. If I¡¯m going to test something, then it¡¯s going to be something that should help someone, not hurt them. There¡¯s no point randomly stuffing runes into demons unless I actually have a proper game plan.

    Therein lay the problem. It didn¡¯t make sense for Lee to try to progress with anything less than flawless runes.

    Azel definitely didn¡¯t have flawless runes, but his personality still got warped and controlled by the feeling he consumed. The worst part is it makes sense. Demons and their runes are strongly connected. You can¡¯t split them apart without killing them, so a hatred demon is going to become hateful.

    If I could find a way to somehow separate that or limit the effect of the rune without significantly weakening Lee, I could solve the first of her two problems.

    The other problem¡­ Noah wasn¡¯t even sure where he could start on that. He still had absolutely no idea how Lee had managed to mash a Master Rune into her combination. It should have been impossible according to everything he knew about runes.

    But, on the other hand, the more he learned about runes, the more he realized that people barely knew anything at all about them.

    Our soul may only be able to actively use seven runes at once¡­ but is that truly the limit as to what you can combine? Master Runes break other rules. Maybe there¡¯s a way to break the rule of seven as well.

    That was something he could test. He didn¡¯t want to waste any of his current Master Runes, though.

    Eh. I¡¯m sure the Damned Plains has Master Runes in it. I¡¯m going to need a whole lot more runes anyway at the rate I¡¯m going through them. I was able to bring Aylin and Violet up to Rank 3 without too much difficulty, but I can¡¯t keep at that forever.

    I¡¯ll be in position to do that pretty soon. Once Aylin collects a bunch of gangs under my banner, it won¡¯t be long before I draw the attention of someone a little more important. I should be able to bargain with them. I just need to get into their equivalent of an auction or learn where a good hunting ground is.

    And if they don¡¯t give me that information¡­ well, if they¡¯re stronger, then they¡¯ll have some decent Runes for me. I get what I want either way. I was kind of betting on taking a few runes from the other streetlords, but nobody else has shown up to challenge Aylin. He might be a bit too good at his job. Maybe I¡¯ll pay a visit to the ones that don¡¯t send word they¡¯ve surrendered by tomorrow.

    Noah shook his head. There were too many ¡®ifs¡¯ to consider that line of thought any further. For the time being, everything was going exactly how he wanted it to. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he had control of the local gangs and enough strength to push his way into a higher level of society, where he could continue gathering strength and runes.

    After I do that, I¡¯ll find a way to get some stronger demons in my favor and keep climbing my way up the ladder until I have a whole damn army ¡ª no pun intended. I¡¯ll upgrade my own runes in the process, fix Lee up, and then beat Wizen¡¯s ass and go back to the mortal plane. Preferably in that order.

    He was more than aware that his plan may have been just a slight tad optimistic, but nothing ever went like he wanted it to anyway. If shit was going to go south, it might as well go south while he was already aiming for more than he had any right to get.

    While he¡¯d been lost in thought, Aylin¡¯s group had wrapped up their conversation and were just sitting around on the ground awkwardly, likely waiting for him to give them an order. He¡¯d just been standing there and staring at them absentmindedly.

    Ah, damn it.

    Noah took a step forward ¡ª and tripped. Something soft and furry had lodged itself in front of his shin. He swore and stumbled, catching himself before he could fall and spinning.

    Then he froze in place. Peering up at him with disdain, nose scrunched in apparent annoyance and eyes twinkling with amusement, was a white-furred cat with glistening red horns. A heartbeat passed as Noah locked eyes with Mascot.

    ¡°You little shit,¡± Noah said, a disbelieving laugh slipping from his mouth as he picked Mascot up. The cat yowled in displeasure but did nothing as Noah scooped him into his arms. ¡°How did you get over here?¡±

    Mascot twisted his head to look up at Noah. The cat gave him a dry look, as if to ask if he was stupid.

    ¡°Can you make a portal back?¡± Noah asked, his chest tightening. ¡°You came here on your own, right?¡±

    Mascot squirmed out of Noah¡¯s grip and dropped to the ground. Then he started licking his nether regions clean. Noah¡¯s lips pressed thin and he blew out a huff. That was a ¡®no¡¯ if he¡¯d ever seen one.

    Wait. I don¡¯t need to go back. Not yet. Even if I could return home, there¡¯s stuff I have to accomplish here first. But Mascot can somehow fucking travel between dimensions. Does that mean¡­

    He crouched next to Mascot and the cat paused, tongue still sticking out of his mouth, to meet his gaze. They stared at each other for a second.

    ¡°A letter,¡± Noah said, his voice taut. ¡°Can you take a letter back to the others?¡±

    And, in response, he could have sworn Mascot smiled.

 Chapter 480: Failed experiments

    Renewal was gaining weight. She was certain of it. After all the food she¡¯d eaten sitting and watching Noah¡¯s group, it would have been hard not to. Not even gods were immune to the laws of nature. Not at her level, at least.

    ¡°I can honestly say that I¡¯m surprised,¡± Decras said from beside her. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms in front of his chest. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I would have thought that Noah actually planned every single part of this. He¡¯s remarkably good at bullshit.¡±

    ¡°Makes me wonder if he stole a rune from another god,¡± Renewal agreed with a nod. She could barely bring herself to pull her eyes away from the screen. Her eye twitched slightly at the cat at Noah¡¯s side. ¡°He¡¯s certainly good at stealing things.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not so funny when you¡¯re the one getting robbed, is it?¡± Decras asked primly. ¡°I could have handled him if you hadn¡¯t gotten so twisted up about it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m getting my payment back in entertainment. I don¡¯t need you interfering,¡± Renewal said with a glare. ¡°And, as I recall it, your attempt was foiled by yet another mortal that managed to steal from you.¡±

    ¡°Bah,¡± Decras said. He turned away and focused his attention fully on the screen. It was rather embarrassing. He¡¯d gotten robbed not twice, but three times. Three different mortals had each managed to steal power from him. One of them had even been his own man.

    That has to sting. Oh well. He¡¯ll get over it¡­ and maybe he¡¯ll learn to stop letting people take bites out of him. Seriously. There¡¯s a time and a place. Then again, I don¡¯t know how smug I can be. Noah managed to steal from me twice. At least Decras¡¯ little thieves only got the best of him a single time.

    Renewal puffed her cheeks out and blew out an annoyed breath. She distracted herself by studying the glowing screen before them. The small demon boy that Noah had recruited ¡ª Aylin ¡ª was staring at Noah with a mixture of abject awe, fear, and disbelief. Noah had somehow managed to forget his audience during the conversation with his stolen companion, and Renewal could practically hear Aylin¡¯s thoughts just from his expression.

    ¡°He¡¯s wondering just how strong the cat is if it can take Noah by surprise,¡± Decras said with a low chuckle. ¡°I wonder if they¡¯ll start worshipping the cat as well.¡±

    Worshipping was the right word. The way Aylin and Violet looked at Noah wasn¡¯t the way soldiers treated a general. It was the way followers looked to a god. The back of Renewal¡¯s neck prickled.

    It wasn¡¯t completely uncommon for someone to manage to form a cult on a mortal plane. Mortals were motivated and stupid, a combination that worked incredibly well to generate energy. There was a reason Renewal and Decras even bothered with tending to their respective followings on the mortal realms.

    But Noah wasn¡¯t trying to become a god. At least, Renewal was fairly certain he wasn¡¯t. She didn¡¯t watch every second of his life ¡ª more like something around ninety percent of it.

    ¡°You don¡¯t think¡ª¡± Renewal started.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Decras said with a shake of his head. ¡°He¡¯s barely even registered it, Renewal. He wants to try to fix the demon girl¡¯s runes and stop the other thief. That¡¯s it. He¡¯s not trying to harness divinity yet.¡±

    ¡°Yet?¡± Renewal arched an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯d say he¡¯s got quite a way before he can even consider trying to form a Divine Rune ¡ª and if he relies on the faith of others to form it, he won¡¯t get very far. I¡¯m not concerned about him reaching godhood anytime too soon. I¡¯m more wondering if he¡¯ll succeed with the demon runes.¡±

    Decras shook his head. ¡°They¡¯re failed experiments. No matter how hard he tries, that¡¯s what they are. There¡¯s no fixing them. Demons can never form a Divine Rune. They¡¯re little more than animals, controlled more and more by their desires the stronger they grow.¡±

    Renewal tossed a piece of chocolate at Decras¡¯ head. He caught it before it could land, only for a second piece to nail him between the eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re talking with a lot of confidence for someone who gave up on the experiment after playing with it for what amounts to a flicker of time. You barely even tried.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps. They were useless to me. When it became clear they could not rule over their own powers, it became pointless to lend them further attention. They are a flawed species without potential to leave the mortal plane.¡± Decras hesitated for a moment longer than normal. Renewal pulled her gaze away from the screen to look at him and raised an eyebrow. The other god noticed her interest and pursed his lips. ¡°I must admit that Lee has caught my attention. She is¡­ interesting.¡±

    ¡°So you admit you were wrong?¡± Renewal prodded. ¡°The demons are more than a failed experiment if one of them has your attention. That also means there¡¯s a chance Lee¡¯s runes can be repaired.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to force a confession from me,¡± Decras said with an irritable frown. ¡°A single demon does not a species save. She is¡­ unique. Perhaps there is a way to repair her. Perhaps there is a way to repair the demons as a whole. I do not know. I do not care.¡±

    ¡°You say that, but you¡¯ve asked me to swap our view to Lee quite frequently. I think you¡¯re rather invested in her success.¡±

    Decras¡¯ eyes narrowed. ¡°Enough of this. I grow tired of your questioning ¡ª and I have seen enough of the demon children goggling in awe. It reminds me too much of my own idiot supporters. Let us see something else.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± Renewal asked. ¡°I was rather enjoying it. Noah should be due to meet up with Moxie again quite soon. They haven¡¯t had any time together recently. I¡¯m looking forward to that.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°You are a pervert.¡±

    Renewal jerked upright in her chair and choked on her own saliva, coughing into a fist. Once she gathered herself, she glared at Decras. ¡°That was not what I was implying. I just enjoy watching mortals interact. They¡¯re so full of passion and ¡ª oh, nevermind.¡±

    Decras smirked at her. ¡°No, please. Continue. You enjoy watching passion? Do the other gods know of your side hobbies?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t act as if you even talk to any gods other than me,¡± Renewal muttered as she sank back into her chair. ¡°You¡¯ve alienated every single god and goddess in the area with your vile nature. Just tell me what you wanted to see.¡±

    ¡°The other thief,¡± Decras said. His brow tightened and his knuckles lightened as his hand gripped the armrest on his chair. ¡°He did not strike me as a fool, but he has plans in the Damned Plains. I want to know what he seeks¡­ and how likely it is that he succeeds.¡±

    ¡°Why do you care?¡± Renewal asked, tilting her head to the side.

    ¡°Because I want to know if he¡¯ll come into conflict with Noah again,¡± Decras said.

    ¡°Aha! Now you can¡¯t even deny that you care,¡± Renewal said triumphantly. To her surprise, Decras didn¡¯t deny the accusation. He just looked at her out of the corners of his eyes.

    ¡°I do. What do you think will happen if Noah gets his hand on the Master Rune the other thief has ¡ª or worse, if the opposite happens?¡±

    Renewal grimaced. She didn¡¯t say another word. She just turned to the screen and waved her hand. Noah and his growing group of followers vanished, replaced by a glistening wave of gold.

    ***

    Wizen leaned heavily against his staff and blew out a slow sigh. ¡°I suppose this will have to do.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s certainly a fixer-upper,¡± Barb agreed from beside him. She checked the necklace around her neck with her good hand, then nodded. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like any of the others had any difficulty.¡±

    ¡°I would hope they didn¡¯t,¡± Wizen said with a dry laugh. ¡°We haven¡¯t even started. If any of us were having problems after preparing for this long, I would be poorly prepared indeed. These first steps are just laying the ground. It will be some time before our influence extends to the City of Gold.¡±

    Barb nodded. The ground squelched beneath her feet and she grimaced. She wiped her hand off on her apron, leaving a streak of blood across its already-stained surface. ¡°Can we clean this place up a bit? If we¡¯re going to be living out of it for the next few months, I¡¯d prefer to make it a bit more homely. Maybe a nice little welcome mat at the door. A hand-carved sign.¡±

    ¡°Do what you want,¡± Wizen said with a wave. ¡°You have your toys. I have mine.¡±

    He turned. The blood splattered across the floor in the cave at their feet squelched again as he walked across the room, passing by the heaps of dead demons strewn across it. A single one remained alive.

    His once glistening silver armor was cracked and shattered. A large, weeping gash ran across the center of his chest and one of his eyes had been put out. The demon was at the cusp of death.

    Wizen¡¯s lips curled up. He¡¯d already forgotten the threats the demon had given him when he and Barb had walked into his ¡°throne¡± room. Having a throne in a mansion hardly felt like a throne. It was just a fancy chair.

    ¡°Are you prepared to answer my question now?¡± Wizen asked.

    ¡°Just kill me,¡± the demon wheezed. ¡°Skolas will kill you when you come for him.¡±

    ¡°Skolas. That¡¯s the king of this walking city?¡± Wizen asked, tilting his head to the side. ¡°A Rank 6? 7?¡±

    ¡°Rank 7.¡± A flicker of smug anger, the final victory of a dying man knowing that his killer would not be long in following him, crossed the demon¡¯s broken features. ¡°You will die an agonizing death for attempting to usurp him.¡±

    A dry laugh slipped from Wizen¡¯s lips. He knelt down and pressed his hand to the demon¡¯s skull, digging his fingers into the top of his red-skinned head. ¡°A Rank 7 demon will not end me, wretch.¡±

    The demon groaned in pain as Wizen rose, lifting him into the air. His one eye met Wizen¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Your race is weak,¡± Wizen whispered, bringing their faces so close together that he could taste the fear on the dying man¡¯s breath. ¡°You believe you rule emotion. That you can grow stronger through them. You are wrong.¡±

    ¡°Stop rambling and kill me.¡±

    Wizen¡¯s lips pulled apart in a mixture of a snarl and a smile. ¡°You do not rule your emotions. Your emotions rule you. Demons are a race of slaves, shackled by their own minds. I can see that you do not believe me, but I am honest man. Allow me to prove it to you by taking those shackles from you.¡±

    The demon didn¡¯t get a chance to answer. Wizen unleashed his Mind Runes, sending their energy worming out from his fingers and into the demon¡¯s skull. The demon¡¯s back arched as he screamed in pain, his will desperately rising up to fight against the Mind Magic.

    Wizen blew his meager resistance to the side like a wildfire tearing through a dry field of wheat. Spikes of energy ripped into the demon¡¯s psyche. They dug into his mind and carved apart mental walls.

    Anger rose to meet the mental assault¡ª the last remnants of the demon¡¯s pride. It slammed into his magic. For an instant, their willpower locked each other in place. Both stood still, unable to move.

    ¡°Is that all?¡± Wizen whispered. ¡°The extent of the anger you are so proud of? Are you not a demon of wrath? Of pride? And this is all you can muster?¡±

    For a moment, the fury intensified. The final push of a dying man. It pressed Wizen¡¯s magic back by the faintest amount. The demon¡¯s lips curled in smug amusement as Wizen gave way and his eye refocused to stare down the old man.

    The demon froze.

    Wizen met the demon¡¯s gaze and smiled.

    ¡°Forgive me. I was having a little fun at your expense,¡± Wizen said.

    Then he released the full strength of his runes. The demon¡¯s final defense evaporated in less than a flicker of an instant, buried completely under an immense wave of force. All the anger that he was so proud of disappeared in a flash, and all that remained in his mind was Wizen¡¯s immense presence.

    The demon screamed, thrashing in an attempt to free himself from the old mage¡¯s hand, but it was impossible. No matter how hard he struggled, Wizen¡¯s grasp didn¡¯t so much as budge.

    ¡°Do you see now?¡± Wizen asked. ¡°All those emotions you¡¯re so proud of are nothing in the face of absolute fear. You are nothing.¡±

    Wizen let go. The demon fell to the ground, landing on his knees and slumping back. The whites of his eyes were exposed as he looked up in abject terror. He no longer held his own chains. He couldn¡¯t so much as mutter a word without Wizen¡¯s permission.

    Demons. Bah. When you give yourself so utterly to one emotion, you expose yourself to all the others. So powerful ¡ª and yet, so weak. So easy to control.

    ¡°Answer my question,¡± Wizen said. ¡°Do you understand now?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± the demon whispered.

    ¡°I am pleased to have been your teacher.¡± Wizen smiled and leaned closer, his eyes going dark. ¡°Now ¡ª tell me of Sievan. Tell me of the demon that is rumored to have passed through the afterlife and returned.¡±

 Chapter 481: Smile

    Noah shot out of the tent, Mascot clutched in his hands and held before him with locked arms like a petulant child. He didn¡¯t bother waiting around to see what the demons thought of the cat¡¯s arrival. It would take too long to explain everything, so it was easier to just let them come to their own conclusions.

    He pulled aside a random demon in the camp and ordered them to bring a writing tool and some paper. They hurried off and came back just a minute later holding what he needed, their face pale with fear. Noah took it from them, gave them a curt nod, and then strode off to find Moxie and Lee with the supplies stuffed into his travel bag.

    He arrived at his tent and poked his head inside. Fortunately, both women were already there, sitting in a pair of plant chairs that Moxie had formed to fill out the rather barren room.

    Lee had a bag of food tucked under an arm and was happily crunching away on it. Noah couldn¡¯t see what was in the bag but it smelled vaguely citrusy. The loud cracks coming from whatever she was grinding down between her jaws really didn¡¯t align with anything citrus-associated, but there were bigger problems at hand.

    ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± Moxie asked, turning to him and freezing as she spotted the cat in his hands. She leapt to her feet in surprise. ¡°You¡¯ve got Mascot? How?¡±

    ¡°He somehow portaled into the Damned Plains,¡± Noah replied. Mascot sent him an irate look as he walked over to the chairs. The cat didn¡¯t seem too pleased with his method of transportation. Then again, he hadn¡¯t teleported away or attacked Noah yet, so he couldn¡¯t have been too annoyed.

    ¡°Can he¡ª¡±

    Noah shook his head. ¡°Unfotunately not. At least, I¡¯m pretty sure he can¡¯t. Maybe he just doesn¡¯t want to. Getting a way out of here was my first thought as well, but I think we¡¯ll need to look for a different angle for that.¡±

    Disappointment washed over Moxie¡¯s features. Lee took a handful of something from her bag and tossed it into her mouth, continuing to crunch away.

    ¡°Damn,¡± Moxie said, her shoulders slumping. She reached out and scratched the top of Mascot¡¯s head, just behind his horns. The cat purred. ¡°What¡¯s he doing over here? He didn¡¯t bring a bunch of monsters with him to mess with us, did he?¡±

    Noah hesitated. That was definitely a possibility. He hadn¡¯t seen anything, but Mascot did have a penchant for showing up with something big and ugly on his tail. The cat definitely liked watching them fight ¡ª or perhaps he just liked watching them kill things. Both were probably equally likely.

    ¡°That probably remains to be seen. I haven¡¯t noticed anything yet,¡± Noah said. He walked over to Moxie¡¯s chair and stole it, flopping down. The soft vines gave in more than he¡¯d expected and he sank into them as the chair molded to his back. ¡°Whoa. This is really comfortable.¡±

    Mascot yowled in warning and Noah glanced back just in time to see Moxie sitting down even in spite of his attempted theft. He held Mascot up as Moxie lowered herself into his lap and leaned back against his chest. She twisted her head to send him a smug look. ¡°Thanks. You¡¯re a bit less comfortable, but I suppose I¡¯ll have to settle.¡±

    ¡°I thought you were trying to conserve your seeds,¡± Noah said as he shifted Mascot over Moxie¡¯s head and dropped him onto her lap. The cat padded in a small circle before curling up and lowering his head with a contented purr.

    ¡°I was.¡± Moxie wiggled around to get more comfortable and got her hair caught in Noah¡¯s mouth in the process. ¡°These aren¡¯t made from my normal seeds. I was testing my rune on a slab of meat. A bit of a waste, but it worked.¡±

    Noah craned his neck back and tried to get the hair out of his mouth. The attempt failed and, after a few seconds, he gave up and accepted his fate. ¡°There¡¯s something a little weird about sitting on plants made out of meat.¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t made out of meat. They¡¯re just using the energy from it,¡± Moxie corrected. ¡°Normal plants aren¡¯t made out of dirt and sunlight, you know. Also, why are you eating my hair? Don¡¯t give Lee any ideas, please.¡±

    Noah glared at Moxie and she smirked in response. Letting out a huff, Noah decided the only winning move was to not even respond.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t eat any part of you,¡± Lee said defensively. She paused for a second, watching them with more than just a little curiosity in her eyes. ¡°But¡­ just for the sake of expanding my knowledge, does Moxie¡¯s hair taste good?¡±

    Noah stared at Lee. That wasn¡¯t a question someone who wasn¡¯t planning on eating someone asked. Of course, Lee would never try to actually eat Moxie, but he didn¡¯t put it past her to not take a nibble of some hair to test it out. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Moxie arched an eyebrow and gave him a playful grin. ¡°Does my hair not taste good? Now I¡¯m offended.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to get chomped?¡± He untangled a hand from Moxie and reached into his travel bag, pulling out the writing supplies he¡¯d just gotten. Moxie stiffened, the smile vanishing from her face as she realized what he was holding.

    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± Moxie breathed. ¡°We can write a letter back!¡±

    ¡°There we go.¡± It was Noah¡¯s turn to look smug, though the effect was somewhat lost because Moxie¡¯s hair was still covering half of his face. ¡°Mascot can¡¯t or won¡¯t bring us back, but he can definitely take a letter back. At the very least we can let everyone know that we¡¯re okay.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure Mascot will do it?¡± Lee asked. ¡°That seems like a lot of work.¡±

    Noah reached around Moxie¡¯s waist to scratch the cat¡¯s back. ¡°Sure he will. I don¡¯t know where Jalen is, but after Mascot delivers the letter, he can go get any form of payment he wants from him.¡±

    ¡°Do you have a deal with Jalen about that or something?¡±

    ¡°Nah, but he¡¯ll be fine. He¡¯s rich ¡ª and he isn¡¯t here to say no, is he?¡±

    ¡°No, I guess he isn¡¯t.¡± Moxie burst into laughter, but it quickly petered off. She leaned her head back against Noah¡¯s shoulder and a small frown crossed her features. ¡°What can we even say, though? I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d be lucky enough to even have a conversation with the others until we got out of here. I¡¯ve been thinking over what I wish I told Emily before we left¡­ but now I don¡¯t even know what to say.¡±

    ¡°I think saying we¡¯re alive and planning to return once all this shit is dealt with is probably the most important thing we can do. If possible, hopefully Mascot can also bring us back a letter from them. I want to make sure they¡¯re keeping up with their studies and practice.¡±

    ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s what you¡¯re concerned about?¡±

    ¡°They need to be stretching as well. And eating,¡± Lee advised. ¡°Both are important for growing bodies.¡±

    ¡°So they are,¡± Noah said with a nod. ¡°And training doesn¡¯t stop just because we¡¯re gone. I don¡¯t know what Arbitage has done or plans to do with them since we aren¡¯t there anymore. I¡¯d like an update, even if it¡¯s a boring one.¡±

    Moxie¡¯s back stiffened against him. ¡°Shit. You¡¯re right. Emily should be fine due to her heritage, but nothing has stopped Jakob or Verrud from keeping up with their bullshit. I hope they¡¯re all safe.¡±

    ¡°They are,¡± Noah said. He rustled the paper in his hand. ¡°The kids are resourceful, and they¡¯ve got enough connections to pull now. Let¡¯s just figure out what to say to them and get it sent out before some more shit happens here. I don¡¯t think the demons are going to be silent for much longer.¡±

    Moxie nodded and Lee leaned forward in her chair as the three of them started to draft out their letter.

    ***

    ¡°What do you think of The Web?¡± Aylin asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a little plain,¡± Torrick said hesitantly, watching Vrith with wary eyes as he spoke. Even though Aylin had introduced everyone to her again properly, he didn¡¯t blame the boy for being intimidated. Vrith was not a very kind looking demon.

    ¡°Plain can be good,¡± Vrith said. ¡°It¡¯s also bold. The more generic your name is, the more chance it ends up treading on the territory of another gang and angering some hot-headed fool.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be wise to keep our name something a little more inconspicuous? People would be less likely to attack us if we sounded boring,¡± Violet said.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s far too late for inconspicuous,¡± Aylin said with a shake of his head. ¡°And we¡¯ve got me, you, and Vrith. That isn¡¯t even counting Spider and his companions. I¡¯d say we¡¯re strong enough to start taking some liberties. That¡¯ll also show the other gangs that we aren¡¯t afraid to throw our weight around, right?¡±

    Vrith nodded. ¡°You¡¯re learning quickly. I guess that¡¯s to be expected. I think the name fits, especially given that Spider is the one at the top. I think it works, and we need a name sooner rather than later. If we¡¯re bringing the other gangs under us, we can¡¯t let them keep their names.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Edda asked. She¡¯d found something to chew on, but Aylin wasn¡¯t sure what it was. He decided not to ask. She¡¯d never gotten sick from eating anything, so she¡¯d probably be okay.

    ¡°It lets them keep too much of their former identities,¡± Vrith said, sending a glance at Aylin to make sure the new information hadn¡¯t accidentally triggered his abilities. ¡°They need to view it as joining a new gang, and they need to recognize Aylin as their streetlord. Even if we keep their organization just to avoid a huge mess, the chain of command needs to be evident.¡±

    ¡°I agree. I guess we¡¯ll go with The Web, then,¡± Violet said. She stretched her arms over her head and yawned. Aylin was tempted to do the same. It had been a very, very long day. He wasn¡¯t quite ready to kill for some sleep, but he wasn¡¯t far from it.

    ¡°How long do you think it¡¯ll be before the Silent Silverfang responds to what happened?¡± Aylin asked. ¡°And what about the other gangs, for that matter?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± Vrith said confidently. Her features darkened. ¡°Word has spread by now. Anyone planning to make a move is going to be smart enough not to try it on their own. We should be prepared for a difficult day.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I kind of figured.¡± Aylin sighed. He drew in a deep breath and let it out as he shook his head. ¡°Right. Let¡¯s go back over the plan one last time before we get some sleep. We need to be ready for everything that¡¯s coming our way, even if we don¡¯t know all of what it¡¯ll be yet.¡±

    ¡°How do you prepare for something that you don¡¯t know?¡± Torick asked.

    ¡°By having lots of plans ¡ª and by filling in Spider, Moxie, and Lee on them.¡±

    Torrick swallowed. ¡°How¡­ how many plans, exactly? There are a lot of things that can go wrong.¡±

    Aylin¡¯s response was a smile that sent shivers down the spines of every single demon sitting in the room.

 Chapter 482: Get

    A gentle breeze curled through the dark streets of Treadon. Night wrapped the city in its heavy cloak, broken only by the motes of dim lanternlight scattered throughout the streets. The distant murmur of conversation and the echo of footsteps through the streets brushed across Gex¡¯s ears as he crept toward the market square, a poisoned dagger held in a loose grip at his side.

    The scent of dust and rusted metal clung to him as he advanced. It stung his nose and made his eyes water slightly, but it obscured his scent with that of the streets. He was a ghost passing through the night. And, when his work was over and he returned home, there would be another ghost to take his place in the shadows.

    Gex was a professional. At least, he¡¯d swear up and down that he was. He¡¯d been doing this for longer than most demons that lived in the streets had been alive. The names of all the people he¡¯d sent on into the next life evaded him, but as did the number. Neither mattered any more.

    All that mattered was accomplishing the job. A Rank 3 demon was a little stronger than his usual prey. It wasn¡¯t a task he normally would have accepted, but it had only taken a single look at the pay he¡¯d been offered to accept without a second of hesitation.

    He¡¯d never gotten a look at his employer. That was how things were. A masked meeting in a dark room, the passing of coin from one hand to the other, and the promise of a life ended. It was not his role to wonder why the job had been placed or who had ordered it.

    But this job was different. Mask or not, the demon who had placed the order had stood over twice Gex¡¯s height. Even a cloak and mask, his imposing figure was impossible to conceal, as was the gravelly tone he spoke in. It had sounded like the demon had subsisted on a diet of sand and rock for the past fifty years. But, despite the voice, he had spoken like a noble.

    It wasn¡¯t just that. The huge demon had moved with the confidence of a warrior. There was no fear or jitter in his motions, an oddity for Gex¡¯s normal clientele. That wasn¡¯t a problem.

    He¡¯d worked with demons far greater than himself before. Some kills were just beneath them. What Gex did take issue with, however, was twofold. To be more specific, it was two demons.

    Taking on risky jobs was no problem ¡ª but Gex worked alone. He¡¯d always had, and up until he¡¯d seen the pay offered for handling this job, he¡¯d always planned to. Adding others into the mix just complicated things.

    It meant less money for the kill. More chances for something to go wrong. More ways to be betrayed. But, when he¡¯d seen the huge bag of coin, all those misgivings had gone out the door. There were some things worth the extra risk.

    At least, that¡¯s what he¡¯d thought. He wasn¡¯t so sure anymore. Something deep within Gex¡¯s stomach twisted and churned. The night was still and empty. There was no reason to be concerned. He hadn¡¯t seen hide nor hair of the two other assassins creeping through the dark, but he knew they were there.

    All of them sought the same target. They¡¯d all been paid, so there was no reason for them to come into conflict with each other. All that mattered was the target¡¯s death. It should have been one of the most straightforward tasks that Gex had ever taken ¡ª but his gut screamed otherwise.

    For that reason, Gex hesitated. He hadn¡¯t lived this long by ignoring his instincts. He extended every sense in search of what was unnerving him. The camp wasn¡¯t anything special. If anything, it was pathetic.

    They had no security perimeter. No proper guard. Not even proper lighting to prevent someone like him from striding past the tents and heading for the large one at the back of the square without so much as a suspicious glance.

    And yet, sweat rolled down the back of Gex¡¯s neck like a thin river. His pallid skin felt clammy and cold and his knuckles were white around the hilt of his dagger. No matter how hard he searched, nothing seemed off.

    Nothing was out of place.

    So what is this feeling? I¡¯m already behind schedule. I should have been in and out already, the task complete. One of the other assassins has probably already handled it. All of us are Rank 3. We¡¯ve handled streetlords that got too big for their station before.

    No amount of thought helped. Gex¡¯s mind found absolutely nothing amiss, but the rest of his body disagreed.

    It makes no sense. If something had gone wrong, I would have already heard something. I¡¯ve been so delayed that at least one of the other assassins should have run into any defenses this Aylin has.

    The back of Gex¡¯s neck prickled and he hesitated. They couldn¡¯t run into anything if they weren¡¯t actually there. He adjusted his grip on the dagger to make sure the cold sweat building on his palms didn¡¯t let the weapon grow slippery.

    Is it possible they didn¡¯t come? Am I the only one here?Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    He quashed the thoughts. This was the exact reason he worked alone. Adding others into the mix just complicated things. Whether the other demons were there or not, it didn¡¯t matter. He had a task to complete and no reason to delay further.

    Gex crept toward the large tent. He stayed low to the ground and partially blended with the long night shadows, making sure no errant eye would spot him. The unease in his stomach was just nerves. The night was odd, but there was nothing to be¡ª

    A band slammed into Gex¡¯s mouth, wrapping around it with an iron grip and muffling the surprised gasp before it could escape his mouth. Bands enveloped his body in an instant, slamming his arms to his side and sending his dagger clattering to the ground as they crushed his limbs against his torso.

    Gex struggled furiously ¡ª and fruitlessly ¡ª as he felt his body lifted into the air. He could just barely see small flowers sprouting along the edges of the vines he¡¯d been bound with, bearing with them a faint, sweet scent.

    A tent flap parted beneath Gex and a woman stepped out, her red hair falling around her shoulders like a cloak of burning grass. The vines holding him ran out from one of her shirt sleeves.

    ¡°Damned Plains,¡± the woman muttered. ¡°Another one? This is getting ridiculous.¡±

    Gex¡¯s blood ran cold. If his mouth hadn¡¯t been completely plugged by a vine, he would have let loose with every curse known to demonkind. This was the exact reason he worked alone. At least one of the other idiots had gotten caught.

    The vines tightened around Gex. Every scrap of power in his body amounted to absolutely nothing. He struggled with all the strength his runes gave him, but the thick vines were more like metal than organic matter. The only thing he was capable of was wiggling his fingers and toes.

    Fear arced through him like lightning. External magic. A Rank 4 demon at the minimum. That hadn¡¯t been in the job description.

    He fought to keep his nerves under control. He¡¯d been in some poor situations before. None quite so bad as this, but he¡¯d talked his way out of more than one trap in his lifetime. Nobody cared about hired assassins. They cared about the person that hired them.

    There¡¯s no way both of the others have been caught. One should still be out there. If they notice what¡¯s going on, they can kill this woman while I keep her distracted questioning me. It¡¯ll make all of our jobs easier if there aren¡¯t any witnesses. All I have to do is buy time while she¡¯s questioning me.

    But, to Gex¡¯s confusion, the woman didn¡¯t release his mouth. She didn¡¯t even call for help. She just studied him, annoyance and contemplation intermixing in her features. Gex¡¯s limbs started to go numb at the force he was getting crushed.

    ¡°You interrupted me,¡± the woman said, her voice taut with anger. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have tried to do something during the day? Why now? I was comfortable.¡±

    Gex would have been thrilled to answer and direct her attention in any direction he possibly could have, but she still hadn¡¯t made any move to actually allow him to speak. Thin points of pain pressed into his chest and arms. The vines were growing thorns. His eyes widened and he tried to struggle even harder, but it did nothing. The woman didn¡¯t even seem to notice.

    The flaps to the large tent parted. Gex didn¡¯t let his eyes betray anything, but hope shot through his body like adrenaline. Their job was done. Rank 4 or not, a dagger to the back of the neck was more than enough to¡ª

    ¡°I¡¯m done, Moxie.¡±

    The first woman glanced over her shoulder. Gex followed her gaze, and his heart dropped into his stomach. The young demon that had emerged from the tent hadn¡¯t been an assassin. She was another one of the demons from the camp.

    Why won¡¯t they let me speak? Do they plan to take me prisoner? For what purpose? What are they playing at?

    ¡°And?¡± Moxie asked, tilting her head to the side and ignoring Gex completely. ¡°Did you get anything useful?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. There were just three of them, and they got hired by some big demon with a scratchy voice.¡±

    Gex¡¯s stomach couldn¡¯t drop any farther, but he was pretty sure it had died and its ghost was in freefall toward the center of the world.

    Fuck me. One of the other assholes already sold the rest of us out before I could. This is exactly why I work alone. Why in the Damned Plains did I take this blasted job? My only hope is that the last assassin hasn¡¯t been caught yet. Two demons are a lot. I don¡¯t know why there¡¯s a Rank 4 in a streetlord¡¯s camp, but there¡¯s no way there¡¯s more than one. As long as she goes down first¡ª

    ¡°Did you remember to leave the second one intact?¡± Moxie asked.

    The younger demon cleared her throat. ¡°I¡­ may have gotten hungry. It¡¯s hard to fight quietly. You said to make sure No ¡ª uh, Spider didn¡¯t wake up. That costs extra. Snack tax. Maybe eating more will help me fix my Rank 4 Rune.¡±

    No. It can¡¯t be possible. A second Rank 4? Is she lying? No. There¡¯s no reason for her to lie. This was a setup. It has to be. A foreign invasion force, starting with the underground of the city and moving up to swallow it whole.

    ¡°Snack ¡ª oh, whatever,¡± Moxie said wearily. ¡°I just wanted a little time to spend with Spider. Is that really too much to ask? It¡¯s colder out here than I expected, and I was so comfortable in bed. Combustion makes him so warm. Like a portable heater.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. He¡¯s still asleep. I can smell it.¡±

    What kind of conversation is this? They¡¯re acting as if I¡¯m not even here! Damn it all. There has to be a way out. Let me speak, you bitches! How do you know I don¡¯t know something the others didn¡¯t?

    ¡°You know what? You¡¯re right,¡± Moxie said. The vines constricting around Gex¡¯s body tightened. He would have abandoned what little pride he had and screamed for help, but even that was denied to him. ¡°If this one¡¯s number three, then as long as I get rid of him, we can pretend as if our night didn¡¯t get interrupted at all. Good thinking, Lee. I just have to make sure this is quiet so Spider doesn¡¯t wake up.¡±

    Her gaze finally lifted to meet Gex¡¯s. There wasn¡¯t a single scrap of interest in Moxie¡¯s eyes. There was only annoyance ¡ª and impatience. She lifted her hand toward Gex. Her fist clenched.

    The vines constricted in a flicker of an instant, and darkness enveloped Gex¡¯s vision. His scream, along with the crunching of his bones, were both swallowed by the thick vines. He only had time for one final thought before the pain cut out and his consciousness vanished from the Damned Plains.

    I hope I get to watch from the afterlife when they find the noble Wastelicker that fucked me over.

 Chapter 483: Rune plans

    The night was far too long to fully sleep through. By Noah¡¯s estimate, the day-night cycle was something around two and a half times longer than the one back in the mortal plane. He woke nestled in a bed of soft vines with Moxie laying on top of him.

    Her hair somehow still smelled like strawberries, which was a mystery. It wasn¡¯t like they had any fancy soaps in the Damned Plains, nor had they had a chance to take a proper bath yet ¡ª an issue he was going to need to rectify soon.

    Does she normally just smell like this? Or does she have some secret?

    Lee murmured from a bed beside them. Noah glanced over, the dim light from the moon filtering in through the crack in the tent flap just enough to see by. Lee gnawed on the side of a thick vine in her sleep and judging by the large bites taken out of the bed all around her, it wasn¡¯t the first one to fall victim.

    It was an odd feeling to wake up in the middle of the night feeling completely rested. Noah¡¯s body told him that it was time to go back to bed, but his head told him that he¡¯d gotten all the sleep he needed and there was too much to do to sit around for much longer.

    Moxie stirred. Her hands dug into his jacket and she yawned, her eyes fluttering open. She peered up at him and scrunched her nose.

    ¡°What time is it?¡±

    ¡°Night,¡± Noah replied, somewhat unhelpfully. ¡°I think it¡¯s been about six or seven hours, but I can¡¯t be certain.¡±

    Moxie pushed herself up, pushing Noah back into the bed in the process. She brushed the hair out of her face and grinned down at him before shifting to the side so he could sit as well. The smile faded and she blew out an annoyed breath.

    ¡°We had some visitors last night.¡±

    ¡°We did? What happened? Nobody woke me up.¡±

    ¡°I had ulterior motives. They¡¯re dead now,¡± Moxie said with a shrug. ¡°Just a few Rank 3 Demon assassins with pretty bad Runes. Lee and I handled everything before they got anywhere near Aylin.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± The last vestiges of weariness slipped away and Noah blinked fully awake. ¡°Did you get any information from them?¡±

    ¡°They were assassins for hire, but not very good ones. Just random hitmen. Some giant demon contracted them and paid a ridiculous amount of money for them to kill Aylin. Sounds like we got the attention of someone with a bit of influence.¡±

    ¡°Perfect. Things are falling into place, then. They¡¯re aware of my presence. While Aylin continues bringing the streetlords together, I can start moving to enter whatever their higher society is here. I¡¯ve still got my eyes set on an auction. It¡¯ll be a bit before we get the attention of anyone really strong, but we need to get stronger before we start rubbing elbows with any of them.¡±

    ¡°We may get more attention than we want if we keep expanding at this rate. Might be better to move faster than slower,¡± Moxie suggested. She swung her legs out of bed and rose to her feet. She yawned and stretched her arms over her head before shaking her head and combing her hair back with her fingers. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing a lot of work practicing my pattern inside my mind. I think it¡¯s getting closer to the point where I can use it in a fight. I want to get a good hold of it before I start really figuring out what other runes I invest in.¡±

    ¡°Probably a good idea,¡± Noah said with a nod. There was more than a little risk involved in imbuing a pattern with magic ¡ª but Moxie wasn¡¯t one of his students. She had far more experience and training than they did, and she knew her limits. ¡°I haven¡¯t had a chance to test Crumbling Space as much as I¡¯d like to, but I¡¯ve been learning. I¡¯m going to try to make some more Rank 4 Runes while I continue perfecting it, then rework everything at the end.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably the best way to do it as long as the rune is actually functional and close enough to your final goal,¡± Moxie agreed. She lowered her voice and squinted at Noah. ¡°But only you could say you¡¯re going to make Runes in that tone and actually mean make them from scratch instead of combining them normally. Do you already know what you¡¯re making next?¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea, and I¡¯ve got a lot of the runes I¡¯ll need as well,¡± Noah said. He got out of bed and stood up beside Moxie. They both paused as Lee muttered something under her breath through a mouthful of foliage.

    She was still somehow asleep but that hadn¡¯t stopped her from eating over half of her bed. Her head and shoulders hung over its side as she chewed on a stray vine. She was a small nudge away from falling on her head.

    Noah scooped her out of her bed and carried her over to Moxie¡¯s, gently setting her down in its middle. Lee let out a satisfied murmur and rolled over, clutching Moxie¡¯s pillow to her chest and immediately starting to nibble on it.

    ¡°Menace,¡± Moxie muttered, unable to suppress a small laugh. She shook her head and looked back to Noah. ¡°What¡¯s your next Rune? Another space one?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I think I¡¯m going to take a page out of Brayden¡¯s book. Crumbling Space is powerful, but more mobility would be really useful. I want something that lets me teleport.¡±

    ¡°Not a simple rune.¡±

    ¡°When you¡¯re making them yourself, are any?¡±

    Moxie rolled her eyes and raised her hands in surrender. ¡°Point to you. What kind of disaster lets you teleport, though?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got the beginnings of an idea, but nothing too solid yet,¡± Noah admitted. He rubbed the back of his neck and chewed the insides of his cheeks. ¡°I don¡¯t want to jinx anything yet. You¡¯ll just have to wait and see.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just cold. Not even a hint?¡± Moxie peered at him with wide, innocent eyes that couldn¡¯t have possibly been faker. Noah¡¯s defenses crumbled instantly.

    ¡°I was thinking Spatial Storm or the like,¡± Noah said. ¡°That scope might be a bit too wide, though. It sounds more like a Rank 5 Rune, so probably something like a controlled Spatial Storm. I haven¡¯t figured out the wording yet.¡±

    A smug smile crossed Moxie¡¯s lips. Something told Noah she was more interested in just getting him to share his plans than she was in what they actually were.

    ¡°What new runes do you need for that? I thought you got a lot of space related runes already.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. The storm part needs some different runes,¡± Noah said with a shake of his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t figured that part out yet. I was going to kind of play it by ear while I gathered some more runes. Once I weasel my way into an auction I¡¯ll be able to see what kind of stuff is up for sale down here. Until then, I¡¯ll just get all the runes I can ¡ª and not just for myself. I¡¯ve been using my reserves up at a pretty alarming rate.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going hunting for runes, then?¡±

    Noah nodded. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be too hard. Lee already showed us what to do. You want to come?¡±

    Moxie glanced over to Lee. She hesitated for a second. ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to, I really shouldn¡¯t. We¡¯ve got too much attention on the camp right now. We don¡¯t know if someone will try something while you¡¯re gone.¡±

    ¡°Egh. You¡¯re probably right. I¡¯ll try not to take too long, then. As long as I use my flying sword this shouldn¡¯t take more than a few hours. I¡¯m just going to grab a bunch of runes and then come back. Do you think you could try to figure out who hired the assassins while I¡¯m gone?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do, but no promises. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve got much of an information pipeline with the gang as it is right now,¡± Moxie said, not sounding particularly confident. She gave him a half-shouldered shrug. ¡°Just don¡¯t be gone too long. You¡¯ve got a lot of dominos set up to fall.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯ll be three hours or so.¡± Noah grabbed his grimoire and slung it over his shoulder before holding out his gourd. ¡°Can you hold onto this for me?¡±

    She took it carefully, her features growing serious. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll keep it safe. Try not to need it, though.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Noah promised. He scooped up his flying sword and took a step toward the exit of the tent, but Moxie caught his arm. Glancing back at her, Noah blinked. ¡°What is it?¡±

    Moxie stared at him primly. She gently set the gourd on the remains of Lee¡¯s bed before crossing her arms and arching an eyebrow. Noah stared at her for a second before he realized what she was waiting for.

    He leaned in and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pressing his lips to hers.

    ¡°No,¡± Lee murmured in her sleep, turning over. ¡°Don¡¯t eat Moxie yet, Noah. I ¡ª I want to taste her hair first.¡±

    It took everything Noah had to avoid bursting into laughter. He and Moxie pulled apart. The bright red tinging Moxie¡¯s cheeks told him she was having a similar issue.

    ¡°Good luck with that. It¡¯s entirely your fault, by the way,¡± Noah said with a snicker.

    Moxie flicked him in the chest. ¡°Get out of here, idiot. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±

    Noah nodded. He wrapped his face with the desert scarf before turning and striding out of the tent. He tossed his flying sword to the ground and stepped onto it. Flying into Treadon might have been ill advised, but he had a persona to keep now ¡ª and guards weren¡¯t going to be bothered about someone leaving the city.

    The sword hummed to life and Noah shot off, lifting into the sky and zipping away from the massive walking city. He craned his neck back to watch the huge turtle as he flew away from it. The enormous monster had still yet to take a single step since they¡¯d arrived, but it looked closer to touching the ground than it had been when they¡¯d arrived.

    Noah turned away from the city and looked to the Wastes. He had some runes to speed through harvesting ¡ª and then the real fun would begin.

 Chapter 484: Introduction

    True to his word, Noah only hunted for a few hours. He used his flying sword to locate one of the populated cave systems and waded through it, tearing through everything in his path with Natural Disaster and Crumbling Space before Sundering their souls.

    His grimoire ate well. It snagged runes from the air with streamers of paper, devouring them as quickly as Noah could kill their former owners. It was so easy that it almost scared Noah. The monsters in this area of the Wastes weren¡¯t particularly powerful.

    The strongest ones were only Rank 3, and just barely at that. He ripped through their defenses before they even had a chance to realize what was happening and the runes were plucked from the air with terrifying speed.

    If anyone had lived to tell the tale, the other demons probably wouldn¡¯t have believed them. Noah would have felt a little bad about it if any of the demons he¡¯d been fighting were fully intelligent, but the only ones rushing him like mindless savages were ¡ª well, exactly that. They¡¯d fallen completely into their runes and had no proper semblance of intelligence left.

    Once his hours were just about up and Noah was satisfied, he turned and headed out of the cave. He¡¯d gotten somewhere around a hundred runes for his troubles, and that wasn¡¯t counting all the ones that had dissipated because they hadn¡¯t had a chance to grab them. The runes were a mixture of Rank 2 and 3s, with a smattering of Rank 1s.

    Most of them were Demon Runes, but there were more than a few sand, stone, and other desert-themed ones in the mix. None would be immediately useful to Noah. He didn¡¯t have any plans to make another stone-related rune, but every single rune had multiple purposes. He could always break them for energy if he really needed it, and the more runes he had, the more demons he could yank up to Rank 3.

    There was always the chance he could sell them as well, but nothing he¡¯d just gotten felt like it would be interesting enough to sell. Not on its own, at least. A small smile crossed Noah¡¯s face as he stood at the edge of the caves and looked into the night blanketing the Damned Plains.

    He put his hand on the top of his grimoire, and he could have sworn it cooed in response. A shudder of approval ran down the spine of the book and into his hand.

    That¡¯s not creepy¡­ but the grimoire is so much more than just a rune storage. I¡¯m willing to put up with a little weirdness as long as it doesn¡¯t keep showing random people pornography.

    ¡°You liked that, didn¡¯t you?¡± Noah asked in a voice akin to one he¡¯d use if he were talking to a small dog. ¡°Want more?¡±

    The grimoire shuddered again. It was definitely starting to get more expressive. A lot more expressive, given the interaction it had with Bird.

    Is it getting smarter from eating all the runes? Or did it just lack energy before since nobody had fed it in a long time? I really hope this thing wasn¡¯t locked in the Linwick Estate¡¯s catacombs for some reason other than its need to eat runes.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you help me out a bit?¡± Noah asked, pushing his concerns to the side. He wasn¡¯t about to stop using the grimoire. It was too useful. He swung the huge book off his back and thunked it down on the orange sand before him. ¡°Redistribute some energy for me into the seven best-made Sand Runes. Rank 2 ones, please. Then prepare them for me, along with a badly made Rank 3. Try to make the Rank 3 another sand-based rune so the energy conversion isn¡¯t too bad.¡±

    A few seconds ticked by. Noah had just started to wonder if the grimoire had completely ignored his request when it swung itself open.

    Seven Rank 2 Sand runes of various names hummed on its page, all full. They were joined by an eighth Rank 3 Cracked Sandy Gust Rune.  None of them were fantastic, but the grimoire had followed his request perfectly.

    Noah smiled. ¡°Thank you. Hold on for a moment. This won¡¯t take long.¡±

    He put his hand on the page and closed his eyes. He drew every single one of the runes into his soul in a flash, barely even taking more than a few seconds to draw each of them. He¡¯d done this step so many times now that it was practically second nature.

    In rapid succession, he shattered each of the Rank 2 runes. He filtered out the badly made Rank 1s, breaking the Rank 3 apart to use for energy and components, and rebuilt each and every one of them.

    He used the Rank 2 Gust Runes that had already been in Sandy Gust ¡ª which were decent, but not perfect ¡ª and recombined all the components. And, as Noah looked upon the new rune floating before him, he started to chuckle.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Sandy Gale ¡ª Rank 3

    He¡¯d made a near-perfect rune in less than a minute. It could have been perfect if he¡¯d wanted it to be, but that would have been a bit too much for his current goals. Something like this would already be incredibly valuable to the average demon. Going farther had a risk of overplaying his hand.

    And I¡¯ve got no need to do that when a Rank 3 like this should be the strongest rune most demons have ever seen. This is a good way to show off without tipping anyone off to my true strength, and I can always make a stronger one if nobody is impressed.

    Noah took the newly made Rune from his mind and imbued it right back into his grimoire. He had no need for anything less than a flawless rune floating around in his soul, much less one that wasn¡¯t even perfect.

    The grimoire shuddered again. Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed and he prodded it in the cover. ¡°Don¡¯t eat that. Don¡¯t eat any runes I don¡¯t have duplicates of either. I¡¯m trying to build a collection here. Feel free to snack on the extras as long as you leave me with the majority of them. If you do, we can keep getting you fed. Sound good?¡±

    Paper twitched in response and the grimoire closed itself. That was probably as close to an agreement as he was going to get, so Noah slung the book back over his shoulder and stepped onto his flying sword. He grabbed two Ettercaps he¡¯d managed to avoid completely brutalizing and tucked one under each arm.

    Night still ruled over the Damned Plains as he took to the skies and shot back in the direction of Treadon. He could still see the massive walking city in the distance. The turtle hadn¡¯t quite managed to finish taking the step it had started the previous day.

    As tempting as it was to just fly right into the city and skip over the entry line, Noah wasn¡¯t really trying to draw the attention of whatever fighting force protected the city. Not yet, at least.

    He landed behind a dune and sheathed the flying sword, striding up to the city by foot. Noah chose a different entrance than the one he¡¯d taken the previous time and strode up to the guards, dumping the pair of demons at their feet.

    ¡°This all?¡± one asked.

    Before Noah could even say anything, the other guard tapped the first one on the shin with the butt of his halberd.

    ¡°Hold on,¡± the second guard muttered. ¡°Human figure. No horns and wearing storm wrappings when it¡¯s clear out.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± the first guard asked, a confused furrow creasing his gray-skinned face as he glanced back at his compatriot. ¡°How does that matter? Two weak demons is barely enough¡ª¡±

    ¡°He meets the descriptions of Spider.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    The second guard muttered a curse under his breath. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later. Just get out of the way. This one isn¡¯t someone we want to bother.¡±

    After a second of hesitation, the first demon shrugged and took a confused step back, gesturing for Noah to continue onto the lift. Noah was grateful he didn¡¯t even have to bother concealing his smile as he passed them. His face wrappings already did that for him.

    It looks like word is spreading pretty fast. Perfect.

    The other demons already waiting on the platform watched Noah uneasily, making space for him and looking anywhere but in his direction. He didn¡¯t know if they were scared of him or if they¡¯d just overheard the guards. It was all the same in the end. The more people knew about Spider, the more likely the next part of his plan would work.

    It wasn¡¯t long before the platform shuddered. The huge chains holding it up rattled away as it lifted into the air and toward the city far above. When it arrived, Noah joined the crowd of demons in dispersing into the city.

    They all quickly broke away from him, and he slipped into the alleyways to avoid parading straight through the center of Treadon. He was pretty sure he was stronger than the majority of the demons in the city ¡ª he highly doubted Rank 5 and 6 Demons were just strolling around everywhere ¡ª but there was no need to draw attention right now.

    He made his way through the city and back over to the gang¡¯s market square where Moxie and Lee were. Even though it was the middle of the night, Treadon was as awake as if it were day.

    Demons walked through the streets and ducked past alleyways. The majority of them seemed to have no trouble navigating in the dark, but a number of demons carried around lanterns to light their way.

    I suppose there¡¯s going to be a lot more diversity in ability with demons given how much runes change their physical bodies. Interesting. Never really thought about that.

    Noah made it to the square a short while later. It wasn¡¯t on fire or otherwise destroyed, which was good news. It seemed that Moxie and Lee had better luck with not blowing things up than he did.

    He slipped into his tent and was pleased to find that Moxie was still there, sitting on a chair of vines and drumming her fingers on her knees. She glanced at Noah as he came back and blinked in surprise.

    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re back?¡±

    ¡°I did say it would just be a few hours.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I fully expected something to go wrong or you to kill yourself,¡± Moxie admitted. She rose from her chair. ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡±

    ¡°Perfectly. Got a bunch of runes and fed the book. What about you? Manage to get in contact with the guy we¡¯re looking for?¡±

    ¡°Not me, and not the demon that sent his assassins here,¡± Moxie said with a shake of her head. ¡°But we got a lead. Vrith was scanning the camp on Aylin¡¯s orders, and she found someone that looked suspicious. Lee smelled the same thing ¡ª not sure how she did that, but I¡¯ve learned not to ask questions. We did a little questioning and it turns out he¡¯s a scout for a Rank 5 Demon. One with a little bit of political influence.¡±

    ¡°It was only a matter of time before people started snooping.¡± A smile pulled across Noah¡¯s lips. ¡°Bring me to him? I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be thrilled to give me an introduction to his boss.¡±

 Chapter 485: Crumbling Space

    Moxie led Noah over to Lee, who was keeping watch over the demon that they¡¯d captured. The demon in question was only a little taller than Aylin. He had three nubby horns sticking out of the top of his forehead amidst a bed of wispy black hair that really should have been shaved off.

    A set of large spectacles rested on his nose, which was far too small to keep them properly held up, causing them to slide down his face until they only covered the lower half of his eyes.

    It also seemed that Moxie and Lee had forgone even bothering to trying to bind the small demon. He sat in the corner of the room across from Lee, nervously fiddling with a ratty tweed suit.

    Did they catch him or just put him in time out? He looks like a guilty schoolkid more than a demon.

    ¡°You smell like death,¡± Lee said, pointing a stick of jerky in her hand at Noah  as he let the tent flap flop shut behind him and Moxie. He nearly went to sniff his armpits before he realized she wasn¡¯t being figurative.

    ¡°Ah. I was just doing some killing. Needed some more runes and there were a few dozen demons in the way,¡± Noah said with a wave of his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Nothing to be concerned with.¡±

    The demon in the corner tried to shrink in on himself. His glasses slipped down his pale face and he shoved them back into place with a finger. Normally, a demon¡¯s claws probably would have scratched a pair of glasses, but his were so short that they were barely anything more than fingernails.

    Noah let his domain brush across the demon. He certainly didn¡¯t feel very strong. There wasn¡¯t much runic pressure coming off him and he had no domain of his own ¡ª not that he¡¯d expected him to.

    Definitely not even a Rank 3. I wonder what kind of feeling a demon like this would feed on. The mild annoyance of having to crunch a bunch of numbers in excel?

    ¡°Are you going to introduce me?¡± Noah asked Lee.

    ¡°Oh, sure. I didn¡¯t give him a name yet.¡± Lee looked down at the strip of meat in her hand with a thoughtful expression. ¡°I think this is Joe. That feels like a good name. I like it.¡±

    The demon in the corner glanced at Lee. It almost looked like he was about to say something for a moment before his mouth snapped shut and he thought better of it. He swallowed heavily and pushed his glasses back up his face.

    ¡°Am I remiss in assuming you¡¯ve just named the jerky you¡¯re eating rather than the demon I was actually referring to?¡± Noah asked, resisting the urge to rub the bridge of his nose through the storm wrappings on his face.

    Lee studied the jerky. A small frown crossed her face. ¡°I kind of regret naming him now. Now this just kind of feels weird.¡±

    ¡°The demon, Lee,¡± Noah said through a sigh. ¡°Tell me the demon¡¯s name.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Joe.¡± Lee ate the jerky in one bite. ¡°And I haven¡¯t figured the other one¡¯s name out. I was busy.¡±

    I¡¯m glad we¡¯re giving this little demon the impression that we¡¯ve got a very organized and well put together structure of command. I¡¯m sure I look very competent right about now. Oh, whatever.

    Noah knelt in front of the demon, who had scooted back until his back pressed against the tarp of the tent.

    ¡°My friend is a little preoccupied. Perhaps you¡¯ll be so kind as to tell me who I¡¯m talking to?¡±

    ¡°Joe,¡± the demon said weakly. His voice was somehow even more nasally than Noah had expected it to be. It was reminiscent to a stream of air escaping a deflating balloon.

    Noah stared at him. ¡°Are you trying to make a joke?¡±

    ¡°No, sir,¡± Joe said with a firm shake of his head that threatened to send it flying straight off. ¡°That ¡ª that¡¯s my name. Your friend, ah, stole it.¡±

    A demon called Joe? Seriously?

    ¡°Lee?¡±

    ¡°I may have heard it elsewhere before,¡± Lee admitted. ¡°I thought it tasted pretty good. It did, in case you were interested.¡±

    Joe¡¯s skin paled another shade. He nervously adjusted the front of his jacket. His eyes darted around the room in search of an escape that wasn¡¯t there.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just cut to the chase, Joe,¡± Noah said, trying not to sound like too much of an idiot as he spoke. It was difficult to seem intimidating when saying Joe, but the best solution was just to barrel through it as quickly as possible. ¡°You were snooping around my camp. I¡¯m not a huge fan of spies. I also happen to want to meet with your boss. I think I can see a way we¡¯re both happy when the night is done.¡±

    Joe¡¯s glasses slipped off his face. He snagged them before they could hit the ground in a practiced motion that showed this was far from the first time it had happened. He slipped them back over his nose and cleared his throat.

    ¡°I can take you to him, Spider, sir. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. He sent me.¡±

    ¡°He sent you to spy on me.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°No, sir. He sent me to get you.¡± Joe adjusted his glasses even though they hadn¡¯t even started to slip off yet. ¡°He wants to talk. A normal talk. Not an official one.¡±

    Huh. That makes things surprisingly simple if it¡¯s true. I¡¯m not so sure I believe this guy only wanted to talk to me, though. Why send someone to snoop around instead of just a normal messenger?

    ¡°Well then. It looks like we can help each other,¡± Noah said. ¡°Lead the way then, Joe.¡±

    The demon cleared his throat. ¡°I ¡ª I¡¯m only supposed to bring you, sir. Nobody else. It¡¯s a meeting between you and Pirren.¡±

    Noah tilted his head to the side. He hadn¡¯t really been planning to bring Moxie and Lee along in case things went south and he had to kill himself, but it was a little odd for Joe to be making any sort of demands in his current situation.

    He¡¯s nervous, but not as nervous as I would have expected. Does he think he¡¯s safe, or is he more scared of this Pirren than he is of me? Both are probably equally possible. I suppose there¡¯s no reason to waste time thinking when I can find out for myself.

    ¡°That suits me just fine. I prefer working without witnesses,¡± Noah said with a one-shouldered shrug. He took the sword off his waist and handed it to Lee. Moxie still had his gourd, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about anything other than his grimoire if he got killed. Considering it could make itself as heavy as it wanted, Noah was fairly confident he¡¯d be able to get it back if things somehow went poorly. ¡°Let¡¯s get on with it, then. I don¡¯t have all night.¡±

    Joe nodded hurriedly and scrambled to his feet. He brushed the dirt off the back of his aged pants and stood with his hands crossed behind his back. ¡°I¡¯m prepared to lead whenever you¡¯re ready to leave.¡±

    Noah and Moxie exchanged a glance. It was definitely a bit odd, but it wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t seen stranger things. She gave him a small nod and Noah walked over to the entrance of the tent, holding the flap open. ¡°After you, Joe.¡±

    ***

    ¡°This, uh, this is it,¡± Joe stammered, craning his neck back to look up at the teetering mansion before them.

    After they¡¯d left the market square, Noah had followed the demon for about forty-five minutes until they¡¯d arrived before the mansion.

    It was mostly made of a pale, bone-colored stone that yellowed and cracked with age. It vaguely reminded Noah of a pile of stained teeth. The mansion was three stories tall and, for some reason, was wider at the top than it was at the bottom. It was vaguely egg shaped and tapered to a point at its peak.

    Metal supports had been erected all around the building to keep it balanced. The mansion had probably once been quite intimidating in its prime.

    That wasn¡¯t to say it wasn¡¯t intimidating now. The type of intimidation had just shifted. Before, Noah suspected it had been scary. Now, he was scared the building would fall down on top of him.

    A cobbled path broke away from the main street and ran up to a stone door in the mansion¡¯s front. It was already open, revealing a hallway floored with a dull red rug beyond it. The rug led up to a stairwell that ascended up toward the bulbous top of the mansion. Noah squinted at the building¡¯s bulbous top.

    This is a butt plug. Someone modeled their house after a butt plug. Why would you do that?

    Joe scurried into the house without giving Noah any more time to stare. Resisting the urge to shake his head, Noah followed after him. The two ascended the stairs of the mansion, following the spiraling stairwell past several doors until it came to a stop somewhere around where Noah estimated the middle of the building to be.

    A pair of double doors stood open in wait. Beyond them stretched a meeting room. Old, unused chairs made from the same material as the house itself made a large ring around a huge throne in the very center of the room.

    Sitting in the throne was an eight-foot-tall demon. His fingers were interlaced on his lap and his face was covered with a pitch-black mask. If it weren¡¯t for his size and skin color, he could have easily passed for a human. He had no horns or other bodily modifications.

    Joe didn¡¯t make any move to enter the room. He didn¡¯t leave, either. He just stood there. Noah glanced down at him. Then, with a shrug, he entered the room. They were clearly trying to put on a bit of theatre for him and he had no issue playing along.

    ¡°Spider,¡± the blue demon said, his voice like a grindstone. ¡°We finally meet.¡±

    Finally is a bit of a stretch, mate. I literally wasn¡¯t even on the Damned Plains a day ago.

    ¡°I take it that you¡¯re Pirren, then. It seems we want to speak with each other,¡± Noah said evenly. He extended his senses, letting his domain pass over the room as he approached the huge throne. Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed as his domain brushed across the demon. Pirren wasn¡¯t a Rank 4, much less a Rank 5.

    Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s another guy lying their way through everything. I thought I had that move patented, but this is either that or a test to see what I¡¯m capable of. I¡¯ll have to see how this guy handles things. I can respect a fellow bullshitter, but I won¡¯t let myself be made a fool when I¡¯m trying to keep the Spider persona¡¯s reputation up.

    ¡°Feel free to go first. I¡¯d love to hear what it is that you want from me.¡±

    Pirren¡¯s laughter echoed from behind his mask. ¡°Do not presume to speak to me as if we are equals. Kneel at my feet.¡±

    Noah tilted his head to the side. ¡°No. Tell me what you want. One chance. Do anything else and I¡¯m going to get annoyed.¡±

    Pirren pressed a hand to his mask. A dull hum buzzed through the room as a crackling blue Shield spun to life around him. Noah almost blinked in surprise. It had been some time since he¡¯d seen a proper mage shield ¡ª and longer still since he¡¯d seen one that was just permanently active.

    Like the shields that Arbitage has in the training arena. Good defense¡­ but they need a lot of energy. Interesting. I wonder if the demons made it or if they took it from someone in the mortal plane.

    ¡°Kneel,¡± Pirren thundered as he stepped forward to loom over Noah like a wall of blue flesh. ¡°Then we will¡ª¡±

    Noah lifted a hand. Spider wasn¡¯t going to keep his reputation if he let someone talk to him like this.

    I¡¯ll just destroy the Shield to show him I mean business, then figure out if this is actually the real Pirren or if some idiot is testing me.

    Perhaps Pirren was too confident in his shield. Perhaps he simply didn¡¯t have time to react. Whatever the reason, he didn¡¯t so much as move as Crumbling Space¡¯s power arced free of Noah¡¯s palm. Cracks of white light webbed out and passed straight through his shield and into his chest.

    There was an instant of silence. Then the magic detonated with an earsplitting crunch. Pirren¡¯s chest caved in on itself. Blood spurted from his body together with bone and viscera as he let out a choked wheeze, clasping at the massive crater where his heart had been.

    The Shield didn¡¯t so much as flicker. Pirren pitched back, crashing to the ground and cracking his head against the front of the throne and lying still. Noah stared at his corpse in disbelief. If the demon hadn¡¯t been dead before, he definitely was now.

    Noah barely even cared. He was far more concerned with what he¡¯d just done. Just when he¡¯d started to think he¡¯d figured out how his new Rank 4 Rune worked, he¡¯d been proven very, very wrong.

    What the fuck? Crumbling Space can pass through other magic?

 Chapter 486: Pirren

    Noah recovered his composure quickly. Energy trickled into his soul from the dead demon. It was a decent amount of power, but nowhere near what a Rank 5 demon would have given him. That only proved his theory even further ¡ª but now wasn¡¯t the time to stand around like an idiot.

    He couldn¡¯t afford to look like he¡¯d been just as surprised by his attack as Pirren had been. That would just make him look completely incompetent.

    Then again, Pirren didn¡¯t actually look too surprised. He kind of just looked dead. Bummer.

    Noah looked down at the corpse, blood pooling around it at the base of the throne. The Shield had flickered out and the plain black mask rested quietly. It didn¡¯t even take him a second of consideration before he scooped the mask straight off the dead demon¡¯s face.

    Spoils of war ¡ª or as the kids in playgrounds would say, no takesies backsies. Thanks for the gift, meathead.

    Noah tucked the mask into his bag and turned to Joe. The thin-haired demon stood at the doorway of the room, his mouth askew in either terror or disbelief ¡ª or possibly both at the same time.

    Joe¡¯s glasses slid down off his nose and he shoved them back into his face. Something about his expression didn¡¯t quite seem right with Noah. It was convincing, but it was almost too¡­ flat. It was such a perfect image of stunned surprise that it felt out of place.

    And I know people revert to their habits when they¡¯re scared, but Joe is frozen in terror, not just scared. Who adjusts their glasses while they just saw what should have been one of the most powerful demons they know get obliterated in half a second?

    Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. The room had been silent for just a few seconds too long. The more time passed, the more his gut picked up on the abnormalities. A Rank 5 demon would have people working for them.

    At the very least, they¡¯d have guards to keep random idiots from constantly challenging them. This complete lack of response from everyone other than Joe, who was doing nothing but stand there and catch flies with his mouth, wasn¡¯t just a coincidence.

    Ah. It turns out I was right after all. Pirren is a bullshiter. Just not the kind of bullshitter I thought they were.

    ¡°Does Pirren plan to actually speak to me anytime soon?¡± Noah asked, tilting his head to the side. ¡°Or is he going to give me another idiot to kill? If we¡¯re going with the latter, I¡¯d be more than happy to accelerate the process and bring this entire building down on top of our heads.¡±

    ¡°Spider, sir, no, please,¡± Joe stammered, taking a step back and clutching the collar of his suit in a tight grip. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Jophelus,¡± a sly female voice said from behind them, the words spoken like the hiss of a snake.

    The fear on Joe¡¯s face vanished in an instant as his features went flat. A woman stepped out from the stairwell that he and Noah had just come through a minute before. She wore hardened leather armor and carried two white daggers at her waist. Her entire body was covered with small, overlaid green scales and the black talons on her bare feet clicked against the stone with every step she took.

    While her face was humanoid, two thin fangs jutted out the front of her mouth. The demon¡¯s eyes were pitch black with thin slivers of molten red for irises, and she didn¡¯t have a single speck of hair on her entire body. In its place, she wore a bronze crown with long, ropey strands that reached to her waist.

    ¡°You killed my subordinate,¡± the woman said, a pointed tongue flicking out of her mouth as her features tightened in displeasure.

    Noah didn¡¯t respond immediately. He extended his domain, letting it brush across the new demon. A river of tingles raced down his arms as he made contact. She was strong. Stronger than the idiot on the throne ¡ª but not stronger than him.

    She¡¯s got bad runes. Really bad ones. A Rank 5 on the lower end of the spectrum, then. I¡¯m pretty sure some mages in Arbitage could have handled her with the quality of stuff she¡¯s working with. Still, I can¡¯t underestimate her. I¡¯m confident I can take her in a normal fight, but she¡¯s probably faster than me.

    ¡°One of them,¡± Noah said softly. ¡°Have you come to thank me for not killing both, Pirren? I do not take kindly to being made a fool of.¡±

    He gathered power from Natural Disaster. As alien as Pirren looked, something about the way she carried herself felt more than familiar. He couldn¡¯t place what it was¡­ but he got the feeling he knew what was coming.

    Almost as if on cue, Pirren blurred forward. Noah sent a wave of energy into the floor. Pirren was fast, but Noah wasn¡¯t trying to outrun her. The ground at his feet erupted, pillars of stone shooting out in every direction.

    The snakelike demon drove into one of them stomach-first and let out a pained wheeze as she folded over it like a piece of laundry in the wind. Noah¡¯s hand shot out and he grabbed her by the neck, even as she recovered and lifted the clawed fingers of her own hand toward his.

    ¡°Try it,¡± Pirren said, her thin lips pulling back in a confident smile ¡ª but there was something off with it. Her eyes didn¡¯t quite match her grin. While her features implied she was in control, there was fear in her eyes. ¡°See which of us is faster. See which of us is willing to risk more.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    And just like that, Noah realized exactly what it was that felt familiar about Pirren. He couldn¡¯t help himself. He burst into laughter and released her neck. Pirren¡¯s expression faltered as confusion passed over it.

    ¡°What?¡± she demanded. ¡°What are you laughing at, Spider?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re full of shit,¡± Noah said through his laughter, waving his hand dismissively. It wasn¡¯t Pirren¡¯s actual face that he recognized. It was her expressions. They were the same ones he himself had made countless times.

    ¡°You dare insult me?¡± Pirren snarled. ¡°You come into my domain and¡ª¡±

    Noah drew on Natural Disaster. Power gathered in his palm and a thick bolt of lightning erupted from it. It screamed across the room toward Joe and slammed into the stone just above his head, shattering and blackening it with an earsplitting roar.

    ¡°No!¡± Pirren screamed, spinning toward the short demon ¡ª only to find that the spell hadn¡¯t even touched him. There was more than a foot between the crumbling wall and the top of Joe¡¯s head.

    ¡°You need to work on your bluffing skills,¡± Noah said through a chuckle. ¡°I see right through you.¡±

    The snake demon turned back to Noah, a flicker of fear passing through her expression as she took a step back. Noah could practically see the thoughts blurring through her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not bluffing anything. If you try anything, I¡¯ll rip your heart out through your ass and feed it back to you. If you want a fight, you¡¯ll get it,¡± Pirren hissed. Her lips pulled back to bare her fangs even further, but it wasn¡¯t any more intimidating to Noah than a puppy¡¯s growl.

    Noah tilted his head to the side. He lifted his hand, but not toward Pirren. He pointed at Joe. ¡°Drop the act or I won¡¯t miss the second time around. Choose wisely. Unlike you, I follow up on my threats.¡±

    A second passed. Pirren¡¯s jaw clenched. Noah let a crackle of electricity arc between his fingers. Fear flashed in the other demon¡¯s face once more and she shifted, putting herself between Noah and Joe.

    A bit odd, actually. A Rank 5 demon that cares about a low ranked subordinate this much? I wasn¡¯t expecting that at all.

    ¡°Jophelus, leave the room,¡± Pirren said. Her voice was as taut as a bowstring.

    ¡°But, Mistress¡ª¡±

    ¡°Now, Jophelus!¡±

    Joe¡¯s hands clenched at his side. He took one last look at Noah, the malice in his features so sharp that it could have cut through steel, before bowing his head. He stepped back and slammed the double doors shut behind him.

    Noah and Pirren stood silently as his footsteps echoed away down the stairwell. Finally, Pirren looked back to Noah.

    ¡°You¡¯re a Rank 5,¡± Pirren said. She sounded resigned now, like a prisoner with their throat in the noose looking upon the executioner holding the lever. It was a statement, not a question. ¡°I made a mistake.¡±

    Now I really want to know what she embodies. What kind of demon admits they screwed up? Maybe my perception of what demons do is just really skewed.

    ¡°You did,¡± Noah agreed, sending a look to the corpse at their feet. ¡°You¡¯ve dropped the act, then?¡±

    ¡°Not like you gave me much of a choice. You weren¡¯t meant to be a Rank 5,¡± Pirren said. Her hands clenched at her sides. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be a low-energy Rank 4.¡±

    ¡°And what gave you that idea?¡± Noah tilted his head to the side. He wasn¡¯t about to correct her false assumption about his rank. ¡°Supposed is a strong word. Did someone tell you I was weak?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what you want to know if you agree to leave without touching any of my demons,¡± Pirren said.

    Her people? She doesn¡¯t seem very similar to Violet, so I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a Hoarder demon. She would have been way more pissed off about the dead guy behind me.

    Noah studied her eyes. The fear that had been in them before was gone. She was still scared, but all that remained was determination to survive.

    ¡°The way you worded that makes it sound like I haven¡¯t touched any of them yet.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t. The brute behind you wasn¡¯t part of my family. He was hired help.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re aware that your phrasing only protects your people, not yourself?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the leverage to get that much. Just leave my people alone,¡± Pirren said. She flexed her claws. ¡°I can deal with my own actions myself, but they were following orders.¡±

    I¡¯ll be damned. A respectable demon. Another one, actually. Aylin and his group were quite the lot as well. Now that I think about it, Pirren kind of feels a bit similar to them. What kind of emotion is so focused on protecting ¡ª

    Noah blinked, then bit back a laugh. The stupid looking house wasn¡¯t a butt plug. It was an egg.

    Her feeling is being motherly, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s why she was so worried about Joe.

    ¡°Relax,¡± Noah said. He extended a hand back toward the dead demon and drew on Natural Disaster. The stone beneath the corpse split open, swallowing it up before slamming back shut. Then Noah nodded to the throne. ¡°Go on. Take your throne.¡±

    Pirren swallowed. She looked from Noah to the chair, then slowly walked over to it and sat down.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything to you or your subordinates,¡± Noah said. ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to kill you.¡±

    A tiny flicker of hope lit in Pirren¡¯s eyes. She hid it well, but it didn¡¯t make it past Noah. ¡°Do you swear?¡±

    Noah snorted. ¡°No. You waived the right to any promises when you tried to play a game with me. Don¡¯t get me wrong ¡ª I respect it. You just weren¡¯t good enough. You¡¯ll just have to trust my normal word. So long as you or your people don¡¯t try anything else, I won¡¯t touch a hair on their heads.¡±

    ¡°Very well. I understand,¡± Pirren said. She hesitated for a second. ¡°How¡­ did you know?¡±

    ¡°Know what?¡±

    ¡°Everything. How did you know I was bluffing? My hands were at your throat. If you tried to kill me, I could have killed you as well. How¡¯d you know I couldn¡¯t afford to trade my life like that? It¡¯s worked on every other demon I¡¯ve ever met. Do you just not care if you live or die?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t care. You just aren¡¯t capable of killing me, and your eyes gave your fear away,¡± Noah replied with a shrug. He didn¡¯t see the harm in answering Pirren¡¯s questions. ¡°You aren¡¯t bad at what you do, but you don¡¯t have nearly enough experience to do it on me.¡±

    The implication of that was enough to make Pirren¡¯s scaled skin pale a shade. The older a demon was, the stronger they were likely to be. That was just logic. Noah¡¯s face wrappings crinkled slightly as he smiled.

    ¡°You could read so much from just my eyes?¡±

    ¡°More than you could ever imagine, but I didn¡¯t come all the way here just to point out your flaws,¡± Noah said. ¡°Just as I suspect you wanted something from me ¡ª I want something from you.¡±

    Pirren swallowed, but the determination didn¡¯t leave her posture. ¡°In exchange for your promise not to hurt my people?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m open to discussing the terms of your surrender,¡± Noah said in an amiable tone. He crossed his arms behind his back and leaned forward slightly. ¡°And, in return, you¡¯re going to get me into an auction.¡±

 Chapter 487: The Prison

    ¡°An auction?¡± Pirren¡¯s confusion was evident in her tone.

    For a moment, Noah was forced to wonder if demons actually had auctions. It would have been strange if they didn¡¯t. While their culture was far more primally driven than the one back in the mortal realm, when all the niceties and lies were stripped away, demons didn¡¯t structure themselves all that differently than the noble families did.

    ¡°I trust you know what an auction is,¡± Noah said, gauging Pirren¡¯s expression to try and figure out if she was trying to pull something over his eyes.

    ¡°I ¡ª yes. I do,¡± Pirren said. She hesitated, clearly not wanting to say more, but Noah remained silent. She was forced to continue speaking or risk drawing his ire. ¡°I was just caught off guard. I can get you into an auction, but I¡¯m not sure if it would hold your attention. I¡¯m¡­ not the strongest of the Rank 5s. I generally try to avoid the others.¡±

    That¡¯s probably a smart move from her perspective. If you bluff someone strong enough to easily call your bluff, it¡¯s not going to go well. Better to stick to easier targets if you want to avoid getting caught.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t your concern if it holds my attention or not,¡± Noah said with a small chuckle. ¡°All you have to do is get me in under your banner ¡ª and stay throughout it, I should add. I don¡¯t know the inner working of the politics in this city.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an outsider?¡± Pirren¡¯s voice held more than a tinge of interest. ¡°You¡­ aren¡¯t one of Belkus¡¯ enforcers?¡±

    Belkus¡­ that was the guy that controlled Treadon, wasn¡¯t it?

    ¡°I serve no man.¡±

    ¡°A Rank 5 that doesn¡¯t serve Belkus?¡± Pirren muttered. Her eyes widened and her back stiffened as her tongue flicked out to taste the air. The tone of her scaled face lightened in fear as understanding washed over her features. ¡°You serve no man. Yoku.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Noah¡¯s confusion was hidden by the wrappings covering his face.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Pirren said hurriedly, drawing the middle of the word out as she struggled to form the proper sounds through the fangs jutting out of her mouth. ¡°I will do ask you ask. I will warn you that the other demons may not take too kindly to my presence. I have¡­ abstained from previous auctions for this reason.¡±

    ¡°Are they going to stop us from getting in?¡±

    ¡°Nothing so overt, but they may attempt to put pressure on me. You might find it easier to access the auction through someone else ¡ª or just under your own banner. Someone like you would have no trouble entering.¡±

    Not a bad strategy if I didn¡¯t want to keep people confused as to who I¡¯ve got on my side. Going in alone focuses everything on me. If I show up with another demon, even if they¡¯re just a Rank 5, a few well-placed words should get them wondering who else I¡¯ve got on my side and what my goals are.

    Also, weak demons are probably more likely to work together. I don¡¯t want anyone assuming I¡¯m too powerful, so might as well fit into their expectations until it¡¯s time to break them.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to concern yourself with why I wish to enter the auction under your banner,¡± Noah said. ¡°You will just arrange it, and as quickly as possible. I am not a particularly patient individual. When is the next auction?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to check.¡± Pirren¡¯s tongue flicked out nervously. ¡°I haven¡¯t kept up with them, but I think there was usually one every two days.¡±

    That sounded like a lot until Noah reminded himself that given how long the day-night cycles were in the Damned Plains, two days here was the equivalent of something around eight days back home.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Noah said with a nod. He hadn¡¯t even needed to take out his specially made Rune to sway her over to his side. Ironically enough, she¡¯d saved him some effort by trying to threaten him. Now he could save the rune for the auction. ¡°I trust you know where to find me?¡±

    ¡°The Web¡¯s camp?¡± Pirren guessed.

    Is that the name they decided on? Damn. Really all in on the Spider bit. Can¡¯t say I don¡¯t like it, though. Cool, in a slightly cheesy way.

    ¡°Yes. Just come normally next time, would you?¡± Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed and he held her gaze. ¡°We don¡¯t take kindly to spies, even when they claim to just be messengers.¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Pirren swallowed and gave him a sharp nod. ¡°I understand. I will come myself once I have news.¡±

    ¡°Then I will look forward to it,¡± Noah said, turning to the closed doors before looking over his shoulder at the snake demon slouched in her chair. ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it then. Do try to make sure you show up sooner rather than later. I don¡¯t want to have to come find you a second time.¡±

    This works out pretty well for me. It would have been nice if there was somehow an auction happening right this moment, but I should really probably stick around camp to make sure nothing goes too poorly at the start. Even though I told Aylin he¡¯s responsible for everything, having a trump card is definitely a good move.

    I¡¯m definitely not just going back because I don¡¯t want someone killing the kid or any of the others. I am not letting myself get attached to even more demons. Lee is more than enough to handle. There are too many things that need to be done for me to get any more caught up with them than I already am.

    Noah¡¯s words sounded hollow in his head as he shoved the doors open and strode down the stairs of Pirren¡¯s egg-shaped mansion. He wasn¡¯t going to convince anyone if he couldn¡¯t even convince himself ¡ª but that was the purpose of strength.

    There was no point in being powerful if he couldn¡¯t be a little bit selfish.

    ***

    Father¡¯s goblet was empty. He set it down on his table with a gentle clink. The bottle beside him had been emptied as well. It was the last one he¡¯d had in his office, and it would have been a shame to waste it.

    Janice stood before him, her arms crossed behind her back and features as flat as a sheet of paper. He¡¯d taught her well. Her emotions were perfectly concealed. Not even he could tell what she was thinking.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite certain of this, Janice?¡± Father asked. It was a question more for show than any other purpose. Janice wouldn¡¯t have told him if she wasn¡¯t certain, and he wouldn¡¯t already prepared everything for her arrival if he hadn¡¯t already known she was coming.

    Father didn¡¯t engage in pointless frivolities often. They were a waste of time and energy when not put toward a purpose. But, just this once, he savored the moment. A moment he¡¯d been waiting to experience for years ¡ª for longer than most people could even begin to comprehend.

    ¡°I¡¯m certain.¡± Janice¡¯s words were measured. ¡°I verified the information myself. After our branch was inducted into the main branch of the Linwick Family, I¡¯ve been digging for every scrap of information I could gather. It wasn¡¯t easy. Magus Jalen is so disorganized that our records are borderline nonexistent from more than a few hundred years ago.¡±

    Disorganized to the point where I suspect it may not be purely coincidental. Jalen is a madman, but he is no fool.

    ¡°And?¡± Father asked. ¡°You told me you found it.¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± Janice said with a nod. ¡°Or rather, I¡¯ve found a complete lack of information where information should be. Over the course of the past weeks I have been going through every record our people could gather and rebuilding the history of the Linwick family.¡±

    Father¡¯s fingers pressed into the flat of his desk as he leaned forward. He would have loved more than anything to have done exactly what Janice had done himself. To have discovered the information with his own hands.

    He couldn¡¯t. The risk was too great. Not to himself, but to his cover. To the delicate structure he¡¯d spent so many years erecting upon his back. The perfect defense. The perfect disguise ¡ª and at the cost of a perfect victory.

    But a victory was still a victory, even if he had to puppet the hands of others to achieve it. And now, after all these years, it was only a few moves away.

    ¡°What section was missing?¡± Father asked.

    ¡°A patch of three years that came shortly after the Long Night,¡± Janice said. ¡°There are relatively detailed reports from both before and after it, but for those three years, there is absolutely no information. Every thread that led back to those years has been burned.¡±

    ¡°Purged,¡± Father said, a smile pulling across his features even though the skin around his eyes didn¡¯t so much as crinkle. ¡°Very good, Janice. What more did you discover?¡±

    ¡°The Linwick Family guarded the one we seek. There are mentions of a crypt that slipped through the purge in the records. Not the crypt that the family established around a hundred years later and used as a decoy, but the original one. There is no record of its creation, which I believe happened in the patch of lost history. I believe your target still resides there.¡±

    ¡°And the location?¡±

    ¡°Almost confirmed. There was little information left to work with, so I have been investigating the potential locations one by one. There are not many left. I will locate it by the end of the month.¡±

    Father rose from his desk and drew in a deep breath. The air was stale. Not noticeably, of course. The room was covered with so many imbuements that almost nobody would have even realized. But, after he¡¯d spent so many years within its confines, the air¡¯s quality was so apparent to him that it was impossible to ignore.

    ¡°Do not enter it once it has been located,¡± Father said, his words razor sharp. ¡°I do not wish to lose my only competent assistant this early on. As soon as you discover a location that you believe may be the one I seek, find me immediately ¡ª even if you aren¡¯t certain.¡±

    Janice¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you certain, Father? There are several likely places. Revealing yourself too early¡ª¡±

    ¡°Your purpose is not to show concern. It is to follow my orders. Do not waste your energy on showing fear. Especially not for me.¡±

    Janice swallowed. Then she nodded her understanding. The door ground open for just long enough to let her leave before grinding shut once more. After so many years, the search was finally almost over.

    In the solitude of his room, a smile crossed Father¡¯s face. His eyes crinkled in the first signs of excitement that he¡¯d properly felt in centuries.

    Soon, his time in this prison would finally come to an end.

 Chapter 488: Hello

    Jalen stood upon the top of a grassy hill and looked down on Vermil¡¯s students as they sat in a circle and practiced Formations like it was the most natural thing in the world. Even though they were only in the earliest stages of a proper Formation, it was nearly enough to make him burst into hysterical laughter.

    Not a single one of them understood the extent of the power Vermil had handed to them. Formations were difficult enough to learn the normal way. The most common way mages learned them was by reviewing other Formations and practicing for years upon years until they¡¯d ingrained everything to memory.

    Only once that had been done did a normal practitioner even consider trying to make a proper Formation of their own, and even that Formation was little more than an inspired tweak from an existing one.

    The more talented mages could muster the skill to make a Formation unique to their current runes after dedicating their life to the craft. That usually happened when a mage recognized they¡¯d reached or were about to reach the peak of their power and their runes would be unlikely to allow for further combinations.

    It only made sense. Why spend years learning a Formation when the runes that went into it would change in just a short while? It was far easier to focus on normal Runic advancement and then top everything off with Formations at the end.

    Vermil took all that logic, crumpled it up into a little ball, and ate the damn thing while flipping me off. Smug little shit. Not only does he skip out on our agreed-upon game. Not only does he guilt me into taking care of his little snotlings. Not only do I have to do that together with the big oaf who¡¯s still so torn up about Vermil going missing that he¡¯s barely registered the magnitude of what these little goblinoids are doing, but I¡¯ve got to do all of it without ripping the secret out of their heads.

    If Vermil had just taught the kids Formations normally, Jalen wouldn¡¯t have been quite so irate. That alone would have been an impressive and respectable feat. But this ¡ª Jalen wasn¡¯t even certain this was a proper way to cast Formations.

    Not a single one of the brats sitting on the grass even knew how to form a proper Formation. They hadn¡¯t studied years of research or practiced steadying their hand for years on end.

    From what Jalen had gathered ¡ª as all of them were remarkably wary about revealing even the slightest bits of what their actual process was ¡ª they were literally just free-handing it. The thought alone made Jalen¡¯s eye twitch.

    Vermil had been preparing them to cast Formations on the fly. A skill reserved for the absolute peak of even the most talented Formation Masters, and it was what he got them started on.

    There was only a single logical solution to how that was possible, and it gnawed at the back of Jalen¡¯s mind like a beaver.

    All the research was wrong. The path every single Formation Master was taking to learn their craft wasn¡¯t just flawed. It was complete and utter shit.

    ¡°That nifty little shit,¡± Jalen said. He kicked a rock on the ground, sending a pulse of space energy into it, and watched the stone rocket into the air in a gray blur. It let out a shrill whistle and struck a particularly unfortunate bird the size of his head.

    The bird exploded in a puff of white feathers and plummeted to the ground, splattering at the top of a hill across from him.

    Brayden, who he had half-forgotten stood on the hill overlooking the students beside him, sent Jalen a glance.

    ¡°That was a spy,¡± Jalen informed Brayden. ¡°It was planning to commit subterfuge.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Magus Jalen.¡±

    Jalen glared up at the large Space Mage. Brayden was the absolute epitome of boring. Worse, he couldn¡¯t even hold it against the big man. The flat tone and expressionless features weren¡¯t there by chance.

    They were a survival mechanism.

    Brayden might have been boring, but he was no coward. He¡¯d stood his ground against Jalen when it had mattered, and that was more than most did. To Jalen¡¯s displeasure, Brayden had also refused his suggestion to toss the kids off a cliff to simulate some real-danger settings.

    All the assurances that he probably would have caught them before they hit the ground fell on deaf ears.

    Stiff necked giant. Completely spoiling my fun. Fortunately, some more of that should be coming soon. Otto¡¯s little informant is going to be coming to a class soon. I¡¯ve given her enough time to get those runes. The King family aren¡¯t at the peak for no reason, so she¡¯ll be able to give the brats something new to work on as well. Maybe a fun new technique. She probably won¡¯t want to give anything up, but I¡¯m sure she can be convinced.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Brayden asked. ¡°You look a little¡­ ah, constipated.¡±

    ¡°I am plotting,¡± Jalen said primly. ¡°Something that you should consider taking up if any proper thoughts could manifest themselves in your brick of a head.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be overseeing?¡± Brayden countered. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be helping me watch over the kids, not blasting birds. They specifically said they needed to avoid being disturbed while they practiced.¡±

    Talking like that to me as a Rank 4 from my own family? Perhaps I judged this walking rectangle too hastily. I admire the balls.

    Jalen didn¡¯t get a chance to respond to Brayden¡¯s challenge. He went to shift his footing and his foot caught on something that definitely hadn¡¯t been there a few seconds ago. He ¡ª Jalen, Family Head of the Linwicks, Rank 6 at the peak of his power ¡ª tripped and fell flat on his face.

    Of course, an instant before he smacked into the grass, his body rippled and vanished, teleporting to reform a foot to the side of where he¡¯d been standing a second ago with a hiss and a pop. Tripping didn¡¯t mean one had to hit the ground. That still didn¡¯t change the fact that he¡¯d tripped.

    ¡°What in the Damned Plains is stupid enough too¡­¡± Jalen¡¯s words trailed off as he locked eyes with a white-furred cat holding a roll of paper in its mouth. Glowing horns jutted from its skull and there was a smug twinkle in the red motes nestled within the sea of its pitch-black eyes.

    ¡°Is that Vermil¡¯s cat?¡± Brayden asked in surprise. He spun, grabbing a polished new sword from his back and holding it before him. ¡°Do you see any giant monsters heading in our direction? I don¡¯t sense anything.¡±

    ¡°I see something far worse,¡± Jalen said, his jaw clenched as he locked eyes with the cat. ¡°A scraggly little creature with a penchant for hairballs and being an annoying shit.¡±

    The cat tilted its head at Jalen. There was intelligence in its smug little eyes. Far more intelligence than anything that resembled a rug in any way, shape, or form should have had. Jalen lunged at the cat.

    It vanished, and his domain prickled as he felt it reform above him. Jalen teleported as well, appearing midair above the cat before he could hit the ground. The cat vanished once more, this time reappearing on Brayden¡¯s head.

    I didn¡¯t feel it arrive the first time. The little shitter has magic strong enough to slip beneath my senses ¡ª which means it¡¯s intentionally letting me notice it teleport. It¡¯s playing with me.

    ¡°You want to play?¡± Jalen asked, teleporting back to the ground and baring his teeth. Energy buzzed around his body as he drank from his Runes. ¡°I¡¯m not above it, you overgrown rat.¡±

    ¡°Could you possibly wait to do that until the cat is no longer on my head?¡± Brayden asked tersely. He reached up and tugged on the white-furred monstrosity, but it clung to his head like a hat with attachment issues.

    ¡°Just hold still,¡± Jalen replied, lifting a hand toward Brayden. ¡°If you don¡¯t budge, you might only lose a little hair.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any damn hair to lose!¡± Brayden yelled, jumping back. ¡°Don¡¯t blast me!¡±

    ¡°Stop jumping around!¡± Jalen snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t usually miss, and you aren¡¯t making things easier for me.¡±

    Brayden didn¡¯t seem to be in a cooperative mood. He continued trying to pry the cat off his head to absolutely no avail. That made it rather impossible for Jalen to perform any proper attacks unless he wanted to take Brayden¡¯s hands off along with the cat ¡ª and the stupid cat would almost certainly dodge the attacks anyway.

    Jalen¡¯s attention focused on the scrap of paper in the cat¡¯s mouth. It still hadn¡¯t dropped it. If he couldn¡¯t deal with the little furball, he refused to believe that he couldn¡¯t confiscate its toy.

    He teleported forward, his hand darting out. The cat vanished as soon as he reformed, appearing about twenty feet in the air above them. Out of the corner of his eye, Jalen spotted several of Vermil¡¯s students watching him and laughing.

    Funny, am I? I¡¯ll show you funny.

    Jalen clapped his hands together. Brayden¡¯s eyes shot open in horror and he flung himself to the ground. Energy screamed out of Jalen¡¯s body to the sound of the crashing roar of an enormous waterfall as he released his domain.

    The air between Jalen and the cat warped. He extended his hand. Space compressed and crumpled around his fingers. Even though he was dozens of feet away from his target, his fingers snagged the piece of paper as if it were right beside him.

    Jalen yanked his domain back. The cat fell to the ground, its payload confiscated.

    ¡°That¡¯ll show you to screw with me,¡± Jalen informed the cat. ¡°Smug little shit. Thinking you can flaunt space magic like that in my presence. If you weren¡¯t Vermil¡¯s, I¡¯d figure out just what made you tick.¡±

    The cat teleported back to Brayden as the large man stood back up, his face still slightly pallid. The students headed up the hill to join them, looking from the cat to Jalen with undisguised curiosity.

    ¡°Did you just unleash your domain?¡± Brayden demanded. ¡°On a cat?¡±

    ¡°Who won?¡± Jalen countered, unrolling the paper. ¡°I did. That¡¯s who. Cat: 0. Jalen: 1. Who¡¯s the victor? That¡¯s right. It¡¯s ¡ª oh.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Todd asked. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why¡¯s Mascot here?¡±

    Jalen stared at the words scrawled across the paper. Then he lowered it and looked back over to the cat. It was, without a doubt, even more smug than it had been before.

    ¡°You wanted me to take the paper?¡± Jalen asked, his eye twitching. It wasn¡¯t just that. This was no mere cat. It had done something that even he couldn¡¯t, and that irked him to such an end that he would never admit it.

    ¡°Of course he did,¡± Brayden snapped. ¡°Why would Mascot show up with a piece of paper if he wasn¡¯t delivering it?¡±

    ¡°I thought it was a cat toy! I don¡¯t know what cats do!¡±

    ¡°What does the blasted paper say?¡± Isabel demanded. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Jalen said. He looked back to the paper, then let out a short burst of laughter as he turned it around so the students could read it. ¡°Looks like you little brats were right on the money. Vermil says hello from the Damned Plains.¡±

 Chapter 489: Intact

    As far as Aylin was concerned, the night was going great. They¡¯d only had to kill one demon so far. That one death had been enough to keep the rest of the streetlords that had shown up in line.

    There was a slight chance that one death was only so effective because of the enormous flower that Moxie had grown from the streetlord¡¯s corpse. It swayed beside Aylin, more than a foot taller than him, with bright yellow petals as wide as his head.

    It smelled incredible. Rich, sweet, vibrant ¡ª and deeply unsettling. There was something wrong about such a tantalizing aroma rising from a flower that had been a demon just a short time ago.

    No matter how unsettling the flower was, there was no denying that it had done its job. The streetlord in question had attempted to cut Aylin¡¯s throat mid conversation. Violet and Vrith had killed him before Aylin even had a chance to do anything.

    That was enough to give all the other streetlords at least a few seconds of pause. But when Moxie had stepped out from her tent, wordlessly transformed the man into a giant piece of flora, and then headed off without another word, she¡¯d taken that moment of fear and dragged it out indefinitely.

    Aylin himself couldn¡¯t keep from throwing glances in the flower¡¯s direction. There was no more sign of the body that it had been made from, but splatters of blood still painted the ground around its base.

    But even the threat of the flower couldn¡¯t completely repress the streetlords forever. They¡¯d survived this long on the streets, and they wouldn¡¯t be cowed easily. After all, Spider wanted to control the gangs. Nobody could control something that was destroyed.

    Violet still stood by his side, keeping anyone from getting too ambitious, but Vrith had receded to the shadows. That was where Aylin needed her, but he still missed her presence.

    ¡°What benefit do we get to falling under your banner?¡± Ovellum, a Rank 3 streetlord that led a gang called the Lichen, demanded. ¡°Why does Spider even desire this? We have lived this long as we are. Keeping the sections of our territory separate has let us avoid serious conflict with each other. This threatens to ruin all of that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s hardly true,¡± Aylin drawled. ¡°Gangs fight all the time. The streets are paved with the corpses of demons that have died for worthless battles. This solves all of that. Anyone that obeys Spider lives. Anyone who disobeys him dies. The survival rate of anyone with half a brain will grow significantly. You, on the other hand, may face some difficulties.¡±

    A few demons chuckled. There were few things demons appreciated more than a good fight, be it verbal or physical. Ovellum¡¯s light-pink features tightened in displeasure, but he didn¡¯t let his anger get the best of him.

    ¡°And what stops this Spider from sending us all to our deaths? If I wanted to enter the upper echelons of the city, I would have joined with one of the Houses that rule it. Why would I swear fealty to some uppity noble?¡± Ovellum crossed his two sets of arms in front of his chest and arched a bushy eyebrow. ¡°He needs us, not other way around. Nobody would go through all this effort if we didn¡¯t have something he wants. You can¡¯t cow us into submitting when we¡¯re the ones with the bargaining power.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sorely mistaken if you think Spider will give you anything but your life,¡± Aylin said. ¡°The only reason you still live and haven¡¯t joined our late friend as a part of the landscape is because you aren¡¯t worth Spider¡¯s time yet. The Ravagers have already fallen under his banner. Rekeba tried her hand and was left shattered at my feet. What makes you think that you would be any different?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just me.¡± Ovellum jerked a thumb toward all the other streetlords gathered in the market square. Ten different streetlords had all arrived to discover just how powerful Aylin was and see if they could get a glimpse of the infamous Spider. Nine remained, though Aylin strongly suspected he¡¯d be down to eight by the time he convinced the others to bend knee.

    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Aylin said dryly. ¡°I¡¯m certain that the demons you were doing your best to kill a few days ago will be thrilled to lay down their lives so you can feel like a big strong demon for an extra few minutes before Spider rips your head off and feeds it to your second.¡±

    The streetlords exchanged glances and the tension in the air rose. Violet took a step forward, her eyes welcoming anyone to try their hand challenging her. None of them knew the full extent of her strength yet, but after what had happened to the last streetlord, nobody was about to accept her challenge yet. They were all waiting for someone else to do it first.

    Aylin¡¯s claim hadn¡¯t been wrong. Not a single one of the demons before him actually liked each other. They¡¯d have been thrilled to rip each other¡¯s throats out if the opportunity had presented itself.

    Today, that wasn¡¯t possible. Their conjoined front was the only thing that gave them any bargaining power and no streetlord was going to just surrender without a fight. Not to him, at least ¡ª but they weren¡¯t stupid enough to completely ignore Spider after recent events.

    They¡¯d come to see just how far they could push. To see if Spider was as powerful as he claimed. It didn¡¯t matter if they¡¯d been enemies just hours ago. When it came to losing their power, all the streetlords were more than willing to put their differences aside.

    Nothing so far has surprised me other than Moxie. It¡¯s a good thing she¡¯s also immune to my powers or I think I might have stolen some of her energy on accident. I don¡¯t think Spider would have been happy with me if that had happened.

    I¡¯ve done a pretty good job of keeping myself from accidentally revealing my abilities during this meeting. So far, I¡¯m still just the arrogant urchin that Spider turned into a streetlord. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve all gotten rumors and updates from their scouts as to what happened to Rekeba, but demons are shit at believing anything they don¡¯t see with their own eyes. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    That¡¯s what happens when everyone around you only works out of fear and is always looking for a way to take your strength. You can¡¯t trust your own subordinates.

    That was the biggest difference between Aylin and every other streetlord around him. He didn¡¯t have a sliver of doubt about Violet and Vrith¡¯s allegiances. He had absolutely no desire to ever try his hand fighting Spider. He was content ¡ª and that meant he didn¡¯t have to worry about clawing more strength from people or keeping a subordinate from sliding a claw through his back.

    That obviously doesn¡¯t stretch beyond my closest circle. Golon¡¯s people would be thrilled to be rid of me, but they won¡¯t matter once we finish up tonight. I¡¯m just a small push away from bringing the rest of these idiots under Spider¡¯s banner.

    It won¡¯t be long before they try something else. They won¡¯t give in this easily. Given how much they¡¯ve been standing around and wasting time talking, I imagine their next move should be to try and go after one of my perceived weaknesses.

    A pit formed in Aylin¡¯s stomach. Even though he was putting his full focus on remaining logical, he didn¡¯t have Vrith around to consume his fear right now. He couldn¡¯t keep the worry chewing at him completely repressed.

    Almost as if on cue, a loud scream from the tent behind Aylin split the camp. It cut short abruptly. It took all of Aylin¡¯s practice not to let the relief show in his posture. He kept his features impassive as he met the stares of the streetlords.

    That was too deep to be Torick or Edda. They¡¯re fine. I knew they¡¯d try this.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand yet,¡± Aylin said with a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. It¡¯s in your nature. It¡¯s in my nature. Seeking understanding is only natural. It¡¯s the greatest purpose of life.¡±

    ¡°What are you on about?¡± Ovellum asked. ¡°Blathering isn¡¯t going to change our minds. I think it¡¯s time to stop playing with you, boy. Bring Spider out. If he wants to rule over us, then he needs to¡ª¡±

    Aylin lifted a hand. Ovellum¡¯s mouth snapped shut. Aylin smiled, and fury washed over the other demon¡¯s face when he realized what he¡¯d just done. His self-preservation had instinctively cut him off.

    He nodded to the shadows over his shoulder. Vrith stepped out from within them. She held the head of a gray-haired demon clutched in one of her hands, their eyes wide open in horror. She tossed it to the ground and it rolled to a stop by Aylin¡¯s feet.

    ¡°What are¡ª¡± one of the other streetlords started.

    ¡°Be quiet,¡± Aylin said softly. ¡°I¡¯m speaking.¡±

    The demon¡¯s mouth snapped shut. Ovellum stared at the head, veins in his neck bulging as his jaw clenched. He recognized the demon. That certainly made things easier.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Ovellum demanded, spittle flying from his lips as he took a step forward. ¡°You dare¡ª¡±

    ¡°You sent someone to kill members of my gang,¡± Aylin said, anger entering his tone. ¡°I allowed you free entry into my territory. I extracted no punishment for when one of your number attempted to slit my throat. And this is how you thank me? I should kill all of you on the spot.¡±

    Violet tensed and lowered her stance, prepared to spring into motion the instant someone made an aggressive movement.

    ¡°Even if you were capable of that, you can¡¯t hold us responsible for the members of other streetlords,¡± another demon protested. ¡°That isn¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°Are you not an alliance? Is that not what you came here claiming to be? I suggest you make up your mind.¡± Aylin rose to his feet and crossed his arms behind his back as he blew out a tired sigh. ¡°You should thank me. I will help your decision.¡±

    ¡°This is rich,¡± Ovellum said through a bark of fury-infused laughter. He flexed the fingers on his many hands and cracked his neck. ¡°Come on then, child. Tell us why we should scrape at your feet. Will Spider come save you?¡±

    Idiotic demonic pride.

    ¡°You will thank me,¡± Aylin said, keeping his voice measured, ¡°because I have chosen not to treat you as an alliance. I have chosen to treat you like deluded fools you are, but you will be blind no longer. I will forcibly show you the truth.¡±

    ¡°What are you on about?¡± Ovellum asked. ¡°And best choose your next words carefully. We know what you are, urchin. Spider made you powerful, but not experienced. There are far more of us than you, and Spider clearly doesn¡¯t care about any of this.¡±

    ¡°Lee,¡± Aylin asked, raising his voice slightly. ¡°Are you back yet?¡±

    The ground beside Aylin rippled and the short demon rose from a shadow to stand beside him, chewing on a long strip of jerky. She held a clenched fist out to him. ¡°Yup! Here you go!¡±

    Aylin extended his hand and Lee dropped a strip of patterned cloth into his hand. It was stained brown with blood, but the decoration on it was still just barely visible. Aylin turned back to the group of streetlords watching them and held the scrap up. Ovellum¡¯s eyes focused on it, then widened slightly.

    ¡°For those of you unaware, this is a strip from Ovellum¡¯s bedsheets,¡± Aylin said.

    ¡°What, you broke into my house?¡± Ovellum asked, but the confidence in his voice had faltered. He let out a derisive snort. ¡°Why is that supposed to scare me? I wasn¡¯t there.¡±

    ¡°Of course you weren¡¯t. You¡¯re here.¡± Aylin nodded along in agreement. ¡°And now, the rest of your gang isn¡¯t there either.¡±

    Ovellum blinked. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re all dead, Ovellum.¡± Aylin¡¯s quiet words cut through the market air like a knife. ¡°Spider made it clear what would happen to those who opposed him. Every single member of the Lichen is dead.¡±

    ¡°Liar,¡± Ovellum roared. He lurched into motion. Violet stepped to meet him ¡ª and Lee blurred.

    One instant she stood beside Aylin, and the next her hand was buried in Ovellum¡¯s chest. She ripped it free, sending blood splattering across the ground as the demon¡¯s wide eyes stared at her in shock.

    The four-armed demon grasped at the hole in his chest. Then he fell to the ground with a splatter.

    ¡°You were correct. I was lying, and I find that slightly distasteful,¡± Aylin informed the corpse. ¡°Now every member of the Lichen is dead. Thank you for the help, Lee.¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± Lee said. ¡°I left the head intact, by the way. In case you want to stick it on a spike.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡± Lee raised a bloody hand in farewell and ambled away.

    Aylin joined the other streetlords in watching her leave, then turned back to catch their eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you all again,¡± Aylin said. ¡°Are you an alliance that will die together with Ovellum? Or are you individuals capable of making their own decisions? Do not make the mistake of believing Spider needs you. Spider extends his hand to any wise enough to take it, and his blade to those fool enough to reject it.¡±

    There was a second of silence. Then a thud split the air as a streetlord dropped to one knee and bowed his head.

    ¡°I separate myself from the others and request to join the Web,¡± the streetlord said. ¡°Thank you for your warning.¡±

    Seven more demons kneeled in rapid succession, mirroring his words. Not a single one of them remained standing.

    Aylin smiled.

 Chapter 490: Rising Moon & ANNOUNCEMENT!

    Pirren felt naked. She pulled the old cloak tighter around her shoulders and lower over her features as she strode down the moonlit streets. The chilly wind curling through the alleys around her did nothing to her scales, but she couldn¡¯t shake the uneasy feeling that hung around her neck like a millstone.

    It had been so long since she¡¯d left the safety of her nest. The outside world was dangerous. Uncontrolled. Her children were back in the nest, unprotected. That was where she should have been. Without her to watch over them, they could get into trouble.

    A dull spike drove into Pirren¡¯s mind at that thought. She winced and pulled her hood lower over her face. They should have been safe with her watching over them.

    Instead, she¡¯d nearly gotten Jophelus killed. Spider was absolutely nothing like what he should have been. The demon set every single one of her senses on end. Pirren had always considered herself fairly good at reading people.

    She¡¯d never had trouble tricking demons stronger than her. There had always been a way to manipulate the situation. Most lower-ranked demons didn¡¯t realize that there was more than one way to fight, and they were utterly unarmed when it came to any form of combat other than the physical one.

    But Spider¡­ he hadn¡¯t just been able to read her. It felt like his cold eyes had pierced right through her skin to dig through every single thought held within her head. An involuntary shiver ran down Pirren¡¯s spine and she shuddered.

    It almost felt violating. Her strategies had never failed her before, but the look in Spider¡¯s eyes had made it evident that he saw her like a child playing with toys beyond her comprehension. She hadn¡¯t even been a threat to him. He¡¯d just taken what he wanted and left.

    A portion of her longed to wrap her claws around Spider¡¯s throat and rip it open for how casually he¡¯d dismissed her strength. For how he¡¯d slaughtered one of her guards without so much as a blink.

    The rational portion of her mind crushed that desire without mercy. Pirren hadn¡¯t gotten to Rank 5 by being an idiot. There were some fights that could be taken. Some that could be trained for. There were enemies that could be tricked or brought down through collaboration.

    Spider was none of those. He hadn¡¯t shown a single weakness. A single point of care toward anything other than his goals. The only reason he¡¯d left her alive is because he¡¯d needed something from her. He was an enemy beyond reach.

    And, when there was an enemy that could not be defeated, the best path forward was for them to no longer be an enemy. That was her only winning move. Spider didn¡¯t care about Pirren. He¡¯d made that clear.

    If he didn¡¯t care about her, then they had no reason to be enemies. All she had to do was what he wanted and ¡ª with some luck ¡ª there was a possibility that he would begin paying her for her efforts with more than just her life.

    Pirren repressed a sigh and turned down another alleyway. She couldn¡¯t completely recall the last time she¡¯d gone to an auction in Treadon, but she remembered enough for the experience to sting like a Wastewasp bite.

    Her fists clenched. She hadn¡¯t forgotten the humiliation when she¡¯d arrived at the auction and announced herself, only to discover that all of her efforts to advance hadn¡¯t even put her on the lowest echelons of upper society in Treadon.

    Her runes were poorly made, cobbled together from the scraps she¡¯d fought tooth and claw for. She had no support or alliances with other demons. No power with which to bargain.

    Her cheeks burned with shame when she remembered the bag of gold she¡¯d so proudly brought at her side, the entirety of her savings she¡¯d worked to build over her life. The laughter of the other demons still echoed in her ears in the deepest parts of the night, when her thoughts were too loud to ignore.

    The idea of returning filled her with dread. She¡¯d built more wealth since that day, but nowhere near enough to afford what she needed. Nowhere near enough to face the other demons again. Even she could only bluff so hard.

    Perhaps one of them will anger Spider. If I could watch him flay one of them from head to toe, then this will have been worth it. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    There was just one problem. She didn¡¯t know when the next auction was, and no demon could just show up to it without any warning. They had to be announced. It was equal parts a way to ensure that only worthwhile demons were allowed in and so the demons auctioning runes could determine what quality offerings they wanted to put up that auction.

    Even if Spider gave her nothing else, sending the monstrous demon in the direction of the others could cause enough damage to give her an opportunity to pick up the pieces. Pirren¡¯s thoughts twisted in her mind as she slipped through Treadon¡¯s streets. They were only thoughts, and no thought had ever stopped her before.

    She was so lost in her thoughts that she nearly didn¡¯t notice that someone was trailing her. Nearly.

    Pirren ground to a halt as a form moved in the shadows at the corner of her vision. Her tongue flicked out and she narrowed her eyes, squinting into the darkness. Attempting to flee or taking other evasive maneuvers would only make her look weak.

    Appearances were everything. The demon that claimed to be the strongest often controlled the narrative unless the others knew them to be weak. And, in this part of the city, there shouldn¡¯t have been anyone strong enough to dare trying Pirren.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re there,¡± Pirren hissed. ¡°I am busy tonight, so I will be merciful. Leave, or you will find yourself speaking with death.¡±

    A demon stepped out of the shadows. His skin nearly blended in with it, only made distinct by thin silver veins that ran beneath it. Instead of pointing up to the sky, his horns curled around the sides of the face, their tips facing the ground. They, and his hair, were both pitch black. The demon looked like a living shadow.

    ¡°It is unwise to raise threats before you know to whom you speak,¡± the demon said, unbothered by Pirren¡¯s threat.

    Pirren pulled her hood back to reveal her features and flexed her claws, her tongue flicking out to taste the air again. ¡°Sound advice. You should take it yourself. I don¡¯t know you, but I don¡¯t bother learning the names of most of the demons I kill. Tonight is not the night to try my patience.¡±

    ¡°She did say you would be defensive,¡± the demon said, his head tilting to the side. ¡°As usual, she was right.¡±

    She?

    ¡°One chance,¡± Pirren said. ¡°Leave. This is not your part of the city. These streets are under the control of¡ª¡±

    ¡°The Mother Serpent,¡± the demon said, his lips parting to reveal a row of pointed white teeth. ¡°Or do you prefer the Fangless Coward? I have heard you go by both names.¡±

    Anger burned in Pirren¡¯s stomach, but she held her hand. There wasn¡¯t any fear in the demon¡¯s posture or words. It could have been a bluff, but she¡¯d already had one surprise for the day. She didn¡¯t need another.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Pirren demanded.

    ¡°I am Taleel, but that name will mean nothing to you.¡±

    He was right. Pirren had never heard of a demon named Taleel, but that meant little. Treadon was enormous. There were always new demons passing through it. Always new demons dying in it. Keeping track of everyone would have been impossible.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Pirren asked. If anything, keeping him distracted and speaking would give her an opportunity to rip his throat out. Pure strength was not the only element that dictated the victor of a fight.

    ¡°To find you,¡± Taleel replied. ¡°You seek entrance to tomorrow¡¯s auction.¡±

    Pirren hesitated. Nobody should have known what she was seeking other than her own people, and they wouldn¡¯t have let rumors spread. There was a chance Spider had asked other demons or revealed his plans elsewhere, but somehow, she doubted it.

    ¡°What makes you think I have any plans of doing something like that?¡±

    ¡°My mistress sees all that bask under her light,¡± Taleel replied, a tremor of zealotry running through his words. ¡°And she commands you to meet with her.¡±

    ¡°Who is she to command me?¡± Pirren asked warily. She glanced around the alley, but she couldn¡¯t detect the presence of any other demons. They seemed to be alone.

    ¡°It is not my place to answer questions about my mistress. Her knowledge is hers alone to share. You will not gain access to the auction without her aid. If you leave, you will fail in your task.¡±

    Task¡­ the phrasing implies he knows I¡¯m not trying to enter the auction for myself. How do they know? My mansion is well guarded. There are no windows to my inner room. It should have been impossible for anyone to listen in to my conversation with Spider ¡ª and I feel like he would have noticed if someone had been present. How could Taleel know this?

    ¡°And what if I refuse?¡± Pirren queried, tilting her head to the side and letting her tongue flick out. ¡°Will you try to stop me?¡±

    ¡°I will do nothing, because you will have already failed,¡± Taleel replied simply. ¡°The only path to success is through my mistress. We will have to do nothing. Your own inability will end you.¡±

    He knows about Spider.

    Pirren¡¯s jaw clenched. She regretted sending Jophelus to investigate Spider more and more with every minute that passed. He was involved in something far larger than she had any desire to be. The last thing she wanted to do was get pulled even deeper, but refusal would have been weakness. Years of training permitted her only one response.

    ¡°You have piqued my curiosity,¡± Pirren said with disinterest. ¡°I hope you will make this worth my time. Take me to this Mistress of yours, then. I will listen to what she has to say. One way into the auction is as good as any other.¡±

    ¡°She said you would think as much.¡± Taleel smiled again, then turned and beckoned for Pirren to follow him. ¡°Come, then. I will take you to speak with the Rising Moon.¡±

 Chapter 491: Of use

    The moment the words ¡®Rising Moon¡¯ slipped from Taleel¡¯s mouth, Pirren realized just how badly she¡¯d gotten herself caught in politics that she had absolutely no right being in. There were a lot of demons in Treadon, and only a few of them had a name known to every single demon within the city.

    Yoku the Rising Moon was one of them. Her name was just about the only thing that anyone could agree on about her. There were more rumors about Yoku than there were failed demons lurking in the Wastes.

    Some said she was a towering beast devoid of reason and driven entirely by instinct trapped somewhere deep within the city. Other rumors said that she had strings running to nearly every single high-ranking demon in Treadon and had been controlling them for hundreds of years.

    Pirren had heard talk of Yoku being Lord Belkus¡¯ greatest foe and ally alike, and her age ranged from somewhere between a few hundred years old to being twice as ancient as Treadon itself.

    None of it mattered. Pirren didn¡¯t care if Yoku was a force of nature or just a clever demon taking advantage of rumors to further her strength. The only thing she cared about was that she was being forced to meet her.

    No matter what the truth about Yoku was, there was no doubt that she was powerful. A Rank 6 at the absolute minimum, and possibly even a Rank 7. There had been a few rumors claiming that Yoku was actually a Rank 8, but Pirren didn¡¯t believe those in the slightest. A Rank 8 wouldn¡¯t have had to lurk in the night and rely on mystery to manipulate people. They would have just taken what they wanted to by force.

    But, as far as Pirren was concerned, a Rank 6 and a Rank 8 were just about the same thing. Both of them could kill her with little more than a thought. Spider be damned ¡ª if Pirren could have turned and run for her life, she would have.

    Taleel didn¡¯t give her the opportunity. Even though the shadowy demon wasn¡¯t looking at her, she could feel his attention prickling against her skin. Even if she could have slipped him now, he knew where she lived.

    He knew where her children were. No matter how fast Pirren was, she wasn¡¯t faster than Yoku was powerful. It didn¡¯t matter if she could escape if it cost her the lives of her children in the process. And so, Pirren did the only thing she could. She followed behind Taleel and let him take her to meet his mistress.

    The exact duration of the trip slipped Pirren¡¯s mind. She and Taleel wound through the shadowed streets as her panicked thoughts bounced through her mind ¡ª and then they had arrived.

    Taleel pulled open a plain doorway in the side of a nondescript alleyway that looked identical to every other one in the city. Pale white light rolled out from within it and lit the city as if the moon itself had been trapped behind the door.

    He looked back at Pirren. Not a word had to leave his mouth. The intention was clear. Pirren swallowed, her back as stiff as a steel rod, and stepped into the glow. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the bright light.

    A passageway stretched out before her, sloping down toward the center of the city. Taleel stepped inside behind Pirren and closed the door behind him with a soft click. She glanced back at him and he nodded, gesturing for her to continue forward.

    Neither of them spoke for the next few minutes. Her fear and anticipation heightened with every step. Every rumor she¡¯d ever heard of the Rising Moon lengthened in her mind like shadows in the setting sun. The pathway stretched on and on, making Pirren wonder if there was even an end or if this was just meant to be some form of torture.

    But, finally, they arrived. As with her arrival at the door in the alleyway, she barely even realized when it happened. Pirren had been so focused on her own thoughts and the drumming echo of their footsteps in the pathway that she didn¡¯t register a stone door before her until she was directly upon it. A crescent moon had been engraved into its front, but there was nothing else extraordinary about it.

    ¡°Do not look into her eyes. Do not look into the shadows. If you do, the one that leaves this room will not be you,¡± Taleel warned, his voice soft in reverence.

    He didn¡¯t give Pirren the chance to ask what he meant. He reached over her shoulder and pressed his hand to the door. It swung open soundlessly. An icy chill wrapped Pirren¡¯s body and prickled against her scales.

    A sea of pitch black stretched out before her. Its form twisted and churned like oil in water. Something lurked within it, and its presence squeezed Pirren¡¯s heart like a ripe tomato. She jerked her eyes toward the center of the room.

    The dark was broken by a gentle beam of silver light cascading down from somewhere far above. A young girl sat in the center of the room, long hair running from her head and covering the ground around her. She had two pale blue eyes, as flat as the surface of the sea on a windless day. Her arms were wrapped around her legs, hugging her knees to her chest. No horns graced the top of her head. If it weren¡¯t for her eyes and hair, the girl would have looked to be completely human.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    This is Yoku? She doesn¡¯t look anything like literally any of the rumors said she would. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a good thing or not.

    Pirren stood at the edge of the darkness, her entire body frozen in terror. Taleel gave Pirren a firm push in the back, sending her stumbling into the shadows. His words echoed in her mind and Pirren focused her attention the girl¡¯s hands, unwilling to let her gaze stray.

    ¡°I brought the one you requested, mistress,¡± Taleel said as he shut the door gently behind them.

    ¡°Thank you, Taleel,¡± Yoku said. Her voice was so soft that it should have been impossible to make out, but it rang as clear as a death knell in Pirren¡¯s ears. ¡°Come forward.¡±

    Pirren would have preferred to do literally anything else, but her body had long since stopped listening to her mind¡¯s desires. Following any of them would only get herself and her children killed.

    She advanced through the darkness, doing her best to avoid looking at the murky waves roiling through the sea of black around her. Yoku said nothing until Pirren and Taleel stood just a few feet away from her.

    ¡°That is sufficient,¡± Yoku said. ¡°Did you face difficulties, Taleel?¡±

    ¡°I did not. It was as you said.¡±

    Yoku¡¯s head inclined in the slightest of nods. She lifted a thumb to her mouth and chewed on its tip as her pale eyes scored over Pirren¡¯s body like dull knives. It was another several seconds before Yoku spoke.

    ¡°You are a coward.¡±

    The words weren¡¯t spoken in the way of an insult. They were nothing more than a mere observation from an impartial observer.

    ¡°I survive,¡± Pirren said. The faintest flicker of anger fizzled in her stomach. Every powerful demon was the same. They all looked down at her, even though she¡¯d had nothing but scraps to work with. She¡¯d dragged herself here, a path of her own blood in her wake, while half of them had just stumbled into or been gifted their power.

    ¡°You do,¡± Yoku murmured. ¡°And you wonder why I have sought you out.¡±

    ¡°What purpose could you possibly have for me? I am beneath the notice of someone like you.¡±

    ¡°I wished to see if you would be useful to me,¡± Yoku replied. Her head tilted slightly to the side. ¡°No demon is useless. All may serve a purpose so long as they have sufficient motivation.¡±

    The icy hand around Pirren¡¯s heart started to clench even tighter. It didn¡¯t sound like one, but that had been a threat. She was certain of it. Motivation never meant anything else in the Damned Plains.

    ¡°This is about Spider, isn¡¯t it?¡± Pirren asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about him. I can¡¯t hurt him. He just told me to get him access to the auction. That¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Yoku fell silent for several more seconds. Then she removed her thumb from her mouth and let out a dainty sigh. ¡°How disappointing. You are not what I need. Remove her, Taleel.¡±

    What? She dragged me all the way here just to say she doesn¡¯t need me? What was the point of any of that?

    ¡°As you wish, mistress.¡± Taleel asked. The back of Pirren¡¯s neck prickled as her instincts screamed out a warning.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Yoku ordered, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. Her voice had only risen by the faintest pitch, but both Taleel and Pirren fell to their knees as if a thousand pounds of force had slammed down on their backs.

    The breath froze in Pirren¡¯s chest and a wave of dizziness threatened to swallow her consciousness entirely. An instant later the sensation vanished, but the breath had been completely driven from her lungs. She dragged in a ragged breath, her heart hammering like a runaway horse.

    ¡°Mistress?¡± Taleel wheezed, confusion evident in his voice.

    ¡°Unexpected,¡± Yoku said, her voice back to its gentle tone. Her head tilted to the side as she observed Pirren. ¡°Forgive me, Taleel. I did not mean to hurt you.¡±

    ¡°I am fine, mistress,¡± Taleel said, sounding decidedly not fine. ¡°You wish me to stay my hand?¡±

    ¡°Her weight shifted,¡± the childlike demon murmured. ¡°She was worthless, but the instant you moved to kill her, her weight magnified ¡ª and yours vanished.¡±

    Weight? What is she talking about?

    ¡°Should you order it, I shall still act, mistress.¡± Taleel¡¯s tone had shifted once more. Fear and resignation had replaced the confusion, as if he was signing away his own life with his words.

    ¡°You are too valuable for that,¡± Yoku replied. Her eyes lowered to Pirren, who hurriedly focused her attention back on the other demon¡¯s knees to avoid holding her gaze. ¡°Pirren. I desire an explanation.¡±

    ¡°An explanation?¡± Pirren asked weakly. ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°If Taleel had killed you just now, he would have joined you in death.¡± Yoku¡¯s voice was as cold as her icy eyes. ¡°Tell me why. Who protects you?¡±

    What? Nobody. I have nobody but my children, and none of them are anywhere near strong enough to so much as scratch Taleel, much less kill him. There¡¯s nobody ¡ª

    A thought prickled at the back of Pirren¡¯s mind. And, despite the situation she found herself in, she nearly burst into hysterical laughter.

    ¡°Answer the mistress, demonling,¡± Taleel ordered.

    ¡°Spider protects me,¡± Pirren said as a lifeline finally manifested itself before her. It was thin, but it was the faintest chance to survive the night. As she always had, she clung to life like a shipwrecked man to a plank of wood.

    ¡°Spider? What care does he have for you?¡± Taleel asked. ¡°You are not one of his men.¡±

    Pirren had no clue what had happened or why Yoku believed she was protected. It didn¡¯t matter. If Yoku didn¡¯t know, then Pirren could do what she did best.

    Lie.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t care for me,¡± Pirren agreed, a small smile pulling across her lips as the false confidence she¡¯d called upon thousands of times before finally manifested itself once again. ¡°But he would be quite displeased at the delay if I failed to carry out my task.¡±

    ¡°Spider would kill one of my men?¡± Yoku asked. ¡°Purely because I inconvenienced him?¡±

    ¡°So it would seem.¡±

    To Pirren¡¯s surprise, a faint smile slipped across Yoku¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Then perhaps you may be of use to me after all.¡±

 Chapter 492: Shudder

    Aylin dismissed the group of streetlords before Spider returned. It would take some time for them to bring their gangs in line, and he had no desire to go around to every single camp and browbeat everyone into submission.

    He also wasn¡¯t certain that the streetlords wouldn¡¯t get themselves killed by saying something stupid the moment they met Spider. The masked demon seemed to be forgiving enough, but Aylin wasn¡¯t about to bet on it.

    There was no realistic way for him to directly control every single gang himself, so he still needed the streetlords. After the display he, Vrith, and Violet had put on together with Lee, Aylin was pretty sure they¡¯d make sure the rest of their gangs didn¡¯t step out of line as well.

    He still felt a little sick about the orders he¡¯d given Lee. Dozens of demons were dead because of his order. Lee may have been the one to kill them, but she¡¯d done it at his request. She¡¯d been a sword that he had swung to make things easier on himself.

    And worse, it had been easy.

    I don¡¯t regret it. These old bastards never would have bowed head to me if I didn¡¯t do something drastic. By killing an entire gang, I¡¯ll have saved all the demons that would have tried to push our boundaries later. This was the path that resulted in the least destruction.

    It wouldn¡¯t come without cost. He was more than aware of that. The demons he¡¯d had killed were nameless and faceless to him, but everyone had connections. Some would have survived. He¡¯d made enemies today.

    Aylin didn¡¯t know if it would be today or some time far in the future, but some of those enemies would come to try and take revenge. There was nothing he could do about that. All he could focus on was growing stronger and making sure he was capable of dealing with that when the time came.

    Until then he had to make sure that their efforts thus far didn¡¯t go to waste. He sat in the center of the market square with Vrith and Violet, watching the other demons in the Web resume their normal operations.

    They were still there when Spider returned. The crowd parted as he strode through them and into the square, then quickly started to disperse out of self-preservation. Aylin and the others hurried to rise to their feet.

    ¡°Relax,¡± Spider said, a note of amusement in his voice. ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with the Rank 5. It went well. We¡¯ll have no problems from her. I hope everything at camp was similarly successful.¡±

    ¡°More than,¡± Aylin confirmed with something between a bow and a nod. ¡°Ten gangs have fallen to us. There aren¡¯t many more, and any remaining holdouts will probably surrender or be destroyed by tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°That is good news,¡± Spider said with a nod. ¡°Well done, all of you. No significant issues, I hope?¡±

    ¡°Nothing beyond expectations,¡± Aylin said. A droplet of sweat rolled down the back of his neck. He wished that either Violet or Vrith would say literally anything so Spider¡¯s full attention wouldn¡¯t be laid solely on his shoulders, but they had unified in being more than content to let him speak. Aylin tugged at the hems of his shirt to occupy his hands. ¡°We may have some issues in the future, though.¡±

    ¡°Issues? Of what sort?¡±

    ¡°Bringing this many demons under one banner is going to draw a lot of attention,¡± Aylin said. ¡°And they¡¯re going to be expecting something. They won¡¯t be able to fight with each other anymore. None of them will be happy giving up their resources for equality when the stronger ones used to be able to take from the weaker. If they don¡¯t have something to focus on and grow stronger with, they¡¯ll turn on us.¡±

    Being this upfront with Spider is more than a little dangerous, but I don¡¯t think dancing around the topic is a good idea either. I¡¯d rather him get annoyed now than him rip my head off when the gang collapses from under us.

    ¡°Logically. You can¡¯t take a predator¡¯s food source away and expect them to be content with it,¡± Spider said with a knowing laugh. ¡°I appreciate the foresight. They¡¯ll have more than enough to deal with in the coming days. We¡ª¡±

    Spider cut himself off mid-sentence. His hand shot up to point at one of the rooftops and whisps of white wind howled to life around his fingers, forming into a churning sphere in a split instant.

    Violet lunged at Aylin, tackling him to the ground and knocking the air from his lungs. He managed to keep his view of Spider as a gray blur flew through the air. It collided with the swirling sphere of wind, which detonated with a howl.

    It sent the streak tumbling back, its momentum stolen. A metallic clatter rang out across the ground as a dagger bounced across the stone and scraped to a stop against the base of a tent. Aylin¡¯s eyes flicked to the rooftop from where the dagger had come.

    A black-clothed demon leapt to their feet and spun to flee. They weren¡¯t nearly fast enough. Yellow light flashed and a brilliant crack split the air. A bolt of lightning ripped through the market square and slammed into the demon¡¯s shoulder.

    Bone crunched and flesh sizzled. The force of the magic spun the demon and threw them to the rooftop. Vrith blurred across the ground and vaulted up to the demon on the top of the roof.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill them,¡± Spider ordered, his voice cold as he let his hand lower.

    Aylin couldn¡¯t see if Vrith responded to that. Violet rolled off him and pulled him back to his feet.

    ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Thanks,¡± Aylin said as he brushed himself off. ¡°I prefer caution to getting impaled. I didn¡¯t think anyone would send assassins this quickly.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be the first.¡± Spider¡¯s eyes were locked on the rooftop as Vrith dragged the would-be assassin over to the edge of the roof and dropped down together with them, landing on the ground with a thud.

    The demon groaned in pain. One of their arms was completely destroyed. If the magic had hit them in the chest, they¡¯d have died instantly. Vrith held their other in a vice grip behind their back, not giving them any way to fight back as she brought her prisoner over to Spider.

    ¡°Fuck you,¡± the demon hissed. ¡°You¡¯re all dead.¡±

    ¡°Should I know you?¡± Spider tilted his head to the side.

    ¡°I won¡¯t tell you shit,¡± the demon snarled. ¡°I¡¯m not scared.¡±

    Aylin sucked on his teeth. That was a lie. He could taste it, as vibrant as the rising sun. The demon was terrified.

    ¡°He¡¯s not telling the truth,¡± Aylin said.

    Spider gave him a small nod, but the masked demon didn¡¯t even seem to care all that much.  He reached into his bag and pulled out a featureless, pitch-black mask.

    ¡°You¡¯re the fourth one, you know that?¡± Spider asked, tossing the mask at the other demon¡¯s feet. ¡°Do you know what happened to the previous three? Or did your employer not tell you? And a dagger? Seriously? I¡¯m honestly offended you thought that would kill me.¡±

    The demon stared down at the mask. He looked back up to Spider, and Aylin could feel his confusion even through the mask covering his features.

    ¡°A Shield? You want me to deliver this to my employer?¡± A bark of laughter slipped from the demon¡¯s mouth.  ¡°You really think you can buy him off? Or is this meant to be a bribe? It won¡¯t work. I¡¯ll die before I give anything away.¡±

    ¡°Buy him off? No. Why would I need to do something like that? And I don¡¯t need to bribe someone like you. There¡¯s no information you could give me that¡¯s worth the hassle. Let me guess. Your employer is a giant bloke that wears a mask and speaks with a rough yet noble voice. Sound accurate?¡±

    The assassin hesitated for a flicker of an instant. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Lie,¡± Aylin said.

    Spider laughed. ¡°Thank you, Aylin. Put on the mask, demon.¡±

    ¡°Nothing you can do is worse than what will happen to me if I turn against a contractor,¡± the demon snarled. He tried to twist out of Vrith¡¯s grip, but she dug her free hand into his wounded shoulder and he screamed in pain.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Vrith snarled.

    ¡°He believes that,¡± Aylin put in.

    Spider nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I see. Now put the mask on, demon. It¡¯s just a shield. You stand no chance against me as you are. You aren¡¯t even worth my time.¡±

    ¡°Arrogant bastard,¡± the assassin snarled.

    ¡°Arrogance is thinking you can kill me with a dagger,¡± Spider drawled. ¡°There¡¯s only one thing I want from you, and it isn¡¯t information. Let him go, Vrith. If he tries to run, I¡¯ll destroy his other arm and put the mask on his face myself.¡±

    Vrith released the assassin¡¯s arm and shoved him forward. The demon stumbled toward the mask ¡ª then lurched into motion, yanking a black dagger from his side and lunging at Spider¡¯s neck with a burst of surprising speed.

    A loud crack split the night. The assassin stumbled back, the dagger spinning from his fingertips, as Spider drove his knee up into his nose. He fell to his back, coughing and choking on blood.

    ¡°Can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t expect that, but you really need to avoid telegraphing your movements so much,¡± Spider said dryly. He put a foot on the mask and pushed it over to the fallen assassin. ¡°Put. It. On.¡±

    For a second, the only sound in the square were the assassin¡¯s ragged breaths. Then, slowly, he reached out and grabbed the mask, sliding it onto his face. A dull hum filled the air as a crackling blue shield ignited and swirled to life around the assassin.

    Aylin¡¯s Runes reached out, brushing harmlessly across Spider but digging into the assassin and siphoning energy from him. The demon barely even seemed to notice. He scooped his dagger off the ground and Vrith moved forward, but Spider raised a hand to stop her.

    ¡°No. It¡¯s fine. Let him try.¡± Spider raised his voice for a moment. ¡°Lee? Are you here?¡±

    Lee¡¯s head popped out of her tent. ¡°Yup!¡±

    ¡°Make sure we don¡¯t have any more unwelcome guests, would you?¡±

    ¡°Kay,¡± Lee said with a nod. She sank into a shadow and vanished.

    Spider turned back to the assassin and beckoned him onward. ¡°Come on, then. Get back to it. I believe you had a job to be doing. Maybe you¡¯ll be a bit better at it this time around.¡±

    Aylin swallowed. Spider had given a powerful weapon to an assassin purely because the demon wasn¡¯t even worth his time without it.

    The assassin lowered his stance. Blood dripped from his crippled arm. Aylin could smell it on the wind, mixed with the scent of fear. A droplet rolled off a finger and dripped to the ground. With a scream of defiance, the assassin blurred forward.

    Spider lifted a hand. The air before him crumpled, streaks of white energy swirling out like a spiderweb to meet the demon¡¯s charge.

    A loud, squelching crunch echoed through the market square. Aylin joined the demon in staring at his chest, which had collapsed as if torn apart from within. The shield still hummed between him and Spider¡¯s palm, completely undamaged. Metal clattered to the ground once more as the assassin¡¯s dagger clattered from his stiff fingers.

    Then the assassin pitched back, the shield fading before crashed to the ground and laid still. The skin on the back of Aylin¡¯s neck prickled and his hair stood on end.

    Spider knelt, removing the mask from the assassin¡¯s face and sliding it back into his bag. He glanced at Aylin. ¡°Get rid of this body somehow, would you? Check it to see if there¡¯s anything useful, but I doubt there will be.¡±

    Aylin swallowed again before giving Spider a sharp nod. ¡°I will do as you ask.¡±

    ¡°Much appreciated,¡± Spider said. ¡°And after that, try to brush up a little bit. We¡¯ll be going to an auction soon. We¡¯re going to make it a memorable one.¡±

    Aylin repressed a shudder.

    Somewhere across the city, back in an egg-shaped mansion and hunched over in a throne with her head in her hands and unaware as to why, Pirren did the same.

 Chapter 493: The Greatest Fighting Style

    Grass rustled at Jalen¡¯s feet. The breeze curling past his hair and caressing the back of his neck carried the faint scent of sweet nectar on it. His nose scrunched slightly in annoyance.

    ¡°Well then,¡± Jalen said, crossing his arms in front of his chest and tilting his head to the side. ¡°I think it¡¯s starting to get a little crowded.¡±

    As was becoming habit, he and Vermil¡¯s students had gathered for class once more. They¡¯d absconded from Arbitage¡¯s typical training areas and headed out to the Windscorned Plateau with a little help from Tim.

    Jalen just hadn¡¯t realized quite how many people Vermil had actually known. Their group of temporary teachers, which had initially just been him and Brayden, had now expanded to include Bird and ¡ª for some reason ¡ª Silvertide.

    That was rather odd, as Jalen couldn¡¯t quite remember inviting Silvertide, but the old man had a good relationship with the kids. And, despite being a Rank 5, he was an incredibly capable mage.

    There were at least four different conversations going at once. Isabel and Todd were speaking about their runes, Silvertide was showing Alexandra some sword techniques, and James and Emily were flirting with about as much aptitude as a pair of toddlers.

    At least Bird was silent. She just clutched a grimoire to her chest and glanced around the grassy plains, evidently wishing she was literally anywhere else. Brayden wasn¡¯t doing much better. He just stood at the edge of the group, watching over everyone with eagle eyes as if a monster was going to materialize behind someone and try to rip their head off.

    Damned Plains. I¡¯m bored. I wonder if Silvertide plays darts. Maybe I should ¡ª

    No. I have a duty. I don¡¯t like those, but I¡¯ve got proof that Vermil isn¡¯t dead. He¡¯d probably be pissed at me if I failed his little brats, so I¡¯ve got to make sure they actually perform well on this exam. I want to play darts again. He won¡¯t be able to play if he¡¯s too busy with remedial training.

    Jalen aggressively cleared his throat. Not a single person looked in his direction. He was pretty sure nobody had heard him. His eyes narrowed in annoyance. The one thing he was not used to was being ignored.

    Power swirled within his chest and burst out from him, ripping across the grassy plains as his domain washed out over everyone. He repressed it enough to avoid doing any damage, but the sheer pressure from his runes was still enough to make everyone stagger. The only one that wasn¡¯t forced to take a step back was Silvertide.

    Jalen coughed into his fist.

    ¡°What?¡± Brayden asked, his hand shooting to the hilt of his sword. ¡°Is something happening? Are we about to be under attack?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Jalen dragged the word out, then cleared his throat. ¡°The situation is far more dire. I am bored.¡±

    ¡°Did you happen to train Vermil?¡± Silvertide asked, tilting his head to the side.

    ¡°No,¡± Jalen replied. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because you have striking similarities. You¡¯re like a more irritable version of him,¡± the old soldier replied, his lip curling up in amusement. ¡°But perhaps we should actually get started. Time is too valuable of a resource to waste much of it. I trust you called us here for a reason?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t call you here at all,¡± Jalen corrected. ¡°You are correct, though. We¡¯ve had enough fraternizing. The exam is¡­ soon.¡±

    Everyone stared at him.

    ¡°How soon?¡± Brayden asked.

    Jalen cleared his throat again. This wasn¡¯t going the way he¡¯d wanted it to go. ¡°Soon.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t actually know what day the exam is, do you?¡± Isabel asked.

    ¡°That is hardly relevant.¡± Jalen glared at her.

    ¡°He was probably too busy kicking rocks and muttering about darts,¡± Todd said with a snicker.

    Jalen¡¯s eyes narrowed. Vermil¡¯s students acted all too familiar with him. He was the head of the Linwick House. A Rank 6 older than the majority of their family tree. Those who knew him quaked in fear at his name, much less his presence.

    The head of a house shouldn¡¯t permit this abject lack of respect ¡ª but I¡¯ll be damned if these brats aren¡¯t interesting. I can¡¯t bring myself to actually complain about them being mouthy. It¡¯s so much more interesting than all the idiots that scrape the floor with their teeth when I walk into the room.

    ¡°I was busy gathering teachers for you, as I can¡¯t be bothered to do everything myself,¡± Jalen corrected. ¡°Perhaps we should take advantage of my hard work. I spent a great amount of effort on this, you know. You could at least be appreciative.¡±

    ¡°On bringing Silvertide?¡± Todd asked, glancing at the elderly soldier. ¡°That couldn¡¯t have taken much effort. He invited himself.¡±

    Jalen sighed. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Was the no to inviting Silvertide? Or was it to the not taking much effort part?¡± Todd kept a straight face, but Jalen could see he was desperately trying to avoid laughing.

    ¡°Both,¡± Jalen admitted with a smirk. ¡°There aren¡¯t many things in this world that I¡¯m truly motivated to do. But Silvertide was not the instructor I kindly invited to assist you. That would be the woman trying to hide behind Brayden. She has kindly volunteered to assist all of you.¡±

    ¡°I am not trying to hide,¡± Bird said as everyone turned to look at her. ¡°And I did not volunteer to do anything.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you here?¡± Emily asked.

    ¡°I blackmailed her,¡± Jalen said jovially. ¡°Any further questions?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Isable said. ¡°What did you¡ª¡±

    ¡°That was a rhetorical question,¡± Jalen said, cutting Isabel off mid-sentence. ¡°No more questions. I don¡¯t care. Now, shall we get on with this? I¡¯ll be so kind as to introduce you all. Everyone, this is Bird. Stupid name if you ask me. You can¡¯t just choose a random noun to be your name. And Bird, this is everyone else.¡±

    ¡°That may be the worst introduction to someone I¡¯ve ever gotten, and I¡¯ve been through a lot of introductions,¡± Silvertide said dryly.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Jalen replied without an ounce of sarcasm. ¡°I take pride in my abilities ¡ª and Bird takes pride in her Runes. She¡¯s a member of the King family that has very kindly volunteered to supply all of the little brats from her own supply. Isn¡¯t that sweet?¡±

    Four pairs of eyes snapped over to Bird. That had gotten their attention. Her face paled and she clutched the book tighter to her chest.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°You never mentioned Vermil had this many students.¡±

    Jalen couldn¡¯t help but notice that Alexandra didn¡¯t look nearly as excited about the Runes as any of the others. His head tilted to the side. She was a Rank 3, but that was no reason to give up on getting new runes.

    ¡°There are just five of them. What¡¯s the big deal?¡± Jalen asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t take any new runes right now,¡± Alexandra said. ¡°So there are only four of us.¡±

    Does she have all seven of her runes filled in? Hm. I can¡¯t remember if Vermil mentioned anything about her abilities or not. I wasn¡¯t really paying all that much to anything his students did other than their formations. Maybe I should have listened closer. Oh well.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Jalen said. He flickered, teleporting behind and clapping a hand down on her shoulder. She winced in surprise and he grinned.  ¡°Take some anyway. The King family is very generous.¡±

    ¡°These aren¡¯t even the King family¡¯s runes,¡± Bird said, glaring at Jalen. ¡°They¡¯re mine!¡±

    ¡°Even more reason to be generous. No punishment for taking too much.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you give them some yourself?¡± Bird demanded. ¡°You¡¯re the head of the Linwicks!¡±

    ¡°Because that¡¯s a whole lot less amusing than making you do it. Now get on with it, unless you were planning to show them that fighting style of yours that you were practicing.¡±

    Bird choked on her own saliva and doubled over, coughing.

    ¡°What kind of fighting style?¡± Alexandra asked, her interest suddenly piqued.

    ¡°Nothing that concerns you,¡± Bird replied, managing to get her fit under control. She clutched her grimoire to her chest like a sailor clinging to a plank of wood after a shipwreck. ¡°It is of no matter.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d say it was rather interesting, actually.¡± Jalen scratched his chin. ¡°Something you derived from Vermil¡¯s fighting style, if those scribbles on your wall were anything to go by.¡±

    ¡°Vermil¡¯s fighting style?¡± Silvertide¡¯s bushy eyebrows lifted and he leaned on his staff. A flicker of regret passed through his features. ¡°What style are you referring to? Vermil was a uniquely capable individual. Any instruction that could be passed on from him would be a fantastic resource. I didn¡¯t realize Bird knew him that well.¡±

    ¡°He is a capable individual,¡± Isabel corrected. ¡°He¡¯s still alive.¡±

    ¡°I am not going to continue this conversation,¡± Bird said. She slapped a palm against the leather bindings of her grimoire. ¡°I¡¯ve been forced to bring you all some Runes, and that¡¯s what I¡¯ve done. You may each choose one.¡±

    ¡°Two,¡± Jalen said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Bird demanded.

    ¡°Three.¡±

    ¡°Oh gods ¡ª fine. Two,¡± Bird snapped. ¡°Happy?¡±

    ¡°Two and you teach them the fighting style.¡± Jalen could barely hold his laughter back at the incredulous expression on Bird¡¯s face. He flashed her a toothy grin. ¡°Go on. Bargain more. We¡¯ll see how many runes you¡¯ve got in your grimoire after I¡¯m done.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t just blackmail me into giving all my runes away,¡± Bird ground out. She clenched her jaw and turned her head to meet Jalen¡¯s gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t treat me like one of your subordinates, Jalen. I agreed to give some runes, but not all of them. You can¡¯t push me into doing whatever you want.¡±

    I can respect that. At least, I could on most days. Unfortunately, this isn¡¯t just about me. As much fun as I¡¯m having with this, there¡¯s a greater purpose to it.

    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong,¡± Jalen said. His smile slipped away and his hand tightened on Bird¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I am very used to getting what I want, Bird. I asked you to collect Runes because there are too many eyes on me, and pulling from the Linwick reserves would have set off the spies that I haven¡¯t bothered rooting out of my house. These kids don¡¯t need that attention. They can¡¯t afford it. I don¡¯t have any Runes they can use myself ¡ª thus, you. So either you give the kids what I am more than aware you can afford given your salary from Otto, or the Linwick family ceases all trade with him.¡±

    Bird¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t. That would do significant damage to both of our families. Otto would be¡ª¡±

    ¡°Furious,¡± Jalen finished. ¡°Look me in the eyes, Bird. Tell me if you think I give the slightest shit about the Linwick family. It is a house of wretched cowards. The Kings are no better. I¡¯d watch them both burn if I thought it would be amusing enough. Don¡¯t tell me you giving away ten runes would break you. It¡¯s a month of work at best.¡±

    Bird clenched her jaw. Then she blew out a short, angry breath. ¡°Fine. Two runes.¡±

    ¡°And the fighting style,¡± Isabel added. ¡°If there¡¯s something that Professor Vermil did that you learned, I want to know how to do it too.¡±

    ¡°You heard the kid,¡± Jalen said with an unabashed grin. ¡°And the fighting style.¡±

    ¡°I am not fighting naked in front of an audience,¡± Bird snapped. She caught herself an instant later and cringed, but it was too late. She¡¯d already spoken. It took every ounce of self-control that Jalen had to keep from howling with laughter.

    ¡°Ohhhh,¡± Todd said, his eyes lighting up in recognition. ¡°That¡¯s the fighting style you¡¯re talking about? I guess we should have guessed.¡±

    It seemed as if Bird had only heard half the words that had just come out of Todd¡¯s mouth. Her eye twitched. ¡°What? He showed you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Todd said with a nod. ¡°All the time, especially in the Scorched Acres. fighting naked is a pretty good way to put it. It really did feel like that. The style was really useful. Great at making me get over my fears and trust myself more. I did almost get ripped open a few times, though.¡±

    ¡°He did it with you?¡± Bird exclaimed, pulling at her hair in distress.

    It was Isabel¡¯s turn to nod. ¡°We all did it together. He helped at the start, but after a while he just watched.¡±

    ¡°Is this the technique you used back in the first exam that you told me about?¡± Emily asked eagerly. ¡°I want to learn how to do that! I don¡¯t plan to stop using a shield, but being able to fight naked would definitely help me save energy. Can you show us?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something seriously wrong with all of you,¡± Bird said with a groan. ¡°Is Vermil a plague? A curse that infects everyone he gets close to?¡±

    ¡°Oh, most certainly,¡± Jalen said through a cackle.

    ¡°Does that mean the two of you¡­ figured out exactly how the style works?¡± Bird asked, a flicker of hesitation passing through her as she pointed to Isabel and Todd in turn.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ve mastered it, but I think we got a decent understanding,¡± Todd said as he scratched his neck. ¡°Nobody did it as good as Vermil.¡±

    Bird swallowed. A second passed before she let out a defeated groan. ¡°I can¡¯t pass up the opportunity to learn more. I¡¯ll show you what I¡¯ve learned if you do the same.¡±

    Todd and Isabel shrugged as one.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Isabel said. ¡°If Vermil showed you something, then I want to learn it.¡±

    Bird scratched the side of her neck. She glanced to Jalen. Then she sighed. ¡°If a word of this ever leaves this field, I will make every single one of you regret it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not spreading Vermil¡¯s teaching anywhere he doesn¡¯t want me to,¡± Alexandra said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

    ¡°Same,¡± Todd said.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t share without his or Moxie¡¯s permission, and James is too lazy to do anything,¡± Emily added. James nodded sleepily in agreement.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Bird said. She grabbed the hem of her shirt, her face screwed up in a grimace. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±

    ¡°Whoa! What are you doing?¡± Todd asked as Isabel lifted a hand to cover his eyes.

    Bird paused with the shirt up to her midriff. ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re going to make me explain this?¡±

    ¡°Maybe her shield is beneath her shirt,¡± Emily offered, but she didn¡¯t sound particularly confident in her own words.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not wearing a shield. I was getting naked,¡± Bird said through a sigh. ¡°You are making this a lot harder than it has to be.¡±

    ¡°Holy shit, you were being literal?¡± Todd asked. ¡°Vermil didn¡¯t actually get naked to fight. He just doesn¡¯t use a shield.¡±

    Bird stared at him. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°He still wore his clothes when he trained with us,¡± Isabel said. ¡°And thank any god that was listening for that. He never would have beaten the allegations against him if he didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying Vermil fought naked in front of you?¡± Emily asked, her eyes narrowing. ¡°Does Moxie know?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ no, I never actually saw him fighting. I made some educated guesses to fill some things in,¡± Bird stammered. Her eyes darted around the clearing, then abruptly lit with understanding. ¡°So that¡¯s what he did.¡±

    Ah, damn. I suppose the fun is over. I¡¯m not sure how Vermil managed to trick her this badly, but Bird was always better at researching than thinking from what I recall Otto telling me. I suppose it¡¯s about time to get class started properly anyway. No more jokes.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Todd asked, Isabel¡¯s hand still over his eyes.

    ¡°He only showed you the first part of the technique,¡± Bird said without so much as a flicker of hesitation. ¡°My research has deduced the next stage, but perhaps you all aren¡¯t ready for it yet.¡±

    Jalen was unable to hold back any longer. He doubled over and howled with laughter. Despite a bit of naivety, Bird had some pretty good observations written on her walls. Jalen was pretty certain her tutelage would actually be quite useful for the students so long as she didn¡¯t lose her clothes in the process. That would just have to wait until he could breathe properly again.

 Chapter 494: Meet the guide

    Noah was doing a remarkable job of repressing his laughter as he looked at Aylin. The demon stood awkwardly before him, clad in one of Noah¡¯s professor uniforms. Black sleeves hanging past Aylin¡¯s arms and his pants were scrunched up around his knees to avoid getting stepped on.

    ¡°You might need to grow into it,¡± Noah said, scratching at the back of his neck.

    ¡°You could fit him and Violet alike into those and still have some room to spare,¡± Moxie said dryly from behind Noah.

    ¡°Now that¡¯s just cruel. You could not,¡± Noah said. He glanced back at Aylin, who pulled his collar nearly half a foot away from his neck and peered down at his chest.

    Okay. Maybe you could.

    ¡°Is¡­ it imperative I go like this?¡± Aylin asked hesitantly.

    ¡°No,¡± Noah said with a sigh. ¡°Never mind. Just change back into your normal clothes. We¡¯ll just have to get you something better before we go doing anything like this again. Better to look a little ratty than to look like you¡¯ve raided your father¡¯s wardrobe.¡±

    Aylin nodded. Noah and Moxie stepped back out of the tent to give him some privacy. The thick shadow of the night had finally started to relent as dull orange sunlight poked out at the end of the horizon and spilled through the cracks in the alleys to illuminate the market square.

    As long as Pirren hadn¡¯t taken him for a fool, Noah was optimistic that she¡¯d show up pretty soon. He¡¯d have to go find her himself if she didn¡¯t. That would have been rather bothersome.

    ¡°Do we have enough gold to buy anything at this auction?¡± Moxie asked, lowering her voice so nobody could overhear them. ¡°If it¡¯s for higher ranked demons, I¡¯d imagine things aren¡¯t going to be going for too cheap.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a fancy little rune to sell as well,¡± Noah replied. ¡°And I can always toss together another one or sell an existing one if I need to. I think we should have more than enough between that. How much gold do you actually have on you?¡±

    ¡°Around five hundred.¡±

    That wouldn¡¯t have gone far at all in the mortal plane, but the Damned Plains didn¡¯t have naturally occurring gold from what Noah had seen. That meant it went far farther here than it did back home.

    Between that and the nearly perfect rune he¡¯d made in case he¡¯d needed to show off to Pirren, Noah was pretty confident he¡¯d be able to get his hands on at least one powerful Matter or some more Space Runes.

    Even though he already had both, he needed something a little more powerful if he wanted to save himself from wasting hours hunting. Of course, that was only one of the components he needed.

    Noah had the exact same problem with regard to matter that he¡¯d had with space. He just didn¡¯t understand it extensively enough to be able to combine a rune effectively. Fortunately, he had a way around that.

    Space wasn¡¯t the only thing that he¡¯d gotten intimately acquainted with in the Line. Matter ¡ª or rather, the striking lack thereof ¡ª had been among the anomalies. Matter was an object that took up physical space.

    As far as he knew, everything was made out of matter. That included the invisible and borderline intangible things like air.

    If that¡¯s true, then what is the soul? Is it tangible? If it is, then it has to be matter of some sort. If it isn¡¯t, then what is it? Pure energy? I haven¡¯t tried actually influencing the world while I was a soul. It¡¯s my best lead, so I¡¯ll have to see if I can leverage it. If not, I¡¯ll find a different way to work matter into my powers.

    Whatever the reason, I need those Runes¡­ among other things. This auction is important. Fortunately, there¡¯s more than one way to make an impression on people.

    Aylin stepped out of the tent, wearing his normal clothes once more. His emergence broke Noah from his thoughts. Moxie arched an eyebrow at him and he coughed into his fist.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t fit. I ¡ª uh, left the clothes behind in your tent,¡± Aylin said, fidgeting under their gaze. ¡°Is there anything else you require of me?¡±

    ¡°Just wait,¡± Noah replied. ¡°It¡¯ll be the three of us and a guide going to the auction. Lee will stay behind to make sure no idiots try anything with the camp. Do you remember what I did when we first got to this camp?¡±

    Aylin¡¯s face paled a shade and he swallowed before giving him a stiff nod. ¡°Yes. You told everyone present to attempt to kill us.¡±

    ¡°Fun, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Noah asked with a grin. ¡°Just do what you did then.¡±

    ¡°Are¡ª are you going to do that again?¡± Aylin asked nervously. ¡°To the whole auction?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. Nothing like that. I just meant the stay calm and don¡¯t panic part. Pretend like you¡¯re in control,¡± Noah said with a laugh.

    Challenging the entire auction was too stupid, even for him. It was going to be completely stuffed full of Rank 5 and 6 demons, and he wasn¡¯t equipped to take every single one of them on. He was pretty sure his limit would be a demon at the upper reaches of Rank 5 or possibly one with awful runes at Rank 6. Taking on the entire upper class of the city was still too much.

    And besides, I need them. This is about more than just getting some more Runes made. Wizen has the way back to the mortal plane. He¡¯s got a way to make an army, so I¡¯m going to need the same.

    As to exactly how he¡¯d get an entire army behind him, Noah hadn¡¯t quite figured that bit out yet. Rallying all the streetlords was one thing. None of them were all that powerful. They gave him a degree of legitimacy, but he¡¯d need more than that to sway Rank 6 demons.

    I¡¯ll figure that out when I get there. As long as I can keep amassing power and growing, an opportunity will eventually present itself. And if it doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll make one.

    Noah¡¯s train of thought derailed when he realized that Moxie and Aylin were both staring at him. He cleared his throat.

    ¡°Sorry. Got distracted. Did you say something?¡±

    ¡°He asked when we¡¯re going,¡± Moxie said, shaking her head and sighing. ¡°You need to stop doing that when we¡¯re talking to people. It¡¯s creepy to watch your eyes glaze over like you¡¯re looking at someone that isn¡¯t there.¡±

    ¡°¡­is he?¡± Aylin asked quietly.

    ¡°No,¡± Noah said, but he was pretty sure it was a bit too late to stop that particular rumor from taking root. He repressed a grimace. ¡°And we shouldn¡¯t have to wait much longer. Our guide should be arriving sometime soon. I was told that the auctions take place every two days or so. One day has already passed if we count the night, so unless we got really unlucky and it took place last night, we¡¯ll be hearing from her soon enough.¡±

    Aylin nodded his understanding. ¡°I will await your call, then. I think Vrith should be able to make sure everything continues without me as long as this auction ends quickly. The other streetlords may suspect cowardice if I¡¯m gone for too long.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t keep you forever. It¡¯s just for appearances,¡± Noah said with a wave of his hand. ¡°Bringing you along proves that I¡¯m confident enough in my strength to expose a weak link. It¡¯ll make the other demons at the auction more hesitant to try anything with me. Besides, your ability to tell if people are being truthful or not is incredibly useful. I can¡¯t not use that when we¡¯re at an auction.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Aylin said. He didn¡¯t seem even slightly offended or annoyed to be used as leverage. Noah wasn¡¯t sure if that was because he was just a good liar or if he was just resigned to his current position.

    Before he could ask, his tremorsense picked up on movement in the shadows. A few moments later, his domain brushed against Vrith as she emerged from the darkness, her head lowered in respect.

    ¡°There¡¯s a demon approaching our camp. The scouts spotted her,¡± Vrith said, a flicker of unease in her voice. ¡°She¡¯s strong. Far stronger than any of the streetlords.¡±

    ¡°Looks like a snake with ropes for hair?¡± Noah guessed.

    Vrith blinked in surprise. ¡°I ¡ª yes, actually. I did not realize you were already aware of her presence. Should we prepare to fight?¡±

    ¡°Fight? No need for that. She¡¯s with us for the time being,¡± Noah said with a shake of his head. ¡°That would be Pirren. She¡¯s a Rank 5. Try to be nice to her. She¡¯s agreed to take us to the auction.¡±

    Vrith and Aylin stared at Noah.

    ¡°You have a Rank 5 working for you?¡± Aylin asked, his voice weak.

    ¡°Just a business deal.¡± Noah shook his head. Fixing Pirren¡¯s runes would have been too much of a hassle. She was just too deep along her path for him to repair, especially when she wasn¡¯t even part of his gang. ¡°I just promised not to kill her and her people in exchange.¡±

    Vrith swallowed nervously. ¡°Ah. I am familiar with the offer. If you¡¯ll excuse me, I will go hide in ¡ª ah, work in ¡ª the tent to make sure the matters with the other streetlords remain handled during your absence.¡±

    ¡°Feel free. Come on, Aylin. And remember what I said. No fear. No hesitation. Don¡¯t give the other demons any openings.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Noah smiled and exchanged a nod with Moxie. This wasn¡¯t their first run at an auction. They might not have been the strongest demons going into it ¡ª but they hadn¡¯t been the strongest in the last auction they¡¯d attended either.

    Demons were used to dealing with other demons, but they¡¯d never dealt with him. For their sake, he hoped they had better bullshitters than Pirren. Because, if she was the best they had to offer, Noah was going to fleece them for everything they had.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go meet our guide and check that auction out, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 495: Heavier

    Noah, Moxie, and Aylin met Pirren at the edge of the market square. The Rank 5 snake demon stood in the shadow of an old, cobbled building, her hood pulled low over her face and the thick ropey strands from her crown just barely visible in the darkness within it.

    Her back pressed to the wall and her shoulders hunched forward slightly, the unease clear in her posture as she shifted from foot to foot. Even though Noah couldn¡¯t see her face, her back stiffened when she caught sight of them.

    ¡°It would be wise to keep our power concealed from here on out,¡± Moxie said under her breath, just barely loud enough for Noah to pick up. ¡°We might be running into demons strong enough to actually detect it.¡±

    Noah nodded in agreement. He¡¯d already been keeping his domain largely repressed, but he pulled the last of it into himself. Demons didn¡¯t have domains, but given how varied they were, he wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if one of them had a way to detect it. Blowing their cover and revealing they weren¡¯t actually demons was just about the dumbest thing they could do right now.

    ¡°I hope you come bearing good news,¡± Noah said as they came to a stop before Pirren.

    ¡°There¡¯s an auction,¡± Pirren said. She let her head incline slightly. ¡°It¡¯s soon. I¡­ wasn¡¯t able to get in on my own. My standing wasn¡¯t high enough to get a spot at such a short notice.¡±

    Aylin¡¯s head tilted to the side and his brow creased slightly, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Noah didn¡¯t miss the motion. He was pretty sure the boy would have said if Pirren had lied, but something about her words seemed like it may not have sat right.

    ¡°That¡¯s disappointing. I really didn¡¯t want to wait much longer,¡± Noah said as he blew a breath out. ¡°When¡¯s the next one we can get into? Or am I going to have to take more drastic measures?¡±

    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s in a few hours. I couldn¡¯t get in on my own, but I was able to get someone else to pull a string for me. We¡¯ve got access to the upcoming auction.¡±

    Well that¡¯s certainly convenient. Not sure if it¡¯s too convenient.

    Noah¡¯s hand brushed across his waist and along the top of his travel bag. It was strangely light. He¡¯d left his gourd with Lee for the trip, and the missing weight felt odder than he would have expected. It was like he¡¯d handed someone else his still-beating heart.

    Now I know how Davy Jones felt. Poor dude. I think I¡¯d take Lee over a jar of dirt, but only as long as she doesn¡¯t get too hungry.

    After waiting for a second to see if Aylin would say anything, Noah nodded. ¡°Today would be great. Well done. You worked just as fast as I had hoped. Lead on, then. I¡¯m looking forward to this.¡±

    Pirren gave him a terse nod and turned, setting off down the street. Moxie and Noah exchanged a glance as they all fell in behind the demon. He could read the question on her lips as if she¡¯d said it out loud.

    She was asking, does she always act this suspicious?

    Noah gave her a slight shrug in response. Pirren hadn¡¯t been the most confident demon he¡¯d ever met after he¡¯d brushed her mask away to reveal the truth. He¡¯d definitely put on a pretty good show during their meeting, so it was possible she was just scared of him.

    Aylin¡¯s reaction to her words made him suspect that it was possible there was more than that going on. Pirren was a demon, after all. She had to be looking for an angle that would help her salvage the situation. It would have been odd if she didn¡¯t.

    Pressing her for information here won¡¯t do anything other than cause a scene. Pirren definitely doesn¡¯t have any major allies, so she doesn¡¯t pose a threat to us on her own. Whoever helped her out probably didn¡¯t do it because of their friendship or kind-heartedness. It¡¯s possible they found out I¡¯m working through her and are trying to get closer to me, either to get rid of me or to get on my good side. Only one way to find out. We¡¯ll just go with things as they are for now and then see where they lead. I¡¯m confident we can bail out all the way up until we¡¯re in the auction itself.

    They walked through the streets of Treadon for quite some time, none of them saying a word. Gentle orange light turned ruddy and the temperature in the street steadily rose as the day finally started to fully dawn.

    Streamers of red and purple smoke danced in the air far above them. Their colors reflected down on the streets like the seabed of an ocean beneath the sunrise, almost seeming to make the cobblestones shimmer and ripple.

    It was surprisingly beautiful, and not something that Noah had expected to find in the Damned Plains ¡ª and certainly not in the slums of a city within the Damned Plains. Neither Pirren nor Aylin seemed particularly impressed with it. They¡¯d probably seen it so many times that it had just become commonplace.

    The walk finally came to an end before a ramshackle building after over half an hour of increasingly awkward silence. It was a single story, with a broken roof and crumbling walls. It didn¡¯t look like anyone had lived in it in quite some time.

    ¡°This is the auction?¡± Noah asked doubtfully. ¡°It looks more like somebody¡¯s going to be waiting to sell me drugs.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Wasn¡¯t everything about appearances here? I was expecting some grand entrance for all the demons going into the auction to show off before they walked in, like a red-carpet type of thing. Stop for a moment, do a little flexing on the poors, the whole shebang. The only people to flex on here are rats.

    ¡°Drugs?¡± Pirren¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is. This isn¡¯t the auction, though. It¡¯s just a shortcut. The actual auction is closer to the center of Treadon.¡±

    ¡°A shortcut in the opposite direction of the actual auction?¡± Moxie tilted her head to the side.

    Pirren cleared her throat and pulled her hood back, revealing her features as she scratched at the side of her neck beneath her chin. ¡°I¡­ would prefer not to be seen entering the auction. It would not go well for me, and it would probably negatively impact you as well. It would be much better to enter discreetly.¡±

    Aylin inclined his head just enough for Noah to catch the motion. She was telling the truth.

    ¡°Lead on, then,¡± Noah said. ¡°I don¡¯t particularly care how we get to the auction as long as we get there. I have no need to announce my presence. People will find out who we are soon enough.¡±

    They followed Pirren into the building, where she heaved a large dust-covered stone off the top of an old metal trapdoor. She yanked it open, gently setting it back against the stone she¡¯d just moved, then dropped down into an old passage beneath.

    It stretched on as far as Noah could see. Open passageways stretched off from it. It wasn¡¯t just a shortcut. It was an underground labyrinth. The air was stale and dry, but it seemed clean enough. Pirren set off at a brisk pace.

    She moved a lot faster down here than she had in the city above. It was pretty easy to tell that this wasn¡¯t the first time that Pirren had used this particular path.

    Another hour passed. At least, Noah was fairly certain it was something around an hour. It was difficult to count time when he was beneath the ground. Eventually, Pirren turned down one of the side passages and they came to a stop at a circular stairwell that wound up toward the city above.

    The dust around it was scuffed. Either Pirren had come through this way many times before, or she wasn¡¯t the only one that knew about these passageways. Given how big they were, Noah got the feeling it was the latter.

    Above them, he could just barely make out the sound of yelling and loud, energetic conversation. It could have been either a brawl or a party ¡ª or both. Noah wasn¡¯t sure the Damned Plains knew the difference between the two.

    ¡°The way in is just up through here,¡± Pirren said as she started up the stairs and threw a look back at them over her shoulder. ¡°The auction house is above us.¡±

    ¡°So what stops people from just coming in through here unannounced?¡± Moxie asked after a few minutes of climbing. The sound had gotten loud enough that she had to raise her voice slightly just to make sure they could hear her.

    This is a far cry from that fancy auction we went to back in Arbitage. Feels more like a poorly contained riot.

    Pirren came to a stop before a stone door and rapped on it. ¡°This.¡±

    A second passed, and Noah was just about to start wondering if nobody had heard Pirren over the cacophony when the grumble of stone-on-stone ground out and the door swung open to reveal a short demon with pointed yellow horns and thin lips. He wore a black, one-piece suit that made him look remarkably like a bowling ball.

    Does every single culture just end up somehow developing suits? Or are they copying humans? I wonder if anyone¡¯s ever studied suitology.

    ¡°Name?¡± the demon asked.

    ¡°Pirren.¡± Pirren¡¯s voice was taut with displeasure.

    The demon¡¯s eyes glazed over for a second. Then his lip curled upward in a smirk and he stepped to the side. ¡°Ah, yes. Of course. Wise choice of entrance. Who are the others?¡±

    ¡°Members of my party.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± the demon asked, his lip curling even higher. ¡°They were not announced. Nobody can enter the auction without being announced or without paying a concealment fee.¡±

    Pirren¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°A fee? That¡¯s not part the rules. I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Who are you to decide what the rules are? Lord Belkus does, and this is his building. I speak for him as one of his doormen. Identify yourselves or pay the entry fee. Your choice.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s lying,¡± Aylin whispered.

    Noah hadn¡¯t needed Aylin to tell him that, but he appreciated it, nonetheless. He took a step forward and prepared to put on his best Spider act. But, before Noah could say a word, the demon¡¯s eyes widened.

    He took a hurried step back and flicked his hand. ¡°You may enter. You¡¯re in booth 14.¡±

    Noah blinked.

    I didn¡¯t even do anything yet.

    He wasn¡¯t about to question his fortune. Noah sent a glance back at Pirren and gave her a slight shrug. She swallowed before stepping past him and leading them up the stairs, leaving the demon at their backs.

    Noah watched him as they left to make sure he didn¡¯t try anything, but the demon¡¯s attention was suddenly completely fixed on one of the walls. They soon left him behind and emerged into a long hallway riddled with doors numbered by metal carvings embossed into their stone surfaces above brass handles at their centers.

    The group arrived before door 14 after just a short walk. Pirren swallowed as she put her hand on the door. She looked even more scared than Noah had expected her to.

    Just how bad did that last auction she went to go?

    Pirren¡¯s features tightened. She let out a short breath and grit her teeth. Then she twisted the handle, pushing it open and revealing a small balcony overlooking a stage far below. Dozens of other balconies ringed the circular arena before them. Many had already been filled by other demons who did absolutely nothing to attempt to conceal their identities as they stood proudly, yelling a mixture of greetings, insults, and curses at each other.

    Noah¡¯s eyes were drawn to their balcony. It had a long table with six hefty metal chairs set up along it. And, sitting upon a soft blue cushion that had been placed upon one of the chairs with her knees drawn up to her chest, was a girl with long, silver hair. Her face was covered by a white mask with a single stylized eye painted with blue across its surface. There were no holes for her mouth or actual eyes. A line ran down the center of the mask from the eye and stopped at her chin.

    She looked up as they entered and her head tilted to the side.

    ¡°Hello, Spider.¡± The girl¡¯s words were spoken in the tone of a shy child, but each one seemed to hold the weight of a mountain. Even though she couldn¡¯t have seen anything through her mask, she turned to look straight in Noah¡¯s direction. ¡°You¡¯re much heavier than I expected.¡±

 Chapter 496: Inevitable

    ¡°And who would you be?¡± Noah asked. He decided not to address the fact that he¡¯d just been called fat. His eyes flicked to Pirren and Moxie discreetly put her hand on her waist, likely getting in contact with a seed stored somewhere within her clothes in case the situation soured. ¡°I don¡¯t recall you mentioning that we had even more company.¡±

    Pirren cringed back, but Noah couldn¡¯t tell if she was looking in his or the girl¡¯s direction. She nearly went to wring her hands together before she caught herself and forced them down to her sides.

    ¡°It was how I got you into the auction. I ¡ª I couldn¡¯t get in any other way. Why does it matter? You didn¡¯t say you had to be alone. This was the best way to do it.¡±

    Aylin inclined his head, indicating that Pirren was telling the truth. Then again, the ¡®best way¡¯ didn¡¯t necessarily mean the best way for all of them. It could have just as easily meant the best way for her. Noah studied the girl silently for several seconds.

    Without releasing his domain, it was hard to tell much about her. She didn¡¯t have any runic pressure rolling off her. She had no massive muscles or obvious magical weapons. She just looked like a girl with a mask and silver hair.

    That didn¡¯t make Noah¡¯s guard drop in the slightest. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess that the girl was the demon that had gotten Pirren access to the auction. Either that or she worked for whoever had done it, but Noah was leaning toward the former given Pirren¡¯s unease.

    Well, no point throwing a fit. Might as well just keep on with it. Having someone else in the seat really doesn¡¯t make much of a difference when pretty much everybody here is announcing their presence anyway.

    The roar of the crowd building all around them was remarkably effective at preventing an awkward silence. One couldn¡¯t have an awkward silence without the latter half, but there was only so long he could avoid saying anything.

    ¡°You seem to have me at a disadvantage,¡± Noah said to the girl. ¡°You know my name, but I don¡¯t know yours.¡±

    Pirren shifted, probably preparing to introduce them. The girl¡¯s head tilted ever so slightly and the snake demon¡¯s mouth snapped shut without so much as uttering a word.

    ¡°You don¡¯t,¡± the girl agreed. She made no move to elaborate.

    ¡°Are you going to tell me? Or am I going to have to come up with a name for you?¡± Noah asked, repressing a sigh. It was one thing to have another demon sitting around next to him. He didn¡¯t mind that too much ¡ª but if they were going to be a bother, that made everything just a little more distasteful.

    Either she gives me a name or I give her a dumb one. I wonder what ¡ª

    ¡°You may call me Yoru.¡±

    Noah blinked in surprise. That had been fast. He¡¯d fully expected to have to come up with something. He glanced at Aylin out of the corner of his eye, then realized it was pointless. The girl hadn¡¯t said that Yoru was her name. She¡¯d said that he could call her Yoru. That was just an instruction and couldn¡¯t have been a lie even if Yoru wasn¡¯t her name.

    Sure enough, Aylin didn¡¯t do anything. Noah looked back to Yoru and shrugged. Her real name didn¡¯t matter. It was kind of useless at the moment. He had no idea who any of the demons in the city were, so a name wouldn¡¯t have changed anything.

    ¡°Yoru, then,¡± Noah said. ¡°And why is it that you were so kind as to invite us along to your spot in the auction?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Yoru replied. ¡°This is Pirren¡¯s spot. It is under her name. I have not announced myself.¡±

    I thought everyone had to announce themselves? Aylin indicated the demon was lying about the whole entry fee thing. I was under the impression he was just going for a bribe. Can you actually do that?

    ¡°I was under the impression everyone had to announce themselves,¡± Moxie said, saving Noah from having to ask himself. ¡°Or did you actually have to pay someone off to conceal yourself?¡±

    ¡°A simple retainer to a lowly Rank 5 has no need to announce themselves. They are beneath notice.¡±

    Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. Another unverifiable statement. Yoru obviously wasn¡¯t wrong. Nobody would care if Pirren brought one or two random demons along with her. They were beneath notice ¡ª but even an idiot could have seen that Yoru wasn¡¯t Pirren¡¯s retainer. The snake demon was practically trembling in her boots.

    Unfortunately, Yoru hadn¡¯t claimed to be a retainer. Noah¡¯s brow furrowed slightly as he studied the girl. It was like trying to analyze a brick wall. There wasn¡¯t a shred of body language to reveal her true thoughts. The mask on her face certainly didn¡¯t help.

    Is she deliberately avoiding telling the truth to skirt Aylin¡¯s powers? It¡¯s definitely been long enough for rumors about him to get out. Other demons should have heard of what happened to Rekeba by now, so Yoru might know he¡¯s a Knowledge Demon. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Noah pulled a chair at the far side of the table out for Moxie, then sat down in the chair beside it. Debating over Yoru¡¯s goals was pointless until he had more information. He wasn¡¯t going to let himself get sidetracked.

    Moxie sat down beside him with a small nod of appreciation. Pirren glanced around nervously before taking a chair in the very center of the table, as far away from both Noah and Yoru as she could possibly get. Aylin took the chair to Moxie¡¯s right at the table head, positioning himself so that Noah could see him without turning.

    Nice, Aylin. Good positioning.

    ¡°How am I meant to sell a Rune here?¡± Noah asked Pirren, tapping a finger on the table.

    Pirren started, nearly jumping out of her chair. She jerked her head to look at him. ¡°What? It got really loud and I was distracted. Sorry.¡±

    I don¡¯t think it was the crowd that had you distracted.

    ¡°A rune,¡± Noah repeated. ¡°How do I put it up for auction?¡±

    ¡°Oh. We just have to call an attendant. There should be a way to do that somewhere.¡± Her eyes darted around. Yoru turned to look over her shoulder and Pirren followed her gaze to a rope at the edge of the balcony. ¡°Ah. Found it.¡±

    Pirren rose from her chair and gave the rope a tug. It slid down and a dull kachunk rose up from a mechanism above. Pirren stood there for a second, then released the rope. It slid back into place. She cleared her throat and walked back over to her chair.

    ¡°That should call someone. I think.¡±

    Maybe having the demon that basically got kicked out of auctions be my guide for one wasn¡¯t the best idea.

    ***

    Yoku watched on as an attendant entered the room and started speaking with Spider, discussing the terms of the auction and the fees the auction house planned to take. The mask on her face did absolutely nothing to obstruct her view, but she didn¡¯t pay any attention to their discussion. It was irrelevant. She was far more concerned with Spider himself.

    How odd. He¡¯s barely shown any reaction to me. He had some weight to him when he first saw me, but almost nothing afterward. What sort of demon sees an unannounced intruder on their plans and just shrugs and ignores them?

    I don¡¯t understand how this demon have put Taleel in such danger. He¡¯s not taking me seriously, and it¡¯s stopping me from reading him.

    A finger of irritation traced down Yoku¡¯s spine. It had been so long since she¡¯d left her sanctum that she couldn¡¯t remember the last time someone had dismissed her like this. She had seen cities rise and fall. She¡¯d watched demons claw their way to the peak of their power and given them a brief instant to revel in their victory before ripping them down and tearing their soul to shreds.

    I will not be dismissed by a mere child.

    Yoku constrained her annoyance. She hadn¡¯t lived this long to be driven to actual anger by nothing more than a cog in her plans. Someone as insignificant as Spider had no influence over her.

    And someone as insignificant as Spider will not be allowed to escape my light. I will know him, and I will use him.

    Yoku pulled a large vial from her pocket that she¡¯d prepared for this exact reason. A shimmering blue liquid glistened within it, as bright as moon shining through a still lake. She couldn¡¯t quite remember how much the batch it came from had cost, but it was something in the realm of one hundred thousand gold.

    Starshimmer. It was pure, distilled power. Enough magical energy to fill a full set of Rank 5 runes twice over. Most demons would have slaughtered their entire families for just a single drop.

    Yoku had destroyed the entire bottle with Mindkiller ¡ª a vile poison that ripped a demon¡¯s mind to shreds and left them a mindless puppet, forcing them to obey every command they heard for an hour before their body shriveled away and died.

    But, for the briefest of instants after a demon ingested it, they would have a second of clarity where they could understand just what happened to them. The poison carried with it a cruel, humiliating fate worse than mere death.

    There was only a single part of it that Yoku needed. The flicker of clarity before the end came. The one moment where the one who drank the potion knew who had betrayed them, and their full attention and hatred was focused entirely on her. The moment where she could truly take their measure, even if it never came to pass.

    Spider made his way back to the table and sat down, having imbued his rune onto a piece of treated Wastebeast leather and given it to the attendant for the auction. He glanced over to Yoku and a flicker of interest passed through his eyes at the vial.

    ¡°Would you care to share a drink?¡± Yoku asked, putting a finger on the top of the vial. ¡°A gesture of will for those who sit at my table.¡±

    Then she unleashed the full power of her runes. The world erupted in energy visible only to her. Moonlight poured down from the air and illuminated the balcony, drawing it under her influence. Wisps of black smoke trickled from every single one of the demons around her as she weighed the probabilities in the future she had created.

    ¡°Oh? What is it?¡± Spider asked, reaching for the vial. ¡°Why does it feel like you¡¯ve got a rune trapped in this?¡±

    Yoku smiled. As the last words slipped from Spider¡¯s mouth, she focused her power and peered into the probabilities of the future. A future where the probability of Spider drinking from the vial was absolute. One where the probability of his death was set in stone. A future where she witnessed the full potential of the influence he possessed and weighted it against herself.

    And, in that moment, the sky went black.

    Yoku¡¯s blood turned to ice. A sea of black smoke exploded from Spider like the roar of a furious god. It poured past her and covered the ground, climbed up the walls, rose up toward the moonlight shining down on them.

    Its immense, oppressive aura drove into Yoku¡¯s chest like a thick iron spike. Freezing claws wrapped around her chest and squeezed as her sightless eyes widened and the breath locked in her throat.

    The most likely results of the future she had crafted unfurled before Yoku¡¯s eyes. Spider would take the Mindkiller. He would drink a poison that would do immense damage even to her ¡ª and he would survive.

    All the years of her existence, the enormous power of the rising moon, bore down on Spider. She weighed everything that she was against everything that Spider had been ¡ª and her moonlight vanished under a vast sea of all-consuming black nothingness.

    If Spider drank from the vial, there was only one probability that was completely and utterly absolute. It would not be today. It might not even be within a hundred years, but the probabilities would never allow themselves to realign.

    Yoku would die.

 Chapter 497: Do not the cat

    Yoku was far too experienced to let the disbelief show in her features, even if a mask was covering them. She¡¯d lived too many years to give information away through a slip up as obvious as body language ¡ª but she¡¯d never come closer to it than this.

    There had only been a single other time when she¡¯d seen a future as absolute as this, and that had been when she¡¯d tested her chances of winning a direct fight against Belkus many years ago when she¡¯d still been a Rank 6.

    Yoku pulled her hand back, keeping the potion out of Spider¡¯s grasp. Under no circumstances could she allow him to drink the potion or discover the poison within it.

    The probabilities of the future she had crafted changed as Spider failed to pick up the vial. Black smoke receded and moonlight broke through the clouds, pouring down on Yoku¡¯s back and easing the invisible tension in her shoulders.

    She allowed herself to relax internally. The futures she crafted were mere probability, and they had not come to pass. The change had shifted the weights, and a path once again illuminated the dark.

    ¡°Oh, were we supposed to share?¡± Spider asked as he let his hand drop and cleared his throat in embarrassment. ¡°Sorry. I got excited.¡±

    And just like that, the weights of the future changed once more. New probabilities unfurled like blooming black flowers of smoke. A future where the young demon beside Spider drank from the bottle first arose.

    A distant rumble echoed through Yoku¡¯s mind. The brief flicker of moonlight she had earned by averting the disastrous mistake vanished under a crashing tsunami of shadow. Smoke roared past her face flooded through the balcony.

    The mental force slammed against her with enough intensity that it almost carried over into the real world and made her topple over. Icy bands wrapped around Yoku¡¯s neck and constricted her chest once more, and even tighter than they had before.

    The smoke was so thick that it threatened to pour down her throat and suffocate her. A bead of sweat formed between the mask and Yoku¡¯s face. Another fixed, unchanging probability. This one was even worse than the first. The exact timing of her death was impossible to read, but it came sooner than when Spider himself ingested the poison.

    How is this possible? The boy has no weight of his own. Nothing to the level. It all comes from Spider, but he would get no chance to use the strength of the poison if someone else were to drink the potion.

    Who is Spider? Is his strength somehow concealed? Or does he have connections to a demon so powerful the probability of my survival in the future drops to zero if I make them an enemy?

    It was impossible to tell ¡ª but Yoku¡¯s fear was only matched by her curiosity. The futures she crafted were nothing but possibilities. The most likely outcomes of a certain situation. Nothing was real. Not yet.

    She needed more information. The current scenario just wasn¡¯t enough. Absolute death was a useful warning but worthless in gaining any leverage. There had to be some scenario that could be turned to her advantage.

    For an instant, Yoku¡¯s attention flicked to the woman beside Spider. The plants hidden within her clothes and hair were a subtle display of wealth and power. Spider seemed closer to her than the others did.

    She let the future shift once more as she considered extending the poisoned vial to the woman to gauge her weight.

    Twisting whorls of black smoke exploded like a supernova.

    They crashed down upon her. A complete and utter pitch black painted across the sky. Not a single scrap of light remained in the world. All sound vanished, snuffed out like a candle.

    Every single one of Yoku¡¯s senses faltered in the face of the nothingness. The smoke became absolute. It was impossible to tell the smoke from a solid, unbroken blanket. A starless night, devoid of the moon.

    Yoku¡¯s heart thumped in her chest. Despite all her training, her lips parted slightly. There had never been a future so completely and utterly bleak.

    A future in which the moon had been ripped from the sky.

    The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as a deep sense of unease twisted in Yoku¡¯s stomach. Her heart thumped once more. Fingers of ice caressed her throat and ran down her back, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    A dull purple line appeared in the sky far above her. The prickling covering her body grew stronger. This was her domain. A world that had not yet taken shape. A mere possibility of a future that, no matter how dire, was nothing but a possibility under her control.

    The purple line intensified, spreading to split the sky and growing brighter by the second. Her pale, empty eyes dilated. The energy did not belong to her. Something had infiltrated the sanctum of her own mind, carving straight down toward her like the blade of an executioner¡¯s axe.

    She ripped herself from the future she had crafted, yanking the potion back before anyone could so much as brush a finger across it. Her heart bucked, twisted, as if attempting to escape its mortal cage.

    Yoku slammed the mental doors shut on her runes and ripped the power from them. The endless night sky disappeared as if it had never been. She had absolutely no idea what would have happened if she¡¯d allowed that future to play out.

    Perhaps the line had been a warning. A manifestation of her powers that she had simply never seen before. A way to show how truly dire the future that laid before her would be if she allowed the probabilities she had set up to play out.

    She did not care to find out. That was a future that she refused to ever allow play out again. It would never come to be. Never had she witnessed a future that she could not measure, and she had absolutely no plans of witnessing it again.

    Not a single demon at this table could be allowed to drink the potion.

    She drove the vial back into her bag. The others sent confused looks in her direction.

    ¡°Did we do something wrong?¡± the boy asked.

    ¡°It is uncustomary to drink before a victory,¡± Yoku replied, her perfectly measured voice doing nothing to betray her racing heart. The boy was a Knowledge Demon. She was more than capable of concealing herself from his powers, but he would know that she was stopping him from reading her. It was far easier to just speak carefully chosen truths. ¡°It struck me that it would be unfortunate if we drank before the auction. I misstepped.¡±

    I would sooner dash this potion against the rocks than allow anyone at this table to drink it. My first vision now makes far more sense. I had thought my victory over Belkus leveraged the scales Spider tipped when he took the gangs out from under his control.

    I was wrong. It is not the gangs that matter, but Spider himself. There exists a future in which his power and mine align. No matter what the cost, that will be the future I ensure. I must have him as an ally.

    The boy nodded slightly to Spider, indicating that Yoku hadn¡¯t lied.

    ¡°Ah. Good catch, then,¡± Spider said cheerfully. ¡°We still need to have a successful run at the auction. We can just drink after. Don¡¯t want to eat my chickens before they hatch, after all.¡±

    ¡°Eat?¡± the woman asked. ¡°I think you¡¯ve been spending too much time with Lee.¡±

    ¡°Whoops,¡± Spider said. He rubbed the back of his neck, then shrugged. ¡°Eh. What else were we going to do with them?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps we can return to my dwellings and have a more proper celebration there,¡± Yoku suggested, drawing on a fragment of power to weigh the futures once more. Trepidation brushed across her as she checked for the purple line, but it was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°We¡¯re a bit busy for that,¡± Spider said with a small shake of his head. ¡°I don¡¯t mind doing it here.¡±

    Absolutely not. I already know the outcome of that. I need to learn more about Spider, but I cannot offer him anything here. I have already witnessed that future.

    What does he desire from this auction? The light of the rising moon will reveal it to me.

    Questions flitted through Yoku¡¯s mind. Smoke swirled around her, probabilities ebbing and flowing like the tide with every attempt.

    Spider was attending an auction, but to her disbelief, it was not power that he sought. His reactions were more suspicious than interested in the futures where she offered him runes or magic.

    Promised favors and riches were met with similar failure. Yoku twisted probabilities and threw them to the side with practiced efficiency. Spider was a deeply suspicious demon, but everyone had something they desired ¡ª and she always found out what it was.

    And, after nearly a hundred different attempts and several long seconds, the moonlight revealed to her the answer¡­ and it made absolutely no sense.

    Yoku had never doubted her powers before, but today seemed to be a day for first times.

    ¡°I did not come here without purpose, as I am certain you are aware. Perhaps this will change your mind,¡± Yoku said, not entirely sure this was the path she sought, but unwilling to allow the opportunity to slip between her fingers. She hesitated for a second longer before continuing. ¡°I would like to pet your cat.¡±

    That caught Spider¡¯s attention. His gaze sharpened on her. ¡°You know Mascot?¡±

    She was spared from having to search through the futures that would give her a satisfactory answer to that question. The roar of the crowd all around them finally sputtered out as a demon on the stage below cleared his throat, his voice rolling through the entire building effortlessly.

    "I hope everyone is prepared,¡± the demon called, two black wings jutting from his back stretching out to cast an imposing shadow before him. ¡°The auction will be starting. If you plan to kill anyone from here on out, ensure you do it outside, lest you incur cleaning fees. Am I understood?¡±

    The crowd roared in response. Spider looked from Yoku down to the stage, then back ot her.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk,¡± Spider said.

    Yoku inclined her head. ¡°I look forward to it.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get this auction started!¡± the demon roared, clapping his hands together. ¡°Bring on the offers!¡±

 Chapter 498: Slaughter

    Noah watched with rapt attention as the first rune came up for auction. It was a Rank 2 Demon Rune that had barely been filled to fifty percent at formation, but it wasn¡¯t the rune he was interested in. It was the reaction of the crowd. The majority of the yells had trailed off the moment the announcer started speaking, but a few rowdy demons had continued on with their conversations.

    ¡°20 gold,¡± a demon from a balcony below them called.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do 30,¡± another countered from across the arena.

    Several more bids rose into the air in succession, quickly reaching 45 gold before grinding to a halt and being sold to a gold-skinned demon with a row of spikes running along the back of his spine and up his bald head.

    While the Rank 2 Rune hadn¡¯t stunned anyone, it had definitely caught a fair amount of attention from the demons in the crowd. That was good news. It meant the Rank 3 Sandy Gale Rune he¡¯d put up for auction would probably hit pretty hard.

    He couldn¡¯t help but notice that, aside from the fact that everyone could see each others¡¯ faces, there hadn¡¯t been any major differences in this auction and the one he¡¯d attended in Arbitage.

    I was fully expecting the demons to start flinging threats around or something. Maybe they save that for the higher ranked runes?

    Another rune went up as soon as the first one was sold ¡ª a second Rank 2 Demon Rune of similar strength.

    ¡°Not as impressive as I was hoping,¡± Moxie said in a low tone. ¡°We could have gotten runes of this quality just hunting outside the city. Cheap, though.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You could make a fortune bringing a ton of these back home,¡± Noah said with a chuckle. ¡°Not worth buying, though. I assume they¡¯re going through the trash before getting to the more interesting things. The only runes I¡¯m interested in are ones Lee might be able to use or ones that I can make my next rune with.¡±

    ¡°Your assumption is correct,¡± Yoru said from where she sat at the end of the table, her knees hugged to her chest. ¡°The runes of worth will arrive in due time.¡±

    God, it¡¯s so weird listening to her talk. Actually, she¡¯s just weird in general. Who offers people a drink and then changes their mind a few seconds later? And how does she know about Mascot? Did the damn cat do something to her? Is it the reason she¡¯s here in the first place?

    He wasn¡¯t about to ask. Not here. Asking would only give information away. Yoru was a problem that he could handle after the auction was done. After all the effort he¡¯d put into getting here ¡ª which admittedly wasn¡¯t all that much ¡ª he didn¡¯t plan to let the auction go to waste because he was distracted.

    The second and third runes that went up both sold without a hitch. Noah was just starting to get a little bored when the announce raised his hands to draw the crowd to silence for a few brief moments.

    ¡°That¡¯s it for our Rank 2 Runes today,¡± the announcer called. He¡¯d still yet to actually introduce himself, so Noah had no idea what to think of the winged demon as.

    ¡°Bring out something worth our time!¡± A massive, potbellied demon called as he raised a chicken leg the size of an entire sheep into the air like a club. He sat in the platform across and slightly above from theirs, taking up nearly its entire space with his bulk. The demon ripped a bite out of his meal, crunching through bone and flesh as one, and chewed with his mouth open as more jeers came from the rest of the crowd.

    There¡¯s a Gluttony demon if I ever saw one.

    ¡°Someone tell Fibog to stop talking as if he can afford anything more than the trash that already sold,¡± a caped demon said from another balcony, his words sharp and snide. ¡°I¡¯d do it myself, but I suspect his ears are stuffed full of mutton and I have no desire to get close enough to smell him.¡±

    A few demons cackled and Fibog bared his teeth up at the demon above him. ¡°We¡¯ll see if you put your money where your mouth is, Matis. I don¡¯t recall the last auction going all that well for you.¡±

    ¡°Times change. I think you¡¯ll find that I have always been just as equipped with coin as you are with wasted flesh,¡± Matis countered. ¡°I ¡ª unlike you ¡ª simply know the value of biding my time for something truly desirable.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know the meaning of the word desirable if it slapped you in the face,¡± Fibog said with a rumbling laugh.

    The announcer made no move to silence either of the demons. He stood patiently on the stage, his face a perfect mask of false positivity that only an overworked customer service representative could have ever had the misfortune to learn. The demons¡¯ argument intensified and Noah tuned them out.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Who are they?¡± Noah asked, nodding to the demons. ¡°Big shots?¡±

    ¡°Rank 5s,¡± Pirren replied. She¡¯d slumped so far back in her chair that her face was about to dip below the table. ¡°Fibog is powerful. He¡¯s a Gluttony demon, if you haven¡¯t figured that part out yet. His ego is just as big as his ass.¡±

    ¡°I take it you aren¡¯t friends ¡ª unless that was a compliment?¡±

    ¡°It was not.¡±

    ¡°Not friends, then,¡± Noah said with a knowing nod. ¡°And Matis?¡±

    ¡°A Slaughter demon,¡± Pirren said.

    Noah tilted his head to the side. That was certainly quite the feeling to consume. It sounded a fair bit more intimidating than gluttony.

    ¡°A middling creature,¡± Yoru said, the derision so evident in her voice that Noah could nearly taste it. She spoke as if she were looking at a smear of shit on the bottom of her shoe. ¡°Hardly worth attention. They are nothing but aggressive insects, a poor reflection of true death.¡±

    It didn¡¯t look like she was the only one that felt that way. A demon with skin as white as glossy ceramic watched the Rank 5s argue with her brilliant red lips pursed in a mixture of displeasure and disgust. A single, jagged wing extended from one of her shoulders, the other looking to have been ripped off at some point and leaving only a single sticklike appendage behind.

    ¡°Who¡¯s the one glaring at them?¡± Noah asked.

    ¡°Sinclaire. She¡¯s a Rank 5 as well.¡± Pirren sunk even lower in her chair and her jaw clenched. There was more than just a little recognition in her eyes. She¡¯d dealt with Sinclaire before ¡ª Noah would have bet on it.

    ¡°Is she strong?¡± Noah asked.

    Pirren¡¯s eyes flicked to the side. It was a second before she spoke, and even then, her voice was curt and taut with anger. ¡°Yes.¡±

    Maybe better not to press too hard on that right now. I don¡¯t think Pirren is going to have great relations with any of the stronger demons given how the previous auctions went for her¡­ but that only makes me want to know how the hell she knows Yoru even more.

    The argument between the two demons finally started to peter out. There was a second of silence and the announcer capitalized upon it to take control of the floor back before too many people lost their interest.

    ¡°The first of the next round is a Rank 3 by the name of Bleeding Blades. It is also our first standard rune, so it¡¯s perfect for any combinations you may be looking to finish up,¡± the announcer called, his wings snapping out behind him with a crack that split the air like a gunshot to draw everyone¡¯s attention back. ¡°A rather exciting find, if I say so myself. The rune was 25 percent full upon formation. It¡¯ll be starting at a minimum price of 100 gold.¡±

    ¡°125,¡± Matis said instantly, barely waiting until the announcer had even finished talking. ¡°This is mine.¡±

    ¡°150.¡± Fibog¡¯s wide features split into a shit-eating grin. ¡°I hope you¡¯ve got the coin, Matis.¡±

    ¡°175,¡± the thin demon countered. He leaned over the edge of the ledge, and long, pale claws glistened in the light. Each one was nearly as long as Noah¡¯s forearm. It was like a whole drawer of kitchen knives were taped to his fingers. That thought completely broke any of the fear that Matis¡¯ claws could have struck into him and he repressed a snicker. The Slaughter demon snarled down at Fibog. ¡°Don¡¯t challenge me. All that fat won¡¯t keep me from ripping you into pieces.¡±

    ¡°Try it,¡± Fibog said. He took another huge bite from his drumstick and pointed its remains at Matis. ¡°You¡¯re barely worth using as a toothpick, but I¡¯ll make an exception. 200 gold.¡±

    Noah almost found himself looking forward to see how the other demon would respond. This was definitely a very different approach than a bunch of people hiding behind masks and trying to tiptoe around each other to figure out which of their goals were.

    These are the antics I was expecting. How fun. So do I just have to call people a bunch of creative insults and ¡ª

    Matis leapt from his balcony in a blur. Noah¡¯s eyes widened as the Rank 5 flashed through the air toward the Gluttony demon. Fibog shot to his feet with a roar and swung his drumstick like a club.

    A crunch rang out and Matis rocketed away, hurtling down toward the stage. The announcer stepped to the side and the thin demon slammed into the ground with a crunch loud enough to make Noah wince.

    Matis rolled back to his feet, one of his arms hanging limp at his side. Fibog looked down at him from his balcony, but the massive grin on the huge demon¡¯s face had vanished. His drumstick ¡ª along with a good portion of his arm ¡ª had been shredded to ribbons. Blood poured down his side, but he barely even seemed to notice.

    ¡°210 gold,¡± Matis snarled, spitting on the ground. ¡°Raise the price again. See what happens. I think we both know who comes out on top.¡±

    Fibog clenched his jaw. For a second, Noah thought he¡¯d go through with it. Then the Gluttony demon shook his head and sat back in his chair with a derisive snort.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t worth the effort, pond scum. You¡¯ve already wasted more than enough money on this trash. I don¡¯t need it.¡±

    Matis leapt into the air, landing back on the edge of his balcony and sitting down in his chair before kicking his feet up on the railing. The attendant waited patiently for several more seconds, but no other demons put up a bid. Matis had made his threat more than clear enough.

    ¡°Sold,¡± the announcer proclaimed. ¡°But don¡¯t let your excitement dwindle yet. We¡¯ve got a Rank 3 Demon Rune next. Falling Shadow was formed at an impressive twenty percent. Bids will start at 120 gold.¡±

    Lee could use that. I need runes to rip apart when we¡¯re remaking her Rank 4.

    ¡°120,¡± Noah called.

    And, at the same time, Matis spoke once more. ¡°120.¡±

    The Slaughter demon¡¯s eyes snapped over to them. Warning flashed within them, but Noah didn¡¯t so much as hesitate.

    ¡°150,¡± Noah said, a smile crossing his lips beneath his face coverings. Moxie rolled a seed between her fingers and he locked eyes with Matis, meeting the challenge within them.

    Looks like I get to partake in the fun even earlier than I expected.

 Chapter 499: Scared

    Dozens of gazes all turned in Noah¡¯s direction as one, joining Matis in staring at their balcony. Pirren tried to sink even lower in her chair to avoid being noticed. It was far too late, and there wasn¡¯t anywhere to properly hide on the balcony anyway.

    ¡°Pirren. There¡¯s a face I haven¡¯t seen in a while,¡± Matis said with a sneer. ¡°We didn¡¯t miss you, coward. I¡¯m surprised you had the gall to show yourself again. It¡¯s no surprise that you keep the company of those too scared to show their own face.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an odd way to concede the bid,¡± Noah said, entirely unperturbed by the taunt. ¡°Stop wasting my time. Either raise your bid or shut your mouth. You and Fibog already spent more than enough time yammering for everyone here to get bored of you.¡±

    A few chuckles rose up from the other demons. Lines of fury etched themselves into Matis¡¯ expression and he bared his teeth in a snarl.

    ¡°Do not presume to speak to me as an equal, coward. I respect Fibog¡¯s blubbery ass more than you. At least he¡¯s bold enough to arrive in the auction under his own power, but that balcony belongs to Pirren, doesn¡¯t it? How pathetic can you be, entering the auction under her banner? I raise the bid to 160. Don¡¯t speak again if you value your¡ª¡±

    ¡°180,¡± Noah said, stretching his arms over his head and cracking his neck. ¡°You call Pirren a coward, but her runes are worse than yours. Being weak isn¡¯t cowardice. Preying on those who can¡¯t fight back is. You were correct about one thing, Matis. We aren¡¯t equals. You are below me.¡±

    The Slaughter Demon stepped forward, his massive claws flaring as they caught the light. Noah was pretty certain that the only reason he hadn¡¯t tried to do anything yet was that he hadn¡¯t fully recovered from the damage Fibog had done to him.

    Even though Noah was standing in Pirren¡¯s balcony, Matis didn¡¯t know how strong he was. The demon might have been an arrogant asshole, but he wasn¡¯t a complete idiot. Charging into a fight blind was rarely a good idea ¡ª but Noah got the feeling that would only go so far. Arrogance tended to be blinding after a certain point, and demons were far from avatars of self-control.

    The other conversations in the auction house started to peter out as more and more attention turned toward Noah and Matis. Nearly everyone was watching them now that it was becoming clear that a fight was inevitable.

    ¡°Have nothing to say for yourself, Pirren? What, did you scrounge all the trash you had together to hire some demons from another city to fight your battles for you?¡± Matis snarled. ¡°You¡¯re even more pathetic than the last time you came. Do I see two children in your party? What are they here for? Could you not afford adult mercenaries? I raise to 190. Stay in the mud where you belong, snake.¡±

    Sinclaire¡¯s brilliant red lips twisted in a smirk at that, and more than a few demons chuckled. Pirren definitely didn¡¯t have much support from the crowd, and the way she was acting wasn¡¯t helping.

    All the confidence she¡¯d had back in her mansion had shattered. She was completely out of her element. The auction house was clearly bringing back so many bad memories that she just couldn¡¯t maintain her fa?ade.

    Her failure to respond was only making things worse in the other demons¡¯ eyes. Matis basically had a free punching bag that wouldn¡¯t strike back. It made them look weak ¡ª which was exactly what Noah needed. Weak targets were easy prey, and easy prey made for complacent predators.

    ¡°200,¡± Noah said flatly. ¡°You seem scared, Matis. Perhaps you¡¯re worried that the children here are stronger than you are? Have you ever tried fighting someone that could hit back? Or do you exclusively pick fights with demons more concerned with their next meal than who you are?¡±

    Firbog¡¯s eyes narrowed at the stray insult, but the other demons around him all snickered. Noah was starting to get a pretty good grasp of how these auctions worked. They were more than just demons bidding over runes.

    The whole thing was a live show. Nobody actually cared who was fighting. They just wanted to see a fight. It didn¡¯t matter who won. It didn¡¯t matter who was the target. As long as there was blood, everyone else had fun.

    ¡°220,¡± Matis said as he bared his teeth. ¡°You¡¯re out of warnings, mercenary. I have no interest in killing someone as unimportant as a hired blade that would debase themselves to fighting alongside the pathetic company you keep, but if you say one more word, I¡¯ll rip your throat out and bleed you over the audience. You¡¯re nothing but a bug, but if you keep buzzing around my head, I¡¯ll end you.¡±

    ¡°Do it!¡± a demon yelled.

    ¡°My money¡¯s on the mercenary,¡± another said from a balcony nearby. ¡°He¡¯s baiting Matis. 50 gold on him.¡±

    ¡°Done deal,¡± the demon on the balcony below said, leaning over to look up at the one that had just spoken. ¡°The mercenary is bluffing. He¡¯s got fucking children in his party. Pirren probably had to lick their shoes to get them to come. Look at her. She¡¯s about to start shedding.¡±

    Yoru tapped Pirren on the shoulder. The snake demon flinched as if she¡¯d been stabbed, then jerked her head over to the smaller demon.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Get up,¡± Yoru said, pointing at the ground in front of her chair. ¡°And stand over here.¡±

    Pirren jerked upright, moving to follow Yoru¡¯s command without an instant of hesitation. She moved like an iron rod had been planted in her back. Noah ignored them. He had his own problems to deal with.

    ¡°I have a question. When I kill you, does the price go back down to the original one?¡± Noah asked, tilting his head to the side.

    Matis broke. Evidently, he kept his promises. He leapt from his balcony in a blur of motion and launched for Noah, claws carving through the air with a shrill shriek. Despite all Noah¡¯s insults, Matis was no pathetic opponent.

    The demon was incredibly fast. He moved faster than Noah¡¯s eyes could have ever tracked ¡ª but Noah didn¡¯t need to move as fast as Matis. He already knew where the demon was going.

    He flicked his hand forward, almost lazily, as he summoned the bow of his violin and pointed it before him. At the same time, vines erupted behind him. They raced past his sides and rose up around him, flowers sprouting all along their surface.

    A powerful force slammed into Noah¡¯s arm. Matis slid to a stop, his arms pinned back by the vines and the bow of the violin impaling his chest. The demon¡¯s eyes were wide with fury and disbelief.

    Noah ripped the bow free and tilted his head to the side. ¡°Now that was painfully obvious, wasn¡¯t it? I can¡¯t say I expected any more from a demon that fed on something as worthless as slaughter.¡±

    ¡°Coward,¡± Matis snarled, jerking in attempt to rip himself free of the vines, but they held him as tight as stone. It didn¡¯t matter how sharp his claws were when he couldn¡¯t actually reach anything with them. He may have been a Rank 5, but Moxie¡¯s Rank 4 Rune was flawless ¡ª and it was quite clear that his form focused on speed, not power. ¡°Fight me!¡±

    You know, Moxie¡¯s plants are strong, but they aren¡¯t that strong. This guy was shitting all over Pirren, but he¡¯s hardly any stronger than she is. Arrogant prick.

    ¡°Fight?¡± Noah let out a burst of laugther. ¡°Why would I fight you? I already told you, Matis. You¡¯re beneath me. There is no fight. There¡¯s nothing you can do to hurt me. Aylin, would you come over here?¡±

    The boy rose from his seat and walked over to stand beside Noah.

    ¡°You want me to fight the child?¡± Matis asked, his lips curling in derision. ¡°Or are you just so scared to fight me alone that you have women and children do your combat for you?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s find out. Tell the truth, Aylin. Am I scared of the coward before me?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Aylin said.

    ¡°And what about the coward? Is he scared of death?¡±

    ¡°I fear nothing,¡± Matis snarled. ¡°I am death!¡±

    ¡°Lie,¡± Aylin said, and Matis drew in a small breath of surprise as pain flickered across his features. Noah¡¯s lips pulled back in a smile. Matis¡¯ runes were weak enough that Aylin was able to eat from him.

    Isn¡¯t that ironic? A Flawless Rank 3 can hurt even a shit Rank 5. I wonder if willpower has a measure of play in this. Matis is just a prick that preys on the weak. That doesn¡¯t make for a very strong mind. I¡¯ll have to test Aylin out on some other Rank 5s to see what his limits are.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Matis demanded. ¡°What did you do?¡±

    ¡°Death? You?¡± Noah asked, ignoring Matis entirely. ¡°I didn¡¯t even need Aylin to know that¡¯s a lie. But you¡¯re scared of more than just death, Matis. You¡¯re scared of me.¡±

    ¡°I do not fear a mercenary that cowers behind¡ª¡±

    ¡°Lie,¡± Aylin said, and Matis dragged in another pained breath.

    ¡°I suggest against that. It¡¯s easier for him to eat you when you lie,¡± Noah said with a smile. He tilted his head to the side as if in contemplation. ¡°Though truth does seem to work just as well. It¡¯s just less fun. But I digress ¡ª we¡¯re having too much fun to get caught in semantics. Next question. Are you scared of the mere child standing before you?¡±

    Mantis lurched forward, but all he did was jerk helplessly against Moxie¡¯s vines. He was stuck fast.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you. I¡¯ll kill every single one of you,¡± Matis spat, spittle flying from his lips.

    ¡°Lie,¡± Aylin said.

    Noah was pretty sure a threat didn¡¯t count as a lie, and he caught a small grin on the boy¡¯s face. Aylin was playing it up for the crowd. Noah almost burst into laughter on the spot, but he managed to keep his composure.

    ¡°No you won¡¯t,¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯m losing my patience with you, Matis. Don¡¯t you do anything other than threaten to kill me? Can¡¯t you be a little more creative? There has to be more in your repertoire.¡±

    The demon¡¯s muscles trembled in fury, but there was nothing he could do but sit there. Murmurs passed through the auction house as the other demons realized that Matis wasn¡¯t just playing along and was legitimately stuck in place.

    ¡°Hold on,¡± a scaled demon from the balcony beside them said, rising from his seat and thrusting a finger in their direction. ¡°A Knowledge Demon brat and a demon that wears storm wrappings for no reason. That¡¯s Spider.¡±

    A flicker of recognition passed through Matis¡¯ eyes. Noah¡¯s eyes crinkled as his smile grew behind his face wrappings.

    ¡°Have you heard of me, Matis?¡±

    ¡°As if I¡¯d have heard of a coward like you,¡± Matis spat. He barely managed to force the sentence out before he let out another pained groan. Evidently, he wasn¡¯t smart enough to figure out that speaking in front of a Knowledge Demon that could eat from him was a poor idea.

    ¡°I see,¡± Noah said, with a disappointed shake of his head. ¡°Well, I think we¡¯re done here. You full, Aylin?¡±

    ¡°I am sated,¡± Aylin said with a nod. ¡°Thank you, Spider.¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± Noah replied. He nodded to Aylin¡¯s chair and the boy headed back over to it, sitting down without another word.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me!¡± Matis screamed, jerking his arm against Moxie¡¯s vines. ¡°Let me¡ª¡±

    Noah¡¯s violin bow flashed. It carved straight through Matis¡¯ neck, severing his head from his body in a single motion. Energy poured into Noah in a river, flooding into his runes. Blood splattered across the ground and over Pirren, who stood between Yoru and the splash zone.

    Whoops. Sorry, Pirren.

    ¡°I think we¡¯ve all had enough of his yammering,¡± Noah said. He flicked the blood from the bow and let it fade away. Moxie¡¯s vines released Matis¡¯ body, dropping it over the edge of the balcony where it plummeted to land on the ground with a splattering crunch. For an instant, the auction house was silent. Noah picked the dead demon¡¯s head up by the hair and tossed it over the balcony to land beside the rest of the demon¡¯s body, then wiped his hands off on his jacket. Then he cleared his throat. ¡°So, did anyone else want to bid on my Rune?¡±

 Chapter 500: Sinclaire

    It would have been a lie to say that the crowd had been cowed. Demons looked at Noah and the balcony around him with undisguised interest. Several of them sported excited grins and others exchanged money. Noah half wished he could have bet on himself, but that might have been a bit much.

    Not many demons actually looked all that put out about Matis¡¯ death aside from the ones on the balcony below them, who had gotten even more blood on them than Pirren had. They threw a few insults up at him, but he ignored them.

    While most of the crowd didn¡¯t seem to care about Matis, there were definitely some that had taken more displeasure in the demon¡¯s death than others. Sinclaire¡¯s porcelain features were tight in displeasure and her lips were pressed into a thin line. Several demons scattered throughout the auction house had similar looks, likely having been allies of Matis. Something told Noah that nobody missed him because of his stellar personality.

    Despite the looks they earned, not a single demon in the crowd said a word. That wasn¡¯t much of a surprise. The Rune really wasn¡¯t that powerful. Any demons that would have been powerful enough to risk wanting to fight him now probably wouldn¡¯t be interested in something like Falling Shadow in the first place.

    ¡°If we¡¯re going back to bidding, does the price reset to the original amount? It¡¯s not like the other party was around to bid on it any longer,¡± Noah said.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. The price remains at 220, if anyone would like to make a bid.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunate. 220, then,¡± Noah said. He put a foot on the railing and pushed himself up, using a burst of wind to launch himself up and into the air. He landed on the railing of Matis¡¯ balcony and hopped down, scanning the relatively barren area and spotting a leather bag on the table. He snagged it, almost blinking in surprise at its weight. It was heavy.

    Noah slung the bag over his shoulder before turning back to his own balcony and jumping, letting his magic carry him back over to Moxie and the others. He dumped the bag on the table.

    ¡°If there are no more bids, then Falling Shadow is sold for 220 gold,¡± the announcer proclaimed, clearing his throat loudly. He sent a pointed look up at Noah. ¡°And you will be liable for the cleaning fee.¡±

    ¡°How much is that again? It seems to have slipped my mind.¡± Noah asked.

    ¡°One hundred gold.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± Noah pulled Matis¡¯ bag open and glanced through it. It was completely stuffed full of gold, but there were six glistening white crystals amongst the sea of yellow. They were perfectly round, nearly coin-shaped, and light danced as it passed through their clear depths.

    He was surprised to feel a trickle of runic energy residing within them. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was enough to send a faint tingle down his fingers when he brushed them across the gems¡¯ surfaces. Noah pulled one of them free to get a better look. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess they were some form of currency if Matis had brought them here.

    ¡°Crystals,¡± Aylin breathed, his eyes fixing on the gemstone.

    ¡°You know what this is?¡± Noah asked.

    Aylin gave him a sharp nod. ¡°Yes. Rune Crystals. I¡¯ve never seen one this close before. They¡¯re really expensive.¡±

    ¡°Not this one,¡± Yoru said. ¡°That barely has any magic. It¡¯s worth 100 gold. The dim light shows how weak it is. If it were more brightly lit from within, it could be of far greater value.¡±

    ¡°100 gold is a lot of gold,¡± Aylin muttered.

    Yoru didn¡¯t respond to that. She just lifted her gaze to Pirren, who still stood before her. ¡°You may sit now.¡±

    The blood-splattered demon looked down at herself. Then she mutely walked back over to her chair and lowered herself into it, not even bothering to try and wipe herself off. Her eyes stared off like she was trapped somewhere between a dream and a nightmare and hadn¡¯t quite managed to work out which one it was yet.

    Noah quickly counted through the money in Matis¡¯ bag. If each of the Crystals was worth 100 gold, there was a total of 800 gold in it. The demon had actually been pretty wealthy by the standards of the Damned Plains. He grinned.

    You know, killing a bunch of demons here would actually be a pretty good investment. Pay 100 gold, take their bag and all the goodies in it in turn. I¡¯m up a net 700 right now. I should goad some more idiots into trying something.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of gold,¡± Moxie said as she looked over his shoulder. ¡°Do we still have to pay for the other rune Matis bought?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Yoru said. ¡°But you will get it in his place. The contract was already struck with the auction house, so attempting to free Matis¡¯ coin from it will go poorly.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Noah said with a shrug. ¡°We¡¯re down a total of 310 gold of his 800, so there¡¯s still 490 extra to play around with. For the amount of effort we had to put in to get this, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to complain. Pirren, do you need a towel or something?¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Pirren wiped some of the blood from her cheek. She looked down at her hand, then back up to Noah. ¡°No. I am fine.¡±

    Definitely doesn¡¯t sound fine. I wonder what¡¯s got her so bothered. Matis was a right prick. She and him definitely weren¡¯t friends. Eh. Not the time to go digging. I¡¯ll figure it out later.

    The announcer continued the auction and put the next rune up, but it didn¡¯t catch Noah¡¯s attention. He spent his time observing the other demons instead. It was hard to tell how many of them had come here to actually participate and how many had come just to watch the others beat the life out of each other.

    There was also a third group of demons ¡ª those that looked bored with the fights and runes alike. They were few in number, just five or six that he could spot, Sinclaire among them. Noah was willing to bet a body that they were here for more powerful runes, and the games of the weaker demons just held no interest to them.

    Their presence was actually quite beneficial. It told Noah that the auction was still far from being in full swing, and the best runes had yet to be revealed. There was just one small potential problem. He had a decent amount of money between what they¡¯d brought and Matis¡¯ thoughtful donation. The price of the Rank 3 runes was steadily rising as the announcer sold one after the other. It had already reached the low 300s and went up every time one sold. They were going in order of worst to best ¡ª which meant his own Rank 3 would probably sell for a pretty good price.

    He just wasn¡¯t sure if it would be enough. Matter and Space Runes were disproportionately expensive in the Mortal Plane. Noah doubted it would be that different here. If he wanted to get a powerful Rune, it could end up running at a cost higher than what he had.

    I was half joking about finding some more demons to kill during the auction, but I may need to do just that. Then again, I might not even have to do anything. The moment I bid on something nice, some macho prick will probably try their hand against me. I just hope they¡¯re rich.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to bring all of your attention to the final rune in our Rank 3s for today,¡± the announcer called, flapping his wings to emphasize his words. ¡°This may be one of the most unique runes I¡¯ve had the pleasure of selling. Though it is a Rank 3, its quality is sublime. This is a standard rune called Sandy Gale, that was formed at an unbelievable 11 percent full. Bids will start at 250 gold!¡±

    Noah leaned forward in his chair, an excited smile crossing his face beneath his storm wrappings as dozens of gazes all snapped down to stare at the announcer. He¡¯d been waiting for this, and the winged demon had done a great job of hyping the rune up.

    Now I just need a few people to start a bidding war over it and I¡¯ll make off like a king for just about zero work.

    ¡°250,¡± a brown-scaled demon with craggy spines running along his back and shoulders called, slamming his palm into the table on his balcony. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for something like this for months. If you bid against me, be prepared to fight for it.¡±

    ¡°280,¡± a stout demon from the balcony to his side said, crossing her arms and letting her steely gaze bore into the other demon. ¡°You aren¡¯t the only one that can use that, Ramon. You want it? Fight for it.¡±

    ¡°290,¡± Ramon growled. The spikes covering his spine rippled. ¡°One warning. Don¡¯t try again.¡±

    ¡°Your threats aren¡¯t going to stop me. Put your fists where your mouth¡ª¡±

    The rest of the stout demon¡¯s words were lost as a sharp, crisp voice split through the air like a spring wind.

    ¡°300,¡± Sinclaire said, crossing one of her legs over the other as her lips pulled up in a faint smile.

    The stout demon¡¯s mouth snapped shut. Ramon exchanged a glance with her, then clenched his fists and lowered himself back into his chair as well. The auction house was silent. For some reason, the single bid from Sinclaire had completely stilled the competition.

    Noah¡¯s eye twitched. Ramon and the other demon definitely would have pushed the price far higher than 300 gold. He didn¡¯t know why nobody was willing to bid against Sinclaire, and he couldn¡¯t have given a shit less.

    Nobody scams me. I¡¯m the scammer here.

    Even the announcer looked slightly pained at the price abruptly jerking to a halt. He glanced around the room, clearly hoping someone else would speak. Nobody did. His wings drooped slightly as he drew in a breath.

    ¡°310,¡± Noah called out.

    Sinclaire¡¯s eyes snapped up to meet his, burning with such malice that Noah could almost see flames flickering within them. A flicker of recognition passed through him. He recognized those eyes. They were incredibly similar to Azel¡¯s. She was an Anger demon.

    ¡°You do not want to start this,¡± Sinclaire said. ¡°I am not at the same level of the pest you just quashed, Spider. 350.¡±

    ¡°To a giant, ant and man and mountain are alike,¡± Noah replied. He held Sinclaire¡¯s gaze without flinching. He didn¡¯t know what an anger demon needed a rune like this for, but she clearly wanted it. And if she wanted it, he could push the price a whole lot higher. ¡°400.¡±

    The muscles in Sinclaire¡¯s jaw clenched. Cold fury washed over her features and her eye twitched as her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides.

    ¡°Pirren?¡± Yoru said.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Yoru mutely pointed to the ground in front of her. Pirren looked to her bloodied hands. Then she stood up and moved to stand where the smaller demon had indicated.

    ¡°Here?¡± Pirren asked wearily.

    ¡°Yes. Very good.¡± Yoru nodded. ¡°And, Pirren?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Yoru raised her hands to cover masked face. Pirren gave her a confused look for a moment, then mirrored the motion.

    ¡°450,¡± Sinclaire ground out. ¡°Do not open your wretched mouth, Spider. Do not confuse this for a mere warning. I am no whelp to be toyed with. Be thankful I give you this opportunity to evade your death. The cost for eliminating your entire balcony is still greater than the annoyance you have caused me, but it will not be for much longer.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to evade what I already am,¡± Noah called back. For a brief second, the two of them were silent. Noah could see the promise in her posture. Sinclaire was at her limit. If he spoke again, she would attack. That was just fine with him. If she refused to buy his rune at the price it deserved, he¡¯d just beat the life out of her until she came to a more reasonable decision. ¡°500 gold.¡±

    Sinclaire rose to her feet. Her loose robes fluttered around her as she mutely took a step toward the railing. Her fingers flexed, revealing long, black claws at the tips of her alabaster white skin.

    Noah called on his Runes, letting power flow through his body as Sinclaire¡¯s entire body trembled with poorly restrained fury. He winked at her. That proved to be the final straw.

    Sinclaire launched herself into the air in a blur. She shot across the auction house with her claws primed to rip his throat out, and Noah stood in wait for her.

    I did always wonder how I¡¯d square up against Azel once I was closer in rank to him. I guess this is about as close as I¡¯ll ever get to finding out.

 Chapter 501: Disappointing

    Sinclaire slammed into the top of Noah¡¯s table with enough force to shatter the wood. It crunched beneath her feet, large fragments spinning out in every direction. Noah released a powerful burst of wind from his palms, keeping any of the fragments from reaching him or Moxie.

    Pirren was a little less fortunate. She was peppered with a dozen pieces of wood, and a particularly large one smacked against her raised arms with a loud crack. If they hadn¡¯t been there, the wood likely would have put out one of her eyes.

    ¡°Open your mouth again,¡± Sinclaire hissed, the muscles in her arms taut as her clawed hands flexed. ¡°See what¡ª¡±

    Noah¡¯s knee drove up into her stomach. Sinclaire moved to block the strike in a blur. She was faster than he was ¡ª but she wasn¡¯t the fastest demon that Noah had ever met, and he was cheating. Before his knee could even reach her deadly hands, he jerked to a halt and released a wave of magic through his other foot and into the balcony beneath them.

    A violet tremor gripped the ground beneath Sinclaire. Her eyes widened as she lost her balance for a brief instant, but Noah was already moving. His elbow slammed into the side of her head with a loud crack. A normal strike from Noah would have had no chance of actually hurting a Rank 5 demon, so he put a little extra juice into it.

    He drew on all the vibration magic he¡¯d infused Natural Disaster with and stretched the Rune to its limits, sending the power racing out from his body and into Sinclaire. Her teeth cracked together as a tremor raced through her body, sending her staggering.

    Noah didn¡¯t give Sinclaire a chance to gather herself. Demons were so used to showing off for each other and drumming up whatever emotion they were trying to feed on that they were ill prepared for a rapid assault. Noah, however, had absolutely no plans of feeding anyone.

    He slammed his foot into the demon¡¯s face and released another burst of vibration through his heel. Her head snapped back and she staggered into the railing at the edge of the balcony.

    Noah spun, driving all the force he could muster into a spinning kick that he unleashed into her stomach. He unleashed a huge burst of magical energy from Natural Disaster through the kick, detonating all the wind he could muster in a violent roar as his strike connected.

    The railing shattered. Sinclaire flew off the edge of the balcony amidst a rain of wooden fragments. Yoru reached up to Pirren and gave the back of her shirt a tug.

    ¡°Pirren?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Pirren asked weakly, lowering her hands and turning to look back at the smaller demon.

    ¡°You should consider eating less. Your bulk is interfering with my view. Kneel.¡±

    Pirren didn¡¯t say so much as a word of protest. She dropped to her knees in front of Yoru ¡ª and a furious scream split the air of the auction house. Demons roared in approval as a white blur slammed into the edge of the balcony and Sinclaire vaulted over the remains of the railing.

    Her right arm had split along the seams, ripping apart to reveal a bouquet of jagged bone blades. They carved through the air, whistling past where Pirren¡¯s head had been just seconds before, and hurtled toward Noah¡¯s side with the intent of carving him into ribbons with just a single blow.

    Yoru drew in a small breath of surprise, but Noah had other things to pay attention to. He released Crumbling Space, sending tiny white cracks splintering through the air in Sinclaire¡¯s path.

    Nobody else in the audience had any chance of even seeing the magic at its small scale and with Sinclaire blocking the way. Even Sinclaire herself didn¡¯t react to the tiny flicker in the air.

    The magic collapsed on itself right as Sinclaire¡¯s arm entered its field. Several loud cracks split the air and Noah moved a step back. Fragments of bone and droplets of blood pattered against his side as the Anger Demon¡¯s arm transformed into pulp in a split instant.

    It took Sinclaire an instant to realize what had happened. She stared at her destroyed arm as blood drippled from its crushed form in disbelief, her lips working as she tried to form words.

    ¡°What¡ª¡±

    Noah grabbed her arm. Physical contact with a Rank 5 demon was generally a pretty piss-poor idea, but Noah was pretty sure she wasn¡¯t going to be using that arm again anytime soon. Sinclaire screamed in pain as Noah released another wave of vibration into her arm, causing the sharp, shattered bones to dig into her flesh as his grip tightened.

    Noah glanced at Moxie, then tapped his throat. Her eyes widened in recognition and she hurriedly whispered into Aylin¡¯s ear before drawing in a deep breath. Noah¡¯s grip on Sinclaire¡¯s arm tightened as she went to free herself, ripping a snarl of pain from her lips.

    ¡°There is an offending scent present,¡± Yoru proclaimed to Pirren, as if Sinclaire wasn¡¯t even present. ¡°Pirren. Locate it.¡±

    Either the fight had long since left Pirren or she¡¯d just learned to do everything Yoru said, because she drew in a deep breath.

    ¡°I have to say, the last Anger Demon I met was a lot more competent than you were,¡± Noah snarled, taking a deep breath himself before activating Combustion. The air on the balcony froze. Sinclaire¡¯s eyes widened as she tried to draw in a breath and found that nothing entered her lungs.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    She slashed at Noah with her free hand, shards of bone splitting through her flesh and forming into jagged blades. Noah didn¡¯t release his grip on her arm ¡ª he doubted she¡¯d let him get his hands on her again if he did.

    Instead, he released a powerful wall of wind in her path. Her arm slammed into it and was thrown back, unable to penetrate the power of a flawless Rank 4 Rune. Noah yanked Sinclaire to the side by her injured arm. She tried to draw in a pained gasp, but no oxygen would flow.

    Sinclaire tried to drive her claws into Noah¡¯s stomach, but he had too much leverage and she¡¯d already been weakened. He slammed his foot into her shoulder and sent another wave of tremors through her body with the blow. The disorientation it caused was enough for him to slam her into the ground at his feet and knock what little breath she still had from her lungs.

    Her eyes bulged and her uninjured hand clawed at her throat. Sinclaire¡¯s lips worked to form words, but she had nothing left to make them with. Not a scrap of air remained. Her desperate gaze locked with Noah¡¯s and the bone growths yanked back into her arms in a clear attempt to surrender.

    Noah just stared down at her. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry. Unlike Sinclaire, he had a whole lot more air left to work with. The demon desperately tried to fling herself free, but Noah sent another wave of powerful vibrations slamming into her body through his foot, not giving her the chance to throw him off. She squirmed on the balcony like a beached fish.

    ¡°Did anyone else want to bid?¡± Noah called, his gaze lifting to the crowd. ¡°I¡¯d hate for someone to miss out on a rune they wanted because of this vermin.¡±

    Silence ruled. A demon coughed, then hurriedly ducked beneath their railing when everyone glanced in their direction. Noah looked back down to Sinclaire, trying not to let his eyes twitch.

    Goddamn it. Now I¡¯ve scared them too much and they think I want the stupid rune myself. Stupid anger demons. I hate these bastards.

    Noah released Combustion. Sinclaire drew in a ragged gasp, choked on her own saliva, and broke into a hacking cough.

    ¡°Please,¡± Sinclaire wheezed between coughs as she battled to catch her breath, clutching her injured arm to her chest.

    Noah watched her with disgust. She and Azel were nothing alike. He couldn¡¯t believe he was complementing the bastard, but Azel had been on an entirely different level. Nothing ever would have reduced him to a mess like this ¡ª and he never would have begged for his life.

    Despite what Pirren had said, even this Rank 5 was nothing more than an arrogant idiot with slightly better runes than the Rank 5s at the bottom of the barrel. She¡¯d had no proper fighting techniques beyond swinging at him like a madwoman.

    Disappointing. I need more than this if I want to fight Wizen. Unfortunately, I overdid things. Now I need this idiot alive.

    ¡°How much was the bid?¡± Noah whispered, reaching down and grabbing Sinclaire by her blood-splattered collar.

    ¡°You can have it,¡± Sinclaire said, the corners of her eyes watering. ¡°I concede. I¡¯ll¡ª¡±

    ¡°I asked you how much the bid was,¡± Noah snapped. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you to concede.¡±

    ¡°500 gold! It was 500 gold!¡±

    Noah back at Pirren, though he kept his magical energy at the ready. He wouldn¡¯t put it past Sinclaire to try and attack him while his back was turned ¡ª but he could pump her full of Natural Disaster¡¯s power far faster than she could attack him.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that seem a bit low?¡± Noah asked the snake demon.

    Pirren glanced back at Yoru, her breath still caught in her lungs.

    ¡°You are released from your task,¡± the small demon said. ¡°I located the foul smell without your aid. It was the rancid demonling that intruded on our balcony. Answer Spider¡¯s question.¡±

    Pirren¡¯s gaze drifted down to Sinclaire. Emotions churned in her eyes. Humiliation. Fear. Anger. Her jaw tightened and her hands clenched at her sides as her thin lips pulled back in a mixture of a snarl and a smile.

    ¡°500 does seem a bit low.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you should raise your bid,¡± Noah suggested.

    Sinclaire swallowed. Her eyes flicked from Noah to Pirren. ¡°550 gold.¡±

    ¡°Is that all?¡± Noah asked, blinking in mock surprise. ¡°Pirren, is that enough?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± the other demon replied, her cold smile stretching wider as some of the confidence that she¡¯d displayed back in her mansion started to push its way free. Noah wasn¡¯t certain this was the best kind of therapy, but nobody had ever regretted watching someone that had beaten the shit out of them get the same treatment. ¡°I think 2000 would be more appropriate for a rune of this quality.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Sinclaire exclaimed. ¡°This is a Rank 3! I don¡¯t even have that much money! Why would¡ª¡±

    Noah¡¯s grip on her arm tightened and she hissed in pain. ¡°How much do you have?¡±

    ¡°1550,¡± Sinclaire blurted through a pained gasp.

    ¡°Then I think 1500 sounds good,¡± Noah said with a smile. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±

    The Anger Demon stared up at him. At Pirren, whose smug face floated over Noah¡¯s shoulder and joined the rest of the auction house in watching Sinclaire¡¯s complete and utter defeat.

    ¡°1500 gold,¡± Sinclair said, squeezing her eyes shut and letting her head flop back to the ground.

    Noah lifted his foot off her shoulder and peered over the edge of the broken railing at the announcer on the stage below.

    ¡°You got that, yeah?¡±

    ¡°I ¡ª ah, yes. Yes, I did,¡± the winged demon said. He hesitated for a moment as if to see if anyone else was willing to bid. Nobody did. The announcer cleared his throat into a fist. ¡°Sandy Gale has been sold to the¡­ ah, fortunate Sinclaire.¡±

    ¡°Congratulations on your win,¡± Noah said with a polite smile that did absolutely nothing, as nobody could see his face. He grabbed Sinclaire by her collar and pulled the demon to her feet. ¡°Enjoy your new rune. Now screw off. You aren¡¯t worth the cleaning fee, and maybe you¡¯ll enjoy a taste of what you like doing to others. Show your face in this auction again while I¡¯m here and I¡¯ll kill you and use your Runes as wall d¨¦cor.¡±

    He shoved her off the balcony.

    Sinclaire righted herself as she fell, catching onto the balcony below before launching herself through the air back to her belongings. She didn¡¯t even stop moving as she grabbed her bag and vanished through the door, the laughter and jeers of the other demons in the auction house following after her.

    I almost feel bad about that, but after what she obviously did to Pirren, I reckon she got off easy. At least she¡¯s alive.

    Pirren caught Noah¡¯s eye as he turned to sit back down beside Moxie.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Pirren whispered, so speaking so low that Noah could barely even pick up on her words.

    He just inclined his head slightly in response. It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d only done it to help Pirren take a little revenge. With all the money that he¡¯d just conned Sinclaire into spending on his rune combined with what he¡¯d taken from Matis, he was fairly certain that he and Moxie were now some of the richest demons in the auction.

    Now all that was left to do was to cash in his reward.

    We should be at the Rank 4 Runes now. Let¡¯s see what goodies I can pick up for myself.

 Chapter 502: Mine

    For all the attention that Noah¡¯s antics had just drawn their balcony, the attention span of the demons in the auction house was far from long. As soon as the winged announcer started listing off the next runes for auction, the number of eyes remaining on them rapidly dropped.

    A few of Sinclaire and Matis¡¯ allies occasionally sent glares in Noah¡¯s direction. Not a single one of them were brave enough to actually act on them. His primary goal had been accomplished. After trouncing two different demons, Spider¡¯s reputation was even greater than it had been before.

    Nobody knew exactly what rank he was, and nobody had given him so much as a challenge yet. That would go a very long way in making sure his consolidation of power in the city continued smoothly.

    Noah rolled a glimmering crystal between his fingers as the auction continued on. Pirren sat to his side, her face and clothes still splattered with blood and a slightly shell-shocked expression on her face. She couldn¡¯t seem to decide whether she wanted to watch Noah or Yoru. Her eyes flicked between them like pinballs stuck between two bouncers.

    Yoru herself seemed completely bored. She¡¯d wrapped her arms around her legs, which were still drawn up to her chest, and her chin rested on her knees. Noah tried not to stare too overtly, but it didn¡¯t take a genius to realize that she was more than she wanted him to believe.

    She¡¯d used Pirren as a living shield multiple times, then had her take a deep breath in right before he¡¯d activated Combustion. It almost seemed like she knew what he was going to do before he did it.

    Having Pirren stand in front of her to block stuff might just be a good guess, but the instructions for how to avoid the magic¡­ that shouldn¡¯t be possible. Even if she¡¯s realized that I¡¯m using external magic, nobody in the Damned Plains would know I¡¯ve got Combustion. Is it possible there¡¯s some way to detect the magic someone is using before it leaves their body?

    Noah tilted his head to the side in thought. That was an interesting idea. Magical energy was hardly all identical. He could feel the difference between Natural Disaster and Crumbling Space when he used them.

    It wasn¡¯t an impossible task to presume it was possible to do that to someone else¡¯s body. After all, runes were just patterns. If Yoru could understand those patterns without actually seeing them, then she¡¯d basically be able to predict the type of magic someone else was using.

    A spark of interest lit in Noah¡¯s chest. He had no idea how a demon would go about doing that, as they had no Domain, but the idea took root in his head like one of Moxie¡¯s plants. He did have a Domain. Even if that wasn¡¯t the technique that Yoru was doing, there was too much potential in the possibility to dismiss it.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Moxie whispered, nudging him in the side of his leg with her knee. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Burning Brilliance Rune is what¡¯s got your attention.¡±

    Noah blinked, then shook his head. ¡°Burning Brilliance?¡±

    ¡°I suppose that answers my question,¡± Moxie said dryly. ¡°The rune up for auction right now.¡±

    Noah glanced down at the announcer. Several demons around them were locked in a bidding war, and the price had reached the low 500s already. It came at no surprise to him that Rank 4 runes were considerably more expensive than their lower strength counterparts.

    Well, most of their lower strength counterparts. For some reason, Sandy Gale is just a rune to die for. I sure hope that doesn¡¯t mess with anyone when they¡¯re trying to run some numbers on what Rank 3 runes sell for on average.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that,¡± Noah agreed. He didn¡¯t want to get into what his thoughts were while Yoru was right next to them, especially since he was basically planning to try and copy as many of her abilities as he could. ¡°I¡¯m only half listening right now. Just thinking. Nothing all that interesting has come up yet. Did you see something you wanted?¡±

    ¡°Not particularly.¡± Moxie shook her head. ¡°I still need to figure out where I¡¯m going to take things for the next rank, and I¡¯m getting used to my current rune before I make any steps to get more of them. It¡¯s still got a lot of energy to fill anyway.¡±

    ¡°Something tells me that won¡¯t be too hard here,¡± Noah said, looking back to the other demons around them. Even if the ones in the auction had figured out trying him was generally a poor idea for their continued health, there were always more idiots. That was a universal truth back in Arbitage, and it was even more true in the Damned Plains.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Probably not,¡± Moxie agreed. ¡°I think we should be getting to the more interesting stuff soon, though. Good thing we got all that extra gold.¡±

    Noah nodded. He stopped fiddling with the Crystal and tossed it back into the bag. He didn¡¯t want to somehow manage to break it and waste 100 gold.

    The Burning Brilliance Rune eventually sold for 540 gold while they were distracted with their conversation. Even though it was a Rank 4 Rune, it was so poorly made that interest for it ended up drying up rather quickly. Another uninteresting Rank 4 Rune went up for sale, this one only at sixty percent full upon creation.

    ¡°What about you, Aylin? See anything you want?¡± Noah asked, looking to the boy. He normally wasn¡¯t a fan of just handing dozens of runes to his students, but Aylin was in a very different position than the others back in Arbitage. For them, rapid advancement was a hinderance and something they¡¯d have to hide. It would also keep them from focusing on their patterns. But Aylin ¡ª Aylin was a demonstration of Spider¡¯s power. There was a target on his back, Noah was less concerned with his long term growth than he was with making sure the kid didn¡¯t get killed in his sleep.

    Aylin nearly choked. ¡°What? Me? I couldn¡¯t possibly take anything. You¡¯ve done so much already, and I¡¯m still learning how to use my Rank 3 Rune. I¡¯m a little worried about what would happen if I reached Rank 4 without getting a grasp over my¡­ uh, other abilities.¡±

    ¡°A very wise fear,¡± Noah said, his expression tightening at the reminder. He still hadn¡¯t made progress in figuring out what changed demons so extensively at Rank 4. Both Pirren and Yoru had passed that point, and even though Noah had no clue what Yoru¡¯s runes were, it was pretty clear they¡¯d both been heavily influenced by them.

    Maybe I can get some information out of Yoru when we meet after the auction.

    ¡°Up next is yet another unique rune that I¡¯m delighted to share with you all,¡± the announcer called, punctuating his words with a practiced snap of his wings that ripped through the air like a gunshot. He rubbed his hands together, a greedy smile crossing over his lips. ¡°Our first of two Runes from the Black Reaches, this Rank 4 Rune is called Unstable Corrupted Mass. It may have been 70 percent full at conception, but the strength of this rune should be enough to more than make up for that. It will be starting at 400 gold.¡±

    It didn¡¯t seem like the rest of the room agreed. The murmurs that had broken out at the mention of the Black Reaches instantly fell away the moment the announcer revealed just how poor quality the rune actually was.

    ¡°Where are the Black Reaches?¡± Noah asked. The announcer had put too much focus on the location for it to just be a random part of the Damned Plains.

    ¡°They¡¯re toward the City of Gold,¡± Pirren said. ¡°An area of the Damned Plains that got destroyed in a fight between two Rank 8s a long time ago. It¡¯s very dangerous to enter. I¡¯ve heard rumors that the barrier between planes is weaker there than anywhere else.¡±

    ¡°The rumors are correct,¡± Yoru said. ¡°That is why Sievan resides within the City of Gold. It is steeped within death energy. No other Archdemon can challenge him there. Are you not aware of him?¡±

    What, is his feeling Death or something? That does not sound like someone I want to get to know. Given how much runes change demons, someone that represents death itself is probably going to be batshit insane and comically evil. I¡¯ll pass.

    ¡°Just, uh, slipped my mind,¡± Noah said, clearing his throat. Though many demons were talking around them, only one other demon had bid on the Unstable Corrupted Mass Rune, and its price was at a mere 400 gold. It sounded like there was a good chance it would have some degree of Matter or Space in it given where it had come from, so Noah shrugged and raised his voice. ¡°410 gold.¡±

    The demon that had bid on the rune glanced over to Noah. He had skin like a craggy cliffside and a dour expression on his face, but the moment he realized who had spoken, the demon hurriedly sat back down and averted his gaze, not saying another word. Nobody else said anything. The poor quality rune just wasn¡¯t worth the hassle.

    ¡°Sold,¡± the announcer proclaimed, not even bothering to hide his disappointment. He¡¯d definitely been hoping for a higher price. The auction house ¡ª and he ¡ª obviously got a cut of sales. It didn¡¯t take him long to get over it, though. No sooner than he had spoken did the announcer¡¯s eyes flash with excitement. ¡°Coming from the same demon is a second rune from the Black Reaches. This one is a Rank 4 Unstable Mass Rune, and at a very respectable 50% full upon creation. Bids will start at 500 gold.¡±

    So a better version of the rune that just sold. More certainly couldn¡¯t hurt.

    ¡°500,¡± a demon called without a second of hesitation.

    ¡°550,¡± another added, speaking before the first had even had a chance to close their mouth.

    Several more demons added their own voices into the mix. It wasn¡¯t long before the price quickly shot up to 650 gold, and it didn¡¯t look like it showed any signs of slowing.

    I need to cut this off at the head before I end up having to waste too much money.

    ¡°1000 gold,¡± Noah called. His voice projected through the auction house like a wave of rolling thunder, cutting through the other demons¡¯ clamoring cries. A second of silence ticked by. Several demons considered him, clearly trying to figure out if it was worth trying to fight him on the rune.

    He didn¡¯t know if it was the reputation he¡¯d built up or the huge price jump he¡¯d made, but the silence dragged on. The announcer couldn¡¯t even be annoyed. 1000 gold for a Rank 4 that had only been 50 percent full upon creation was a good price in the Damned Plains.

    Noah had just started to let a smug grin form beneath the wrappings on his face when a new voice rose up into the air ¡ª not from another balcony, but from right beside him.

    ¡°1100 gold,¡± Yoru said, her quiet words cutting through the silence. ¡°This rune is mine.¡±

 Chapter 503: Arrogant Fool

    Of everyone in the auction house that could have placed a counterbid, Noah hadn¡¯t expected the person to do it to be in his own balcony. He stared at Yoru, his face wrappings doing nothing to conceal the surprise in his eyes.

    It had been obvious that Yoru had an agenda she was aiming to accomplish. Noah hadn¡¯t expected it to include trying to take a relatively unimpressive Rank 4 Rune from him. His eyes narrowed as he studied her, trying to figure out what the demon¡¯s motive was.

    Is she trying to test my reaction? But what would the point of that even be? Annoying me isn¡¯t going to accomplish anything meaningful. Maybe she¡¯s trying to see if I¡¯ll back down when a higher ranked demon tries to screw with me?

    That didn¡¯t feel like it made sense either. Noah had no idea what rank Yoru actually was. She was a high Rank 5 at the bare minimum, but there was a good chance she was even stronger than that given how Pirren treated her.

    There wasn¡¯t much time to make a decision. He hadn¡¯t answered in several seconds and no other demons had tried placing a bid. It wasn¡¯t like Noah didn¡¯t have the funds to spare. With all the money he¡¯d just taken from the other demons in addition to what he and Moxie had, he had something around 2000 gold.

    But raising my bid any higher basically guarantees that I can¡¯t get any more runes in this auction. Everything from here on out is definitely going to be near 1000 gold. I¡¯d like to get at least one Rank 5 Rune if I can¡­ damn it. A Rank 5 rune is more important than this one. There¡¯s just no point getting into a bidding war here.

    Noah remained silent. Entering a bidding war here would only waste his time and money ¡ª and more importantly, he had no idea what Yoru was aiming for. Everyone at the auction was playing their own game. The only way he could come out on top was when the only game he let himself make moves in was his own.

    ¡°The Unstable Mass Rune is sold,¡± the announcer proclaimed. A few disappointed murmurs ran through the demons in the crowd when they realized that Noah wasn¡¯t about to give them even more free entertainment, but it didn¡¯t take long before the winged demon got started introducing the next rune and everything else was forgotten.

    Yoru¡¯s masked face turned toward Noah as he watched her out of the corners of his eyes. She tilted her head to the side.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an odd question to ask,¡± Moxie said. ¡°Why¡¯d you bid on that Rune? Do you really need it?¡±

    Perfect. Thanks, Moxie. I need to keep putting on my Spider shtick, but you can say everything I actually want to. I¡¯ve already looked lost enough by not knowing where or what the Black Reaches were.

    ¡°Me? No.¡± Yoru¡¯s head righted and tilted in the other direction. ¡°Why would I need a Rank 4 Rune?¡±

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t need it, why¡¯d you bid on it?¡± Moxie asked with a confused frown. ¡°That seems like a waste of money.¡±

    ¡°Money is of little concern to me. There are precious few things that I need that gold could purchase.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m following your thought process here. You bought the rune because¡­ what, you wanted to waste money?¡± Moxie¡¯s brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of Yoru¡¯s actions.

    ¡°No. I do not waste. Even the most unimportant resources have value. Discarding resources is the act of an arrogant fool.¡±

    ¡°Now I¡¯m equally confused,¡± Noah said, giving up on any plans to remain separated from the situation and tossing his own hat into the ring. ¡°So you bought a rune you don¡¯t need with money that you don¡¯t care about ¡ª but don¡¯t want to waste ¡ª for¡­ what reason, exactly?¡±

    ¡°You wanted it,¡± Yoru said, as if that explained everything. ¡°And it was 1000 gold.¡±

    Right. Well, that explains absolutely nothing. Is she saying she bought it to keep me from getting it? I don¡¯t see how the price matters here either.

    ¡°If Spider wanted it, why did you buy it?¡± Moxie asked, not even bothering to mince her words. She¡¯d never been one for trying to take the subtle path. Pirren shrunk into her seat, her eyes flicking between Yoru and Moxie as she tensed in preparation for a looming fight.

    There was a second of silence before Yoru responded.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°To¡­ give it to him.¡± A note of confusion entered the small demon¡¯s tone. It almost seemed like she¡¯d surprised herself with her own words. ¡°It is a gift?¡±

    She couldn¡¯t have sounded less certain about it if she¡¯d tried. Noah and Moxie exchanged a quick glance.

    ¡°Er¡­ thank you?¡± Noah said hesitantly. Somehow, getting an answer to his question had only managed to make him even more confused. He couldn¡¯t think of a single reason why Yoru would want to give him a gift, but he certainly wasn¡¯t going to say no to anything that saved him a thousand gold.

    Maybe it¡¯s just some aspect of demon culture I just don¡¯t understand yet? Maybe giving a gift is a way to assert dominance or something. Like a display of wealth or power. Hey, I¡¯m not going to complain. Free shit is free shit.

    Yoru didn¡¯t say anything more. Noah shrugged to himself and turned his attention back to the auctioneer. The auction was still going strong, and he now had a whole lot more gold left over to play with.

    ***

    A droplet of sweat rolled down Yoku¡¯s face behind her mask. She was confused. More confused than she¡¯d been in hundreds of years. There was something seriously wrong with her Runes. That was the only possible answer. The probable futures she weighed were making absolutely no sense. Something about Spider was breaking everything.

    Actions that should have been mundane resulted in bleak nothingness. Trapped deals that she¡¯d relied upon dozens of times before to best demons far smarter than she resulted in the same.

    Her powers had always been heavily limited the more complicated and the farther away the futures she weighed were, but probabilities were probabilities. Even when the future grew less set in stone, she could still view its potential.

    At least, she normally could. When it came to Spider, Yoku felt truly blind for the first time since she¡¯d lost her eyes. Every other step she took sent her plummeting into a black abyss with no escape. There was no rhyme or reason to his actions.

    Yoku could deal with a more powerful foe. She could deal with an enemy who was smarter or faster than her. Everything could be dealt with when she knew what her opponents were doing before they themselves had decided on it.

    Even Belkus was a manageable threat. He was the strongest demon that Yoku had ever set herself against, but so long as the future played out in the manner that she¡¯d weighed it, victory was inevitable.

    But Spider¡­ he didn¡¯t act like a demon. He didn¡¯t react like a demon. He didn¡¯t even think like a demon, and that terrified Yoku. There was only one lifeline in the sea of tumultuous black smoke. A single pathway that she could find that didn¡¯t end up setting him against her.

    It was so shrouded in darkness that Yoku could only take a single tiny step at a time. The endlessly branching possibilities of the future had been so clouded that even she wasn¡¯t entirely sure what she was doing.

    Yoku hadn¡¯t had any idea why buying a rune that Spider wanted was going to get him on her good side. If anything, it should have annoyed him. She hadn¡¯t even considered she was buying the rune for him.

    The mere idea of that was enough to make her sightless eyes twitch. Rivers of blood made a pathway up the mountain of corpses she¡¯d left in her wake to reach the power she now commanded.

    Dozens of Rank 6 demons would have prostrated themselves at her feet with nothing more than a single word from her lips. They would have given her the clothes from their back and made themselves into stepping stones for her to cross a shallow creek if she requested it.

    Yoku did not give gifts. They were the tools of the weak who sought to appease the strong. She had no need of such crutches. And yet, for some reason, that was the only path that accomplished all of her goals.

    Spider had accepted the gift with the grace of a demon who had received many such offers before. She wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about that, but the probabilities had changed once more.

    And, as Yoku peered through the twisting smoke and weighed the probabilities to determine what exactly it was that she had just accomplished, moonlight illuminated the next step on the pathway to the future she desired.

    How will I take control of his power? How can I turn him against Belkus? Something about Spider, be it him or something he is connected to that I am unable to witness, is too powerful to let slip through my fingers.

    I will do anything I must in order to ¡ª

    Yoku¡¯s sightless eyes blinked. Then they blinked again. Her ears picked up on the auctioneer¡¯s chatter as if it came from a thousand miles away, but none of it actually processed. She stared at the probable future that laid before her in abject disbelief.

    That can¡¯t be right.

    Never before had she doubted her powers to this degree. Yoku drew on more magic and poured it forth, weighing the probabilities once more. They remained unchanged. Every single pathway she took but this one ended in the pitch black sea.

    There was only a single way to fully get Spider on her side. She couldn¡¯t see what would happen after, or how it would even affect the other plans she had set in motion. All she knew was the next step along the path that she had to take ¡ª and it was one that made even less sense than every other impossible oddity that had happened today.

    ¡°Is something on my face?¡± Spider asked, his voice cutting through her futures like a blade.

    ¡°Yes. Storm wrappings.¡± Yoku¡¯s words were flat, but her heart pounded in her chest. The uncertainty was awful. It had been so long since she hadn¡¯t known something that the mere sensation made her want to retch like a battle-eager child witnessing death for the first time.

    Spider let out a snort and turned back to the auction, but Moxie¡¯s gaze remained on her. Yoku didn¡¯t even consider trying to weigh the futures with her again. She already had the pathway before her, and the next step would be after the auction.

    Yoku just wasn¡¯t sure if she had the strength to take it.

 Chapter 504: House Party

    Thanks to all the demons that had kindly donated their savings and Yoru¡¯s interference on the Rank 4 Unstable Mass Rune, Noah waited patiently for something worth buying as the auction pressed on.

    Rank 4 Runes turned to Rank 5s and the prices everything sold for steadily rose and grew closer to the upper limits of what he could afford to compete with. There were a few runes that Noah briefly considered bidding for, but none were quite interesting enough for him to put too much effort in.

    The demons competing in the auction now were stronger than the ones that had partook in the earlier parts. He wasn¡¯t confident he could kill anyone without having to rely on the Fragment of Renewal, Sunder, or possibly even getting himself killed in the process.

    Noah had no plans of playing any of his trump cards just for an auction. Surprises were only good if nobody else knew you had them, and none of the Rank 5 runes thus far had truly been worth the effort.

    Minutes ticked by. Several more demons fought each other, much to the delight of the crowd, though nobody else died. They almost felt more like posturing than proper fights, where a demon was forced to fight to protect their image or honor but had no desire to actually get killed in the process of it.

    I suppose that makes sense. Aside from a few kinds of feelings, I don¡¯t imagine the majority of demons are going to be any keener on fighting to the death than anybody else. Their society is seventy percent posturing and threats and thirty percent actually carrying through on them. Definitely makes for more of a spectacle than a bunch of nobles sneering at each other, though.

    Eventually, the bids started to slow. The quality of the runes dropped as they grew higher in rank even as their cost grew. Fewer demons were willing to bid on something that just wasn¡¯t useful.

    Noah was just starting to think that the auction was wrapping up when the announcer¡¯s wings snapped out in his signature move, cracking like a whip breaking the sound barrier.

    ¡°My good demons, we¡¯ll be entering the final part of today¡¯s auction,¡± the auctioneer called. ¡°We¡¯re all out of runes that fit within our more standard categories, so next up is the lightning round where we toss up everything that didn¡¯t quite fit. Remember ¡ª ten seconds per item and bids start at 1000 gold for everything. Whatever the latest highest offer is at the end of ten seconds wins the item, no questions. Nothing is in order of rarity or strength in this round, so bid on what you want and spend all that money! We¡¯ll be opening with the jaw of a Rank 5 Bone demon that was recovered from the Wastes! It¡¯s estimated to be about four hundred years old, so it¡¯s still got a good bit of efficacy left in it!¡±

    Bids flowed from the masses like a river. Noah blinked in surprise as the price rapidly shot up all the way to 1600 gold before slowing down over the next few seconds. Even though most demons were only raising the price by 20 or 30 gold with each increment, there were so many of them competing that the price skyrocketed.

    That ten second time limit is smart. It forces people to just fling money out and not give them much time to think on if the item is actually worth increasing their bid or not.

    The next two items flashed by, but both were other demon parts and didn¡¯t interest Noah much. He¡¯d never really taken to the whole ¡®bathing in monster parts¡¯ strategy for strengthening his runes. It was much easier to just kill them.

    Using alternative methods to gather magical energy was useful for noble families trying to get their members stronger without actually putting them through fights. There was no point going through the hassle when he could just kill a few dozen monsters instead. Sure, there was a chance he¡¯d get killed in the process, but that was just a minor inconvenience.

    ¡°Up next is another Rune for the bold and inquisitive among you,¡± the auctioneer called, but something in his voice was different. Noah couldn¡¯t quite place the emotion, but it almost sounded like unease. ¡°This is a rare offering, but I can assure we have permission to sell it. A Broken Master Rune, Deathly Night!¡±

    Yoru stiffened, but Noah barely even noticed as her posture shifted and she moved to speak.

    Another Broken Master Rune? That¡¯s perfect. It could be invaluable to figure out what happened to Lee¡¯s Runes.

    ¡°1500 gold,¡± Noah yelled without a second of hesitation, then drew in a breath in preparation to jack the price up even higher the moment someone else placed a bid.

    But, to his confusion, the auction house was dead silent. Not a single demon spoke a word. Noah blinked.

    Huh. I guess I really put on quite a show. Nobody wants to bid against me¡­ or is this like those damn eBay auctions I always used to lose because some assholes would wait until the last second to place a bid?

    Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed and he prepared to yell out again if someone attempted to steal the Broken Master Rune from him in the last second. Seconds ticked by. Silence reigned ¡ª and then the time was up.

    ¡°Sold,¡± the auctioneer said. ¡°We¡¯ve got a Unisteel horn up next! Go!¡±

    Bids filled the air once more as if nothing had happened. Yoru¡¯s posture returned to normal and she slipped back into her chair, her head tilted slightly to the side.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Well,¡± Noah said slowly, sitting down in his chair as his brow furrowed. ¡°That was¡­ odd. I didn¡¯t think my reputation was that impressive yet. Lucky me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not you,¡± Pirren said, fidgeting nervously in her seat. ¡°You just bought a Death Rune.¡±

    ¡°Right. That was in the name. They sold it. I bought it. That¡¯s how auctions work,¡± Noah said with a frown. ¡°What else are you meant to do?¡±

    ¡°Sievan has purchased almost every single Death Rune above Rank 4 that¡¯s ever been found in the Damned Plains,¡± Yoru said, tapping her fingers on her knees in thought. ¡°A Broken Master Rune is still a Master Rune.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s my problem. You can¡¯t tell me he¡¯s going to throw a tantrum because I bought a rune that he wasn¡¯t even here to bid on,¡± Noah said. ¡°Isn¡¯t he a Demon Lord or something? That feels a bit petty.¡±

    ¡°He will not be angry, but he may attempt to reach out, and few are eager to meet with anyone from Sievan¡¯s entourage,¡± Yoru mused. ¡°Someone choosing to sell the rune here rather than in the City of Gold means they are at odds with Sievan. They most certainly would have gotten a better price from him than they did here.¡±

    ¡°Eh. Sounds like something I¡¯ll deal with when it comes. I need the rune,¡± Noah said with a half-shrug. He only wanted the Broken Master Rune for research at the moment. If Sievan wanted to try to buy it off him, they were more than welcome to.

    Though there¡¯s a chance Moxie might be able to use something like this. I feel like Death kind of fits in her whole cycle of life pattern that she¡¯s got going. We¡¯ll see. I can¡¯t really be bothered worrying about some Demon Lord in a city across the Damned Plains. He¡¯s not going to make the trip all the way out here to get a middling rune that was only worth a few thousand gold at best. And if he sends his people¡­ well, then we¡¯ll talk.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t concerned about Sievan?¡± Pirren asked, swallowing her surprise and straightening in her chair as she squinted at Noah. He could almost see the gears turning in her head as she tried to figure out what Rank he truly was. Then she gave up. Pirren blew out a sigh, sinking lower into her chair.

    ¡°I want a nap,¡± she muttered.

    ***

    The auction ended a short while later. Attendants headed over to their balcony, handing him the winnings from his entirely above-the-table sale of his rune shortly before collecting the 1910 he owed for the things he¡¯d purchased.

    They gave him two sheets of tanned leather with Runes embossed upon them crackling faintly with energy, then handed another one to Yoru. It seemed the short demon had some form of pay system already set up with the auction house, because they didn¡¯t bother trying to get any gold from her.

    By the time the attendants left, Yoru had already hopped down from her chair and strode over to the door. Noah supposed he had agreed to meet her after the auction ended. Judging by how she was clutching the leather bearing the rune she¡¯d yoinked from him, he got the feeling she didn¡¯t plan to hand it over until they¡¯d made it to her place.

    Yoru led them all outside and back into the streets of Treadon. Pirren went to slip away, but Yoru grabbed the snake demon by the arm before she could even take a step in any other direction. Shoulders hunched in defeat like a weary mom being led to the toy section of a store by her toddler, Pirren let Yoru drag her along.

    I wonder if Yoru is actually just the kid of some powerful demon. She does come off as just a bit spoiled. Definitely doesn¡¯t know the value of money. She talks a bit odd, but that could be because she¡¯s trying to mirror her mom or dad.

    Noah squinted at the back of Yoru¡¯s head as they followed her down winding roads. She had to hold her hair with one hand to keep it from dragging along the ground and getting dirty. He nodded to himself.

    Yeah. She even wanted to pet Mascot. Still don¡¯t know how she found out about him, but Yoru acts like a little kid. Could be a strong little kid. The Noble families could manufacture some really strong mages back in the mortal world, so the same could easily go here. Being young doesn¡¯t mean weak.

    Maybe she¡¯s a prodigy of some sort since she was somehow predicting the magic I was going to use. I¡¯ll have to make sure to be nice to her. It¡¯s important to be a good role model for the easily impressionable.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Noah whispered, leaning over to Moxie as they entered a doorway and headed down a stairwell leading deeper into the city. ¡°I think Yoru is a kid.¡±

    ¡°You just came to that conclusion?¡± Moxie asked in the same tone. ¡°She¡¯s half our height.¡±

    ¡°Short people exist, you know.¡±

    Moxie rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah, sure. But she sounds like a kid. That doesn¡¯t mean we can let our guard down. A kid like this¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Young doesn¡¯t mean weak. She almost certainly has a really strong rune or a lot of talent. To be honest, I¡¯m mostly just curious to see what she wants and how she knows Pirren.¡±

    Moxie nodded in mute agreement. They didn¡¯t get any more time to speak as Yoru pushed open a plain stone door, revealing a wide hall beyond it. Gentle blue light illuminated it from far above, and a tall wooden table rested in its center, long enough to easily seat twenty people. Plain but well-carved chairs lined the table¡¯s sides in wait of someone to use them.

    The air was still like a bated breath, and the smell of fresh dew washed away the musty stench of the tunnel behind them.

    ¡°Whoa,¡± Noah said. ¡°Nice place, Yoru. Is this where you live?¡±

    ¡°No. This is a greeting room,¡± Yoru replied. She made her way over to the chair at the head of the table and hoisted herself into a raised chair at the table¡¯s end. Noah had to bite back a laugh. She looked like a kid playing princess.

    Well, I suppose it can¡¯t hurt to play along. She did spend over 1000 gold on me.

    ¡°So, what is it that you wanted?¡± Noah asked. ¡°And I have to know, how did you find out about our cat? Did someone tell you?¡±

    ¡°The cat can wait,¡± Yoru said. She pointed at the chair to her side. ¡°Sit.¡±

    Noah shrugged and did as she requested. Moxie took the chair beside him and Aylin took the one beside her while Pirren edged toward the one at the farthest spot on the table. Yoru¡¯s masked face lifted to stare in the snake demon¡¯s direction.

    She didn¡¯t even have to say a word. Pirren¡¯s shoulders slumped and she walked back over to join them, sitting down beside Moxie.

    ¡°If not the cat, then what is it?¡± Noah tilted his head to the side. His senses scanned over the room to see if this was some sort of trap, but he didn¡¯t feel anyone else in the area.

    ¡°I want you to do something for me, Spider,¡± Yoru said in her typical icy, soft whisper. ¡°Would you be so kind as to grant my request?¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Noah tilted his head to the side. ¡°What is it?¡±

    Yoru lifted her hands to her mask.

    ¡°I want you to look into my eyes.¡±

 Chapter 505: The Future

    Yoku¡¯s hand tightened around her mask and Spider watched her, mild curiosity in his expression. He seemed to have absolutely no idea that the thin piece of ceramic wasn¡¯t there to conceal her identity. It was there to make sure no demon mistakenly looked into her eyes.

    Any demon that knew who she was ¡ª even Belkus himself ¡ª would have averted their gaze instantly. Spider didn¡¯t so much as flinch. Either he had absolutely no idea who she was, or he simply didn¡¯t care. Yoku was willing to bet it was the former, and she¡¯d only lost a single bet throughout the entirety of her very, very long life.

    She lifted the mask away from her face.

    Before she could lower it and meet Spider¡¯s gaze unhindered, she paused.

    And, for a brief instant, the demon that peered endlessly into the future was plagued by memories of the past.

    Old faces flickered in her sightless eyes. Some of them had started to fade with age, but even the relentless millstone of time hadn¡¯t managed to completely wipe them from her memory. They would haunt her for as long as she lived.

    There had been a time, so long ago that nearly everyone that still recalled it had long since passed, where Yoku had not possessed the Moonlight Prophecy Master Rune. A time when she had lived with her parents and brother in a small cave in the Wastes.

    Yoku only possessed a single clear memory from that time.

    The very last one.

    She could remember the pain. The burning agony searing through her body as the Master Rune had changed her. As it granted her the gift to witness the potential probabilities of everything before her. As it gave her a looking glass into the future. As it took her eyes in turn.

    It had been a cruel joke. A Master Rune that granted vision of the future had an inverse that took her sight of the present. Moonlit Prophecy had burned away her irises and left behind empty portals to the immense might stored within her soul.

    If that had been the extent of the rune¡¯s damage, then perhaps she never would have seen it as a curse ¡ª but Moonlit Prophecy was far too great a Master Rune to be satisfied with that. The immense weight of every single probable future stored within her hung like the sky itself had been propped up upon rickety stilts.

    But Moonlit Prophecy¡¯s passive had taken her sight. It prevented her from looking into the incomprehensible, shifting paths of the future with her own eyes, kept her from being forced to witness the entirety of an ever-growing universe of potential within a split second.

    Moonlit Prophecy had taken her eyes to protect her, but it didn¡¯t protect anyone else.

    She still remembered the look on her father¡¯s face as his mind had melted. His eyes had gone glassy and flat, shattered windows to an abandoned soul.

    She remembered her mother¡¯s scream.

    She remembered the panic. The confusion. The terror.

    Yoku hadn¡¯t understood what has happening when her father died. She hadn¡¯t known what she had done ¡ª but she¡¯d learned. She¡¯d learned when she spun to her mother and brother, only to watch the screams die on their lips as every aspect of them that made them who they were was swept away.

    She couldn¡¯t wipe the faces of her family from her mind if she¡¯d tried. She hadn¡¯t even been able to squeeze her eyes shut and shut the world out in darkness. Moonlit Prophecy had taken her vision, but it had cursed her with eternal sight.

    No future could ever escape her sight again.

    That included the one that she¡¯d made for herself.

    In all the years that had passed since that day, the pain had lessened. She had grown stronger. She witnessed the rise and fall of countless demons. She saw the mistakes they made ¡ª both in the present and in the future ¡ª and learned to avoid them.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    While others rushed, Yoku advanced. One foot ahead of the other, she ground toward the inevitable future in which she was the victor. Fewer and fewer demons existed that had survived to her age. Her eyes became a tool. One that occasionally snuffed out a flickering candle that was a life, so insignificant that she barely even noticed.

    But today, for the first time in centuries, Yoku hesitated to bare her eyes to the world. She had seen the most probable future that resulted from lowering the mask. It was the only one in which Spider allied with her¡­ and it made absolutely no sense.

    Ever since the Master Rune had permanently bonded with her body, not a single demon had met her gaze and survived with their mind intact. At best they were reduced to mindless drones, unable to do anything but obey any commands they heard.

    It had been so long since Yoku had a true ally that she could barely remember the meaning of the word. No demon in their right mind was stupid enough to dare let their guard down around her when a few moments of direct eye contact was enough to end them.

    Her eyes had been an absolute in a sea of twisting probabilities and futures. But, for the first time, she doubted not just her powers, but her eyes as well. She simply couldn¡¯t comprehend how the future in which Spider would do as she willed was the same as the one where he held her gaze.

    The moment they looked at each other, Spider¡¯s mind would collapse and nothing would remain but an empty void. An empty shell of what had once been a demon was in no way an ally. He would become a corpse that hadn¡¯t been told it was dead yet.

    Does that mean he survives? What happens when Spider meets my gaze? Does he have a way to truly look at me when nobody else has? Will he see my strength and bend knee? Or will my Rune have no effect on him at all?

    ¡°You okay?¡± Spider asked, tilting his head to the side. ¡°Did you get second thoughts about taking your mask off? It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to. I don¡¯t particularly mind, since I have absolutely no plans of removing my own.¡±

    I haven¡¯t come this far to back down now. I¡¯ve done too much to get here only to falter. This is the future I need. The only path forward where the moonlight still shines. I will advance, just as I always have.

    Yoku lowered the mask. Her flat eyes locked with Spider¡¯s, two souls completely bared to each other.

    For a silent instant, nothing changed.

    Then Yoku¡¯s soul shuddered.

    The immense power within Yoku connected her to Spider as every potential future unfurled itself like a garden of blooming flowers. The full weight of her Master Rune crashed down upon him, just as it had to everyone else that had ever held her gaze.

    Smokey black tendrils bubbled up from beneath the ground. They rose into the air, invisible to everyone but Yoku, and drove into Spider¡¯s eyes like the fangs of a great beast snapping closed.

    And then the incomprehensible weight of Moonlit Prophecy, the Master Rune that had ground the mind and soul every single demon that had ever gazed upon it into mindless mush, crumpled like a scrap of paper.

    For the first time in countless years, Yoku felt true terror.

    Visions crashed into her mind one after the other. A smiling man standing in a strange, well-lit room surrounded by children holding wooden objects that sang in harmony with strange, melodic voices.

    A white bed and white sheets, with arms of pale, pallid skin that matched. The shrill, infuriating beep and screech of odd, metal structures with glowing surfaces covered with strange, incomprehensible runes.

    An empty room ¡ª and then darkness. Darkness and what laid beyond it. Yoku¡¯s lips parted. Her heart skipped a beat as an icy hand closed around it and started to squeeze.

    Glowing bodies in an endless golden line leading through a vast expanse of nothingness. Complete and utter boredom, but more than that. There was nothing but steps.

    Footsteps.

    Footsteps.

    Footsteps.

    Footsteps.

    Over and over again. Endless boredom. Time stretched and dilated, losing its meaning. It could have been thousands or hundreds of thousands of years. It was impossible to tell.

    Incomprehensible pain pierced Yoku¡¯s mind. If she still possessed control of her body, she would have screamed. Instead, she could do nothing but watch the visions drive into her with increasing intensity. Years ¡ª decades ¡ª centuries ¡ª millennia ¡ª all passed in the briefest flicker of an instant. She saw nothing but mere flickers of it, but even those were enough.

    Moonlit Propehcy held every future that she could see within it, but when Yoku looked into Spider¡¯s eyes, what she found waiting there was eternity. An existence that reached so far back through the universe that even every sprawling future she could conceive was nothing more than a blip before everything that its soul had experienced. It was like weighing a marble against a planet.

    And, as blood dripped from Yoku¡¯s nose and trickled from her eyes, she finally understood the future that she had witnessed. She could only weigh futures against herself ¡ª and Spider was heavier than she was.

    Far, far heavier.

    Spider didn¡¯t bend knee to her. He didn¡¯t obey her desires or become a part of her plans. There was only a single future in which she got everything she desired, and that was the one where she became a part of his.

 Chapter 506:

    When Yoru started to bleed from her eyes and mouth after staring at him for no more than a second or two, the first thought that flashed through Noah¡¯s head was, oh, shit. She¡¯s sick.

    The second thought that followed it was, Damn. She¡¯s barely looks any older than a teenager.

    No older than many of his students had been back on Earth ¡ª or, at least, how old they¡¯d once been.

    At least, in appearance. That didn¡¯t mean much for demons.

    Yoru grabbed her mask from the table and practically slammed it back onto her face, not even pausing for long enough to wipe the blood away. Her hands gripped the armrests of her chair so tightly that her knuckles had turned bone white. She let out a ragged breath, slumping back and letting her head thunk against the chair¡¯s back.

    ¡°Whoa. Are you okay?¡± Noah asked, rising from his chair. ¡°Do you need something?¡±

    ¡°I ¡ª just¡­ quiet,¡± Yoru rasped. She pressed her hand against the mask, her entire body as stiff as a board. Noah exchanged a baffled look with Moxie. He didn¡¯t miss the look of stark horror on Pirren¡¯s face, but he was pretty sure she¡¯d spent more time terrified in the last few hours than not. It was basically normal at this point.

    Noah obliged and stood in place, shifting uncomfortably. He¡¯d never been a fan of problems completely out of his control. It wasn¡¯t like he could hand her an Advil and send her home to her parents ¡ª both of which still seemed to be absent.

    Nobody spoke for several seconds. Yoru¡¯s grip on the armrests didn¡¯t lessen in the slightest and her breath showed no signs of coming under control. Blood welled along the edges of the mask and ran down its sides, dripping down to her clothes.

    Noah managed to avoid doing anything for about a minute. He was fairly proud of that. It was longer than he normally waited. He carefully reached out and put a hand on Yoru¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Noah said, keeping his voice gentle. He had no idea what had happened to her, but he wasn¡¯t going to get any answers until she was calm again. ¡°Yoru. It¡¯s okay. Take a deep breath in and let it out nice and slow. Everything is fine. Help me count how many people are in the room. Me, you, Moxie, Aylin, Pirren.¡±

    He moved his other hand as he spoke, pointing to each of them in turn. Noah didn¡¯t have to worry about if Yoru could see with her mask on. She¡¯d already made it quite clear that she could.

    The small demon made no move to acknowledge his words, but he saw her head move slightly with his hand. That was progress.

    ¡°Keep breathing. In and out. Deep,¡± Noah continued. ¡°What about touch? You¡¯re holding the chair pretty hard. What else can you touch? Can you touch four things?¡±

    He ignored the baffled looks Moxie and Pirren sent him as he watched Yoru closely. It was difficult to read the demon with her mask on, but her breathing had started to slow and her hands gradually unclenched from the chair.

    ¡°Are smells better?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Can you smell anything? You don¡¯t have to answer out loud. Just think. Think and breathe.¡±

    Yoru¡¯s hands fully unclenched from the chair. Her head tilted back slightly. ¡°Blood. I taste blood.¡±

    ¡°That would be because your mask is covered in it. Stay with me. Just keep breathing. Are you feeling better?¡±

    ¡°You ¡ª I ¡ª  yes. I am fine.¡± Some of the strength returned to Yoru¡¯s voice, but she still sounded badly shaken.

    ¡°Are you sick with something?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Where are your parents? Are they here?¡±

    ¡°Dead,¡± Yoru replied, her voice going distant.

    Fuck. Goddamn it. Of course they¡¯re dead. It¡¯s a random demon kid. Why wouldn¡¯t their parents be dead? Not a rich brat, then. A rich heiress. One of unknown actual age and power. I was not trained for this, but I¡¯m pretty sure bringing up a kid¡¯s dead parents isn¡¯t the best way to ground them.

    ¡°Deep breaths,¡± Noah repeated, somewhat ineffectively. He was surprised to find that it actually seemed to work. Yoru was coming to again.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sick,¡± Yoru said. She lifted a hand to her blooded mask, then let it drop before touching anything. ¡°I am fine.¡±

    You most certainly do not look fine. What do rich kids do when they throw up?

    ¡°Do you have a butler or something?¡± Noah asked hesitantly. ¡°Maybe you should get some moist towelettes.¡±

    ¡°Moist towelettes?¡± Moxie mouthed, squinting at him. Aylin looked equally baffled, and Pirren seemed to still have yet to remember she could change her expression at will.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°I do not have a butler. I have an aide,¡± Yoru said. ¡°He is not present.¡±

    Kind of useless then, isn¡¯t he? If you¡¯re going to be rich, shouldn¡¯t you at least keep your staff around for when you randomly start bleeding out of your eyes and mouth? God, am I that ugly or something?

    ¡°Okay. That¡¯s fine,¡± Noah said, making sure to keep his calm tone. ¡°Do you need anything? Maybe you should clean your mask off¡ª¡±

    ¡°No. It is fine. I am fine,¡± Yoru said, but it sounded like she was trying to convince him as much as she was trying to convince herself.

    ¡°Okay. If you¡¯re sure, then I won¡¯t insist,¡± Noah said. He released Yoru¡¯s shoulder and lowered himself back into his chair to give her a little room. ¡°Take your time.¡±

    ¡°I do not need any more time,¡± Yoru said. ¡°This was sufficient. I saw what I needed to.¡±

    Okay. Now I¡¯m offended. She popped like a blood balloon because of me? That¡¯s just rude.

    Moxie and Aylin both sent Noah equally confused looks. Noah couldn¡¯t help but notice that it didn¡¯t look like Aylin had taken a single metaphorical bite out of Yoru despite everything that had just happened. It wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t already known that to be true, but it was even more proof of Yoru¡¯s strength.

    If she¡¯d managed to keep enough composure to prevent Aylin¡¯s magic from touching her, she was either impressively strong or incredibly well trained. Noah was currently still leaning toward the former.

    ¡°Okay. That¡¯s fine. We¡¯re all just happy you aren¡¯t sick. Do you¡­ often burst into blood at the sight of people¡¯s faces? Or was that just a me thing?¡±

    ¡°That particular phenomena was reserved entirely for you.¡± A touch more of Yoru¡¯s normal tone returned to her voice as she steadily took control of herself once more. Whatever had happened, she was either recovering quickly or putting up a very good act of it.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve always loved being special,¡± Noah said. The longer they kept the topic on more mundane matters, the better. Yoru was a really small demon. She didn¡¯t have that much blood to waste. ¡°Maybe we should take a small break or something. No need to push yourself too hard.¡±

    ¡°There is no need.¡± Yoru¡¯s words were as firm as iron. She placed a hand on the piece of leather bearing the rune she¡¯d bought in the auction and pushed it across the table to Noah. ¡°Here.¡±

    He blinked. This really didn¡¯t seem like the time for it, but if Yoru didn¡¯t want to dwell on whatever the hell had just happened, it was probably best to let the topic change completely. Noah took the leather and nodded in appreciation.

    ¡°Thank you, Yoru. This is a really kind gift. Is¡­ there a reason you¡¯re giving it to me?¡±

    ¡°It is a gift.¡±

    Right. Gathered that bit. Agh. I really wanted to ask her how she knew about Mascot, but I refuse to be the reason a little kid has a heart attack and starts gushing blood from her face for the second time.

    ¡°Well, thank you. I don¡¯t have anything of any interest to properly repay it right now,¡± Noah scratched the back of his neck and sending a pleading glance in Moxie¡¯s direction. He didn¡¯t make it a habit of carrying around toys. He couldn¡¯t even know what kind of toys a fourteen year old would ¡ª

    Wait. She¡¯s a powerful demon, not just a child. I¡¯m not sure when I started thinking of her as just a kid but underestimating her would be a very poor idea. She¡¯s still almost certainly more powerful than I am.

    Noah looked back at Yoru. She¡¯d hugged her knees to her chest and sat in her chair at the head of the table quietly. A powerful demon she may have been, but power didn¡¯t negate every single problem.

    Having powerful runes doesn¡¯t magically make you not want to have things that everyone else does, and it certainly can¡¯t give you a family. A house is only a home when there¡¯s someone to go back to. This environment can¡¯t be good for her.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Noah said, his eyes lighting up as an idea finally struck him. ¡°I know. It¡¯s a little empty here, don¡¯t you think? Why don¡¯t we head back to Aylin¡¯s camp?¡±

    Pirren finally remembered that her body could move and mustered every last scrap of self-confidence in her body to send an aghast look in Noah¡¯s direction. ¡°There¡¯s no way she¡ª¡±

    Yoru turned to look at the Knowledge Demon. ¡°His camp? It is yours.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s his,¡± Noah said with a shake of his head. ¡°He¡¯s doing all the work to take care of it. Besides, I really don¡¯t want the responsibility of managing that many demons. Aylin controls the camp. He just works for me.¡±

    ¡°I see. I am partial to this request.¡±

    Pirren started to nod sagely before realizing that Yoru had just agreed to the offer instead of saying no. The snake demon blinked, then seemed to realize that she had already spent every last drop of emotion that her body could muster.

    ¡°Ah,¡± Pirren said. ¡°Right. Of course. May I be excused to go back to my egg?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Yoru said.

    ¡°Right,¡± Pirren said. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I didn¡¯t want to go back anyway.¡±

    ¡°Lie,¡± Aylin muttered under his breath, just barely loud enough for Noah to pick his words up.

    ¡°Good,¡± Yoru said. She rose from her chair and wiped at some of the blood running from her mask. It looked like the majority of the bleeding had stopped, but she still really hadn¡¯t had a chance to clean anything yet.

    ¡°Did you want to clean up first?¡± Noah asked. ¡°We can wait. It isn¡¯t a problem.¡±

    It was a second before Yoru spoke again. ¡°No. I will clean later. Blood is not a significant impediment. There is no reason to cause delay. My aide will gather everything I need and bring it to me. I will use a spare bed in one of the tents at your camp.¡±

    Noah shrugged. That was just fine with him. He had gotten what he wanted, after all. The sooner he could get back to the camp and make sure Lee was doing fine, the better. Then, a moment later, he actually processed what Yoru had just said.

    He¡¯d been offering to come back to his camp so they could speak further and he could figure out how she knew about Mascot, but it seemed that she¡¯d taken that as an invitation to move in.

    Noah couldn¡¯t bring himself to correct Yoru. Powerful demon or not, the room they were in was just depressing. It was so empty and devoid of everything that an actual home should have had. A kid deserved better. Granted, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure a camp full of murderous demons was any better, but it wasn¡¯t like any of them were going to pose a threat to Yoru.

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s fine with me,¡± Noah said, not entirely sure how things had ended up like this but left with no path but the one before him. ¡°Let¡¯s get going, then.¡±

    I think I might have just inadvertently adopted a demon.

 Chapter 507: Who are you?

    The trip back to the Web¡¯s camp was quiet and went without any incident or events of note. There were a few demons wandering around in the market square and standing watch from the rooftops around it. None of them did anything to draw Noah¡¯s attention, though that was probably more out of self-preservation than any other reason.

    ¡°Well, here we are,¡± Noah said as they came to a stop in front of the large command tent. ¡°I¡¯d imagine there should be an empty tent somewhere, so we can¡ª¡±

    ¡°That one,¡± Yoru said, pointing to a small tent to the right of the one that Noah, Moxie, and Lee had taken up residence in. ¡°It is newly vacant.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± Noah asked, arching an eyebrow. ¡°I was unaware. How did you know?¡±

    ¡°Because I will make it vacant.¡±

    Ah. I suppose I should have seen that coming. She¡¯s still a rich kid, after all. A rich kid in a demon society.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure we can find a tent that isn¡¯t occupied,¡± Noah said. He couldn¡¯t hold Yoru¡¯s actions against her. She hadn¡¯t had any guidance ¡ª and if she had, it was probably from the wrong kind of people. But just because her past wasn¡¯t ideal didn¡¯t mean he was going to let her just keep acting that way if she was going to join his camp. ¡°There are a lot of tents. No point being an asshole to someone just because you can. Save it for a purpose, yeah?¡±

    Yoru tilted her head to the side. ¡°You imply that the demon inside that tent has a greater worth to you than I do?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not how things work, Yoru,¡± Moxie said gently. ¡°It¡¯s about giving people a place they can want to return to. A lot of demons are relying on Aylin right now and he¡¯s trying to prove that he¡¯s the best of all the streetlords. There would be no reason to follow him when Spider isn¡¯t around if that doesn¡¯t hold true. Nobody will want to be here if they¡¯re constantly worried another demon will just take what is theirs.¡±

    ¡°That does not make sense. Those without power cannot expect to possess anything. All you own is only yours so long as you can protect it. This is a fact that every demon knows well. It will not surprise them.¡±

    ¡°That may be true in the rest of the Damned Plains, but this is Aylin¡¯s camp ¡ª and through him, it is mine,¡± Noah said, putting a hand on Yoru¡¯s shoulder. ¡°And we have enough enemies outside our walls to avoid making new ones within them. You¡¯ll have a tent that suits your needs and doesn¡¯t require you to steal it from someone weaker. Besides, doesn¡¯t it feel a bit bad punching down?¡±

    ¡°No. Victory is victory, regardless of the opponent.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Noah said with a small sigh. ¡°We¡¯ll work on that. How about I introduce you and Pirren to the other important members of the camp?¡±

    ¡°You implied that everyone in your camp was important. Are we going to meet all of them?¡± There was a note of faint amusement buried deep within Yoru¡¯s tone.

    Great. Not just a kid, but a rebellious one.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the place to get into a philosophical debate over the worth of lives. I think we¡¯d be at it for a while. For now, suffice to say everyone in my camp has value, but some have more value than others. An ill kept sword will rust and shatter when brought to battle. I just like some swords more than others.¡±

    ¡°So they are all tools and you do not wish them damaged. I understand.¡±

    Noah sighed. Out of everything he¡¯d been trying to get across, that hadn¡¯t been the bit he¡¯d hoped she¡¯d fixate on. At least it meant she probably wouldn¡¯t go around attacking random members of his camp because she liked the way their shirts looked and wanted them for herself.

    Viewing everyone as a tool was still a pretty bad way to view life, but at least she saw them as useful tools that weren¡¯t to be damaged. She was still a demon after all. Small steps toward progress were key.

    ¡°Close enough,¡± Noah decided, guiding Yoru and the others toward the entrance of the large tent. ¡°There are a few people you should meet now, though. They¡¯re powerful demons that are instrumental to my plans.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    His tremorsense picked up on several demons within it. Two smaller forms sat near the middle of the tent, while a third paced back and forth in front of them. One was slumped in the chair in front of the seated demons, while the final stood near the entrance, as stiff as a rod.

    Noah pushed the tent flap open and headed inside with the rest of his group. The demon at the entrance was none other than Vrith, who peered right past Noah with a look of concern on her features. She spotted Aylin and some of the tension left her stiff shoulders before she hurriedly set about looking bored.

    Violet didn¡¯t even bother hiding anything. She¡¯d been pacing in front of Torick and Edda, but her eyes lit up when she saw them return and she ground to a halt.

    The demons sitting on the ground behind her ¡ª who Noah was unsurprised to find to be Torrick and Edda ¡ª both looked over, faces stuffed chock-full of food. Torick¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and he choked, grasping at his neck.

    Edda smacked him on the back with enough force to launch all the food from his mouth, which she wasted absolutely no time in stealing and shoving into her own.

    There was a small pile of dried meats and cheeses between them and the throne, in which Lee had draped herself. She looked like a discarded beach blanket and was currently in the process of stretching out one of her feet in attempt to snag something without having to actually stand up.

    Lee looked up as they all made their way inside. She raised a hand in greeting, accidentally losing her grip on the chair, and fell onto her backside with a grunt. That somehow didn¡¯t stop her from snagging the piece of cheese she¡¯d been reaching for.

    Noah repressed a sigh.

    Glad to know we¡¯ve still got first impressions under good wraps.

    ¡°Well, this is convenient. Everyone¡¯s in one spot,¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯d like to properly introduce you all.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve already met,¡± Lee said.

    Noah blinked. ¡°You have?¡±

    ¡°Yes. This is Torrick, and this is Edda.¡± She pointed to the small demons in turn. ¡°The one pacing around and worrying about Aylin is Violet, and the one that was pacing around and worrying about Aylin before she went over to stand at the door and pretend like she was relaxed is Vrith.¡±

    Vrith¡¯s shoulders slumped as her cover was blown.

    ¡°I meant the new demons, Lee,¡± Noah said, but he was fairly certain that Lee should have already known that. She should have smelled them coming from a mile away ¡ª which meant she was either incredibly distracted or trying to act dumber than she was. Either way, it was proably best to just play along until he figured out what it was. ¡°Pirren visited briefly before, but this is Yoru. She¡¯s going to be staying in the camp with us for a little while.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. I remember Pirren.¡± Lee squinted at them. Then her nose scrunched and her head tilted to the side. ¡°Yoru smells.¡±

    Noah tensed. He trusted Lee¡¯s nose a whole lot more than he did any of his own observations. If Yoru was manipulating them or was a threat, he refused to let himself be caught off guard.

    It really didn¡¯t seem like Yoru was planning to try and screw us over, but if Lee caught something that I missed¡­

    ¡°You should take a bath,¡± Lee continued. ¡°It¡¯s been too long since your last one.¡±

    It took every scrap of willpower Noah had to avoid letting out a surprised laugh. He hadn¡¯t expected Lee to be speaking about a literal smell. He hadn¡¯t really noticed anything off about Yoru, but it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d been going around sniffing her either.

    The small demon looked down at her hands, then back up at Lee. ¡°I do?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°There are probably slightly more polite ways to say that, Lee,¡± Noah said gently. ¡°But we have all been walking around for a while. I¡¯m sure we could all use some tidying up but let me finish introductions first.¡±

    ¡°There is no need,¡± Yoru said. Her head tilted to the side and nearly five seconds of uncomfortable silence passed before she returned to her normal position. ¡°I have familiarized myself with everyone present.¡±

    ¡°It takes more than a brief introduction for that,¡± Noah said. ¡°I know you¡¯re used to living alone, but it¡¯s important to make friends.¡±

    ¡°I am already aware of their names and desires.¡± Yoru pointed at Vrith. ¡°This is Vrith. She is thinking about stabbing me. She is also thinking about Aylin.¡±

    Noah blinked.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she isn¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, I was,¡± Vrith said, staring at Yoru with wide eyes. ¡°It¡¯s important to find the fastest way to kill anyone when you first meet them in case they try to betray you¡­ but I most certainly was not thinking about Aylin.¡±

    Embarrassment tinged her cheeks with enough intensity to make it absolutely clear to Noah that Vrith was lying through her teeth. Yoru had read her perfectly.

    ¡°It was in your eyes,¡± Yoru replied. She turned to the rest of the room and pointed at one demon after the other. ¡°Torrick. He wants to hide. Edda. She is hungry. Lee. She wants to eat me. She also thinks I smell bad. Violet. She loves Aylin and is worried I pose him a threat.¡±

    Noah stared at Yoru in disbelief. This was more than just finding a way to detect the magic that someone else was using.

    That¡¯s not the first time Yoru has known more than she should. What the hell is up with her? Does she have a way to read people¡¯s minds or something? God, I really hope she¡¯s not a Mind Rune user. I hate Mind Runes.

    ¡°How did you know that?¡± Violet demanded, saving Noah from having to figure out a way to ask the very same thing. She took a step forward and her lips thinned as she watched the other demon warily. ¡°Who are you?¡±

 Chapter 508: Questions

    ¡°I am Yoru.¡±

    ¡°I think I was a little more interested in the second question,¡± Violet said. She shifted her stance and rolled her neck. ¡°A lot of demons would take someone knowing everything about them as a threat.¡±

    ¡°I do not know everything about you.¡±

    ¡°Then how did you know what we were thinking?¡± Vrith asked.

    ¡°Your eyes. I already informed you. If you are asking for the identity of my runes, then I will not be answering. That is my knowledge alone. I will not speak on any part of¡ª¡±

    ¡°Do you have Mind Runes?¡± Noah asked, making sure to keep his tone measured. There was no point getting testy before she could even answer him. It wasn¡¯t like Demons could do much about what runes they had, but he wasn¡¯t willing to leave the question unanswered.

    ¡°No,¡± Yoru said immediately. ¡°I have 5 Moonlight Runes and a Master Rune. None of them are related to Mind Runes.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you weren¡¯t going to speak about your runes?¡± Aylin asked.

    ¡°That was before Spider asked.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate the honesty,¡± Noah said. He wished Aylin could have read her, but Yoru seemed to be telling the truth anyway. Almost nobody would just share the exact details of their runes with other people. As long as Yoru wasn¡¯t doing anything out of line, he had no reason to hold her to a different standard. That all went a long way to reassure him. It didn¡¯t, however, do much to help her standing with the others in the tent. Noah blew out a sigh. ¡°But I have to say, you¡¯ve missed something, Yoru.¡±

    ¡°I did?¡± A trace of panic entered the small demon¡¯s voice. ¡°What is it? What did I miss?¡±

    ¡°Knowing someone¡¯s name and predicting what they¡¯re going to say doesn¡¯t mean you know them. That¡¯s not a relationship. If you¡¯re going to stay at my camp, you¡¯ll be seeing everyone here quite a bit. I expect everyone to get along. I do not tolerate in-fighting.¡±

    Everyone in the room stiffened as his voice grew taut.

    ¡°We won¡¯t cause problems,¡± Aylin promised.

    I think Yoru is more likely to cause issues than you are, buddy.

    ¡°How are we supposed to be friendly with someone that can read our minds?¡± Violet asked. ¡°But I will do everything I can to execute your orders, Spider.¡±

    ¡°I cannot read your mind. I can simply predict your thoughts to a very high degree of accuracy.¡± Yoru said. Her head tilted slightly. ¡°And no, I do not have the slightest degree of interest in Aylin. He is a child.¡±

    ¡°As are you,¡± Vrith said, sending Yoru a pointed look.

    ¡°I am not¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yoru, there¡¯s nothing wrong with being young,¡± Noah said with a chuckle.

    The masked demon turned to stare up at him for a second. Then she inclined her head. ¡°I lost my perspective. You are correct. I am a child.¡±

    So please speak like one, good god.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t trying to pick you apart here,¡± Noah said, crouching so he was at eye level with Yoru. ¡°I invited you here so you¡¯d be able to relax and spend time with others. Let your guard down a bit. Have fun. Okay?¡±

    ¡°I will attempt to do as you ask.¡±

    That was probably about as good of a promise as he was going to get for the time being.

    ¡°Great,¡± Noah said. He straightened back out and gave everyone a nod. ¡°Aylin, would you find Yoru an unoccupied tent to stay in?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll look into it immediately,¡± Aylin said. ¡°I¡¯m sure¡ª¡±

    ¡°She can stay in mine,¡± Violet said, her eyes locked onto Yoru¡¯s mask. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯d be thrilled to get to know each other better, just as Spider requested.¡±

    Noah gave Violet an approving nod. He was entirely aware she¡¯d only said it so she¡¯d have more time to interrogate Yoru, but he wanted those answers just as badly as everyone else in the room did.

    It¡¯s better for Violet to do it than me. Speaking to someone her age should help Yoru relax and realize we aren¡¯t out to get her. I¡¯d prefer that to having to interrogate the poor girl myself.

    ¡°That sounds like a brilliant idea,¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯m going to head back into my tent. I¡¯ve got some work to do with the runes I just bought. If anyone needs me, you know where to look. Just make sure it¡¯s important.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Yoru said.

    Wary glances passed through the room, and almost all of them were directed in Yoru¡¯s direction. Noah held back a grimace. She certainly had her work cut out for her if she was going to get along with anyone.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    I¡¯m sure Yoru will be fine. She¡¯s just a bit¡­ posh. I¡¯m just going to go remove myself from this situation. That¡¯s the whole point of having subordinates, after all. Why deal with drama when they can handle it themselves?

    ¡°Great. Have fun, kids,¡± Noah said, spinning on his heel and striding out of the tent. He held the flap open for Moxie as she followed after him, then glanced over his shoulder. ¡°And don¡¯t kill each other.¡±

    ***

    Violet stood quietly as the tent shut fell shut behind Spider. There were so many different thoughts rushing through her head and vying for attention that it was difficult to isolate one at a time.

    Nobody else said a word. They just all stood silent. It was impossible to blame any of them. Violet couldn¡¯t claim that she was intimately familiar with Spider. She wasn¡¯t sure anyone was.

    But, in the short time she had known Spider, she¡¯d been subjected to a number of baffling events that she never could have guessed she¡¯d partake in. She¡¯d witnessed power beyond imagination. She¡¯d stared death in the eyes and it had given her runes. And, somehow, compared to Aylin, she¡¯d barely even experienced anything at all.

    Her world had been turned on its head multiple times but she still hadn¡¯t been prepared to see the most terrifying demon she¡¯d ever met act like¡­ well, that.

    She clearly wasn¡¯t the only one who had noticed it.

    ¡°Was that really Spider?¡± Vrith asked hesitantly, watching the still moving tarp entrance of the tent as if Spider was about to pop right back in.

    ¡°It was him. He just gets like that sometimes.¡± Lee said, stretching her arms over her head and yawning. She rose from where she sat on the ground and snagged a second piece of cheese before heading out of the tent.

    ¡°It¡¯s him,¡± Aylin confirmed. ¡°I was with him the whole time we were¡ª¡±

    Lee poked her head back through the tent flap, a piece of cheese stuffed into her mouth, and thrust a finger at Yoru. ¡°Don¡¯t forget Yoru bath.¡±

    Then she was gone again. Violet exchanged a look with Aylin. Then they all looked at Yoru.

    ¡°I am confused,¡± Violet said. ¡°Was that a pun?¡±

    Yoru sniffed at her arm. ¡°I do not stink.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯d scrub my skin so hard it came off if Lee told me to,¡± Vrith said with a shudder. ¡°I¡¯ve seen what she can do. Just do what she says. You might as well consider her orders as coming straight from Spider. A very hungry, slightly insane Spider.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Yoru said.

    Violet looked at the demon out of the corners of her eyes. Yoru was shorter than she was ¡ª shorter than she¡¯d been before Spider had gifted her runes that had filled her body out. The mask covered her features, but even her voice sounded young.

    Her words, however, did not. There was something deeply unsettling about Yoru. The demon carried herself with the presence of a king, not a child. She found it incredibly difficult to believe that Yoru was anywhere near their age.

    I need to find out more. I won¡¯t let someone put any of my people in danger. They¡¯re mine. She can¡¯t hurt them. If she¡¯s got any ill intentions, I¡¯ll find out ¡ª and then I¡¯ll tell Spider.

    ¡°Come on, Yoru,¡± Violet said, fighting to keep her words as friendly as possible and not doing a particularly good job of it. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look at my tent and get to know each other a little better.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I¡¯m glad you sound so thrilled about it. Trust me, I¡¯m just as annoyed.

    ¡°Keep an eye on them for me, would you?¡± Violet asked, sending a look at Edda and Torrick.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Aylin replied. ¡°It looks like they¡¯ve got more than enough food to keep them occupied for the time being anyway. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have to do much.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you,¡± Violet said with a wry smile. ¡°I heard what Yoru said about what you were thinking, Vrith. Hands off.¡±

    ¡°I ¡ª what?¡± Vrith choked on her own saliva and doubled over, coughing into her fist.

    Edda gave a thumbs up. Aylin just sighed and Violet repressed a laugh as she stepped out of the tent, letting the flap fall shut behind her. Yoru stepped out a moment later.

    ¡°The tent is this¡­¡± Violet started, then trailed off as Yoru stepped past her and walked right over to her tent.

    ¡°Here,¡± Yoru finished, ducking into the tent.

    Violet¡¯s eye twitched. She followed after Yoru. The small tent she¡¯d taken over really wasn¡¯t big enough for two people. It only had enough room for a single bedroll, though they could probably stuff a second one into it if they really wanted to.

    There was a small desk that lacked a chair to the side of the tent ¡ª Violet hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to use it. She¡¯d spent most of her recent time in the command tent, but it was too difficult to interrogate Yoru with other people there. There were too many distractions. Too many risks if something went wrong.

    Now that they were alone, she could ¡ª

    ¡°You will find nothing that I do not give you,¡± Yoru said.

    Violet¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Stop doing that. How are you doing that? Did you lie about not having Mind Runes?¡±

    ¡°No. Lying to Spider is ill-advised.¡±

    ¡°Then how?¡± Violet demanded. ¡°You¡¯re reading my mind!¡±

    ¡°I am not. I am predicting your words. There is a difference.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just skip all of this, shall we?¡± Violet asked, her jaw tight as she took a step toward Yoru. ¡°I want to know what you¡¯re after. There¡¯s no way you¡¯re just a random kid. I don¡¯t believe it.¡±

    ¡°I have little interest in you. So long as you do not oppose me, then we will have no reason to interact.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Violet said dryly. ¡°No reason aside from the part that we¡¯re going to be living in the same tent. That¡¯s not going to work on me. I recognize someone that has an agenda when I see them. Until you tell me what it is, I¡¯m going to be all the way up your ass.¡±

    ¡°Crass words will do nothing to intimidate me. You lack the power to influence my actions.¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Violet allowed. ¡°But you can¡¯t do anything to me either. Because if you do¡ª¡±

    ¡°Spider would be incredibly displeased,¡± Yoru said, finishing Violet¡¯s sentence for her. ¡°Yes. I already considered that.¡±

    ¡°Of course you did. Go take your bath, then. Keep your goals to yourself. Spider will find them out eventually. Good luck making any¡ª¡±

    ¡°Friends,¡± Yoru muttered.

    Violet¡¯s eye twitched.

    ¡°Stop that.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Yoru said.

    ¡°Understand what?¡± Violet asked. ¡°You¡¯re literally the one that just stole the words from my mouth. You said them yourself. What is there to not understand?¡±

    ¡°I know the words, but I don¡¯t understand them,¡± Yoru said. Violet was surprised to hear a note of distress entering the smaller demon¡¯s voice. Yoru¡¯s head tilted to the side. ¡°What is a friend?¡±

 Chapter 509: What is love?

    Violet squinted at Yoru in search of any derision or sarcasm. There was none. As far as she could tell, the masked demon was being completely honest with her ¡ª and if anything, that only made it odder.

    ¡°What do you mean, what is a friend?¡± Violet asked, baffled as she sat back against her desk, using it for the first time as she scooted back to get a better seat and stained the back of her pants with dust in the process.

    ¡°Exactly what I said.¡± Yoru went to sit down on the bedroll at her feet. Violet¡¯s eyes narrowed. They¡¯d just been walking around all day, and the demon was hardly clean. Even though her bedroll was far from a paramount of cleanliness, it was hers. Violet didn¡¯t get a chance to say anything. Even as her lips parted, Yoru paused.

    ¡°I am not dirty.¡±

    ¡°You did it again,¡± Violet snapped, her eyes going narrow. ¡°Stop reading my damn mind, you creep. No wonder you¡¯re asking what a friend is if this is how you act. Doesn¡¯t surprise me in the slightest.¡±

    Yoru¡¯s head tiled to the side, a movement that Violet was quickly starting to associate with when the masked demon was doing¡­ whatever it was that she did.

    ¡°You would have been displeased if I sat down.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well I¡¯m even more displeased that you¡¯re digging through my damn head,¡± Violet snapped.

    ¡°Less displeased than if I sat down.¡±

    Violet considered that for a second and was annoyed to find that Yoru was right. If anything, that just annoyed her even more.

    ¡°Forget it,¡± Violet said with a sigh. ¡°Just stay away from Aylin. Torrick and Edda too. I don¡¯t want you anywhere near them.¡±

    ¡°I do not have any intention to harm any of them at the current point in time.¡± Yoru bundled her long, white hair up and lowered herself to the ground and crossing her legs beneath herself. She plopped the ball of hair down in her lap.

    That¡¯s an odd way to phrase it. Anyone else would say ¡®I¡¯m not any threat to them¡¯, not ¡®I don¡¯t plan on being a problem right now, but who knows about later. We¡¯ll see, teehee¡¯. What is wrong with this girl?

    ¡°What¡ª¡±

    ¡°There is nothing wrong with me.¡±

    ¡°Gods damn it,¡± Violet snapped, thrusting a finger at Yoru. ¡°I told you to fucking stop. What is your problem? If you can predict the future, then why do you keep doing this?¡±

    ¡°Because it is the path in which you tell me what a friend is.¡±

    Violet¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°Did you consider that I could just stand up here and now? I could walk out of this tent and tell Spider that you¡¯ve got something seriously wrong with your head. Why would I tell you anything, much less waste time on such a stupid question?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± Yoru said. ¡°You are too interested in learning about my goals to pass up the chance. I will tell you what you wish to know if you answer my questions.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a right bitch, you know that?¡± Violet asked, jaw clenched in irritation. ¡°How do I know you¡¯re going to tell the truth? Nobody would just reveal the exact details of their plan if it was nefarious.¡±

    ¡°Because you will not ask any questions I need to avoid answering and the offer is too tempting for you to refuse.¡±

    It was a battle to keep Violet¡¯s true thoughts from showing on her face. A battle she won, but she was pretty sure it didn¡¯t even matter. Yoru probably knew what she was thinking anyway. A huge part of her just wanted to spin and leave the room just to spite the other demon, but Yoru was right.

    The chance to find out more about Yoru was just too important to pass up. Violet pushed away from her table and sat down across from Yoru, slapping her palms down on her knees.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Violet said. ¡°What¡¯s the point of this in the first place? Can¡¯t you just read the answer from my mind?¡±

    ¡°I know what your answer is, but the meaning of it evades me. I do not understand.¡±

    ¡°That makes absolutely no sense, but I¡¯ll humor you. A friend is someone you love.¡±

    ¡°I do not understand.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I figured that much. What part of that do you understand?¡±

    ¡°I understand that you do not understand me. I do not understand what a friend is. I do not understand what love is, either. Because I do not understand love, I do not understand what a friend is.¡±

    ¡°You could have just said you didn¡¯t get what love was, but I probably should have guessed,¡± Violet muttered. ¡°You¡ª¡±

    Yoru tilted her head to the side.

    ¡°I told you to stop,¡± Violet exclaimed, giving up on her previous sentence. ¡°I am answering your stupid questions. Why are you trying to read my mind?¡±

    ¡°It is not mind reading. I am predicting your answers.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Why? I am answering them now. Literally right now. As we speak. What is the point of figuring out what I¡¯m going to say before I say it when I¡¯ve already agreed to say it?¡±

    ¡°To know what you are going to say. I am not going to do that.¡±

    ¡°Stop doing ¡ª wait.¡± Violet¡¯s mouth dropped open. ¡°Did you just answer my question before I asked it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Yoru¡¯s head tilted to the other side and her back stiffened. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You need to stop ¡ª oh, damn it all. I hate you. Seriously, stop answering my questions before I ask them. You need to stop reading my mind. If you want me to answer your questions, turn that shit off. Speak to me like a normal demon. In fact, I can promise you that you¡¯re never going to understand what friendship or love or any of that is if you don¡¯t stop all of this.¡±

    Nearly three seconds passed in silence. For a moment, Violet thought that Yoru was contemplating her words. Then she realized that the other demon¡¯s head was tilted to the side.

    Is she¡­

    ¡°You do not budge on this,¡± Yoru said, a note of surprise entering her voice. ¡°We argue for nearly an hour before you give up and leave if I do not do this.¡±

    ¡°You can see the future that far out?¡± Violet tried to keep the disbelief from her voice and failed completely. ¡°How? Although I will admit that¡¯s actually kind of useful. We¡¯re going to get nowhere if you don¡¯t meet me on even ground.¡±

    ¡°I am strong,¡± Yoru replied simply. Her head returned to a normal position and there was another pause. This time, Violet couldn¡¯t tell if Yoru was looking into the future or simply thinking. ¡°I am¡­ uneasy. I do not want to not know. It scares me.¡±

    Just how strong is Yoru? Definitely stronger than me if she¡¯s telling the truth about being able to see that far into the future. But for someone so strong, she¡¯s surprisingly open about her thoughts and feelings. What a strange demon.

    ¡°That¡¯s normal,¡± Violet said, heaving out a sigh and shaking her head. ¡°Up to you, Yoru. But if you do that future crap one more time, we¡¯re done. I¡¯m leaving. Go ahead, use your future sight or whatever it is. You¡¯ll see I¡¯m dead serious.¡±

    ¡°If I use it, that would be one more time.¡±

    ¡°I ¡ª oh, just do it.¡±

    ¡°I already did. You are telling the truth.¡±

    Violet couldn¡¯t quite tell if she was irritated or not. Speaking to Yoru kind of felt like sticking her head into a pot and banging it with a wooden spoon until her ears rung. She ran her hands through her hair and arched an eyebrow.

    ¡°So?¡±

    It was several more seconds before Yoru spoke again.

    ¡°I will not stop, but I will suspend my powers for the next few minutes. I am not comfortable doing it for longer.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s as good as we¡¯re going to get,¡± Violet said.

    You smell like day old meat. And cheese. Your hair is also stupid looking. You should cut it before you trip over it and fall on that dumb mask of yours.

    ¡°It is,¡± Yoru agreed. ¡°Now tell me about what a friend is.¡±

    Yoru didn¡¯t say anything about Violet¡¯s thoughts. Either she was lying or she¡¯d actually stopped looking into Violet¡¯s head. There was no way to know for sure.

    ¡°The answer didn¡¯t change just because you don¡¯t understand it,¡± Violet replied. ¡°It¡¯s someone you love, and someone that loves you. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to describe love.¡±

    ¡°Try.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think any number of words could ever truly describe love. It¡¯s something you have to experience, not hear about.¡±

    ¡°Try anyway.¡±

    Violet chewed the insides of her cheeks for a second. ¡°Love is giving someone your last piece of food when you¡¯re starving. It¡¯s putting your life in someone¡¯s hands and taking theirs in your own.¡±

    ¡°Being willing to die for someone? That does not sound like a beneficial thing. Why would I desire to risk myself for another? All that matters is my own survival.¡±

    There wasn¡¯t a hint of derision or, for that matter, emotion of any kind in Yoru¡¯s voice. It sounded like she was just stating a fact. The idea of caring for someone other than herself was completely foreign to her.

    ¡°That¡¯s the complete wrong way to look at it,¡± Violet said. ¡°Love isn¡¯t transactional. Friendship isn¡¯t about giving something and getting something. It¡¯s about being with people that make you happy.¡±

    Yoru was silent for a moment.

    ¡°What is happy?¡±

    ¡°Oh, fuck me,¡± Violet said, burying her face in her hands. ¡°Do you know the definition of a single word?¡±

    ¡°I know the definition. I do not understand the word.¡±

    ¡°I refuse to believe you do not understand the meaning of happiness.¡± Violet raised her head again. ¡°Maybe this isn¡¯t the best example, but haven¡¯t you ever gotten something you wanted?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°I get everything I want,¡± Yoru said. ¡°The future exists as I craft it. I have never failed to achieve my desires. There have been longer and shorter routes, but every single one leads to victory.¡±

    Of course.

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me you haven¡¯t failed? Not once?¡±

    ¡°In a complete plan? No. I have only received setbacks, but that is only because the probabilities of the future are ever-shifting. So long as I can view them, I am in control. I have felt fear. I have seen death, but a path remains in the dark.¡±

    Violet stared at Yoru. It was difficult to comprehend what she was saying. Everyone lost. Even the most powerful demons occasionally didn¡¯t win a fight, or they didn¡¯t have something go exactly as planned.

    It was incomprehensible to think someone could have literally just never been in a position where they¡¯d felt defeat.

    ¡°What about before you got your magic? You weren¡¯t born with that powerful rune, were you?¡± Violet pressed. ¡°There has to be a time that you didn¡¯t just¡­ win.¡±

    The other demon stiffened slightly. ¡°I do not have many memories of my time before I got my rune. The ones I have are not pleasant. I do not wish to relive them. But, even if I did, they are so muted that I can barely recall them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ really sad, actually,¡± Violet said, surprised to find that the predominant emotion she felt was pity.

    If Yoru was serious, then she¡¯d literally never had a chance to feel anything. There was no way to feel happy if you¡¯d never had loss to compare it to. If everything always went the exact way that Yoru wanted it to, then how could she ever celebrate a victory? Winning wasn¡¯t possible when losing wasn¡¯t either. It sounded so¡­ flat. Empty.

    If this is actually true¡­ Spider might actually be right. It doesn¡¯t matter how old Yoru is. She might as well be child if she¡¯s literally never had a chance to live.

    ¡°Why is it sad?¡± Yoru asked. ¡°I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t understand,¡± Violet finished.

    Yoru¡¯s hands tightened around her hair and she gave it a small tug. ¡°I¡­ do not like that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well now you know how it feels.¡± Violet tried not to let herself sound too smug. ¡°But I¡¯ve got good news for you. If you¡¯re actually serious about wanting to know what friendship and all that other shit is, then I know how to do it.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Yoru asked. ¡°I want to know. I hate not knowing.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to hate this even more,¡± Violet muttered under her breath before returning to her normal volume. ¡°You need to stop using your powers.¡±

 Chapter 510: Running

    ¡°No,¡± Yoru said, her voice going as flat as a steel plate.

    Violet shrugged. It wasn¡¯t her problem in the end. She didn¡¯t care about Yoru ¡ª but she did care about any potential threat the demon posed. She leaned forward and braced her arms against her crossed legs. ¡°Whatever. I don¡¯t care what you do, but I do care about what you plan. I already gave you your answer, so now you have to give me mine. What do you want with Aylin?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. He is of no interest to me beyond his connection to Spider. He is nothing but a drone in a hive.¡± Yoru reached up to her mask. Her fingers brushed across its ceramic surface. Then she let her hand drop again. ¡°I am not satisfied with the answer you have given me.¡±

    ¡°Too bad,¡± Violet said with a sharp laugh. ¡°That¡¯s how things work for everyone else. Not every answer is the one you want it to be, and we can¡¯t just force everything to work the way we want it to. If not Aylin, then is your goal the Web?¡±

    ¡°I do not care about Spider¡¯s organization. No member within it is any more than a drone. Their weights are insignificant.¡±

    ¡°Lee? Moxie?¡±

    Yoru hesitated for a moment before answering. Her hand found its way to the bedroll behind her and dug into the sheets, squeezing them in a tight grip as unease washed over Yoru¡¯s body. ¡°Not to be touched. I do not desire anything for them.¡±

    ¡°So everyone is nothing but a tool or a drone.¡± Violet crossed her arms in front of her chest and raised an eyebrow. She wished she had a chair to lean back in, but without one, this was the best she could manage. ¡°Right. So you don¡¯t need anyone. You don¡¯t care about anyone. You don¡¯t even have any goals beyond Spider. Why do you even care about learning of love and friendship? They seem pretty damn useless to you.¡±

    ¡°Because I do not understand them.¡± Yoru released the bag and rose to her feet, carrying her hair up with her before letting it spill down around her feet.

    ¡°You¡¯re scared,¡± Violet said, standing as well. She couldn¡¯t let Yoru get the height and position advantage on her if they started grappling. Whoever was on the ground first would have a disadvantage. That was the reason. It definitely wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t want to have to look up at the other demon. ¡°You fear what you can¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Yoru said. There wasn¡¯t a hint of embarrassment about admitting to it. Yoru was simultaneously the easiest and hardest demon to read that Violet had ever met. She was completely honest about her thoughts, but her thoughts were so foreign that it almost didn¡¯t matter. ¡°I fear what I cannot control.¡±

    ¡°You realize that¡¯s just life, right?¡± Violet asked. ¡°Not a single other demon in the world can control literally everything. What happens when you run into something that you just can¡¯t beat?¡±

    ¡°Impossible. There is a path forward in every scenario. There is always a winning move.¡±

    Violet fought to keep her eye from twitching. Yoru was so damn stubborn that it was like speaking to a brick wall. ¡°Even with Spider? You¡¯re dead set on allying with him. Why? What happens if he turns against you?¡±

    ¡°I will not allow that to happen.¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ pretend it does,¡± Violet said through a sigh. It was difficult to speak in hypothetical scenarios with a demon that could ¡ª at least as far as Violet could tell ¡ª see the future.

    Yoru was silent for several long seconds. Her fingers twitched. Her head started to tilt and Violet clicked her tongue in warning, her eyes narrowing. Yoru¡¯s jaw worked behind her mask and she let herself return to her normal position.

    ¡°I do not like this. I do not know. No path in which I come to odds with Spider ends in a victory. I am in the dark.¡±

    ¡°Which is how everyone is. Always. Every minute of the day. Nobody knows what will happen. And that means we have to adapt. We need to rely on more than just ourselves,¡± Violet said. ¡°By relying so heavily on your power, I think you¡¯ve actually hurt yourself. You can¡¯t see without your magic.¡±

    ¡°I cannot see at all.¡±

    ¡°So you understand?¡±

    ¡°No. I am literally blind.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Violet said. She massaged her brow. ¡°Of course you are. That¡¯s ironic ¡ª or maybe it¡¯s just fitting. I don¡¯t know what to tell you beyond this, Yoru. Life is scary. Things go wrong ¡ª and friends pull you through it.¡±

    ¡°Friends¡­ are there to prevent you from falling to what you cannot predict? I can understand that.¡±

    ¡°No. Absolutely not.¡± Violet shook her head firmly. ¡°You¡¯ve missed it completely, blind girl. Friends aren¡¯t there to protect you. They¡¯re there because they love you. You protect each other, but not because you have to. Stop thinking of everyone as pawns or tools. Make a new category already. Friends are friends.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°I still do not understand.¡± Yoru was definitely irritated now. Her soft voice had grown tense and her head twitched, clearly desperately wanting to use her magic but keeping herself from doing it.

    ¡°I know,¡± Violet said through a snort of laughter. ¡°And you never will, Yoru. Not unless you stop using this crutch. If you¡¯re fine with that, then fine. Stay blind ¡ª and stay away from Aylin and Torick and Edda. Vrith too. Just stay away from all of them.¡±

    ¡°Why? I do not¡ª¡±

    ¡°You see them as tools,¡± Violet said flatly, cutting Yoru off before the other demon could finish her sentence. ¡°They¡¯re disposable in your eyes. Nothing more than game pieces. For that reason alone, I don¡¯t want you near them.¡±

    ¡°What does it matter? Survival is survival. If I am aiding Spider and he desires to keep you alive, then our goals are alike and their lives are not at risk due to my presence.¡±

    ¡°Lives aren¡¯t things to fuck around with. We¡¯ve fought so damn hard to get here. By all means, we shouldn¡¯t be here at all. Spider gave us all another chance.¡± Violet stalked up to Yoru until she stood face to face with the other demon, her nose no more than an inch away from the mask. ¡°Maybe he wants to give you one too. It¡¯s up to you if you¡¯re actually going to take it. But if you¡¯re going to be like this, then do it away from me and the people I care about. Go ahead. Look into the future again. Figure out the optimal way to reach your next victory ¡ª and do it alone, just like you always will. The tent is yours. I¡¯ll find somewhere else to sleep.¡±

    Violet turned and stepped out of the tent. She¡¯d gotten the information she wanted. Unless Yoru was the best liar she¡¯d ever met, the demon was exactly as what she presented herself to be. She wasn¡¯t a direct threat to Aylin or the others¡­ but she was no ally.

    ***

    ¡°I have to say, this is quite freeing!¡± Silvertide cackled as the staff in Bird¡¯s hands whistled past his body, passing so close that the wind made the tight wrappings covering him rustle.

    Leaves crunched beneath his feet as he pirouetted, prancing back over the body of a lizard monster he¡¯d killed while they were preparing the forest clearing to train in.

    The elderly soldier was what some may have considered a disturbing sight. He was wrapped from the neck down in tight bandages that contoured to his body perfectly ¡ª far too perfectly.

    Bird¡¯s staff whipped up, but Silvertide spun out of the way, letting it slip just by his shoulder as he pranced right past her.

    ¡°He¡¯s kind of built, isn¡¯t he?¡± Todd muttered. ¡°It¡¯s scary. Someone that old shouldn¡¯t have more muscle definition than me.¡±

    Silvertide wasn¡¯t the only one clad in tight bandages. Every single person in the clearing wore the same. It had been Bird¡¯s idea. The closest they could get to actually being truly naked without¡­ well, being naked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest,¡± Isabel replied, picking at a bandage around her neck and grimacing. ¡°I¡¯m trying not to look too closely. I think I¡¯m starting to develop an entirely new fighting style from this.¡±

    ¡°You are?¡± Alexandra looked to Isabel with interest. Out of all of them, she¡¯d taken to the change in uniform well. A little too well. Isabel had been forced to have a small discussion with the other girl to keep her from wearing the bandages around Arbitrage and getting too many strange glances thrown in her direction. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Fighting blind,¡± Isabel muttered. Silvertide¡¯s cackle rang through the clearing as he vaulted backward and Bird¡¯s staff carved the air between his legs apart, just narrowly missing a very painful strike.

    ¡°I prefer fighting the blind, myself. Makes things a little easier on me when they can¡¯t see what I¡¯m doing,¡± James said from a short ways away. He sat against a tree together with Emily. Each of them had half of a sandwich in their hands. Isabel had no clue where James had gotten it from. She definitely hadn¡¯t seen it when they¡¯d been in the transport cannon. She wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to know.

    ¡°Fighting blind? How did you find insight for that?¡± Alexandra asked, her eyes going wide. A flicker of disappointment passed through them a moment later. ¡°I¡¯ve tried before, but it¡¯s impossible. For me, at least. When you reach Rank 4, you could use your domain to feel your opponents and your eyes would not be needed.¡±

    ¡°Insight came in the name of Jalen and Silvertide,¡± Isabel said, raising a hand to block out the fight unfolding before them. ¡°Perhaps the elderly should be instructed to wrap themselves less tightly.¡±

    ¡°Elderly?¡± Jalen exclaimed, stepping out from a ripple in space to their side ¡ª and, much to Isabel¡¯s immense distress ¡ª dressed the same as the rest of them. ¡°Who are you calling elderly? I am still in the spring of my youth.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re old enough to be my great grandpa, man,¡± Todd said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t insult me,¡± Jalen said through a scoff. ¡°Do I look like a whelp to you? I¡¯m far older than that.¡±

    ¡°You just said¡ª¡± Alexandra started.

    ¡°Forget what I said. It¡¯s about what I do,¡± Jalen replied. He held up a hand, a dart with a rounded tip pinched within his fingers. ¡°And what I am doing is playing darts. Silvertide and Bird are having too much fun without us. I got bored.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the target?¡± Alexandra asked, glancing around the forest. They were surrounded by rough barked trees and towering canopies. There was nothing else.

    Jalen smiled and plucked at a bandage wrapped around his wrist, tightening it. ¡°I¡¯m looking at them, of course.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pass on this one,¡± Todd said quickly.

    ¡°As will I. I¡¯ve suddenly decided that I love watching demonstrations,¡± James said. ¡°I think I¡¯d prefer to keep absorbing information from afar.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± Emily added. ¡°We can learn a lot from Silvertide.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Todd muttered. ¡°Like the importance of underwear when you¡¯re wrapped up like a glazed ham.¡±

    A bark of laughter slipped from Jalen¡¯s lips and he shook his head. ¡°Oh, kids. Have I ever told you how much I love them?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Isabel said.

    ¡°That¡¯s because I don¡¯t.¡± Jalen examined the dart in his hands. The smile on his features grew, but it was far from comforting. It was the look of a shark approaching a school of fish. ¡°But I do love darts ¡ª and playing wasn¡¯t an option.¡±

    James pushed himself to his feet and pulled Emily up alongside him. Isabel and Todd both lowered their stances and Alexandra put her hand on the hilt of her sword.

    ¡°Can we do a rain check on this?¡± Todd asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Jalen said. He splayed his hand out, and four more darts materialized between his fingers. ¡°Let¡¯s practice, shall we? I suggest you start running.¡±

 Chapter 511: Old

    Noah stood on the roof of a building at the edge of camp, the purple and red light of the Damned Plains dancing across the rooftops around him like they were a bed of shimmering gravel in an aquarium.

    Yoru sat before him, her legs dangling over the edge of the roof as she looked down on the camp. If she noticed him ¡ª and he suspected that she did ¡ª she made no move to acknowledge his presence.

    Violet had given Noah a rundown of the conversation the two demons had. It wasn¡¯t what he¡¯d been hoping to hear, but expecting much different would have just been lying to himself. The two demons¡¯ personalities couldn¡¯t have possibly been more different.

    One was a demon that had grown up on the streets with nothing but her family, starving and clawing her way to survival. Victory was a foreign concept when the only thing they could afford to focus on was surviving to the next day.

    The other was someone who knew only victory, but possessed nothing beyond it.

    Future sight, huh? Or some variant of it. I find it difficult to believe something like that exists in this world. How can you see the future if it hasn¡¯t been made yet? The implications of that are kind of unsettling.

    But power does not a child unmake. You can be immensely strong and still be a child mentally. Understanding doesn¡¯t always come with strength, no matter how much people think it does. Dying to monsters in the Scorched Acres hundreds of times showed me how to fight. The only way to truly understand is to experience. I condensed years of experience into such a short period of time¡­ but I don¡¯t know if something like that is possible for emotion.

    Yoru is strong. Stronger than I am if you¡¯re only counting the raw strength of our runes ¡ª but she has no life experience. A demon who embodies controlling the future¡­ it seems like she¡¯s been controlled by her own Runes for so long that she hasn¡¯t ever gotten a chance to live. In a lot of ways, that still makes her a child.

    Noah blew out a small sigh. It was a strange concept to feel bad for Yoru. The demon was almost undoubtedly trying to manipulate him. That was the conclusion Violet had come to. She¡¯d only returned to the camp because she saw some sort of benefit from doing so.

    And yet, he still felt pity. Yoru was so completely inexperienced with living that she didn¡¯t even have the basis to feel uncomfortable admitting that she was scared of something.

    He shifted, preparing to hop down from his roof and join Yoru. Someone else moved before he could. A small hand reached over the edge of the roof and clasped the stone lip. Aylin pulled himself over with a grunt.

    ¡°Yoru,¡± Aylin said.

    ¡°Aylin. You will¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hold on. Turn it off, would you?¡± Aylin asked as he scooted back over to the edge of the building and swung his legs over it. He leaned back on his hands and turned to the other demon. ¡°Your future sight, that is.¡±

    ¡°It is off. I have not tilted my head.¡±

    A small smile tugged at Aylin¡¯s lips and he let out a chuckle. ¡°As if someone as strong as you would have such a damn obvious tell. You don¡¯t need to tilt your head to use your magic. Maybe you just like doing it, but you don¡¯t need to. But you knew I¡¯d say that, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°It was highly probable,¡± Yoru admitted.

    ¡°Well, turn it off.¡±

    ¡°What makes you believe I would ever turn it off? You spoke with Violet.¡± Yoru¡¯s words were a statement, not a question. ¡°Perhaps I simply lied to her as well.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you did.¡± Aylin gave her a half-shrug. ¡°Dunno. No way for me to know for sure, but I want you to do it anyway.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Here¡¯s a better question. Why would you ask ¡®why¡¯ if you already know my answer?¡±

    ¡°Because I do not know your answer until I ask the question,¡± Yoru replied. ¡°And you have avoided answering it again. You guard this answer closely.¡±

    ¡°Just trying to learn how your power works,¡± Aylin said, his smile growing slightly. ¡°And I think that helps. I approached the conversation with a determination that I wouldn¡¯t tell you why I¡¯m here today. That means your magic has a limit ¡ª or you choose to give it a limit. I suppose it also means you can¡¯t actually read my mind or otherwise influence me. You just¡­ what, take really good guesses as to what people will do?¡±

    ¡°That is a rudimentary way to view it, but not entirely incorrect. You did not come here purely just to learn my powers.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, though that was a bit of it. I like knowing things. But the reason I¡¯m here is to talk to you. So turn the magic off.¡±

    Yoru studied Aylin in silence for several seconds. Then she inclined her head slightly. ¡°It is off. I will not keep it this way for long. State the purpose for which you came quickly.¡±

    ¡°My sister¡¯s a bit of a handful, isn¡¯t she?¡± Aylin asked, looking out over the camp. ¡°She¡¯s always been overprotective. Reaching Rank 3 only made that even stronger. I hope you won¡¯t hold it against her. She¡¯s lost a lot, and she doesn¡¯t want to lose more.¡±

    ¡°I do not hold grudges. There is no purpose for them.¡±

    ¡°Of course you don¡¯t,¡± Aylin said with a wry smile. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have a reason to, would you? You know what people are going to do before they do. It¡¯s hard for someone to wrong you when you know everything they¡¯re doing. It¡¯s just another step in your plans or something like that, right?¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Yoru nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then if you don¡¯t mind saying, what are your plans?¡±

    ¡°To become powerful.¡±

    ¡°Right. A power like yours¡­ I don¡¯t know what Rank you are, but something tells me you¡¯re far from weak.¡±

    ¡°There is always more power. There are always those stronger. Knowing the weights of the future does not mean controlling them.¡±

    ¡°Logically,¡± Aylin agreed. ¡°But¡­ what¡¯s your goal? Why do you want to get stronger?¡±

    ¡°Because there are others stronger than me.¡±

    ¡°You want to fight them?¡±

    ¡°No. I wish to be able to remove myself from any control they have over me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Aylin leaned back a little farther and drummed his heels against the wall of the building beneath him. ¡°Kind of an empty goal. It¡¯s not even exciting. You don¡¯t want to rule the Damned Plains because you¡¯re a sadist or something. You just want to not get killed.¡±

    ¡°Survival is the most paramount of all aspects in existence. So long as you live, you may accomplish all else you desire.¡±

    ¡°Am I talking to you?¡± Aylin yanked a page from Yoru¡¯s book and let his head tilt to the side as he turned to face her. ¡°Or am I talking to your rune? Because, to me, it doesn¡¯t sound like you¡¯ve got any desires at all. You just want to exist.¡±

    ¡°I have desires. I will not reveal them to you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯ve got a girlfriend a few street blocks down,¡± Aylin said.

    Noah¡¯s tremorsense rippled as he felt a figure move at its edges. He glanced over to a building to his left, only to find Vrith crouched in a shadow, having just twitched in surprise and entered his range in the process.

    ¡°Why does that matter?¡± Yoru asked.

    Aylin let out a sigh. ¡°I was lying.¡±

    ¡°I could not tell. My rune is not active as per your request.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re actually helpless without your magic, aren¡¯t you?¡± Aylin asked. ¡°That was sarcasm. Really obvious sarcasm.¡±

    ¡°You are helpless to walk without your legs. Why can you not walk on your arms as well? It is because the legs serve the same purpose.¡±

    Aylin pushed back from the edge of the building and placed his hands onto the roof. He kicked his legs up into a wobbly handstand. He took a few wobbly hand-steps forward before falling over with a grunt.

    Yoru stared at him. Her expression was unreadable with the mask blocking it, but Noah wished it wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Actually, I can.¡± Aylin grinned up at her. ¡°Good to know you weren¡¯t lying about the whole not using your magic right now bit.¡±

    ¡°That is beside the point.¡±

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡± the Knowledge Demon sat up and crossed his legs beneath him. He braced his palms against his knees. ¡°This is what I came here to talk to you about, Yoru. I want to understand you, because I want to understand everything. Violet wants to protect because she¡¯s never had anything but our family, and she¡¯s terrified of losing that. She¡¯s also just as terrified of gaining something new that she doesn¡¯t understand. It¡¯s easy to protect what you know. But something new? That¡¯s a different story. It¡¯s so much easier to just keep things as they are. So I understand Violet as well. But you ¡ª I don¡¯t understand you.¡±

    ¡°I survive. That is all there is to understand.¡±

    ¡°Then you have even less than I did before Spider found me,¡± Aylin said. ¡°Because Violet, Torrick, Edda, and I survived. That was all we did. It was all we could afford to do. But you¡¯ve got so much power. You can do anything you want, and yet you choose to have even less than we do. At least we have each other. What do you have?¡±

    ¡°Power.¡±

    ¡°Do you?¡± Aylin asked. ¡°Or does power have you? Power is only useful when it has a purpose.¡±

    Yoru didn¡¯t respond for several seconds. Then she turned to finally look at Aylin. ¡°Is there a purpose to this discussion?¡±

    ¡°For you? Maybe not. But it helps me understand you better.¡± Aylin gave her a small shrug. He rose to his feet and brushed himself off. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Violet to get off your back, but I¡¯m not giving her a different tent. You¡¯ll be a learning experience for her. She has to learn to adapt ¡ª and to keep her powers from controlling her.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t scared that I will bring her to harm?¡±

    ¡°Harm? No. Everything I¡¯ve learned about you shows that your only concern is staying on Spider¡¯s good side, and hurting Violet will ensure that doesn¡¯t happen. I understand you now.¡± He walked over to the edge of the building, then paused. ¡°But, if there¡¯s more to you than just your magic, I¡¯d be happy to talk again. I¡¯m always eager to learn more.¡±

    With that, Aylin dropped off the edge of the roof. He hit the ground below with a distant thud and strode off toward the center of camp. Vrith slipped into a shadow to follow after him, and Yoru remained exactly where she sat.

    Knowledge Demons are scary.

    Noah finally emerged from his hiding spot and dropped down to the roof behind Yoru. She spun toward him, leaping to her feet, then froze as she spotted who it was.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t have your magic active yet?¡± Noah asked, mildly surprised. ¡°I thought you¡¯d have turned it back on the moment he left.¡±

    ¡°I was thinking,¡± Yoru said, letting her hands lower.

    ¡°I usually leave that to the professionals,¡± Noah said. ¡°Tends to hurt my head when I do it too much.¡±

    ¡°It does hurt,¡± Yoru agreed without even a hint of sarcasm. ¡°I do not like it.¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t do too much at once. Nobody changes in a blink of an eye. I do agree with Aylin that power has to come for a reason. There¡¯s no use to being the strongest being in existence if you don¡¯t have something to use all that might for.¡±

    Yoru¡¯s neck craned back as she looked up to his eyes. ¡°What do you use your power for?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s changed. At first¡­ much like you, if I¡¯m being honest. I just wanted to survive,¡± Noah admitted. ¡°But now? I don¡¯t know if I can give you a singular answer. I use it for a lot of things. I¡¯m no philosopher. If you¡¯re asking to try and copy me, it won¡¯t work. You¡¯re going to have to figure out what you want yourself. Desires are personal.¡±

    ¡°How am I meant to do that?¡± A note of anger entered Yoru¡¯s voice. ¡°I can get anything I want with my powers, but this is not tangible. How do you know what you want?¡±

    ¡°By failing,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I¡¯ve learned a hell of a lot more from that than I have from anything else. I¡¯m not telling you to turn your powers off and sprint into certain death, but it never hurts to take a closer look at yourself.¡±

    ¡°Is that what you do?¡±

    ¡°Now? Oh hell no. I got more than enough time to think about myself,¡± Noah shuddered. ¡°I¡¯m going to go think about someone I like more. I promised Moxie I¡¯d be back soon. Find Aylin if you need advice ¡ª and be careful with that power of yours. It¡¯s definitely strong, but I know what it feels like to be trapped on a path.¡±

    ¡°I do not understand. Someone was able to trap you?¡±

    ¡°It was a long time ago,¡± Noah said with a wry smile. He headed over to the edge of the building and checked the ground below to make sure nobody was standing beneath them. ¡°But while I was trapped, you might be stuck even harder than I was. It¡¯s a lot easier to break out of a prison when the bars aren¡¯t of your own making.¡±

    Then he jumped, using a small burst of wind to catch himself before he hit the ground. Noah hadn¡¯t lied about Moxie waiting for him, and as much as he wanted to help Yoru adapt, he really didn¡¯t get enough time alone with her.

    And though he wouldn¡¯t admit it, he was also a real sucker for dramatic exits.

 Chapter 512: Old dog

    ¡°You¡¯re back sooner than I expected,¡± Moxie observed as Noah stepped back into their tent. Her hands were cupped around a blooming flower with a head the size of her palm. Every petal on it was its own color, vibrant and bright. A faint sweet scent rose from it and crossed the tent to greet Noah.

    ¡°I found Yoru pretty easily. Saved me a lot of work.¡±

    ¡°She adjusting well?¡± Moxie asked, not taking her eyes off the flower. The tip of her tongue protruded from the side of her mouth in concentration and a ripple passed through the flower¡¯s petals as they grew a few inches.

    ¡°No,¡± Noah replied. He walked over to stand beside Moxie and watched the flower curiously. It felt unerringly¡­ alive. That wasn¡¯t to say that he thought other plants weren¡¯t living organisms ¡ª it was just that the way this one was squirming made it feel like it belonged more in a cradle than in the dirt.

    ¡°Somehow I¡¯m not surprised.¡± Moxie pulled her gaze from the flower and it wilted instantly. The petals folded inward and its stem withered, bending under its own weight as it crumpled into a pile of greying sludge. She pulled her hands away and shook them off. ¡°How bad are we talking? You saw how Pirren was treating her. Yoru isn¡¯t just some random kid.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m more than aware. She¡¯s almost certainly a higher rank than we are.¡± Noah scratched the back of his neck. ¡°Rank 6, maybe. It¡¯s hard to tell. I never realized how useful Domains were for figuring out your opponent¡¯s strength until I couldn¡¯t do it anymore. Yoru could be a Rank 9 for all I know.¡±

    ¡°Somehow I doubt that,¡± Moxie said dryly. ¡°If there was a Rank 9 just sitting around in Treadon, much less in the Damned Plains, I doubt they¡¯d be in need of our help for just about anything. But Yoru is a good reminder. We can¡¯t sit still. Even with all the power we¡¯re building with the demon camps, we¡¯re going to need to be a whole lot stronger ourselves if we want a chance of fighting Wizen.¡±

    Noah rifled through his bag and pulled out the strips of leather bearing all the runes they¡¯d gotten at the auction. He splayed them out on the rough stone table beside Moxie. ¡°More than aware of that. I came back to try and figure out my next rune. I¡¯ve got enough components here to toss something together.¡±

    ¡°Unstable Mass, Unstable Corrupted Mass, both at Rank 4,¡± Moxie read off, moving some of the pieces to get a better look at the rest of them. ¡°Those two are obviously going to be useful. I¡¯m less certain on Bleeding Blades or whatever this last one is.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Falling Shadow, if I remember correctly. It¡¯ll be for Lee,¡± Noah said with a half-shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t have any Shadow Runes.¡±

    ¡°What about the Broken Master Rune?¡± Moxie asked, plucking another leather strip from the pile and examining it with a critical eye. Her lips pursed and she returned it to its former place before pushing another Imbued Rune over it. ¡°We better make sure that one isn¡¯t just sitting around. We¡¯ve got enough enemies as it is. Antagonizing some annoying Death Demon is far from the top of my list of things to do.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve got one of those as well?¡± Noah¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I thought I was the only one.¡±

    Moxie rolled her eyes. She swiped the pile of sludge that had been her flower off the table and onto the ground, where it landed with a wet splatter. They both looked down at it.

    ¡°Get that expression off your face. That¡¯s what happens when I make flowers from things that aren¡¯t seeds. Not a pretty sight,¡± Moxie grumbled as she rose from her chair. She hooked a foot around one of its legs and pulled it closer to Noah. ¡°Anyway, I won¡¯t stall you out from getting that rune combination work in. Let me know if you figure out anything useful, yeah?¡±

    Noah sat down and Moxie wrapped her arms around him from behind, leaning down to give him a quick kiss on the forehead. Only when she pulled away did he realize that she¡¯d also wiped the remains of the plant¡¯s sludge off on his shirt sleeve.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Noah exclaimed. ¡°That¡¯s cheating!¡±

    ¡°No good things come without sacrifice.¡± Moxie snickered and hoisted herself up onto the table before crossing her legs beneath her and supporting her chin on a palm. ¡°Go on, then. I¡¯ll keep an eye out so nobody sticks something pointy between your ribs.¡±

    Noah blew out an exaggerated sigh and sent a squint in Moxie¡¯s direction before turning his attention to the runes laid out on the table before him. He studied them for several seconds to commit their shapes to memory, then gathered them before himself and slipped into the darkness of his mindspace.

    As soon as his runes took form in the pitch black, Noah raised a finger and started to draw. Both Unstable Mass and Unstable Corrupted Mass would be instrumental to making a Matter Rune. The other runes could wait until after he¡¯d had a chance to look at the first two.

    Unstable Mass came first. It took him just around 30 seconds to draw the Rank 4 Rune into his soul. Energy arced off his fingertip as he pulled it back, creating it on the first try. A purple-gray rune shimmered to life before him. It was made of what seemed to be a single line, all twisted and knotted like a bowl of shoestrings. Ripples ran through the line and warped portions of it, while others had patterns buried deep within the twisting designs. It let out a dull hum before drifting back to float across from Natural Disaster and Crumbling Space.

    Noah repressed a sigh. The Unstable Mass Rune wasn¡¯t even a bad rune. It was a Rank 4, more than what the majority of people ever got ¡ª and the magic it enveloped was far from simple. But what would have been the find of a lifetime for most people barely even registered for him. Unstable Mass was so weak in comparison to his flawless runes that he couldn¡¯t even feel his soul grow larger from drawing it in.

    He went about drawing Unstable Corrupted Mass. It bore strong resemblance to the other Mass Rune, but the warping effects were considerably worse on it than they were on the other rune.

    Noah took a few moments to sit and examine the new runes in his soul. He didn¡¯t want to start cutting anything up too early and just waste his energy. Now that he actually had the building blocks to work with, he needed to figure out exactly what it was he wanted to build.

    Matter. Sure. That¡¯s a pretty damn broad rune. Can¡¯t just make myself a Matter Rune if I want it to be even half decent. Not at this rank, at least. I need to focus in¡­ but not too much. I¡¯ll need an inciting energy as well. Something to get things started. But what would that be?

    He chewed his lower lip, letting his eyes drift over the new runes in his mindspace. Even the addition of the second one had done nothing to expand his soul. It was just too big. An imaginary Moxie flicked Noah in the head. Complaining about not getting to see himself get stronger when he absorbed some crappy runes was definitely a first world problem.

    No matter. I¡¯ll get to see all the soul expansion I want once I actually make a new flawless rune. I can¡¯t get ahead of myself. First things first, I need to figure out what the hell kind of rune I¡¯m trying to make with Matter.

    There wasn¡¯t exactly a lack of options. Just about everything in the universe was made up out of matter as far as Noah was aware, though he wasn¡¯t about to put any money on his incredibly rudimentary understanding of physics.

    Minutes ticked by as Noah thought. He had more ideas than he knew what to do with, but he carved away everything that he couldn¡¯t intimately relate to. The Line had given him a perspective and understanding of things that no other living mortal could ever claim to manifest until their time among the living came to an end and they found themselves where he had once been.

    Therein laid his advantage. He needed to find something Matter-based that related to the Line. It had been pretty easy with Crumbling Space. The Line. The Gods. Everything he¡¯d seen. Everything he¡¯d done and all the times he¡¯d died. There had to be something he could reference to¡ª

    Noah paused.

    A second ticked by.

    He swallowed. An idea lodged itself in his mind like a splinter and a flicker of fear passed through him ¡ª not toward what he was about to do, but because he was going to have to explain it to Moxie.

    Noah¡¯s eyes drifted back open to find Moxie watching him intently. She didn¡¯t even bother trying to pretend like she¡¯d been doing anything else. Moxie just arched an eyebrow.

    ¡°That was fast. Done already? I don¡¯t really feel a difference in you.¡±

    ¡°Not really. I only just started,¡± Noah hedged. ¡°I just had to prepare things out here first.¡±

    Moxie¡¯s eyes narrowed as she caught the look on his face, even through the wrappings. ¡°Prepare? For what?¡±

    ¡°I think I know what I have to do to make my next Rune.¡± Noah blew out a breath and gave Moxie a sheepish grin. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to kill myself.¡±

 Chapter 513: The Noah Special

    ¡°The first step to finding a solution is admitting that you have a problem,¡± Moxie said as she prodded Noah in the forehead. ¡°And you have a problem.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that only works if I¡¯m the one to admit that I¡¯ve got a problem.¡± Noah rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°And I¡¯m not just doing this for no reason, Mox. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s the best way to form a Matter Rune.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you think ¡ª wait, Mox?¡±

    ¡°I thought it sounded cute. Like a short version of Moxie, you know? I¡¯ll scrap it and think of something better. It¡¯s not like I can call you Mo. That¡¯s like Moo, and I¡¯m not trying to imply¡ª¡±

    Moxie leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, stealing the rest of his sentence. She pulled back a few seconds later. ¡°I wanted to get that in before you turn into a corpse. And Mox is just fine. Sounds a bit dumb, but I don¡¯t think I could expect anything else from you. No need to dig yourself a hole trying to come up with something worse.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the save,¡± Noah said with a sheepish grin. ¡°Does this mean you¡¯ll kiss me every time I kill myself?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck,¡± Moxie said dryly. ¡°Just get it over with already. And be careful.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure this is something where being careful is possible, but I¡¯ll do my best to keep any blood from getting on the bed.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. The plants will just drink it,¡± Moxie said with a small wave.

    Noah started to nod. Then he paused. ¡°They¡¯ll do what now?¡±

    ¡°What did you think would happen? I¡¯m making them from all sorts of organic matter. Blood and meat¡­ it¡¯s all fuel in the end. Works just as well.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not terrifying at all,¡± Noah said. ¡°We¡¯ve been sleeping on a bed of blood-sucking plants?¡±

    ¡°The floor is nice and open if you want it. Nobody¡¯s forcing you.¡±

    Noah looked down at the hard ground, then back up to Moxie. He cleared his throat. ¡°On second thought, the man-eating bed is lovely. It¡¯s very well behaved. It would be rude of me to try and sleep elsewhere after the bond we¡¯ve formed.¡±

    Moxie rolled her eyes and turned away, but not before Noah caught a flicker of a grin pulling across her lips. She reached for the tent flaps and glanced over her shoulder at him. ¡°I¡¯ll go get Lee to clean up your mess. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be thrilled.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. Much appreciated.¡± Noah slipped out of his jacket and tossed it across the room before starting to pull his shirt off. He paused when he noticed that Moxie was still watching him and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Did you decide to stick around?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d consider it if you weren¡¯t about to blow yourself up. Have fun, but not too much of it.¡± Moxie slipped out of the tent and the flap fell shut behind her.

    Noah stared at it for a second, then blew out a sigh. That was definitely the most convincing argument she¡¯d had against him killing himself. It was almost enough to actually make him look for a different solution.

    Almost, but not quite.

    Maybe I do have a problem.

    He pulled the rest of his clothes off, removing the face wrappings last. There wasn¡¯t even all that much need for them at this point ¡ª he¡¯d already established Spider as a fairly powerful demon, so having a completely normal looking human form probably wouldn¡¯t be able to draw that much more negative attention. Unfortunately, the wrappings were basically part of Spider¡¯s identity now. He couldn¡¯t just get rid of them on a whim.

    Noah tossed all his clothes to the side and grabbed his large grimoire, propping it open against the table before sitting down in front of it. He was going to need to move quickly once he got things started. The method wouldn¡¯t be too different from what he¡¯d done when he¡¯d made the Crumbling Space Rune. He¡¯d carve the runes up to their base components and split those apart as well, using nothing but the pure raw energy and his intent to form the rune he needed.

    It wasn¡¯t a technique he¡¯d be able to use for every combination. He needed to have a way to trigger the inciting energy and create a Rune. Fortunately, this time around, Noah had just the strategy to pull it off.

    ¡°You just sit here and wait,¡± Noah told the grimoire. ¡°I might need to dump a few runes in you after I¡¯m done working. No point wasting good magic. No eating them, you got me? I¡¯ll feed you more monster runes later.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    The pages fluttered. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was the equivalent of assent or a paper middle finger. Noah shrugged to himself. If the grimoire didn¡¯t do what he wanted, it wasn¡¯t going to get any more food. It knew how their deal worked ¡ª and he could always kill himself again if he needed to.

    Noah closed his eyes and placed a palm on the grimoire. Then he sank into the darkness of his mindspace. Runes bloomed from the black sea around him, their pressure bearing down on him.

    He wasted no time in pulling Crumbling Space toward himself. He was making a Matter Rune, but Matter and Space were so closely related that he couldn¡¯t imagine not trying to take advantage of that.

    Noah pressed his hand to the crackling surface of the rune and peeled power from within it, taking around 15 percent of the rune¡¯s total energy and gathering it inside himself. He traced faint purple lines through the air with his other hand, re-drawing a copy of Crumbling Space in his soul.

    The new rune thrummed to life and a ripple of power rolled out from it, prickling against Noah¡¯s skin as it passed him by. He now had two Crumbling Space Runes ¡ª one at 15 percent full, and the other at just around 30.

    It¡¯s a good thing that I got that extra energy from hunting in the Damned Plains, or breaking Crumbling Space up wouldn¡¯t have left me too much to work with. This makes everything so much easier.

    Noah let the copy with more energy drift back, keeping the weaker one at his side. He drew the two Matter Runes that he¡¯d just drawn into his soul closer to himself as well and gathered the three Rank 4s in the air before him. Noah then let out a slow breath and raised a hand.

    Immense weight bore down on him as Sunder responded to his call. The Master Rune lowered and brushed against Noah¡¯s fingertips. Energy screamed into his body and his veins turned jet black as it raced beneath his skin.

    I finally get the opportunity to see what happens if I Sunder a Rune that I made from scratch. This will be interesting.

    Noah touched the Unstable Mass Rune. Power raced down his fingertips and into the rune. It split apart with a loud crack as Sunder carved through it. Runes swirled out from within it, rising to swirl around Noah.

    He didn¡¯t give them the grace to finish forming. Sunder lashed out like a striking snake, shattering every single one of the Rank 3 Runes in rapid succession. More runes ballooned forth, and more were carved apart.

    In seconds, Noah took a Rank 4 Rune and reduced it to nothing but shimmering, raw power. It prickled against his skin and charged the very air he breathed ¡ª even though he was pretty sure he didn¡¯t actually need to breathe inside his own soul.

    Noah didn¡¯t waste even a second examining the results of his work. He summoned Unstable Corrupted Mass and repeated the process, splitting every single component of it down into nothing but pure magic.

    He drew the clouds of smokey, multicolored power around himself like streamers with a thought. They swirled and danced, tiny particles already drifting and fading away into the ether. No traces of panic entered his movements. Rushing would only result in greater chances for something to go wrong, and Noah only had one shot at this.

    There was only one rune left to split apart. He brought the copy of Crumbling Space closer to himself. Aches wracked his body from channeling so much of Sunder¡¯s power, but he couldn¡¯t stop yet.

    Noah gritted his teeth and called upon the Master Rune once more. His veins darkened and he clenched one fist as he raised the other toward Crumbling Space. His fingers trembled as they brushed across the surface of the rune.

    Time to see what happens when I split this thing apart.

    He released Sunder. A black line flashed down the center of the copied rune. Energy crackled along its path for a split instant. Then it shattered, releasing a wave of pure power with enough intensity to blow his hair back.

    No runes formed from the broken rune. It was like he¡¯d just split apart a Rank 1 Rune, even though it had been a Rank 4. Noah didn¡¯t have time to fully contemplate the meaning of that yet. He¡¯d get around to it when he wasn¡¯t so pressed for time. For now, he was just thankful that he wouldn¡¯t have to keep using Sunder.

    Noah released the Master Rune and it rose up into the air to return to its place in his soul. Energy filled all the free space around him, dancing and burning with an intensity that would only fade with every instant he let go to waste.

    There were only two steps left to do, and the first was the easiest. He had to kill himself. Noah had gotten pretty damn good at that, which probably wasn¡¯t something to be proud of, but he had a new idea to beat even his fastest previous record.

    Natural Disaster drifted to Noah¡¯s palm as he drew on a flicker of its energy and directed it inward, toward the top of his neck where it met his skull. He was pretty sure that ¡ª

    A sharp, buzzing zap filled Noah¡¯s ears. There was a flash of a burnt scent, followed by the walls of his Mindspace crumbling away to reveal the real world once more. Disorientation washed over Noah and he found himself raising into the air, looking down at his own body as it crumpled and pitched face-first onto the ground.

    Lee stood behind him, his gourd in her hand, watching him as her expression shifted between nervousness and eagerness. Even despite his need to work quickly, Noah blinked in surprise.

    Well, I¡¯ll be damned. That was a whole lot faster than I expected. Didn¡¯t hurt too much either. Good to know.

    A faint tug pulled at Noah¡¯s neck from the direction of the gourd. He welcomed it. After all, death wasn¡¯t what he needed to form his new rune. What he needed was what came after. The reformation of life, when the gourd gave him a new body.

    Noah didn¡¯t understand how the gourd worked. He didn¡¯t even completely get how Matter as a concept functioned. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t have to. He didn¡¯t need to make a flawless rune on the first time around. All he needed to do was take the first step. The rest would come in time as he grew to understand it.

    A grin split his lips as his soul was yanked back down into his gourd to the new body that was starting to form in the black smoke pouring from its lip. The inciting energy was there.

    He could feel his body forming around him, providing the inciting energy he¡¯d need. All the power from his Sundered Runes waited within his soul. He had everything he needed. It was time to form his next Rank 4 Rune.

 Chapter 514: Happy Little Accidents

    Power crashed around Noah like a roaring ocean. It flooded his lungs and pooled in his stomach, slamming into his mind like mighty waves. He grasped the reigns of consciousness and weathered the violent magic with every scrap of intent he could bring to bear.

    His will dug deep into the swirling magic and drew it together, forcing it to obey his mental command. The more his body formed, the harder the energy tried to escape. Noah didn¡¯t let it. His reformation ground to a halt as it slammed into a mental wall and he drew deeper on the latent magic that came in his reformation.

    The throbbing pulses of his headache grew stronger with every second as he resisted the pull of Sunder. His vision fluctuated between the darkness of his soul and the dim light within his tent in the Damned Plains. Flashes of runic pressure wove in and out together with his consciousness, but Noah¡¯s will had been forged by the very Line itself. He had millennia of impatience and determination to draw upon ¡ª but that wasn¡¯t all.  Noah had one flame of motivation that burned brighter than anything else ever possibly could have.

    Moxie would be fucking pissed if he had to kill himself a second time.

    That was more than enough to keep him on track. The waves of power slammed into him over and over, and Noah drank from them with every blow. He ripped the churning power out and pulled it into himself, forcing it into his soul and bending it to his intent.

    Crackles of grey and white energy flashed behind Noah¡¯s eyes and arced through his mindspace. They slammed home before his flickering hand, driving themselves like pieces of jagged porcelain into the beginnings of a rune forming before him.

    Every single angle of the rune seemed as sharp as a blade. It had no curves ¡ª only jagged lines and floating components connected to the others by nothing more than a thread. If someone had grabbed their favorite plate and dashed it across the ground with all their might, the instant after it shattered would have been a fair representation of the growing rune.

    Pain burned through Noah¡¯s soul as pieces of it started to fragment. Chips formed in the empty darkness, allowing brilliant white light to spill through. They lengthened into cracks that spiderwebbed through his soul like fingers of frost.

    Noah snarled, the noise lost to the recesses of his own mind. There was less power now, but the mounting pain and soul damage were starting to eat away at his concentration. He could feel himself faltering and the rune¡¯s formation slowing.

    He still hadn¡¯t managed to draw in all the latent magic flowing through his soul. There was more left. If he failed now, it would all be wasted. He¡¯d have to go back to the auction or find another way to get more runes.

    I won¡¯t let that happen. We don¡¯t have the time to waste. I will not fail now. I¡¯m so damn close.

    Noah snarled in defiance. He doubled down, thrusting every scrap of intent and power he had forward. Pressure bore down on him from Sunder as his will locked horns with its power. A tight band of force wrapped around his neck and started to constrict, trying to force him out of his soul and into his forming body.

    Some of the cracks carving through the dark widened. Agony gripped Noah¡¯s skull in a vice. His vision of his soul started to fade away. Tingles raced down his fingertips and toes. They reached down his limbs and raced toward his chest. He was getting pulled back into his body. If the rune wasn¡¯t formed by the time his eyes truly opened, then everything would be wasted.

    Noah desperately pushed back against the encroaching feeling, but it was fruitless. Sunder¡¯s pull was too strong. His soul faded away completely. He tasted blood in his mouth and his entire form tingled like every one of his limbs had fallen asleep. A thick fog started to form at the edges of his mind, taking with it his access to magic.

    He groaned, and the sound dimly reached his ears in the distance. He¡¯d nearly completely reformed. Desperation burned in his chest as he clutched onto the final strands of power he still had. Noah couldn¡¯t see the darkness anymore. His senses were fading, but he could still feel the energy at the back of his mind.

    With one final cry of defiance, Noah yanked on the remaining power. There was a sharp crack followed by a brilliant flash of light. A wave of force slammed into his head and fog rolled through his mind like a crashing tsunami, washing away every last scrap of connection to his soul that remained.

    Noah¡¯s eyes snapped open and he drew in a ragged gasp. Pain slammed in his skull like someone had been hammering away at it for the past hour. He could feel the blood pumping with such intensity that it made the veins on his forehead and the back of his neck bulge.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    A hacking cough forced its way out of his chest, intensifying the pain with every sharp movement, and blood splattered from his lips onto the ground. Something grabbed his shoulder. Noah couldn¡¯t make out who it was. The world was a sea of hazy indecipherable colors and all-too bright lights that burned into his retinas like hot brands.

    He squeezed his eyes shut and grasped the sides of his head as if to dig the pain free with his own fingers. Something wet trickled down from his nose and across his lip. He barely even noticed. It wasn¡¯t just pain ¡ª the world felt disconnected. Distant.

    Voices brushed across his ears, but their meaning arrived at his mind garbled and destroyed beyond comprehension. Forming words was equally impossible. His tongue was thick and heavy in his mouth. Every thought that attempted to take root in his mind was washed away by the powerful ebb and flow of fog.

    There was no option remaining to him. The human body could only handle so much before shutting down. Noah¡¯s consciousness mercifully drifted away until only empty darkness remained.

    ***

    Thought returned slowly. The world was still dark, but the pain had abated. A throb was still present in the back of Noah¡¯s mind. Its savage claws dug deep into his soul. He definitely had a significant amount of soul damage.

    The rest of his senses started to trickle back. A faint sweet smell reminiscent of strawberries lingered in the air. Something warm and soft was pressed against his body and his face was nestled in a smooth, tickly bed.

    He groaned and squeezed his eyes even harder. Noah worked his lips and opened his mouth, only for something to work its way in. Hair. He let out a startled grunt. The movement sent spikes of pain jabbing into the back of his head and he jerked to a halt with a grimace. His grip subconsciously tightened around the soft bed he was laid out on.

    ¡°Noah?¡± Moxie¡¯s voice came from just behind his head. Her tone had been gentle, but the words resonated through his head like the echo of a massive drum. He grimaced and forced his eyes open, blinking furiously. Even the dim light felt like it were made of dozens of tiny needles trying to work their way into his skull.

    ¡°That¡­ didn¡¯t go how I planned it to,¡± Noah muttered. More of the world formed around him. He was laying on against Moxie on top of her bed of vines, his arms wrapped around her back in a stranglehold that probably would have been somewhat dangerous if he didn¡¯t feel so drained of energy.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Moxie asked, tone tinged with deep concern. Her voice didn¡¯t come out as loud this time around. It was almost manageable.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Noah said. He reluctantly released his grip on Moxie, though he made no move to distance himself from her side as he drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. ¡°I¡¯m fine. That was rough, but the worst is gone. Just some nasty soul damage.¡±

    ¡°Idiot,¡± Moxie muttered into the top of his head, giving him a gentle squeeze. ¡°This is why dying shouldn¡¯t be your first solution to literally every single problem.¡±

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a while since the last time,¡± Noah defended. The last dredges of disorientation finally sloughed away, though he could still feel traces of fog lingering in his mind. ¡°How long was I out?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard to tell hours down here, but I¡¯d say something close to half a day back in our world. Maybe a bit more,¡± Moxie replied.

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    And I still have a headache? Goddamn. What did I do to my soul?

    ¡°You¡¯ve been out for a while. Lee and I were worried,¡± Moxie said through a huff. ¡°I trust it was worth it?¡±

    ¡°I sure hope so,¡± Noah replied. He reluctantly pulled away from Moxie and pushed himself upright. A twinge of pain shot through his head again and he grimaced. Moxie sat up beside him and sent him a worried glance.

    ¡°Are you sure¡ª¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Noah admitted through a wince. ¡°But I¡¯ll find out. If it¡¯s been half a day, my magic should be back. I¡¯m going to go use the Fragment of Renewal and see if I managed to pull this shit off or not.¡±

    Moxie inclined her head and Noah let his eyes drift shut again. He drew in a slow breath and exhaled through his mouth, pushing past the headache to sink back into his soul.

    Darkness bloomed all around him, but it was far from absolute. Pale, glowing cracks covered the edges of his soul like the web of a massive spider, climbing all the way up to the Fragment of Renewal and Sunder.

    It wasn¡¯t the worst soul damage he¡¯d ever found himself with ¡ª and Noah could barely even bring himself to pay any attention to it. His eyes were fixated on something new. Something that hadn¡¯t been in his soul when he¡¯d last left it.

    A jagged gray rune floated across from him, equidistant from Crumbling Space and Natural Disaster. Ripples of pale energy pulsated within the sharp edges that made it up. It definitely didn¡¯t feel like a flawless rune, but it would have been a fantastic first attempt if it hadn¡¯t been for one small issue.

    Ribbons of thick inky darkness hung from the rune like someone had dumped a bucket of sludge over it. They wove through the holes in the rune and formed a shadowed mass behind the it, running down and merging into the floor of his soul. He couldn¡¯t read the rune at all.

    Noah swallowed. A headache still pulsed in the back of his head. A quick summon of the Fragment of Renewal would have purged it, but he couldn¡¯t pull his eyes from the rune before him.

    It wasn¡¯t possible. Every component that had gone into the rune had been a normal one. The runes he¡¯d broken to make it were readable, but there was no denying what his eyes told him. The rune floating before him looked eerily similar to the ones that he had seen lodged in Lee¡¯s soul.

    <em style="font-weight: 400">Did I just make a Demon Rune?

 Chapter 515: Oopsie

    Noah approached the new rune, not daring to attempt to call it closer to himself. He didn¡¯t want to accidentally snap the strands connecting it to the base of his soul and give himself even more soul damage.

    It had been months since he¡¯d gotten so much soul damage that the Hellreaver had been able to enter his mind, but he had no desires to ever let things get to that state again. He had more than enough stupid things to do without needing hallucinations to help him along.

    He had a Demon Rune. Noah wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that. He definitely hadn¡¯t been trying to make one. There was a reason he¡¯d been avoiding drawing in any Monster Runes, but not once had he ever considered it would be possible to actually make a Demon Rune. Noah couldn¡¯t tell if he was excited, terrified, or just plain confused.

    This opens up so much. If I can form a Demon Rune, then could I use it to potentially help Lee? I could find a way to prevent demons from losing themselves when they hit Rank 4! I feel like I could study this thing for a hundred years and not figure out everything about it. Azel definitely felt controlled by his emotion, but Yoru feels surprisingly in control despite being considerably more powerful than him.

    Noah took the rune in for a few seconds. Then his brow furrowed slightly. Now that he took a closer look, there was something off about it, and it wasn¡¯t just the fact that he ¡ª a human ¡ª had formed a Demon Rune. Noah¡¯s brow creased and his eyebrows knit as he drew to a stop directly before the rune. And then he stared. A minute ticked by. Noah didn¡¯t move. He couldn¡¯t place what it was, but something was definitely wrong. It became more apparent the longer he stared.

    Even though he couldn¡¯t read the rune, the sharp, twisting forms that made it up almost felt¡­ familiar. Like they¡¯d been written in a language he could understand but made from random letters rather than proper words. The longer he stared, the more familiar it seemed to become. The shadowy strands blocked him from getting a full picture, but he knew what rune he¡¯d set out to make. He knew the energy in it. The answer was before him and all he had to do was dig until he found it. Of that, he was certain. Noah could practically taste the Rune¡¯s name on his tongue.

    He tried to form it, but his mind stubbornly refused. The finish line in sight was walled behind iron bars that refused to let him push the last few inches through. A twinge of anger broke through his concentration and Noah stepped away from the rune to walk in a circle around it and see if he could pick up on something that he¡¯d been missing.

    It was for naught. The back of the rune was even more covered with a shadowy mass than the front had been. He could barely even make the rune out from where he stood. It was just a few flickers of white-gray energy buried in a sea of twisting dark.

    Noah blew out a sigh and tapped a foot on the ground. His impatience was already starting to poke at the inside of his throat like he¡¯d swallowed a prickly seed. A distant headache made sure he couldn¡¯t throw off his irritation but he stubbornly refused to activate the Fragment of Renewal until he figured out what the hell he¡¯d just made.

    Eh, fuck it.

    He brushed a finger across the inky black strands. A faint shiver rolled down the back of his spine and he shivered, pulling his hand back. Noah paused for a second. Then he reached out and touched the strand again.

    A startled yelp escaped his lips as a sharp prod of chilly energy poked into his navel. It wasn¡¯t exactly painful, but it was extraordinarily uncomfortable. He yanked his hand away and took a step back from his rune.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to have a problem if this is going to be how things are,¡± Noah said, his eyes narrow. He considered prodding the rune again but decided against it and let his hand fall to his side. Muttering under his breath, Noah started to pace around the rune.

    Minutes ticked by like sand falling in an hourglass. Time slipped through Noah¡¯s fingers as he studied the rune, determined not to leave until he figured out exactly what it was niggling at the back of his mind. The unwanted splinter would be removed. There was too much riding on it.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Not only were the results of all his work locked up within the unreadable rune, but this was the best angle he¡¯d found that had a chance of being able to help Lee. Noah wasn¡¯t about to let that slip by or go unnoticed. If there was something to be learned from a rune he¡¯d accidentally formed, then he was determined to find it.

    ¡°How the hell did I form you in the first place?¡± Noah mused to himself, taking a step back and shaking his head to try and reset his thoughts and locate a new angle to approach the problem from. ¡°I didn¡¯t have any demonic energy in my combination. Didn¡¯t think I was imagining anything demon-like either. I suppose it¡¯s possible that the Damned Plains themselves could have affected the rune¡¯s formation¡­¡±

    He trailed off and pursed his lips, pacing around the rune another time. Part of him wanted to go bother Moxie and see if she had any thoughts as to what the rune may have been, but that could wait for later. They didn¡¯t have a Mind Meld Potion to spare so he could show it to her yet.

    I should definitely get a few of those. Hard to do much together when we¡¯re in the middle of a camp of nosy demons.

    Noah stopped his pacing and crossed his arms as he ran back through everything he knew about its formation. There were three components that went into the formation of a new rune. Intent, magical energy, and the inciting energy or action.

    The magical energy was the easiest to trace. It came from the runes he¡¯d just broken down. While two of them had been from the Damned Plains, Noah hadn¡¯t seen any Demon Runes within them while he¡¯d been breaking them down. That might not have been enough to completely cross magical energy off as the cause of his little problem, but it was a fair argument against it.

    I swear it couldn¡¯t have been my intent either. I don¡¯t even know what kind of intent you would need to form a Demon Rune, but I wasn¡¯t thinking about demons. I can¡¯t even read the damn rune. If I can make a rune in demonic, then I should be able to read the damn thing. That means it probably wasn¡¯t my intent. But¡­ that only leaves the inciting energy.

    Sunder. The reformation of his body. Noah¡¯s lips thinned. Sunder had come from the demon that had attacked the afterlife, but the rune itself was perfectly readable to him. It wasn¡¯t demonic as far as he could tell.

    ¡°Maybe Sunder uses energy from wherever I am to make my body?¡± Noah mused, tilting his head to the side. ¡°I am in the Damned Plains, after all. That could mean that my bodies here are formed with¡­ I don¡¯t know, latent demonic energy? But I don¡¯t feel any different. If I had a Demon Rune, shouldn¡¯t my emotions be somehow affected?¡±

    There was a chance he was resistant to the rune¡¯s affects because humans weren¡¯t as closely tied to their runes as demons were ¡ª but the black strands holding the rune to his soul spoke differently. It might not have been as intense as the bindings that Lee¡¯s runes were trapped in, but he should have still felt some difference.

    I¡¯ve never felt so close to being able to read a Demon Rune before. I¡¯m missing something. I have to be. Even Aylin and Violet¡¯s rank 1 Demon Runes were completely indecipherable to me, though they looked identical. This doesn¡¯t look like them. If the black sludge wasn¡¯t covering so much of it, I could probably tell what it was.

    Noah walked around to the back of the rune again, where his soul had risen up to connect to the back of the rune, and peered through a few of the cracks that showed the rune from the other side to see if he could make out anything that he¡¯d missed.

    He raised a hand and drew on Natural Disaster. A crackling ball of electricity arced between his fingertips with enough intensity to cast yellow light over the darkness to illuminate the back of the rune. He drew in a slow breath as goosebumps prickled along the tops of his arms.

    There was nothing. The few extra glimpses of the grayish-white light he could catch through the dark mass were just too difficult to make anything useful of. He walked back to the front and glared at the offending rune, then dismissed his ball of lightning.

    It vanished with a flash, briefly lighting up his mindspace. Something caught the corner of Noah¡¯s eye as the light went off and he froze. He summoned the ball of lightning a second time, lifting it into the air as he stared at the ground. The light flowing through the holes in the rune like a reversed shadow glowed faintly at the base of Noah¡¯s soul.

    His gaze snapped back to the rune in the air as he finally realized what had felt off about it. It wasn¡¯t in another language at all. It was inversed.

    The outline of a rune shone on the floor. He couldn¡¯t quite read it completely because of all the dark matter blocking it out, but therein laid the biggest source of his surprise. The strands of his soul connected to the rune weren¡¯t solid black.

    When the light illuminated them, faint lines projected themselves onto the ground overlaid upon the first rune. Not just lines. A pattern.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Noah breathed, his eyes going wide.

    He hadn¡¯t made just one rune.

    He¡¯d made two.

 Chapter 516: Fragments

    Noah stared at the ground in a stunned silence. He¡¯d somehow made an entire rune on accident.

    ¡°How can this even happen?¡± Noah muttered to himself. ¡°I could see my intent somehow getting messed with by the energy in the Damned Plains or some shit like that, but it can¡¯t make two completely different runes.¡±

    It didn¡¯t seem that anyone had told the runes that. They remained on the floor of his soul, illuminated by the crackling light of the ball of electric energy churning above his hand. The second rune didn¡¯t look like it was about to go anywhere anytime soon.

    As the shock wore off, Noah took a closer look at the dark lines on the ground. A flicker of annoyance welled up in his chest. Not only was the unexpected rune blocking out significant portions of the rune he¡¯d actually tried to make, but he couldn¡¯t read it either. There were just too many segments missing.

    This is exactly what happened with Lee¡¯s Rune, isn¡¯t it? She managed to squish all her runes together into Frankenstein¡¯s Rune. Now she can¡¯t read any of them. But I don¡¯t have a Master Rune, broken or not, in the mix here.

    Could this be the result of a failed combination?

    That was something he could test. Noah held a hand up to the amalgamation of runes before him and focused his attention on it, sending a faint tendril of desire toward them. A wall of pressure drove into him in response and the other runes in his soul shuddered as they pushed back against it.

    It wasn¡¯t enough to keep what felt like a strong wind from driving into Noah, blowing his hair back and nearly causing him to slide across the ground. He blocked his eyes with a hand and released the desire, letting the runes return to their normal state as a frown crossed his lips.

    ¡°Way more than the pressure from a newly made Rank 4,¡± Noah muttered. ¡°That¡¯s easily two of them. There¡¯s energy there that shouldn¡¯t be there. This isn¡¯t just some failed combination. Something got added into the mix that I didn¡¯t want.¡±

    The rune floated innocently before him, the thick strands of jet-black soul undulating gently in beat with the ripples of energy passing over its surface. Noah scrunched his nose. It felt a little odd to be irritated about getting an extra rune. That was a first world problem if he¡¯d ever heard of one, and that made him mildly annoyed that he couldn¡¯t be more annoyed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like you,¡± Noah informed his conjoined runes. ¡°But I would like you more if you split yourselves apart for me.¡±

    The runes did not respond. That was probably for the best. The day his runes started talking to him was the day Noah Sundered them out and served them on a plate to Lee. His brow furrowed at the thought of the demon. She needed him to find a way to deal with¡­ whatever this was.

    Even if it didn¡¯t hold the secret to her issues with Rank 4, the very least he could do was find a way to untangle the bungled mess of a Rune she currently had. Azel¡¯s bindings weren¡¯t going to hold forever and they only got weaker with every time Lee pushed her strength.

    That might have been fine back in Arbitage, but they were in the Damned Plains. He doubted they were going to get the liberty of being able to hold back for long. They¡¯d already taken control of the streetlords and made a scene at the auction. Stronger demons would be taking notice of them soon ¡ª if they hadn¡¯t already.

    Noah brushed his thoughts away and let out a sharp breath to refocus himself. He couldn¡¯t afford to start worrying about distractions right now. There was too much at stake.

    ¡°I wonder if I could just Sunder you?¡± Noah mused to himself, moving to see if he could find an obvious spot where the two runes had connected themselves. He made another circle around them, but it did little to help. There was no clear distinction in them. If it wasn¡¯t for the light illuminating the runes on the ground, it would have been impossible to tell that there even were two of them.

    He came to a stop back at the front of the rune and dismissed his glowing ball before crossing his legs and sitting down. He planted his chin in his palm and braced his elbow against a knee, fingers drumming against the side of his chin in contemplation.

    Sundering the runes had a chance of splitting them apart. It had an equal chance of just straight up destroying them. He¡¯d lost around 15% of the energy in Crumbling Space when he¡¯d Sundered it in order to make¡­ whatever abomination this thing was. If the same thing happened ¡ª well, the rune didn¡¯t have enough energy to lose. It would just shatter and all his efforts would be wasted.

    ¡°I wish I could just test on something,¡± Noah complained, his mood still worsened by the still-present headache from all the soul damage littering his soul. He cast his gaze around as if in hopes of finding a second copy of the odd rune amalgamation before him. It was fruitless. The only other option he had to test on was Lee¡¯s rune, and he vehemently refused to do that.

    If anyone¡¯s getting tested on, it¡¯ll be me. I don¡¯t want to risk hurting or killing Lee. But if I¡¯m going to fiddle around with myself ¡ªthat sounds wrong ¡ª I should save the Fragment of Renewal until I¡¯m done. The chances of me getting out of this without even more soul damage are negligible.

    Noah blew out a sharp breath and pushed himself to his feet. Then, for a flicker of a thought, he paused. If his soul already had extensive soul damage, the smart thing would probably be to use the Fragment of Renewal now and then wait until it came back before he started messing with the new runes.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    If this is really a Demon Rune, I don¡¯t think I can afford to sit around and wait to see what it does. What if I start feasting on emotions all of a sudden? I don¡¯t know what emotion I¡¯d want, but I don¡¯t think it would be anything good. It would probably involve Mo ¡ª no. Not letting myself get distracted now. I really do need to get some more Mind Meld potions, though.

    Sundering the runes would be his last resort. Noah brushed his hands off on his pants. It wasn¡¯t like there was any sweat on them in his mindspace, but it was about the spirit of things. There was at least one thing he could try before fiddling around with any magic.

    He strode up to the rune and set his jaw, grabbing the rune with both hands. A river of tingling energy raced down his palms and through his arms into his chest. An involuntary shiver ran down Noah¡¯s spine, but he didn¡¯t let go. His grip tightened and he planted his feet in the ground.

    Then he pulled. The river transformed into an ocean. His fingers went numb and he could have sworn his bones started to vibrate. It felt like he was trying to yank out his own heart. Noah¡¯s teeth gritted and he pulled even harder.

    ¡°Come here, you little shit,¡± Noah snarled.

    Energy coursed throughout his veins and flooded every part of him. His tongue tingled and prickles poked at the back of his eyes. A colony of ants felt like it had taken up residence within him and were marching throughout his veins. It was the most incredibly uncomfortable thing that Noah had ever experienced, but it wasn¡¯t quite painful.

    One of the strands snapped, releasing the rune and whipping back into the base of his soul with a splatter. Noah¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and he nearly lost his grip. He hadn¡¯t expected tugging on the rune like a disgruntled ape to actually work.

    The sharp edges of the rune pulled back and Noah quickly adjusted his stiff fingers, just barely managing to keep his hold on it. He took a step back, stretching the dark strands farther. Gaps started to form within them as they lost the game of tug-of-war against him.

    ¡°Let go!¡± Noah roared, driving himself backward another step and thrusting every scrap of force he could muster into his feet. Several loud thwangs ripped through the air as ropey soul strings ripped and lost their hold on the rune.

    Noah slipped, his fingers losing their grip, and landed on his back with a pained grunt. The energy tearing through his body vanished and he groaned, staring up at Sunder and the Fragment of Renewal floating above him. It was several seconds before the awful tingling finally faded away and he managed to push himself into a sitting position.

    ¡°Oh, pound sand, would you?¡±

    The rune had gone right back to the position it had been in before. His soul had extended gloopy tendrils to wrap around it once again. All his work had been for ¡ª

    Wait.

    Noah rose to his feet and approached the rune. The strands had wrapped back around the rune in the exact same way as before. His head tilted to the side. If his soul was trying to hold onto the rune for some reason, then the way it connected should have been at least somewhat random. This wasn¡¯t. He¡¯d broken some of the strands, but they¡¯d come back exactly as they¡¯d been.

    It¡¯s almost as if there¡¯s a¡­

    ¡°¡­pattern,¡± Noah muttered, finishing his thoughts out loud as his eyes widened. He raised his hands and summoned a crackling ball of electricity with the help of Natural Disaster, illuminating the two runes and casting their inversed shadows onto the ground so he could examine them.

    Noah¡¯s eyes danced as he memorized the glowing lines that came from the black strands. He couldn¡¯t understand what the patterns meant, but he could still see a portion of them. Once he¡¯d memorized everything he could, he released Natural Disaster and hopped awkwardly on one foot, raising the other to stick it into the parts of his soul covering his rune.

    He gagged as tingles shot down his leg and up into his torso. The urge to pull back was strong, but he resisted it. Noah just tilted his head to the side and summoned his violin, bracing it against himself and resting the bow on the strings.

    I don¡¯t know any way better to manifest a pattern than through music. If this rune does anything, I¡¯ll find out when I convert its pattern to song while channeling its energy.

    Noah drew in a deep breath and pushed the distraction away, shoving the uncomfortable tingling sensation into the back of his mind.

    Then he began to play.

    He started slow, taking care not to draw too much power or let the pattern escape from him, but he was surprised to find the music didn¡¯t just come easily. It came naturally. His bow picked up speed and a strange song echoed through the reaches of his soul.

    It was more than natural. It was familiar.

    Power twisted within Noah. The uncomfortable prickling in the back of his mind receded. His posture relaxed and his song grew faster still as he felt himself synchronize with the rune. Noah¡¯s eyes drifted shut and he immersed himself within the song, letting the pattern form itself with his body as the outlet.

    And then it came to an end. His bow slowed and a deep sense of peace washed over his body like a comforting blanket. The discomfort had entirely vanished everywhere other than his eyes, which still felt like he¡¯d squinted into a bright light for a little too long.

    Well, at least it doesn¡¯t seem malicious. What kind of rune does this?

    Noah let his eyes open once again. His violin squeaked as his hand jerked in surprise, playing an unbidden note. Faint golden lines glimmered within the dark floor and walls of his soul. They danced and twisted in the most complex mosaic that he¡¯d ever seen like a field of glimmering vines, stretching so far out that he couldn¡¯t see where they ended. It was a pattern, but it was so much more. It was an entire world.

    Noah could do nothing but stare in disbelief. He turned, trying to take in the entirety of the pattern glowing within the darkness of his soul, but it was impossible. The pattern was just so immense that he couldn¡¯t even begin to make anything individual out. Swirling waves and starry skies mixed like the painting of a madman, vanishing the moment he thought he caught a glimpse of something tangible. It was alien and immense, beautiful in the way that Renewal had been.

    His gaze landed back on the strands holding onto his rune. Noah¡¯s fingers loosened and the violin vanished from his grasp. The darkness had been lit up by the very same lines running throughout the rest of his soul, but these ones didn¡¯t change.

    They remained locked in place, interweaving with each other in a way that wasn¡¯t just familiar to Noah. It was Noah.

    For the first time, Noah managed to read the name of the rune stored within the syrupy strands of his soul.

    Fragment of Self

 Chapter 517: Heart to heart

    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± Noah said. ¡°Didn¡¯t see that one coming.¡±

    Noah then froze, as he hadn¡¯t actually said anything. That did nothing to change the fact that he¡¯d most certainly just heard himself speak.

    ¡°What the¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fuck?¡±

    Noah spun toward the source of his voice and found himself face to face with¡­ Noah. A complete and utter copy of him, down to a stray hair sticking out from the top of his head. They stared at each other for several seconds in stunned silence.

    ¡°Yeah, no,¡± Noah said. ¡°That¡¯s not happening. You did not just finish my sentence.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I did,¡± Noah replied, scratching his chin as his brow furrowed. ¡°Or did you finish mine?¡±

    ¡°You finished mine, and you did it wrong. I was going to say, ¡®what the hell¡¯. You got it wrong.¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t,¡± Noah admitted. He thrust a finger at the other Noah, who returned the gesture. Their eyes narrowed in unison and their hands lowered back to their sides.

    ¡°Are you copying me now?¡± Noah asked, upon which Noah¡¯s ¡ª the other one ¡ª fingers twitched.

    ¡°We are not getting into this. There isn¡¯t even anyone else here, so there¡¯s no point doing some weird shape-stealer bullshit,¡± Noah said, crossing his arms. ¡°Seriously. What the hell is going on? And who are you? You¡¯re not me. I¡¯m me. You¡¯re someone else.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m most definitely you.¡±

    They paused for a second.

    ¡°Okay, this is getting confusing.¡±

    ¡°Quite.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re Noah-2. I¡¯m Noah-1.¡±

    ¡°Why do you get to be Noah-1?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re in my damn head. You ¡ª what, came from the Rune I just made? Is that even possible?¡±

    ¡°No clue,¡± Noah-2 replied, scratching the back of his head and letting out a huff. ¡°And how could you have made the rune? I made it. Not you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even try that.¡± Noah glared at his double. ¡°I am not so easily gaslit.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I was fucking with you. You did make it,¡± Noah-2 said with a snicker. The smile fell away from his features a moment later. ¡°I really am Noah, though. At least, I¡¯m pretty sure I am. I know I¡¯m not you you, but I am you.¡±

    They were silent for another few moments.

    ¡°That was a bit confusing, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Noah-2 asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to bash you over the head with a rock.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d probably try that too if I were you. Which I am. Kind of. Unfortunately, no rocks here.¡± Noah-2 cast his gaze around the shadows of the mindspace around them. ¡°And even if there were, I¡¯m not so sure it would actually do anything. I don¡¯t get the feeling that I¡¯m alive.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± Noah asked suspiciously. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just claim to be me?¡±

    ¡°What would you have done if you just suddenly found yourself existing in another variation of yourself?¡±

    ¡°I would have tried to ¡ª wait. You tried to leave my mindspace?¡± Noah glared at the other Noah. ¡°To what, take over my body?¡±

    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s what you would have done.¡±

    ¡°Fair point,¡± Noah admitted. It was a little difficult to get too mad when that was the exact step he would have taken if he¡¯d been in his clone¡¯s position. ¡°I take it that failed?¡±

    ¡°Completely. I don¡¯t exist outside of our mindspace,¡± Noah-2 said, tapping his foot on the ground and letting out a sigh. ¡°Which means you¡¯re probably actually Noah-1. So that leads me to my next question. What the hell am I?¡±

    They both looked over at the Fragment of Self.

    ¡°Not exactly a difficult guess,¡± Noah said.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t tell us much either,¡± Noah-2 said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what this is?¡±

    ¡°No more than you do. It¡¯s a rune. Obviously.¡±

    ¡°Obviously,¡± Noah agreed. ¡°But I can¡¯t imagine I¡¯ve just randomly made myself a Noahmancy rune.¡±

    ¡°That would be a little specific,¡± Noah-2 said. He held his hands out toward Noah, who mirrored the motion. They both squinted for a second. Then their hands dropped.

    ¡°Not a Noahmancy rune. I couldn¡¯t control you,¡± they said in unison.

    ¡°God, that¡¯s creepy,¡± they said, in unison once again.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me the Fragment of Self just makes a duplicate form of me,¡± Noah muttered, relieved to find that his clone didn¡¯t copy his words again.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s all it would do. I mean, look at it,¡± Noah-2 said, crossing his arms and staring down at the illuminated lines within their soul. ¡°This is literally me. Or you. Us, I guess. There¡¯s no way the absolute core of somebody¡¯s soul is just making another version of themselves.¡±

    They both studied the rune for several moments. It was a remarkably strange experience for Noah to stand across from a perfect copy of himself. He¡¯d seen his face in a mirror before, and he¡¯d left more than enough corpses behind to know what he looked like. Even Lee had taken on his appearance more than a few times.

    This was different. He couldn¡¯t quite place how he knew, but there was no doubt in his mind that Noah-2 really was him. Their mannerisms, the way they spoke, everything. It was identical.

    ¡°Maybe this is a side-effect of the Fragment of Self,¡± Noah mused. ¡°Not the purpose of the actual rune. It¡¯s still stuck merged with the Matter rune, so that could be messing with it somehow.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Could be,¡± Noah-2 said. ¡°I can¡¯t access the runes, by the way. It seems the only thing I can do is exist. Mildly annoying. I¡¯d like to try killing myself to see if anything happens.¡±

    ¡°That really is always our solution, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It works.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hold off on it until I learn more. What if you don¡¯t come back? Or if two of you come back?¡±

    They both shuddered. Two versions of himself was already too much. They didn¡¯t need to turn his mindspace into a party.

    ¡°If you can find a way to separate these runes, we might be able to learn more about what¡¯s going on,¡± Noah-2 said. ¡°You¡¯ve clearly got a way to access it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a little concerned about doing irreparable damage to myself at this point,¡± Noah muttered, looking down at the glowing lines tracing through the floor beneath his feet. They shifted in a gentle wave of motion, changing shapes before he could make out their pattern.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fiddle with the greater part of your soul. That¡¯s obviously a shit idea,¡± Noah-2 said. ¡°Just stick with the Fragment. We can already see it, and it¡¯s largely separated from the rest of your soul. Sunder it and reform it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t love the idea of Sundering ¡ª hold on. You just want to see what happens if I separate you from myself.¡±

    ¡°Guilty,¡± Noah-2 said. ¡°It was worth a shot.¡±

    ¡°It was,¡± Noah agreed. ¡°I¡¯m not doing it, though. Even if that worked, what would you do? You wouldn¡¯t have my body. You wouldn¡¯t have Sunder either.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I figured I¡¯d get there when the time came.¡±

    This feels like someone trying to force me to reflect. That¡¯s not going to work. I wonder what happens if I kill myself ¡ª ah, wait. That might leave Noah-2 in charge. It probably wouldn¡¯t, but I¡¯m not taking the risk.

    Noah¡¯s soul was quiet for a few moments as its inhabitant(s) pondered the Fragment of Self between them.

    ¡°You might have had a point about separating the rune,¡± Noah mused. ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of Sundering it. We need to find a way to help Lee, and using Sunder on a Rank 4 with a Master Rune might end up killing her.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Noah-2 said, his features flattening. ¡°This is no Demon Rune, but it seems remarkably similar. This isn¡¯t just about me or you. I ¡ª we have the perfect opportunity to figure out how this works. Truce? Lee comes first.¡±

    ¡°Truce,¡± Noah agreed. He considered extending a hand to himself, but that just felt like a little too much. Instead, they both just looked back to the Fragment of Self. Noah had absolutely no idea where to start. The runes looked completely lodged together. Finding a way to separate them without Sunder felt like it would be nearly impossible¡­ but he had an advantage that no force in the universe had ever possessed before.

    There wasn¡¯t just one Noah working on this. There were two.

    ***

    Time slipped by. Noah had no idea how much. He and Noah-2 came at the Fragment of Self from every angle. They tried dragging it apart. They tried wiggling and pulling at pieces of his soul to unknot it and free the other rune.

    They tried wedging a third rune between the two and using it like a crowbar to pry them apart, and that was just the head of the iceberg. The pair of them went through every single trick and idea that came to their minds, working in conjunction and firing off thoughts in unison as they worked to find a way to separate the runes. They even tried re-creating the song Noah had done to first connect with the Fragment of Self.

    Nothing worked. Their efforts did nothing but drain the majority of the magical energy that Noah had left and send them both flopping to the ground on either side of the conglomerate rune, their brows creased in annoyance.

    ¡°This is goddamn annoying,¡± Noah-2 said. ¡°I don¡¯t like this rune, and it¡¯s the reason I exist in the first place.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we¡¯re going about this the wrong way,¡± Noah muttered. ¡°If this was something that could be brute forced, I¡¯m sure Azel would have done it to Lee. Maybe we have to be subtle.¡±

    ¡°Subtle is not our specialty.¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have to adapt then. I¡¯m not going to give up and let Lee get stuck where she is forever ¡ª and that¡¯s assuming her rune doesn¡¯t destroy her ¡ª because subtle isn¡¯t my specialty.¡±

    The other Noah winced. ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re right. How can we be subtle, though? We tried connecting to the Rune. It didn¡¯t do anything. If we don¡¯t know how to use the rune, then we can¡¯t do anything with it.¡±

    It was several seconds before Noah responded. ¡°We might not know what it does, but maybe we¡¯re going about this the wrong way.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been trying to separate it. That seems like the right way to me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and maybe that¡¯s the problem,¡± Noah mused, rising to his feet slowly.

    ¡°I thought we just agreed not to give up,¡± Noah-2 said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not giving up.¡± Noah approached the merged runes until he stood a foot away from them, their pressure winding around his chest like a constricting snake. ¡°What if that¡¯s our mistake? I mean, the Fragment of Self is literally a rune that¡¯s meant to represent me. A portion of me at the least. If I want to control that¡­¡±

    ¡°You want to try and pull it back into your soul instead of cut it out?¡± Noah-2 asked, his eyes lighting up. ¡°That¡¯s genius. We¡¯re so smart.¡±

    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Noah agreed. ¡°You¡­ well, stand there, I guess. It¡¯s not like you can do much.¡±

    ¡°Just pretend I¡¯m Moxie. I can be moral support.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡± The corner of Noah¡¯s lip curled up and he let out a slow breath, letting his eyes close for a moment as he steadied himself. He¡¯d tried to grab the Fragment of Self so many times that he was already more than used to the uncomfortable prickling energy that attacked his insides when he touched it, but that didn¡¯t mean he liked it.

    Then his eyes opened again and he extended his hand. He rested it on the surface of the black strands of his soul. Energy poured into Noah, but instead of trying to find a way to wrest it away or control it, he pushed back.

    Noah drove his intent into the rune, shoving the energy aside as he turned all the runic pressure he had to bear into the Fragment of Self. His vision focused in until the only thing before his eyes were the two merged runes.

    His runes. Even if he didn¡¯t know what one of them was, the other was a part of his soul. He didn¡¯t need to understand what the Fragment of Self did or how it worked. It was a part of him. They were one and the same.

    A river of chills rolled down Noah¡¯s spine as a dull chime echoed through his soul.

    All the rushing energy ground to a halt. Distant echoes rung in his ears and an odd feeling washed over his body as the world swayed. He could hear his heart beating in his chest and the blood rushing in his ears. Then even that stopped.

    There was only silence. The rune did nothing, but not because it didn¡¯t work. It did nothing because it was already working. It always had been.

    Noah¡¯s hand dropped to his side.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Noah breathed, unable to keep a faint laugh from slipping free of his lips as he finally realized what the rune truly was. He turned to Noah-2, who watched him with an inscrutable expression. ¡°Seriously? The first guess I made was basically right.¡±

    ¡°Hardly. You used it the wrong way,¡± Noah-2 replied with a faint smile. ¡°Took you long enough.¡±

    The Fragment of Self was nothing like the other runes he possessed. It was him. Or at least, a portion of himself. It was the connection between his body and his soul. The rune was the passageway that let him access the rest of his runes, but it was more than that. It was everything he desired. Everything he was. It was literally him.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Did you know?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know anything more than you do.¡± Noah-2 shrugged. ¡°I figured it out when you did. I¡¯m just a fragment, Noah. You made me. Splintering a section of your soul off can hardly be healthy, but it¡¯s a damn good way to get a look at yourself. Did you like what you saw?¡±

    ¡°Not answering that one. I¡¯m more than aware we only get philosophical when we¡¯re bullshitting.¡±

    ¡°Got me there.¡± Noah-2¡¯s eyes changed. Something swirled deep within them. A vine bed. The outside world.

    Noah extended a hand ¡ª not to the rune, but to Noah-2. ¡°Until next time, Noah-2.¡±

    ¡°What makes you think there¡¯ll be a next time? I only came into being because your mind needed a way to represent everything¡­ well, you.¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m remarkably good at screwing up, and you¡¯re me,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I reckon it won¡¯t be long.¡±

    Noah-2 laughed. He lifted his hand and clasped Noah¡¯s. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. Until then, Noah-1.¡±

    A ripple passed through Noah¡¯s soul and his clone vanished. He was alone once more, but things had changed. His soul felt different. More vibrant. It was as if all his senses had been dialed up.

    Noah looked back to the pair of conjoined runes floating before him. He¡¯d been trying to split the Fragment of Self off this whole time, when what he should have been doing was the exact opposite.

    He couldn¡¯t cut a piece of himself off. It would have been like removing a portion of his personality. Fortunately, Noah didn¡¯t have to. Fragment of Self didn¡¯t have to be removed. It had to be taken back.

 Chapter 518: I Wonder

    ¡°Rejoin me,¡± Noah commanded. He extended his mind to the rune, meeting the rush of freezing energy. Up until now, he¡¯d been treating the Fragment of Self like it was any other rune. He¡¯d thought the pressure was something that he had to push back against.

    That was impossible. It was the pressure of his own soul, after all. You couldn¡¯t push up against something with itself. Instead of pushing back or trying to wrest control of the power, he relaxed.

    The strands of black holding his Matter Rune shuddered. Then, without a sound, they released it and slithered into the floor of his mindspace as the Fragment of Self rejoined the rest of his soul.

    It embedded itself on the ground, a glistening pattern that stood as still as stone in a shifting sea. A chill crept up Noah¡¯s chest and set into his bones. It wasn¡¯t as uncomfortable as it was unnerving.

    He could almost hear the thoughts echoing in his mind, feel the blood running in his veins, taste the power he bore within his soul. Noah felt like a violin left to the side for years before finally getting its strings tuned.

    Extending his thoughts to the Fragment of Self sent a tremor running through his body. Energy pumped in him, but not in the way that ever had before. Noah¡¯s lips pulled apart of their own volition as he tried to make sense of the strange power. He stared at his hand. Everything felt so¡­ alive. Each single movement wasn¡¯t just a thought but a thousand different miniscule reactions within himself flashing through his nervous system to deliver the command his mind gave, and Noah could feel every single one of them. He could control every single one of them.

    His finger twitched by such a tiny amount that his eyes couldn¡¯t even properly make out the motion ¡ª but he could feel it. His body felt like it had truly become his for the first time in his life. A disbelieving laugh slipped from Noah¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°This is incredible,¡± he breathed, holding his hand up and staring through the cracks between his fingers at Sunder as it floated above him. For the first time in his life, his body actually felt like it belonged to him ¡ª and this technically wasn¡¯t even his body.

    Then again, Vermil died a long time ago. I¡¯ve gone through so many new bodies that I think this is definitely my body at this point. Vermil died back in the Scorched Acres. I¡¯ve just stolen his visage and cleaned it up a little.

    Noah let out a shaky breath. He let his hand lower, vividly aware of the space it took up by his side, and paused before his eyes lowered from the sky. Sunder wasn¡¯t the only Master Rune floating above him.

    The Fragment of Renewal joined it, the two immense runes bearing down on his entire soul and each other with immense pressure. A small frown creased Noah¡¯s lips. The Fragment of Renewal. The Fragment of Self.

    The same kind of rune? But that can¡¯t be right. My rune definitely isn¡¯t a Master Rune by any stretch of the imagination. It didn¡¯t have enough pressure. Wasn¡¯t big enough either. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d call it a normal rune, but there¡¯s no way it could be a Master Rune¡­ right?

    Noah looked back down to the Fragment of Self. It remained in the floor of his mindspace before his feet, the only patch of golden lines that wasn¡¯t flowing in the invisible current that wound its way through the rest of his soul.

    It didn¡¯t look like a Master Rune, and Noah had no idea what its inverse would have been if it was. He didn¡¯t understand the Fragment of Self nearly enough to try and figure that out. His frown deepened.

    The names are way too similar to be a coincidence, but there¡¯s at least one key difference aside from their power. The rune I took from the goddess is called the Fragment of Renewal, not the Fragment of Self. My rune isn¡¯t called the Fragment of Noah. They¡¯re reminiscent of each other in name, but they¡¯re not exactly the same.

    That unfortunately didn¡¯t answer much of his confusion. Even if the two runes weren¡¯t identical in make, the similarity between them was a little too much for him to overlook. He wasn¡¯t so sure he bought the idea that the goddess¡¯ rune was a Master Rune purely because she was more powerful.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Maybe there¡¯s a way to expand upon or improve the Fragment of Self and make a stronger rune that represents you?

    Noah just had no way to know. He couldn¡¯t exactly call the goddess up and ask her advice. He got the feeling she still wasn¡¯t too pleased about how he¡¯d yanked some of her power in the first place.

    I do still need to get her a fruit basket or something. She hasn¡¯t smited me yet, so maybe she¡¯s not too pissed. I wonder what kind of fruits gods like. Mangoes, perhaps?

    A small smile pulled at the corner of Noah¡¯s lips before it fell away and he shook his head. As much control as the Fragment of Self gave him over his body, it didn¡¯t seem to help keep him focused any better than normal.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t understand this,¡± Noah muttered to himself. ¡°The Fragment of Self resembles the rune of a goddess¡­ and it also resembles a Demon Rune. Two things that couldn¡¯t have possibly been more different.¡±

    Noah crossed his arms in front of his chest and tapped his foot on the ground as he dug through his mind, forcing himself to think harder. The similarities that his rune had to that of a Demon Rune had to be the key he was missing. There had to be something in them that would let him figure out how to help Lee.

    I thought mine was a Demon Rune until I connected to it and lit it up from inside, letting me read the pattern. Okay. So that¡¯s one step. Either I or Lee need to connect to her rune. That might let her pull it free of that mess that she combined¡­ but that doesn¡¯t fix the problem, does it? She¡¯d still have a Demon Rune in her soul messing up her desires.

    I suppose I¡¯d have to see another Rank 4 or higher demon to tell for sure. I¡¯m also not really following how Demon Runes change demons so badly to force them to basically become embodiments of their emotion.

    The Fragment of Self was definitely exhilarating. It made Noah feel alive¡­ but no matter how hard he concentrated, he couldn¡¯t feel like any part of himself was actually being influenced. He wasn¡¯t suddenly any more suicidal or impatient than he had been before ¡ª and those definitely would have been the desires that would have gotten amplified by a Demon Rune. He felt more like himself, not like a caricature.

    ¡°So what¡¯s the difference between me and a Demon?¡± Noah mused. His foot stopped tapping and he started to pace, his eyes tracing the flowing lines as they danced across the ground before him. ¡°I suppose there are really only two options. Either it¡¯s the owner of the rune or the rune itself. Demons are connected to their runes far more strongly than humans are. But that wouldn¡¯t explain why they hyper fixate on one emotion when a rune gets to Rank 4. Could it be a difference in the runes themselves, then?¡±

    Noah shook his head in response to his own thought. The rune he¡¯d made had resembled a Demon Rune so strongly, and the whole point of a demon rune seemed to be to amplify them. The same as the Fragment of Self.

    So why does my rune just make me more¡­ me, while theirs turns them into a slave to their desires? It doesn¡¯t make sense. There has to be an answer, but I might not be able to find it pacing around inside my soul. I¡¯ll have to find someone to test on. I have to really get a close look at a Rank 4 Demon Rune when it¡¯s inside a demon and figure out what it does to them.

    Back in the mortal realm, that would have been pretty difficult. It wasn¡¯t like there were Rank 4 Demons strolling around everywhere. But down in the Damned Plains, Noah wasn¡¯t even slightly worried. He¡¯d already kicked the hornet¡¯s nest enough to draw the attention of some enemies.

    There wasn¡¯t even a need for him to go looking for Rank 4 Demons. They¡¯d deliver themselves to him. His lips pulled up in a smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lee. I¡¯ll have this figured out soon enough,¡± Noah promised. ¡°I just might have to break a few demons to do it.¡±

    A faint pulse of pain probed at the back of his mind. The cracks in his soul still hadn¡¯t healed over, and he¡¯d been putting off using the Fragment of Renewal until his work was done. He¡¯d gotten so caught up with the new rune that he¡¯d nearly forgotten his own headache.

    Noah extended a hand toward the Fragment of Renewal, calling the pearlescent rune down toward him. He was mildly surprised to find that it responded. If he could access his magic again, then twelve hours must had have already passed. His hand pressed against the Master Rune¡¯s surface and a river of relief poured over his head like a refreshing shower. He exhaled as tension knitting his shoulders evaporated and the pain in his skull relented.

    The cracks strewn about his soul started to knit themselves back together. It would take them a bit to fully heal with how extensive the damage had been, but the Fragment of Renewal would deal with them soon enough.

    He turned ¡ª and froze. Somehow, in all of the excitement, Noah had briefly forgotten the fact that he hadn¡¯t just made a single rune.

    He¡¯d made two.

    The other half of his efforts floated in the air, spaced equal distances from the Crumbling Space and Natural Disaster, its name as naked as Noah had been the day he¡¯d first gotten himself killed in the Scorched Acres. A Rank 4 Rune, roughly at 25% full.

    Warped Matter

    ¡°Would you look at that,¡± Noah breathed, delight sparking in his eyes. ¡°I wonder what you do.¡±

 Chapter 519: Warped Matter

    Noah slipped from his mindspace and let his eyes drift open. He laid in Moxie¡¯s bed, one of his arms trapped beneath himself and buzzing like a furious insect. It felt like he¡¯d been lying there for quite some time.

    Grimacing, he untangled himself and sat upright. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and scrunched his nose in annoyance.

    ¡°How long was I out?¡± Noah muttered.

    ¡°Hours.¡±

    Noah glanced over in the direction of Moxie¡¯s voice. She sat at a plant desk, a half-dead flower cupped between her palms. Moxie set the plant down and arched her eyebrow in clear question.

    ¡°How many hours?¡± Noah asked. The last residuals of his headache still lingered on, but the Fragment of Renewal was making short work of it. He was pretty sure his head would be back to normal in another hour or so.

    ¡°Around thirteen,¡± Moxie said. She turned on her chair, the vines that made up its back coiling around her and repositioning themselves to shift the direction the chair faced without so much as raising a leg off the ground and held out a Mind Meld potion. ¡°I got my hands on some more of these while you were gone. Am I going to need it?¡±

    ¡°That would probably be a wise call, yes.¡±

    Moxie removed the stopper and poured half of the potion into her mouth before handing it to Noah. He finished the potion off, then let himself relax as he was yanked from the world and into Moxie¡¯s mindspace.

    ***

    Noah materialized across from Moxie inside her forest clearing. Two vine chairs had already formed and Moxie already sat in one of them. Noah lowered himself into the other.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯ve had more luck with your runes than I have,¡± Moxie said.

    ¡°I suppose it depends on what you mean by luck.¡± Noah tapped the side of his chin. ¡°If you were referring to somehow making two runes on accident instead of one, then yes. I got lucky.¡±

    Moxie let out a snort and shook her head. ¡°Right. Sure, smartass. So no luck, then. Are you going to have to kill yourself again?¡±

    ¡°Probably,¡± Noah said with a nod. ¡°But I was serious.¡±

    Moxie paused. She squinted at him. For several seconds, neither of them said a word. Then her eye twitched. ¡°How does one accidentally make an extra rune? You can¡¯t even combine a rune without intent, much less make one.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m working on figuring out exactly how it happened.¡±

    ¡°Only you could make two runes on accident,¡± Moxie muttered. ¡°And tossing a whole extra rune into the mix didn¡¯t somehow screw with the other rune and ruin it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why it took me so long. They kind of¡­ lodged together. It was a real pain in the ass to figure out how to separate them,¡± Noah said with a small huff of annoyance. ¡°But I managed it in the end.¡±

    ¡°Of course you did,¡± Moxie said with a short burst of laughter. ¡°Well? What kind of runes does one make on accident? Are you planning on telling me, or am I going to have to start taking guesses?¡±

    ¡°Depends. Where¡¯s Lee?¡±

    ¡°Keeping watch over the tent to make sure nobody gets too close or curious.¡±

    ¡°Perfect,¡± Noah said. ¡°Then we can get right to the point. I don¡¯t know how, but I somehow made a rune of myself.¡±

    ¡°A Noah rune?¡± Moxie asked, squinting at him. ¡°Do you have an extra one?¡±

    ¡°A Fragment of Self. No name involved, but it was definitely a representation of me. I had a whole ass discussion with myself. It was¡­ interesting.¡± Noah looked down at his hand and flexed his fingers. The connection to his body here was just as strong as it had been in his mindspace.

    ¡°Fragment of Self?¡± Moxie¡¯s head tilted to the side. ¡°What in the world does that even do? Summon copies of yourself to fling at people? No, that can¡¯t be it. You can¡¯t form magic from scratch until Rank 5. It couldn¡¯t be actual clones. Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s some form of creepy corpse manipulation where you use your own bodies to fight.¡±

    ¡°Now there¡¯s an idea,¡± Noah mused. He caught the look in Moxie¡¯s eyes and let out a snort of laughter. ¡°But no, that isn¡¯t it. As far as I can tell, the rune is the connection between my body and my runes. It¡¯s heightened my internal awareness. It also seems to be permanently on as far as I can tell. It¡¯s not even drawing energy. It just¡­ is.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s weird. I¡¯ve never heard of a rune like that. It¡¯s basically a Body Imbuement, then?¡±

    ¡°Really similar to one,¡± Noah said with a nod. ¡°It¡¯s literally imbued into the center of my soul. Actually, for that matter, I think it is my soul. A piece of it, that is. But here¡¯s the really interesting bit. When I initially formed the rune, it looked almost exactly like a Demon Rune. The way it was all screwed up was identical to Lee¡¯s Rank 4 Rune. It was just at a smaller scale.¡±

    Moxie leaned forward, her eyes burning with interest. ¡°But it isn¡¯t a Demon Rune?¡±

    ¡°Not as far as I can tell. I can read it but I couldn¡¯t read Demon Runes. That was basically the only noticeable difference.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Are you feeling different?¡± Moxie asked with a flicker of concern. ¡°Any tendencies toward emotions or the like? You¡¯re not about to lose yourself, are you?¡±

    ¡°Nothing different in that department. I think it would have been pretty apparent right off the bat if there had been.¡± Noah shook his head. ¡°I was worried about the same thing, but it seems like I¡¯m the same as I was before.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s true, then this could be the key to figuring out how to solve Lee¡¯s issue!¡± Moxie exclaimed in an exited whisper. ¡°Maybe you were able to make a human version of a Demon Rune because of the latent energy in the Damned Plains.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re on the same page. As far as I can tell, the rune is literally just a representation of my soul and my desires. It doesn¡¯t feel dangerous and it definitely doesn¡¯t feel like it¡¯s going to make me hyperfocus on an emotion. I can¡¯t see that changing, even if I was as sensitive to my runes as a demon was.¡±

    Moxie¡¯s grin slipped as her brow creased in a small frown. ¡°Which means that either the issue lies elsewhere, or you managed to accidentally perfect a Demon Rune. As much as I believe in your abilities, I¡¯m not so sure you just stumbled into an issue that has been plaguing demons for¡­ gods know how long. A while.¡±

    ¡°That would be a bit of a stretch,¡± Noah admitted. ¡°I¡¯m going to be doing some testing as soon as I can. I don¡¯t want to mess with Lee or get her hopes up until I know more.¡±

    ¡°Smart. That¡¯s for the best.¡± Moxie gave him an approving nod, then followed it up with a pointed glance. ¡°So¡­ rune number 2. Is it equally as odd?¡±

    ¡°No clue. I haven¡¯t tried using it yet,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I was just about to get to that. I know what I was hoping it would do, but with all the bullshit that surrounded its creation, I¡¯ve got no idea if it¡¯ll function the way I want it to.¡±

    ¡°What are the chances of you blowing yourself up?¡±

    ¡°Blowing myself up? Probably pretty unlikely. Dying? Eh. I wouldn¡¯t bet against it.¡±

    ¡°I suppose I can¡¯t ask for more than that,¡± Moxie said with a small sigh. She gestured at the forest around them. ¡°You can¡¯t test it in here. We aren¡¯t in your soul and I¡¯d rather not break anything important in mine. Anything else vital that needs to be said?¡±

    ¡°Probably, but I don¡¯t remember what it is.¡±

    ¡°I see, I see.¡± Moxie nodded sagely. ¡°So I suppose that means we¡¯ve got some time to kill.

    Noah grinned. ¡°I suppose we do.¡±

    ***

    Thirty minutes later, the Mind Meld Potion ended. Noah and Moxie found themselves back in the real world. Lee had clearly been doing a good job of making sure nobody got too close, because their bodies were mercifully unstabbed.

    ¡°You know, Azel isn¡¯t in your soul anymore,¡± Moxie grumbled. ¡°Why does it only last thirty minutes?¡±

    ¡°My soul is probably still disproportionately large. I did kind of shred him up a bit, and I¡¯ve got a number of other things fiddling with it.¡±

    Moxie let out an exaggerated sigh. ¡°I guess so. Unfortunate, but that¡¯s how things are. Go on, then. I want to see what you made.¡±

    ¡°What happened to not wanting me to get killed?¡± Noah smiled wryly and pushed himself upright in bed.

    Moxie¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Sacrifices must be made in pursuit of the greater good, and right now, the greater good is me wanting to see what your new rune does. If you¡¯re going kill yourself, I¡¯d prefer you do it when I¡¯m somewhere nearby. At least that way I don¡¯t have to worry about someone else having to put on your clothes.¡±

    Noah paused and looked down at himself. He was indeed wearing clothes, and he definitely hadn¡¯t put them on himself considering the last thing he¡¯d done before sinking into his mindspace was kill himself.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± he admitted. ¡°That somehow slipped my mind. I¡¯d have preferred to be present for that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you would have,¡± Moxie said dryly. A thoughtful expression passed over her features and her head tilted to the side. ¡°Hold on. When you said you had a discussion with yourself, were you being literal?¡±

    ¡°Fairly. There was a clone of me. Why?¡±

    ¡°Just asking for later reference,¡± Moxie replied, coughing into a fist. The bed bucked beneath Noah and she sent him a pointed look. ¡°Rune. Come on. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be the impatient one?¡±

    Noah laughed as he swung his legs out of bed and sent a tendril of mental energy into his soul to connect with the Warped Matter rune. Power slithered to meet his call and coiled down his arm. He felt it infuse his body and buzz beneath his skin.

    Moxie watched with rapt anticipation as absolutely nothing happened. A second ticked by. Then two. Her brow furrowed.

    ¡°Does it not work?¡±

    ¡°Give it a second,¡± Noah replied with a laugh. Moxie glared at him as he turned his hand over. The power had completely saturated his arm. It was a lot slower to activate than any of his other runes. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was because the Warped Matter rune just needed to use more energy, if it was struggling because it wasn¡¯t a flawless rune, or if that was just how it was.

    A shimmer of gray energy arced between his fingertips. Blocky fractals twisted out from his palm and into the bed at his side, expanding like fingers of frost as they tore through it. The vines crumpled in their path as blocks of gray matter practically exploded outward.

    Noah hissed in surprise as he felt every scrap of power in Warped Matter forcibly ripped out and consumed by the gray tendrils. The rune ground to a halt as it ran out of power to consume and the magic abruptly stopped, dissipating like mist on a sunny day to leave giant furrows running through the vine bed. Noah and Moxie stared at the ravaged plants in a stunned silence.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Moxie asked, swallowing. ¡°Did you just use my plants as fuel?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re matter. I¡­ warped them, I guess,¡± Noah replied, running a hand along the edges of the vines left by the wake of his spell. Easily half of the bed had been heavily damaged in a split second.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen magic punch through solid material before, but that was scarily fast,¡± Moxie said, shaking her head. ¡°Did you really have to destroy my bed to show that off, though?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to do that much. I just wanted to test it on a single vine or something. The rune kind of activated itself,¡± Noah admitted.

    Moxie frowned and leaned closer to the bed as she studied it intently. ¡°You know, this pattern kind of looks like what would happen to some of our fields when a really nasty soil virus attacked them. We usually stopped it before it could get this bad, though. I think you¡¯ve created a matter-eating virus in the form of a rune.¡±

    ¡°That may be an apt way to describe it,¡± Noah allowed.

    ¡°That¡¯s terrifying. If it treats all matter the same, what do you think it¡¯ll do to a person? I¡¯d imagine their runes would interfere with it, but if you could combine it with Crumbling Space¡­¡±

    ¡°I could do some really serious damage,¡± Noah agreed, letting out a whistle and running a hand through his hair. ¡°Well, shit. I¡¯m really glad I decided to test this on something else before I used it on myself. I had the vague idea of trying to teleport with this.¡±

    Moxie extended her leg and nudged the bed with her foot. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to be happening. Not if you want to arrive in one piece.¡±

    ¡°Probably not,¡± Noah grumbled. The bed, devoid of its structural integrity, started to sink under his weight. He cleared his throat and sent Moxie a pleading look. ¡°Say, do you think you could fix this thing? I don¡¯t really want to get up yet.¡±

 Chapter 520: Zath

    Noah tested the Warped Matter Rune several more times over the course of the next two hours to the exact same results that he¡¯d gotten the first time. The attempts didn¡¯t reveal anything new, but they did help him start to understand the rune better.

    Warped Matter initially felt like it had similar destructive capabilities to Crumbling Space, but it quickly became apparent that it would be more apt to place them on opposite ends of the destructive scale.

    Crumbling Space could rip through everything in its path on the way to a nearby target. It was a focused attack with a short range. The Space Rune gave a great way to cut through everything in the path between him and whoever he was trying to deal with.

    Noah wouldn¡¯t have gone as far to call Crumbling Space a scalpel, but if he did, then Warped Matter was the equivalent of a sledgehammer. It spread at a rapid pace, consuming anything in its way without regard of actually making it to whatever he was aiming at.

    Its range felt like it was considerably less restrained, though a single cast drained the rune¡¯s reserves so quickly that he didn¡¯t manage to get its magic to go much farther than a few feet away from him.

    Noah crouched by one of the deep furrows the magic had dug through the ground in a previous test. A single thick tendril had ripped through the earth in a roughly straight line, and dozens of smaller tendrils had expanded off to branch out and continue their expansion. Those tendrils had grown tendrils of their own, though they were so small that they¡¯d only nicked the ground.

    If I hadn¡¯t run out of energy, I don¡¯t see any signs that this would have stopped. This is going to be a really powerful rune once I get it filled up a bit more and find out how to repair some of the quality issues keeping it from being Flawless. I¡¯ll just have to be really careful to make sure I don¡¯t accidentally use this too close to anyone. The expansion is so uncontrolled that it might end up hitting someone I care about instead of an enemy. Fortunately, my control should improve significantly when the rune is made better.

    ¡°Did you really have to destroy our floor while testing this?¡± Moxie asked, scrunching her nose as she walked to stand beside Noah to look at the ravaged ground. She¡¯d been observing his attempts over the last few hours while he worked, keeping well out of the way whenever he used the new rune.

    ¡°What, and let people watch?¡±

    ¡°Got me there. Any luck, then?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s strong. I¡¯m pretty damn happy with how it turned out. As for the other new one¡­¡± Noah couldn¡¯t keep himself from glancing at his hand again. Being able to control every single micro-movement his body made was exceedingly unerring. It hadn¡¯t shown any signs of letting up, which was starting to make him suspect its effects might have been permanent.

    I suppose it¡¯s basically a full on Body Imbuement right now¡­ but I didn¡¯t intentionally imbue it. The sooner I can find a demon to start testing on, the better.

    That thought gave Noah a moment of pause. He grimaced, mostly to himself, but Moxie caught it immediately. She raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°I was just wondering how things in my life got to the point where I would be sitting around, actively hoping that a Rank 4 demon would attack me.¡±

    ¡°You could always just go find one. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be happy to oblige.¡±

    ¡°Probably could. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve got any shortage of enemies, though. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have to do much. If nobody tries something soon then I¡¯ll go looking for a target, but I¡¯d prefer to go after people that deserve it. There are at least a few semi-decent demons in the Damned Plains. I¡¯d hate if I went after someone that didn¡¯t completely deserve it.¡±

    Moxie nodded. Before she could say anything else, the tent flaps parted and Lee poked her head inside.

    ¡°Are you done yet?¡± Lee asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping watch for so long. I¡¯m bored.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re done,¡± Noah said, giving her a grin. ¡°I¡¯ve been working on a solution to your problem.¡±

    Lee¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You have?¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t solved anything yet,¡± Noah said hurriedly as he raised his hands to keep Lee¡¯s expectations from getting too high. ¡°But it¡¯s promising. I need to do some more testing. But, if things work out, I might have a way to start looking at Demon Runes and figuring out what the hell is wrong with them.¡±

    ¡°With mine?¡± Lee¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Or with all Demon Runes?¡±

    ¡°That remains to be seen. Don¡¯t worry. No matter what, we¡¯re going to find a way that you stay you,¡± Noah promised. ¡°How¡¯s Azel¡¯s seal holding? Do you feel like we¡¯re in a time crunch?¡±

    Lee thought for a moment. Then she shook her head. ¡°I think it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve pushed it a few times since we¡¯ve gotten to the Damned Plains, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s about to collapse. There should be at least a month or two left in mortal realm time. That¡¯s at rate I¡¯ve been using my powers, though. It could be faster.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha.¡± Noah put a hand on Lee¡¯s head and ruffled her hair. ¡°That¡¯s more than enough time. If things start lagging, I¡¯ll just go piss off a few more people until I have everything I need to work with.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re good at that,¡± Lee said.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Noah said. ¡°Now, what did I miss while I was working? Any important changes or developments?¡±

    ¡°Some scuffles between the streetlords,¡± Moxie put in. ¡°Nothing major. Aylin and Vrith handled it before Lee or I ever had to act. Information is starting to come in as the line of power gets more solidified. Nothing useful yet, just general tabs on the city.¡±

    ¡°Aylin is also feeding Vrith a lot,¡± Lee supplied. ¡°I ate some of their food when they weren¡¯t watching.¡±

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s got to have a hobby,¡± Noah said idly as he scratched his chin. ¡°And stronger demons? Any moves?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve got attention,¡± Moxie said as she pulled a strip of jerky out of her pocket.

    Lee¡¯s eyes lit up.

    Vines sprouted from the jerky, running down into the ground and slithering to patch over the holes that Noah¡¯s magic had left behind. Lee¡¯s expression crumpled as she watched her food disintegrate before her eyes. Moxie glanced at her out of the corners of her eyes, then sighed and pulled out a second strip of jerky and held it out.

    Lee blurred in her haste to grab and stuff it into her mouth. Noah didn¡¯t even see her pause to chew. Lee grinned up at Moxie and batted her eyes.

    ¡°For me? Are you sure?¡±

    Moxie burst into laughter. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to ask that before you take something.¡±

    ¡°Why would I do that?¡± Confusion passed over Lee¡¯s features. ¡°If I did, you might decide to take it back.¡±

    For a brief moment, it looked like Moxie was actually going to try to explain the idea of politely refusing something. Then she remembered who she was talking to and shook her head. She dug another strip of jerky out of her pocket and handed it to Lee, then ruffled the demon¡¯s hair.

    ¡°Thanks for keeping an eye out on us.¡±

    ¡°I like food,¡± Lee replied.

    ¡°Do you, now?¡± Noah asked, fighting to hold back his own laughter. ¡°I hadn¡¯t figured that bit out yet. One last question ¡ª how¡¯s Yoru doing? Is she up to anything?¡±

    ¡°She and Violet have been sitting in their tent. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re talking.¡±

    ¡°Eh. At least they aren¡¯t killing each other,¡± Noah said. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a small sigh. ¡°Thanks for the updates. I suppose it¡¯s about time to head out and see how things are going myself. After all, I can¡¯t get attacked if I don¡¯t give the demons a target.¡±

    ***

    In Treadon, Zath would have sat on a throne. He had drawn breath back before many of the Walking Cities had emerged from their shells. So many City Lords had fallen at his hand that even his blade had long since forgotten their names. Death followed in his wake and slept within his gaze. In nearly every cursed area beneath the ruddy skies of the Damned Plains, Zath could have been a king.

    But, within the City of Gold, Zath knelt.

    Cold obsidian pressed into his knees and distant wind howled far above him as it fled the enormous room that he had been summoned to. Flickering orange light rolled across the dark, glossy ground from bronze braziers that swayed in the wind. The delicate scent of a rose danced upon the wind, brushing past his nostrils and setting the hair on his back on end. He didn¡¯t dare raise his head. Zath¡¯s gaze remained focused entirely on his hands.

    The pointed claws that had once emerged from his fingertips had been filed smooth and callouses covered his gray skin, each one a mark of practice that had spanned hundreds of years. He had spent his entire life killing.

    But, in the face of Death itself, his achievements amounted to nothing.

    ¡°Zath,¡± a voice said in a tone so gentle that it seemed to envelop Zath in an embrace. ¡°You arrived faster than I anticipated.¡±

    ¡°I came as soon as I heard you had sent for me,¡± Zath said. A massive form shifted, reflected by the firelight in the obsidian before him.

    ¡°Life is so short. There is no reason to rush,¡± the voice said, a faint hint of amusement entering its words. ¡°But, since you have arrived, I will not waste your time. There is something I desire. A Rune. You will retrieve it for me.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I will retrieve it myself¡ª¡±

    ¡°There is no need for that. You will simply arrange for it. There are things in this life that demand your attention more than an insignificant rune. Just arrange for it. I would do it myself, but my weaker subordinates tend not to survive their encounters with me.¡± Disappointment entered the voice and a deep sigh echoed through the chamber.

    ¡°It will be as you command,¡± Zath said. ¡°I will send someone immediately. The rune will be yours before the skies brighten twice, Lord Sievan.¡±

 Chapter 521: Nothing at all

    Wizen was surprised to find that the City of Gold was actually made of gold. He¡¯d been to a number of different, extravagantly named locations in his many years of existence. Not a single one of them had ever actually lived up to their name. That only made sense. Anybody that actually possessed a great amount of riches generally wasn¡¯t keen on summoning the attention of everyone that wanted to take a piece for themselves.

    A wise man would not name a mountain full of gemstones Gemstone Mountain. He would call it Death Mountain and then do his damned best to ensure that it lived up to its name whenever fools came knocking in search of adventure.

    But all the doubt in the world did nothing to tone down the respect Wizen felt as he gazed upon the city. It had been built upon the back of an enormous demon turtle with a white, weather-bleached shell. Towering spires rose so far into the sky above that their peaks disappeared into the dancing swirls of purple and red light that ruled over the Damned Plains.

    Entrance to the city had been remarkably easy. He¡¯d arrived at a golden lift the size of a city block and had barely even spoken a word to the guards before they¡¯d taken what they deemed to be an appropriate amount from the sacrifice that he had prepared and ushered him in. They hadn¡¯t even taken a cut for themselves or otherwise attempted to extort him.

    Wizen highly doubted they had recognized his strength. His powers had been held close to chest, which meant the guards had been vetted and trained to the point where they didn¡¯t seek any excess. That would have been impressive enough in the mortal realm, much less the Damned Plains.

    His interest in the city only grew as he headed down its gold-paved streets. They wound through lines of massive trees of alabaster bark with leaves that sparkled like diamonds and sent swathes of light swirling across the ground in a rustling dance.

    Scores of street vendors lined the sides of the road and gathered beneath the trees, their wares laid out on tarps before them. Not a single one of them hawked or called to the crowds passing through the city. They just sat silently, conversing in a respectful tone with anyone whose eye their wares caught.

    The silence was not limited to the vendors. It seemed that the very city itself was equally as gentle. He could hear no sounds of argument or any clang of machinery. There was only the welcoming rustle of the trees and distant conversation, muted and respectful.

    Despite the silence, Wizen could feel no fear in the air. It was not a quiet borne of terror of some mighty dictator or the threat of an army. The city ¡ª one located in the depths of the Damned Plains, a stone¡¯s throw from the Black Reaches ¡ª seemed to be at peace. Even with the dust of the Wastes hanging in the air, the City of Gold felt clean.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite odd, isn¡¯t it?¡± Barb asked from beside Wizen, adjusting her one-handed grip on the large bag slung over her shoulder.

    The two of them came to a stop near an alleyway at the edge of a bustling market. A vendor selling demon body parts that had been brought in from the Wastes watched them from the small tent he¡¯d set up around himself but made no moves to approach them. Wizen examined the man¡¯s wares for a moment before turning his attention back to Barb.

    ¡°Odd? Yes, I would say so,¡± Wizen agreed in a tone barely any louder than the song of the trees around them. ¡°It is not what I expected.¡±

    ¡°What do you make of it? I didn¡¯t expect to find an oasis like this in the middle of this wretched place.¡±

    Wizen didn¡¯t respond immediately. His gaze traced over the crowds in the market. The conversation here was louder than it had been in the outer streets, but it was still controlled and polite. If he had closed his eyes, the only way he would have known that he stood in a market would have been through the smell of roasted meat that wafted through the air.

    His expression tightened imperceptibly. The City of Gold lived up to its name perfectly. As Barb had said, it held the allure of an oasis in a desert. Its streets were beautiful and well cared for. The demons that lived within it seemed to be content. No haphazard fights or battle cries echoed through the air. It was silent. It was beautiful.

    For a place like this to exist within the Damned Plains should have been impossible. It was too alluring. A ruler with the power to protect a city such as this would have stricken fear into those that lived within it. One that controlled through respect instead of fear would have been destroyed by those that sought to claim the beauty of the city. Wizen couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he was missing something vital.

    ¡°I do not have an opinion yet. I suspect that will change in due time,¡± Wizen replied. ¡°Do not allow yourself to grow complacent. We have much to accomplish before we may breathe comfortably.¡±

    ¡°Hard to get complacent when you¡¯ve only got one hand,¡± Barb grumbled. ¡°Do you know how many times I¡¯ve tried to scratch something with something that doesn¡¯t exist?¡±

    ¡°We will find you a replacement in due time,¡± Wizen said. ¡°You must be patient. We have come too far to allow ourselves to deviate from our plans. All of my pieces have been moved into position. Have yours?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Barb said with a curt nod. ¡°They all made it into the city. Do we begin?¡±

    ¡°No. Not yet. Time is on our side and caution serves a far greater purpose than haste. I require more time to properly come to an understanding of what it is we face. The rumors and ancient texts that we have used to take us this far are reaching the end of their usefulness.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°Which is a way to say we can relax and take a gander around town to see what this fancy old place has to offer, right?¡± Barb glanced over at the market. ¡°Because I think I saw some real interesting ingredients back there. I¡¯d love to get my hands on a few of them. Who knows when I¡¯ll get another chance.¡±

    ¡°Feel free,¡± Wizen replied with an absent-minded shake of his head. He extended a tendril of intent down the many strands of magic running from his mind and throughout the city around them. Information flooded in like a rushing wave. Wizen was still for several seconds as he processed it, then inclined his head. ¡°You know how to take care of yourself ¡ª and how to find me. I will need more than the army we have gathered, and we lack information. I will rectify the problem.¡±

    ¡°Just don¡¯t get anyone too high profile too early,¡± Barb said, turning toward the market and hoisting the bag higher on her shoulder. ¡°Who knows what kind of protections the upper rankers have down here.¡±

    The merchant to their side glanced in their direction. He¡¯d probably picked up on a few scraps of their conversation. Wizen didn¡¯t mind. It wasn¡¯t going to matter.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t cause too much trouble,¡± Wizen said.

    Barb just laughed and strode off. Wizen didn¡¯t wait for her to leave before approaching the merchant, who watched him with wary eyes. The demon was a portly sort. His red skin bulged against his shirt, which had probably been a little too tight when he¡¯d bought it several years ago.

    The demon¡¯s gaze lifted to meet Wizen¡¯s. ¡°Can I get something for you, sir?¡±

    ¡°This,¡± Wizen replied, reaching out to touch a severed arm with muscles as thick as his torso. ¡°How much is it?¡±

    ¡°Ten gold,¡± the merchant replied.

    ¡°I will take it,¡± Wizen said.

    The merchant blinked, then nodded. He reached for the arm and Wizen lifted his own hand, sending his fingers brushing across those of the merchant in the process. A spike of mental energy drilled out from him. The demon¡¯s limbs locked up and he stiffened as his mind put up an instant of feeble resistance.

    Then Wizen¡¯s magic crushed the merchant¡¯s mental defenses like a grape. The merchant¡¯s hand dropped to his side and he stared ahead mutely. Wizen prepared to begin questioning the demon when a flutter of movement and hushed words from the alley caught his attention.

    Four demons had surrounded a short, hooded demon and trapped them against a wall. Wizen¡¯s hearing wasn¡¯t good enough to make out their exact words, but it wasn¡¯t hard to tell what was happening.

    Even a place as refined as the City of Gold will have its gutter scum. Thieves, perhaps? That could be useful.

    ¡°Tell me about the City of Gold,¡± Wizen told the merchant in a soft tone, still watching the urchins out of the corner of his eye. ¡°Do not spare any detail. Speak of everything you know. Every rumor, every shadow you have caught from the corner of your eyes. Everything.¡±

    The merchant launched into a speech, but only managed to get through a few words before a pained yelp echoed from the alley. One of the demons had struck the short one in the stomach.

    Another grabbed them by the hood and lifted them into the air. The demon clawed at their throat, trying to keep their own clothes from strangling them.

    ¡°Where is it?¡± one of the demons snarled, speaking loud enough for Wizen to make him out. Another hushed him, but nobody seemed to be paying too much attention to the alley. The demon drove his captive into the wall and pinned them there by the stomach with his free hand.

    As the small demon struggled to free themselves, their hood slipped down to reveal the face of a young, female demon with a head of long, black hair. A jagged scar ran from above her left eye to her right jawbone and her mouth was full of tiny, pointed fangs. She kicked furiously at the larger demon, but her struggles amounted to nothing.

    The demon holding her up said something that Wizen couldn¡¯t make out. His eyes twitched slightly. The demon couldn¡¯t have been older than fifteen, but she looked like¡ª

    One of the demons surrounding the small one pulled a dagger from their side and pointed it at her. The demon took a step closer to bring the knife into range. She bit down on his hand and yanked her head back, sending a spray of blood splattering across her face and the wall behind it.

    ¡°You little shit. I¡¯ve had it with you. If you won¡¯t tell us where it is, then I don¡¯t need you alive,¡± the demon snarled, driving the blade for her neck.

    Wizen¡¯s hand twitched.

    The dagger clattered across the ground. Four bodies followed it down, each carved to dozens of pieces. Curls of gray energy rose from their corpses and surrounded the demon girl, who dropped to the ground without the hand to keep her pinned.

    ¡°Silence,¡± Wizen said, silencing the merchant. ¡°Remain here.¡±

    The girl stared at the newly made corpses in awe. Her gaze flicked up to Wizen as he stepped into the alleyway, his staff marking every other step that he took. The girl scrambled to her feet, but he had already closed the distance between them by the time she had realized what happened. She scooped the dagger off the ground and held it before herself defensively.

    Wizen was silent for several seconds as he examined the girl. His lips pressed thin. The familiarity that he had seen in the girl¡¯s features evaporated like a summer breeze in the dead of winter.

    I was wrong. She doesn¡¯t look like her at all. This is just a demon child, no different than any other. I am becoming an addled fool.

    ¡°D-did you do that? Was that external magic?¡± the girl asked, swallowing heavily. Despite the tremor in her voice, her hands were steady. She¡¯d used a blade before. ¡°I ¡ª I swear. I don¡¯t know where it is.¡±

    Wizen extended a hand toward the bodies. They shuddered, the twirls of gray smoke rising off them thickening into streamers that swirled through the air and into his palm. The corpses disintegrated into smoke, pouring into his body and vanishing.

    The girl swallowed. ¡°I¡­ might know where it is. Don¡¯t turn me into smoke and eat me. I¡¯ll¡­ probably give you indigestion.¡±

    Wizen tilted his head to the side. His arm raised. He did not need witnesses. Especially not ones that reminded him of anything. The young demon stared at him, her back pressed to the wall and the dagger raised before her like a shield. Her gaze met his and read the thoughts in his eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut. Wizen¡¯s hand twitched.

    He turned on his heel and strode from the alley, leaving the girl behind him.

    ¡°Wizen!¡± Barb said from beside the glassy-eyed merchant as he re-emerged. She had a new bag clutched in her hands. ¡°I got some stuff. What were you up to?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Wizen replied. ¡°Come on. We have much to accomplish.¡±

    Barb blinked, then shrugged. Wizen snapped his fingers and the merchant stepped away from his wares, following after them as they headed deeper into the City of Gold.

 Chapter 522: Thoughts

    As Noah paced back and forth at the top of a roof overlooking the Web¡¯s camp, he felt pride. Aylin and the others had been doing a wonderful job of starting to bring the rest of Treadon¡¯s underground under their control. More and more demons flowed in and out of the Web¡¯s camp in the market square, delivering reports on the state of the city and what information they could gather.

    The majority of them ended up speaking to Violet, though the ones that she didn¡¯t like got sent directly to Aylin. As it turned out, delivering reports to a Knowledge Demon was generally a slightly less than ideal role to find oneself in. It certainly kept Aylin well fed and growing in strength at a steady rate.

    Time slipped by and hours turned to days. Noah continued to observe his growing ranks, remaining largely hands-off from the entire process. He didn¡¯t have anywhere near the understanding to actually manage running an entire camp of demons. Vrith and Yoru both came in incredible help there.

    Vrith seemed to know exactly what was needed for a gang to function, while Yoru just scared the living hell out of everyone that she looked at. Noah hadn¡¯t even seen her say a word. Even though she was a child, everyone could tell with a single glance that the demon was a monster hiding within a tiny body.

    He still wasn¡¯t sure if Yoru had started getting along better with Violet or not. Neither of them had voiced any more troubles with the other, and they were still sleeping in the same tent at night as far as he knew, so Noah was hopeful that they¡¯d grown to somewhat tolerate each other.

    Rumors of their motions had long since wound their way into Treadon. They didn¡¯t quite have an army, but it wasn¡¯t far from it either. There were a whole lot of demons that had been forgotten by the city and slipped through the cracks. If the average demon in the gangs had been even Rank 3, they would have been quite formidable.

    But that wasn¡¯t what the Web had. Their soldiers were a group of ragtag demons desperate to avoid starvation, with only a few that had managed to make it to Rank 3 ¡ª and of their lot, the majority of them had runes that were so poorly combined that they might as well still have been at Rank 2.

    I can¡¯t complain. They aren¡¯t even here to be cannon fodder. I need them for information. Knowledge about Wizen, the city, everything. My bullshit can only go so far if I don¡¯t have strings to pull to make it look like I¡¯m stronger than I actually am. The more I know about the underbelly of the city and the more blackmail I can get on some of the stronger demons, the better.

    Noah stopped his pacing and sat down at the edge of the roof, one knee pulled up against his chest and his chin rested in his palm. He definitely wasn¡¯t in any lack of information anymore.

    A shadow shifted behind him, but Noah¡¯s domain and tremorsense told him who it was before he even turned around.

    ¡°Spider,¡± Vrith said, her head inclined respectfully. ¡°I have compiled more information for you.¡±

    Noah nodded to the spot beside him. ¡°On with it, then. Anything useful?¡±

    ¡°I think so,¡± Vrith replied. She hesitated a second before making her way over to the edge of the roof and sitting down a few feet away from him. ¡°I believe we¡¯ve found the demon that has been sending assassins for you and Aylin. A giant demon with a gravelly voice isn¡¯t exactly the most unique creature to live in the Damned Plains. But when we only looked at demons more closely affiliated with Lord Belkus and in this general area of the city¡­ well, I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯ve got him. It¡¯s a Wealth Demon by the name of Igris. He¡¯s Rank 5. Fairly accomplished, and renowned for his physical strength.¡±

    ¡°I think I can see why he¡¯s chosen to send people after us instead of doing it himself if he¡¯s a Wealth Demon,¡± Noah said with a dry laugh. ¡°Any idea why he started so early? Those first assassins came before we even started stirring too much shit.¡±

    Vrith nodded. ¡°Yeah. I think it¡¯s because of the original demon that ruled this camp ¡ª Golon. He was in pretty deep debt to Igris. We would have found that sooner, but he¡¯d kept it pretty well under wraps.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I see where this is going. Igris stopped getting payments or the like from Golon, so he got pissy and decided to set about getting me and Aylin out of the picture.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my thought process as well. He hasn¡¯t sent anything recently, but nothing we¡¯ve heard about him implies he¡¯s likely to give up easily,¡± Vrith warned. She drummed her fingers against her knees in thought. ¡°I suspect he¡¯s likely going up the ladder. Igris may have realized you¡¯re stronger than expected, especially after the auction.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Are there any rumors of him planning to make a move himself?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible, but he tends to just have people do things for him. I don¡¯t have any good information about his personal capabilities,¡± Vrith said. ¡°If he actually gets Lord Belkus involved, we¡¯re all dead. Well ¡ª you might be fine. The rest of us won¡¯t stand a chance against a Rank 7.¡±

    Noah nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Which means it may be wise for me to have a chat with him myself before things can go much farther. What a disappointment. I was really hoping someone would come to me, not other way around.¡±

    On the bright side, it seems I¡¯ve found my Rank 5 target. I¡¯m going to have to bring a Mind Meld potion with me when I visit Igris.

    Vrith jerked her head around to look straight at him. ¡°You¡¯re going to take on Igris directly? If he dies, then Lord Belkus may get involved himself. Igris is well connected.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, but we can¡¯t just sit around and wait for them to act forever. You say Igris is well connected ¡ª but does anybody actually care about him?¡±

    Vrith blinked. Her brow furrowed and her head tilted to the side. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not sure I understand your question.¡±

    ¡°A lot of people are well connected,¡± Noah replied. He leaned back on his hands and looked up at the twisting smoke swirling through the sky above them. ¡°I¡¯ve heard some demons in the Web talking about who you used to be. Vroth¡¯s Executioner. They would argue that you were well connected. They would argue that Vroth was too ¡ª but did anybody act when he died?¡±

    There was a long pause. Then, almost reluctantly, Vrith shook her head. ¡°No. None of his allies made any move to back him up, but that was because Lee was too powerful. Nobody is foolish enough to challenge her ¡ª or you.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Noah said. ¡°That¡¯s the difference. Some connections only work when you¡¯ve got the strength to enforce them. Fear doesn¡¯t do shit when they aren¡¯t scared of you anymore, and it¡¯s real hard to be scary when you¡¯re dead.¡±

    A thoughtful expression passed over Vrith¡¯s features. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be impudent¡­ but is there an alternative? Power always bears fear.¡±

    ¡°You fear me,¡± Noah said. It wasn¡¯t a question.

    ¡°Only a fool wouldn¡¯t. You could kill me with little more than a flick of your hand. And even that might be too much effort. My death could be a mere word from your lips to Lee or Moxie. I am aware of my power and the limits of my freedom.¡±

    ¡°And Aylin?¡± Noah asked. ¡°He has grown strong as well. All the knowledge he¡¯s consumed, in addition to my own meddling¡­ he is far more than a mere Rank 3. He could kill you as well.¡±

    Vrith started. Surprise flashed through her eyes. A small grin pulled across Noah¡¯s features, though Vrith couldn¡¯t see it because of his face wrappings.

    ¡°He most likely could,¡± Vrith admitted. Her brow furrowed and she leaned forward, bracing her elbows against her knees as she looked down at the camp below. ¡°I did not consider that properly. Perhaps my thoughts still recall him as the weak demon that I first met.¡±

    ¡°I highly doubt it.¡±

    Vrith glanced at Noah. ¡°Then you have lost me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not stupid. You know strength, and you¡¯re aware that Aylin is more than powerful enough to kill you if he wanted to ¡ª but he doesn¡¯t want to. He cares about you. Just like he cares about Violet and Edda and Torrick.¡±

    Well, perhaps not exactly like them.

    Vrith shifted position, the confusion in her features growing stronger. ¡°I¡­ forgive me. I still don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Aylin trusts you,¡± Noah said with a shrug. ¡°And you trust Aylin. You don¡¯t fear him because you know that he wouldn¡¯t hurt you and you have no desire to hurt him. There is no reason for fear to be present in a relationship like that. And, because of that, if Aylin were in a situation where he needed help, I suspect you would help him. Even if it were likely that he would fall and you would gain some modicum of power as a result of it. That is the difference between being cared for and being feared.¡±

    Vrith blinked, and Noah pushed himself to his feet and stretched his arms over his head before shaking them out. It looked like the time for waiting really was over. That was just fine ¡ª he¡¯d been starting to get a bit antsy.

    ¡°You mean to say that people will only care about Igris while he still lives, and if you provide sufficient compensation or an alternative path, Belkus will not care when you kill him?¡± Vrith asked, rising beside Noah.

    ¡°Something like that,¡± Noah said with a nod. ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll have to find out.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Vrith said softly. She examined the palms of her hands, then rubbed them off on her dark clothes. ¡°I¡­ it seems you know more of my thoughts than I do.¡±

    Something told Noah she wasn¡¯t thinking about Igris. His smile quirked slightly larger before he got a hold of his expression again.

    ¡°You start to figure things out when you get old enough. There¡¯s a lot of power to be found in others, but not always the kind that helps you fight.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to find that one out yourself,¡± Noah replied with a chuckle. ¡°Now, go let Aylin know that I¡¯m trusting him to keep the camp under control. I suspect the city might be getting a little more exciting quite soon.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Vrith said. ¡°When?¡±

    Noah smiled, and this time he made no move to keep the motion from showing even through the bandages covering his face. ¡°Immediately.¡±

 Chapter 523: Breaking In & Announcement

    Noah set out from camp together with Moxie, and the two of them proceeded to promptly get themselves lost.

    They really should have expected it. Neither of them had spent all that much time traveling around in Treadon on their own. Sure, Vrith had given Noah directions to Igris¡¯ mansion, but a guide probably would have been a considerably smarter choice.

    Noah and Moxie came to a stop at a large crossroads about an hour after setting out from camp. Despite the slightly unfortunate situation they found themselves in, Noah couldn¡¯t help but be surprised.

    He hadn¡¯t ever stopped to actually think about the fact that Treadon wasn¡¯t just a bunch of buildings on the back of a huge turtle. It was a city. Metal carts clanged against the cobbled road as they bounced down the streets, dragged by demons, monsters, and occasionally, both.

    Large piles of leather-wrapped goods swayed on the backs of demons as they strode across the street in large hordes, only stopping to avoid running straight into each other. The smells of a city ¡ª both the good and the bad ¡ª intermingled in a remarkably displeasing manner as they entered his nostrils. A mixture of sweat, metal, oil, and a smattering of foods that could be placed somewhere between oily and greasy.

    ¡°You know, I never actually thought they had cars down here,¡± Noah said.

    ¡°Car?¡± Moxie repeated, her brow furrowing beneath the face wrappings she¡¯d donned for their impromptu mission. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Carts,¡± Noah corrected. ¡°Car is something else. Let some old vocabulary slip through. You know, it¡¯s kind of interesting. I never actually properly learned the language we¡¯re speaking. Well, that¡¯s not to say I don¡¯t know it. I know it ¡ª I just don¡¯t know how.¡±

    That gave him a moment of pause. He couldn¡¯t remember how he¡¯d learned English either. He just¡­ had. Noah¡¯s brow furrowed. That was a deeply confusing thought. He¡¯d obviously been taught it at some point, but was that really functionally any different from the way he¡¯d just stolen the knowledge of Vermil¡¯s language straight from his¡ª

    ¡°Noah?¡± Moxie¡¯s voice held just enough iron in it to catch his attention.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m as thrilled with hearing you think as I always am, but perhaps this isn¡¯t the time?¡± Moxie suggested gently. ¡°I think we may have been slightly waylaid. I¡¯m pretty sure our good friend was situated in an affluent noble area.¡±

    Noah glanced around the market square. Tall, two and three story buildings of rickety, reddish stone rose all around them. They were supported by thick beams of metal that ran through the sky overhead, connecting many of the buildings together, and jutted up from the ground at odd angles.

    Treadon definitely hadn¡¯t hired a particularly competent city-planner. It really looked like someone had let a kid loose in a playground full of wet sand armed with a giant box of metal skewers. The area they stood in was many things, but rich and affluent were definitely neither of them.

    ¡°There may be a slight chance I missed a turn or ten,¡± Noah allowed. He scratched the back of his neck and scanned over the surrounding buildings in search of anything that could situate them.

    Most of the buildings were nondescript. There were a few scattered locations that resembled restaurants ¡ª not that Noah had any plans of ever eating in a demon restaurant. He didn¡¯t trust the idea of that farther than he could throw it. They definitely didn¡¯t have food safety laws.

    Beyond those, he spotted a smattering of assorted stores that were devoid of any customers and, for some reason, a massage parlor at the far side of the street. Noah nearly headed straight into it purely out of curiosity as to what a demon massage parlor might hold before he stopped himself mid-step.

    Moxie followed his gaze and arched an eyebrow. ¡°Wow. You are really distracted today.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t want to know what goes on in there.¡±

    ¡°I ¡ª okay, I totally do, but I think I can take an educated guess,¡± Moxie said dryly. ¡°And don¡¯t even think about going in there without me if you can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Well, you ask for directions, then. I admit it. I¡¯m bloody lost, and I don¡¯t think whipping out my flying sword here is a good way to avoid any excess attention.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Moxie tilted her head to the side. Then she shrugged. ¡°Okay. Massage parlor it is.¡±

    ¡°You were totally judging me for planning on going in there before.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but this time it was my idea.¡± Moxie¡¯s eyes sparkled in amusement as she started across the street. ¡°It¡¯s all about perspective.¡±

    ***

    About forty minutes later, Noah and Moxie found themselves in an alley across from a marble-paved street. Tall mansions rose before them, their entrances barred by beautiful metal gates.  There was almost no foot traffic in the area, and Noah was stunned to spot several trees dotting the streets.

    Noah wordlessly flicked a gold coin over to a middle-aged demon woman sporting a bob haircut. She snagged it from the air and gave them an appreciative bow before scurrying into the alleyways.

    Noah rolled his shoulders and let out a satisfied sigh. ¡°That was great.¡±

    ¡°Who would have thought they know the city so well,¡± Moxie agreed, turning to watch their masseuse disappear back down the street before returning her attention to Noah. ¡°I¡¯m glad you tipped her. She deserved it. I¡¯ve never felt more limber in my life. Demons really know how to work the pain out of your muscles. And your ligaments. And your bones. Lee would have loved that place.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just glad you warned me about what might happen after,¡± Noah said with a shudder. ¡°I swear they were trying to beat the pain out of me. I may not have survived if I¡¯d accepted the extended massage offer.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we can bring Igris for a visit once we¡¯re all wrapped up with him.¡±

    Noah¡¯s smile darkened beneath his face wrappings. He craned his neck back to look up at the three-story mansion rising before them. It matched Vrith¡¯s description perfectly. ¡°Somehow, I suspect that he might not be in the mood for it.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunate,¡± Moxie said. She rolled her neck, then stretched her hands out before her. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with already. I was in the mood to break something before we set off, but now I¡¯m just kind of sleepy. Can we rest when we get back to the camp?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for something,¡± Noah promised. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get to the gritty bit. How exactly do we want to go about this? Normally, I¡¯d just bust in there and start killing things. I left my stuff with Lee, by the way, so don¡¯t worry if I get myself killed. Occupational hazard.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s save that option for last, shall we? The way you worded that sentence makes me think you have another idea.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. I was just kind of leaving it open ended in case you did and wanted to suggest something. If not, I¡¯m breaking in and wandering around until I find our big friend.¡±

    Moxie rubbed the bridge of her nose and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯d fault that if it wasn¡¯t so damn effective. You haven¡¯t forgotten how strong he is, have you? Things could go quite poorly if you underestimate his powers. This guy could be as strong as Azel.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m more than aware.¡± The jovial tone slipped away from Noah¡¯s words as he grew serious. ¡°But I¡¯m not as weak as I was back when Azel was lurking around us. A lot has changed. The biggest concern I have is that I need this guy alive and we¡¯re breaking into his house. I could get bothered by a bunch of idiots while I¡¯m trying to work.¡±

    Moxie nodded slowly. ¡°What do you think the chances are that there¡¯s anyone else in that building that¡¯s either a Rank 5 or innocent?¡±

    ¡°Rank 5, maybe. It would be dumb to assume there aren¡¯t other powerful opponents. That¡¯s just asking to get screwed over. But innocent? I suspect none. To be completely honest with you, unless I have a very explicit reason to believe someone is innocent or avoiding a fight, I won¡¯t be taking the risk. Not when your life is involved.¡±

    Moxie¡¯s cheeks reddened. ¡°Getting romantic before a mission is not helping me concentrate.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to be romantic.¡±

    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why it was.¡± Moxie shook her head and let out a huff of air before reaching into her clothes and pulling out a small seed. She rolled it between her fingers, then raised her eyes to the mansion. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the rest of the house. I¡¯ve been working on something. Just don¡¯t let your domain fall, or I might get you with it as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d tell you if I knew, but I haven¡¯t exactly figured out the extent of what it does yet,¡± Moxie said, coughing into her fist. ¡°It¡¯ll do something, though. At the very least it¡¯ll buy you some time. How long will you need to deal with Igris?¡±

    ¡°At least 30 minutes. Probably 40 if you can manage it? I¡¯ll have to find the prick and beat the life out of him before I can force him to drink a Mind Meld.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll buy you 40 minutes. I can do it from down here if everything goes to plan. And I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be hard for you to find Igris. This guy is linked to the ruler of Treadon, which means he¡¯s just another government Wastelicker. Just start from the top of the building and look for the fanciest room.¡±

    ¡°Picking up some new lingo, huh?¡±

    Moxie¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Get moving, Spider.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Noah chuckled, then sent her a serious look. ¡°But Moxie? If things go wrong ¡ª get out.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± Moxie promised. ¡°Just make sure you let me know if they do.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I will,¡± Noah said.

    ¡°How?¡±

    His smile returned and he set his flying sword on the ground, stepping onto it. The weapon hummed to life and he lifted into the air.

    ¡°By breaking something really big.¡±

    Noah¡¯s eyes focused on a window at the top of the building. Noah had no doubt that the demon had some form of protection, but he strongly suspected that nobody had ever tried breaking in by flying straight through the uppermost window.

    I think it¡¯s about time we change that.

 Chapter 524: Drink this

    Noah gave Moxie a moment to prepare her mystery magic while he took a brief instant to scan the street from upon his flying sword. There weren¡¯t any guards or passersby on the road. A number of demons passed beyond the windows in some of the mansions, but nobody was paying the street any attention.

    It would only be a matter of time until they were. Noah had absolutely no delusions that he¡¯d ever be able to break into a mansion in the middle of a street full of other wealthy demons, break some shit, and get out without summoning some form of defensive force.

    The real question is going to be just how extensive that force is and how quickly they show up. Fights aren¡¯t forbidden in demon cities. It¡¯s just a matter of strength. If I¡¯m not bothering the other mansions, will they even try to send for help? There¡¯s a chance Igris has allies that will¡­ but something tells me any allies that Igris has aren¡¯t going to be the ones willing to risk their own necks if things are going poorly for him.

    Oh well. Moxie won¡¯t be in the house and I¡¯ll be making more than enough distraction for the both of us. Only way to find out what happens is to try.

    ¡°Just about ready?¡± Noah asked Moxie, who was hunched over the seed in her palms with a look of intense concentration knitting her features even behind the face wrappings.

    She glanced up at him and nodded. ¡°Yes. As soon as you do your thing, I¡¯m just going to leave this by the door and then manage things from the alley. I¡¯m getting out of here the moment any backup shows up.¡±

    ¡°Perfect. I¡¯ll see you back at the camp.¡±

    Noah leaned forward and sent a flicker of energy down through his feet. The flying sword jerked into motion and he zipped into the air, heading straight for the uppermost window of the house. It wasn¡¯t a long flight. As soon as he was nearing it, Noah pulled his power from the sword and drew on Crumbling Space.

    Chilly power raced through his arm and into his fingertips as he sailed through the air. He released the magic stored within his hand moments before he collided with the window. White cracks raced out and passed clean through the glass as if it wasn¡¯t even there.

    An instant later, it collapsed with a loud crack. Noah¡¯s fist struck the window as it shattered in a rain of shards. He tumbled through them and into the top room of the building.

    Small pieces of glass cut into his clothes and left thin lines along his skin as he hit the ground in a roll and launched to his feet, extending his domain and his tremorsenses instantly. The room he¡¯d arrived in looked to be a study, with a small desk and a plush red chair. A plate of fruit was set on the desk.

    The room was empty, but Noah could feel movement all throughout the house beneath him. He took a moment to process the information. There were around fifteen people in the mansion, which was less than he was expecting. Of those fifteen people, there was a single form in a room on the floor below that was nearly twice his height. None of the others compared.

    Even though Noah couldn¡¯t make out any details and his domain wasn¡¯t quite in range of them, it wasn¡¯t hard to determine who it was. A grin tugged at his lips. Noah grabbed a bulging purple fruit from the table and strode out of the door.

    An average-sized demon prickled against his senses as they raced around the corner of a long, carpeted hall in his direction. Noah lifted a hand, releasing a powerful blast of wind before the demon had even stepped into his line of sight.

    A middle-aged demon with a single large horn protruding straight from the top of his head like a flagpole emerged just in time to catch Noah¡¯s magic straight to his face. It lifted him off his feet and slammed the demon into the wall behind him.

    By the time he dropped back to his feet, Noah had already closed the distance between them. His palm crashed into the man¡¯s forehead and drove it back into the wall with far more strength than he¡¯d been planning on using.

    The demon crumpled, unconscious. Noah paused for a moment as he stared at the limp body before him. He was pretty sure the demon wasn¡¯t dead, but he¡¯d never hit anything that hard without empowering himself with magic.

    Is it the Fragment of Self empowering me? No time to worry about it now. Bigger shit to fight.

    Igris had definitely heard the noise. His form had started moving. It didn¡¯t seem that he was particularly concerned with anything yet, but it would only be a matter of time ¡ª and if he left his room, everything would get a fair bit harder. He needed to contain this as much as possible.

    Noah sprinted down the hall and into an empty room directly above his target. He took a moment to draw on his power. Demon mansions were sturdily built. He was going to need to break through a whole lot of solid material. Then, his large fruit still held in his free hand, he drove a foot into the ground and unleashed Warped Matter.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Magic carved through the floor like it was a juicy watermelon. Streaks of gray cubelike energy chewed through everything in their path, leaving a thick dent in their wake. His power only managed to spread a few feet before it ran out of energy, but that was more than enough. Noah drove his foot into the weakened stone.

    It shattered and he dropped, falling amidst a rain of dust and rubble to the floor far below. Noah crashed down directly on top of a desk, sending a glass of wine tumbling off. It crashed onto a ground covered with golden coins and shattered.

    Noah¡¯s eyes were already locked on exactly where he knew Igris to be. A large demon with four arms and bright blue skin stood at the far end of the room, his hand an inch from the door. He wore long, luxurious black robes trimmed with golden designs. Two massive daggers hung on each side of his belt. They were similarly designed, with black sheaths and golden designs along their surface.

    The demon was enormous. Even though the room was easily three times taller than an average one, Igris still took up a considerable amount of it. Noah had to crane his neck back just to look into his target¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Igris asked, hands flying to the blades and drawing them without a second of hesitation. Gold grated beneath his feet as he shifted his stance. Igris may have been surprised, but he wasn¡¯t caught off guard.

    Have to give it to demons. Being in a constant state of fighting definitely helps you look less stupid when you get ambushed.

    Noah tilted his head to the side. He lifted the fruit he¡¯d stolen to his mouth and pulled a cloth wrapping out of the way to take a bite out of it. His nose wrinkled in distaste. It was far too sweet and juicy, like someone had poured sugar water into a bag. He tossed the fruit over his shoulder and it splattered against an expensive-looking painting of a demon behind him, streaking down their face before squelching to the floor.

    ¡°I¡¯m offended,¡± Noah said, his voice as cold as ice. ¡°You spent so much effort trying to get my attention, but you don¡¯t even give me the good courtesy to recognize me when I show up to your summons?¡±

    The desk cracked. Noah twitched back so quickly that he barely even realized that he¡¯d moved until it was over. A golden spike erupted from the ground, carving through the bottom of the desk and up through the air where he¡¯d been standing.

    Noah twitched again, moving his head just far enough to the side to avoid being impaled by another spike of gold that shot up from the ground. It passed so close to his skin that it could have given him a tight shave, but still didn¡¯t manage to leave so much as a scratch.

    ¡°Spider,¡± Igris growled.

    ¡°You¡¯re normally supposed to say that before you try to kill me,¡± Noah said.

    Igris sneered at him. Gold exploded into the air around the huge demon as he leapt at Noah. He plunged all four of his daggers down in a different direction, each one aiming at its own target.

    Noah blurred. Every single portion of his body moved exactly to his desires, down to the faintest twitches. A blade sliced past the tip of his nose. Another one carved by his shoulder as he twisted, rotating to let a third brush along his back. The fourth bit nothing but air as it barely passed by where his neck had been.

    He slammed his palm into Igris¡¯ chest and he unleashed Natural Disaster, sending a bolt of lighting into his body at point blank. A loud crack ripped through the air and Igris tumbled back, sliding across the gold and slamming into a wall. Smoke curled from a charred spot on his chest. Igris clutched the wound, his lips pulled fully back to reveal two rows of golden fangs.

    ¡°Who sent you?¡± Igris demanded.

    ¡°Nobody sent me,¡± Noah replied. He flicked his hand forward and wind screamed past him, forming into a thick column of white blades. Igris dove to the side, avoiding the magic as it cut clean through the wall behind him and demolished a table in the room beyond. ¡°I am here because you dared to call me.¡±

    The huge demon rose back to his feet. Despite his size, he was fast. He could also use external magic. This was no weak opponent ¡ª but Noah had never felt better in his life. He was practically thrumming with energy.

    ¡°You dared to interfere in my business. The only thing you have come here to do is die,¡± Igris growled. Gold burst up around Noah, swirling like glistening water, and collapsed on him from all directions.

    Noah drew on Natural Disaster once more, forcing its power out in every direction. A howling gale enveloped his body and blew outward, throwing Igris¡¯ magic back and sending gold clattering against the walls. The large demon may have been a Rank 5, but his external magic wasn¡¯t all that impressive.

    Definitely weaker than Azel ¡ª or he¡¯s focused in a different area.

    ¡°Do you know how many times I¡¯ve heard some variation of that line?¡± Noah asked. Lightning crackled between his fingertips and he lifted his hand. ¡°And do you know how many of the people that have asked me that are still alive?¡±

    Igris flung one of his daggers at Noah. It streaked through the air in a black blur. There was no doubt in Noah¡¯s mind that it was moving far faster than any normal human ever could have hoped to avoid under their own powers.

    He stepped right past it. The blade slammed into the wall behind him and thrummed, vibrating to a standstill, buried in the stone.

    ¡°Was that wise?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Now you only have three.¡±

    Igris snarled at him. The huge demon took a step forward. Then a wave of gold erupted in front of him and he spun, sprinting for safety. He crossed the distance between himself and the exit in a flash, flinging the door open ¡ª

    A massive vine covered with beautiful white flowers filled the entire hallway. Thick thorns jutted off it, dripping with purple liquid. Igris skidded to a halt an instant before he impaled himself upon it the vine. He spun back to Noah, who did his best not to look equally as surprised.

    Goddamn, Moxie. When you said you could handle something, I did not quite realize the scale at which we were speaking.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Igris snarled. ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡±

    Noah reached up to the wrappings covering his face and pulled them down to reveal his smile. He dipped the fingers of his other hand into a pocket, pulling out a Mind Meld potion.

    ¡°You know who I am, Igris. We¡¯ve already covered this. You tried so hard to get my attention, and now you have it,¡± Noah said softly. He lifted the potion and the blood ran from Igris¡¯ face. Noah¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°And now, you¡¯re going to drink this for me.¡±

 Chapter 525: Who Sent You?

    Disgust twisted Igris¡¯ features into a rictus snarl and he pointed his three remaining daggers at Noah, looking down the bridge of his nose at him with complete and utter contempt.

    ¡°Vile, arrogant creature. You are even more disgusting than I thought. I am going to make you suffer,¡± the huge demon snarled. Muscle rippled along his body and dull yellow light lit behind his eyes. The daggers in his hands trembled, joined by a rattle as every coin in the room started to tremble. Golden rivers twisted up Igris¡¯ legs and rolled over his body like molten slag flowing in reverse. Coins bubbled like boiling water as beams of molten light broke out from beneath them, rays of sunlight breaking from behind the clouds before they vanished once again.

    ¡°That¡¯s cute,¡± Noah said, tilting his head to the side as a scythe of gold carved through the air where it had been, just barely missing its mark. ¡°But are you really sure that¡¯s wise?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to break you,¡± Igris promised. He thrust his hands forward and the gold before him erupted up in a pillar. The shape of a massive blade took form within it, thick and unwieldy, with large jutting pieces of gold sticking off it like haphazard icicles. Igris discarded his daggers and lifted the chunk of metal into the air with a roar.

    Noah drank power from Natural Disaster and watched the demon impassively. If it hadn¡¯t been apparent that Igris was no warrior before, it definitely was now. The display might have been impressive if it hadn¡¯t taken multiple seconds.

    In the time Igris had spent dragging all the gold over to himself and forming the shoddy, glowing armor, Noah could have closed the distance between them and killed the big demon with a single call of Sunder or the Fragment of Renewal¡¯s inverse. There was only one reason the fight hadn¡¯t already ended. Noah needed his opponent alive.

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be edgy when I say you¡¯re wasting my time,¡± Noah said, scratching at the side of his neck. He continued to draw energy from Natural Disaster as he spoke, straining the rune to its absolute limits. Igris was still a Rank 5 demon. Underestimating him would be a poor idea.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one standing around doing nothing,¡± Igris replied from beneath the shifting layers of his armor. He took a step back and lifted his weapon, aiming it for Noah¡¯s neck. ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy ripping you in half and selling your body to Lord Belkus. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be interested to hear more about the person that¡¯s been trying to steal the underground from him.¡±

    ¡°You really think that, don¡¯t you?¡± Noah asked, shaking his head and sliding the potion back into his pocket. He clasped his hands together. Power prickled against the inside of his skin and trembled in anticipation. ¡°Why do you think I just stood here and waited, Igris?¡±

    ¡°Because you are a coward who uses others to do your bidding! You thought I could be intimidated, but I am far greater than the scum that you pride yourself in lording over. Soon, you will envy them.¡± Igris replied with a cold laugh.

    He lurched forward, a massive gold-clad foot slamming into the ground and propelling him toward Noah. Igris let out a roar of fury as he reared back, bringing the huge chunk of metal that moonlighted as a sword in his hands down for Noah¡¯s neck.

    ¡°That¡¯s the wrong answer, Igris.¡± Noah stepped to the side, arcing his body to let the huge blade scream past him harmlessly. It struck the ground and gouged through the stone with an ear-rending screech. Fragments of gold skittered up and flashed past Noah. To his improved reaction speed, they almost seemed to move in slow motion. Not a single fragment struck him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a quick science lesson,¡± Noah said as he lifted his hands. Igrus ripped the sword free from the ground and swung it at his head, but he crouched under the swing. The wind in its wake made his face-wrappings whip, but the second strike came nowhere closer to striking him than the first did. ¡°Did you know one of the best properties of gold?¡±

    ¡°Enough of your yammering!¡± Igris screamed, whipping an elbow for Noah¡¯s forehead. He slipped past the strike. The heavy armor covering the demon had slowed him even further, and avoiding his strikes was a trivial matter. It only took the smallest twitch of his muscles to let it slip past his head harmlessly. Igris let out a frustrated roar as yet another attack just barely scraped past Noah. He hoisted the huge sword and grabbed its hilt with both hands heaving it straight down at Noah¡¯s head.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°That¡¯s not an answer. You¡¯re going to fail my class at this rate, but I suppose some students need things spelled out for them.¡± Noah turned his body parallel to the blade, leaving just enough space for the spikes jutting from it to pass by him harmlessly. It slammed into the stone, burying itself several feet into it. Golden spikes snapped off and clattered across the floor amidst a shower of sparks.

    ¡°Be silent!¡± Igris roared. ¡°Stand and fight, you coward!¡±

    ¡°Question 1,¡± Noah replied, his tone completely flat. ¡°I asked why I would stand around and wait while you summoned your armor.¡±

    Igris abandoned his sword in the ground and swung a fist with a furious roar. He sidestepped the blow, then drove his palm up into the demon¡¯s elbow. A powerful wave of vibration raced out from him and into the golden armor.

    The power carried straight through the gold and into Igris. Several muted snaps echoed out from within the armor as Igris¡¯ arm shattered under the intensity of the magical attack. The Rank 5 Demon cried out in pain and stumbled, unable to stand under the fury of the tremors tearing through his body. He crashed down to one knee. Stone cracked beneath his knee and he reeled, nearly falling to his face before he caught himself.

    ¡°I waited because I needed to break you,¡± Noah whispered. ¡°And as for question 2¡ª do you know what makes gold special?¡±

    Igris lurched into motion, extending his arms in either direction. He lunged for Noah in an attempt to tackle him. Noah stepped forward and ducked to let the demon¡¯s arm sail overhead harmlessly. He drank from Natural Disaster and pressed his hands together. Energy raced down his arms and filled his body to the brim, gathering at his palms. Magic started to slip free of his body on its own volition. Arcs of electricity danced along his palms and filled the air with the song of buzzing bees. Noah rose behind Igris. The demon started to turn, but not nearly fast enough.

    ¡°Gold is a fantastic electrical conductor,¡± Noah said. He pressed his hands to the demon¡¯s back and unleashed the full might of Natural Disaster.

    An ocean of energy poured from him and into Igris in a deluge of power. Brilliant yellow light lit the room and the inside of his armor lit up like a Christmas tree. Something between a crackle and a roar shook the air, as Igris screamed in agony.

    Thick veins of arcing electricity crawled out of the demon¡¯s heavy armor and carved lines across the floor as they sought their freedom. Cracks split the thick gold and warped clumps of coins crumbled away amidst the storm of electricity as the fingers of lightning reached farther across the room.

    Noah didn¡¯t let up on his energy. He continued to draw from Natural Disaster and send every scrap of power it could manage into Igris. The Rank 5 Demon¡¯s screams were indecipherable over the roar of energy pouring out of his body. Burnt patches spread across the gold covering him like moss. The armor peeled away in large swathes, crashing to the ground. The pieces covering Igris¡¯ face split down the center and fell to either side of him. His eyes burned like twin suns behind them and lightning licked from within his mouth like the breath of a dragon. His mouth was locked open, fingers twitched desperately in seek of an escape that would not come. The sizzle of burning flesh filled the air and thick black smoke twisted around them.

    Noah finally released the magic and drove his foot into the lower part of Igris¡¯ chest. The huge demon pitched back, the light behind his eyes fluttering as the final sparks of electricity slipped free of his body, and he crashed to the ground with a resounding boom that echoed through the destroyed room around them. Noah stepped through the thick cloud of rancid smoke and onto Igris¡¯ chest.

    The huge demon wheezed in agony. He¡¯d taken the full brunt of the attack and still somehow managed to survive ¡ª but survival was a relative term. Enormous portions of his body had been charred pitch black and gold had melted into his flesh in forked patterns like a mad sculptor had used his body as a grotesque canvas.

    ¡°Who¡­ sent you?¡± Igris rasped, hacking up phlegm and blood.

    Noah reached into his pocket and pulled the Mind Meld potion free, popping off the top seal and lifting it over Igris¡¯ face. He sent another river of electricity coursing through his foot and into Igris¡¯ chest. The demon¡¯s scream turned to a sputtering cough as Noah poured the potion into his mouth.

    ¡°You did,¡± Noah replied. Noah popped the second half of the seal off and drained the rest of the potion himself. He looked down at the fallen demon and pulled the wrappings back over his face as a familiar dizziness washed over him. ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you shortly, Igris.¡±

    Then the world went black.

 Chapter 526: The Truth

    Noah¡¯s eyes snapped open to find a sea of gold stretching beneath his feet. It was like a dragon¡¯s wet dream. Mountains of riches rolled on all around him. Ruby studded crowns and diamond encrusted goblets were strewn across the ground like trash. Warm golden light shone down on the sea of wealth, making it glisten like the ocean.

    Three large Demon Runes were nestled within the biggest piles. They were so heavily covered that Noah wouldn¡¯t have been able to understand what they said even if he understood how to read demonic. The pressure rolling from them was exactly what Noah had expected. They were all Rank 5 Runes, but they weren¡¯t well formed.

    These things are nowhere near perfect, much less flawless. I suppose that fits for some idiot that hires shitty assassins instead of trying to do the job himself. God, I¡¯m almost insulted by how incompetent they were.

    ¡°You were a fool to come here,¡± Igris said, his voice coming from behind Noah and laden with hatred. ¡°I¡¯m going to rip your loin out and shove it down your throat until the effects of this potion end.¡±

    He turned to find the demon towering over him. Igris stood at the top of a pile of gold, two enormous blades in each of his hands. There was no sneer on his face anymore. The demon was deadly serious.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Noah asked, tilting his head to the side as he extended his senses into the demon¡¯s mind. ¡°And why do you have to make it weird? Couldn¡¯t you have chosen a different body part?¡±

    ¡°You may have won the fight in the outer world, but this is my mind, not yours,¡± Igris spat. The pile of wealth at his feet him trembled and rose into the air behind him, forming into an enormous tsunami cast in gold. ¡°I will crush you, wretch. Your arrogance has cost you the fight.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lecture me about arrogance when you decide to gloat instead of trying to take advantage of a surprise attack.,¡± Noah said with a snort. He waved at the runes buried behind him. ¡°Now tell me, which of these runes is your core rune?¡±

    Igis swept his swords down with a scream. The wave of gold roared forward and pressure bore down on Noah. The sky was swallowed by a shimmering tsunami. His head tilted to the side. A soul was pressure. There was nothing else within it. That was why people could practice magic-infused patterns safely within their mind. It was just testing pressure and functionally simulating the results. And, in a fight where runic pressure was the determining factor, Noah was rarely the one at a disadvantage. He looked up at the gold as it crashed down toward him.

    Then he released the full weight of his soul. A shockwave of pressure erupted from Noah like a bomb had gone off in the center of the golden sea.

    The wave shattered. Igris stumbled back as the swords in his hands evaporated. His head tilted back. His mouth dropped open. Horror played across his features and his eyes widened in disbelief. A black spear dropped from the heavens, carving through the light itself. It tore through the air before crashing down in the ground directly before Noah in a spray of coins. White cracks exploded out from where the spear had landed and Igris let out a wheeze of pain.

    ¡°How?¡± Igris said in a gasping cough. ¡°How is this possible? This is my soul. You cannot¡ª¡±

    ¡°You are weak,¡± Noah said. He reached out and grabbed the hilt of the spear. Power pulsed within it like a heartbeat. Noah had never tried manifesting Sunder¡¯s power like this before. He wasn¡¯t even sure if such a thing was possible in the real world ¡ª but they were in a mindspace. The rules here were different. Magic was just pressure. Everything else was just the way they viewed it.

    He ripped the spear free of the ground. Igris screamed again, dropping to his knees and sliding down the hill he stood on as the coins gave way. Noah strode over to the first of the first of the three Rank 5 Runes.

    It¡¯s a shame that I can¡¯t steal these, but I¡¯d be an idiot to take a Demon Rune into my soul right now. Not until I figure out how they work.

    Noah reared back and drove the spear into the rune. Igris¡¯ scream turned to a strangled gasp of pain. He clutched at his throat. White cracks split even more of his soul as Noah ripped the spear free and Rank 4 Runes spiraled out into the air amidst a burst of misty power. It buffeted his face as he turned and strode toward the second of Igris¡¯ runes.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Igris demanded desperately. He struggled to rise, but the strength had evaporated from his limbs. The demon¡¯s feet failed to find purchase in the sea of shifting gold. ¡°How¡ª¡±

    Noah drove the spear into the ground at his feet, sending a spiderweb of cracks racing across the demon¡¯s soul. Igris screamed again.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ¡°I only need one Rune to work with, but we can leave you with a spare in case I break something,¡± Noah said as he came to a stop before the rune.

    Igris managed to force himself to his feet. He drew in ragged, pained gasps as he took an unsteady step forward. His face was pale. His skin was pallid, his eyes sunken. His enormous form no longer held any of the might that it once had.

    Noah glanced in his direction. His eyes narrowed. ¡°Stay over there. I don¡¯t need to deal with you while I¡¯m working.¡±

    He focused the pressure from his soul, sending it driving down onto Igris without restraint. The demon let out a scream of defiance as he tried to resist, but it was fruitless. Noah¡¯s soul bore down on his and slammed the blue-skinned demon to all fours. For a moment, Igris managed to remain there. His arms trembled in fury. Golden coins rattled around him as he tried to muster the strength to push back.

    It wasn¡¯t enough. Igris crumpled, driven face-first into the ground of his soul. His limbs sprawled in every direction. He couldn¡¯t muster the strength to so much as move as single muscle. Igris¡¯s breath rattled as he fought to draw in a breath with his compressed lungs. The white cracks running throughout his soul started to spread. Noah turned his attention back to the rune.

    He¡¯ll live. You can¡¯t suffocate to death in your own soul. I¡¯m just grinding him to paste a bit with my soul. Soul damage isn¡¯t fatal. Not immediately, at least.

    ¡°Now then,¡± Noah breathed, extending a hand to the buried Demon Rune. ¡°Let¡¯s see what I can glean from you, shall we?¡±

    ***

    For the next twenty five or so minutes, Noah used Igris¡¯ soul as a sounding board for every single theory and idea he had with regard to Demon Runes. He committed every line of both remaining runes design to memory. Even though he didn¡¯t know exactly what they did in their current states, he knew that Igris feasted on greed ¡ª and in the end, he didn¡¯t really care what the runes could do. He only cared about what he could do to them. Noah sought to glean every single scrap of information that he could from the Demon Runes. The tests he put them through were numerous, and absolutely nothing he ever would have subjected Lee or any of the demons that he cared about to, but that courtesy was not extended to Igris.

    And, once Noah had finished testing every last scrap of information that he could, he carved both Runes apart piece by piece. He split the Rank 4s into Rank 3s. The Rank 3s into Rank 2s, and the Rank 2s into Rank 1. Every time, Noah studied the resultant runes, searching for a pattern. Searching for anything he could use to understand the runes just a little more.

    The culmination of his efforts was confusion.

    Noah was intricately familiar with the designs of the Demon Runes he¡¯d taken apart, even though he didn¡¯t know their names. He¡¯d figured out how they reacted to a variety of different scenarios. He knew their limits ¡ª but it was their origin that completely baffled him.

    Igris¡¯ runes had been largely composed of a mixture of demon and various metal and earth runes. All of their qualities had been quite poor. But, when he¡¯d ground everything down to their basest components, he was completely caught off guard to find the exact same Rank 1 Demon Runes that Aylin had. It wasn¡¯t just one of them, either. It was every single Demon Rune. Without fail, they were identical. And that made no sense.

    The Fragment of Self was a manifestation of me. I could feel how closely connected it is to every part of my body. It¡¯s not some generic thing, but it also definitely serves the same purpose. Given how the soul and body are connected so closely in a Demon, these Rank 1 Demon Runes are basically serving the exact same purpose as my rune. So why are they all the same?

    Igris¡¯s weak wheeze tickled the back of Noah¡¯s mind, but he ignored it. The demon¡¯s soul had almost completely collapsed. There were more white cracks than gold, and the cracks expanded with every passing second. Noah didn¡¯t have much time left until the damage spread everywhere. He had even less until the last Rank 1 Demon Rune ran out of energy and dissipated, but something pricked at the back of his mind.

    Aylin¡¯s Demon Rune hadn¡¯t been unique to him. There had been a chance he and Violet had shared their runes, but there was no way Igris also would have happened to have the exact same rune by coincidence. That meant the Rank 1 Demon Rune had nothing to do with the emotion they ate. A common denominator was something he could work with. It was the key to figuring out what he was missing. He just had to find out what door it went to.

    Noah studied the rune intently. The closer he looked, the more he felt as if there was something he was missing. Something obvious. Familiarity scratched at the back of his mind like a cat at the door.

    Gold coins tumbled through the growing cracks around Noah, falling into the growing void around him. Igris¡¯ pained breathing started to give way behind him. The demon wasn¡¯t long for this world, and neither was his soul. Noah¡¯s jaw clenched. His senses poured over the rune, feeling for more than just its appearance. He sent his intent deep into the rune itself, probing for anything he could find.

    What is it? What feels familiar? I¡ª

    And, just like that, he realized what the familiar sensation was. A chill raced down Noah¡¯s spine. The Demon Rune crumbled away into the ether, but it didn¡¯t matter. He didn¡¯t need it anymore.

    It made no sense, but there was absolutely no denying it. Something had clicked in his soul and shifted in his mind. Perhaps it was just an old memory knocked loose. Perhaps it was something else entirely. But, no matter what it was, he changed. For the first time in his life, Noah read a Demon Rune.

    Its base name was simply just Demon Rune. But that wasn¡¯t all. Demon Rune was a rough translation, its true meaning lost. The pattern within the rune held a different message ¡ª and it contained a presence that Noah would never forget in all his years.

    Miniscule Shard of Decras.

 Chapter 527: The Problem & ANNOUNCEMENT

    Noah didn¡¯t get long to think on what he¡¯d just discovered. A crash like a glacier splitting and dropping into the sea tore through the air and ripped his attention away from the Rank 1 Demon Rune. He spun, drawing on his runes, to face Igris, but it wasn¡¯t the demon that he found waiting for him.

    Brilliant white light poured from a gaping fissure running through the seas of gold. Coins spilled over its edge and plummeted into the pale void, vanishing without a sound. The spiderwebbing damage covering Igris expanded from the fissure and stretched all across his entire body. Hairline cracks covered the floor and ran beneath Noah¡¯s feet.

    Igris laid motionless on a pile of gold. His eyes were glassy and lifeless, all resistance having left him. He was dead.

    As to how long he¡¯d been dead, Noah was unsure. He¡¯d had the demon suppressed under Sunder¡¯s weight to the point where he hadn¡¯t even been able to speak. The soul damage had just gotten to a point where he couldn¡¯t hold out any longer.

    More cracks echoed out. Igris¡¯s soul spilled into the fissure. It expanded in jerky motions, zipping out across the ground and letting more white energy spilling in like opening a broken zipper on a tent caught in a snowstorm. A rumble shook the soul as the cracks traced up into the sky and connected above Noah.

    I think I may have started to overstay my welcome. What happens if you get caught in someone¡¯s soul when they die? I don¡¯t imagine I¡¯d die as well. The cracks aren¡¯t connected to me¡ª but I don¡¯t¡¯ really want to go around touching that white void any more than I have to. Why am I not getting pulled back into my body? I swear it¡¯s been ¡ª

    A wave of dizziness smacked into Noah¡¯s head. He staggered. Braced a hand against his knee. Coins poured at increasing speeds, a tide pushing against his feet and trying to pull him down along with them.

    Igris¡¯ body was caught in the roiling waves consuming what remained of his soul. Coins rolled over his corpse, swallowing the demon whole as they flowed toward the fissure. Noah caught one last glimpse of him as he plummeted over the edge, suspended in the air for a brief second amidst raining gold, and then he was gone.

    The buzz in Noah¡¯s head intensified. A thousand bees smacked against the insides of his skull and clamored for escape. His skull pulsed in disorientation and darkness danced at the edges of his vision. Gold coins pelted against his legs. What had once been a tide was now a vortex. The floor disappeared, replaced by a glistening ocean that refused to take no for an answer and stole his footing out from under him.

    Noah slipped and fell back into the rushing gold with a grunt. The instant he made contact, coins rolled over him and he was caught within the current. He couldn¡¯t even call on his runes. The buzzing was so loud, the disorientation so strong that his power slipped through his fingertips like falling sand.

    His stomach dropped out from under him. He shot down into the fissure, flushed from the soul together with what remained of Igris. Noah found himself launched free of the golden sea. For the briefest instant, he was suspended in an infinite expanse of white, surrounded by a rain of riches.

    Then there was a pop. The world shattered, and he was gone.

    ***

    Noah¡¯s eyes snapped open in Igris¡¯ room. The house was silent. He was alive, and nobody was in the process of trying to rectify that issue. That was a good thing. Moxie had been able to keep anyone from interfering.

    Thoughts clouded through Noah¡¯s head like muddy water. The magnitude of the discovery he¡¯d made and the ramifications of what it meant, not just for Lee, but for every single demon, swirled through his mind. He wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d answered more questions than he¡¯d gotten, but this wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on it.

    Noah shoved himself upright. Igris¡¯ huge body laid by his side, lifeless. Blood trickled from the demon¡¯s nose and ears, pooling around his head. His mouth was open in agony and his eyes were bloodshot. The demon had been dead for quite some time.

    Wiping the sweat from his brow, Noah pushed himself up to his feet. Energy prickled at the back of his mind like a distant memory. His runes had drunk the power from the demon and grown considerably as a result. Killing Rank 5s was a pretty effective way of getting stronger, but he couldn¡¯t just stand around and waste time. Moxie couldn¡¯t keep buying him time forever. The sooner he got out of here, the sooner he could actually sit down and process what he¡¯d just learned.

    His gaze traveled over the formerly beautiful room, now heavily scarred from their fight. Golden slag littered the ground around Igris and the walls had been scorched black. Coins shifted beneath Noah¡¯s feet as he stepped around the dead demon¡¯s body and scooped one of the embossed golden daggers ¡ª nearly as large as a sword when held in his hands ¡ª off the ground.

    I can¡¯t exactly leave here with a sack bulging full of stolen shit, but who knows when I¡¯ll need proof of offing this idiot. Don¡¯t want someone else taking the credit for it when I can leverage Igris¡¯ death to my advantage. Intimidation factor is always useful. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    Noah picked up his Flying Sword and glanced up at the hole in the ceiling. Moxie¡¯s vine was still blocking the exit of the room, and he didn¡¯t exactly want to just stroll out into the street. He pulled his face wrappings tighter before launching himself into the air with a burst of wind magic.

    He grabbed onto the edge of the hole in the ceiling and pulled himself up into the small room above. Noah rolled to his feet and strode out of the room at a brisk pace, soon arriving at the broken window that he¡¯d entered through.

    Peering out of it revealed an empty street. He could see a few demons mulling about through the windows of their mansions, but either nobody was coming to investigate what had happened or they simply just didn¡¯t care. Noah had mostly avoided too many loud noises, so there was even a small chance that he hadn¡¯t been noticed.

    Not yet, at least. It was only a matter of time.

    He tossed the Flying Sword down and jumped onto it, activating the artifact and zipping out of the house without any further ado. It brought him down to the alley that he and Moxie had come from in a split second.

    As soon as he landed, Noah jumped off the weapon and slid it back into his belt. He pulled his jacket off and wrapped Igris¡¯ sword with it before extending his senses around himself. No demons were in the area and Moxie was nowhere to be seen. There was only cold stone. No signs of a fight marred the alleyway. Noah didn¡¯t believe for a second that Moxie might have been taken by so much surprise that she would have gone down without a fight.

    She¡¯s already headed back to the camp, then. Good. I¡¯m glad she didn¡¯t stick around too long. I really need to ask her how the hell she did that huge vine thing. I had no idea she was capable of anything at that scale.

    Noah cast a glance over his shoulder and back at Igris¡¯ mansion. The front door hung slightly askew, a mass of greyish black matter just beyond it. Far above, the shards of glass jutted from the top window. Their operation was hardly discreet, but it hadn¡¯t been a complete shitshow either. That was all he could really ask for.

    Turning on his heel, Noah strode down the alley and back toward the camp.

    The trip back was considerably shorter than the one over. The cause for that was equal parts not getting lost and not getting waylaid by a massage. While the idea was somewhat tempting, Noah had slightly more important things on his mind.

    Nobody stopped him on his way back to the camp and he arrived at the market square a short walk later. At least, he was pretty sure it was a short walk. Telling the time was already a little difficult for him. The Damned Plains only made that worse because of how slowly the days and night passed.

    Noah headed straight over to the tent he and Moxie shared, barely noticing the demons he brushed past as they cowered out of his way. He threw the flap open, a flicker of concern passing through his chest a moment before his eyes landed on Moxie.

    She was mid-step through pacing back and forth in the tent, her hands clasped behind her back and brow furrowed like a stressed school teacher. Lee sat perched on the head of the bed behind her, his gourd cradled in her hands.

    Both of their heads jerked up as Noah entered. Moxie blinked in surprise and shifted back. Confusion shifted to suspicion and her eyes narrowed. ¡°Who¡¯s following you?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Noah glanced over his shoulder. ¡°Nobody. Why would somebody be following me?¡±

    ¡°You made it back alive.¡± Moxie strode over to him and grabbed him by the wrist, lifting one arm up into the air before pulling his shirt up and examining his stomach. ¡°Did you get stabbed somewhere serious? About to die from blood loss or poisoning?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Moxie,¡± Noah said, suppressing a laugh. ¡°All the wounds are superficial. I took more damage from diving through the window than I did from Igris. He¡¯s dead, by the way.¡±

    ¡°You killed a Rank 5?¡± Lee hopped to her feet and carefully set his gourd down on the bed before looking back to him. ¡°And you survived the fight?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to act so surprised. I don¡¯t always kill myself.¡±

    ¡°Hellreaver,¡± Lee said.

    ¡°Evergreen,¡± Moxie said.

    ¡°The Inquisitors,¡± Lee said.

    ¡°When you went to practice your patterns,¡± Moxie said.

    ¡°When you first met Father. Also, with Dayton. Multiple times.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I get it!¡± Noah exclaimed, letting out a defeated laugh. He carefully extracted his hand from Moxie¡¯s grip and unwrapped his jacket to reveal Igris¡¯ sword. ¡°I may have a problem. But this time around, I made it out alive. That¡¯s almost certainly thanks to that plant of yours, Moxie. What the hell was that? It was incredible! Did you fill the entire damn house with vines?¡±

    ¡°The culmination of a lot of pattern practice,¡± Moxie replied, her cheeks reddening at the praise. ¡°The vine itself is part of the pattern. It grows from organic bodies of matter. The more people it can draw energy from, the bigger it gets. Nobody in the house was all that strong, so they weren¡¯t able to do anything against it in time.¡±

    ¡°What exactly did you do to them?¡± Noah asked. He wasn¡¯t so sure he wanted to know the answer, but he couldn¡¯t keep his curiosity under wraps.

    ¡°The vine had poison in it. I¡¯m pretty sure it either put them to sleep, paralyzed them, or killed them.¡± Moxie hesitated for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure. The poison was based off something I was reading back in Arbitage. I had no clue what it would do to demons, so I put a lot extra energy into the part of the vine that killed things by draining their energy. There¡¯s a chance the poison didn¡¯t do anything at all.¡±

    ¡°You killed everyone in the house?¡± Lee asked.

    Moxie¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Yes. The vine automatically looks for energy in the same way that flowers search for sunlight. I¡¯m not taking chances when it comes to your lives. I just hope all that death was worth it.¡±

    That snapped Noah¡¯s attention right back to the rune that had been occupying his mind. It had been momentarily pushed to the side when he¡¯d seen Moxie and Lee again, but there was nothing delaying his attention any longer.

    ¡°It was,¡± Noah said, keeping his words hushed. ¡°I think I found the problem with demons. I know what¡¯s wrong with Lee¡¯s runes.¡±

 Chapter 528: Has to be you

    ¡°You know what¡¯s wrong with Lee¡¯s runes?¡± Moxie exclaimed, her voice raising from her hushed whisper in surprise.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited yet.¡± Noah raised a hand to keep either Moxie or Lee from saying anything else. He¡¯d found a hint that could lead him toward fixing Lee, but he was still far from actually solving the issue ¡ª and the last thing they needed to do was broadcast any of what he¡¯d discovered.

    There was almost certainly a reason why it wasn¡¯t common knowledge in the Damned Plains yet. That may have been because nobody had ever met the terrifying demon who the basic Demon Rune had come from. It may have been because someone had figured it out and gone through great lengths to ensure nobody else would.

    Noah wasn¡¯t sure which ¡ª if either ¡ª of the reasons it was, but he wasn¡¯t about to take any chances. Not when he had perfectly good Mind Meld potions to work with.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the place to talk out loud,¡± Noah said. ¡°We don¡¯t need anyone overhearing us. Even accidentally. The rest of this conversation is going to have to be held in one of our minds.¡±

    ¡°Can three people even use a Mind Meld?¡± Lee asked with a frown. She shifted from foot to foot in anticipation. Even though she was doing a good job of keeping her emotions in check, Noah could see the desire in her eyes.

    He couldn¡¯t blame her. Lee had been living with a blade hanging so close to her that she¡¯d probably been able to feel its tip against her neck. Her Runes were a ticking time bomb. A bomb that promised an end resulting in becoming a monster or dying. Any path that let her free of those fates wasn¡¯t one she could afford to pass by.

    ¡°No,¡± Noah said with a shake of his head. ¡°Not as far as I¡¯m aware, at least. I¡¯ve been avoiding anything to do with Mind Runes, but I¡¯m starting to think that getting one would be a clever investment. They¡¯re fucking disgusting, but if it¡¯s for the purposes of finding a way to just communicate telepathically, it would be worth it.¡±

    ¡°One problem at a time,¡± Moxie said. She reached into her bag and pulled out a Mind Meld potion, pressing it into Noah¡¯s palm. ¡°I¡¯ve got more of these. Maybe you should tell Lee first. I¡¯ll keep watch to make sure nobody bothers us.¡±

    Noah nodded. She¡¯d always been capable, but after what she¡¯d done in Igris¡¯ estate, he had absolutely no doubt that they¡¯d be safe until they woke back up. There weren¡¯t going to be many demons capable of dealing with her powers and it would take time for anyone to figure out exactly who had offed Igris. If anyone even truly cared about his death, they¡¯d probably do their legwork to figure out how a Rank 5 had fallen so easily before launching an assault of their own.

    ¡°Thanks, Moxie.¡± Noah pulled the top of the Mind Meld potion off and held the glistening pink liquid out to Lee. He still hadn¡¯t gotten used to the strange color of the potion in the Damned Plains, but it seemed to work all the same. ¡°Here. You first, Lee. My soul isn¡¯t particularly hospitable.¡±

    Lee took the potion from Noah. Her hand shook slightly with nervousness and excitement as she lifted it to her lips and tilted the potion back, draining half of it. She handed it back to him and sat down.

    He popped the second stopper off the potion and drained the rest of the shimmering liquid before sitting beside Lee. Moxie slipped a hand into a pocket and pulled out a small handful of seeds. She inclined her head to Noah.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got another one of those, by the way. I¡¯ll contain myself for now, but make sure you¡¯re ready to repeat your explanation. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be long,¡± Noah promised. A familiar buzz rolled over his senses and a wave of darkness followed after it. He closed his eyes and let the sensation ferry his soul free of his body and into Lee¡¯s mind.

    ***

    Inky black pooled beneath Noah¡¯s feet. It had been some time since he¡¯d last been in Lee¡¯s soul, but her soul was exactly as he last remembered it ¡ª a stickier version of his own. Faint waves of pressure lapped against him from her odd conglomeration of runes. It was nothing in comparison to the energy that Sunder and the Fragment of Renewal put off, not to mention the rest of his runes.

    He squinted at the mass of incomprehensible patterns for a second. A small part of him had hoped that he¡¯d suddenly be able to decipher exactly what had happened now that he had the Fragment of Self, but there was no such luck.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Lee¡¯s runes were just as confusing now as they had been the last time he¡¯d seen them. He blew out a small breath and turned, ribbons of toffeelike darkness squelching as they clung to the bottoms of his feet.

    Lee stood with her back to him and her runes. She wrung her hands behind herself. It seemed she still couldn¡¯t look at her runes without risking their release. That didn¡¯t fit in with anything he¡¯d discovered yet, but it would come in due time. It had to.

    ¡°Lee?¡± Noah asked as he drew up beside her.

    ¡°It¡¯s not safe for me to turn around. If I look at my rune, I could¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Noah said. He stepped around so Lee could see him. ¡°We¡¯ve only got 30 minutes, so I don¡¯t want to waste any of it. To be blunt, I haven¡¯t solved your problem yet. I don¡¯t know exactly how to fix whatever the fuck is going on with your runes, but I know the first piece of the puzzle. You aren¡¯t unique in this problem. The issue isn¡¯t anything you did or anything you are. It¡¯s a flaw in every single demon.¡±

    Lee¡¯s features furrowed in confusion. ¡°A flaw? You mean the connection between our body and our soul?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not your flaw,¡± Noah said. He glanced around for a moment in search of something to sit on. A bubble of shadow roiled beneath him and a chair rose up from within it. He sat down with an appreciative nod, and Lee lowered herself into a chair of her own across from him. Noah braced his hands on his knees and leaned forward. ¡°The unification of body and soul is what makes you strong, Lee. But that¡¯s also magnifying your issue. Demons are affected really heavily by their runes. More than humans are.¡±

    ¡°So what¡¯s the issue?¡± Lee asked.

    ¡°Your actual runes,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Or, more specifically, your Demon Runes. The foundation of everything every single demon relies on is a complete lie. Your Rank 1 Demon Runes ¡ª they¡¯re not Demon Runes at all. They¡¯re poor imitations of someone else¡¯s rune.¡±

    Lee stared at Noah in complete befuddlement. ¡°What do you mean? A Demon Rune is a Demon Rune.¡±

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡± Noah shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s what I found out when I was¡­ examining Igris. The basic Demon Rune, the building block for everything else, is something called a Minuscule Fragment of Decras.¡±

    ¡°You can read Demon Runes now?¡±

    ¡°Kind of.¡± Noah waggled a hand in the air. ¡°I can¡¯t actually read Demon Runes, but I was able to decipher the Rank 1 Demon Rune because of how close its energy matched someone else I know.¡±

    ¡°Decras,¡± Lee said. It was more of a statement than a question, but her head tilted to the side in confusion nonetheless. ¡°Who is that? And how is a Fragment of him in every demon? Isn¡¯t a Fragment the same thing as your Master Rune?¡±

    ¡°The one I stole from a goddess on accident,¡± Noah confirmed with a grim nod. ¡°And it¡¯s not exactly the same. You¡¯ve got something called a Miniscule Fragment of Decras, not a whole Fragment.¡±

    Lee¡¯s eyebrows knit. She pulled her legs up to her chest and drummed her fingers against her knees. ¡°Who is Decras?¡±

    ¡°A god,¡± Noah replied after a moment of hesitation. ¡°At least, I think he is. Maybe he¡¯s something worse. I only just learned his name, but Decras is the one who I got Sunder from. He attacked the afterlife. Technically, the only reason I was able to keep my memories and arrive in this world is because of him.¡±

    ¡°And he¡¯s got parts of himself in every demon?¡± Lee asked. She let her legs drop back to the ground and slid back in her chair, her features scrunching. ¡°Why? How?¡±

    Noah just shook his head. That was the very question he was stuck on. He didn¡¯t know just how far the powers of gods actually extended. They clearly weren¡¯t omniscient ¡ª if they were, Renewal probably would have blasted him with a bolt of lightning or the like by now.

    Could Decras have done something to every demon? Are they his descendants? Did he curse them, or is it something else entirely? Maybe someone stole magic from him and used it to poison the demon bloodline¡­ or something.

    There were too many options and too few avenues to find answers. If discovering the truth behind how demons had ended up with pieces of a ruthless god, then Noah suspected it would have been quite some time before he¡¯d be able to do much of anything.

    Fortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case. He might not have known what put the runes in the demons in the first place ¡ª but the way they worked seemed quite straightforward. Noah didn¡¯t know how to diagnose the problem, but he did have an idea to circumvent it.

    ¡°I found more than just your connection to Decras,¡± Noah said. ¡°I think I have a way for you to make something that will replace the Demon Runes ¡ª at least, temporarily. It might not be a permanent solution. It might not even work, but¡­¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Lee asked, leaping from her chair. Shadows rippled around her feet as they hit the ground and she grabbed Noah by the wrists. ¡°If you¡¯ve got anything that has a chance of working, I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    ¡°I figured as much,¡± Noah said. He rose from his chair and Lee released his arms.

    ¡°So what do I do?¡±

    ¡°When I was making my Warped Matter rune, I accidentally made an extra one. A Rune called the Fragment of Self. It¡¯s still in my soul, and it doesn¡¯t act the way any of my other runes does. I think it¡¯s a representation of my body and soul.¡±

    ¡°The same name as the Fragment of Decras,¡± Lee muttered. Realization washed through her features. ¡°You mean¡ª¡±

    ¡°You need to make a rune from scratch,¡± Noah replied with a nod. ¡°A replacement to the rune that you¡¯re currently using as a crutch. I¡¯d give you one of mine, but it wouldn¡¯t do you any better than what you¡¯ve got right now. I¡¯m certain of it. You can¡¯t build a foundation when everything relies on somebody else. This has to be you, Lee. You have to make your own Fragment of Self.¡±

 Chapter 529: Jalens Teachings

    ¡°A Fragment of Self.¡± Lee turned the word over in her mouth like it was a fine wine, then nodded slowly. ¡°So all I¡¯ve got to do is make one of those?¡±

    ¡°Yes, exactly. Making a Fragment of Self is the first step. I don¡¯ t know if that¡¯ll solve everything, but I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯ll be a move in the right direction. Right now, you¡¯ve got somebody else¡¯s intent mixed in with your own. I can¡¯t even begin to imagine how much that¡¯s screwing things up. There are so many potential problems it could cause.¡±

    ¡°That makes a lot of sense. The only way to find out what¡¯s wrong with me would be to have something we can compare it against.¡± Lee nodded sagely and crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°I¡¯ll make a Fragment of Self.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t think it should be too dangerous,¡± Noah said with what he hoped to be a comforting smile. ¡°It¡¯s just a representation of you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Lee was silent for a moment. Then she cleared her throat. ¡°Noah?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°How do I make a Fragment of Self?¡±

    Noah opened his mouth and raised a hand. Then he paused. His finger lowered. He¡¯d made his Fragment of Self by, well, killing himself. That was generally how he made most of his strongest runes.

    Lee ¡ª obviously ¡ª couldn¡¯t do that.

    ¡°That¡­ is a good question,¡± Noah said slowly. A frown crossed his lips and his brow furrowed in thought. He braced his elbows against his knees and interlaced his fingers, resting his chin upon them. ¡°My Fragment of Self formed when I drew on the energy that comes out of my gourd to create my new body. It got caught up in the Warped Matter Rune I was trying to make.¡±

    Lee looked down at herself. She pinched the skin on her arm and pulled at it slightly. ¡°Maybe I could cut it out of myself.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Noah exclaimed. ¡°God, Lee. That is fucking horrifying. You are not carving a rune out of flesh.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that basically what you did?¡±

    Noah paused for a second. If they were going to get really abstract, Lee wasn¡¯t exactly wrong. The smoke turned into his flesh. But it was energy, and that was the difference. He also wasn¡¯t about to let Lee start stabbing herself willy-nilly.

    ¡°Not really. I am going to very hesitantly agree that you¡¯ve got the right concept, but the execution is absolutely wrong,¡± Noah said. He uncrossed his hands and rose to his feet, shaking his head firmly. ¡°You¡¯re not cutting chunks of yourself out to do this. It wouldn¡¯t help. Making a Rune from scratch needs three elements. Intent, power, and an inciting energy.¡±

    ¡°Intent is easy if it¡¯s just a rune that represents me. It¡¯s the other two things that are the problem. What if I cut a piece of myself off and set it on fire? That would make energy.¡±

    ¡°You are not mutilating yourself!¡± Noah snapped. He was starting to get an idea of how Moxie felt when she saw him coming up with a plan, and he wasn¡¯t so sure he liked the forced self-reflection.

    ¡°I have to do something! You found a way for me to change my runes! I have to take it!¡± Lee protested, her hands clenching at her sides and shoulders stiffening.

    Noah stepped forward and set a hand on her head. Lee¡¯s gaze broke from his and dropped to the floor as her shoulders slumped.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Lee,¡± Noah said. ¡°We¡¯re going to find a way to do this. Just because you can¡¯t do horrible things to yourself doesn¡¯t mean there isn¡¯t a path forward.¡±

    Lee wiped at her nose with the back of a hand. ¡°What if it doesn¡¯t work?¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll find some healing potions and you can give that idea of yours a try,¡± Noah said with a heavy sigh, swearing to himself that he would absolutely never let that opportunity come to pass.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    How did my life get to this point? Why are you excited to stab yourself?

    ¡°Let¡¯s just focus on the other options first, shall we?¡± Noah suggested, ruffling Lee¡¯s hair.

    ¡°Kay!¡± Lee said, looking up at him from beneath his hand and grinning. ¡°So what else can we try?¡±

    ¡°Well, you can get the energy you need from breaking a bunch of Runes,¡± Noah mused. ¡°That¡¯s not really a roadblock. It¡¯s easy enough to get those. We can just kill a bunch of demons in the Wastes or buy some trash off someone. The conversion rate might not be great, but it¡¯s fine.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°So the big problem is the inciting energy thing?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Using the energy that came from my body re-forming worked really well for me, even though it was completely unintentional. If we could somehow harness something similar for you, maybe it would work.¡±

    ¡°Would that even work for me? It¡¯s your energy. If I was somehow able to use it to form a rune, wouldn¡¯t it just have the same issues that my runes currently do?¡±

    Noah pursed his lips. Lee had a point. His energy had come from the gourd reforming his body. It was too specific to him. There was a chance Lee could commandeer it, but it would probably end up just replacing Decras¡¯ rune with one of his own. Lee needed something that was completely beyond anyone¡¯s influence other than her own.

    ¡°Using my energy may not be the best solution,¡± Noah allowed. ¡°I think it¡¯s a possibility. Any improvement is better than what you¡¯ve got right now ¡ª but there¡¯s got to be something else that can replace it. Something more unique to a demon, or to you.¡±

    ¡°Eating?¡± Lee asked hopefully.

    ¡°I think you might need a bit more than that. It has to have energy you can draw from,¡± Noah said.

    Lee¡¯s face fell. ¡°Okay. Let me think.¡±

    ¡°Take all the time you need. We don¡¯t have to find a solution immediately. Just having a path forward means a lot. We can keep an eye out for¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m done thinking.¡±

    ¡°That fast?¡± Noah¡¯s eyes widened and he rose from his chair slightly. ¡°You figured something out?¡±

    ¡°No. I couldn¡¯t think of anything. Demons don¡¯t use external sources of energy. I don¡¯t know what to think about. We don¡¯t even really start using external magic until around Rank 5. What should I be looking for?¡±

    Noah let out a sigh and shook his head. He sank back into the chair. ¡°I don¡¯t know that part yet, Lee. The energy doesn¡¯t have to come from you. It just has to be something we can harness. Death was just the easiest way to access it for me. Is there some location in the Damned Plains that might somehow lend itself toward helping you¡­ get more you?¡±

    ¡°What does that even mean?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure,¡± Noah admitted sheepishly. ¡°Is there some demon of meditation or something like that? Someone who¡¯s really in touch with themselves.¡±

    ¡°You want to kill them and take their power?¡±

    ¡°I was more thinking to ask them for advice. Maybe there are some enlightened mountains full of peace energy that helps you connect with your deeper self somewhere down here.¡±

    ¡°Someone definitely would have attacked something like that if it existed. I doubt it would still be around. If it was, it would probably be incredibly difficult to find.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t have shit in the Damned Plains,¡± Noah muttered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. It¡¯s okay.¡± Lee gave Noah an optimistic smile. ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯ll find something. Maybe there¡¯s an artifact full of magic I can use. If not, I¡¯ll just fix everything up back in the mortal realm. There¡¯s definitely something up there that can help me. We can just keep an eye out.¡±

    Aren¡¯t I the one supposed to be reassuring her? Why is it other way around?

    ¡°Something seems like it got mixed up here,¡± Noah said, chuckling as he rose to his feet. ¡°But that¡¯s the attitude we need. We know so little about the world. About how everything works. That¡¯s not entirely bad. We might be in the dark, but that just means we have a lot to discover. We can find a way forward. It might be this. It might be something else. I don¡¯t know what it is, but we¡¯ll find it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Lee nodded. They were both silent for a few moments. Then Lee cleared her throat. ¡°Are you sure you can¡¯t give me a piece of your runes?¡±

    Noah chuckled. ¡°Even if I could, I don¡¯t think it would really help you. I don¡¯t want to replace Decras¡¯ influence with my own. Who knows what that could cause. You might start killing yourself. But there is one thing¡­¡±

    He lifted his hand and drew on his energy, tracing a glowing purple line through the air with a finger. Lee watched with rapt attention as Noah drew the shape of the Fragment of Self before her.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Lee asked.

    ¡°My Rune,¡± Noah replied, taking a step back to let Lee take in the glimmering magic before it faded away. ¡°Can you read it?¡±

    ¡°Fragment of Noah Vines.¡±

    Noah grimaced. ¡°I thought as much. It reads differently to everyone who sees it. To me, this says Fragment of Self.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t use it, then.¡±

    ¡°Probably not,¡± Noah said. He waved a hand through the glowing lines and they curled around his fingertips, blowing away like smoke. ¡°But it¡¯s okay. It answers one more question. Decras¡¯ runes function the same way, and the Minuscule Fragment of Decras is just a really small Fragment of Self. It means you don¡¯t have to do anything different than I did to make my rune. I didn¡¯t stumble into it completely on accident. Once we find that inciting energy, you¡¯ll be able to make your rune. Until then, you¡¯ve got something else to prepare.¡±

    ¡°I do?¡±

    Noah nodded. ¡°You need to really look into yourself and figure out what makes you, you. The Fragment of Self is literally a representation of you as a pattern. No point finding inciting energy if you haven¡¯t determined who you really are. Not your emotions. Not your desires or what you like doing. You.¡±

    Lee looked down at herself, then scratched at her leg. ¡°I¡¯m going to need a mirror and some advanced stretching techniques.¡±

    Noah sighed. ¡°Not literally, Lee. Figuratively.¡±

    She grinned. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll think on it. Thanks, Noah. For doing all of this. You didn¡¯t have to.¡±

    ¡°I did. We¡¯re friends, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself if I didn¡¯t,¡± Noah said with a firm shake of his head. ¡°Thank me by finding a way to pull this off.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± Lee promised.

    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll hold you to that.¡± Noah returned Lee¡¯s smile. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much I¡¯ll be able to help you figure yourself out, but if there¡¯s anything I can do¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. That¡¯s something I need to do myself. I¡¯ve already been thinking on it anyway. Now isn¡¯t the time.¡± Lee shook her head, then fanned her hands out. The air shimmered and a deck of cards took form in her grip. ¡°There¡¯s some time left in the potion.¡±

    ¡°You know how to play cards?¡± Noah asked, blinking in surprise.

    ¡°Jalen taught me.¡±

    ¡°When did ¡ª oh, never mind.¡± Noah laughed as a table took form between them and his chair pushed into the backs of his legs. He sat down across from Lee. She deserved a break. There were much worse things to spend the last few minutes of a Mind Meld potion doing than relaxing. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡±

 Dragoncon Announcement!

    Howdy all!

    It''s that time of year again! I''m flying from Australia (Was here on a work vacation) to Georgia tonight for dragoncon! If you''re coming, swing by the Aethon booth so I can say hi!

    This will unfortunately mean that my writing schedule will be absolutely COOKED for the next week (between the 27th, as I''ve got a 24 hour long flight including layovers, up until the 2nd). I will do my absolute best to do at least 1 chapter of writing a day during this time as well as writing as many chapters as possible on the flight, but unless I transcend human limits I fear I will not be able to do my normally scheduled 2 chapters per day.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    I will try to alternate Runebound/Living Forge chapters day by day and do my best to keep up with schedules.

    Sorry in advance for this delay. I would like to say I''d be able to do 4k words a day during dragoncon, but I''m working the booth and I suspect I will have basically zero free time from morning until night.

    Today''s chapter will be delayed -- I''m writing it on the plane, but I''m not going to have any wifi. The alternation starts after that. Apologies again for the delay all.

 Chapter 530: Vile

    Noah¡¯s eyes cracked open, his consciousness back inside his own body. Soft vines curled beneath him and pressed against his back. Moxie must have moved him into her bed while they¡¯d been using the Mind Meld potion.

    Pushing himself upright, Noah glanced over at Lee. She laid beside him, still midway through shaking off the last of the potion¡¯s effects. She yawned and stretched her arms out like a cat, discreetly craning her neck to the side and taking a bite out of the bed before quickly turning her head back to its resting position.

    His eyes narrowed slightly. Lee had won every single game they¡¯d played. It hadn¡¯t even been close. He¡¯d had to remind her the rules once or twice, but she seemed to miraculously keep pulling out the exact cards she needed.

    She¡¯d also somehow pulled the exact same winning card about eight times in a row. Given that said card should have still been in the discard pile after the first time, that was quite the accomplishment.

    Note to self. Don¡¯t play cards in Lee¡¯s mindspace. She cheats. I should definitely try to convince Jalen to bet something big and then take her on, though. Could be a great way to get some free stuff once we get back to the mortal plane.

    ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± Moxie asked from where she sat at her desk, her chair rocked back on two legs. ¡°Did you figure it out? Is it my turn?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re working on it.¡± Lee sat up and slipped out of bed. ¡°I¡¯m better at cards than Noah is.¡±

    Moxie looked from Lee to Noah with a confused frown. ¡°What? Cards?¡±

    ¡°Later,¡± Noah said. ¡°Let me fill you in. Another Mind Meld, please. The sooner we handle this, the better. I don¡¯t want to get caught with our pants down if some prick shows up looking for revenge. I think we should still be good on time, but it doesn¡¯t hurt to move quickly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch,¡± Lee volunteered. Her eyes drifted over to the bed and her tongue ran along her lips.

    ¡°Thanks, Lee. And if you eat the entire bed, I¡¯m going to be pissed. Control yourself.¡± Moxie procured a Mind Meld potion and downed half of it before tossing the rest to Noah and flopping down beside him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll only eat a little,¡± Lee promised. ¡°Your vines taste good.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Moxie said dryly.

    Noah downed the potion and laid back down, welcoming the darkness that swallowed him whole.

    ***

    The conversation in Moxie¡¯s Mind Space didn¡¯t take long. Noah went over everything that he¡¯d discovered from studying Igris¡¯ soul and the discussion he¡¯d had with Lee. Their attention then turned to exactly how Lee ¡ª or anyone other than Noah, for that matter ¡ª could actually go about creating a Fragment of Self.

    Forming a Rune was already difficult enough. As far as they knew, the knowledge didn¡¯t even exist in Arbitage. But now they needed to do more than just form a rune. They had to form one while finding an inciting energy that somehow represented the individual person working on it.

    There was a chance that some form of energy could always work as a universal catalyst for a Fragment of Self, but their discussion didn¡¯t yield any potential results for it. Noah¡¯s discoveries were a promising step, but they just didn¡¯t have the tools to use it quite yet.

    It soon became apparent that they weren¡¯t going to make much more progress purely through theorizing. Both Noah and Moxie were completely stumped as to potential forms of energy. The best bet they managed to come up with was making a ludicrous amount of copies of his Fragment of Self, then destroying all of them.

    There was a chance that would create enough energy to saturate an area with so much power that it could be used as the inciting energy, similar to how all of Noah¡¯s deaths had given him enough death and rebirth energy to create the Fragment of Renewal.

    That was, unfortunately, a stretch at best. So much power was lost through conversion between runes that he couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how much power he¡¯d need to acquire and waste to get an area that saturated ¡ª and that wasn¡¯t even mentioning the effects on his own soul. There was no way smashing hundreds, if not thousands, of runes representing him wouldn¡¯t have some form of negative side effect. Noah didn¡¯t dismiss the possibility completely. There was a chance it could work, but it was far from their first plan.

    He and Moxie came to the same conclusion that he had with Lee. The best way forward was to keep their eyes out. They knew what they were looking for. It had to exist somewhere. Renewal had made a Fragment of Self as well, and Sunder had come from Decras. That meant there was another way to make a self-rune.

    Until they found it, all they could do was prepare. Lee still had some work to do determining who she really was. Until she did, even if they did find the inciting energy they needed, it wouldn¡¯t be of much use.

    The Damned Plains were a big place. Noah was hopeful that they¡¯d stumble into something ¡ª or someone ¡ª that they could use to form a Fragment of Self for Lee. If not, then there would be an answer somewhere else. None of them had any plans of taking defeat as an answer.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    When the discussion started to go in circles that were leading nowhere, Noah and Moxie found that they still had just over fifteen minutes left in the Mind Meld potion.

    They didn¡¯t use it to play cards.

    ***

    A demon clad in white crouched upon the roof and looked down at a mansion with a broken window. Gray skin, so light that it was almost alabaster, ran beneath robes far too wide for her body. Gnarled scars warped the entire left side of her face and a horn twisted out of the side of her head, a mixture of flesh and bone. A black, two-headed axe easily as tall as she was rested on her shoulder like it weighed nothing more than a feather.

    The demon had not moved once since they¡¯d arrived over four hours ago. She stood as still as a spire in the Black Reaches. She had been called on before, but never by Zath. Never by one who had actually spoken to Lord Sievan.

    Axil, Zath¡¯s messenger had said. Lord Sievan has requested your service. Seek the Master Rune bearing the name of death and return it to its owner.

    A shiver ran down her spine. Perhaps it hadn¡¯t been Zath himself that had spoken to her, but the words had come from his mouth. A direct order. An honor that her younger self never would have believed she would achieve.

    Failure was not an option. A command passed down by the Lord of Death himself was not a request. It was a mandate. No result other than success could be acceptable. Axil was resolved to this. She would do anything that was requested of her to honor the gifts that Lord Sievan had passed onto his subordinates.

    There was just one problem.

    The rune she sought had been sold at an auction house to a demon by the name of Spider. But tracking was not Axil¡¯s strong suit. She¡¯d been called on because fate had blessed her with a location close to what Lord Sievan required. Locating targets was not one of her skillsets, but she was not completely without a path forward. Belkus was on good terms with Lord Sievan.

    She would have preferred to approach the demon directly. The Rank 7 was more than capable of pointing her directly toward her target, but the politics would not allow for it. She was a Rank 5 and more than capable of handling any work herself. Furthermore, Lord Sievan¡¯s name was respected through all the Damned Plains. Seeking help from a City Lord in his service would bring shame upon him.

    Thus, she had been forced to speak with one of his subordinates. Her one lead had been a lumbering Wealth Demon in the service of Belkus by the name of Igris. An information broker that had claimed to know of Spider.

    Igris had clearly had a personal vendetta against the demon, but Axil was unconcerned with it. Everything had fallen into place as if the gods themselves were guiding her ¡ª right up until she¡¯d watched Spider crash through the window of Igris¡¯ house. Until she¡¯d heard Igris¡¯ soul scream and shatter, felt his presence pass from this realm to the next. Until she had sat in silence, and watched Spider slip free of the window.

    Another shiver ran down Axil¡¯s spine.

    Sievan¡¯s path granted those following it a certain degree of understanding of death. To their eyes alone, existence was a canvas. Those who took lives painted death upon its surface, only adding the final stroke with their own.

    And therein lay her problem.

    Spider had been beautiful. Death heralded his footsteps and passed behind him like an ocean current. His canvas was so immense that Axil couldn¡¯t so much as begin to comprehend where it began and ended.

    She had been completely unable to act in its presence. To make any moves to interfere with such a work of art was to spit upon her own face. She had to witness it firsthand. And so she had observed with rapt attention as Spider slaughtered Igris. Her gaze had followed Spider as he slipped out into the streets.

    The woman that he¡¯d come with had long since left after cleaning out the house. A woman whose canvas normally wouldn¡¯t have drawn Axil¡¯s attention. It was short and poignant, but nothing of true note ¡ª right up until they were together. Their designs fit together with such beautiful synchrony that she had not even noticed the droplet of saliva rolling down the side of her lips and along her face until it had reached her chin.

    Axil sat in silence. She could not bring herself to do more than watch and remember. Not yet. Such a sight had to be savored. The sooner she acted, the sooner it would be over. An internal war raged within Axil, but eventually, she rose.

    Shouts echoed through the air as demons finally realized that Igris had been slain. It seemed not many had mourned his loss, but Axil could not have cared less about him. This was about more than a rune.

    Butterflies danced in Axil¡¯s stomach and she wrapped her arms around herself as she let out a shuddering sigh, a tremor racing through her entire body as she rose to her feet.

    This was a test. It had to be.

    She had been ordered to retrieve the rune, but nobody had said how it had to be done. She could not help herself. She had to feel the glorious sensation that Igris had. To witness the beauty of such a canvas up¡ª

    A presence prickled at the back of Axil¡¯s mind. She turned. An armored demon stood behind her, two curved blades in his hands and a snarl on his lips. His canvas was plain. Worthless. Disgusting.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± the demon snarled. ¡°What are you doing here with that creepy expression on your face? Do you have something to do with Lord Igris¡¯ death?

    ¡°It was exhilarating to witness,¡± Axil breathed. ¡°A thousand times greater than any pleasure you could have ever experienced. He was turned into beautiful, beautiful brush strokes.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± the demon¡¯s weapons lifted. His chest filled with air as he prepared to call for help.

    Axil shifted. The space between her and the demon vanished. Her lips pressed against his. The demon¡¯s eyes shot wide open in surprise. He screamed, but it was too late.

    It was not a kiss.

    Her jaw unhinged. The demon tried to pull back. It did nothing. He was nowhere near strong or fast enough to escape. Axil¡¯s teeth clenched down, carving through flesh and crushing his skull with a muted, splintering crunch. His cry for help was lost as she inhaled, ripping the soul from his body and grinding it to pieces within her own. The taste of death swam across her tongue and poured down her throat, joined by chunks of flesh and bone.

    She released the demon, but nothing hit the ground. His body disintegrated, specks of black dust swirling through the air of the damned plains and joining the churning smoke far above.

    Axil¡¯s features screwed up in disgust.

    ¡°Vile,¡± she whispered, but her expression shifted as she looked in the direction that Spider and his companion had departed in. She had to determine what it was that Lord Sievan truly wished her to learn. To witness the beauty of their canvas again ¡ª and, if she was truly, truly blessed, to watch their beautiful, beautiful paintings complete as their life passed from this world and into the next.

 Chapter 531: Dance

    As it turned out, the amount of time it took Treadon to figure out who had assassinated a Rank 5 that worked for Lord Belkus was just around three hours. Noah had long since finished with his Mind Meld meetings and was eating lunch with Lee and Moxie in their tent when the flap flew open and Violet practically tripped over her own feet in her haste to run inside.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to be attacked!¡± Violet exclaimed, her words coming out so quickly that they practically blended into each other.

    ¡°We¡¯re what now?¡± Noah paused with a strip of aged meat halfway to his mouth. ¡°A little slower, please.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to be attacked,¡± Violet repeated in a voice taut with stress. ¡°Four Demons. I think they¡¯re Rank 5. They¡¯re flying in this direction.¡±

    ¡°Flying?¡± Moxie rose from her chair. ¡°On swords?¡±

    ¡°No. External magic,¡± Violet replied. She shifted from foot to foot and glanced over her shoulder at the air above them as if expecting a demon to drop down at any second. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long we have. Vrith saw them coming and ran back to report it. She¡¯s warning the rest of the camp.¡±

    Lee plucked the strip of jerky from Noah¡¯s hands and stuffed it into her mouth while he was distracted. Noah heaved a sigh and rose form his chair. He handed Lee his gourd and scooped his grimoire off the ground, slinging it over his back.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure they¡¯re coming for us?¡±

    ¡°Vrith was. They¡¯re headed right in this direction.¡±

    ¡°Took them longer than expected,¡± Noah said. He cracked his neck and Violet edged back as he stepped out of the tent and craned his neck back. ¡°Where are they coming from?¡±

    Violet pointed to the south and over the rooftops. Buildings blocked him from seeing too far away, but the air was still clear at the moment.

    Four Rank 5 demons was nothing to scoff at ¡ª especially if they were more competent than Igris had been. Noah wasn¡¯t so sure he could handle four Azel-level threats on his own. Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t on his own. Moxie and Lee both emerged from the tent behind him and joined him in scanning the sky.

    Demons bustled all around them as they rushed to shelter. Noah made a note to thank Vrith for warning everyone immediately. It would have been a huge pain in the ass if all the demons in his camp got killed during the fight. That would have set his information network back by days ¡ª not to mention the damage it would have done to his reputation.

    A head of silver hair caught his attention. Noah glanced to the side as Yoru stepped out from Violet¡¯s tent. Her hair had been braided back into a long ponytail that just barely avoided sweeping across the ground.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to fight?¡± Noah asked. He hadn¡¯t expected Yoru to actually stand with them. He¡¯d just assumed that the powerful demon would¡ª

    ¡°No,¡± Yoru replied. She tilted her head to the side. ¡°Belkus would interfere if I acted, and I do not see a future in which I achieve the victory I desire if he acts here. I do not believe you will need my help.¡±

    Of course.

    ¡°Care to tell me what we¡¯re up against?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Anything I should know?¡±

    ¡°There is not a future in which I interfere in this fight. Thus, I do not understand the probabilities of its outcomes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a fancy way to say you don¡¯t know shit,¡± Moxie drawled.

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    Noah couldn¡¯t keep himself from laughing. He just shook his head and nodded to Violet. ¡°Just keep her out of trouble, will you? I don¡¯t need Rank 3s that I¡¯ve spent effort on making getting squished.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to be watched over,¡± Violet said.

    Noah glanced at her out of the corners of his eyes. ¡°What, you think you can take care of yourself against a group of Rank 5 demons?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m not stupid enough to interfere. I¡¯ll be hiding together with Aylin and everyone else that doesn¡¯t want to die.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± Noah nodded sagely. ¡°Good. I was worried you were going to do something stupid for a moment. Glad to hear you¡¯ve got your head screwed on right. Get to it, then. And make sure everyone else is thinking the same way you are. I¡¯m going to be pissed if I waste any of the resources I¡¯ve been cultivating.¡±

    Violet gave him a sharp nod. She darted off toward the large tent that held Aylin. Yoru made no move to follow her. Noah arched an eyebrow. Yoru¡¯s head tilted to the other side.

    ¡°You are waiting for me to follow.¡±

    ¡°Very astute. Did you use your magic for that one?¡±

    ¡°No. I deduced it from the expression held in your eyes.¡± Yoru sounded somewhat proud of her words.

    ¡°You¡¯d be correct. What are you doing here?¡± Noah asked. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going to interfere. Just keep the others alive.¡±

    ¡°They will be fine,¡± Yoru said. ¡°I am watching.¡±

    Something told Noah that she wasn¡¯t watching the present. For a moment, his mind was tempted to wonder just how her power functioned. Being able to see probabilities of the future seemed like it would be a pretty effective way to drive himself insane. He shook the thoughts off. There would be time to worry about Yoru later. For the moment, he was much more concerned with where their supposed attackers were.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Is everyone Lord Belkus hires always late?¡± Noah asked. ¡°It took them forever to figure out we offed one of his men. This is honestly kind of sad. You¡¯d think a group of Rank 5s would be capable of more.¡±

    ¡°Have you forgotten Dayton?¡± Lee asked with a snicker. ¡°There are a lot of idiots with high ranks. Doesn¡¯t make them very good at anything. It¡¯s just like a good cake pan. Having one doesn¡¯t make you a baker.¡±

    Noah turned to Lee. ¡°That¡¯s a good analogy. Did you ever decide to go through with learning cooking? I remember you were interested in it.¡±

    ¡°I kept getting distracted by the ingredients.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Right. Should have seen that one coming,¡± Noah said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get there eventually.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will.¡±

    Noah¡¯s gaze was pulled upward as several forms appeared in the air above them, shooting over the city line. Four demons, each clad in red armor trimmed with gold, dropped from the sky and made a beeline toward the camp.

    They crashed down on the stone opposite to Noah¡¯s group, shattering the ground beneath their feet as they landed. Each of them bore a large, two-handed sword engraved with a line of demonic script that Noah couldn¡¯t read.

    Each of them stood almost two heads taller than Noah. Their red skin was covered with rippling muscle. Their horns jutted out from beneath beds of thick black hair, curling up from either side of their head like those of a goat.

    ¡°Spider,¡± the largest of the demons said. His voice sounded like brick grating on brick, and his features screwed up in disgust like he¡¯d just eaten a dozen lemons.

    ¡°The Billy Goats Gruff got an extra member. Who would have thought,¡± Noah said. ¡°Which one of you is adopted?¡±

    They all stared at him, black eyes narrowed in confusion and anger.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I got that one either,¡± Moxie whispered.

    Noah sighed. ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t think half the people from back where I came from would have understand that either. Now I feel old.¡±

    ¡°Your mockery means nothing. You killed Igris. A challenge to Lord Belkus¡¯ authority will not be tolerated. Challenges against his men must be properly announced.¡±

    ¡°What makes you think I killed Igris?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Did you see me do it?¡±

    ¡°The source of our information is irrelevant.¡±

    More like they knew he was coming after me and made an educated guess I was responsible. Did they leaf through his documents or something? Or was Igris¡¯ harassment of me due to more than just annoyance that I offed someone paying him money? Well, that or someone saw us. I wasn¡¯t exactly discreet.

    ¡°Right,¡± Noah said. He cracked his neck and drew on his runes. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get this on with then. I was hoping to get my hands on a few more runes anyway. You¡¯ll be useful, but I was in the middle of lunch, so I¡¯d really like to get this handled quickly. Were you planning to come at me one by one, or did you want to do this all at once?¡±

    A flicker of hesitation passed through the enforcers¡¯ eyes. They definitely hadn¡¯t been expecting him to meet their arrival with so much confidence ¡ª and they didn¡¯t know how strong Noah actually was.

    They knew he¡¯d managed to kill a Rank 5 demon and escaped without any significant injuries, so their guards were definitely going to be up. Noah repressed a grimace. Despite his words, this fight wasn¡¯t going to be easy.

    Even if the enforcers¡¯ runes weren¡¯t incredible, they were still a higher rank and outnumbered him, Lee, and Moxie. They weren¡¯t going to win this fight if he didn¡¯t go all out. Noah¡¯s fingers flexed and power coursed through his veins as he drew deeper on his magic.

    I¡¯ll Sunder the big guy before he knows what hit him. Maybe get another one with the inversed power of the Fragment of Renewal. As long as Lee and Moxie hold the other two off until then, we should be able to win. I might get killed in the process once the other two realize they can¡¯t let me get close, but that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s only one death.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t denying it, then,¡± the large enforcer said. His lips pulled back into a snarl. ¡°Then, on the authority of Lord Belkus, you are to be executed.¡±

    He lifted his sword toward Noah.

    A whump split the air. Stone shattered. The enforcer¡¯s lips parted in a split second of disbelief before his body peeled apart, blood pouring apart from two severed halves. His armor clanged as it crashed to the ground, revealing a huge black axe embedded in the stone behind him.

    A woman clad in white robes blurred overhead. One of the other enforcers swore as she slammed into him, sending them both tumbling to the ground. He thrust his sword for her chest, but the woman caught his wrist with a hand.

    She ripped his arm off with a sharp tug. Blood sprayed across the ground. The demon¡¯s scream was silenced as the woman¡¯s jaw cracked, unhinged, and crunched down on his face. The entire front half of his skull vanished down her gullet as she rose, gray lips carved apart by a crimson, ecstatic grin.

    One of the remaining two enforcers took a step back, horror washing across his features. ¡°What the fu¡ª¡±

    The woman¡¯s axe sailed through the air and slammed back into her hand. She spun, using the momentum from its arrival to whip it back out like a boomerang. The demon lifted his hands defensively before him. A disk of molten energy formed between him and the flying weapon ¡ª and shattered into raining fragments of glass as the axe carved straight through it.

    The weapon slammed straight into the enforcer¡¯s chest. Bone and metal crunched beneath it and the demon staggered back, eyes wide in disbelief. Before he could even try to respond, the woman lurched forward and drove her foot into his face, ripping the axe free from his chest and spinning, striking him a second time in the neck and sending his head flying free of his body.

    She grabbed the decapitated cranium from the sky and whipped her hand forward, sending it crashing into the final enforcer¡¯s face. He screamed in fear, disgust, or most likely, both.

    The enforcer leapt, wind launching him into the air as he fled for safety.

    He didn¡¯t make it far.

    The ground shattered beneath the white-robed woman. She launched into the sky like a missile and slammed into the fleeing demon, grabbing onto him and ripped into his neck with her teeth.

    He let out a gargling scream that ground to an abrupt halt as the woman swallowed his head whole. They both plummeted back to the ground. The woman used the demon like a landing pad, driving his corpse into the ground in the center of the square with a wet crunch.

    She stepped off the dead demon and grabbed the axe from where it still laid buried in another enforcer, ripping it free of its fleshy prison. Then she turned to Noah, giving him his first look at her face.

    One half of it was like gray porcelain, splattered by blood and completely without expression. Its features were glassy and flat. The other half was heavily warped, twisted like putty into a horn that rose up from the side of her skull beside her eyes. Her eyes ¡ª where all the emotion that her features lacked had been pooled and gathered in pools of manic delight.

    Noah stared at her, his mouth hanging slightly askew. The entire fight had only taken seconds at most. Four Rank 5 demons had been killed in mere moments.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry anymore,¡± Lee whispered.

    ¡°Spider. Your canvas is even more breathtaking up close,¡± the woman said, a faint tremble in her voice. Her tongue ran along glassy lips, cleaning the blood from them. She lifted the bloodied axe to point it at Noah. ¡°May we share a dance?¡±

 Chapter 532: Enjoyable

    ¡°You know, that¡¯s a real tempting offer, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to pass on it,¡± Noah said, watching the deadly demon warily. ¡°I¡¯m unfortunately otherwise engaged. No need for a rain check.¡±

    ¡°I insist,¡± the woman said. She ran a hand down the flat side of her axe, leaving a clean streak in the blood coating its surface. ¡°I will not accept your answer.¡±

    ¡°Ah. We can¡¯t be having that.¡± Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. He extended his senses to brush across the demon, trying to get a feel for how far her strength truly went. ¡°When somebody says no, it means no. You might need some lessons in consent.¡±

    If the demon noticed his domain, she did nothing to address it. Cold, hungry energy emanated from her body like wisps of icy fog rolling across Noah¡¯s mind. She was strong. Much stronger than the four that she¡¯d cut down moments ago ¡ª though that really shouldn¡¯t have been much of a surprise.

    Rank 5. Maybe Rank 6? I don¡¯t know. She¡¯s by far the most powerful demon we¡¯ve met in the Damned Plains other than Yoru, though. I can¡¯t take any risks with her. She has to die.

    The demon spun her axe around and drove it into the ground with enough force to crack the stone at her feet. Her gaze flicked down. They locked on the corpses splattered across the ground. Her eyes widened and a hand shot to her mouth.

    ¡°Oh, no. Oh, no, no. I did it again.¡± The demon¡¯s voice raised in pitch and she took a step back, her gray features losing a shade of color.

    Noah and Moxie exchanged a glance. It didn¡¯t take a genius to tell that the woman¡¯s head might have had more marbles than brain matter.

    ¡°Yes, you did,¡± Noah said slowly, not entirely sure what it was that she¡¯d done. He didn¡¯t get the feeling her distress was because she¡¯d just slaughtered four demons in cold blood ¡ª not unless she had two entirely different personalities trapped in her head.

    ¡°I took your prey,¡± the woman said, pulling at her hair and letting out a groan. ¡°Oh, no. I got to excited. I interfered with the brush.¡±

    Yup. She¡¯s batshit insane. Of course she is.

    Moxie¡¯s fingers twitched at her sides. Noah could practically see the gears turning in her head. He was pretty sure she was a few seconds away from sending her plants out in hopes of getting a surprise attack on the madwoman. Noah caught her gaze and shook his head slightly.

    The demon might have been insane, but she was blindingly fast and powerful. He needed her attention focused entirely on him. If she went after Moxie, Noah wasn¡¯t confident he¡¯d be able to interfere in time to stop her.

    ¡°You also left a mess,¡± Lee said. ¡°Wasting food is bad.¡±

    The blood-splattered demon glanced back to the corpses. Her features screwed up and she started to pace back and forth, wringing her hands together. ¡°This vile filth isn¡¯t worth eating. I would not sully my lips with their flesh.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ already did,¡± Noah said.

    The woman ground to a halt. She let out another groan and pulled at her hair again. Then she grabbed her axe and ripped it from the ground, pointing it straight at Noah. He stepped to the side. The weapon followed him. He stepped back to where he¡¯d been standing again.

    ¡°Would you stop that?¡± the demon exclaimed, adjusting her aim once more.

    Maybe I can just¡­ out-crazy her.

    ¡°No,¡± Noah said, stepping to the side again. He drank energy from his runes, gathering it into his palms. ¡°I¡¯ve got a whole lot more where this came from, too. If you know what¡¯s good for you, leave. I can side-step all day.¡±

    The demon ground her teeth and slammed her axe into the ground. Rocks shattered beneath its blade and peppered down all around her. ¡°Do not make a mockery of me!¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Noah said. He came to a stop and lifted his hands into the air, palms facing the demon. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    He released the magic. The air shattered as a thick bolt of lightning screamed through it, slamming straight into the demons¡¯ face with a deafening crack. It snapped her neck back and sent her tumbling across the ground. The axe flew from her grip and skidded across the stone beside her.

    They both came to a stop at the edge of the square. Thick black smoke rose up from the demon¡¯s face. Her body twitched as arcs of electricity danced out from her and sank into the ground.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Noah let his hands lower. Moxie stared at him. He shrugged.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That was cheap.¡±

    ¡°Really? You¡¯re on her side now? There were no rules.¡± Noah gathered magic again and sent a second blast of lightning into the demoness¡¯ body. He wasn¡¯t optimistic enough to believe that a single bolt would be enough to kill a Rank 5, and he had no plans of sitting around while the demon¡ª

    She sat up.

    ¡°Excruciating,¡± the demoness breathed, wiping soot from her face. Aside from a small scorch mark on her cheek, she was completely uninjured. She rose to her feet and rolled her neck. ¡°Do it again.¡±

    Noah¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°If you stand right there, I¡¯d be more than willing to oblige you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d prefer to make things more¡­ exciting. I am known as Axil. If you will not give me the honor of witnessing your canvas, then I will take the choice from you,¡± the demoness said. She lifted her hand. The axe leapt from its spot on the ground and slammed into her grip.

    Her eyes flicked to Moxie.

    And, in that moment, Noah¡¯s willingness to play games with the demon evaporated.

    He slammed power into the Rune of Self embedded in his soul. His foot slammed into the ground, cracking the stone beneath it as he blurred into motion. The distance between him and Axil evaporated.

    His fist slammed into her cheek with enough force to snap her head to the side. The demon spun with the blow. Her foot whipped up between his legs. Noah¡¯s free hand shot down, driving into her ankle. A shudder raced down his arm from the impact, but he stopped the strike.

    Axil¡¯s elbow streaked for his face in a blur. Noah leaned back, controlling every muscle in his back perfectly to let the strike slip just past his nose. He drove his knee up into Axil¡¯s stomach.

    She doubled over. Brilliant white power crackled between Noah¡¯s fingertips and he clapped his hands down on the demon¡¯s shoulders. She twisted from his grip, but not fast enough to avoid his magic.

    Noah unleashed Crumbling Space. White cracks bore into her skin like twisting worms and the air collapsed upon itself. Bone shattered and blood sprayed as both of the demon¡¯s arms crunched like pressurized soda cans.

    The axe slipped from her grip and Noah caught it with a hand, flinging it across the square. His knee shot up and drove into Axil¡¯s face. Her nose crunched beneath it and snapped back. She stumbled backward ¡ª and Noah froze. There was only one emotion on Axil¡¯s face.

    Ecstasy.

    ¡°More,¡± Axil rasped. Her bones popped and her warped arms twisted. They snapped back into place and she rolled her shoulders as a shudder ran down her back. Her nose unbroke itself and she wiped the blood from her features with the back of a hand, licking it clean.

    She extended a hand to the fallen axe and it leapt like a well-trained dog, flying back to her hands. Blood soaked into Axil¡¯s white robes. The wounds on her body hadn¡¯t sealed, but the majority of the damage had been undone.

    Noah obliged her. He didn¡¯t exactly like the idea of obliging the insane demoness, but when the alternative was putting Moxie or Lee in her sights, he wasn¡¯t about to let up.

    Bones crunched beneath his fists. Blood sprayed across the ground and Crumbling Space carved through Axil¡¯s flesh. The demoness took every single blow, stumbling back until Noah had her pinned against the wall with his flurry of attacks.

    No matter how hard Noah struck her, her body fixed itself just moments later. The delight in Axil¡¯s features started to fade. Her nose crunched again beneath his fists, and when he pulled back again, her expression was flat and cold.

    ¡°This is not¡ª¡±

    Noah¡¯s fist slammed into her mouth, crushing several teeth.

    ¡°What I¡ª¡±

    His elbow struck the side of Axil¡¯s temple and caved the bone in, snapping her head to the side.

    ¡°Witnessed.¡±

    Axil¡¯s head twisted back to look at Noah. Her skull fixed itself, her jaw clenched. They locked eyes.

    ¡°You are disappointing,¡± Axil said. She spat blood onto his face.

    The bow of Noah¡¯s violin materialized in his hands. He flicked it across Axil¡¯s throat. Its razor-sharp thread passed through her neck like there was nothing in its way. Axil¡¯s lips parted, a flicker of surprise passing through her eyes.

    Then her head pitched forward, rolling from her shoulders and splattering to the ground at Noah¡¯s feet. He wiped her spit from his cheek and took a step back. His fists and chest were stained red, and his face-wrappings were soaked.

    Noah¡¯s chest rose and fell with heavy, ragged breaths. For several seconds he stood still and watched Axil¡¯s corpse.

    It didn¡¯t move.

    He pulled the ruined wrappings off his face and threw them to the ground where they landed with a wet, disgusting squelch. They looked like he¡¯d dipped them in a bucket of red paint. Noah shook his head.

    He turned back to Moxie and Lee.

    The axe on the ground rattled.

    It blurred toward him. Noah¡¯s eyes widened and he dismissed the violin bow. He slammed his hands together, stopping the weapon an inch before it could bury itself in his skull. His muscles burned as it fought against him.

    With a roar, Noah thrust the weapon to the side. It streaked through the air and slammed into a building at the side of the market, shattering the stone and disappearing within it. Noah spun back to Axil.

    Her headless corpse rose. She grabbed her head and set it back in place. Muscle rippled in her neck and blood trickled down the sides of the seam as it knit itself closed. Axil¡¯s eyes fluttered and she cracked her neck, letting out a shuddering breath.

    ¡°That,¡± Axil said, her tongue running along her lips. ¡°Was better. But it was not enough, Spider. You have still disappointed me. Is that all you have to offer? Have you deceived my sight?¡±

    ¡°You know what? Now I know why I pissed all those people off,¡± Noah said. ¡°Stay dead, you creepy fucker.¡±

    ¡°Your true canvas must be concealed. Hidden,¡± Axil mused, rolling the words in her mouth like she were tasting them. Her eyes narrowed, locking in on Noah like a homing missile. ¡°I will expose it. I am going to kill you now, Spider. Please endeavor to make your death enjoyable.¡±

 Chapter 533: Stop that!

    Noah spotted Lee tensing and Moxie preparing to take a step forward out of the corner of his eye. He threw his hand up behind himself.

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Noah snapped, his eyes not leaving Axil¡¯s face. He couldn¡¯t let them get involved. Axil¡¯s attention had to remain on him. The moment she went after someone else, they all lost. ¡°Both of you, go back to the tent. I¡¯ll handle this.¡±

    ¡°There is no need for impatience.¡± Axil¡¯s head tilted to the side until her neck cracked. She repeated the motion in the other direction, then ran her hand across the seam where she¡¯d reattached her skull to the rest of her body. ¡°I will complete their canvases in due time.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you will,¡± Noah replied. He flexed his fingers. Warped Matter thrummed to life in his palm. Gray tendrils of magic coiled off his palm in their eagerness to escape the confines of his body.

    Moxie and Lee hesitated for a second, then slipped into the tent. Noah doubted they would actually stay there. Neither of them were one to sit around while someone else was fighting but getting them out of Axil¡¯s line of sight would go a long way in making sure she remained focused on him.

    A streak of black carved down toward Noah. His eyes widened and he jerked his body to the side, twisting as hard as he could. Axil¡¯s axe slammed down into the ground, sending stones pelting into his shins. It passed so close to his face that several strands of hair fluttered past his eyes.

    Axil had appeared before him so fast that he¡¯d barely even consciously registered his movement. The only thing that had kept him from getting cut in half was his instinctive reaction to the attack.

    The demoness pulled the axe free of the stone like it weighed no more than a feather. It swung up for Noah¡¯s stomach. He drove his palm down onto the flat of the blade and used it to vault into the air over Axil¡¯s head.

    He landed on the ground behind her, but the axe was already whistling for his head. Noah ducked down and drove his palms forward into her stomach. Worms of purple energy dug through her robes and into her skin. It darkened and rotted away as they carved through her body, but his magic only made it a few inches before its effects faded.

    Huh. Demons and humans have magic in them, so it¡¯ll be harder for Warped Matter to consume their bodies than a random inanimate object. I wonder if demons are more resistant to magic than humans are because of ¡ª

    Noah dove to the side. Axil¡¯s axe crunched into the ground behind him, just barely having missed once again. His Fragment of Self was more than pulling its weight in the fight, and he¡¯d still yet to leave an injury on the demoness that did more than marginally annoy her.

    ¡°I have never been more disappointed in my life,¡± Axil said. The porcelain portions of her face crumpled like she was a child who had just watched her birthday cake get pelted into the ground. Her grip on the axe tightened and the large weapon hummed in her grasp. ¡°I was so excited. But this ¡ª this is disappointing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d say you should see what I can do in bed, but I¡¯m happily taken.¡± Noah sent a wave of magic down through his feet and into the earth. The ground shuddered as he ripped a jagged spike of stone up from it with Natural Disaster.

    The spike drove straight into Axil¡¯s stomach and burst out of her back with a spray of blood. She didn¡¯t even seem to notice it. Axil took a step forward. The bones of her ribcage ground against the spike and her flesh squelched as it pierced deeper.

    Then she ripped herself straight in two.

    Axil stepped right past the spike, wet strands of blood and muscle reaching out to each other to re-connect her body once she¡¯d passed by the stone. For an instant, Noah could do nothing but stare in abject disbelief.

    ¡°I am uninterested in finding out,¡± Axil said.

    Then she swung her axe.

    It slammed into Noah¡¯s right shoulder. Carved through flesh and bone like butter. Bit into the stone below ¡ª and then, only then, did his body finish the movement that he had started. It took him a moment to realize that he¡¯d been cut.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    Pain erupted at Noah¡¯s side. His arm dropped to the ground at his side, landing beside the Axe with a thud. He snarled in pain and slammed his left hand into the weeping wound, calling on Natural Disaster.

    Shit! How goddamn fast is she?

    Frost spread across the stump of his missing limb. A burning chill drove into his arm, briefly intensifying the pain before quickly going numb. Axil lifted the axe free from the stone and ran a finger along the blood staining its edge. She ran her tongue down her finger and tasted it, sucking on the insides of her cheeks like it was a fine wine.

    ¡°You taste wrong,¡± Axil said, the features on her face that could actually move contorting in confusion. ¡°Why do you¡ª¡±

    Noah¡¯s fist slammed into her face. He drove Axil down into the ground. Her skull crunched as it struck the market floor. Noah¡¯s fingers tightened around Axil¡¯s head and the temperature of the air around them dropped like a boulder from a cliffside. Gray turned to white as a slow moving storm of frost dug into her skin and worked its way through her features.

    Axil didn¡¯t even seem to notice. Her hands twitched and her axe blurred. Noah flung her to the side at the same time as he ducked into a roll. Pain carved into his missing limb and he skidded before managing to stagger back upright.

    The demoness rose as well. She reached up to her face and dug her fingers into the frostbitten skin, ripping it free. Axil discarded the ruined flesh at her side, even as new gray rippled across the exposed muscles of her face. In seconds, her body had reformed once again.

    ¡°Better¡­ but still wrong. You are wrong. Why are you wrong?¡± Axil¡¯s eyes were wild. She slammed the axe into the stone and stomped a foot against the ground like she was having a temper tantrum. Any semblance of sanity she may have had ¡ª no matter how little ¡ª was rapidly evaporating.

    Normal attacks aren¡¯t going to kill this crazy woman, but she doesn¡¯t know about the Fragment of Renewal or Sunder. I think I¡¯ve gotten her guard low enough by now. I don¡¯t have time to get a proper Formation done ¡ª not that I could do that anymore. I¡¯ve only got one damn hand left.

    ¡°Come and find out,¡± Noah replied. He raised his one remaining hand to Axil and beckoned her forward.

    Axil¡¯s eyes locked into his. The bottom of her jaw unhinged. Her mouth yawned open. And even though Noah was already planning to die, a shudder ran down his spine. He was not about to get his face eaten off by a crazed nutjob.

    He extended his senses into his soul, and power met them. The immense strength of Sunder slammed into his body like the weight of a mountain. He pulled his lips back in a snarl. Black carved across his body, consuming his veins.

    Axil blurred.

    Noah dropped at the last second, shifting his weight and driving his injured shoulder into Axil¡¯s stomach. Her momentum knocked the breath from her lungs in a pained wheeze. Bone crunched against Noah¡¯s shoulder but he was nearly slammed to the floor form the force of her arrival. He wasn¡¯t even sure whose bone it was that was breaking.

    He swept Axil¡¯s feet out from under her. She stumbled, managing to keep herself from falling, but in the brief instant where she was off balance, Noah struck. He struck her in the shoulder and spun the demoness around so her back was facing him. In the same motion, Noah wrapped his good arm around her neck and jerking it taut.

    A loud crack echoed through the air. Axil¡¯s head twisted a full one hundred and eighty degrees so she was nose-to-nose with Noah. He could smell the carrion and rot on her breath, the blood splattered across her lips.

    ¡°Fuck that,¡± Noah said, releasing her neck and striking Axil in the jaw as her mouth opened to bite down on his face. Her head spun the rest of the circle, turning back to face away from him.

    Axil turned her head back toward him.

    Noah hit her chin again and spun her back around.

    ¡°Stop that!¡± Axil hissed. She bucked against Noah¡¯s grip, but the Fragment of Self wasn¡¯t held back by the activation of a Master Rune. Axil was fast, but Noah was stronger than she was. He clung to her back, refusing to let the demoness free of his grip. ¡°Let me kill you!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Noah yelled back.

    Sunder thundered inside Noah¡¯s body. Its power continued to pour through him, growing in intensity until it was a raging ocean. Noah¡¯s grip tightened even further on Axil. His lips pulled apart.

    Axil twisted turned to look at him once again. Her neck had definitely broken itself so many times at this point that her head was probably just spinning on a rotating point. A crack echoed, her jaw opened.

    Then she hesitated. For an instant, something gave her pause. Her head tilted to the side. Words formed on her lips, but they didn¡¯t get a chance to make it out.

    Noah released Sunder.

    Jet black power screamed out of him. His veins snapped back to normal as the magic poured into Axil¡¯s body. A black point shimmered in the sky just above them.

    ¡°Turn around,¡± Noah said, his lips pulling back in a grin. ¡°You¡¯re going to want to see this.¡±

    He drove his forehead into Axil¡¯s nose at an angle. Her head was forced back to its normal position just in time to see a glistening onyx black spear take form above them. Axil¡¯s body stiffened. She drew in a breath ¡ª whether it was disbelief, surprise, or awe, Noah never found out.

    The spear crashed down.

 Chapter 534: Rattle

    The black spear plummeted from the sky and slammed straight into Axil¡¯s heart. It ripped through her body like it were made of paper, and continued down into Noah, pinning the both of them to the ground.

    Axil wheezed. She grasped at the handle of the massive spear, her hands struggling to pull it free. A line traced down her skin, running from the top of her skull all the way down her body.

    Then she peeled apart like a ripe fruit, splattering to the ground on either side of Noah. Blood bubbled from the thick wound in his chest, rushing past the haft of the spear even as it evaporated, dumping him unceremoniously to the ground.

    Noah¡¯s consciousness fluttered. Pain punched into his chest and spread down his nerves, reaching for his throat and threatening to swallow him whole. He could feel his soul shuddering, trying to peel itself free of his body.

    He held on for an instant longer and forced his head to the side. Axil¡¯s body wasn¡¯t reforming anymore. Her corpse remained still. A tiny grin tugged at the corners of Noah¡¯s lips.

    Then he died.

    It had been a long time coming, all things considered. His death had been signed the instant Axil had cut off his arm. He wasn¡¯t about to go wandering around unable to play his violin. Death had been inevitable. It had just been a matter of when.

    His soul drifted up into the air above his body, a band of dark energy forming around his throat. It pulled at him, trying to drag him into the tent where Moxie and Lee had retreated. Noah resisted it for another few seconds to make sure Axil remained exactly where he¡¯d left her, then finally gave in.

    Sunder yanked on its leash and he blurred, hurtling to meet the new body forming for him.

    ***

    A ripple of energy passed through the Damned Plains. It was so faint that its signature was little more than a blip in the grand scheme of things, the mark of a soul passing from one life into the next.

    By no means was this soul a significant one. It held little strength, nor had it achieved any immense heights. It was simply the soul of a demon. An ordinary demon by most aspects. Most ¡ª but not all.

    This soul had a single abnormality. Nothing more than a delicate brush stroke across its delicate blue surface, the mark of something greater. The small mark was hardly anything that normally would have been worthy of notice.

    But, in a sea of blue souls, a tiny dot of black may as well have been a thundering roar in a silent valley. To anyone who may have been watching, such a difference was the difference between the sky and the earth.

    Someone was indeed watching.

    The darkness that was the cosmos shifted. A will pushed through it like a canoe through an ocean of black. Massive wispy fingers curled like clouds, passing through space and ether as one.

    They closed in around the soul streaking from the Damned Plains, halting its path before it could reach the line. The glowing blue light coming from the soul vanished. The hand curled around the soul, enveloping it entirely.

    Then, slowly, the fingers pulled open once more. Bands of black had wrapped the blue soul in its entirety like fishnet. Features bloomed across the soul. Arms followed after legs. A blurry face came in their wake, joined by the curling horn of a demon ¡ª and, finally, consciousness.

    The soul looked down at itself, at the bindings enveloping its form. Then it raised its face again, the features growing concrete and defined. Awe swirled across the soul as it stared up into the starry cosmos surrounding it. Then it dropped to its knees.

    ¡°Lord Sievan,¡± Axil breathed, prostrating herself on the ground. ¡°I am not worthy of your attention. I did not think I would ever be granted such grace to lay eyes upon your power while I lived.¡±

    ¡°You were not,¡± a voice as cold as a winter storm responded.

    Axil hesitated. ¡°I wasn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Raise your head, Axil.¡±

    He knows my name?

    She rose just enough to see the cloudy black surface before her. Wisps of darkness twisted up from the palm of the massive hand to take the form of a rather plain looking man. He wore a gray suit and was of pale complexion.

    The man¡¯s lips were thin and almost entirely devoid of color. If he was a demon, he sported no horns. There was only a mop of dusty brown hair at the top of his head. His eyes were the only thing that could have been considered odd about him.

    Where there should have been an iris, there was nothing but milky white. The man¡¯s eyes were nothing but two perfectly flat and white orbs. A gaze that should have been empty and blind ¡ª but, when Axil met it, was anything but.

    ¡°Lord Sievan?¡± Axil asked, confusion tightening its grip on her even further. Her memories were hazy. Twisted. The harder she thought, the more jumbled everything became. She¡¯d been called upon. There had been a fight.

    Excitement.

    Disappointment.

    And then¡­ nothing.

    It was like a chunk of her memories had been carved free and a weeping wound had been left in her mind where they had been.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Axil groaned as a piercing headache jabbed into her skull like an ice pick. She clutched her skull and ground her teeth, fighting to keep herself from showing too much emotion in the presence of Lord Sievan ¡ª if that was even who she stood before.

    No. It must be. This power is unmistakable. It does not matter what form he has taken to greet me. I recognize this magic.

    ¡°Confusion is natural. Do not resist it,¡± Sievan¡¯s voice fell around Axil like freezing spring rain.

    A hand appeared in Axil¡¯s view. Plain and well-cared for. Smaller than her own. She stared at it, uncomprehending. A second passed. Neither of them spoke. Axil swallowed. The pain was growing more intense with every passing second.

    She extended her own hand and slowly accepted the offer.

    A freezing river screamed through her head. It enveloped the pain and washed it away in an instant, leaving clarity in its wake. Axil¡¯s translucent eyes widened. She looked down at herself once more, then back up at the plain man standing above her.

    ¡°I died,¡± Axil realized.

    ¡°So you did,¡± Sievan said. He pulled Axil to her feet, and Axil realized that she was actually taller than he was.

    ¡°I¡­ died?¡± Axil repeated, the words sounding odd and hollow to her ears. She could not die. Death did not come for those who followed Lord Sievan. There was pain. Defeat. Disappointment. All other aspects of life remained ¡ª but not death.

    Sievan¡¯s followers could never do anything more than taste death. They could sample from its platter, feel its sensation as they danced from its grip, but never could they actually be caught in its grasp.

    At least, that was what she had believed.

    ¡°An anomaly,¡± Sievan agreed. ¡°You died. And I would like to know how. It has been so long since I felt any fragment of my power leave this plane that I had to investigate myself. I thought that perhaps¡­¡±

    His voice trailed off and he shook his head. ¡°Never mind. Answer the question, my disciple. How is it that your soul was severed from its body? Such a thing should have been impossible unless you decided that you no longer wished to serve me. Is that the case?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Axil shook her head firmly. ¡°I would never turn my back to you, Lord Sievan. Serving you has brought beauty into my life. I have borne witness to such great things. Such indescribable awe that¡ª¡±

    The words froze in Axil¡¯s chest. A vision flicked through her mind. The memory of a black spear ¡ª and the canvas that had trailed in its wake. A piece of artwork that could no longer be merely described as beautiful.

    It had swallowed the sky in its immensity. There were more strokes than her mind could comprehend, more designs than a mortal could ever study even if they had dedicated their entire life to it.

    Perfection.

    There was no other word to describe it. Perfected death, a completed painting that had been done by such a masterful hand that she would never have believed it existed had she not witnessed it herself ¡ª had she not joined the strokes of that canvas herself.

    Spider had been playing with her. He had pretended to be nothing more than a mere demon, but in the end, he had granted her wish. Every single stroke of perfection that had filled the sky was connected to him. They extended from his soul like the tendrils of a jellyfish trailing through the open sea behind it.

    A tear welled in Axil¡¯s eyes. She had joined the beauty of the universe, entering the greatest canvas it had ever witnessed. There could have been no greater honor than entering it under Sievan¡¯s own hand.

    ¡°It was incredible,¡± Axil breathed, barely even able to find her words once more. ¡°I bore witness to beauty, Lord Sievan. Did you gift this death to me? For my service?¡±

    ¡°Your passing was not at my hand,¡± Sievan replied, his voice unchanging. ¡°It was granted by another.¡±

    ¡°Incredible,¡± Axil repeated. Her mind couldn¡¯t manage to form any other words yet.

    ¡°Who did this immense beauty belong to?¡± Sievan asked. ¡°Who was able to kill you?¡±

    ¡°Spider.¡± Axil¡¯s voice drifted as memories prickled against her mind. ¡°The one who possesses the rune you seek. I am sorry. I could not acquire it for you, Lord Sievan. I grew too distracted. The beauty was too great.¡±

    ¡°Mistakes and life cannot exist independently of one another. It seems you were outmatched.¡± For the first time, Lord Sievan¡¯s voice changed. Something different entered his tone, but the emotion was foreign to Axil and she could not understand it. ¡°And now you are faced with a choice.¡±

    ¡°I am at your service, Lord Sievan.¡±

    A tired laugh echoed through the stars swirling around them. ¡°You are dead, Axil. You are at nobody¡¯s service. And thus is the choice you must make. Are you satisfied with your life and its conclusion? Prepared to move onto the great beyond?¡±

    ¡°My only regret is to not be permitted to witness such incredible beauty a second time.¡± A dreamy smile played across Axil¡¯s lips. Then it flickered. Her head tilted to the side. ¡°But¡­ what comes next? What awaits for me in the beyond?¡±

    A long, slow sigh escaped Sievan and the faintest smile pulled at the corners of his lips. ¡°The wait awaits. A new future, bought at the cost of the present. You will be¡­ different. Reborn.¡±

    ¡°Reborn?¡± A swirl of unease passed through Axil¡¯s stomach. ¡°My memories?¡±

    ¡°Gone, I fear. As all things that pass into the beyond inevitably are.¡±

    The unease turned to fear.

    ¡°I do not wish to forget what I saw,¡± Axil said. ¡°Is there another path? A way free of this? One in which I retain my knowledge?¡±

    ¡°Very rarely in life is there only a single path,¡± Sievan said. His smile grew wider, but it never reached his eyes. ¡°Death is not so different. Some things change, and some remain. But your death is not yet set in stone.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever it takes,¡± Axil said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to forget what I saw. I want to see more of it. I never want to forget.¡±

    ¡°Not all will be as it was,¡± Sievan warned. ¡°You will not return to what you left. Death is not one to be cheated lightly. It comes at cost. A great cost.¡±

    ¡°To me?¡±

    Sievan nodded.

    ¡°I will do it,¡± Axil said. ¡°I will remain in your service for as long as you grace me with your aid.¡±

    ¡°Your service to me has already ended,¡± Sievan said with a gentle shake of his head. ¡°You are mine no longer. That which connected us is already wiped clean. But you will do me one last favor before your life truly becomes yours once more.¡±

    ¡°Anything you desire.¡±

    ¡°Get me that rune ¡ª and find out more about this Spider while you¡¯re at it,¡± Sievan said. ¡°And this time, I suggest trying a different angle. I will not notice your death should it happen again.¡±

    Axil swallowed. The admonishment in Lord Sievan¡¯s tone was evident. She gave him a sharp nod. The idea of no longer being in his service burned her heart like a molten iron, but she would not beg or argue with him. To do so would have been to disgrace to his name.

    ¡°I will do as you ask,¡± Axil swore. ¡°I will not fail you twice. I will beg for the rune, should that be what is called of me.¡±

    Sievan smiled.

    His body blew away into streams of black smoke.

    The cloudy hand closed around Axil. It collapsed in on itself, vanishing and leaving no trace of its passing. Axil¡¯s soul never made it to the Great Line. Its gentle glow disappeared with the passing of the massive hand, stolen like a kiss in the night.

    A great distance away, within the Damned Plains upon the streets of the walking city of Treadon, a black axe laying in a pool of blood on the cobbled street of a market started to rattle.

 Chapter 535: Half

    Noah jerked upright, a throbbing headache pounding in his skull. Cold ground pressed into his backside and his clothes had been draped over his naked body like a blanket. The walls of a tent rose around him and the edge of Moxie¡¯s bed floated just behind him. Two blurry forms on the other side of the room slowly shifted to take Moxie and Lee¡¯s forms.

    ¡°Did it work?¡± Noah asked through a groan as he pulled his clothes on. If Axil had somehow managed to survive Sunder, he had absolutely no desire to fight her naked. There were some rumors that he didn¡¯t need following him.

    A heavy fog hung around his head, but it wasn¡¯t as bad as it could have been. He¡¯d dealt the killing blow to both himself and Axil, so the soul damage he¡¯d taken was minimal. Noah was pretty sure he¡¯d actually grown stronger by absorbing her energy. He couldn¡¯t tell yet ¡ª that would have to wait until he could properly access his runes again.

    ¡°You cut her in half,¡± Moxie confirmed. ¡°I was watching, and I wasn¡¯t the only one. The camp is probably minutes from chaos. You need to make another appearance as soon as you can if we want to prevent the Streetlords from trying to pull some stupid shit.¡±

    ¡°Figured,¡± Noah said through a sigh.

    Lee, whose head was poked through the flap in the tent, pulled back to glance at Noah for a second before returning to her former position.

    Moxie held a hand out and Noah took it, pulling him to his feet. She grabbed the lapel of his jacket and adjusted it before brushing some dust off his shoulders. After giving him one more look over with a critical eye, Moxie stepped back and gave him a curt nod. ¡°At least you got her.¡±

    Lee cleared her throat. ¡°Uh¡­ about that.¡±

    They both looked over to her.

    ¡°What?¡± Noah asked, a sense of dread gripping his stomach like an iron fist.

    ¡°She¡¯s melting, but in reverse.¡±

    Noah pushed past Lee and stepped out of the tent. He ground to a halt. The two halves of Axil¡¯s body ¡ª along with his own ¡ª laid dead in the center of the market square. They should have been laying in rest like good corpses, but it seemed somebody had forgotten to tell Axil about that part.

    Rivers of blood and viscera crawled across the ground. They gathered beside a large, black axe and twisted together like taffy. Bubbles burst against the flowing corpse-fluids. A thick, teeming red mass formed, a shape starting to appear within it.

    Thick, gut-twisting squelching sounds violated the alley. Limbs pushed free of the visceral blob. The limbs formed hands and feet, formed a connecting torso and its head. Flashes of bone and organ bubbled up within the solidifying form like chunks of meat in a soup. In a vile way, that was exactly what they were.

    Noah¡¯s jaw clenched. His powers were still sealed, and it would be twelve hours before his magic functioned again. Thoughts flashed through his mind as he searched for a way to stop Axil from fully coming back.

    If she took form again, Moxie and Lee wouldn¡¯t be able to stop her. She was just too fast. And, even if they did, he wasn¡¯t so sure that it would matter. Axil just wouldn¡¯t stay dead no matter what they did. This was a level of immortality he¡¯d never seen before. Axil was actually unkillable.

    Chills gripped Noah¡¯s spine.

    Sunder still did more damage than anything else I¡¯ve tried. My best might be killing myself again. I can access Sunder while I¡¯m a soul. It¡¯ll fuck me up for quite some time, but the Fragment of Renewal should be able to handle patching me up once I break out of the coma. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°Moxie, Lee, get ready to run,¡± Noah said softly.

    ¡°I could try to drink her before she finishes taking form,¡± Lee offered, her features twisting in disgust.

    It was one of the first times Noah had ever seen Lee unwilling to eat something. That didn¡¯t reassure him in the slightest. He shook his head firmly. The last thing he wanted was Lee somehow getting infected with whatever it was twisting Axil¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Just run,¡± Noah said. He took a step toward Axil, flexing his fingers. When she came back to life, she¡¯d kill him ¡ª and he¡¯d return the favor with Sunder once again. Given how much longer it had taken Axil to regenerate this last time, he was willing to take his chances. It was the only shot he could take. They¡¯d find out which one of their powers gave way first.

    Muscles took form in the bloody blob. They were followed by patches of gray skin that spread like wildfire, rapidly stretching to cover Axil¡¯s body. Several mercifully placed scraps of white cloth from what remained of her clothes spared them all from seeing anything too mentally scarring.

    A victorious cry split the air. Axil thrust her hands into the air, claws curling toward the heavens. The remnants of the viscous fluid exploded into the air in a spout. Bloody rain pattered down around Axil as her body took shape once more¡ª

    Noah blinked.

    Axil was about half his height.

    Her proportions and features hadn¡¯t changed in the slightest, but she now stood no more than three feet tall. The remains of the clothing that had covered her were now practically a wedding gown.

    The tiny Axil¡¯s victorious cry slowly petered out. Her hands lowered. She studied her palms, then slowly turned her gaze over to her axe. It was now considerably larger than she was. Wordlessly, Axil took the uncomfortably long trip over to the weapon and grabbed it.

    Her teeth ground as she heaved the weapon into the air with a pained grunt. It flew over her shoulder and slammed into the stone behind her. The weapon¡¯s haft acted as a lever and shot up, catapulting Axil into the air.

    White robes fluttered like a drowning ghost as Axil bounced across the ground. She scrambled to her feet and stormed back over to the axe. She hoisted it once more. The weapon swayed unsteadily in the air, but she managed to keep it from dropping a second time.

    Noah stared in mute ¡ª well, he wasn¡¯t actually certain what emotion it was that he was feeling. It was certainly something.

    At some point, Moxie and Lee had stepped out of the tent behind him. They both followed his gaze.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Moxie asked.

    ¡°If you Sunder her again, will she shrink a second time?¡± Lee asked.

    ¡°I think I might still be dead,¡± Noah muttered, shaking his head furiously.

    Their words drew Axil¡¯s attention. The demon¡¯s gaze snapped to them ¡ª and her eyes went as wide as saucers. Her axe pitched from her grip and crashed to the stone once more. This time around, she was smart enough to release the handle and avoid a second trip into the air.

    ¡°You died,¡± Axil said, her lips parting in awe. Her voice, strangely enough, was exactly the same as it had been. ¡°You died. I felt it. I saw it. We joined the canvas together. How is it that you still stand here?¡±

    ¡°Did you really think that killing me would be enough to make me die?¡± Noah asked.

    Moxie and Lee both looked at him.

    ¡°Really?¡± Moxie mouthed. ¡°That was lame.¡±

    Lee nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a headache,¡± Noah hissed. ¡°Get off my case.¡±

    Axil swallowed heavily. She reached for her axe, but her hand never tightened around its shaft. Her eyes then flicked to the bodies on the ground beside her ¡ª or rather, what remained of them.

    Noah and Axil realized at the exact same time that the number of corpses remaining on the ground did not quite line up. But, for the first time, it wasn¡¯t Noah¡¯s corpse that was the source of his confusion.

    There were one and a half bodies. Not two. Not one. One and a half.

    Noah¡¯s body was just feet away from Axil, as was exactly half of her own body. The other half of her was gone. It struck Noah that, now that he thought about it, this did make a certain amount of sense.

    Axil was just about half as tall as she¡¯d been before. Somehow, she¡¯d left half of herself behind when she¡¯d come back to life.

    ¡°My body. My power. My runes. Lord Sievan would not have done this. He would not return me to this world unable to fulfill his task,¡± Axil muttered, her stunned words just loud enough to reach Noah¡¯s ears. Disbelief etched itself over her features. ¡°What did you do? How is this possible?¡±

    And, before Noah could answer that he had absolutely no idea, he realized that he did know. Even through the headache pounding against his skull, Noah¡¯s eyes widened in realization.

    He hadn¡¯t just killed Axil. He¡¯d Sundered her. Not just her body. He¡¯d Sundered her runes, and possibly her soul as well. He¡¯d cut everything that made up the being known as Axil straight in half.

 Chapter 536: Double Down

    ¡°How is this possible?¡± Axil demanded. She stared at the palms of her hands like they held the answer she sought and found nothing. The small demoness¡¯ gaze lifted to the half of her corpse that still laid on the ground, unmoving. ¡°You severed my connection to myself? You died¡­ but you lived? This is Lord Sievan¡¯s domain. It should not be possible for¡ª¡±

    Axil¡¯s words froze in her mouth like they¡¯d turned to ice. Her eyes snapped to Noah and bored into his skull with more intensity than his headache. Disbelief played across her features and her lips parted as she took a step back.

    For Noah¡¯s part, he had absolutely no idea what was going through her head. The level of threat that she posed had practically died along with her. Even though he wasn¡¯t about to completely dismiss her as an opponent, he was a little more concerned with what had just happened.

    Sunder had never managed anything like this before. He¡¯d cut through people, cut through runes ¡ª but this was something else entirely. Something about Axil as a whole had been cut through. It was either that or something with her revival had just gone really wrong, but given how exactly half of her body had been left behind when she¡¯d come back, it would be bit too much of a coincidence to pretend the Master Rune was unrelated.

    How much of Sunder am I yet to understand? I know I¡¯m still far from being able to fully control the complete strength of Sunder. I just thought it would cut things harder, not do¡­ whatever this is.

    Noah¡¯s fingers twitched at his side. If he still access to his magic, he would have been strongly tempted to try Sundering Axil a second time.

    I wonder if she¡¯d die for good or if she¡¯d come back at a quarter of her former size. Actually, that might be even worse. She¡¯s manageable right now, but I don¡¯t love the idea of a chihuahua sized Axil running around and trying to nip at our ankles.

    Noah broke from his thoughts as Axil grabbed at her axe again and heaved it into the air. She teetered back and forth but kept it aloft by bracing it against her shoulder. She thrust her free hand in Noah¡¯s direction and the axe pitched back. Axil hurriedly re-caught it and steadied herself before settling to levy a glare at Noah.

    ¡°Is this a test?¡± Axil asked, her voice measured and laden with suspicion. Her eyes darted around the square, flicking from Lee to Moxie. ¡°Am I not yet returned to life?¡±

    ¡°Stand still and we can find out,¡± Lee said, flexing her hand.

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Moxie said as she held an arm up to stop Lee. ¡°Be careful. We don¡¯t know what she¡¯s capable of. It could just be an act, and she could have abilities beyond pure strength. She can come back from death. That¡¯s not something you rush blindly into.¡±

    ¡°Death,¡± Axil repeated. Her brow creased. Then her skin paled. Surprise rippled across her features and slackened her grip, launching the axe from her grip. Its head crashed down to the stone and its tip caught her in the chin, knocking her head back.

    Axil stumbled and grabbed at the growing bruise with a curse. ¡°Damn this body. It¡¯s so weak. Clumsy. I hate it.¡±

    For a moment there, it almost looked as if she had something she was going to say. I¡¯m not sure I can blame her forgetting it after getting clocked like that. But what are we suppose do about this?

    Noah studied Axil with displeasure. The situation had not developed at all how he¡¯d wanted it to. Axil didn¡¯t seem like a threat anymore, but he wasn¡¯t about to risk Lee or Moxie by sending them to kill her and find out that she was hiding another trick. He couldn¡¯t do much of anything himself either ¡ª his body was still cut from his magic.

    Even his access to the Fragment of Self had been blocked. His reaction speed had returned to its normal, human limits. Noah was nothing more than a normal human without any powers until the fog in his mind lifted away.

    ¡°Maybe we can throw some rocks,¡± Lee offered in a low tone. ¡°Throw enough rocks and we¡¯ll eventually hit something.¡±

    ¡°Stoning a demon to death has a certain amount of irony in it, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s just going to sit around while we fling shit at her. I could always run at her and get her to kill me so I can briefly access Sunder again, but I¡¯m going to get landed in another coma.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not. We can¡¯t have you pretending to be a corpse while we¡¯re in the middle of the Damned Plains,¡± Moxie hissed with a firm shake of her head.

    ¡°Aha!¡± Axil exclaimed. She thrust a finger in Noah¡¯s direction again, this time unburdened by the weight of her axe and able to pull off the motion without inflicting bodily injury upon herself. ¡°Give me your rune.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Noah stared at Axil. It took him a second to realize she wasn¡¯t trying to make some sort of joke. He squinted. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You have to. I need it.¡±

    ¡°Why the hell would I ever give you my rune? You weren¡¯t strong enough to take it from me when you were twice the woman you are now.¡±

    Axil looked down at herself, then back to Noah. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and pressed her lips thin. ¡°That was a low blow.¡±

    ¡°All blows against you are low,¡± Lee said. ¡°They have to be if we want to hit anything.¡±

    The tiny demoness went to reply but trailed off as her eyes focused on something in the air above Lee¡¯s head. Her lips worked and she was silent for several long seconds before she shook herself off like a wet dog.

    ¡°No,¡± Axil muttered to herself, shaking her head firmly. ¡°No looking. Their canvases are far too distracting, Axil. We cannot be distracted. Lord Sievan gave us a mission. It must be accomplished. I cannot fail. Not again.¡±

    Why is everyone so fucking batshit crazy? Would it be too much for us to run into a demon that¡¯s perfectly logical? One that gives us a firm handshake and fucks off when he realizes that he¡¯s outmatched? Why do I get landed with the one creepy shit that comes back to life as a tiny munchkin and starts talking to herself?

    ¡°I¡¯m not giving you any of my runes,¡± Noah said with a firm shake of his head. ¡°I¡¯ve cut you in half once, Axil. Next time, I¡¯ll do worse. This is your one warning. Don¡¯t test me.¡±

    ¡°But I need one of your runes,¡± Axil said, her face screwing up in annoyance. ¡°I can¡¯t leave until you give it to me. Those were Lord Sievan¡¯s instructions.¡±

    She spoke with such matter-of-fact confidence that it gave Noah a moment of pause. Axil didn¡¯t even seem like she was trying to threaten them. She was framing her words as if they had to give her what she wanted. Not because she would enforce it, but because Lord Sievan would.

    I swear I¡¯ve heard his name before, but my damn head is so foggy I can¡¯t quite remember where. Was he somehow allied to the Belkus guy?

    ¡°Remind me who Lord Sievan is?¡± Noah asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

    Axil¡¯s eyes twitched.

    ¡°You claim to be unaware of Lord Sievan? This is impossible. All who walk within the Damned Plains know of him. He is the Ruler of the Golden City. The watcher of the Black Reaches. The Master of Death. The Eternal End. The strongest living demon within this plane of existence.¡±

    Noah scratched at the side of his cheek. He was starting to grow some stubble. It would probably be time to find a way to shave relatively soon.

    I kind of remember something being mentioned about Sievan with regard to the Black Reaches. I think that¡¯s where a bunch of the runes I used to fuel my combinations came from. If he¡¯s the master of the place, then why did he let someone stroll into his land and steal from him?

    Also, nobody actually strong is going to stroll around touting stupid ass titles like that.

    ¡°If this bloke wants something from me, he¡¯s welcome to ask for it himself. I¡¯m not an unreasonable man. I¡¯m occasionally willing to bargain. I¡¯m not partial to dealing with anyone that tries to send an assassin after me before introducing themselves. Words exist for a reason, you know.¡±

    Axil tilted her head to the side. She scratched at the horn protruding from the side of her face in a remarkably similar motion to what Noah had just done.

    ¡°Your words do not make sense. You request for someone to bargain. And yet, when I come to bargain, you refuse me.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t bargain. You tried to murder us.¡±

    ¡°An instrumental part of the process.¡±

    ¡°It most certainly is not,¡± Noah snapped. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared down the bridge of his nose at Axil. ¡°Or did you realize you can¡¯t win and then decide to pretend you came to bargain from the start?¡±

    ¡°No. I always came to bargain. I told you as much,¡± Axil said.

    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Moxie said. ¡°You said you wanted to dance with Spider. Then you tried to kill him ¡ª but he killed you first. Enough of the lies. I¡¯ve got half a mind to see how far a solid kick to the chest can make you fly.¡±

    ¡°No bargain is complete without blood. Anyone unworthy of my blade would not be worth exchanging further words with,¡± Axil insisted. Her eyes sparkled with zealotry and she stared up at Noah.  ¡°Lord Sievan himself returned me to this place. Your might was so immense that he has taken witness of it. I will fight you no more. To raise my blade against you would be to stand in Lord Sievan¡¯s path.¡±

    I¡¯m¡­ not so sure I like the sound of that.

    ¡°I can kick her for you, Moxie,¡± Lee offered. ¡°I bet I could get her over the top of the buildings.¡±

    ¡°Do you really expect me to believe any of this?¡±  Noah asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

    Axil blinked. Genuine confusion passed over her features and her head tilted to the other side. ¡°Why would you not? A demon of your immense strength has absolutely nothing to fear from me. I am nothing but a bug in your path. Further fighting would serve no purpose for either of us except for you to spit in Lord Sievan¡¯s face.¡±

    Around the square, a few heads started to poke out of buildings as demons realized the fighting had stopped. There was no doubt in Noah¡¯s mind that these weren¡¯t the only ones to witness the fight.

    There were definitely people that had seen what happened. Had seen Axil die and return ¡ª and seen him do the same. For several long seconds, Noah thought. Axil had a point if she was telling the truth.

    It wouldn¡¯t be long before news spread even further. Every action he did from here on out couldn¡¯t just be a move played by Noah. It had to be one by Spider. A small grin pulled at the corner of his lips as a new idea laid itself out before him.

    He¡¯d laid even more of his cards on the table. And, in situations like that, there was one strategy that he was better at than any other.

    Alright, Sievan. Let¡¯s play your game and see what it is you want from me.

    Axil had set everything up too perfectly for him to not take advantage of the situation.

    It was time to double down.

 Chapter 537: I am Spider

    ¡°You¡¯re right about one thing,¡± Noah said, blowing out an exaggerated breath and stretching his arms over his head with a yawn. There were a lot of Demons watching them ¡ª if he wanted to sell his strength properly, he had to completely commit to the bit. ¡°The only reason to kill you again would be to figure out if you get shorter the second time around ¡ª but I won¡¯t deny that it¡¯s a tempting experiment.¡±

    ¡°I will not return a second time,¡± Axil said. ¡°My canvas has been painted. Lord Sievan¡¯s brush has completed me, and I am nothing more than what I appear.¡±

    Thank you for making absolutely no sense. I love it. I really do. You know what? I¡¯ll retract my earlier complaint that everyone I run into is batshit insane. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re insane. But couldn¡¯t they at least be the kind of insane where they spill all their plans and reveal everything in a way where it actually makes fucking sense?

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Noah said, going for the age old strategy developed through hours upon hours of school admin meetings of pretending he understood what was going on when he was completely lost. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ve still got a problem.¡±

    Axil¡¯s porcelain features furrowed, the unnaturally smooth portions of her face crumpling in ways that a human¡¯s body was never meant to do. ¡°What problem could we have? I am no threat. Eliminating me would be the same as digging the dirt out from Lord Sievan¡¯s toenail.¡±

    I ¡ª what? Is she implying she¡¯s worth no more than dirt beneath a toenail? If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t I literally be doing this guy a favor? Or is having dirt beneath your toenail somehow supposed to be a good thing in the Damned Plains?

    ¡°You made me waste my time,¡± Noah said flatly. He looked down to his corpse, which laid on the ground behind Axil. ¡°That does not put me in a mood where I am particularly eager to bargain with you.¡±

    She turned to follow his gaze, then looked back to him.

    ¡°I saved you time by killing four Rank 5 demons,¡± Axil countered. ¡°That should set us even.¡±

    ¡°I wanted to kill those demons,¡± Noah snarled, striding up to Axil and looming over her. ¡°I was looking forward to playing with them. You saved me no time. All you did was steal my entertainment and force me to waste a scrap of my hair.¡±

    Axil turned to follow his gaze. Her eyes landed on the corpse lying on the ground. She turned back to look at Noah. For the first time, a flicker of unease passed over her features. Axil¡¯s hands twitched at her sides and her weight shifted to her back foot.

    Tension pulled the air taut.

    The moment might have lasted a little longer if Lee hadn¡¯t made her way over to the shadow of a building near Noah¡¯s corpse and slowly reached out, snagging it by the wrist and slowly pulling it out of the light.

    Noah and Axil both watched as Lee consumed the body whole, swallowing the entire thing without so much as taking a bite. She sank into the darkness and rose back up in Moxie¡¯s shadow, averting her gaze and studying the wall as if she¡¯d never moved.

    Axil blinked heavily. She opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. ¡°Did your ally just eat¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stylist,¡± Noah corrected. ¡°That is my stylist. I do not enjoy leaving strands of my hair scattered around the ground like some animal. She is very good at her job.¡±

    And Axil hardly has any room to talk. I saw her biting the faces off more than a few different people, and she did her best to do it to me. That automatically disqualifies her from being grossed out by Lee¡¯s eating habits.

    ¡°You keep a demon around just to eat the bodies you leave behind?¡± Axil asked, and Noah couldn¡¯t tell if there was awe, disbelief, or horror in her tone.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Do you have an issue with that?¡±

    ¡°Does she eat other bodies?¡±

    ¡°Not yours,¡± Lee said. ¡°You smell awful.¡±

    ¡°She keeps her diet refined,¡± Noah said, feeling like the conversation was starting to veer off the rails and head straight for a brick wall. ¡°Only the highest quality meat.¡±

    There¡¯s got to be a special place in hell for people that refer to their own bodies as high quality meat. Good thing they won¡¯t keep me around there for long.  Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Like squirrels,¡± Lee said.

    Axil sniffed at her arm. Then she looked over to Lee. ¡°What are¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough of this,¡± Noah snapped. The last thing he needed right now was for Lee and Axil to start getting into the specifics of Lee¡¯s diet or why Axil smelled bad. ¡°My patience is already thin. The only reason you aren¡¯t dead a second time is because I have a degree of respect for¡­¡±

    Shit. What was his name?

    ¡°Lord Seevan,¡± Lee provided.

    ¡°Right,¡± Noah said.

    ¡°Sievan,¡± Axil corrected.

    ¡°That¡¯s what Lee meant. There was something stuck in her teeth,¡± Noah said.

    Lee nodded empathetically. She reached into her mouth and yanked out a small fang, holding it up so Axil could see. ¡°Yup. This.¡±

    ¡°That is a tooth,¡± Axil said. ¡°One of your own teeth. It belongs in your mouth.¡±

    ¡°Does it?¡± Lee asked. She squinted at the tooth, then ate it. ¡°I guess it does. Good point.¡±

    Axil blinked heavily. Nobody said anything for several long seconds. That was definitely an improvement from all the yammer the demoness had been spouting about canvases and brushes. Maybe her former brain damage had been cured by dying ¡ª or split in half by Sunder. It was either that or Lee had confused Axil so thoroughly that her mind had actually managed to wrap back around into being almost normal.

    ¡°Just tell me what it is Sievan wants,¡± Noah said, pinching the bridge of his nose. ¡°And then I will determine if I am willing to give it over ¡ª and what you will have to pay for it.¡±

    Axil paused. ¡°Pay?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± A slow smile spread across Noah¡¯s lips. ¡°You didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be giving it to him for free, did you?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s lord Sievan.¡± The tone of Axil¡¯s answer might as well have changed her words to, of course I did.

    ¡°And I,¡± Noah replied, his smile growing wider, ¡°am Spider.¡±

    ***

    ¡°The enforcers are dead, Lord Belkus.¡±

    Lord Belkus shifted in his throne. The cold bone that made it up pressed into his back and loomed overhead, casting a shadow through the torchlit room. He¡¯d had the throne built from the body of the last Lord of Treadon in a show of strength. The enormous chair was a display of power that cowed even the strongest demons that sought his audience ¡ª and there hadn¡¯t been a day that Belkus hadn¡¯t regretted making it. The damned thing was the most uncomfortable seat in the entirety of the Damned Plains.

    A messenger knelt on the blood red rug leading up to him. The Rank 4 demon was barely as tall as the City Lord¡¯s knee and he kept his head bowed low to avoid meeting Belkus¡¯ gaze.

    That was wise.

    Anger, even more than what he was used to, swirled in Belkus¡¯ chest. Old wounds throbbed all along his chest and back, reminders of battles long past that had never truly healed. They always hurt the worst when things weren¡¯t going to plan.

    As of late, that seemed to be more often than not.

    ¡°Why?¡± Belkus asked. His voice was flat and controlled, but his words echoed through the room like a thunderclap.

    The demon kneeling far below him winced.

    ¡°They were killed, Lord Belkus. By an operative of Lord Sievan.¡±

    A cold hand clenched around Belkus¡¯ anger and snuffed it out like a candle in a winter storm. His back stiffened and his hands tightened around the armrests of his throne until the bone dug into his palm.

    ¡°What is Lord Sievan¡¯s creature doing interfering with matters in my city? Has Sievan sided with the dissident that killed one that belonged to me?¡±

    ¡°I do not believe so, Lord Belkus.¡± The messenger shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Spider killed Lord Sievan¡¯s operative.¡±

    Belkus blinked.

    ¡°He¡­ killed them? Permanently?¡±

    ¡°They came back, but it seemed the fight was over. Sievan¡¯s operative lost,¡± the messenger said. ¡°The last I saw of them, they had gone into Spider¡¯s tent to discuss terms of her defeat.¡±

    The demon hesitated. There was something he wasn¡¯t saying. Belkus¡¯ eyes narrowed and he leaned forward in his throne.

    ¡°The rest of it. Tell me. Now.¡±

    ¡°Sievan¡¯s woman¡­ she was scared. I¡¯ve never seen one of Death¡¯s followers show fear,¡± Belkus¡¯ messenger said, his voice shaking slightly. ¡°She implied that Spider may be powerful enough to draw Sievan¡¯s attention.¡±

    Belkus stared in disbelief. A demon powerful enough to draw the eyes of the Eternal End was no mere thorn in his side. Igris had reported that he was cleansing the streets of some filth that was trying to steal the underground from him ¡ª not picking a fight with a roaming Demon Lord. Ice prickled against his back and curled down his arms.

    Someone of that strength in my city¡­ this is Yoku¡¯s doing. She seeks to use my men like pawns, to turn this Demon Lord¡¯s power against me and take the city for herself. I am not so easily tricked, wretched creature. I should have realized sooner.

    ¡°You will find Commander Zorin immediately,¡± Belkus ordered, his voice raising in volume and carving through the room like a blade. The situation had to be controlled before it grew any worse. Rumors spread like wildfire ¡ª and rumors drew those who sought power. They would make Yoku grow stronger still. He would not allow it. Belkus¡¯ hand tightened into a fist.  ¡°Igris was a traitor working against me. Spider did me a favor in his execution of the worthless swine. Inform him that his earlier orders are canceled. I have new commands for him.¡±

    ¡°It will be done as you say, Lord Belkus.¡± The messenger¡¯s body trembled and Belkus realized he was letting a minuscule amount of energy slip free of his body. He pulled his strength back and the messenger drew in a relieved breath. ¡°What are your orders for Commander Zorin?¡±

    ¡°He is to find this Spider,¡± Belkus said, his jaw clenched as tight as wound steel. ¡°And he is to invite him here. Zorin will inform Spider that he is called to an audience with me.¡±

 Chapter 538: Bargaining

    Noah was having a little difficulty taking Axil seriously.

    Even when she¡¯d been shrunk down to half her size, he¡¯d still seen her as a potential threat. That was considerably harder to do when she sat in what could only be described as a glorified high chair for babies.

    Moxie had formed the contraption from vines and used one of the aforementioned plants to hoist Axil into it before strapping her in like she was little more than an unruly child. Axil hadn¡¯t taken much notice of it, but it was wreaking untold amounts of havoc in Noah¡¯s mind.

    ¡°You have a Death Rune,¡± Axil said for what Noah suspected to be the third time. He¡¯d glossed over the first few while trying to keep a straight face. ¡°It belongs to Lord Sievan. Give it to me so I may deliver it to him.¡±

    Maybe I should give you a bottle of milk and a sucker instead.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but I do believe we just went over this,¡± Noah said. He leaned back in the chair that Moxie had made for him, thankfully one without a strap to keep him locked in place like a child, and crossed one leg over the other. ¡°I¡¯m not giving you ¡ª or Sievan ¡ª anything. Bargaining, Axil. Is the concept that foreign to you?¡±

    ¡°All which Lord Sievan desires is his. There is no being in this plane of existence who can deny him his wishes. You are powerful. Beautiful. Far more than I could ever dream to be. But even such power is nothing but a flit of wind in a hurricane when faced with Lord Sievan. You have drawn his interest. Not his respect.¡±

    Noah nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I see, I see. But you¡¯ve missed something, Axil. Sievan isn¡¯t here. If he truly wanted a rune I bought with my own money and spent my own effort getting, then he would have gotten it himself. I don¡¯t see Sievan. All I see is you.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ speak for Lord Sievan.¡± There was a second of hesitation in Axil¡¯s voice that Noah couldn¡¯t have missed even if he¡¯d wanted to. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair and glanced over to her axe, which Lee had claimed and was eyeing curiously in the corner of the tent.

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound so confident,¡± Moixe observed, leaning against the back of Noah¡¯s chair and arching an eyebrow. ¡°We aren¡¯t unreasonable. But if Sievan is really this powerful, is he actually so pathetic as to be forced to beg for something that does not belong to him?¡±

    ¡°Death belongs to him,¡± Axil said. Reverence twisted through her words and her features sharpened.

    Noah blew out a sigh. They were getting nowhere. The brief flicker of respect that Axil had formed for him after he¡¯d come back to life had paled in face of her zealous love for Sievan. Whoever the demon was, he certainly commanded quite a presence.

    But I¡¯ll be damned if some asshole who can¡¯t even be bothered to show up himself browbeats us into giving up a damn Master Rune just because he thinks he gets the rights to everything with the word Death in the name.

    There was a fine line he had to walk. Going too far and straight up spitting in Sievan¡¯s face was obviously a poor idea. Anyone who was strong enough to literally rip somebody else free of death¡¯s grasp wasn¡¯t someone Noah was eager to make an enemy of ¡ª but nobody respected a pushover.

    And if this Sievan can actually control death¡­ does he have something similar to Sunder? Has he seen the afterlife? And how strong do you have to be to prevent someone else from dying? There¡¯s a power I¡¯d do a hell of a lot to get my hands on.

    It would have helped if Noah knew much of anything about Sievan. Unfortunately, he had nothing to go by other than a half-insane half-sized demoness and rumors. That was far from ideal. This wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d been dealt a poor starting hand, though. There were ways around certain disadvantages. Not ways he was particularly eager to use, but ways nonetheless.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°Moxie, do you have any more Mind Meld Potions?¡±

    In response, she wordlessly pulled a glimmering pink potion out from her bag and handed it to him. Axil¡¯s eyes followed the potion. Her head tilted to the side.

    ¡°That is what you want to bargain?¡±

    Noah practically choked on his own saliva. ¡°I¡¯d dive into speeding traffic first. I will not be having any more rumors spread about me. I¡¯ve already got more than enough of the damned things. I¡¯m just¡­ goddamn it. I was going to say I¡¯m demonstrating something, but you¡¯ve fucked it. Figuratively.¡±

    ¡°I can still try to kick her,¡± Lee offered.

    ¡°You can¡¯t just steal my offer,¡± Moxie said. ¡°Come up with your own.¡±

    ¡°My strategy is usually eating things.¡± Lee¡¯s nose scrunched in disgust and she shuddered. ¡°I¡¯m not eating her.¡±

    ¡°That is a wise choice. I am not edible,¡± Axil said.

    ¡°Everything is edible, once,¡± Lee said. ¡°Most things tend to remain that way. You just smell like someone took a dump and then rolled it down a hill of dead bodies. Not appetizing at all.¡±

    ¡°If this is an attempt to elicit anger, it will not function. Followers of Sievan are conditioned against such things. In the face of the immense beauty we are graced to witness, there is no insult that could ever take purchase in my mind.¡±

    ¡°Glad to hear it,¡± Noah said, popping the top off the Mind Meld potion. He held tapped it with a finger. ¡°Drink this.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Axil replied. ¡°I will not allow you to enter my mind. Your power is beyond what I can manage to face, but it is nothing in comparison to Lord Sievan. I will not turn my back on him.¡±

    Noah forced himself to choke down the slew of disgusted insults that nearly spewed from his throat. They would not have been particularly conducive to his Spider persona. Granted, it was already starting to suffer from Lee-itis.

    At least the demons outside can¡¯t see this. I think I¡¯d be ruined if they did.

    If she wouldn¡¯t drink the potion, he wasn¡¯t about to force her to. That was just wrong in multiple ways. It certainly made things more annoying for him. He needed a way to impress upon Axil that they were not just walking money bags for Sievan to dip his hand into.

    It¡¯s not like I can call on Sunder¡¯s power yet. I was hoping I might be able to pull something off in her mind since it¡¯s all willpower and no real magic when you¡¯re playing around in someone else¡¯s head. If that didn¡¯t work, I figured I¡¯d just threaten her until something stuck. But if that won¡¯t work either¡­

    Damn it. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but I wish I had a Mind Rune. It¡¯s not even like I¡¯d be able to use it right now, but I would absolutely love to be able to poke my head into someone¡¯s mind and crush them with my runic pressure or something.

    ¡°I see. In that case, it seems we might be here a while. I am not a particularly patient man, but I ironically turn out to be quite practiced in the art of waiting,¡± Noah said with a shrug. ¡°We can wait here as long as you¡¯d like, Axil. Let me know when you¡¯re willing to bargain.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think you can outwait someone who has witnessed the immensity of death?¡± Axil demanded. ¡°I have met with Lord Sievan personally. I cannot be blackmailed. If you wish to wait, I will wait. I will wait until my task is completed.¡±

    ¡°Sievan is not the only one who bears power over death. And you, Axil, are not Sievan,¡± Noah said, his voice going as silent as a snake¡¯s whisper. His eyes flicked over to Lee and his tone returned to normal. ¡°Do you know where my grimoire is?¡±

    Time to sit here like a fucking idiot and bore all of us out of our minds. I need something to read so I can think about what Rune I¡¯ll try to make next. Something with Mind for sure ¡ª but what kind of disaster has anything to do with the mind?

    ¡°I put it over here,¡± Lee said, ducking under Moxie¡¯s bed of vines to root around beneath it. She snagged his book and tugged it out. She walked backed over to Noah, barely able to hold the huge grimoire against her chest, and handed it to him.

    I am really glad this thing is smart enough to decide who it allows to hold it. It would be really damn frustrating if I was the only one that could pick it up. Would probably get lost somewhere when I died.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Noah said, thunking the book down before him. It looked like this was going to take quite a while, but at least he had some runes to study ¡ª

    A stifled gasp cut through the room. Noah¡¯s head jerked up to the source of the noise, rising halfway from his chair in preparation for yet another person trying to kill them, but there was no attack coming.

    Axil was staring straight at the grimoire, and her eyes were wide in abject horror.

    ¡°What,¡± Axil whispered, pulling back against her chair as if trying to slide through the vines and sink into the ground, ¡°is that?¡±

 Chapter 539: This isnt a beach, its a book!

    Noah followed Axil¡¯s horrified gaze down to the grimoire resting on the ground before him. For a terrible moment, he feared that the book had decided to start plastering pornography across its pages again ¡ª but it wasn¡¯t even open.

    The cover was dormant, the eye design that adorned it inanimate and fast asleep. There was absolutely nothing worth gaping over. Noah looked back over to Axil. She was still staring at the book like it had just killed her entire family and offered her a thirty-course meal made from their bodies.

    Did it draw something and then get rid of it before I could see it?

    ¡°What is that?¡± Axil repeated, straining back in the chair in an attempt to get herself as far away from the grimoire as possible. Her features twisted with disgust and unease and she pulled at the vines, unsuccessfully trying to free herself from them.

    ¡°This is a book,¡± Noah replied, failing to keep his confusion from entering his voice. ¡°A big one. You¡¯re not scared of reading, are you? Wait ¡ª do they teach reading in the Damned Plains? Do they even have schools here? Is that what¡¯s going on? Are you scared of education?¡±

    The small demon didn¡¯t respond. It barely even seemed like she¡¯d heard him speaking. Her gaze was firmly locked on the book, eyes unwilling to tear themselves free in spite of the horror in her features.

    Noah looked over to Moxie and Lee. ¡°Did the book do something naughty? It¡¯s still got some bad habits that I¡¯m trying to work out of it. We had an understanding that it wouldn¡¯t go around flashing people anymore, and I¡¯m going to have to go discipline it if it¡¯s ignoring me.¡±

    The book flapped in protest in Noah¡¯s hands, but he ignored it. He trusted the book just about as far as he could throw it ¡ª which, ironically enough, depended entirely on how light the book wanted to make itself at the moment.

    ¡°Your book is flashing people?¡± Lee asked.

    ¡°Axil is a face-ripping demon,¡± Moxie said flatly, crossing her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Do you really think seeing a pair of tits would be enough to do this to her?¡±

    Noah looked back over to the small demoness. She was still squirming in her chair. Moxie¡¯s vines kept her from running, but the mask of horror on her face hadn¡¯t so much as budged.

    ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t have a very good sex ed program in the Damned Plains,¡± Noah said. ¡°It could have been Axil¡¯s first time seeing them. Could certainly be quite the surprise. You never know.¡±

    ¡°Mirrors exist.¡±

    ¡°So do idiots. Maybe she¡¯s never seen one.¡±

    ¡°And she¡¯s never looked down either?¡±

    ¡°Okay, point taken,¡± Noah said, scratching at the back of his neck. ¡°And this is a bit much even if that was the case. They¡¯re not that scary.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it drew a dick,¡± Lee said.

    ¡°Why do you know what that is?¡± Noah asked. ¡°I don¡¯t really know why, but I feel like you shouldn¡¯t know what that is. Actually, don¡¯t answer that question. I don¡¯t think I want to know.¡±

    Noah turned the book around and flipped it open to an empty page. He arched an eyebrow and prodded it. ¡°What happened? What did you do?¡±

    Ink sketched across the book¡¯s pages, drawing out a rather confused-looking stick figure. Noah narrowed his eyes, but the book showed him nothing else. It seemed to be equally as confused as he was.

    Noah blew out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. This was a pain in the ass, but maybe there was a chance he could turn it to his advantage. He wasn¡¯t above using the grimoire as a threat if it got Axil to actually play ball.

    ¡°Wake up. I¡¯m still here,¡± Noah said, snapping his fingers in front of the small demon¡¯s face. She blinked, finally tearing her gaze away from the grimoire, and looked up to him. ¡°Are you ready to properly bargain yet?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s horrible,¡± Axil muttered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no,¡± Noah said. He tapped the grimoire, drawing Axil¡¯s eyes back to its pages. ¡°New offer. You tell us just what Sievan is willing to give us for my rune, or I leave you locked in a room with this thing and let it draw whatever it wants.¡±

    The grimoire¡¯s pages flapped.

    Moxie hid a sigh.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think the book drew anything,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Can¡¯t rule it out,¡± Noah replied in the same whisper. ¡°You never know. It¡¯s a sly one.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°No!¡± Axil exclaimed, cringing back into the vines behind her. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me with it!¡±

    The eye on the back cover of the book snapped open and lifted to meet Noah¡¯s gaze. It squinted, then rolled as if to ask, what¡¯s her problem?

    Noah almost felt bad for it. This was a bit of an overreaction ¡ª especially if it hadn¡¯t actually drawn anything. He still wasn¡¯t convinced that it was innocent, but the incident with Bird had hopefully been a one-time thing. Noah was pretty sure the book was too rune-hungry to risk its source of energy over some stupid pranks. Pretty sure, but not completely sure.

    ¡°Is it the book you¡¯re scared of?¡± Noah asked, watching Axil¡¯s expression carefully. ¡°Or is it the forbidden knowledge within?¡±

    ¡°Tits are not forbidden knowledge,¡± Moxie said. ¡°Especially not poorly drawn ones.¡±

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t think it drew anything. And how do you know they¡¯re poorly drawn? This thing is pretty talented.¡±

    The eye bobbed up and down in appreciation of the compliment. Noah glared at it, and it jerked to a halt. Its eye sank back into the leather, returning to a plain design.

    ¡°Don¡¯t encourage it,¡± Moxie said. ¡°Reinforcing negative behaviors is always a bad idea.¡±

    ¡°What is it, a child?¡±

    ¡°It is a wretched perversion of nature that should not exist,¡± Axil rasped, finally finding the words to muster up an answer. ¡°What kind of demon are you, to tolerate the presence of such a vile object?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it drew anything,¡± Lee said.

    ¡°Yeah, I think you¡¯re probably right. Not even a huge prude would have a reaction this bad to art in poor taste. Axil, what exactly is your problem with my grimoire?¡±

    ¡°You ask me?¡± Axil asked, incredulously. ¡°Do you seek to mock me? To unnerve me to the point where I fail Lord Sievan and offer you what you wish? It will not work. Not even something as wretched as¡ª¡±

    ¡°Tell me what or I¡¯m going to hit you with the book.¡±

    Axil stared at Noah. ¡°What?¡±

    Noah lifted the grimoire. Enormous it might have been, but in his hands, the huge book barely felt like it weighed more than a piece of cardboard. The biggest problem hitting anything with it would be the air resistance.

    ¡°You heard me.¡±

    ¡°You would not dare. Your handling of such a vile instrument is already enough to fill my throat with bile. Such an affront to one of Lord Sievan¡¯s followers would be like spitting on his face.¡±

    ¡°I am going to hit you with the book.¡±

    ¡°You will not¡ª¡±

    Noah hit her with the book.

    It wasn¡¯t a particularly hard strike. It was more of a light thonk to the top of her head, like he was rapping it with a rather oversized ruler. Noah couldn¡¯t deny that it felt incredibly satisfying, but he would vehemently refuse any insinuation that he¡¯d done it purely because he wanted to see what it would happen.

    Axil recoiled, letting out a catlike hiss. ¡°You wretched¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it again,¡± Noah warned, lifting the book over his head. ¡°I can do this all day. Literally. It¡¯s very light.¡±

    ¡°You attempt to blackmail one of Lord Sievan¡¯s own.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no attempt in the picture. I¡¯m quite literally doing it,¡± Noah said. He hoisted the book. ¡°I don¡¯t even feel bad about this, which really isn¡¯t saying much, but I figure I¡¯ll mention it anyway. Nobody has ever died from getting konked on the head a few times with a few pieces of paper.¡±

    ¡°No! Get that away from me!¡± Axil demanded. She writhed in the chair and the vines bound tighter around her, keeping the demon from escaping. ¡°Do not touch me with that corpse!¡±

    Noah paused. He looked from Axil to the book, then back to Axil. ¡°This is a book. I¡¯m pretty sure we covered this bit already. I didn¡¯t hit you that hard.¡±

    ¡°A book made of a corpse,¡± Axil snarled, her head pushing against the vines behind her so heavily that they were starting to smush. ¡°Don¡¯t play coy with me, Spider. You know what that is. Any demon would know what that is when their flesh came into contact with it.¡±

    The eye on the book snapped open and swiveled down to stare at Axil.

    ¡°Humor me,¡± Noah said.

    Lee¡¯s picked this thing up more than once. She¡¯s never mentioned a word about it.

    ¡°You play me for a fool,¡± Axil spat.

    Noah hoisted the book.

    Axil paled.

    ¡°The book you sully your hands with is bound with the still-living flesh of demon-kind,¡± the demoness spat. ¡°Its canvas is a broken, disgusting mess. It bears the souls of the demons that were withered, ripped apart, and forced together. Its leather is burnt demonflesh, the screams long since silenced. That is a vile abomination that lingers between life and death, any remaining desire that its constituents may have had withered and lost within its pages. It is an affront to both life and death, hovering between both but belonging to neither. It is the most hideous thing I have ever laid eyes upon. Remove it from my presence.¡±

    Noah paused. He looked up at the grimoire in his hands. Axil¡¯s claim didn¡¯t exactly answer any unasked questions, but it did feel like it could make sense. He had wondered exactly how the book could just store infinite runes. Nothing like that ever worked through sunshine and rainbows. Squishing a bunch of demons into a blender and making a book out of them was definitely pretty evil sounding. More than enough of a sacrifice to make a powerful evil magical item.

    ¡°Can this be undone?¡±

    ¡°No. Their souls are shredded, their forms combined. That vile book is now what they once were. A new creature, one that can only be purged,¡± Axil said. A smug note entered her voice. ¡°I do not know how you were blind, but your eyes have been opened. You wield the twisted bodies of your bretheren. Lord Sievan¡ª¡±

    Whelp. Can¡¯t do anything about it, then. Bummer. Sorry. I¡¯m keeping the book, though.

    ¡°Is not here,¡± Noah finished. ¡°Now start talking about what he¡¯s going to give me for my Rune, or I¡¯m going to smack you with the corpse-stick again.¡±

    I really do have to figure out what the fuck this thing is when I get a chance, but now is not that time. Can¡¯t lose the momentum I¡¯ve built up. One problem at a time, thank you very much.

    Axil gaped at Noah. ¡°You know what that vile object is, and yet you continue to use it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m about to set a record for the most times I¡¯ve smacked someone¡¯s head with a blended-up demon corpse in one minute.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t¡ª¡±

    Noah did a remarkable rendition of Moxie and arched his eyebrow.

    Axil swallowed. ¡°Perhaps we can come to an agreement. Don¡¯t touch me with that disgusting¡­ thing. Please.¡±

    Noah smiled.

 Chapter 540: Keep Silent

    As it turned out, Axil wasn¡¯t actually qualified to promise much of anything that Sievan owned. Even with the threat of being forced to witness what was apparently the most hideous object in existence, she could do nothing but attempt to get him an audience. That was no surprise to Noah.

    There was no way a demon as powerful as Sievan would be sending someone actually powerful to retrieve a broken Master Rune. A soul only had so much room in it. Even with the growth that came through advancement, he really doubted that an immensely powerful demon would want to use anything less than the best Runes they could find.

    It was far more likely Sievan was just collecting the runes. His name and a threat were probably more than enough to retrieve everything he¡¯d ever previously needed. Axil had just been the closest to their area. The most convenient option for retrieval.

    Someone like that wouldn¡¯t have bargaining power. They couldn¡¯t promise anything ¡ª and Noah had almost been counting on it. While he¡¯d have been more than happy to agree to a trade for a more worthwhile rune for himself, Lee, or Moxie, he was equally pleased to get an introduction to someone else who could help them.

    And that was exactly what Axil offered, straining in her chair and desperately doing everything in her power to get away from Noah¡¯s book.

    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to Zath,¡± Axil swore, her eyes screwed so tightly shut that Noah feared her face was going to freeze that way. She jerked against the restraings holding her to no avail. ¡°He will be able to speak on behalf of Lord Sievan. You can come to an arrangement with him.¡±

    ¡°And what stops him from just deciding to try the same shit you did?¡± Moxie asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Are we going to have to fight every single person in your organization?¡±

    ¡°Lord Sievan told me to use any means necessary to acquire the rune he seeks. Zath will not interfere. Just let me go. I do not wish to be in the presence of that¡­ thing any longer.¡±

    This is a really strong reaction for what should amount to little more than a really ugly stitched-together corpse. I¡¯m definitely not complaining, but seriously? I¡¯d suspect Axil was faking this if it wasn¡¯t so disadvantageous for her to do so. If she just spoke to us normally and offered to play ball the first time around, it would have saved her a bunch of time and humiliation.

    From what I can tell, Sievan somehow gave her a way to see¡­ death. Or something like that. Maybe it¡¯s the equivalent of setting a stink bomb off next to a dog¡¯s sensitive nose. It¡¯s just fucking with her senses so badly that she¡¯s willing to do anyting to get away.

    Works for me. I¡¯d rather trade with Sievan¡¯s underlings than fight them. If it gets me some leverage, maybe I could use that to find out where Wizen is or to get some other advantage over him. We definitely can¡¯t take him out as we are now, and every step in the right direction is valuable.

    That was the whole point of this whole Spider shtick. This wasn¡¯t how I planned on taking it, but I¡¯ve always loved improv.

    ¡°Acceptable,¡± Noah said. He crossed his arms in front of his chest ¡°And where are we going to find Zath? I hope you don¡¯t expect us to just let you go free. I haven¡¯t earned a reputation as a particularly magnanimous man.¡±

    ¡°I will call to him. For something of this level of importance, he will arrive. Personally.¡±

    Eh. Can¡¯t ask for more than that. Perfect.

    ¡°Then I believe we have ourselves a deal,¡± Noah said.

    ¡°I want to keep the axe,¡± Lee said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you already have an axe?¡± Noah frowned. For that matter, he hadn¡¯t seen Lee¡¯s axe in quite some time. ¡°What did you do with it?¡±

    She gave him a sheepish grin. ¡°I left it behind on accident.¡±

    Noah blew out a breath and shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t lose your toys, Lee. Axil, we¡¯re keeping the axe. I trust you don¡¯t mind? It¡¯s a bit too big for you now anyway.¡±

    Axil cracked an eye open and stared despondently at the huge weapon. ¡°It was crafted from metal mined deep within the Black Reaches. It will not allow another to wield it. I bound it to my soul.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can wield it much yourself,¡± Noah pointed out.

    ¡°I will eventually consume enough energy to rebuild myself to my proper size,¡± Axil said. Her gaze caught on the book and she stiffened. Her features scrunched and she turned her head away. ¡°Is this truly relevant?¡±

    Lee hoisted the axe. She gave it a test swing, which was somewhat concerning given that they were all inside the tent with her, then tilted her head to the side. ¡°It seems to work pretty fine to me.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Axil¡¯s gaze snapped to Lee. She stared at the other demon in befuddlement. ¡°You¡­ swung my axe?¡±

    Lee swung the axe again.

    ¡°Careful!¡± Moxie warned, stepping away from Lee. ¡°I am not trying to get chopped in half. Don¡¯t swing sharp things in the tent. You could¡ª¡±

    The momentum of Lee¡¯s swing carried the blade around into the tarp behind her, slicing clean through it. She skidded to a halt, then cleared her throat and moved to stand in front of the newly made flap.

    ¡°Oops.¡±

    ¡°How are you doing that?¡± Axil asked. She glanced back at the book and swallowed, then forced herself to look away from it. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be able to swing that. It¡¯s mine.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean I can have it?¡±

    Axil¡¯s lips thinned. Her fingers flexed. The axe rattled in Lee¡¯s grip ¡ª but it didn¡¯t so much as budge. They both stood still for a moment. Axil¡¯s eye twitched.

    ¡°It betrayed me? You shouldn¡¯t be able to ¡ª oh, fine. Just take it. It will be so long before I can use it again that I might as well make a new one. Just¡­ let me out of here.¡±

    ¡°Pleasure doing business with you,¡± Noah said. ¡°Just go ahead and introduce us to Zath and you¡¯ll be welcome to go on your merry way.¡±

    Axil blew out a defeated breath, but one more glance in the direction of the book was all it took for her to nod her understanding. Moxie¡¯s vines slackened their grip on her, and she used the opportunity to squeeze into them even farther, as if trying to sink in and escape the presence of Noah¡¯s grimoire.

    Light filtered into the tent from the front flap. Noah looked over to it. Annoyance flickered over his features. It froze as he spotted Aylin standing on the other side, Vrith beside him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for interrupting, but this is urgent,¡± Aylin said, his face pale. ¡°We just picked up word from our network that Commander Zorin is on the move. He¡¯s not even trying to hide it. He¡¯s coming here, Spider.¡±

    The tone of Aylin¡¯s voice made it clear that this was probably a big deal. Unfortunately, Noah had no blasted idea who Zorin was ¡ª but that didn¡¯t make it hard to guess. If there was someone with the title of Commander living in Treadon, it was pretty easy to guess who they worked for.

    ¡°Belkus¡¯ man?¡±

    ¡°His strongest man,¡± Aylin said, swallowing.

    Shit. My magic is still gone. I can¡¯t take a fight right now.

    ¡°Well then, I suppose we¡¯ll have to see what he wants,¡± Noah said, not letting any of his panic show on his features. That would just make the situation even worse. Filling the camp with terrified demons was the last thing he wanted to do, and it would completely ruin his persona. His mind spun. He wasn¡¯t completely out of cards yet. People almost certainly would have spread word of his fight with Axil by now. That could be used to his advantage.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to fight him?¡± Aylin asked, his eyes widening.

    ¡°I suppose we¡¯ll find out,¡± Noah said. ¡°Moxie, Lee, keep an eye on Axil, would you?¡±

    And get the hell out of here if things go wrong.

    Moxie¡¯s lips thinned. She knew what he was doing, and she wasn¡¯t pleased about it. But, with Noah¡¯s magic missing, it was the smartest move. They weren¡¯t going to be able to swing a fight against someone far more powerful than him. Getting as many people to safety was far more important.

    ¡°Let me out first,¡± Axil begged.

    ¡°No,¡± Moxie said. ¡°You¡¯ve still got to take us to Zath. We¡¯ll let you out once this has been dealt with.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Axil. It shouldn¡¯t take too long. Let¡¯s go,¡± Noah said to Aylin. ¡°It would be a shame to be caught off guard when our guest arrives. And Vrith, would you grab Yoru for me?¡±

    The two demons nodded. Vrith shot off while Aylin led Noah out of the tent.

    While I can¡¯t beat anybody in a magical fight right now, there¡¯s more than one way to win a battle ¡ª and magic kneels before the throne of pure, unadulterated bullshit.

    ***

    Axil¡¯s mouth was as dry as parchment. She watched Spider leave the tent out of the corner of her eye. The vines binding her infuriatingly weak body had relaxed, but they still held her fast.

    Her eyes darted from Moxie to Lee to the dirt. They danced in an attempt to escape, but it was futile. There was no escape from the warped, destroyed canvas that swam in the center of the room.

    There was no escape from the being that rose from it, its gaunt form composed of sickly, warped death energy, somewhere between rot and shadow. No escape from the ice-cold fingers that gripped her face. No escape from the sickness that dripped from its undulating flesh and rolled down her skin.

    Nobody else could see it. They couldn¡¯t see the slender form that was forced to bend in on itself and scrunch to avoid tearing through the top of the tent. They couldn¡¯t see the empty, sunken eye sockets. Couldn¡¯t see the mouth that floated in the darkness that was its visage, the crooked, too-wide teeth that twisted into a smile.

    ¡°Very good,¡± the Abomination whispered, its words squirming like worms burrowing into her ears. It turned her head to the side, then pulled its hand away, leaving a trail of slime on her cheek. ¡°I¡¯m glad we could come to an agreement, observant one. I would have been most displeased if you had said anything.¡±

    Axil swallowed. She said nothing.

    ¡°Keep silent, Servant of Death.¡± The Abomination¡¯s smile grew wider, splitting its face like a weeping scar. ¡°And remember. I can give you the true-death far faster than you can speak.¡±

    The vile creature sank back, slithering into the pages of the book and vanishing from sight, but not from mind. Axil could still feel its vile, paradoxical gaze burning into her skull. The warped hatred and power that twisted within the creature was so immense that it threatened to choke the breath from her lungs.

    Axil didn¡¯t know what could have created such a monstrosity. She didn¡¯t know what horrible monster could have trapped it within the book before her. In her years of life, she¡¯d never witnessed such a thing.

    She couldn¡¯t tell how powerful the monster truly was. In her current form, she had no way to fight it even if she¡¯d wanted to. There was absolutely nothing she could do but remain silent and pretend that it was the book alone that had ripped the visceral reaction from her. That it was the book which she feared, not the harbinger of sickly hell trapped within its pages.

    And that was exactly what she did.

 Chapter 541: An Audition

    Noah stood by Yoru and Aylin in the center of the market square as he waited for Commander Zorin to arrive. Vrith stood several paces behind them in the shadows, shifting from foot to foot nervously. She looked painfully uncomfortable. Noah didn¡¯t blame her.

    He wasn¡¯t all that keen about the whole waiting bit either. As a general rule, Noah didn¡¯t like waiting. He especially disliked waiting for anything that he didn¡¯t actually want.

    But in this particular scenario, waiting hypothetically worked to his advantage. The longer it took Zorin to arrive, the closer he got to getting his magic back and the more time he had to come up with bullshit.

    ¡°So,¡± Noah said, his eyes scanning the sky in search of a demon flying in their direction. ¡°Anybody know anything about what we¡¯re up against?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s strong,¡± Aylin provided, somewhat unhelpfully.

    ¡°Thank you, Aylin. I had guessed that part,¡± Noah said. He glanced over to Yoru. ¡°And you?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Yoru said. ¡°I am aware of Zorin.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s something you¡¯d like to share with the class?¡±

    ¡°It is not.¡±

    ¡°And why would that be?¡± Noah asked as he rifled through his pockets and scanned their surroundings, having just remembered that his face wrappings had been somewhat ruined during his fight with Axil.

    It¡¯s not like having face wrappings actually matters when I¡¯m in the Damned Plains. Nobody knows who I am and I¡¯m well past the point where I need to pretend to be weak. I¡¯ve got a reputation, and having a fully human form can lend itself to that. But the wrappings are basically my calling card by now. It would feel disappointing if I show up without them. Like finding a certain magical mouse in a specific ¡°happy¡± place on earth without any large, circular ears.

    ¡°Because I have not examined the outcome of this interaction with regard to you,¡± Yoru said. ¡°I do not plan to interfere, so it is shrouded from me.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I should expand my question to ask why you are choosing to be useless,¡± Noah grumbled.

    ¡°I have been testing your suggestion and limiting the use of my abilities,¡± Yoru replied with a small shrug. ¡°Zorin does not pose me any threat. I have already seen the future in which our goals align, and we have taken steps on that path. No significant weights should have shifted, so my desired future remains in place. I do not need to check on it any further, so I can avoid looking at specifics while I follow your and Violet¡¯s advice with regard to my powers.¡±

    Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I can¡¯t speak for Violet, but I was saying that you need to start thinking for yourself and stop letting your magic completely control you.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    ¡°But you already believe you know the future we¡¯re in right now,¡± Noah pointed out. ¡°Just because you haven¡¯t looked recently doesn¡¯t mean you didn¡¯t look. The whole point of that advice was to occasionally take life as it was. You¡¯re only technically not using your magic ¡ª and this feels like a scenario where your magic would actually be smart to use.¡±

    ¡°Technically correct is still correct. And I do not need to use my magic. I will survive.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that I won¡¯t just start blasting things the moment Zorin shows up? That could screw your plans up, and I¡¯ve just decided to do it at the last moment.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± Yoru said with complete confidence.

    Noah wouldn¡¯t. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and let out a sigh. ¡°Has anyone ever told you how annoying that magic is? It¡¯s just probabilities, right? Not guaranteed futures?¡±

    ¡°Statistics can be manipulated. My desired goal can always be achieved when approached with sufficient alternative angles. Are you requesting that I change my plans to ensure that I properly weigh the approaching future to ensure an ideal victory for you? That would involve using my magic and placing you in my debt ¡ª a deal I would be willing to accept.¡±

    Noah studied Yoru for a second. Her posture seemed less confident than normal. Despite her decision to only suspend her use of magic on a scenario she mostly had control over, there was still a ¡°technically¡± involved. She didn¡¯t actually perfectly know what would happen.

    Yoru was trying to get control of herself back from her magic. Small steps were a vast improvement over no steps at all ¡ª and while Noah suspected he could have made an argument that she owed him at least a little bit for housing and staying in his camp, he was more than aware that argument wasn¡¯t going to fly.

    I¡¯m not going to be the reason she falls off the veritable wagon. If it looks like Zorin is going to go around trying to murder everyone, I still have at least one usage of Sunder I can get off right when I die. It¡¯ll do some serious damage to my body, but I don¡¯t think Zorin is just going to come swinging.

    You don¡¯t send a Commander to execute a thorn in your side. He¡¯s probably coming here to bargain with or threaten me. I can handle both of those situations without Yoru pulling on everyone¡¯s strings like little puppets.

    ¡°You know what? I think I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Noah said. ¡°Thanks for the offer, though.¡±

    Yoru inclined her head. ¡°You are welcome. Aylin, stop trying to eat my energy. It tickles.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Aylin said, his cheeks blushing a bright purple. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to. You¡¯re just really interesting. I also understand so little about how your magic works that everything you say triggers my Runes and I get hungry.¡±

    ¡°You will get hurt if you continue that path.¡±

    Aylin¡¯s features paled. ¡°Is that a future you saw?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Yoru replied. ¡°It is because I will flick you very hard, and it will hurt. I do not need to weigh the futures to know that outcome.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    The threat sounded laughable until Noah remembered that Yoru was an incredibly highly ranked demon, and her flick was probably strong enough to kill the average demon on the spot. He doubted she would actually murder Aylin out of annoyance, but Yoru was still an immensely powerful demon. It wasn¡¯t a complete impossibility.

    ¡°There will be no flicking,¡± Noah said firmly. He glanced at Aylin out of the corners of his eyes. ¡°And you really should get that power under control.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m working on it,¡± Aylin said. He coughed into a fist. ¡°I wasn¡¯t done about Zorin, though. I know more. He¡¯s a Rank 6 demon, 104 years of age. He¡¯d done a good job of hiding his exact abilities, but he prefers to fight at range with a bone bow. It¡¯s been a while since he¡¯s had to use it. His reputation is usually enough to end most fights.¡±

    Noah blinked. That was a lot of information.

    ¡°When did you figure all of this out? Is it common knowledge?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Aylin replied with a shake of his head. ¡°Given you were going after someone who has some ties to Lord Belkus, I suspected it would be prudent to direct the information network that you had the Web set up in Belkus¡¯ direction. It wasn¡¯t hard. He likes flaunting his strength.¡±

    ¡°What else?¡± Noah asked. He and Aylin both paused as they spotted a black spot in the sky.

    ¡°I think¡ª¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not here yet,¡± Noah said promptly, eyeing the approaching demon. There was still some time before they would arrive. ¡°Come on. Most important stuff first, if there¡¯s anything left.¡±

    ¡°I have a lot of general information, but I don¡¯t know how much of it will be immediately relevant beyond his abilities,¡± Aylin said, almost falling over his own words in his haste to get them out. ¡°From the stories I gathered, I think Zorin is known to follow Belkus¡¯ orders very closely. You won¡¯t be able to bribe or distract him. He¡¯s reported to be incredibly single-minded. If you need to convince him of something, it can¡¯t go against what Belkus ordered. Anything else is likely to fail.¡±

    The approaching demon was close enough in the sky that Noah could make out alabaster white armor covering his red form. He didn¡¯t let his eyes leave the demon as he gave Aylin a curt nod. That was information he could work with. As it turned out, leaving a Knowledge Demon in charge of finding out information was pretty effective.

    If only I could take credit for being a genius instead of just getting lucky that I located the one demon that happened to feast on information.

    A frown flickered across Noah¡¯s face.

    Actually, now that I think about it, isn¡¯t that a bit too convenient? How did I land the one Knowledge Demon out of sheer, dumb luck?

    He didn¡¯t get a chance to consider it any further.

    Huge wings snapped out from the back of the demon ¡ª who Noah could only assume to be Zorin. Wind buffeted Noah¡¯s hair back as Zorin alighted on the stone before him. His wings folded in to hang around his shoulders like a cloak.

    The commander was not at all what Noah had been expecting. Despite Aylin¡¯s mention of using a bow, Zorin appeared to be unarmed. Aside from the heavy looking white armor covering his body, he was entirely without equipment. Zorin actually stood just slightly shorter than Noah, with the lean build of a runner. His features were flat, but not aggressive.

    He seemed more like a scholar in armor than ¡ª

    ¡°Spider,¡± Zorin said, staring straight at Aylin.

    Okay. Maybe not the sharpest tool in the shed.

    ¡°Wrong one,¡± Noah said.

    Zorin turned to him, entirely unperturbed. ¡°Spider.¡±

    Was he planning on doing that to everyone he saw until somebody said yes? I kind of want to know what would happen if I say I¡¯m not Spider either¡­ but it¡¯s probably not worth antagonizing Zorin when he hasn¡¯t done anything yet. Might as well hear out what he has to say.

    ¡°Pleasure,¡± Noah said. ¡°And you would be Zorin.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    ¡°Why have you come?¡± Noah asked, tilting his head to the side. He meant the question ¡ª he¡¯d done enough to annoy Belkus by this point that he genuinely didn¡¯t know what the answer was.

    ¡°Belkus calls you to audition.¡±

    ¡°¡­for what?¡±

    What, is he trying to start a demon dance troupe?

    ¡°Not for. To speak. Lord Belkus demands your presence.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± Noah¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That kind of audition. Sounds interesting enough. He¡¯s welcome to swing by. I¡¯ll make time for him.¡±

    Commander Zorin stared at Noah, confusion playing across his face. ¡°You¡­ will make time for him?¡±

    ¡°I know, it¡¯s pretty gracious of me,¡± Noah said magnanimously. ¡°But I believe making his acquaintance would be a worthy expenditure of my time. I¡¯ll have a chair prepared for him. A soft one. We have some nice chairs.¡±

    ¡°You will go to him,¡± Zorin said, his eyes narrowing slightly. ¡°Lord Belkus is not at your beck and call.¡±

    Yeah, but I¡¯m really not keen on strolling into enemy territory. That¡¯ s a great way to get yourself executed, and I can¡¯t even blow myself up right now. I¡¯m not going on a playdate with Belkus until I can blow myself up. Being able to detonate your skull in case of emergencies should be the bare minimum standard for any date, really.

    ¡°Beck and call? He¡¯s the one that wants to see me,¡± Noah said with a frown. ¡°I don¡¯t go around demanding people visit me just because I want to see them. It¡¯s rude. There are much better ways to get what you want.¡±

    Zorin¡¯s brow furrowed ¡ª and then he paused. For the first time, he spotted Yoru. The demon took a step back, his hand going to his side for a weapon that wasn¡¯t there. A flicker of fear passed through his eyes.

    ¡°Why is Yoku the Rising Moon in your camp, Spider?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Noah blinked in apparent confusion. ¡°That¡¯s Yoru.¡±

    Zorin hesitated. His head tilted to the side. ¡°¡­the Rising Moon?¡±

    ¡°No. Yoru. She¡¯s a stray child that I ended up picking up,¡± Noah said.

    The commander¡¯s eyes narrowed. He studied Yoku for several long seconds. Then he crossed his arms in front of his chest. ¡°Are you Yoru?¡±

    ¡°I have been called that.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Zorin said. He scratched the back of his head. ¡°I see. That¡¯s no issue, then. Your allies may accompany you. Belkus will provide sufficient compensation for your time as well as diplomatic immunity for the duration of your stay.¡±

    Noah almost missed a beat. Out of everything he¡¯d been expecting, an entirely civil meeting offer had been at the bottom of the list. It almost felt wrong.

    ¡°What does diplomatic immunity cover?¡± Noah asked.

    ¡°Your life. Most of your limbs.¡±

    Eh. Fair enough. That¡¯s actually a decent offer. Might as well see what Belkus has to say. Maybe he¡¯s reasonable.

    Noah opened his mouth to answer ¡ª and a crackle of energy split the air. Everyone spun as a purple blade carved free of the air to Noah¡¯s side and sliced through it, peeling reality apart like it was a chunk of butter to form a wide portal. Purple smoke poured out from the churning hole, rolling across the ground.

    A black sabaton crashed down on the stone as a towering, gray-skinned demon emerged from within the portal. The demon stood easily two times as tall as Noah. He was clad from head to toe in spined black armor, an imposing helm of solid metal covering the entirety of his face. A thin gap full of glowing purple ran across its eyeline. On the demon¡¯s back hung a massive broadsword. It was chipped and cracked, but its material was the exact same one that had gone into Axil¡¯s axe.

    Pressure slammed into Noah like a punch to the gut. His stomach clenched and he staggered. Aylin and Vrith both slammed to the ground with such force that they cracked the cobblestone beneath them.

    Yoru¡¯s head tilted to the side.

    Zorin¡¯s muscles tensed.

    For an instant, there was silence. The intruder looked over them, face and expression concealed by his helm.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Zorin demanded.

    ¡°I am Zath. Harbinger of Sievan. The Cracked Blade, the Breathless End,¡± the demon intoned, drawing his sword and driving it into the ground before him with a single hand. The weapon sliced into the stone like nothing was there. With his other hand, Zath pointed at Noah. ¡°Spider. You killed my subordinate. We have business.¡±

 Chapter 542: A solution

    Noah and Zath stared at each other for a long second. The towering demon seemed to be waiting for Noah to say something or otherwise respond. Unfortunately for him, Noah was still trying to figure out how they¡¯d been found so quickly.

    Does Axil have some way to telepathically contact the other members of Sievan¡¯s group or something? If she does, why wouldn¡¯t she have tried doing that sooner? It really looked like this dude just showed up on a whim, so he could have popped out at any point while I was smacking her with the corpse-book.

    ¡°I think kidnapped would probably be more accurate,¡± Noah said, breaking the silence before it could grow too long. ¡°Your subordinate is still alive. I generally don¡¯t count something as killing unless your victim stays dead. At best, that¡¯s just attempted murder.¡±

    ¡°I think Spider is right,¡± Zorin said, scratching at his chin. ¡°You can¡¯t have killed someone if they aren¡¯t dead.¡±

    ¡°You most certainly can. Death is temporary,¡± Zath said with a firm shake of his head. ¡°And a great number of things don¡¯t know how to stay dead. I¡¯ve killed quite a number of my subordinates myself, and none of them are dead.¡±

    ¡°Then what¡¯s the issue?¡± Noah asked, tilting his head to the side. ¡°And I should note that Axil attempted to kill me first.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t kill you?¡± Zath¡¯s head tilted to the side. ¡°She¡¯s normally quite good at that part, even for a Rank 5.¡±

    ¡°No, she killed me,¡± Noah said. ¡°I just didn¡¯t stay dead.¡±

    Zorin stared at Noah. He raised a finger into the air, as if to ask a question.

    Both Noah and Zath ignored him.

    ¡°You are making fun of me,¡± Zath said, his voice flat.

    ¡°A little,¡± Noah agreed. ¡°I don¡¯t tend to appreciate it when any group tries to kill me, even when their efforts are largely ineffective.¡±

    ¡°She succeeded,¡± Zorin pointed out.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t stay dead,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I generally don¡¯t. The idea of it generally displeases me. Ideological differences with the whole concept of passing on and entering the afterlife. I just don¡¯t get on well with the idea of dying, so I don¡¯t. You know the deal.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Zorin said. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°This is understandable,¡± Zath said with a nod. ¡°You speak of a concept well known to me. A concept that should not be under your domain. The power to deny death is one that belongs to Lord Sievan alone. A blessing that he gives only to his greatest followers.¡±

    ¡°There are more ways to power than through Sievan alone,¡± Noah said with a one-shouldered shrug. ¡°But I am not interested in debating the source of my strength. I do not care when one of my bodies is cut down, but I don¡¯t enjoy it. Your subordinate wasted my time. I hope you haven¡¯t arrived to do the same.¡±

    ¡°I am here to retrieve the object that she was sent to seek. I have no desire to waste any more time here than you do,¡± Zath said, crossing his arms in front of his chest and tapping a foot against the ground. ¡°This was originally Axil¡¯s task, but Lord Sievan informed me that it was likely she has failed.¡±

    ¡°Actually, we¡¯d come to an agreement,¡± Noah said. ¡°An agreement that involved you. I was under the impression she¡¯d had some way to summon you here.¡±

    Zorin looked from Noah to Zath and then back again, trying and failing to follow the conversation as the confusion spread farther across his features and into his body language. This definitely was not how the Commander had envisioned the meeting going.

    There was more than a little trepidation in his eyes. Zorin evidently recognized Zath¡¯s name ¡ª and probably not because they were just similar enough to mildly annoy Noah. He had no idea how powerful Zath was, but if a Rank 6 was this wary around him, then something told Noah that the massive, black-armored demon was not to be trifled with.

    Peak of Rank 6? Or could he be even higher? A Rank 7? That doesn¡¯t exist in Arbitage, but the Damned Plains are not Arbitage. I was pretty sure the reason people got stuck at Rank 6 back there was because their runes are so poorly combined. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Maybe the demons have found a different way to advance past Rank 6. It could have something to do with their unique biology with regard to Runes, or perhaps there¡¯s something else entirely. If that¡¯s the case¡­ maybe he¡¯ll tell me how he reached Rank 7.

    Even if Zath isn¡¯t Rank 7, this Sievan character is definitely that strong ¡ª if not stronger. The amount of fear his name commands makes it impossible for him to be a mere Rank 6¡­ as ironic as saying ¡®mere¡¯ Rank 6 sounds when I¡¯m only a Rank 4.

    ¡°Axil cannot summon me,¡± Zath said through an amused snort, breaking Noah from his thoughts. ¡°She lacks the power. Her only duty was to retrieve a rune, but it seems the task was too great a challenge for her. That would be a mistake on my part. I was unaware of your presence. Had I originally known the one who owned the Rune was one such as yourself, I would have approached to handle the situation personally.¡±

    There was something in Zath¡¯s voice that almost bordered on respect. It was somewhere just between acknowledgement and interest, with just a little uncertainty mixed in. He didn¡¯t know what Noah was capable of.

    Noah also caught something else in the demon¡¯s words. A thread of dishonesty. It didn¡¯t seem like Zath was used to lying, because something told Noah that Axil would have been sent to bother him no matter what. Despite Zath¡¯s words, the towering demon wasn¡¯t intimidated in the slightest.

    He didn¡¯t see Noah as a threat. Noah just wasn¡¯t sure if that was because Zath was confident in his own abilities or Sievan¡¯s. If Sievan really could just bring people back to life on a whim from wherever in the world he was¡­

    A shiver ran down Noah¡¯s back.

    That was power beyond even what Sunder could offer. Far, far beyond it.

    ¡°No harm done,¡± Noah said with a small shrug. ¡°Well, not to me. Axil might be on discount for the foreseeable future.¡±

    ¡°Discount?¡± Zath and Zorin asked at the same time.

    ¡°Half off,¡± Noah replied, the corner of his lips quirking up. ¡°But we can get right to the point. I don¡¯t mind bargaining with you any more than I do with Axil ¡ª and we were planning on finding you in the first place. I¡¯m willing to sell the Rune you want.¡±

    ¡°Sell?¡± Zath¡¯s head tilted to the side.

    ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m just going to give it to you, do you?¡±

    ¡°It is for Lord Sievan.¡±

    ¡°Who is more than capable of paying for it,¡± Noah said with a flat smile. ¡°Or is he so desperate for this rune that he has to resort to begging? Because that does not seem like the Lord Sievan whom I have heard of.¡±

    Noah and Zath watched each other for several long seconds. Then Zath inclined his head.

    ¡°Perhaps we can come to an agreement.¡±

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Zorin said, speaking up after his period of silence. The Commander¡¯s features were thin with displeasure. ¡°I will not interfere with Lord Sievan¡¯s business, but I am not here on a personal task. I was sent here by Lord Belkus.¡±

    Zath¡¯s head tilted to the side. ¡°I see. I apologize for the interruption. Finish your conversation. I will wait.¡±

    ¡°We cannot conclude it here,¡± Zorin said with a firm shake of his head. ¡°Lord Belkus has requested that I retrieve Spider for an audience. It must be done immediately. He awaits our return.¡±

    ¡°You wish to make Lord Sievan wait?¡± A dangerous note entered Zath¡¯s voice. ¡°You ask the Lord of the City of Gold to sit and bide his time for his lessers?¡±

    ¡°Our Lords have an accord,¡± Zorin said tersely. Tension gripped the demon¡¯s entire body, stiffening his back and tightening his fists.

    Noah didn¡¯t blame him. A fight against an unkillable Rank 6 or 7 demon was difficult enough already. A fight when Zorin hadn¡¯t even brought any weapons along with him and preferred to handle tasks at a range was suicide.

    A smarter demon probably would have pulled back on the spot.

    But Zorin was not a smarter demon. He was a single-minded demon. One who accomplished his task and let no distraction or deviation stand in his path.

    ¡°We will not take long,¡± Zath said.

    ¡°Lord Sievan¡¯s concept of time is renowned for being poor,¡± Zorin said. He shook his head. ¡°I will complete my task. This is Lord Belkus¡¯ city. The meeting must be held. Spider has already accepted.¡±

    Zath¡¯s helmeted head turned to Noah. ¡°You have?¡±

    ¡°My companions and I accepted the offer about a second before you popped up, actually. I feel like we¡¯ve spent more time debating who gets to talk first than it would have actually taken to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah. I see,¡± Zath said. He tapped his fingers on the hilt of his sword, then inclined his head. ¡°If you have already agreed, then it would go against Lord Sievan¡¯s commands for me to insist otherwise. Then it is decided.¡±

    Noah and Zorin looked at him.

    ¡°You will wait?¡± Zorin asked.

    ¡°Wait? No. I will not wait,¡± Zath replied. He grabbed the massive sword that he had planted in the ground and drew it free from the stone in a smooth motion. Noah tensed, but the huge demon just slung the blade over his back and clapped his hands together. ¡°His companions were invited to attend, yes?¡±

    Oh, no. Please don¡¯t. I do not need to get dragged into a geopolitical dick measuring contest between two Demon Lords. Just sit here and watch the smoke in the sky or something.

    Noah¡¯s telepathic thoughts never made it to Zath.

    ¡°Then this will be no issue. I can be counted among these companions,¡± Zath, the Harbinger of Sievan and uncomfortable meeting atmospheres, said. ¡°I will attend the audience.¡±

 Chapter 543: Dont even think about it

    Zath¡¯s offer worked.

    To say Noah was surprised would have been an understatement. For some reason, he¡¯d been convinced the demons would have jumped into some massive argument that eventually devolved into a city-wide brawl.

    Instead, Zorin just shrugged and nodded his assent.

    And that was how Noah, half wondering if he¡¯d somehow failed to wake up from a dream, found himself strolling through the streets of Treadon with Belkus¡¯ commander, the Harbinger of Sievan, a Rank 3 Knowledge Demon, and a masked future-seeing child that was most certainly not actually a child.

    Noah was still trying to figure out exactly how things had ended up going this way when the universe decided that they hadn¡¯t quite added enough oddities to the group. Something soft and as immovable as a boulder lodged itself in front of his foot.

    He tripped, stumbling and barely catching himself an instant before he fell flat on his face. Irritation played across Noah¡¯s face as he spun toward the source of his surprise attack, already more than aware of who the perpetrator was before he caught sight of them. There was only one being in the universe that consistently insisted on placing itself directly in front of his path when he wasn¡¯t looking.

    Mascot sat curled in the center of the street, grooming his rear. He glanced up at Noah, the reddish-purple spines running along his back humming with faint energy, and tilted his head to the side as if to ask why the clumsy human hadn¡¯t been watching their step.

    ¡°There is a creature,¡± Zorin observed.

    ¡°Unfortunately, this one is my creature,¡± Noah said, scooping Mascot up and holding the cat out before him like a toddler with a full diaper. The cat extended, somehow nearly doubling in length as he stretched toward the ground. Mascot glared at Noah. Claws pushed free of his feet.

    ¡°I do not believe the creature is pleased with you,¡± Zath said.

    ¡°The creature isn¡¯t pleased with anyone,¡± Noah said. He lifted Mascot up to his shoulders. The cat clawed onto him, sticking to his shoulder like a prickly burr. He turned back to Zorin and gestured impatiently. ¡°Don¡¯t mind the furball.¡±

    ¡°I have never seen a monster such as this one,¡± Zorin said, studying Mascot with undisguised curiosity. ¡°Is it dangerous?¡±

    ¡°Eh. He¡¯s done his best, but he hasn¡¯t managed to kill me yet. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Noah asked.

    Mascot¡¯s head slowly turned so he could look into Noah¡¯s eyes, moving so slowly that he could practically hear stone grinding against stone in his mind.

    ¡°I do not think it is done trying to kill you,¡± Zath said. ¡°Your creature bears death on its breath.¡±

    ¡°Eh. It hasn¡¯t killed anyone too important yet.¡± Noah paused for a moment. ¡°I think. I wouldn¡¯t make bets on it. He¡¯s a vindictive little shit. Isn¡¯t that right buddy? You¡¯re a vindictive little shit, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    He scratched at the side of Mascot¡¯s neck. The cat purred ¡ª and made absolutely no move to unlock its legs or remove its claws from his skin. Noah glanced back to the other demons and gestured impatiently.

    ¡°You are bleeding,¡± Zorin said.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Noah said. ¡°I am aware. Can we get this on with? I¡¯m a busy person. I have a schedule to keep.¡±

    ¡°Lord Belkus may not allow the creature into his sanctum. He is a very neat demon,¡± Zorin warned. ¡°He despises mess of all sorts. If your creature does not behave itself, it may cause trouble.¡±

    Noah glanced at Mascot. ¡°He¡­ he¡¯s great at behaving himself. Very neat, too. Never once has he so much as made a single mes¡ª¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    The cat¡¯s body contorted. Mascot let out a hack, then spit a hairball out onto the ground. The group of demons stared at it. Zorin¡¯s eyes lifted back to Noah.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t ask me to back you up on that,¡± Aylin whispered, keeping his voice low enough that only Noah could hear it. ¡°It¡¯s really difficult for me to lie.¡±

    Noah wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to laugh or sigh. He just inclined his head slightly, then cleared his throat. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Fact of the matter is, I don¡¯t think we could get rid of him if we wanted to. Mascot goes where he pleases.¡±

    Zorin lifted a hand toward the cat. Yoru¡¯ s head tilted to the side. She stiffened.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Yoru barked.

    Zorin froze. ¡°What? I was going to remove the creature.¡±

    ¡°If you touch the furball, you die,¡± Yoru said flatly. ¡°Hands off. Don¡¯t even look in that thing¡¯s direction. You can try touching it after we¡¯ve met Belkus.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Zath asked, curiosity tinging his voice.

    ¡°I can touch the creature safely after we make it to Belkus?¡± A confused frown creased Zorin¡¯s face. ¡°What changes? Why does it matter when I touch it?¡±

    ¡°I just don¡¯t care if you die after Spider has been introduced,¡± Yoru said in a matter-of-fact tone.

    Zorin¡¯s frown deepened. He studied Mascot for a moment, then pulled his hand back and shook his head. The demon started back down the street, and the rest of them followed after him.

    Blood trickled down Noah¡¯s arm and soaked into his sleeve as they continued. It wasn¡¯t even like the wounds Mascot made were that big. The cat just kept re-opening them. He was pretty sure the stupid thing had gotten fatter since they¡¯d last met.

    Probably eating something important.

    Noah wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about Mascot rocking up to a meeting at this level of importance, but it wasn¡¯t like he could get rid of the cat even if he¡¯d wanted to. Time and time again had proved that the little monster generally had his best interests in mind, if only because it found them amusing. Trying to lose Mascot would probably just end up in the cat returning with a bigger and badder monster chasing after it.

    Fortunately, the rest of the roughly hour-long trip went smoothly. None of them spoke any more, though Zath¡¯s eyes lingered on Yoru more than once. The black-armored demon was definitely curious as to who she was ¡ª or perhaps Zath had the same ability that Axil did and Yoru¡¯s canvas was really interesting.

    Zorin came to a stop at a black gate before an enormous, six-story tall cross between a mansion and a palace. Spires rose up into the air from the huge building, bulbous tops thinning to points like the barbs of a scorpion¡¯s tail. It was made of black stone with twisting veins of wood running throughout it ¡ª an impressive display of wealth in the Damned Plains, where wood was hard to come by.

    A guard by the gate pulled it open, granting them entry to the obsidian path that led up to a pair of massive, beautifully carved double doors. They depicted a scene from a battle that Noah suspected he probably would have recognized had he known anything about the history of the Damned Plains.

    ¡°Come,¡± Zorin said as he led them down the path. The doors slid open silently, each one pulled by a butler, and they stepped into a long hallway floored with soft, red carpet. There was no decoration of any sort on the walls or ceiling, which felt rather odd given the grandiose nature of the mansion.

    What stood out the most to Noah as he and the others followed Zorin inside was just how clean everything was. There wasn¡¯t so much as a speck of dust on the walls or in the corners of the doorways.

    It was completely spotless.

    Noah sent a pointed glance at Mascot.

    Don¡¯t even think about it.

    The cat just stared at him. Noah repressed a sigh. There wasn¡¯t any bargaining with Mascot. He wasn¡¯t sure why Mascot had showed up in the first place, but the little monster only tended to appear when it got the feeling something amusing was about to happen.

    And, as Noah glanced around the group following Zorin down the halls, he got the feeling he knew exactly why Mascot had decided this might be an event worth witnessing.

    The hallway opened up into a massive amphitheater-sized room. At its far end was a pair of huge double doors, strikingly similar to the ones at the building¡¯s entrance. The massive room continued off to the side, its ceiling easily one hundred feet up in the air. It, like the rest of the mansion, was floored in red rug and had no further decoration aside from the carved doors. Even the walls and ceiling were plain.

    ¡°We have arrived,¡± Zorin said as he came to a stop before the doors and braced his hands against them. ¡°Lord Belkus awaits you beyond these doors.¡±

    Noah¡¯s eyes sharpened. No matter what company he¡¯d inadvertently dragged with him, he couldn¡¯t afford to let his guard down. Belkus was a powerful demon ¡ª and a potential tool to dealing with Wizen, if Noah played his cards right.

    Well, that or a powerful enemy. I did kind of steal the underground of his city from him and murder one of his subordinates. But that¡¯s basically the equivalent of a demon ¡®hello¡¯, isn¡¯t it?

    Suppose we¡¯re about to find out.

    ¡°Well then, we¡¯d best get on with it,¡± Noah said with a cold smile. ¡°I¡¯d hate to keep him waiting.¡±

 Chapter 544: The Creature

    Zorin pressed against the huge wooden doors and they swung open soundlessly, revealing a massive room beyond.

    Carpet stretched across the ground like a red sea. It was smooth and uniform, without any break or interruption from furniture or artwork. Torches flickered from their spots along the circular walls, casting the room in dancing shadows.

    The ceiling loomed even higher in the air here than it had been in the rest of the mansion. Noah wasn¡¯t even sure what the purpose of such a massive room was ¡ª there were no chandeliers or displays of wealth hanging above to fill the space. It was just dark. As a matter of fact, there was only a single obstruction to the uniformity of the room.

    At the very center of the room was a huge throne made of polished white bone. It was easily an entire story high, polished to the point where it shimmered in the firelight. Its back rose nearly two stores into the air, looming over even the enormous demon sitting upon it.

    The demon could have been none other than Lord Belkus. He sat at easily sixteen feet tall, clad in polished silver armor that caught the torchlight and sent it dancing in patterns across the carpet at his feet.

    Belkus¡¯ skin was a bleached bone white, one that nearly matched the throne in which he sat. His eyes stuck out in sharp contrast, two pools of brilliant blue ice in a sea of snow. A pair of huge, ribbed wings jutted from his back and hung over the edges of the throne like a cape. He watched the group enter his throne room, his chin supported on the palm of a hand, fingers drumming against his square jaw.

    Even from where Noah stood, he could feel the power from the demon. It pressed into his domain and threatened to drive him to his knees. The sheer runic pressure rolling off Belkus was almost as much as Noah had felt from Jalen.

    That wouldn¡¯t have been impressive if Belkus was a human.

    But Belkus was not a human.

    He was a demon ¡ª and demon magic was so tightly bound up within their physical forms that manifesting any external magic was magnitudes more difficult than it was for anyone else.

    There was no doubt in Noah¡¯s mind. A strength like this could only come at Rank 7. No Rank 6 demon would be able to come anywhere close to Jalen¡¯s power. For Belkus to have a presence of this intensity meant that he was almost certainly one of the strongest demons he¡¯d ever met.

    Aylin squirmed in place, his eyes darting around the room. He was doing a remarkable job of not looking completely terrified. A Rank 3 in the presence of a Rank 7 was like a fly in the face of a hurricane. The Knowledge Demon shifted to keep Noah between himself and Belkus.

    ¡°Lord,¡± Zorin said, taking a step further into the room and inclining his head. ¡°I have arrived for the audience that you requested.¡±

    There were several long seconds of silence. Belkus¡¯ gaze bored into Noah¡¯s head, and Noah returned the look. Neither of them budged an inch. Finally, Belkus raised the hand that wasn¡¯t occupied with his chin.

    ¡°That is apparent, Zorin,¡± Belkus said. His tone, as smooth and flat as ice, echoed through the room like a roll of thunder. Despite its intensity, it was impossible to tell exactly what the massive demon was thinking. His features were a carefully controlled mask that allowed no emotion to slip through. ¡°I am pleased that you were able to succeed. But I believe I told you to bring Spider.¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± Zorin said. He looked back to Noah. ¡°This is Spider.¡±

    Mascot meowed.

    ¡°It is not Spider that I question. It is the zoo that you brought along with him,¡± Belkus ground out, a flicker of irritation passing through his icy eyes. He leaned forward in his throne and his features tightened. Belkus¡¯ stare bore straight into Zath. ¡°Who are the others, Zorin? Look at them! Why have you invited these demons into my halls?¡±

    ¡°They are attendants, Lord Belkus,¡± Zorin provided after a second of hesitation. ¡°They are Spider¡¯s¡­¡±

    Zorin trailed off.

    ¡°Attendants?¡± Belkus asked, disbelief tinging his words. ¡°Attendants? Look at them, Zorin! Do you really think those are attendants? Use your head, Commander. Who are they?¡±

    Noah kept his face impassive. He was fairly confident that Belkus wouldn¡¯t go back on his word ¡ª that would have made him look incredibly weak to every other demon in the city, and there had been more than enough witnesses of his promise to make sure Belkus wouldn¡¯t take it back.

    That didn¡¯t mean he trusted the Demon Lord to behave rationally, and Noah had basically strolled into Belkus¡¯ house with the representative of a rival Lord. Belkus absolutely knew who Zath was. He¡¯d asked Zorin the most rhetorical question that had ever been uttered.

    ¡°What are you?¡± Zorin whispered, looking back at Mascot.

    Mascot stared at him. Then, in an impressive display of acrobatics, he curled in on himself, still holding onto Noah¡¯s sleeve with his claws, and started grooming his ass again.

    Zorin waited for a moment longer, as if expecting Mascot to actually answer him once he was finished. When it became apparent that Mascot had no plans of finishing nor answering, the captain looked at Aylin.

    ¡°What are you?¡±

    ¡°A demon?¡±

    ¡°To Spider,¡± Zorin said in a low hiss. ¡°I know you¡¯re a demon. What are you to Spider?¡±

    Aylin flinched. His eyes darted to Belkus, who watched over them with impassive silence. It was like trying to wring information from a brick wall.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Quickly now,¡± Zorin said. ¡°Lord Belkus does not like to be kept waiting. He wishes to know who you are to Spider.¡±

    ¡°I ¡ª uh, we¡¯re not dating,¡± Aylin stammered, stumbling over his own words in stress. It didn¡¯t look like any actual thought had gone into them. His mouth was just moving, trying to get an answer out and pass the attention on to someone else. ¡°Miss Moxie is with him. I wouldn¡¯t try to get involved in that. It¡¯s way too dangerous, and he¡¯s also a lot older than me. Not that much older, but older. A bit. Well, maybe a lot, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Aylin,¡± Noah said.

    ¡°Yes, Spider?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±

    ¡°Right. Sorry.¡± Aylin adjusted his collar and swallowed heavily. ¡°I¡¯ve never met a Demon Lord before.¡±

    ¡°You never answered the question. You just said what you aren¡¯t,¡± Zorin said. His voice rose slightly in annoyance. ¡°Someone answer lord Belkus¡¯ question! He has requested an introduction!¡±

    ¡°Zorin, as much as I value your loyalty, I fear your comprehensive skills have not progressed in the hundreds of years we have known each other.¡± One of his hands clenched into a fist. ¡°I am not a fool. Before us stands¡ª¡±

    ¡°I am Zath,¡± Zath proclaimed, his words tearing through the room like crashing thunder. ¡°Harbinger of Sievan. The Cracked Blade, the Breathless End.¡±

    There was a long pause.

    ¡°I know who you are,¡± Belkus ground out.

    ¡°Ah, I understand. You want to know my relation to Spider.¡± Zath said, tapping the side of his helm. ¡°I am also not dating him.¡±

    Belkus¡¯ composure broke.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re not dating Spider!¡± Belkus roared. ¡°Why is the Breathless End in my castle? Sievan did not announce your presence. This goes against our accord. Do you seek to challenge me?¡±

    Zath tilted his head to the side. ¡°No. I would not waste my energy on such trivial things. I am here because Spider and I have business. I am unwilling to stand around like a dog and wait for a meeting, so Zorin was kind enough to invite me.¡±

    ¡°You broke a treaty because you did not wish to wait?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Zath said.

    ¡°I can respect that,¡± Belkus said after a moment. His eyes narrowed. ¡°Or, I would be able to, had you not brought a snake to my doorstep.¡±

    Aylin glanced around the room. His lips twisted into a frown and he leaned in to whisper to Noah. ¡°We didn¡¯t invite Pirren, did we?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Noah replied.

    ¡°There is a snake?¡± Shock passed over Zorin¡¯s features and he spun toward Noah and the others. ¡°I will check them at once, Lord Belkus. Allowing a lowly monster to enter your sanctum is a failing on my part. I will take full responsibility.¡±

    ¡°Not a literal snake,¡± Belkus snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers and sinking back into his chair. The bones jutting from its back caught on his shirt, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice. He pointed at Yoru. ¡°The Rising Moon, Zorin. She is right there.¡±

    Zorin spun in the direction that Belkus had pointed, fury covering his features. He spotted Yoru and froze.

    Realization passed over his face.

    ¡°I see the issue, Lord Belkus,¡± Zorin said solemnly. ¡°I had similar difficulties. But this is Yoru. Not Yoku.¡±

    Belkus stared at them.

    ¡°You said the same name twice.¡±

    ¡°No. One of them is slightly different. Yoru has an ¡®r¡¯. Yoku has a ¡®k¡¯. Subtle, but different. An easy mistake to make, Lord Belkus, I can assure you. I made it myself.¡±

    ¡°That is the Rising Moon,¡± Belkus said flatly. ¡°She has changed her name by one letter, Zorin.¡±

    Zorin turned back to Yoku, betrayal crossing over his features. ¡°You lied to me?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Yoru replied. ¡°I have been called Yoru.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Zorin returned his attention to Belkus. ¡°There you have it, Lord Belkus. She did not lie.¡±

    ¡°Damnable Loyalty Demons,¡± Belkus muttered, sinking even lower into his throne. ¡°Have I ever told you that I would have had you executed had you not been so dedicated, Zorin?¡±

    ¡°Three times this week, Lord Belkus.¡±

    ¡°Make it four.¡± Belkus leaned forward, then rose from his throne. A shadow stretched out over the ground and passed over Noah as the huge demon extended to his full height. The movement was joined by a slow, ripping tear as the throne clung to the back of the Demon Lord¡¯s shirt.

    Belkus was so strong that he didn¡¯t even seem to notice until he¡¯d completely risen, leaving the back half of his garb attached to the jutting pieces of the throne behind him. The front of his shirt fluttered down to land at his feet, leaving him completely bare chested.

    ¡°You lost your shirt, Lord Belkus.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Zorin,¡± Belkus said, glancing down at the scrap. ¡°I am aware. However, I find myself considerably more concerned with the Rank 7 Demon seeking my throne that you have led into my halls.¡±

    ¡°I have no interest in your throne,¡± Zath said.

    ¡°Not you,¡± Belkus said.

    Zorin and Zath both turned toward Noah at the exact same time.

    ¡°The creature?¡± Zorin asked.

    ¡°I suspected it to be strange,¡± Zath said. ¡°It bears no presence, yet its canvas is¡­ uniquely agonizing. I would avoid irritating it.¡±

    ¡°Not the gods-damned cat either,¡± Belkus said. ¡°Yoru. Yoku. Whatever she wishes to be named ¡ª she is still the Rising Moon. I am aware of her machinations. I have seen what she has accomplished, using misdirection to manipulate people into obeying her desires. She seeks control of Treadon.¡±

    ¡°You do?¡± Zorin asked Yoru.

    ¡°Why would you want to be a Lord?¡± Zath asked with a befuddled frown. ¡°It¡¯s a horrible bore.¡±

    ¡°I am traveling with Spider. He invited me,¡± Yoru said.

    Noah¡¯s eye twitched.

    Way to throw me under the bus, Yoru. I suppose my guess that you were physically older than you appeared was right, but what¡¯s this they¡¯re saying about ruling the city? Is that what your goal is?

    ¡°She has expressed no desire in ruling the city to me,¡± Noah said. ¡°I have no interest for ruling Treadon. I¡¯ve just liberated some of your resources. You weren¡¯t using them.¡±

    Belkus pressed his lips thin. ¡°I suspect you and I will be able to find common ground, Spider. But I called you here for one purpose ¡ª to ensure that you not fall into the grasp of the Rising Moon. She is a controller, one that will seek to set us against each other. She may not speak lies, but her truths are concealed in shadow. Do not trust her.¡±

    Noah studied Yoru. He didn¡¯t doubt a word of what Belkus said ¡ª but he wasn¡¯t about to give up his advantage. If Belkus was scared of Yoru, then this was actually a benefit. He could leverage that.

    ¡°I am here only because Spider invited me,¡± Yoru said. ¡°This was the path he desired. It may lead to another in the future, but I am not here to fight you today.¡±

    Belkus blinked. ¡°You¡­ aren¡¯t? You bring an army of powerful warriors, then claim not to seek to fight me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then what is your greatest desire?¡± Belkus asked, watching Yoru warily. ¡°I know how you work, Rising Moon. Answer me plainly, or one of us will die today ¡ª and you are not powerful enough to fight me in direct combat.¡±

    ¡°My greatest desire is far too complex to answer plainly.¡±

    ¡°Your greatest desire that is possible to be accomplished during the duration of this meeting,¡± Belkus said. ¡°What is it that you would like to do most right now?¡±

    Yoru tilted her head to the side. For several long seconds, everyone waited on her answer. Then she turned toward Noah.

    ¡°I would like to pet the cat.¡±

 Chapter 545: The Rising Moon

    ¡°The cat,¡± Belkus repeated. His features were unreadable once more, blue eyes boring into Yoru like drills. ¡°The Rising Moon¡¯s greatest desire at this moment is to pet the cat?¡±

    ¡°Not a desire I would mirror, personally,¡± Zath observed. ¡°I¡¯d sooner slit my own throat.¡±

    ¡°Is this a cypher?¡± Belkus asked, tilting his head to the side. ¡°A code to cover your true goals? I know of your distaste to outright lying, but I refuse to believe that the Rising Moon¡¯s greatest goal is to spend time with a mere monster.¡±

    ¡°It is not,¡± Yoru replied. ¡°I want to pet the cat.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Belkus asked.

    Noah wanted to know the same thing. He still didn¡¯t have the complete story, but Yoru ¡ª or Yoku ¡ª was clearly a powerful demon. A very powerful one. He¡¯d suspected that she¡¯d been strong, of course, but he hadn¡¯t quite realized the extent of it. If Yoru was really telling the truth, Noah had absolutely no idea why her current greatest desire was to pet Mascot.

    ¡°Because, when I weighed the probabilities of the potential futures, the one in which I win is the one in which I desired to pet the cat,¡± Yoru replied simply.

    ¡°You imply that petting this¡­ creature will somehow achieve the world you desire?¡± Zath asked incredulously. ¡°How would that possibly work?¡±

    Belkus looked a lot less doubtful than the other Rank 7 demon. He studied Mascot intensely for several long seconds without saying a word. Noah could practically see the thoughts going through his eyes.

    The Demon Lord respected Yoru¡¯s strength. They were enemies, and he was more than aware of what she could accomplish. But Yoru couldn¡¯t flat out control the future. She could only see the most probable paths and take actions to achieve a path that had the highest likelihood of being the one she wanted.

    That wasn¡¯t absolute strength, and Yoru hadn¡¯t refuted Belkus¡¯ words when he¡¯d insinuated that he was stronger than she was. There was probably a very good chance that Belkus would win in a direct fight. But at the same time, he had to realize that Yoru wouldn¡¯t have come here if she didn¡¯t think she had a way to win.

    Part of Noah wondered if the mind games that came from trying to fight a demon that could peer into potential futures were worse than actually fighting them. He¡¯d be second guessing every single action he made. Wondering if every single coincidence was actually intentional ¡ª and a lot of them probably were.

    ¡°It is the future that I witnessed,¡± Yoru replied with a shrug. Her hand drifted up to the mask covering her features. ¡°I will say no more. Do you plan on breaking your word, Belkus? Will you attack Spider¡¯s entourage?¡±

    Aylin stiffened at Noah¡¯s side. Zorin tensed and Zath watched on, expression still hidden behind his helm. Out of everyone in the room, he was the least invested in its outcome. He was just along for the ride.

    ¡°You wish to trap me into fighting against Spider,¡± Belkus said. ¡°To force my hand and destabilize Treadon even further. Your games will not work on me, Rising Moon.¡±

    Yoru¡¯s head tilted to the side ¡ª a particularly threatening gesture considering what it meant.

    ¡°Do you struggle against the setting sun, Lord Belkus? Do you attempt to hold it aloft in the sky to keep the night at bay?¡±

    ¡°Speaking in riddle will do nothing to alter my course,¡± Belkus said. He raised a hand. Points pressed up against the inside of his arm. Blood dripped down his hand as bone pressed up, slicing through his skin and winding out like bleached vines. The bone intertwined, tightening into a shaft, rising up and blooming like a bloody flower to form a huge hammer head. Spiked growths emerged from all over the weapon, largely concentrated at its striking surface.

    ¡°Do you know why I do not lie?¡± Yoru asked, not even slightly perturbed by the gruesome display before her. ¡°It is because I have no need to. I already know you will do exactly as I desire. The wielder of a pawn is not present on the board.¡±

    Belkus¡¯ grip tightened around the bone hammer in his hands. The skin on the back of Noah¡¯s back prickled. He wished he could reach for his runes. He wasn¡¯t sure what he could do directly against Belkus, but it would have been nice to at least be able to try.

    It was easy to forget just how powerful Yoru¡¯s magic was. If she¡¯d peered into the future and already weighed the possibilities, then it was very possible that attacking here was exactly what Yoru wanted Belkus to do.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Or perhaps this was what stopped Belkus from attacking. Then again, Yoru¡¯s words could have been meant to cause him to think that, which would therefore make him attack. Just the mere thought of it made Noah¡¯s skull pound and amplified his lingering headache.

    Cold prickled against Noah¡¯s skin. It rolled from Yoru¡¯s body in waves, bearing the weight of immense magic just barely allowed to slip through. Yoru may have been emotionally undeveloped, but her Runes were in control now.

    She was not just a child.

    She was not just a demon.

    She was a calculated future.

    One that had built itself. An uncomfortable thought passed through his mind. Yoru had said that the wielder of a pawn wasn¡¯t present on the board. She hadn¡¯t been lying ¡ª but Noah was pretty sure she hadn¡¯t actually been referring to herself as the wielder in her analogy.

    Yoru was speaking about her own Master Rune.

    ¡°Do it, then,¡± Belkus ground out. His hand snapped open and the bone growth emerging from his palm collapsed inward, slithering back into his body and flicking blood across the floor until it had completely retreated. His hand tightened into a fist. ¡°Take the cat, Yoru. Pet it. Elsewhere. You are not welcome in my palace.¡±

    I¡¯m not so sure Mascot is going to¡ª

    Claws dug into Noah¡¯s shoulder. Mascot leapt off his shoulder, dropping to the ground and padding over to Yoru. The small demon bent, scooping the cat up, and placed him on top of her head like a fluffy hat.

    ¡°I enjoyed our meeting, Lord Belkus,¡± Yoru said, turning on her heel and striding toward the huge double doors at the end of the room. ¡°Anticipate the next one. I will be there at the end.¡±

    She slipped out the doors and vanished from sight. The throne room was silent for several long seconds. Then Belkus lowered himself back into his throne, heaving a long sigh.

    ¡°Infuriating demon. I rue the day she entered Treadon. It has caused me nothing but trouble. We are all tools in her eyes. She has no respect for anything. No readable desires. The Rising Moon is a corruption that I cannot cut free without severing my own neck ¡ª and that is why I called you here, Spider.¡±

    ¡°Her goals and mine are not one,¡± Noah said, still surprised that Mascot had headed off with Yoru of his own volition. ¡°Though I will not take a stance against her. We are not enemies at this time.¡±

    ¡°I did not expect you to,¡± Belkus said with a bark of laughter. ¡°She does not have enemies. I have enemies. The Rising Moon has nothing but herself and those who lose their souls in her gaze. So, tell me, Spider. You are not a friend to the Rising Moon. You are certainly not a friend to me. Then who are you? Why are you in my city? At first, I thought you to be a minor demon seeking to slice power for themselves. That no longer seems likely. You keep strange company ¡ª and the rumors surrounding you are stranger still.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re looking for a simple answer to a very complicated question,¡± Noah said. ¡°I do not believe I can give it to you.¡±

    ¡°A demon who slips past even the reaches of death,¡± Belkus intoned, placing his arms on the rests of his throne and leaning forward. ¡°And he uses that immense power to cause discord in my city for no apparent reason. Yoru believes that you somehow aid her plan. Sievan sends his men to wait on you, one of which you kill. I trust one as unique as you will find a way to answer my question, Spider. If not, while you not be enemies with the Rising Moon, you will be enemies with me.¡±

    Noah met Belkus¡¯ gaze without flinching. It certainly helped that the demon didn¡¯t have a true domain. If he did, Noah doubted he would have been able to remain standing. Even the power rolling off the Demon all the way from his throne was enough to push Noah¡¯s resilience to his limits.

    ¡°A simple answer will answer nothing, but if that is what you seek ¡ª I am a teacher.¡±

    ¡°A teacher?¡± Belkus repeated, small frown playing across his lips. ¡°What is it that you teach? And what is it that leads a teacher to Treadon and causes them to attempt to interfere with its goings?¡±

    I was originally planning to try and build an army from the dregs of Belkus¡¯ society and then leverage that somewhere else to try and build a search party for Wizen¡­ but maybe there¡¯s a way around that. Could I get Belkus interested in Wizen somehow? I don¡¯t know if I want to reveal that Wizen has a key that allows for free passage into the mortal realm, but I need to get my hands on that damn artifact so I can get back to my students ¡ª and so Tim can get the transport cannon back up and running properly.

    ¡°I teach whatever needs to be taught,¡± Noah replied. ¡°And I come in pursuit of a man.¡±

    ¡°One in Treadon?¡± Belkus asked, amusement flickering across his features. ¡°That is why you uprooted my gangs? I had heard you formed them into an information network. Was that purely to locate a single demon? You are not one for half-measures.¡±

    ¡°To locate a single person,¡± Noah said, inclining his head. ¡°And, once I have found him, I will leave.¡±

    ¡°To go to such lengths¡­ he stole from you?¡±

    ¡°You could say that.¡±

    ¡°How curious. You are an enigma, Spider,¡± Belkus said, drumming his fingers against the bones that made up his throne. ¡°I still find myself bereft of the true measure of your power. You carry yourself like an ancient demon but bear the power of a young one. The rumors would make you a new power rising up to challenge me for control of Treadon and yet you show no interest in the city. Every action you have taken thus far, the moves of an invading force, were nothing more than a gambit to find a single man. Something about you is deeply unsettling.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Noah said.

    ¡°It was not a compliment,¡± Belkus replied. ¡°Tell me the name of the one whom you seek. I am curious to know what kind of demon could be worth such effort that he could bring you from your hiding.¡±

    Hook set. Now I just have to figure out what the hell kind of bait a Demon like Belkus is going to bite.

    ¡°The one I seek is called Wizen.¡±

    And, for the briefest of seconds, something shifted in the Demon Lord¡¯s features.

    Recognition.

    Belkus knew who Wizen was.

 Chapter 546: The Hunter

    Wizen¡¯s staff rang against bloodstained golden brick, punctuating his steps as he stepped over the wrung corpses in his path.

    The smell of blood hung in the air like a vulture. Aside from the sound of his staff and the squelch of blood beneath his feet, the hall he strode through was silent. The demons who hadn¡¯t yet died had already realized that to make noise was to seek death.

    He moved past the body of a wiry demon, the blades that had once emerged from their body shattered and broken like fragments of glass. A flicker of power still burned within their chest, so little that it was barely worth noting. The demon held his breath, freezing in place in hope of being overlooked.

    Wizen did not overlook him ¡ª but he stepped past the demon nonetheless. He wasn¡¯t worth the energy that it would take to put down. There were more important tasks at hand, and he was already behind schedule.

    A part of him had once been convinced that finding the City of Gold would have been the most difficult step of his plan. Getting into the Damned Plains alone was an immensely difficult task that had taken years upon years of preparation and research. Now that he had made it, everything should have been simple.

    But, as it turned out, actually finding the one he sought was even harder still.

    The City of Gold wasn¡¯t just enormous. A single word couldn¡¯t do it proper justice, but momentous may have been more apt.

    Cities were large. Bastions, such as Arbitage, were huge. But the City of Gold ¡ª it couldn¡¯t even properly be considered a city. A world may have been more accurate. The huge, glistening city aboveground was deceptive. It burrowed deep into the incomprehensibly large turtle that it rested upon, each layer another city entirely on its own.

    Even with his information network stretched across the city, finding anything useful was like digging needles from hay. Barb and the others were scattered off in every and all directions, and all their combined efforts had barely gathered a few scraps of useful information.

    Wizen had descended through three layers of the city already. In each one, no demon had been able to give him a good idea of just how deep it went. Finding information here was like wringing water from a rock. Possible, but exceedingly annoying.

    His walk carried him up to a metal door embedded into the stone. There was no apparent way to open it beyond an embossed handprint in its center. Imbued runes covered the door¡¯s surface, running out from the indent and traveling throughout its surface. A thin spike emerged from the center of the indent.

    The corner of Wizen¡¯s lip curled down. Blood magic ¡ª one that was meant to keep anyone but the bloodline of the person who owned the door out of the room beyond. It only took him a moment to determine that the Imbuements continued off the edges of the door, vanishing where it touched the walls.

    The entire hall is Runed, and a second layer of stone was built over the first to block the runes from view. Likely trapped as well. It seems my target is quite paranoid.

    Good.

    Perhaps this one will be of use.

    Wizen lifted his hand and brought it up to the metal door, letting the pads of his fingers gently brush across its surface before they came to a rest.

    Metal screeched in what could have only been described as agony. A horrendous shriek filled the air as the door crumpled in on itself like a piece of scrap paper. Imbuements sputtered and flared, magic crackling and dancing through the air, but the metal had been destroyed so quickly that none of it had a chance to activate. The door folded itself into a crushed up ball, then clanged to the ground at Wizen¡¯s feet.

    Beyond it was a large meeting hall. A long table in the center of the room was lined with twelve seats on each side. It was covered with a tablecloth of extravagant white silk trimmed with gold. Plates of food and magical ingredients were strewn across its surface and spilled over the expensive cloth.

    Demons sat around the table in expensive wooden chairs, frozen mid-meal with stunned looks of disbelief on their faces. Not a single one could have cared less about all of their men that Wizen had just killed. They¡¯d been dining while he slaughtered their families.

    At the far end of the table knelt a ten-foot demon with brilliant blue skin and a ropey X shaped scar across the center of his face. Curled, blackened teeth protruded from between gray lips, so large that the demon¡¯s mouth couldn¡¯t even close properly.

    His target.

    Mikthal, was it? I never do remember their names. There are so many, and they start to blend together after a while. What was the last one¡¯s name? Arthur? What an odd name for a demon.

    No matter.

    Wizen¡¯s domain swept the room in a split instant.

    In that split instant, he judged every single demon before him. A mixture of Rank 4 and 5 demons, with the strongest one in the room being the blue-skinned Terror Demon at Rank 7. This wasn¡¯t the first Rank 7 he¡¯d killed in the City of Gold, but a large portion of him hoped it would be his last. He didn¡¯t care much for wasting time.

    ¡°I seek Sievan,¡± Wizen said, before any of the demons could even fully finish processing his arrival. ¡°Tell me where he is.¡±

    ¡°How did you get in here?¡± a large demon demanded, rising from his chair and reaching for his sword. He had little magic and couldn¡¯t have been higher than Rank 4. ¡°How¡ª¡±

    Wizen¡¯s hand clawed into a fist.

    The demon¡¯s head collapsed in on itself. It popped like a cherry tomato. Blood splattered across his clothes and the table around him. Swaying, the body pitched back, catching on his chair, and both tumbled to the ground with a resounding crash.

    ¡°That,¡± Wizen said, ¡°Was not an answer. Tell me where Sievan is. This is not a request. It is an order.¡±

    He batted the crumpled ball of metal that had once been a door to the side with his staff, then stepped further into the room. The demons leapt from their chairs, stumbling to put distance between themselves and him.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t with Sievan,¡± another demon stammered. ¡°This is the Screaming Saber¡¯s tunnel system. We have nothing to do with Sievan.¡±

    ¡°You live in the City of Gold, and a merchant was kind enough to inform me that you have had dealings with Sievan before,¡± Wizen said dispassionately. ¡°I do not wish to waste time or energy. Give me the answers I seek and I will leave.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Mikthal asked, lounging back in his chair. ¡°And who are you to demand anything from us?¡±

    Unlike the rest of the demons, the Rank 7 didn¡¯t look concerned about Wizen¡¯s intrusion. He was a Rank 7 demon ¡ª not many of those tended to be particularly timid. The confidence was only partially earned.

    Mikthal¡¯s runic pressure put him at the lower ends of Rank 7. He wasn¡¯t strong enough to find a Walking City and become a proper Lord, but he still commanded enough power to justify leading some weaker demons. Living within the City of Gold was generally safe ¡ª so long as one didn¡¯t go against Sievan.

    ¡°I had a brief conversation with a merchant,¡± Wizen said. His quiet words echoed through the room. ¡°He was kind enough to point me in your direction ¡ª along with that of a few of your compatriots. None of them were useful. I have high hopes that things will be different here.¡±

    Mikthal¡¯s expression flickered for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re the one that¡¯s been attacking the other Dens?¡±

    ¡°Attacking is a strong word,¡± Wizen said. ¡°It almost carries the implication that there was a fight. There was no such thing.¡±

    A high-Rank 5 demon lurched into motion. The air around them popped and they blurred, streaks of wind peeling off their body as they shot toward Wizen, claws reaching to rip out his throat.

    Blood splattered across Wizen¡¯s face.

    It was the only thing that reached him.

    A corpse rolled to a stop at his feet. Its head was gone, turned into fine, bloody mist. Both of its arms had shared the same fate. Wizen reached into a pocket and procured a handkerchief, wiping the specs of blood from his features.

    ¡°What I am doing,¡± Wizen said, folding the cloth square back up and returning it to its former place, ¡°is hunting.¡±

    Mikthal rose to his feet, but there was more unease in the demon¡¯s posture than there had been a moment before. He couldn¡¯t see the invisible magic swirling in the air around Wizen. He couldn¡¯t feel the tendrils of Density magic that swirled around Wizen, waiting to grind anything that drew his attention into tiny particles.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never spoken to Sievan,¡± Mikthal said. ¡°Whoever told you that information is wrong. It might be a rival. Arthon, maybe? He and I are enemies. He¡¯d have sent you in my direction to¡ª¡±

    Wizen snapped his fingers. ¡°Arthon. Not Arthur. Yes, I remember now.¡±

    Mikthal stared at Wizen. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already killed him,¡± Wizen said. ¡°He put up a pathetic fight ¡ª but I really shouldn¡¯t have expected much more. The entirety of your kind disgust me. To be a slave to your own magic¡­ pathetic.¡±

    It took Mikthal an instant to process Wizen¡¯s words. The Terror Demon¡¯s eyes widened in realization ¡ª and Wizen gave him a tiny fragment of credit for that. He¡¯d figured things out faster than the past few annoyances had.

    ¡°You¡¯re a human,¡± Mikthal said.

    ¡°One whose patience has long since run thin. Where is Sievan?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Mikthal said, setting his jaw. ¡°Lord Sievan does not share his location with the likes of us. There are many Rank 7s that serve under him. But I know someone who could help you!¡±

    Wizen¡¯s head tilted to the side. He could always pick through Mikthal¡¯s skull with his Mind runes, but that would have been a bother. Using them on a Rank 7 would be exceedingly difficult and unlikely to yield fruitful results.

    ¡°Speak,¡± Wizen said.

    ¡°There¡¯s an information Broker. Tixen,¡± Mikthal said hurriedly. ¡°He¡¯s the leader of the Eyeless Den. They¡¯re not too far from here ¡ª I know he¡¯s met Sievan before. He would know where you can meet Lord Sievan.¡±

    The corner of Wizen¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Not a friend of yours, I presume?¡±

    ¡°We have our differences,¡± Mikthal said, words terse. The other demons in the room pressed back, trying to stay as far away from Wizen as possible. Mikthal¡¯s body language didn¡¯t seem nearly as reserved. He was good at controlling his fear ¡ª which, given the desire he feasted on ¡ª was not unsurprising. Mikthal swallowed. ¡°He is a wily one, but if you¡¯re powerful enough to break into my Den, you can find him easily.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Wizen said. ¡°And you believe his information to be true? To be worth your lives?¡±

    Mikthal swallowed again, then gave Wizen a sharp nod. ¡°Yes. It is what you seek, is it not? That seems like a fair trade to me. I can offer nothing more.¡±

    Wizen inclined his head. ¡°Should your information be true, it is. Where is¡ª¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s lying!¡± A young voice split through the air.

    Everyone, Wizen included, turned as one.

    Standing in the corpse-covered hall was a tiny demon girl, a dagger clutched in her hands. Tremors of fear gripped her entire body and her features were pale ¡ª but still she stood. Still, she spoke.

    It was the girl that he¡¯d spared after dealing with a few pests.

    What is she doing here? Her power is so weak my Domain barely even registered her. I thought she was one of the dying demons.

    Wizen¡¯s eyes snapped back to Mikthal. For the briefest of instants, there was a flash of recognition on the large demon¡¯s features. Then he flicked a hand in dismissal.

    ¡°A street rat somehow broke in. Someone kill the brat,¡± Mikthal said, an air of weary exasperation in his words that didn¡¯t match the instant of unease behind his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying!¡± The girl insisted, her eyes going wide as she took a step back. ¡°He¡¯s lying to you! Mikthal and Tixen are rival Dens. They¡¯ve both met Sievan before, and Mikthal knows who I am. I was part of his Den!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, street rat,¡± Mikthal said with a bark of laughter. ¡°I can assure you, I¡¯ve never seen this brat in my life. There¡¯s no reason to¡ª¡±

    The rest of Mikthal¡¯s words were replaced by a wet wheeze. The Terror Demon¡¯s eyes went wide and his head rolled forward, looking down at the foot-wide hole in the center of his chest where his heart had been.

    His gaze lifted up to Wizen, whose hand was extended toward him. In his other palm, a key rested, humming with dull red energy. Gray smoke swirled around Wizen¡¯s fingertips, pouring out from Mikthal and into his hand.

    Disbelief washed over the demon¡¯s face. His lips parted ¡ª and he pitched forward, crashing to the ground.

    Wizen flicked his hand. The gray smoke exploded through the room, tearing through the ranks of the demons within it like a plague. They barely even got a chance to scream. Within instants, every single one of them had died, the gray smoke having ripped the energy clean from their souls and ferried it back to Wizen.

    And only then did Wizen turn. He looked down at the small demon girl. She trembled, locked in place and not daring to so much as look away.

    ¡°You followed me,¡± Wizen said, his words flat. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Y¡ªyou killed Mikthal,¡± the girl stammered, her eyes going as wide as saucers. ¡°Just like that. You killed a Rank 7 demon with one attack.¡±

    ¡°He wasted my time,¡± Wizen said. ¡°And you seem to have saved it. That, I appreciate. I will not kill you for that reason. But why did you choose to follow me?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t want it.¡± The demoness swallowed heavily. ¡°And if you didn¡¯t want it, you didn¡¯t need to kill me. You were also killing everyone that did want it.¡±

    ¡°It?¡± Wizen¡¯s head tilted to the side. At this point, his curiosity was piqued. His domain washed over the girl as he scanned her. Buried deep within her chest, where her heart should have been, was a tiny core of magic. It was so small that it was almost not worth mentioning, but it was out of place enough to draw his attention when he searched. ¡°An artifact in your heart?¡±

    The girl¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You do know about it.¡±

    It seems I was spared a wasted trip back here to kill these fools for lying to me by a petty demon squabble over some useless tool. How amusing.

    ¡°I see,¡± Wizen said. ¡°You said that you knew of this Tixen, yes?¡±

    The girl gave him a jerky nod. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Take me to his Den.¡±

    Her eyes widened. ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°You are following me already,¡± Wizen said. ¡°If you use me for protection, then you will earn your keep by leading me to one who can take me to Sievan. I trust that is a fair trade?¡±

    The demon inclined her head hurriedly. ¡°Yes. Very fair.¡±

    Wizen¡¯s smile did not reach his eyes. He gestured to the girl, and she hurriedly turned to set off down the blood-splattered tunnel with Wizen following in her wake.

    He was so close to his goal that he could almost taste it. Years and years of planning, only a few fools and some meagre days away from fruition. All for one meeting. For one chance.

    He would not fail. He could not fail.

    I am coming, love. You will not have to wait much longer.

 IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

    Howdy all!

    And I come with fantastic news. One of my other series, My Best Friend is an Eldritch Horror now has a webtoon! An enormous amount of effort went into this project from a whole team of really talented & dedicated artists as well as myself. This will also give me a chance to try and improve on all the things that I wanted to fix in the novel. If you enjoyed the series, please consider checking it out now on WT!Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Here''s the link:

    https://www.webtoons.com/en/fantasy/my-best-friend-is-an-eldritch-horror/list?title_no=6848</a>

    Also, there are more webtoons to come... STARTING WITH RUNEBOUND PROFESSOR, TOMORROW!

    THATS RIGHT BABY. RUNEBOUND HAS A COMIC COMING OUT TOMORROW.

    But today is today, and today is eldritch bestie. Pls check it out :3

 Chapter 547: Cockroaches

    ¡°You know Wizen,¡± Noah said.

    It wasn¡¯t a question.

    The perfectly clean throne room was silent for a long second. Belkus sat in his towering throne made of bone, features unreadable once more, his massive form looming over them. He was a patch of white in a sea of red. Belkus looked down on the group of demons and Noah.

    ¡°I do not know him,¡± Belkus allowed. ¡°But I do know of him. What relation do you have to him?¡±

    ¡°I came here in pursuit of him,¡± Noah replied. It wasn¡¯t technically a complete lie. He had come in pursuit. He¡¯d followed Wizen into the Damned Plains. It just hadn¡¯t been entirely intentional. ¡°Once I have a way to deal with him, I have nothing more I seek from this area. You will not find me in Treadon again.¡±

    ¡°Your answers have done more to pique my curiosity than if you had said nothing.¡± Belkus leaned forward, his features tightening. ¡°What relation do you have with Wizen, Spider?¡±

    ¡°Enemies,¡± Noah replied without an instant of hesitation. ¡°I seek his life.¡±

    Belkus¡¯ posture relaxed. The massive demon let himself lean back in his chair, then grimaced as the sharp bone dug into his back and shifted his position once more. He interlaced his fingers together.

    ¡°Good. Then perhaps you are correct,¡± Belkus allowed. ¡°There may be something we can aid each other with. I want you gone from my city, Spider. I do not want you in a location in which you can aid the Rising Moon in her plots against me.¡±

    ¡°I think I would be amiable to that,¡± Noah said. He wasn¡¯t so sure that would actually do anything to Yoru¡¯s plans. After all, if she was actually using her powers, she¡¯d have already calculated that this was the most likely outcome of the meeting.

    She¡¯d chosen to leave, which meant that she didn¡¯t think that the results of what happened here would hurt her. Either that or she was actually holding off on using her magic. There was a small ¡ª a very small ¡ª chance that Yoru actually didn¡¯t know what Belkus was offering.

    Noah wasn¡¯t about to bet on it.

    If she¡¯s let things get to this point¡­ I get the feeling Belkus might not be fighting what he thinks. Her idea of victory and Belkus¡¯ might be completely different from each other. Either that or I just have absolutely no idea what she¡¯s gunning at. Maybe a mixture of the two.

    ¡°Then I will give you what you desire,¡± Belkus said. ¡°Wizen resides within the Golden City.¡±

    That name again. The place near the Black Reaches?

    ¡­the one with Sievan?

    ¡°He does?¡± Zath asked, his armored head tilting to the side in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s a surprise. I didn¡¯t expect him to be so direct. It looked like he was planning on taking a far more roundabout manner. He must be moving quickly.¡±

    Noah looked back at Zath. ¡°You¡¯re aware of him as well?¡±

    ¡°I am. Wizen sent a challenge to Lord Sievan some short time ago,¡± Zath replied with an offhand shrug. ¡°But Sievan does not accept duels. He has no reason to. There is no demon that resides within the Damned Plains that could ever hope to defeat him. Pointless challenges are nothing but a waste of time to him ¡ª but I must say, Wizen had a rather persuasive way of sending word.¡±

    ¡°And what way was that?¡± Noah asked.

    ¡°He sent a Demon Lord,¡± Belkus said, a dangerous edge forming in his voice.

    ¡°Skolas,¡± Zath said with a nod. Some of the easygoing air that had enveloped the intimidating demon slipped away as a cold aura seeped out from him and prickled against Noah¡¯s skin. ¡°And Skolas delivered quite a message. I must say, Spider, I now find myself more interested in you. What history do you have with Wizen?¡±

    ¡°A lot,¡± Noah replied. He forced himself to avoid swallowing. Wizen had managed to use his Mind Runes on a Rank 7 Demon Lord. If he got to more of them¡­ the fight was just over. His whole plan had been to build an army that could match Wizen¡¯s. If Wizen had the Demon Lords from the Damned Plains under his thumb, the fight would be impossible. ¡°More than I care to go through now. Are you telling me that Wizen is controlling a Demon Lord?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Zath replied. He studied Noah¡¯s expression for a moment. ¡°It would be easier to show you. Do I have your permission, Lord Belkus? I would not draw on my power in your castle without it.¡±

    ¡°I did not take you for a polite one,¡± Belkus said dryly.

    ¡°It is not politeness. I would inconvenience Lord Sievan if I were to kill you.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Belkus let out a snort, but there was more than a little displeasure in it. He waved a hand irritably. ¡°Use your power. The sanctity of this meeting has already been violated enough. It may as well be put down like a sick animal.¡±

    ¡°With pleasure,¡± Zath said. He clapped his hands together, and an echo resounded through the room. Noah¡¯s ears pulsed. A low hum filled the air as the huge demon pulled his gauntleted hands apart.

    Strands of black lightning crackled between his palms. Smoke poured out from the churning energy and spilled across the floor in a wave. It rolled past Noah, chilling as it passed by his skin. The dark smoke climbed up the walls and rose over their heads, forming a rumbling storm above them.

    Shapes started to form in the smoke. Walls of twisting, misty black magic rose to stand in the center of the room. Figures took shape in the darkness, initially nothing more than faint blobs, but quickly gaining detail.

    Pressure roared around Noah ¡ª but it didn¡¯t crush him. It was if the power came from every direction, competing against itself and preventing it from becoming oppressive. That was no coincidence.

    The demon was holding his power back.

    Noah¡¯s hair stood on end. A demon powerful enough to use this much external magic at this level would have been powerful enough.

    The scene continued to paint itself. Detail appeared in the walls to the point where he could make out the minor imperfections of the pitch black wall across from him. It was like someone had taken a video in black and white, then tossed Noah right into its center.

    A shadow passed over his head.

    Noah turned, then stepped back.

    A fifteen-foot tall demon clad in destroyed armor loomed above him. He was made up of shadows and devoid of any color but black and gray, but the detail was so intricate that Noah could have plucked a hair from his chin had he been so inclined.

    The shadow passed right through Noah. His figure parted into trails of smoke as he passed through Noah, then reformed just beyond him.

    ¡°Sievan!¡± the figure roared, his words tearing through the room and making Noah flinch. He hadn¡¯t expected the shadow to actually speak.

    A demon peered over the top of the towering wall. His face was a flat pool of shadow, devoid of any defining features or shapes. He moved as if he were yelling something back, but no sound emerged from him.

    ¡°I was the Demon known as Skolas,¡± the massive Demon Lord continued, entirely unperturbed by whatever the guard had called down to him. His voice echoed through the room like roaring thunder. The demon pounded a fist against his destroyed armor. ¡°I bear a Challenge for you, Lord of Death, on behalf of Wizen the Lifeweaver. I seek your life. Meet me in battle, or I will rip your city apart brick by brick.¡±

    Skolas raised a hand, then plunged it straight into his chest with a crunch and a squelch. Shadows splattered out like blood as the Demon Lord ripped his own heart clean free of his ribcage.

    Rivers of darkness poured down his chest and arm. The Demon Lord lifted the heart into the air. He held it aloft like a torch, staring defiantly up at the city, and spoke no more.

    ¡°He died standing,¡± Zath provided. He flicked his hand and the shadows vanished, pouring back into his body. ¡°Wizen made quite a statement. This is far from the first time a Demon Lord has been killed. It¡¯s not even the most brutal way it¡¯s happened¡­ but I have to say, a death like that leaves quite an impression.¡±

    ¡°Is Sievan going to take him up on the challenge?¡± Noah asked.

    ¡°No idea,¡± Zath replied with a shrug. ¡°Sievan does not keep me partial to all his goings. I doubt it. He rarely accepts challenges. Killing a single Rank 7 does not make you strong enough to draw his attention¡­ but if Wizen keeps at it, well, it¡¯s possible. I do believe he¡¯s currently attempting to draw Sievan¡¯s attention by making his way through the City of Gold and killing some of the Denlords that reside beneath it.¡±

    ¡°He is powerful,¡± Belkus said. ¡°And you possess a way to stop Wizen, Spider?¡±

    No.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I figure killing him should do the trick. Pulling it off might be the hard part.

    Why is Wizen able to mow through demons like this? He was strong back in the mortal realm¡­ but not like this. Could it have something to do with Mind Runes and how demons have linked souls and bodies? Or is it something else entirely?

    ¡°Either way, sending him over to Sievan will get him out of your city,¡± Zath said cheerfully. ¡°Seems like a win to me.¡±

    ¡°You just want to end the audience so you can complete your task,¡± Belkus said, his eyes narrowing.

    ¡°Correct,¡± Zath said. ¡°This has been interesting, but my time is not infinite. I have things to do ¡ª and kill.¡±

    Hopefully he¡¯s not doing both to the same thing.

    ¡°It seems I have a solution worked out before me. One that has laid itself out quite well,¡± Belkus said, his eyes narrowing slightly. ¡°Perhaps too well. You will leave Treadon?¡±

    Noah almost nodded, but caught himself right before he could. A thought struck him and he had to fight a smile off before it could take form.

    Maybe I can get a bit more out of this.

    ¡°Eventually, yes. I can¡¯t defeat him as I am now. I need more power. Once I have amassed the strength I need, I will seek Wizen out. This meeting with Sievan is for unrelated reasons. He wants something I possess.¡±

    Belkus¡¯ lips thinned. ¡°And if I were to want you to leave immediately?¡±

    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t be opposed to it,¡± Noah said slowly, as if he were turning the idea over in his mouth. ¡°I am not an unreasonable man. You want me gone. I want Wizen dead. Perhaps we could meet in the middle. I will not say why, but my method to defeating Wizen involves a large number of Runes. Specifically, Mind Runes. I had been planning to amass them over some time, but if you were willing to expedite the process¡­¡±

    ¡°You are attempting to blackmail me with the promise of your own departure,¡± Belkus said. He did not sound impressed.

    ¡°Correct,¡± Noah said.

    ¡°Were you not with Yoru, I would have crushed you on the spot¡­ but I fear that may be exactly what she desires.¡±

    Noah shrugged. ¡°Maybe. Getting crushed would be mildly annoying, but death holds no grasp on me. I would be back, Belkus. I always come back.¡±

    ¡°Death demons,¡± Belkus growled, the words rumbling in his chest like a curse. He squinted at Noah. The corner of his lips curled up in something between a smile and a sneer.  ¡°Cockroaches, more like. Very well. Perhaps we can come to an agreement.¡±

 RUNEBOUND HAS A WEBCOMIC!

    Hey everyone!

    I am so excited to announce that Runebound has gotten a webcomic! I''ve put an enormous amount of effort into this comic along with the rest of the team, and I really hope you all enjoy. Please consider checking it out and leaving a rating if you''re enjoying!If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Here''s a link: https://www.webtoons.com/en/<wbr>fantasy/return-of-the-<wbr>runebound-professor/list?<wbr>title_no=6849</a>

    LETS GOOOOO

 Chapter 548: Vile creature

    Around an hour later, Noah walked out of Belkus¡¯ estate with a large scroll tucked under his arm and a smug grin plastered across his face. The rest of the group, aside from Zorin, who had remained in the throne room, walked at his sides.

    Yoru had rejoined them as they¡¯d left the palace. Mascot sat perched upon her head like a bird in a nest. He watched Noah with lazy eyes, idly kneading Yoru¡¯s hair as she ferried him. The small demon didn¡¯t seem to mind.

    ¡°What is it that you believe several Rank 5 Mind Runes are going to do for you?¡± Zath asked as they walked. The clank of his heavy sabatons punctuated his words as they headed down the streets of Treadon in the direction of the Web¡¯s camp.

    ¡°A lot of things,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I have a number of runes myself, and I prefer to create all the runes I use. It lets me minimize the number of mistakes present in them.¡±

    ¡°Meticulous,¡± Zath said with a small nod. ¡°Lord Sievan is of the same mind. It takes a great amount of time and wealth to progress in this way. Not something that most demons are capable of doing when the currency that buys life is power.¡±

    That was a thinly veiled question. Zath still wasn¡¯t sure just how strong Noah was. Even though he had no domain, Zath could probably tell that Noah wasn¡¯t a Rank 6 or 7 demon ¡ª but he also knew Noah had come back after dying and stood on near-equal footing with Belkus.

    When something looked like a duck and quacked like a duck¡­ it was probably a Demon Lord.

    ¡°Meticulous is the only way to go about rune advancement,¡± Noah said with a small shrug. ¡°Anything else will do nothing but hinder you. There is too much power at stake to go bumbling around.¡±

    ¡°Very true,¡± Zath said. He turned his head to glance back at Aylin and Yoru. ¡°Are all of your choices equally as intentional?¡±

    ¡°Some of them.¡±

    They passed by a group of demons chatting in the street. The demons¡¯ conversation ground to a halt as they spotted Zath¡¯s massive form lumbering through the street alongside Noah. Their mouths dropped open and they stared in stunned disbelief, not so much as moving a muscle until they¡¯d been left behind in the street.

    ¡°So,¡± Zath said. ¡°What exactly is your plan to deal with Wizen? Or was that just an excuse to fleece Belkus of a few unneeded runes?¡±

    ¡°Do you really think I need to wheedle my way into getting some Rank 5 Runes?¡± Noah asked, sending a flat look in Zath¡¯s direction. ¡°Is your opinion of me that low?¡±

    Zath let out a low chuckle. ¡°Fair enough. You do have a plan, then?¡±

    Oh, not in the slightest. I was totally fleecing him. I don¡¯t have the faintest goddamn idea of what I¡¯m going to do about Wizen. The Mind Runes are just to give me a way to make sure he can¡¯t somehow control me.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Noah arched an eyebrow.

    ¡°I would assume one who had been chasing Wizen for any amount of time would be aware of some weakness,¡± Zath allowed with a curt nod of his head. ¡°I will look forward to seeing just what it is, then. I suspect I shall enjoy watching the fight.¡±

    ¡°Watching?¡± Noah blinked. Wizen was actively attacking the City of Gold. Even if Lord Sievan wasn¡¯t planning to interfere directly, it felt like one of the Demon Lord¡¯s subordinates should have been more than willing to step in to stop the nuisance. ¡°You mean you aren¡¯t going to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Help?¡± Zath finished with a chuckle. ¡°No. Of course not. Unless Lord Sievan requests it, I will not. My powers are a little too destructive to be unleashed within Lord Sievan¡¯s city. Death is effective at great many things, but avoiding collateral damage is not one of them.¡±

    Noah glanced at Zath out of the corners of his eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t control it?¡±

    ¡°I see you have not come against Death Runes in a direct conflict,¡± Zath said. Some of the amusement left his tone. ¡°We wield Death, Spider. Not injury. Not pain. Death. Were I to unleash my Runes to fight someone that is powerful enough to take down other Rank 7 demons, then the damage to the city would be astronomical.¡±

    Noah nodded thoughtfully, but his mind was already shifting gears to a different thought.

    If his runes lack that much control¡­ it¡¯s not because they¡¯re so powerful that he can¡¯t even fart without killing everyone in a ten mile radius. It¡¯s because they¡¯re poorly made. His combinations are bad.

    I suppose it makes sense. Without Sunder, the chances of a Rune being bad increase exponentially with every rank. By the time you hit Rank 7, especially in the Damned Plains, if your runes aren¡¯t completely screwed up, it would have to be a miracle. It looks like even Lord Sievan has some limits to his power.

    ¡°I see,¡± Noah said. ¡°Is the same true for Sievan? Is he unable to fight because the mere flick of his finger would mistakenly destroy the city?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Zath replied. A note of reverence entered his tone and he shook his head. ¡°Lord Sievan is different. His power is incomprehensible. He could do anything he wished, but he does not interfere in situations like this. He would only act if the city itself were at risk. As it is now, Wizen has done nothing but kill a few demons.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°I do suppose some deaths wouldn¡¯t mean much to the Lord of Death,¡± Noah drawled.

    ¡°No,¡± Zath agreed. ¡°They would not.¡±

    The rest of their trip back to the camp went largely in silence. Aylin was still far too stressed to say much of anything, while Yoru was occupied with the cat that was in the process of kneading her hair into a frazzled mess.

    Noah was relieved to find that the camp was the same as how he had left it when they got back. Even though there would have been no point, there had been a part of him that feared some idiot would have tried to attack while he was gone.

    They¡¯d certainly gathered no shortage of stares on their way back. Hushed murmurs had followed them like a wake. News of Zath¡¯s arrival and subsequent meeting with Spider and Belkus had definitely spread through Treadon, and the Web¡¯s camp wasn¡¯t exempt from that ¡ª especially with the information network that Aylin had set up.

    ¡°Look sharp,¡± Noah said in a hushed whisper to Aylin. ¡°You just had a meeting with a Demon Lord. Act like it.¡±

    ¡°I barely did anything other than mess up,¡± Aylin whispered back.

    ¡°They don¡¯t know that.¡±

    The Knowledge Demon glanced to the side. His lips pressed thin and his back straightened. He set his shoulders and plastered a flat expression over his face, as if he couldn¡¯t be bothered with all of the attention they were getting.

    Noah gave him a slight nod.

    The odd group came to a stop in the center of camp, across from Noah and Moxie¡¯s tent. Zath strode right up to the hole in the ground where he¡¯d planted his sword earlier that day, drew the huge weapon from his back, and slid it back into the ground like he was re-sheathing Excalibur.

    ¡°It is time for our business,¡± Zath said. ¡°Lord Sievan awaits. You will deliver the Rune he has requested.¡±

    ¡°We will trade for the Rune he has requested,¡± Noah corrected. He glanced down at the scroll under his arm, then back to Zath. ¡°I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t mind waiting an hour or two, right? I¡¯d like to get this handled.¡±

    Zath frowned. ¡°You would keep me waiting? You would keep Lord Sievan waiting?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I can ask Moxie to make you a nice chair. They¡¯re really comfortable. Very soft.¡±

    Zath stared at Noah.

    ¡°Perhaps you should catch up with your subordinate before you leave?¡± Aylin suggested from behind Noah, his voice wavering slightly. ¡°She¡¯s been waiting for you.¡±

    Zath tilted his head to the side. He was silent for a second, then blew out a short sigh. The demon reached up to the huge helm on his head and pulled it off in a smooth motion.

    To Noah¡¯s surprise, Zath looked absolutely nothing like what he had been expecting. For that matter, he wasn¡¯t completely sure what he¡¯d been expecting.

    The Rank 7 Demon¡¯s face was fairly handsome. He had high cheekbones and deep, green eyes. A long, black ponytail hung from the back of his head and disappeared into the back of his armor.

    ¡°Very well,¡± Zath said. ¡°I will wait.¡±

    Almost as if on cue, Moxie poked her head out of the tent. She¡¯d definitely been listening in and waiting for a moment to make her appearance. Relief played over her features as she spotted everyone and saw that they had returned safely.

    Her gaze caught on Mascot for a moment, but she didn¡¯t let it linger. She stepped fully out of the tent.

    ¡°The meeting went well, I trust?¡± Moxie asked.

    ¡°It was enlightening,¡± Noah said. He glanced at the scroll under his arm. ¡°And profitable.¡±

    ¡°Of course it was.¡± The corner of Moxie¡¯s mouth quirked upward. ¡°Zath said he needed a chair? It might take me a moment to get something big enough for him, and it¡¯s going to have to be outside. Is that fine?¡±

    ¡°It will be sufficient,¡± Zath said.

    ¡°Great,¡± Noah said, starting for the tent. ¡°I¡¯ll grab Axil for you so the two of you can properly catch up. Please make sure she doesn¡¯t go doing anything rude. It would be quite annoying to have to kill her again.¡±

    Zath inclined his head. And, as Moxie fished a large piece of meat from her bag to start forming a chair, Noah headed into the tent.

    Lee was perched on top of his grimoire, staring at Axil with uncomfortably wide eyes. It was like a cat observing a trapped bird.

    Axil, unfortunately for her, was still half-sized. The demoness¡¯ eyes were squeezed shut in an attempt to look anywhere other than either Lee or the grimoire. At this point, Noah wasn¡¯t sure which she was avoiding.

    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re back!¡± Lee exclaimed. Her eyes didn¡¯t so much as flick away from their target.

    ¡°I am,¡± Noah confirmed. ¡°It went well. Are you¡­ doing something?¡±

    ¡°I am watching Axil.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Noah said. He drew up to Lee and gently pulled the grimoire out from under her. She shifted to the side, letting him reclaim the book and not letting her gaze budge. Noah tapped the grimoire with a finger. ¡°Keep these runes.¡±

    Noah held the scroll out. A tongue of paper shot out in a split second, grabbing the scroll and yanking it into the book¡¯s huge pages. There was a soft crunch. Then there was nothing.

    Axil let out a whimper.

    ¡°Good book,¡± Noah told the grimoire, slinging it over his shoulder by the strap and giving it a pat. ¡°I¡¯ll get you something to eat soon enough.¡±

    ¡°What about me?¡± Lee asked.

    ¡°You too,¡± Noah said, ruffling her hair. He walked over to Axil and lifted her by the back of her shirt like an unruly animal. ¡°Come on. Your boss is here to collect you.¡±

    Axil didn¡¯t even respond. She just hung limp in Noah¡¯s hands, swaying like a pinata.

    ¡°Lee, did something happen to Axil?¡± Noah asked, shaking the tiny demon slightly.

    ¡°No. I was watching her.¡±

    ¡°So you said,¡± Noah said. He shrugged. ¡°Oh well. Let¡¯s go. Thanks for keeping an eye on things.¡±

    ¡°Yup!¡± Lee fell in line behind Noah and the two of them headed back out of the tent and into the main square of the Web¡¯s camp.

    In the brief time that Noah had been inside the tent, Moxie had already formed Zath¡¯s chair. It was really more of a giant beanbag-shaped bush. Zath didn¡¯t seem to mind. He¡¯d lowered himself into it and was splayed out, a delighted grin on his face.

    ¡°Do you offer landscaping services?¡± Zath was asking Moxie. ¡°I have never sat upon such a soft plant.¡±

    ¡°Not at the moment, but I wouldn¡¯t be opposed to the idea,¡± Moxie replied thoughtfully. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was that impressive.¡±

    ¡°You downplay your abilities,¡± Zath said through a contented sigh. ¡°This is fantastic. You could make a killing. This is the most comfortable thing I have ever sat in.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡± Moxie scratched her chin. ¡°Interesting.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve returned with your subordinate,¡± Noah said when it became clear that their conversation had reached a lull. He held Axil up.

    ¡°I¡¯m otherwise occupied,¡± Zath said, glancing down at Noah with one eye ¡°Just toss her¡ª¡±

    His words ground to a halt. The huge demon¡¯s head snapped up. Disgust and horror playing across Zath¡¯s features as he stared down at Noah.

    ¡°What manner of vile creature is that?¡±

 Chapter 549: An Idea

    ¡°This would be your subordinate,¡± Noah replied, hoisting Axil slightly. ¡°She¡¯s a bit smaller than normal, but if you take a close look, you¡¯ll see who it is. Ah ¡ª we did confiscate her axe. Spoils of war.¡±

    ¡°Not her,¡± Zath snapped. ¡°That is obviously Axil. I am referring to¡­¡±

    The demon¡¯s words trailed off. His head tilted to the side. For several seconds, he said nothing. Then he arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Zath tapped a foot on the ground, nodding slightly as if agreeing with someone.

    Noah and Moxie exchanged a glance.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with him?¡± Moxie whispered.

    ¡°I was hoping you were going to have the answer to that,¡± Noah replied. He rotated Axil around so he could look at her face. The demoness¡¯ eyes were still screwed shut and her face was twisted into a grimace. Noah shook her slightly. ¡°Oi. Wake up.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Axil asked, making absolutely no move to open her eyes.

    ¡°What¡¯s your boss doing?¡± Noah asked, glancing over Axil¡¯s head at Zath. The demon now muttering something under his breath, staring at an empty patch of air in the middle of the Web¡¯s camp.

    Every single interaction he had with Sievan¡¯s men made Noah suspect that there was something seriously wrong with all of their heads. Then again, there had to be something wrong with anybody that voluntarily decided that they wanted to serve the literal embodiment of death.

    ¡°He¡¯s talking,¡± Axil said.

    Ah, yes. I couldn¡¯t tell that bit.

    ¡°You disgust me,¡± Zath informed the empty patch of air.

    Axil nodded in agreement, even though she¡¯d yet to open her eyes.

    ¡°To whom?¡± Noah asked in exasperation.

    Axil screwed her lips up. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and said nothing else. Noah blew out a sigh. He glanced over his shoulder at Lee, who gave him a small shrug. She didn¡¯t seem to have the slightest idea of what was going on either.

    ¡°I will not be doing that,¡± Zath informed the air.

    Noah coughed into a fist. Zath ignored him.

    ¡°That¡¯s hardly a good reason,¡± Zath said, now shaking his head. The disgust on his features had turned to mild curiosity, but there was still an edge in his posture that made it clear he was uncomfortable.

    If anything, that was what started to ring alarm bells in Noah¡¯s own head.

    A Rank 7 demon, one who served under Sievan, the literal Lord of Death in the Damned Plains, was uncomfortable.

    Zath had looked uncomfortable when he¡¯d seen Noah come back out of the tent with Axil, but he¡¯d made it clear that the source of his disgust wasn¡¯t the fact that Axil shrinkflation-ed herself.

    The only other change that had occurred in the span of Noah¡¯s departure and return from the tent¡­

    His eyes lifted to the book on his back. Axil had reacted horribly to it because of all the squished up demon corpses that made it up. But Zath was actively talking to something. Unless he¡¯d gone completely insane ¡ª

    ¡°Don¡¯t even try to eat me,¡± Zath said, his eyes sharpening in anger. ¡°I swear to Lord Sievan, if you bring those disgusting paws of yours anywhere near me, I am going to rip you into shreds and stuff you into the nearest outhouse.¡±

    Okay. Decent chance he¡¯s insane. Pretty sure he has been from the start. But this is a bit much. There has to be more to it than this. Is there really something so special about my grimoire that it¡¯s tripping up every single one of Sievan¡¯s group that sees it?

    ¡°Is it the book?¡± Noah asked Axil.

    Axil didn¡¯t respond. It looked like she¡¯d decided that her conversation was done for the day. Noah¡¯s lips pressed thin. Whatever the book was, she was more scared of it than she was of him. Maybe it was something about the actual corpses that made the book up.

    Do I have the equivalent of a bunch of religious figures stuffed in there? Maybe it¡¯s like I¡¯m accidentally defacing their culture. That would definitely be rude. Can¡¯t imagine it would cause someone to start speaking to the air, though.

    Does that mean there¡¯s actually something there? Something only Zath and Axil can see? The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Noah squinted in the direction that Zath was looking at. He extended his domain and drew on his tremorsenses, trying to see if there was anything there that was somehow evading his eyes.

    Nothing he tried found anything. As far as Noah could tell, Zath was just speaking to nothing. But that couldn¡¯t be the case. Zath wasn¡¯t insane in that way. There was something there, and he couldn¡¯t make it out.

    ¡°I will not,¡± Zath said. ¡°Find your own runes, leech.¡±

    Something that wants runes?

    Could be the book. Could also be literally any other living creature in the history of the Damned Plains. Every single sentient thing in existence wants more runes. Gods, this is annoying.

    ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± Noah asked. ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten me already, have you?¡±

    ¡°Go do whatever it was you needed to do,¡± Zath said, not so much as glancing in his direction. ¡°You requested time to work with your new runes. I am giving it to you. Return once you have finished.¡±

    Then he went right back to speaking to the air.

    Noah would have been offended if he hadn¡¯t just gotten exactly what he¡¯d wanted. He hesitated for a second longer, held in place by curiosity and unease. He did not like the idea of the book being¡­ well, more than a book.

    This wasn¡¯t something he could just ignore ¡ª not in the long term, at least. For the time being, it was actually perfectly in his advantage to let whatever was going on play out. If it kept Zath distracted, it would buy him time to let the effects of his headache fade away while figuring out what kind of Mind Rune he¡¯d create. He had to take advantage of every second he had.

    ¡°Watch over me while I work?¡± Noah whispered to Moxie.

    She nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay here and keep an eye on things outside,¡± Lee volunteered. She stared intently at the space where Zath¡¯s attention was focused. ¡°I¡¯m trying to see who he¡¯s talking to.¡±

    ¡°Let me know if you have any luck,¡± Noah said. He passed Axil off to Lee, who hoisted the other demon like she was a sack of potatoes. Axil didn¡¯t say a word. She didn¡¯t even seem to register that she¡¯d been moved.

    Noah and Moxie headed back into their tent. Half of Noah expected Zath to suddenly get mad that the book had vanished from his sight, but he didn¡¯t so much as address Noah¡¯s departure. He continued talking to the air as if nothing had changed.

    If anything, that just confused Noah even more.

    Is it even the book he¡¯s interested in?

    He shook his head and pulled the grimoire off his back as he made his way across the tent and over to Moxie¡¯s bed of vines. He sat down on it, flipping the huge book open in his lap.

    ¡°I hope Zath is very distracted, because it¡¯s going to be a few more hours before my magic comes back,¡± Noah said as Moxie took seat in the viney chair across from him.

    She rocked the chair onto its back legs and crossed her arms in front of her chest, giving him a slight nod.

    ¡°Sounds like a good opportunity to tell me what happened in Belkus¡¯ estate,¡± Moxie asked. ¡°I¡¯m thoroughly lost.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. That and plan for what Rune I¡¯m going to make. Just help me think of some excuses to stall Zath out if he decides he wants to leave soon. But, with regard to the estate¡­ let¡¯s see. It¡¯s kind of a long story, but I¡¯ll try to summarize it. Yoru is also Yoku. Our guess about her being older than we thought is right. She¡¯s a Rank 7 demon. One that¡¯s apparently in some huge conflict with Belkus. Also, Mascot showed up.¡±

    ¡°Gathered that bit,¡± Moxie said dryly. ¡°What did he break?¡±

    ¡°Thus far, nothing. Give him time. I figure he¡¯ll get around to it eventually. But¡­ more importantly, we¡¯ve found Wizen.¡±

    Moxie¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°You have? Where?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s apparently trying to annoy Sievan into fighting him,¡± Noah replied with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ve got no idea why ¡ª or how. He¡¯s somehow taking out Rank 7 demons. He even killed a Demon Lord. I think that key has to be helping him against demons somehow. Wizen was strong, but he¡¯s not defeating Rank 7 enemies strong.¡±

    ¡°The artifact should only form a connection between planes,¡± Moxie said, her forehead creasing in a frown. ¡°I read about it pretty thoroughly. I can¡¯t really see how it would be making Wizen stronger. I¡¯ll think over it and see if I can recall anything that he could be abusing.¡±

    ¡°It could also be his Mind Runes,¡± Noah said. ¡°With how connected Demons are to their runes¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Moxie¡¯s features were grim. ¡°That could be it. I take it that¡¯s why you were talking about Mind Runes when you got back?¡±

    ¡°Belkus gave ¡®em to me. He¡¯s surprisingly reasonable. The only thing he wanted in return is for us to get lost and not partner with Yoru against him.¡± Noah flipped through the pages of the grimoire. They were all blank, which was a surprise. The book was normally more responsive than this. He tapped its pages. ¡°Give me those Mind Runes, please. I need them.¡±

    A second passed. Then the pages abruptly flipped, as if the grimoire had just remembered what it was, and turned to a page covered with Rank 5 Mind Runes. Moxie arched an eyebrow in question; Noah shrugged in response.

    His book was weird enough normally. He was just happy it wasn¡¯t trying to draw anything inappropriate.

    Moxie looked down at the grimoire, examining the runes in its pages, then lifted her gaze back to Noah as she tilted her head to the side. She didn¡¯t quite look suspicious, but there was a note of discomfort in her expression.

    ¡°What are you going for with these? Mind Runes¡­ they¡¯re not really, well¡­¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Noah said. His features darkened. ¡°I have no plans of becoming Wizen. I¡¯m not using the vile shit he does, but I need a way to keep him from using those powers on me. I figure the best way to do that is with more Mind Runes.¡±

    Moxie nodded. Her expression softened slightly. There was no immense relief in her features, but only because it seemed she¡¯d never actually held enough doubt about his actions to feel relieved over avoiding them.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a disaster in mind that somehow relates to the mind, then?¡±

    Noah¡¯s expression tightened. His thoughts drifted back. To the line ¡ª to the agony that had ground down on his mind like a mill, ripping away memories and past until only the monotony remained. The mental torture of being able to do nothing but take steps in an endless walk, future unknown and past slipping away.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Noah replied in a grim tone, placing his hand on the surface of the grimoire. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got an idea.¡±

 Chapter 550: An Average Day

    Todd twisted to the side mere instants before the tree beside him exploded with a brilliant crack. Fragments of wood exploded out. He struck his bracelets together, summoning a swirl of flame before his face that consumed the shards before they could reach his skin.

    He hit the ground in a roll and sprang to his feet, contorting his body as a blade whistled through the air where his stomach had been moments before. Leaves crunched beneath his feet as fire erupted from behind one of his stone-plated legs, accelerating his leg as he drove it up in a kick.

    Bird vaulted back. Todd¡¯s foot passed so close to her face that the wind knocked her hair back, but the blow didn¡¯t connect. She landed on one foot, balancing on a protruding root like it were flat ground. She blurred forward, her sword flitting out like a striking snake.

    Todd shifted his weight and pirouetted. Pain twinged in his neck, but the cool frost burning into it prevented it from hindering his motion. His palm, coated in a thin layer of stone, scraped along the length of the blade as he shoved it to the side.

    He drove his other hand toward Bird¡¯s stomach. She shifted her weight. His strike narrowly missed. If he¡¯d moved just slightly to the side, his hand would have driven straight into the bandages covering her body. They were covered with scrapes and thin cuts, but he hadn¡¯t managed to land a direct hit on her yet.

    Bird¡¯s knee whipped up between Todd¡¯s legs ¡ª wrapped with similar bandages to the ones she wore ¡ª  and a loud crunch rang out.

    They froze.

    Bird¡¯s eye twitched. Then she hopped back, clutching her knee and cursing under her breath.

    ¡°What the fuck is wrong with your¡ª¡±

    Todd pulled a bandage back, not even bothering to hide the smirk on his face. A thin layer of hardened stone covered his body beneath the wrappings coating him. ¡°Isabel already tried that one. I¡¯m a fast learner. That¡¯s what you get for going for a cheap shot.¡±

    ¡°There are no cheap shots,¡± Bird said through clenched teeth. She held a hand up, waving impatiently.

    The bushes around them rustled. A health potion sailed free from one of them. Bird snagged it, draining the entire vial in a single swig, and Jalen emerged from behind the trees with a huge grin on his face.

    He, like the rest of them, was covered in tight wrappings.

    Unlike the rest of them, Jalen hadn¡¯t stopped at his body. He¡¯d wrapped every single bit from his fingers up to his hair, leaving only his eyes and nose uncovered. The Rank 6 mage had even covered his own mouth. Jalen gave Todd a thumbs-up and said something that the wrappings covering him completely muffled.

    Todd stared at him.

    Jalen lifted a finger to his mouth and ripped through the wrappings.

    ¡°Good job,¡± Jalen said. ¡°That was amusing.¡±

    ¡°It was effective,¡± Alexandra said, stepping out from the bushes behind Jalen. She walked through a small patch of sunlight in the forest before coming to a stop in the shadows of the thick canopy above them. She rested her hand on the hilt of her sword and gave Todd a nod. ¡°That could have gone poorly if Bird was putting more force into that, though. Or if it had been me.¡±

    ¡°I would not let any squishy bits anywhere near you,¡± Todd informed Alexandra with a shudder. ¡°There¡¯s a difference between normal people and ones empowered by Body Runes like you. The moment I¡¯m in a close quarters fight with you, I¡¯ve already screwed up.¡±

    The trees rustled as the rest of the group emerged one by one. Emily and James stepped out together, followed by Isabel and Silvertide. They were wore the same wrappings, though Silvertide had gone and attached his cape as well as several pieces of intentionally-placed armor on top of his.

    ¡°You know, this training style is uncomfortably effective,¡± Emily said. ¡°But¡­ no offense, Bird. I¡¯m putting normal clothes on as soon as we get out of here.¡±

    ¡°Effectiveness is the only thing that matters,¡± Bird said.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m with the girl on this one,¡± Silvertide said. ¡°I¡¯m too old for this. Vermil is a man in his own league. I fear I¡¯m not quite deranged enough to voluntarily fight like this in any normal situation.¡±

    They all went silent for a moment. Todd¡¯s hands tightened at his sides. It had been more than a week since Vermil, Lee, and Moxie had fallen through a portal into the Damned Plains. Their next exam was quickly approaching.

    It¡¯s just not the same. Jalen, Brayden, Silvertide are doing a great job of keeping us busy, but I miss Vermil. A big part of that might just be because Jalen is batshit fucking insane. In comparison, Vermil almost seems normal.

    ¡°But can you imagine the looks on everyone¡¯s faces when you completely crush some King family brat dressed like a runaway mummy?¡± Jalen asked, rubbing his hands together with a delighted grin. ¡°Their eyes might pop out of their skull. The memory would sear itself into my mind for at least a few years.¡±

    ¡°Are you having us focus on this training so much specifically because you think it would be funny if we used it in public?¡± Alexandra asked, squinting at Jalen.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Jalen said in an affronted tone. He pressed a hand to his chest and shook his head in disappointment at Alexandra¡¯s accusatory words. ¡°My personal amusement is only around 80 percent of my motivation. The other 10 percent is desire to see you become capable, successful mages.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re missing 10 percent,¡± James said.

    Jalen¡¯s expression turned serious and his hand dropped back to his side. ¡°The final 10 percent of my motivation is the understanding that I cannot be Vermil. I do not understand Formations like he did. I cannot be a teacher like he was. Brayden can train you in magical combat. Bird can help progress your physical abilities and Silvertide can teach tactics and strategy ¡ª but I can teach you nothing that will aid you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the strongest one here, though,¡± Isabel said with a frown. ¡°You could easily teach us if you wanted to. You¡­ just like screwing around more.¡±

    ¡°Correct,¡± Jalen said. ¡°The latter half, that is. I value my enjoyment. I¡¯ve lived too long to ignore my desires. But if you think power begets a good teacher, then you would be incorrect. Do you know why?¡±

    ¡°If she knew why, I don¡¯t think she would have asked,¡± James said.

    ¡°It is because teaching requires understanding of your power,¡± Jalen said, ignoring James. ¡°And I am my power. I have possessed my Runes for such a long time that I cannot explain to you how they work. They simply do. It is instinctive. My body fights on its own. It does not need intentional thought. Simply put, the difference between your power and mine is so vast that I cannot properly comprehend what you would need to understand.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t speak for everyone, but even this has been really helpful. We wouldn¡¯t have gotten extra runes from Bird or half the training we¡¯ve gotten so far if it wasn¡¯t for you,¡± Todd said.

    ¡°And you have sparred with us,¡± Isabel pointed out. ¡°Multiple times.¡±

    ¡°I was playing darts. You were just in the way of my targets.¡± Jalen turned his nose up and crossed his arms in front of his chest. ¡°Don¡¯t mistake my boredom for anything else. I am here purely because I have nothing better to do. Now, if we¡¯re done wasting time here, I do believe you all have some Formation practice to waste your efforts on. It would be embarrassing if you are ill-prepared for the exam tomorrow.¡±

    They all stared at Jalen.

    ¡°Er¡­ I don¡¯t think the exam is tomorrow,¡± Todd said.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely not tomorrow,¡± Isabel said. ¡°It¡¯s next week.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I said,¡± Jalen said with a wave of his hand. ¡°Next week. Tomorrow. Same thing, give or take a few hundred hours.¡±

    ¡°They really aren¡¯t,¡± James muttered under his breath. Emily elbowed him in the side.

    ¡°Does this mean I can leave now?¡± Bird asked. ¡°I have more theories to test. I need to locate more powerful monsters to practice against. This style must be pushed to its limits, and I have only started to integrate it into proper magical combat. The possibilities are endless.¡±

    ¡°Quell the impatience.¡± Jalen covered his mouth as he yawned.

    A rumbling crash shook the forest. Everyone other than Jalen spun in its direction, drawing on their runes.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Alexandra asked as she pulled her sword from its spot at her side and settled into a fighting stance. ¡°It sounded rather large.¡±

    ¡°That would be Brayden,¡± Jalen said. ¡°As Bird requested, some monsters to test. I sent him to gather them a short while ago. It seems he has finally located enough.¡±

    The rumbling grew louder. Todd and Isabel exchanged a glance before looking to the other students. They all moved closer to each other. Alexandra and Isabel took up spots closest to the oncoming threat while Todd and Emily set up behind them. A bow made of ice materialized in Emily¡¯s hands, while James faded entirely from view.

    ¡°I thought we were practicing Formations now,¡± Todd said, readying his bracelets as a roar split the air. The ground started to tremble beneath his feet as something ¡ª or a lot of somethings ¡ª grew closer.

    ¡°Oh, you are,¡± Jalen said. The wrappings on his face crinkled as he smiled. ¡°This will be real battle practice, not that boring meditation you¡¯ve all been repeating. Fear not. I will crush your magic with my domain should you make a mistake. I am far more sensitive than Vermil. I may not be able to instruct you, but adversity is an excellent teacher.¡±

    ¡°If you crush our magic, I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯re going to get killed by whatever that huge thing is,¡± Emily said nervously. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we have tried this with something smaller?¡±

    ¡°What? Of course not.¡± Jalen stared at Emily in disbelief. ¡°Where would the fun in that be? Now get to preparing those little Formations of yours. You¡¯re going to need them.¡±

    Even as Todd reached for the magic within him and raised his bracelets in preparation for the upcoming fight, he couldn¡¯t stop a flicker of amusement from flitting through him. This wasn¡¯t all that different from how Vermil had trained them in the Scorched Acres.

    I think Jalen might be more like Vermil than he thinks.

    ¡°There is nothing to fear,¡± Bird proclaimed with an excited smile. ¡°I have been waiting for this. I will¡ª¡±

    Jalen blinked out of existence with a tiny pop of purple energy. He reformed behind Bird, his hand falling on her shoulder as a dangerous smile played across his lips. ¡°Be playing darts with me, I fear. No interference.¡±

    ¡°What? But¡ª¡±

    They both vanished.

    Emily swallowed. ¡°How is he going to do anything to stop our Formations if he isn¡¯t even here?¡±

    ¡°Stay focused,¡± Silvertide suggested. ¡°Jalen is insane.¡±

    They paused for a moment.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to follow that up with something like, ¡®but I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be watching closely¡¯, or something like that?¡± Todd asked.

    ¡°Oh, no. I was finished with my statement,¡± Silvertide said.

    Isabel let out a sigh. The ground before her rumbled as stone rolled up to cover her body and formed into a thick shield in one of her hands. Shimmering blue energy wormed through the cracks in the rock and hummed around her, forming into a spear in her other hand. ¡°Alexandra and I will keep the monster¡¯s attention while we figure out what we¡¯re up against. Todd, James, Emily, you all back us up.¡±

    ¡°On it,¡± Todd said. Stone rushed up from the ground to form casings around his hands and legs, readying his makeshift explosion magic. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Emily asked as she nocked an ice arrow pulled back on the string of her bow.

    ¡°No,¡± Todd replied with a grin. The rumbling grew louder until Todd¡¯s legs trembled from the force of the ground bucking beneath him. He raised his arms to keep his balance. ¡°But I¡¯ve gotten used to improvising.¡±

    Then the trees in front of them shattered, and an enormous lizard-like monster the size of several houses burst free from the forest, its wide eyes blood-red in fury and rows of jagged teeth jutting from its black-gummed lips.

    It spotted the group and advanced straight toward them, its tail annihilating several trees to its side with an idle flick as it charged into the clearing. Dirt and broken wood flew up all around it in a miniature storm and a hissing roar slipped free of its mouth.

    A grin tugged at the corners of Todd¡¯s lips as Isabel and Alexandra burst into motion, yelling to draw the monster¡¯s attention.

    It looked like today was going to be another fairly average day of training.

 Chapter 551: Familiar

    Noah pored over his grimoire. He had absolutely no idea how long Zath would be distracted outside, and he couldn¡¯t afford to waste a single second. Fog still clouded his mind from his death, but even if he couldn¡¯t actually make the Rank 4 Mind Rune yet, he could still figure out the exact strategy he could follow and then take care of the actual creation when he got access to his mind back.

    The entire idea of a Mind Rune was still repulsive to him. Everything about the way Wizen¡¯s magic worked made Noah wish the man had never existed. From what he¡¯d done to Alexandra to his involvement with the events that had brought Noah, Lee, and Moxie to the Damned Plains, it seemed that every single action that Wizen took was vile.

    But going up against a Mind Rune user without a way to deal with their runes was just too dangerous, especially after Noah had seen how strong Wizen was the last time they¡¯d met.

    It wasn¡¯t even just about protecting his mind from Wizen. From what he knew, Mind Runes generally couldn¡¯t just wrest control of someone¡¯s body instantly. Wizen had needed time to completely take control of Alexandra¡¯s body.

    In addition to a way to protect himself if Wizen did have a method to quickly take over his body, Noah also needed one to sever the man¡¯s connection to any of the people he¡¯d controlled ¡ª and the best way to do that was probably fighting with fire.

    Unfortunately, that left him with no choice. He needed a Mind Rune if he wanted to maximize his chances of coming out ahead against Wizen. And if he wanted it to fit into his other Runes and not be a wasted effort, it had to be related to a disaster.

    The mere idea for the concept was already frustrating. Disasters were mass-scale events, while almost everything he initially came up with relation to a rune was focused on a single person.

    That wasn¡¯t even to mention the fact that just about every concept that Noah could come up with for a Mind Rune made him want to throw up. The exact purpose of a rune had an immense effect on what its actual abilities would be ¡ª and he really didn¡¯t want to be running around with a Dementia Rune.

    He knew he was going to use something related to the line. It was the area that he had the most experience in ¡ª but he wasn¡¯t about to start destroying people¡¯s minds with thousands of years¡¯ worth of rot, if such a thing could even be manifested into a Rank 4 Rune.

    There had to be a way he could get what he needed as something disaster-adjacent without committing a slew of war crimes that hadn¡¯t been invented yet.

    Time slipped by as he thought. Zath¡¯s distraction, which Noah had expected to be measured minutes at the best, stretched into hours. That somehow managed to make things even more difficult. The longer that Zath remained outside speaking with an invisible, completely intangible entity, the more concerned with the situation Noah got.

    This wasn¡¯t just some incident of a powerful person being mildly off their rocker. Every single Rank 6 that Noah had met, much less Rank 7, had been borderline insane. In Jalen¡¯s case, he¡¯d just been straight up insane. But their insanity was a haze through which they saw the world. The damage of years on the psyche when it was forced to witness aspects of humanity¡¯s worst on repeat.

    It was the type of damage that made someone think that getting mouthed off to by someone they were about to kill was funny and entertaining. It was not the type of insanity that made someone sit and talk to something that did not exist for hours on end.

    And that could mean only one thing.

    The entity to which Zath was talking existed.

    Not only did it exist, but it was sapient. Something that Noah could not see, hear, touch, or otherwise make out, had been traveling with him and was somehow tied to the book that laid on the table before him.

    Calling the situation unnerving would have been an understatement. Part of Noah wanted to pelt the grimoire into a fire just to see what would happen, but he couldn¡¯t indulge his confusion or fears. He had too much at stake.

    Even if he¡¯d been traveling with the incarnation of evil itself, Noah needed the time. Every minute that passed was a minute that brought him closer to being able to use his magic and form a new Rank 4 Rune.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    And so he did the favorite activity of every politician, king, and other official that had ever taken any form of power. He entirely ignored the problem to focus on his own gains and hoped that nothing would go drastically wrong as a result of it.

    First, Noah worked on expanding his idea of what possible disasters could actually be made with a Mind Rune. Hysteria came to mind. It would work ¡ª but it definitely felt like it was crossing the boundaries of what kind of magic he actually wanted to be casting. There was a difference between killing and ripping someone¡¯s mind from them.

    A more promising idea followed a few minutes later. Boundless Devotion ¡ª or something along those lines. Calling it a disaster was a bit of a stretch, but people could do some nasty things when they completely followed something without ever questioning it in the slightest. That was how charismatic school board leaders who cut funding from everything other than the sports teams got chosen as ¡ª

    Damn it. Getting off track, here.

    Boundless Devotion was still questionable in morality, but it felt a little bit less¡­ evil than sone of the alternatives. Drawing power from people¡¯s belief in him sounded promising. It wasn¡¯t completely evil, and it wouldn¡¯t involve forcing anyone to do anything.

    There were just two problems with the idea.

    The first was that Noah didn¡¯t actually have that many people that believed in his strength. Even if he counted everyone that had ever heard of and feared Spider, the rune probably wouldn¡¯t be able to gather any truly significant strength from a few hundred demons and a dozen or so humans.

    Perhaps that could have been something he could have worked around if it weren¡¯t for a slightly more significant issue.

    There was absolutely no way a Rank 4 rune would be strong enough to draw power from other people¡¯s devotion. Not only did it feel like far too powerful of a concept for a Rank 4, but it was also just completely impossible by the restrictions of Runes themselves.

    Rank 4 unlocked a magical domain ¡ª a zone that increased perception and allowed him to snuff out other, weaker magic.

    Rank 5 allowed him to manifest his magic within that domain from pure energy, rather than having to use something that already existed in world around him.

    Rank 6¡­ well, Noah wasn¡¯t entirely sure what Rank 6 actually did. He¡¯d never had a chance to really grill Jalen on it. When he made it out of the Damned Plains, it would go up in his priority list.

    Either way, it didn¡¯t matter. Drawing on devotion would only work if people were within the range of his rune, which definitely wouldn¡¯t be much farther than his domain. Maybe it would become possible at Rank 5 or 6, but it just wasn¡¯t realistic yet.

    And so his search continued.

    Ideas came and went. Noah came up with constituent Runes such as Mental Barrier for Rank 2 and Strong Will for Rank 3, but his real goal was a Rank 4 Rune that could actually work as a disaster.

    His frustration steadily built. Making any form of disaster based on Mind Runes was like trying to make a toy from pipe bombs. There was a chance it could look good from the outside, but it would probably blow up the moment someone touched it.

    Hours continued to slip by. The fog in his mind peeled back like the skin of an orange if it had been stuffed into the hands of an unruly child. Namely, it came away in uneven chunks and pieces.

    And as the fog went, Noah¡¯s thoughts grew sharper. His ideas became better ¡ª closer to what he needed. Closer to something that would let him go to sleep at night without feeling like he¡¯d become Wizen in the pursuit of defeating him.

    And then the fog was gone.

    Control of his mind returned to him in its entirety. Noah felt the moment as if a jolt of lightning had struck his chest. Rivers of electricity coursed out from his heart and ripped into his limbs in a split second. He leapt, tripping over his own legs, and fell out of the bed face-first.

    Noah¡¯s body sprung into motion. He caught himself, vaulting off his hands and landing easily on his feet. Moxie stared at him from where she sat on her chair, the formerly bored expression on her face evaporating in a mixture of amusement and concern.

    ¡°Getting some exercise in after sitting for too long?¡±

    ¡°My power is back,¡± Noah said, looking down at his hands. The Rune of Self had re-activated. He¡¯d almost forgotten just how intense the rune was. Every single part of his body was his once more.

    And every part included his mind. Moxie said something else, but Noah didn¡¯t hear it. The thoughts that had been floating around in his addled skull finally clicked. They snapped together and finished the puzzle that he¡¯d been unknowingly working on.

    He knew what kind of Rune he could make. One that would let him fight back against Wizen. One that would let him keep who he was.

    It was a concept that he was familiar with.

    Very familiar with.

    A smile pulled across Noah¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Sorry, Moxie,¡± he said. ¡°I zoned out for a moment.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯ve got a¡­ look on your face.¡±

    Noah wasn¡¯t surprised. He¡¯d finished the hard part. The rune may as well have already been there in his mind, waiting in anticipation of for its own creation.

    All he had to do was make it before Zath remembered the reason why he¡¯d sought Noah out in the first place.

 Chapter 552: Rank 4 Rune

    Noah returned to the vine bed and sat down upon it. He set the opened grimoire upon his lap and placed his hand upon its surface before plunging into his mindspace.

    The pitch black void of his soul rose up to swallow Noah¡¯s world. Runes blinked to life in the sea of darkness like stars orbiting around him, and pressure bore down onto his back. White light seeped into the darkness from small cracks ran throughout the corners of his soul.

    Noah was tempted to call on the Fragment of Renewal and heal them on the spot, but he didn¡¯t know how many attempts or modifications his new Rank 4 rune would take. Wasting the Fragment now could stick him with a bunch of damage he couldn¡¯t heal until the next day.

    He blew out a breath and steadied his thoughts. Even though Noah already knew what he wanted to make, there were still a lot of ways to go about it. Belkus had given him three Rank 5 Runes. Even if half of their components were completely useless and the energy conversion rate was less than ideal, he probably had enough to brute force an entirely new Rank 5 Rune.

    There were actually two ways he could hypothetically get a Rank 5 rune. He had a number of runes in his grimoire. Not enough to truly have a lot of variety, but he could cobble together several more Disaster Runes and top up the remaining pieces with Mind Runes.

    The resulting rune would be shoddy and poorly made, but it would still be a Rank 5. He could always rip it apart later and re-combine everything. Unfortunately, reaching Rank 5 meant absolutely nothing if his final rune was garbage.

    He¡¯d seen the difference between a powerful Rank 4 and a weak Rank 5. Destroying the potential of his runes, even temporarily, just for the boost at Rank 5, was not a trade he was willing to make. Crumbling Space and Warped Matter had significant use even without being Rank 5 runes ¡ª not to mention he still had Formations he could work his existing runes into.

    And then there was the other option. Making a Rank 5 entirely from the Mind Runes he¡¯d gotten from Belkus.  Noah just wasn¡¯t so sure that would be in his benefit. His keystone rune was still a component of Natural Disaster.

    There was a lot he still didn¡¯t know about how Runes worked. Keystone runes were definitely important. They were closely tied to the soul and imposed severe consequences when removed.

    He honestly didn¡¯t know what would happen if he left his keystone rune behind as a Rank 4 when his strongest rune became a Rank 5. Noah doubted that was a situation anyone had ever found themselves in before. It would probably destabilize his soul a little. Maybe enough to be manageable ¡ª but that wasn¡¯t really a good reason to ignore the possibility entirely.

    In the end, the thing that gave Noah pause was the potential of making a mistake. He didn¡¯t know Mind Runes well. Even though he had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to do, there was still a good chance it would need to be modified at least once or twice.

    The bigger and more closely tied to the soul a Rune was, the harder it was to remove. Ripping a Rank 5 free of himself had the potential to do some pretty serious soul damage. It was magnitudes larger than a Rank 4, and he¡¯d be doing it right after it expanded his soul.

    Noah had absolutely no idea what that would cause. The last time he¡¯d gotten an excessive amount of soul damage, he¡¯d fallen into a coma for a week. Perhaps the same would happen. Perhaps it would be nothing.

    He didn¡¯t know ¡ª but he couldn¡¯t risk it for a Rank 5 Rune that was the equivalent of a handgun in a toddler¡¯s hands. Wizen¡¯s magic would still be stronger than his. Wizen would still have more experience. Putting all his money on an entirely new form of magic to him when his opponent was a master of the field was a losing move.

    Having a little protection was important, but Noah wasn¡¯t going to beat Wizen at his own game. He had to come from a different angle. There was more than one way to gain power ¡ª though he wasn¡¯t about to pass it up either. Noah didn¡¯t love the idea of a mind rune, but he still needed more disasters. There was no guarantee Wizen was the only enemy with mind powers he¡¯d fight. Investing in a way to protect himself now would be useful in the long run¡­ assuming they could actually deal with Wizen.

    But first things first. I still need my Rank 4 rune to make sure I¡¯ve at least got some way to keep Wizen¡¯s grubby fingers out of my head.

    Noah raised a finger in the air before him and started to draw one of the Rank 5 Mind Runes. Dull pink energy followed in the wake of his finger as it traced magic into his soul. He moved quickly and with confidence.

    The Mind Runes Belkus had given him were ¡ª unfortunately ¡ª demon runes. Now that Noah knew a little more about how the runes worked, he wasn¡¯t as worried about forming one in his soul as long as he shattered it instantly. The only problem was that he couldn¡¯t use any of the components that had demon runes in them, which meant he¡¯d have to do a lot of re-combining.

    The only way to do that is to get started. No time to waste. I have to finish this before Zath decides he¡¯s done talking and comes for me.

    It took him about five minutes to draw the rune in its entirety. The Rank 5 was so much more complex than all his previously created normal runes that it drew practically every single scrap of attention Noah could muster.

    There was a sharp snap, followed by a burst of pressure and a pop in his ears. Wind blew his hair back as the Rank 5 took form in Noah¡¯s soul, surrounded in a halo of molten pink energy. Noah squeezed his eyes shut. His hand moved even as Sunder¡¯s power coursed through his veins in an icy river.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    He struck the rune.

    And, even as the Rank 5¡¯s magic swelled in his soul and pressed against its boundaries, it shattered with a loud crash. Noah squeezed his eyes shut before the flash of brilliant white energy could blind him, only opening them in time to see the Rank 4 constituents of the rune come spilling out of the storming energy it left behind.

    Noah scanned over the new runes that formed before him. They bore lovely names like Mental Corruption and Psychic Rend among others, several of which were unreadable Demon Runes. All of them broken or improperly made and none had been less than 30% full on creation.

    It didn¡¯t look like Belkus had given Noah his best work. That was fine with him. He¡¯d hardly expected the Demon Lord to be rolling out the red carpet. This was more than enough for his purposes.

    Noah pushed six of the seven runes out of the way, grabbing one of the unreadable demon runes and pulling it into the cloudy pink energy left behind by what had once been a Rank 5.

    He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. There was going to be a lot of magical surgery involved in removing every single demon aspect and piecing the rune back together with the remaining energy. He definitely wouldn¡¯t have had enough energy to pull the process off if Belkus hadn¡¯t given him 3 Rank 5s to work with. There was so much power lost in the process of ripping the pieces apart and converting their energy that the mere thought of it would have made most mages cry.

    Most mages didn¡¯t have Sunder.

    One of these days, I¡¯ll give the god I took this rune from a proper thank you. Don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without it.

    Noah hummed a tune to himself as he carved a Rank 3 Demon Rune apart with Sunder, burning through more power than the majority of demons saw in their lives just to make a Rank 4 rune that wouldn¡¯t make him slightly uncomfortable to use.

    There was work to do.

    ***

    Noah lost track of time.

    That really wasn¡¯t an uncommon characteristic for him, but it really didn¡¯t lend itself well to when he was working against the clock.

    But, as he studied out at the results of his work on Belkus¡¯ runes, he couldn¡¯t help but feel like he¡¯d spent his time well.

    9 new runes floated in his soul, waiting to be used. Noah had condensed the excess components from the Rank 5 runes into other Rank 4s to avoid losing too much energy while he was working. He¡¯d also dragged in a few extra space runes, combining them with a few of the other mind runes, and used a painful amount of energy from the Rank 5 Mind Runes to fill them up.

    He scanned over the new runes floating around him, making a mental list of them in the process to make sure he hadn¡¯t missed anything.

    Rank 4 Unstable Mind Meld - 1

    Rank 4 Broken Mind - 1

    Rank 4 Broken Mind Castle - 1

    Rank 3 Mental Block - 1

    Rank 3 Mind Meld - 1

    Rank 3 Mental Prison - 2

    Rank 3 Psychic Force - 2

    Noah wasn¡¯t sure how many of each rune he would need quite yet, but he had more than enough to work with ¡ª and the quality of all the Rank 3 runes was flawless. He couldn¡¯t say the same for the Rank 4s, but considering they were only there to hold energy and save space, he didn¡¯t particularly care.

    There was just one thing that seemed a little off. Noah couldn¡¯t help but notice that 4 of the Mind Runes he¡¯d made were active.

    His brow creased in confusion. That was rather odd. He had four runes that should have already been active. Natural Disaster, Warped Matter, Crumbling Space, and the Rune of Self.

    Recounting everything did nothing to change the facts. He somehow had 8 active runes. That was, of course, impossible ¡ª which meant one of the Runes he thought was a normal rune was anything but.

    There was really only one option that fit that category. The Rune of Self. Noah frowned and scratched at his chin. That was significant. There was no doubt about it¡­ but he didn¡¯t have time to dig into why. Not yet.

    Noah focused his concentration on the Rank 4 Unstable Mind Meld Rune. It held the several flawless components he was going to need to pull this off. His soul was strained from the constant usage of Sunder, but he was too close to stop now.

    Gathering his power, Noah got back to work.

    ***

    Noah swam in a swirling mess of saturated pink hues and black veins. His bones throbbed and his eyes pulsed with the beginnings of a building headache as he brought his hand down, carving through his fifth attempt at combining a flawless Rank 4 Mind Rune.

    The rune shattered with a plink and power spilled out from it. Noah¡¯s mind groaned in protest as he pushed to grab all the magic before it could dissipate. He¡¯d already consumed the power in two of the Rank 4 runes he¡¯d had, grinding them to dust in his research.

    His teeth gritted as he pulled an extra Rank 3 Mind Meld Rune into the mixture, swapping it out for one of his Psychic Force runes. Focusing on the Line while trying to combine a rune felt like pulling his own teeth out.

    The experience was agonizing. As it turned out, the absolute last thing his mind wanted to do was focus on one of its least favorite multi-thousand year strings of memories.

    But Noah was determined now. He¡¯d put this much work into making the rune work, and he refused to accept anything other than success.

    His teeth gritted. He lifted a hand toward the seven Rank 3s floating before him. His lips pulled back in a snarl of defiance and he clenched his hand into a fist.

    The runes slammed together. Noah blinked to avoid the flash of light, focusing every scrap of his intent on the line ¡ª but not every part of the line.

    He¡¯d made that mistake on his last attempt. Channeling the entirety of the line into a Rank 4 rune was like stuffing an elephant into a hamster ball.

    What he needed was a very specific part of the line.

    He needed the feeling of stepping over and over and over, only to find that the world had not changed. The sensation of existence without purpose. The feeling of nothing.

    Nothing was a surprisingly difficult emotion to properly encapsulate.

    Fortunately for Noah, he had a lot of experience getting to know it.

    Power roared in his mind as the runes snapped together, bound by his intent. A brilliant flash tore through his soul and he squeezed his eyes shut, staggering back as a wave of force rolled out of a newly formed rune and drove into Noah¡¯s gut like a punch.

    He gritted his teeth and forced his eyes open, holding up a hand to block the remnants of the light. Noah blinked furiously in attempt to clear his vision. His arm lowered and his eyes widened, a wave of mild disbelief prickling against his skin as he looked upon the efforts of his labor.

    Finally, after 6 re-combinations, he had done it.

    Before him was a perfect Rank 4 Rune.

    Empty Proliferation

 Chapter 553: Ready

    Noah gathered the remnants of the runic energy floating around in his mind from all the combinations and modifications, pouring every scrap of it he could manage into Empty Proliferation.

    The conversion rate was far from ideal, but there was no shortage to work with. He managed to fill the rune all the way up to 25% before there was nothing left to pull from. Noah¡¯s hands fell to his sides and he took a step back, staring at his rune in a mixture of relief and delight.

    It was made from long, swooping lines that wove in and out of each other like the world¡¯s most complicated basket. Patterns pulsed and twisted as rivers of slow-moving energy ran throughout the rune. Pressure rolled off it and pressed against Noah and the other runes in his mind. The rune slowly floated to enter the ring of other Rank 4 runes floating around him, taking its spot and settling in like it had always been there.

    Noah wiped the sweat from his forehead and swallowed. It was still a little odd that he could sweat within the confines of his own mind. It wasn¡¯t like souls had water in them to sweat with, which meant he was subconsciously imagining it. His attention was a little too focused on the newly formed rune to let him consider the implications of that.

    The inky floor of Noah¡¯s soul was covered with hairline fractures pulsing with brilliant white light. All the combinations and extractions had done a number to him. Even though he didn¡¯t quite have a headache, his skull still throbbed with discomfort.

    Just a bit longer.

    Noah stepped past the cracks and made his way over to Empty Proliferation. He pressed a hand to the rune¡¯s surface and extended his mind, letting it brush over the newly formed rune. Power rolled forth, flooding into his mind as he opened the gates holding it back.

    He drew on Empty Proliferation, twisting and tugging on the energy as he observed the pressure coming from the rune¡¯s body. It remained perfectly uniform. No changes occurred to the power rolling off the rune.

    A grin pulled across Noah¡¯s lips and he released Empty Proliferation. A laugh forced its way from his chest. There was absolutely no issue within the rune. It was flawless.

    That brought his total number of flawless runes up to two ¡ª Natural Disaster and now Empty Proliferation. He¡¯d been getting a fair bit of use out of Warped Matter and Crumbling Space and was fairly confident he¡¯d be able to properly remake them fairly soon.

    Which means I¡¯m only going to need 3 more Disaster Runes before I can reach Rank 5. I haven¡¯t gotten a mobility related Space Rune yet, which is next on my list, so I¡¯m only short on 2 concepts before I make it. Not bad at all.

    Maybe I can wheedle Sievan out of a few runes when we meet. He does want a Master Rune from me¡­ I think a few Rank 5 Space Runes would be a fair offer in return. If Sieven is super rich, he won¡¯t even notice a few missing Rank 5 Runes. Maybe I could get some for Moxie and Lee as well. This could be really profitable.

    Then again, he could be a stingy evil bastard. I don¡¯t imagine he became the strongest Demon Lord in the Damned Plains by handing out flowers to little kids. Suppose there¡¯ll only be one way to find out. As long as I get something out of the deal and hopefully point him in Wizen¡¯s direction in the process of it, I don¡¯t think I can complain.

    He took a step back and let the Mind Rune float back to its proper location. There was no way to test the full range of its abilities yet ¡ª he needed someone else for that, and it would have to be someone that didn¡¯t particularly like him.

    Noah took one final look around his mindspace.

    I¡¯m ready. These are all the preparations I can do in here for now. Just need to clean up house.

    His senses lifted upward, extending toward the Fragment of Renewal floating far above him. The Master Rune lowered, pearlescent energy roaring to life as Noah drew on its strength. Refreshing rivers of magic caressed his body as his fingers contacted the enormous rune¡¯s surface.

    With a thought, Noah released it into his mind. Streams of cooling magic erupted from him and poured into his soul. Gentle energy glimmered in the darkness as it stitched the white cracks shut, slowly healing the extensive damage he¡¯d done to himself.

    A relieved breath slipped free of Noah¡¯s lips. Tension he hadn¡¯t even noticed slipped free from his shoulders and his posture relaxed. The dull throb in the back of his head relented and his muscles loosened like he¡¯d just had an incredible massage.

    Noah¡¯s gaze fell to the Fragment of Self as his soul pieced itself back together all around him. His head tilted to the side slightly, confusion working its way into his thoughts. He still hadn¡¯t forgotten how it hadn¡¯t counted as a proper Rune.

    Body Runes count against you. If they didn¡¯t, then Alexandra would have absolutely no trouble reaching the next rank. So why doesn¡¯t the Fragment of Self?

    This could have something to do with Lee¡¯s problem.

    But what?

    Noah¡¯s stare bored into the rune imbued into the floor of his soul, but no answers came forth. He had absolutely no idea why the Rune of Self wouldn¡¯t count as a rune.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    There has to be an explanation, and I think demons have the answer somewhere. I need to test things on more demons. Coming up with theories isn¡¯t going to do me any good if there¡¯s no way to validate them.

    Noah shook his head and peeled his eyes away from the rune. His soul had almost completely healed from the damage riddling it.

    Something told him that, even if Zath could be distracted forever, it probably wasn¡¯t the best idea to keep Sievan waiting for too long.

    It was time to go back and face the real world.

    ***

    Wizen strode down a hallway made of solid gold brick. He¡¯d found himself doing a lot of that as of late, but this one was different.

    This was the last hallway he would ever have to walk down.

    A faint grin pulled at the corner of his lips. This hall had been quite a bother to find. It was ironic. After he¡¯d wasted so much time crushing worthless demons, the one that had finally given him what he needed had been the only one they¡¯d all seen as worthless.

    The demon in question trailed behind him, the artifact where her heart should have been humming with weak energy. Every click Wizen¡¯s staff made against the metal beneath their feet made her flinch, but she hadn¡¯t so much as emerged from his shadow once.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t kill Tixen,¡± the demon girl said, her voice echoing through the long hall. It was the first time she¡¯d spoken since they¡¯d entered the hall. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because he did not waste my time,¡± Wizen replied without missing a step. There were too many of those to take for him to delay his arrival by stopping. He was starting to grow irritated by just how long this hallway was. He and the demon had been walking through it for over an hour, and there was still no end in sight.

    Meaningless power games. Sievan must have the walls imbued to stretch space within this pathway. He should know I am coming by now. There would be no purpose to allow anyone a passage directly to him if he did not watch to see who used it. Sievan does not accept challengers because he does not view them as a worthy threat. This hallway is a challenge.

    ¡°Is that why you didn¡¯t kill me?¡± the girl asked.

    No.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Wizen replied. ¡°Indiscriminate death is purposeless. It is a waste of my time and energy. All things must be done for a reason. A man who acts without intention is one who has already lost.¡±

    The demon fell silent, which Wizen quite preferred. It had been a very long time since he¡¯d enjoyed partaking in small talk.

    Silence was ideal for determining ¡ª

    ¡°Why are you looking for Lord Sievan?¡±

    ¡°The same reason that anyone ever seeks someone else out,¡± Wizen replied. ¡°I want something from him.¡±

    ¡°What is it? You¡¯re already so strong. You could get anything you wanted with power like that, but Sievan is going to kill you. Then you won¡¯t be able to get anything anymore.¡±

    ¡°It is none of your concern,¡± Wizen replied.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    The demon didn¡¯t say anything else.

    They walked in silence for several more minutes.

    Wizen¡¯s lip twitched slightly. His hand tightened around the head of his staff and he repressed an annoyed sigh.

    ¡°I cannot have what I desire.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    The clack of Wizen¡¯s cane against the ground came to a halt as he stopped walking. A moment later, the demon trailing behind him walked straight into his back. She let out a surprised yelp and hopped a foot back, but Wizen didn¡¯t so much as turn in her direction.

    ¡°You asked why I seek Sievan,¡± Wizen replied. ¡°The reason is that I cannot claim what I desire with what I have now. My power is not sufficient.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something that you can¡¯t do? You killed a Rank 7 Demon! You¡¯re like a god!¡±

    Wizen¡¯s lips curled upward. ¡°Godhood is a matter of perspective. There are no gods. There are only those who ascended to greater heights. Sievan is no more a god than I am. All those who attain true strength come to understand that it is relative.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I guess I won¡¯t understand it, then.¡±

    ¡°Demons are a flawed race, but it is not impossible for you to attain strength,¡± Wizen said, starting to walk once again. ¡°I hold nothing but disdain for your kind, but Sievan is far greater than I.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not a demon?¡±

    ¡°No. I am a human. Unbound by my runes and free to live as I desire. For the moment, we are alike. You have not reached Rank 4 yet. But, when you do, your free will shall be crushed by your own desires. You will become a slave within your own body.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± The demoness was silent for several more seconds. ¡°I won¡¯t have to worry about that. I¡¯m not going to make it to Rank 4.¡±

    Wizen looked back over his shoulder at the demon girl. She was walking with her arms crossed over her belly, as if she had a stomach ache. ¡°Power can be claimed by any who are determined enough to grasp it.¡±

    ¡°My soul is too small. It can¡¯t handle Runes correctly, and the runes I do have are destroying my body. I¡¯m going to die before I hit Rank 2,¡± the girl said in a matter of fact tone. She tapped her chest with a finger. ¡°I stole this from a shipment coming into the city. It¡¯s a Rune Crystal from the Black Reaches. I thought implanting it into my heart might fix me. It gave me a bit of energy, but that was it.¡±

    ¡°You stole from a shipment? You?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why my name is Sticky. It¡¯s easy to nab things when nobody thinks you¡¯re a threat.¡± A sheepish grin flitted across her lips and she uncrossed her arms, revealing a small pouch. She held it out to him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t help myself. It just happens."

    Wizen¡¯s eyes widened and his hand shot to his side. His coin pouch was missing. Disbelief washed over his features.

    Her aura is so weak that my domain barely even picks her up. She actually managed to get the jump on me? A rank 1 demon?

    ¡°Keep it. I do not need coin,¡± Wizen said with a shake of his head.

    ¡°You¡¯re not mad?¡±

    ¡°It is my own failiure that allowed you to steal from me. Growing irate over incompetence is the act of a fool. Maybe you can buy another Rune Crystal.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t. Stabbed the last one into my heart. No room for another.¡±

    What kind of fool drives a Rune Crystal into their own heart just in hopes that it¡¯ll absorb the energy?

    ¡°I see,¡± Wizen said.

    He turned back to the hall ¡ª and froze.

    The hallway was gone.

    All that stood before him was a plain stone door, devoid of any marking or identifying features. Cold determination set into Wizen¡¯s features. The time for conversation was over. Every single piece was in place.

    Years of planning had all led up to this moment.

    Sievan was ready for him.

 Chapter 554: Only one more

    Wizen pressed his palm to the door.

    It didn¡¯t so much as budge.

    He pushed harder, but to no avail. It was like trying to shove a solid wall open. His eyes narrowed. There was no handle to try and pull the door in the other direction. It was definitely meant to be pushed¡­ which meant Sievan was playing games with him.

    Wizen was tempted to reach for the key that hung at his side, but he dismissed the idea. He wasn¡¯t playing with weak demons anymore. No matter what he thought of the rest of the flawed race, Sievan was different. This was a foe he couldn¡¯t afford to face at anything less than full power. He also couldn¡¯t help but feel Sticky¡¯s gaze boring into his back as she waited for him to open the door.

    Why do I care what the child thinks? It¡¯s just a mildly useful stray that ended up taking shade from the sun in my shadow. She is irrelevant.

    Wizen studied the cracks in the door, in search for anything that would signal a weakness. He highly doubted that Sievan was playing with him for no reason. This was just another test. Another way to see what he was capable of. There would be a trick somewhere.

    His domain crawled through the hall. He probed every gap between the bricks and felt through the walls in search for the lead he needed to pull the puzzle apart without wasting so much as a drop of energy more than he had ¡ª

    A quiet crunch echoed through the hall.

    A trap?

    Wizen stiffened. His senses exploded in forth in search of what had happened, only for him to realize who the target of his attention actually was a moment later.

    Sticky swallowed, her cheeks reddening as Wizen turned toward her. She held a tiny dry biscuit in one hand and there were a few crumbs on her upper lip. Her tongue darted out and licked them clean.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Sticky said. ¡°It¡¯s a few weeks old. I was saving it for when I got really hungry. I didn¡¯t think it would be so loud. I can stop eating.¡±

    Telling her to stop now would just be petty. Not an ideal look when I am attempting to impress my importance upon Sievan. The success of my plan relies on the Lord of Death meeting with me. I cannot be delayed any longer, or the key may run out of power.

    Wizen just shook his head and turned his attention back to the door. ¡°Do what you will. I do not care. I am not so weak-minded as to be distracted by a little noise.¡±

    He sent his domain forth once more, scouring the walls. The world faded into the background as his focus sharpened. He had dealt with far greater opponents than a mere door. No mere child was going to be enough to ¡ª

    Crunch.

    Wizen¡¯s knuckles tightened slightly around his staff. His domain pressed against a tiny malformation in the rock, so small that it was entirely invisible to the naked eye. He pressed his power through it, scouring over what laid beyond.

    Disbelief lit behind Wizen¡¯s eyes. Minuscule imbuements lined the inside of the stone door. They were so small that they may as well have been nonexistent, but their power remained all the same. The amount of skill it would have taken to do something like this was astronomical.

    Even in spite of the situation, Wizen swallowed. He was frozen in sheer awe for nearly a second. Hidden within a mere door was possibly the most advanced imbuement that he¡¯d ever seen. Something like this was a work of art unfit for mortal eyes. It ¡ª

    Crunch.

    Wizen pressed his hand to the door, snapped from his thoughts. He sent his will inward, following the tiny lines of energy until his mind was so deep within the stone¡¯s depths that it was buried. The lines of the imbuements were so delicate that he had to move with immense caution. Even a tiny energy fluctuation had a chance of destroying something and ruining the puzzle.

    Seconds ticked by and turned to minutes. He was mercifully spared of any further crunching noises. Wizen presumed that Sticky had finished her food and had opted to remain silent, for which he was appreciative. This was not a simple task. He needed his entire attention undisturbed.

    Patterns complex enough to twist a younger mind into a knot unraveled before Wizen. He didn¡¯t fully understand the full meaning behind the imbuements. But, fortunately, he didn¡¯t have to.

    It was far easier to break something than it was to make it.

    He just had to make sure he broke it in the right ¡ª

    A wet splat ripped through his delicate concentration like wet tissue paper. Wizen¡¯s domain twitched. It was the faintest loss of control, so small that most mages wouldn¡¯t have even realized it had happened.

    The imbuement was crushed from existence with a tiny pop, disappearing as if it had never been there.

    No!

    Wizen spun toward Sticky in a blur, the fury welling in his chest not even having had a chance to make it to his features yet.

    The chewed-up top half of the biscuit she¡¯d been eating had broken off from the rest of its body and landed on the floor. It had somehow gotten completely soaked through ¡ª but before Wizen could so much as say or think anything, his eyes landed on the demon girl.

    She was frozen in place, terror and shame playing across her features. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! I was licking the biscuit so it wouldn¡¯t crunch so loud and distract you, but it jumped out of my hands! On its own! I don¡¯t know what happened!¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    The anger tightening Wizen¡¯s jaw ground to a halt. It felt like the air had been knocked straight from his lungs. Sticky continued to stammer apologies but Wizen barely even heard them.

    She looks so similar to ¡ª

    No. This is just a demon. I cling to straws when the field of grass lies in wait. I cannot allow myself to be distracted.

    ¡°Enough,¡± Wizen said, raising a hand.

    Sticky¡¯s mouth snapped shut with a click and she stiffened. She stared at him with wide, worried eyes.

    Wizen¡¯s hand twitched. He reached into the pouch at his side and drew forth a strip of jerky, tossing it to the demon. She grabbed it, staring at the meat in disbelief. ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°Something you can eat without announcing your presence to the entirety of the Damned Plains.¡±

    ¡°I ¡ª I don¡¯t think I¡¯m hungry anymore. It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t eat,¡± Sticky stammered.

    ¡°Eat the damn food. I already gave it to you, and to waste resources is a great crime. It is to spit on everyone who has given their lives in search of what you have,¡± Wizen snapped, turning back to the door and examining its plain surface.

    Sievan¡¯s puzzles could be damned. This was taking too long. The closer he got to his goal, the more he could feel his control start to give. It was like his subconscious could sense the end was near and had started to release the reigns early. No matter how hard he tried to draw them back, it was impossible. What was done was done. He didn¡¯t have much time left.

    It seems I have no choice. I will have to burn some resources. It is less than ideal, but no plan can be flawless.

    ¡°Are you trying to open that door?¡± Sticky asked, her words so soft that Wizen could barely even hear them. It didn¡¯t help that she¡¯d listened to Wizen¡¯s command and was now speaking through a mouthful of food.

    ¡°It would appear that way,¡± Wizen replied, reaching for the key at his side.

    ¡°Are you sure you need to meet Sievan that bad?¡±

    Wizen glanced back at Sticky. ¡°Yes. I do.¡±

    ¡°Why? Can¡¯t you just get what you want by getting stronger? You don¡¯t need to use shortcuts if you¡¯re strong. You can do things the right way.¡±

    Feed a stray once and it suddenly thinks it can pry you with questions.

    ¡°This is the only way,¡± Wizen said, speaking before he¡¯d even realized that his mouth was moving. ¡°I have exhausted every other possibility. There is only one in recorded history who has demonstrated the power to break from this plane into the next.¡±

    ¡°The afterlife,¡± Sticky said, her eyes widening in realization. ¡°You¡¯re¡ª¡±

    ¡°Trying to bring someone back,¡± Wizen said. ¡°Yes. And I need Sievan¡¯s power to do it.¡±

    ¡°You think you can beat him and take his Master Rune? You¡¯re that powerful?¡±

    ¡°There is only one way to find out,¡± Wizen replied with a gruff laugh. His control over his body and emotions must have been slipping. He never would have been so open with an answer before today. ¡°I cannot fail.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Sticky asked. ¡°Nobody but Sievan can go to the afterlife and return.¡±

    ¡°I am aware of the rumors,¡± Wizen said. His hand returned to the key at his side and he pulled it free of his belt. An ocean of power dwelled within it, just waiting to be released. ¡°Perhaps you will come to understand this one day, when you fix your heart. There are some things that must be done.¡±

    Sticky blinked in surprise. ¡°When? You think I will be able to repair it?¡±

    ¡°For those who have sufficient determination, all things are possible.¡± Wizen lifted the key and sent power into it, connecting to the immense magic dwelling beyond. ¡°Today, I will demonstrate this to you. Giving in is impossible. Envision a future where you succeed and allow no other path to come into existence.¡±

    Sticky stared up at Wizen for several long seconds. Her eyes flicked to the key in his hands. Then she took a step forward, stepping into Wizen¡¯s path.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing it wrong.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The door. You¡¯re trying to open it the wrong way,¡± Sticky said. She walked over to the door and ran her tongue along her palm. She smacked it to the side of the door with a small splat and gave her arm a small tug.

    The door creaked open. Wizen stared at Sticky in disbelief, the key nearly falling from his fingers in surprise.

    What?

    Sticky braced her foot against the door and gave her hand a tug. Her hand squelched and she popped off the door, tripping over her own feet. Wizen¡¯s cane shot out and hooked behind her shoulders, catching the girl before she could fall. He pushed her back upright before he even realized that he¡¯d moved.

    ¡°How?¡± Wizen asked, aghast.

    ¡°It¡¯s spongestone!¡± Sticky replied with a proud grin. ¡°It¡¯s super porous. You just gotta get a little wet and it¡¯ll suck onto you really good. Haven¡¯t you ever seen it before? It¡¯s everywhere below the Wastes. A lot of demons set patches of it up near lakes and attack when you get stuck on it.¡±

    Wizen looked from the open door to Sticky. Her face had gone slightly pale and she pressed the hand that she¡¯d used to push the door open to her stomach. Sticky caught Wizen looking in her direction and sent him a sheepish grin.

    ¡°It¡¯s a little painful. It sucks on your hand really hard.¡±

    He slowly returned the key to his side, and the smallest of grins pulled at the corners of his lips. ¡°I see. How curious. I was unaware. There is no spongestone where I am from. That is twice you have done for me what a Rank 7 demon could not. I am confident of it, now. You will find a way to succeed. Do not accept defeat in your fight.¡±

    He stepped around Sticky and pulled the door open with the end of his staff.

    The breath caught in Wizen¡¯s chest.

    Beyond the door was a sea of nothingness.

    Sheer black emptiness stretched out as far as Wizen could see, no end in sight. A single river of obsidian stairs rose up through the room. It was trimmed on each side with plain golden caps and came to a stop far above at the edge of a large, circular platform.

    Wizen couldn¡¯t see the top of the platform from where he was, but there was only one thing this could have been.

    Sievan¡¯s throne room.

    His gaze peeled down to Sticky for a moment. She was already looking up at him with expectant eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to beat Sievan, right?¡± Sticky asked. ¡°You won¡¯t lose?¡±

    ¡°After getting this far? I will not allow for it. All that stands in my path will fall. Come.¡±

    Sticky pressed a hand to her chest and gave Wizen an excited nod. ¡°I want to see it. A fight between gods. Nobody else in the Damned Plains has ever witnessed something like that.¡±

    A smile tugged at Wizen¡¯s lips.

    I am certain of it now. My focus is unraveling faster than I thought it would for me to react like this. It should be fine. I am already at the final stretch.

    ¡°There are no gods, but you will bear witness nonetheless,¡± Wizen said. ¡°Perhaps when it is done, you can take the heart of the defeated and replace your own with it. Do not forget. There is always a way to victory.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Sticky promised. ¡°I figured out what you meant. You just have to pick the right battles, right?¡±

    ¡°Precisely,¡± Wizen said.

    His staff rang out as it struck the bottom step of the staircase and he started up toward the platform. Sticky hurried after him, and Wizen¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t leave the platform looming far above them as the two of them ascended the steps.

    I¡¯ve made it ¡ª and because of this tiny demon rather than my own strength. How amusing. My dear Bella will not be able to believe it. Wait just a few more moments, my love. I am coming for you. There is only one more that must die.

 Chapter 555: Another Guest

    Wizen ascended the obsidian staircase, his footsteps swallowed by the endless void surrounding it. Every tap of his cane against the polished stone rolled out into the silence as if to echo, only to fade into the darkness and never return.

    Sticky followed after Wizen, just a single step behind him, her shoulders hunched and gaze firmly locked on the pathway. A single missed step meant plummeting into the yawning shadows all around them.

    The only source of light in the room was the open door far behind and below them, at the base of the stairs. The golden brick making up the hall beyond it shimmered as if in welcome. Every step Wizen took up the stairwell took him farther away from the light and deeper into the black.

    Even though there should have been nothing with which to see by, the stairs and platform at their end were still somehow visible. The obsidian glistened as if it had been caught in the light of a distant moon and something like firelight seemed to dance in the stairs¡¯ gold trimmings.

    A faint scent lingered in the air. It held an elegant note of gentle sweetness wrapped in the embrace of despair, a fresh rosebud ripped from its plant ground underfoot. The aroma became harder to locate the more Wizen tried to place exactly what it was or where it came from.

    There was no noise beyond that of Wizen and Sticky¡¯s climb. It was so silent that Wizen could hear his own heartbeat. Despite everything he had seen over his many years of life, the hair on the back of Wizen¡¯s neck stood on end.

    Some emotions were beyond human control. They were so deeply ingrained in the psyche that they could never be removed. And now, it was one of those emotions that told Wizen he and Sticky were intruders.

    Intruders in a place where no living being should have set foot.

    For all of his planning and preparation, there was a grave difference between readying one¡¯s mind for something and witnessing it in true.

    He marched on.

    Step after step, Wizen ascended the stairwell toward his goal. Toward the only thing in life that he had lived for. Hundreds of years, all for this moment. The key at his side felt as heavy as an anchor.

    Every scrap of his being had gone into this. Thousands upon thousands of moments ¡ª of lives ¡ª just to ensure he would arrive here. To ensure he would set foot on this stairwell, set foot on the platform beyond it.

    There was no room for any mistakes. He could allow no weakness to show through. When dealing with someone as powerful as a Rank 8, Wizen had to be an impenetrable wall. Even with the advantages he possessed, having so much as a single opening could ¡ª

    Sticky slipped.

    The sleek obsidian gave her no purchase with which to recover. She lost her balance and fell, her head hitting the edge of the stairs with a loud thunk.

    Wizen spun back toward her just in time to see Sticky slide off the edge of the stairs. He lunged forward, but while his body was many things, fast was not one of them.

    His hand passed through the air moments after the small demon, and she plummeted into the void below.

    Darkness swallowed her in an instant. Something like a jagged blade of glass drove into Wizen¡¯s chest and his breath stiffened. He thrust his hand out before a thought even had a chance to cross through his mind.

    Gray threads burst from his fingertips and carved through the darkness. For several long moments, they unspooled through the shadows and vanished from view.

    They went taut. There was a sharp jerk and Wizen¡¯s arm almost yanked itself out of its socket. The force nearly pulled him right over the edge. If Sticky had been slightly heavier, he would have been.

    Gritting his teeth, Wizen yanked his hand back. The threads shot back up to him, ferrying the small demon back over the edge of the stairs. Wizen grabbed onto her, making sure she didn¡¯t slide off again. Blood slicked the side of her temple where it had hit the stairs.

    Wizen pushed her hair back with a hand. The wound looked bad, but head injuries always did.

    Ridiculous. Is this child actively trying to kill herself?

    Wizen grabbed a small vial from his hip. A faint red liquid shimmered within it and it was capped by a carved glass seal. Wizen snapped the seal off and it clinked across the stairs before rolling off and into the darkness.

    He pulled Sticky¡¯s mouth open with a hand and upended the small potion into it. As soon as he had, he closed her jaw and held her nose shut. A second ticked by. The wound on her head started to fade, though half her face was still soaked in blood.

    The demon¡¯s eyes fluttered.

    Wizen released her, his lips thin.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Sticky asked, blinking heavily. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Are you an imbecile?¡± Wizen demanded. ¡°How can you slip on stairs when climbing them is the only thing you are doing?¡±

    Sticky reached up to her head. Her fingers came away red as they wiped blood away from the wound. ¡°I got really dizzy. I don¡¯t think I like heights. I didn¡¯t mean to. I¡¯m sorry.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Wizen hesitated for a second, then blew out a sharp breath. He drove his staff into the stairs and rose to his feet. His hand tingled. He glanced down at it. Thin gray lines pulsed beneath his skin, glowing with dull energy as they fought to keep his body together.

    He grimaced.

    Shit.

    ¡°Just get up,¡± Wizen said. ¡°You can stand now, I trust? I don¡¯t have a second potion to waste.¡±

    Sticky carefully rose to her feet. She wiped her face with the back of a hand and swallowed before giving Wizen a shaky nod. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not as bad anymore. I¡¯m less dizzy.¡±

    Wizen stared at her.

    She looked back at him.

    She¡¯s definitely going to fall off again. The girl is barely even able to stand.

    ¡°Why would you go up a flight of stairs like this if you¡¯re scared of heights?¡± Wizen asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not scared of heights,¡± Sticky defended weakly. ¡°I just got a little dizzy. I won¡¯t fall again. I promise.¡±

    Wizen¡¯s hand tightened around his staff. He¡¯d already brought the demon this far. He wasn¡¯t about to send her back down the stairs on her own. She¡¯d never make it back to the hall without falling again.

    He grabbed Sticky by the back of her neck like a kitten. She let out a yelp as he lifted her into the air and brought her over to his back. At this point, he couldn¡¯t allow her to die. Facing Sievan after that would be impossible.

    ¡°Hold,¡± Wizen ordered.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get blood on you.¡±

    ¡°I have so much blood on me that I highly doubt a little more will make a difference,¡± Wizen said dryly. ¡°What will make a difference is another delay.¡±

    Sticky immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to his back. Wizen waited for a moment to make sure she wouldn¡¯t lose her grip, then started up the stairs once more.

    There was still a long way to go.

    Strangely enough, even though he could have sworn he¡¯d crossed the length of the stairwell many times over, he¡¯d only managed to get up around a quarter of it.

    Another trick. Sievan seemed to be fond of them. They would not stop Wizen. He couldn¡¯t risk wasting any more magic than he already had, so he walked on. The stairwell couldn¡¯t go on forever, and he was making progress, even if it was slow.

    Minutes ticked by and stretched into hours. Step after step, Wizen ascended toward the platform floating in the center of the void. He was getting closer ¡ª just at an abysmally slow rate.

    His domain brushed across the steps as he walked. Minute imbuements covered everything. The very air around him was completely saturated with runic energy. It was incredible. If Wizen had been here for any other reason, he would have sat on the steps and pondered the world around him for hours.

    But today was not one for wasted time. He had no time left to waste ¡ª and so he climbed.

    At some point, Sticky¡¯s breathing slowed. She¡¯d somehow managed to fall asleep. He had absolutely no idea how the tiny demon had managed to pull that off. They were in the presence of a natural wonder.

    A location of magic so rare and powerful that the number of people who had borne witness to it were doubtlessly few. It was like sleeping through the dawn of a new era.

    As the hours stretched by and Wizen¡¯s ascent brought him slowly, steadily, toward the top, he found the faintest of smiles drifting across his lips.

    Old memories tickled at the back of his mind. This wasn¡¯t the first time that he¡¯d carried someone on his back like this, but those memories that had been too painful to relive.

    He¡¯d kept them locked up in a box in the back of his mind for hundreds of years. They were a distraction. A solace that held him back from doing what had to be be done. But that would be over, soon. The box would not remain shut for much longer.

    Time passed.

    Wizen wasn¡¯t sure how long it had been. If he was honest with himself, the silence was welcome. It had been a very long time since he¡¯d had a moment of stillness like this. Sticky still clung to his back, and he walked at an angle to make sure she didn¡¯t slip off in her sleep.

    But, as all things always did, the stairs came to an end.

    Wizen¡¯s foot fell on the edge of the platform, and the sound echoed past his ears like the roar of a waterfall.

    An obsidian chair sat in the very center of the platform. It was plain and without any form of adornment, no larger than a chair that Wizen might have found in his own study.

    Sitting within the chair was a plain man in an equally plain gray suit. His hands rested in his lap, fingers interlaced. His features were so uninteresting that they may as well have been impossible to remember. A perfectly average nose, thin lips that weren¡¯t quite thin enough to be noticeable, pale skin, and dusty brown hair. He was neither tall nor short. He was not beautiful, nor was he ugly. He wasn¡¯t fat, and he wasn¡¯t thin.

    But that ended with his eyes.

    The man had no irises. Two milky orbs bore into Wizen as he stepped out onto the platform. They were empty and flat. No power or immense intelligence burned behind them. There was simply nothing.

    Wizen drew to a stop across the platform from the demon.

    ¡°Sievan.¡±

    Sticky¡¯s eyes fluttered open. Awe and fear mixed in her features. She slipped down from Wizen¡¯s back to stand at his side, not saying a word.

    ¡°And so the Woven Man arrives,¡± Sievan said, uncrossing his hands from his lap. His words were like a gentle wind coiling through the night, leaving no trace of their passing. ¡°It seems you have brought a passenger with you. Unexpected.¡±

    He knows that old name? I suppose I should not be surprised.

    ¡°She is a witness,¡± Wizen replied. He drew the key from his side. Power pulsed within the gateway, threatening to spill over. Wizen kept it locked away. He couldn¡¯t allow even the slightest amount of the energy to go to waste. ¡°You know why I am here.¡±

    ¡°An odd choice for a witness,¡± Sievan said. He uncrossed his hands and rose from his chair. ¡°You are slightly early. Our other guest has yet to arrive.¡±

    Another guest?

    Wizen didn¡¯t let the baited question draw his attention. There was only one thing he was here for.

    ¡°I did not come here to meet with anyone other than you,¡± Wizen said. He pressed the key between the palms of his hands. The gray lines running beneath the skin of his right hand pulsed. Deep within him, an ancient rune shuddered as he called upon its strength.

    Threads of dull energy unraveled from Wizen¡¯s body. They coiled through the air around him like seaweed in an ocean current. Power bubbled forth from his chest and ran to flood through his entire body.

    ¡°I know,¡± Sievan said softly. ¡°You will not win this, Woven Man. I am Death, and you cannot oppose me.¡±

    ¡°I am human. It is my nature to oppose what cannot be defeated. I will not leave until I have what I came here for.¡±

    ¡°Your desire is beyond your reach.¡±

    ¡°But not yours,¡± Wizen replied. He put a hand on Sticky¡¯s shoulder and pushed her a step back as the power gathering within him intensified.  ¡°Open the way to the afterlife, or I will wrest your power from you and do it myself. I have come to take back my daughter.¡±

 Chapter 556: Planned

    ¡°You do not know for what you ask,¡± Sievan said. Unlike every other sound, Sievan¡¯s words did not vanish into the endless void surrounding the obsidian platform they stood on. Every one of his words echoed through the air, commanding attention with the presence of a king. ¡°You seek to steal from those whose power eclipses yours like a mountain to a grain of sand.¡±

    Wizen¡¯s lips pulled back in a cold smile. Sticky, who stood several feet behind him, swallowed nervously as Wizen met Sievan¡¯s gaze without flinching.

    ¡°The more I am told that something is impossible to attain, the more convinced I become that it isn¡¯t. There is a manner in which a soul can be returned to life. I know it. I have seen records of it, spawned from the existence of your own followers.¡±

    ¡°There is a difference between preventing a soul from passing on and retrieving one from what waits beyond,¡± Sievan said, crossing his arms behind his back. ¡°They are not one and the same.¡±

    ¡°But it is possible. Not once have you said otherwise,¡± Wizen said. The key in his hand hummed with crimson energy and he pointed it at the Demon Lord. ¡°It would be a trivial matter for you to open the path. I would prefer it that way, but I have brought sufficient power to challenge even you.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Sievan said, his head tilting to the side in observation. ¡°I know of the artifact you bear. The power does not belong to you.¡±

    ¡°It does not,¡± Wizen agreed. ¡°But I wield it, nonetheless. It seems our paths were already set. If you will not do what I ask, then I will take the power to do it myself. Step back, girl.¡±

    Sticky glanced nervously from Wizen to Sievan. She swayed slightly in place, then pressed a hand to her chest and winced. She slunk back a step, moving closer to the edge of the platform and farther from the rising tension in the air, and sank down, hugging her knees to her chest.

    The air around Wizen¡¯s key thrummed. Runic pressure exploded around Wizen with such force that the obsidian beneath him shattered. Large fragments of it snapped up around him and were lifted into the air, taking flight as they were caught up in a building maelstrom of power surrounding the mage.

    Claws of crimson light cut through the air and crawled into Wizen¡¯s arm, biting deep into his flesh. His veins burned with energy and Wizen¡¯s teeth ground in pain.

    Sievan made no move to stop Wizen. The demon watched on in complete silence, his expression no different than it had been moments ago. It was impossible to tell if he was even watching Wizen.

    Wind howled through the void and Wizen lifted into the air. The inside of his body lit with brilliant flashes of red lightning that ripped out through his skin and filled the air with their buzzing energy.

    Pressure roiled off Wizen. Loud cracks rang out as more of the obsidian beneath him shattered, but the power was entirely contained within a ten-foot sphere around Wizen, not so much as getting close to touching Sticky or Sievan.

    Wizen lifted a hand. Molten red whips of energy lashed across the ground and twisted around him like the tendrils of a burning eldritch being.

    ¡°You do not fear my magic,¡± Wizen said. His words boomed through the void and bolts of red lightning slipped free from his tongue and curled up around the sides of his face like smoke as he talked.

    ¡°No,¡± Sievan replied. ¡°I do not fear you, Woven Man. There is only one thing in life that I fear, and it is not you.¡±

    ¡°Then you are a fool.¡±

    Wizen brought his hands down. Red tendrils shot forward.

    They seemed to carve through reality itself. Jagged cracks raced out around them, sending brilliant white light spilling in from a void beyond.

    Sievan lifted a hand.

    The energy vanished before it could reach him. Reality mended itself with a pop, returning to the same state it had been instants before.

    ¡°To you, I am Death,¡± Sievan said softly. ¡°Are you certain you wish to do this? Snuffing one lesser than me does not bring any satisfaction. It is a waste of what could be a worthy end.¡±

    ¡°There is no worthier end than this,¡± Wizen replied, his voice as cold as ice. ¡°And you have not witnessed the full extent of my strength.¡±

    ¡°Then show me, Woven Man. Meet your end.¡±

    Wizen¡¯s hand lifted to his neck. He pulled a small necklace free from within his shirt. It was studded with six emeralds. Inky energy twisted within four of them, but the final two were dull and lifeless.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    The necklace shuddered in the storm of red lightning surrounding Wizen. His hand tightened around the gems that still glowed, and ironclad determination etched itself into his expression.

    ¡°Weave. Give me my power,¡± Wizen breathed. ¡°All of it. I release my bindings.¡±

    A deep thrum echoed out. Wizen lifted his left hand, and four taut gray strands pulsing with immense energy materialized around his fingers. They stretched off into the void and vanished out of sight.

    The air around Wizen shattered. White light spilled out from growing white cracks, illuminating him in its ghastly glow like an avenging angel descended from the heavens.

    Black fire ignited along Wizen¡¯s palm. It roared forth in a tsunami, swallowing half of the platform and crashing down over Sievan in a split instant. The fire twisted away and vanished, drawn into the Archdemon¡¯s palm, but Wizen was far from done.

    The air split as gray lightning screamed down and slammed onto Sievan¡¯s shoulders. Sievan staggered, a flicker of surprise passing over his features. Smoke curled from his suit, which had been slightly charred.

    Red whips of light shot out from Wizen¡¯s palms, leaving even more cracks in reality in their wake.

    More black fire erupted from Wizen and rose hundreds of feet into the air before him, completely blotting out the void and roaring toward Sievan.

    Sievan flicked his hand. A wave of nothingness passed out from his fingers, demolishing every strand of Wizen¡¯s power it touched, but Wizen didn¡¯t so much as flinch. Even more magic poured out from him.

    A sickly, pulsating beam of black light erupted from his palms and slammed into Sievan¡¯s chest, sending the demon sliding back across the platform. The Archdemon¡¯s expression tightened and his hands clenched down on the power, shattering it.

    Even as it vanished into motes of light fading into the air, more lightning crashed down on Sievan from above. He staggered and Wizen sent his tendrils shooting out for Sievan once more.

    Sievan snapped his fingers.

    A pulse ripped out from his body and washed over the entire platform. Wizen¡¯s magic vanished the instant his power touched it, but this time, not all of the white cracks in reality mended itself.

    ¡°You are a powerful mortal,¡± Sievan said. ¡°Stronger than any I have fought before. But you cannot defeat me. This does not have to end this way. Our other guests will arrive soon.¡±

    ¡°I am far greater than the sum of my parts,¡± Wizen replied. Blood trickled down from his nose and ran across his lips. ¡°And I am no longer a patient man.¡±

    His grip on the key tightened. Red light pulsed around him and poured out from his skin, lighting his body from within. The air around him shattered. Huge swathes of it evaporated, transformed to white portals that lead to nothing. Wizen clenched his free hand.

    A gray strand emerged from within the void. It wound around Wizen¡¯s wrist, digging into his skin. The world around Wizen thrummed.

    His head flew back as a roar of pain and defiance ripped from his lips. Cracks raced across his skin and peeled back like he was a broken clay pot. White energy pushed out from within the gaps and poured from his eyes and mouth.

    Sievan extended his hand toward Wizen.

    Black smoke poured forth from the sky and formed into a massive palm the size of a three-story building. It crashed down on Wizen, who thrust his own palm upward. White energy ignited at his palm.

    A brilliant crack split through the air as their magic connected. There was a brilliant flash ¡ª and Sievan¡¯s magic evaporated.

    Power roared all around Wizen and tore through the stage around him, but it continued to keep a wide berth from Sticky, who watched on in awe, eyes wide, lips parted in disbelief.

    A mortal was holding his own against the Lord of Death.

    ¡°You wield powers that are too great for you to control,¡± Sievan said. ¡°You grow closer to my domain, Woven Man. It is not too late for you to spend what you have left.¡±

    ¡°I have already spent it,¡± Wizen snarled. He brought his hands together with a loud clap. Jagged white lightning tore out through the air from between his palms, swirls of black flame and gray energy twisting within it.

    The strange magic slammed into Sievan and launched the Archdemon off his feet with an earthshaking explosion. There was only a brief instant for Sievan to look surprised before he vanished into the void.

    Sticky¡¯s mouth dropped fully open. ¡°You did it?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Wizen replied. ¡°Not yet. He still does not view me as an opponent.¡±

    ¡°Because you are not one.¡± Sievan¡¯s voice echoed through the darkness. Streamers of black smoke poured out from the darkness and onto the stage. The Demon Lord¡¯s body reformed. Smoke curled off his chest, and a tiny white crack glistened on his stomach where Wizen¡¯s magic had hit him. ¡°And you do not attempt to be one. You have only utilized a small portion of your strength, even as your body crumbles.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saving the rest for something more important,¡± Wizen replied. ¡°Fight me, Sievan. In true. Let me witness your true strength, Lord of Death. Mortal I may be, but you will not be able to defeat me with anything less.¡±

    Sievan didn¡¯t get a chance to answer.

    A thrum ran through the air.

    Bright purple magic shimmered, drawing a line in the air. It expanded outward to form a large, rectangular portal. A towering demon clad in black armor stepped through the portal, a massive, chipped sword slung over his shoulder.

    Wizen¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.

    Not at the demon, but at who came after him.

    A woman with bright red hair and green robes.

    A demon girl whose hands ended in slight claws ¡ª claws that Wizen had felt wrapped around his own wrist just a short time ago, back in the mortal realm.

    And, after them, a man with a huge grimoire slung over his shoulder.

    Wizen¡¯s skin prickled. It was the other wielder of Weave.

    Impossible. Sievan planned for this?

    ¡°Ah,¡± Sievan said with a satisfied smile. ¡°It seems the rest of our guests have arrived. Now we can get started.¡±

 Chapter 557: Spent

    Renewal interlaced her fingers and leaned forward. Sievan¡¯s domain stretched out before her and Decras, splayed across a shimmering screen of magical energy. She reached out blindly and felt around at her side for a few moments before her fingers found a bowl.

    The Goddess of Reincarnation dug a piece of chocolate out from within it, not letting her eyes so much as break from the screen for an instant. Decras¡¯ fingers brushed against hers as he claimed some food for himself. His own vision was similarly affixed to the scene playing out before them.

    Time had slowed to an absolute crawl around them. The figures within the Damned Plains moved so slowly that they might as well have been frozen in ice. It wasn¡¯t that time had stopped moving ¡ª Renewal and Decras were simply processing it at a speed so heightened that the flow had functionally crawled to a stop for them.

    ¡°What is Sievan doing?¡± Renewal asked through a mouthful of chocolate. ¡°Why did he gather them all in the same room? Is he trying to kill both Noah and Wizen?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s never had that much ambition before,¡± Decras said. ¡°I¡¯m surprised he¡¯s even bothered meeting with either of them. He could have kept Wizen wandering through those halls for a thousand years if he¡¯d wanted to. Those imbuements are quite old, and that little thief is nowhere near powerful enough to shatter them and have strength left to fight.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t underestimate Wizen.¡± Renewal¡¯s features tightened in displeasure. ¡°I don¡¯t like that mortal. He has harnessed things that humans should not harvest. Why am I unsurprised that it was with your rune that he pulled it off? Isn¡¯t any part of you redeemable?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hardly my fault. I can¡¯t be held responsible for what little rats do with the scraps of my passing. He dug a fragment of my rune from an altar the Apostles managed to contact me through. At least I didn¡¯t let a mortal take a bite directly out of my powers. Now that would be embarrassing.¡±

    Renewal would have glared at Decras if that didn¡¯t mean pulling her attention away from the slow-moving scene before her.

    ¡°And whose fault is it that a mortal was able to get magic like that in the first place? I¡¯ll give you a hint ¡ª he¡¯s leeching off my food.¡±

    ¡°Excuses,¡± Decras said through a snort. His tone grew more serious and he shook his head. ¡°But I do not understand what Sievan is aiming after.¡±

    ¡°Probably your runes.¡± Renewal huffed. ¡°They¡¯ve both got a piece. Sievan is probably going to try to take those pieces for himself. He already knew about Wizen, and I imagine he found out about Noah somehow. I¡¯m waiting for the reveal, myself. There¡¯s no way this is a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°Pieces of my runes?¡± Decras¡¯ forehead creased in distaste and he leaned back in his chair, interlacing his fingers behind his head and getting more comfortable. ¡°Doubtful. dabbles in a bit of dramaticism, but only upon occasion. As I said, he could have killed Wizen ten times over by now. The moment Wizen set foot in the hallway leading to that little pocket of dead space, he should have been dead. You saw it too. Wizen was caught in a Space Loop. Every step he took moved him an identical amount backward. It only stopped because Sievan released the binding on purpose.¡±

    ¡°He wants Noah and Wizen to meet, then. Perhaps he likes drama more than you would care to admit.¡±

    Decras¡¯s expression thinned. He studied the screen in silence for several long seconds before moving one of his shoulders in what might have been a shrug. ¡°Perhaps. But Noah will not be able to defeat Wizen. The gap in their strength is too great, even with the advancements he¡¯s made.¡±

    ¡°You say that as if he isn¡¯t the only mortal in the entirety of the toy kingdom to make a Rune from intent,¡± Renwal said crossly. ¡°He¡¯s a prodigy. There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll die here.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a suicidal idiot that manages to stumble his way into success through sheer dumb perseverance and luck,¡± Decras grumbled. ¡°And he¡¯s a thief.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like someone¡¯s still bitter.¡± There was more than a little smugness in Renewal¡¯s tone. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re still stewing over getting robbed blind by multiple different mortals. If we¡¯re speaking about embarrassing, I think you might be penning the novel.¡±

    ¡°Am I the one that lost an entire avatar to a mortal who gave it ¡ª literally ¡ª nothing in return?¡±

    Renewal let out something between a cough and a groan. She hurriedly cleared her throat and glanced down at the black cat curled in her lap.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°I suggest changing the conversation. I no longer enjoy this one.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Decras snorted. He grabbed another chocolate and popped it into his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m of half a mind to break the rules and put Wizen down like a dog when he arrives.¡±

    ¡°Arrives?¡± Renewal¡¯s head tilted to the side, but she was grateful for the redirect. It would be a few hundred years before she wouldn¡¯t want to bury her head in the ground every time she saw Mascot. ¡°You were right about Noah not being able to defeat Wizen ¡ª so you think Sievan will open the way here? Surely not.¡±

    ¡°He will.¡± There wasn¡¯t so much as an ounce of doubt in Decras¡¯ voice. He was completely convinced he spoke the truth.

    ¡°Why? He¡¯s powerful enough to defeat Noah and Wizen working together,¡± Renewal said. She turned fully away from the screen for a moment to focus on Decras. ¡°This entire thing makes little sense to me. How well versed are you on him?¡±

    ¡°Well versed?¡± Decras¡¯ lips pulled up in the faintest hint of a smile, but there was something else in his expression. It was so faint that it was almost impossible to make out, but a flicker of regret smoldered deep beneath the black pools that were Decras¡¯ eyes. ¡°I am more than well versed. I made Sievan with my own hands. It would not be inaccurate to call him my son.¡±

    Renewal blinked in surprise. ¡°He was the first demon?¡±

    ¡°The very first,¡± Decras confirmed. He leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh. ¡°Sievan was the first ¡ª the most successful of the lot. The only one who held true potential. He flew through the ranks like he was born to do it. I watched him craft Flawless after Flawless Rune, all the way up until Rank 8. The only demon in history to succeed in such an endeavor.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ you think he¡¯s going to Ascend?¡±

    Decras burst into laughter. ¡°No, Renewal. He will not. Sievan is a failure.¡±

    ¡°What? But you said¡ª¡±

    ¡°The most successful. And, unfortunately, still a failure,¡± Decras said. He shook his head in disappointment. ¡°I was crushed. Everything had looked so promising¡­ but Sievan is still a demon. I was younger when I made him. I cared more ¡ª cared too much. For hundreds of years, I tried to help him find a way to break into Rank 9, but it¡¯s impossible. It stumped me for far longer than I care to admit, and still my inability stings. It is my greatest regret.¡±

    ¡°But you found out why,¡± Renewal said. ¡°Don¡¯t make me beg for it when you¡¯re eating my food.¡±

    ¡°I was getting to it, you impatient woman. The answer is painfully simple. Sievan is nothing but a fragment of myself. He was handcrafted from a portion of my runes, and that is all that he will ever be. A rune cannot become more than itself. Sievan is nothing but a worthless shell. Every other demon is worse. I know the cause, but I cannot fix it. It is an impossibility in the very core of their creation. I have already said before. Demons are a flawed experiment. A race with no future. Any potential they may have is, and always will be, destroyed by what they are.¡±

    Renewal¡¯s eyes went wide in realization. ¡°That¡¯s why they get consumed by themselves. They¡¯re living runes.¡±

    ¡°Correct. It was not what I wanted for them, but it is what they are. Sievan went the farthest, but he is still nothing more than a rune. He cannot advance to godhood. No copy ever can.¡±

    ¡°Why did you let this ever come into being?¡± Renewal demanded, rising partially from her chair. ¡°This is more than cruelty¡ª¡±

    The words died in her throat. Decras wasn¡¯t holding her gaze. His hands had tightened around the armrests of his chair, knuckles whitening, and he¡¯d turned his head to the side. The god¡¯s jaw was as tight steel.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t bring yourself to kill them,¡± Renewal said, her voice softer. ¡°You actually do see them as your children, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I do not,¡± Decras snarled. He pounded a fist against an armrest. ¡°They are a failed race, one unworthy of the effort it would take me to purge them. And if you want proof of that, witness the latest mistake in their long line of failures.¡±

    He turned his gaze back to the screen. Renewal followed it. A frown crossed her features. Out of everybody in the room, Decras was staring at the tiny demon that had followed Wizen through the hallway.

    ¡°The little girl?¡±

    ¡°Hollow,¡± Decras said. ¡°Not an uncommon condition. Her soul is improperly formed and not well connected to her body. In theory, that should make her more prone to creating a rune of her own. That isn¡¯t what happened. Instead, she¡¯s incapable of properly connecting with even the flawed, so called, Demon Runes. The result is a shell of a being that can do nothing but wait to die no matter how desperately she struggles.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way around it?¡± Renewal asked, but she already knew the answer to her own question. It only took one look at the girl to see how weak her lifeforce was.

    ¡°Ask Sievan,¡± Decras said through a snort, but there was no amusement in his tone. ¡°He attempts to fix what cannot be changed. Sticky is one of many, and far from his first attempt. Ironic. The so called Lord of Death, unable to keep a child alive because her body would crumble under the force of even his weakest rune fragment. Sievan attempted to delay her death by externally wrapping her in death energy ¡ª but that hasn¡¯t saved any of the other demons he¡¯s tried it on. All it has done is delay their end.¡±

    ¡°And you?¡± Renewal asked.

    ¡°If I possessed a way to cure my greatest mistake, do you not think I would use it?¡± Decras asked. ¡°I brought every scrap of power I have to bear. The demons are nothing but flawed runes, and that girl is one of the most useless of them all.¡±

    Renewal¡¯s eyes flicked back to the small demon girl sitting on the cracked obsidian floor. ¡°Then she¡ª¡±

    ¡°Spent the power Sievan put on her opening a door that should have been impossible to move,¡± Decras said with a shake of his head. ¡°Now there is nothing left to spend. She will be dead before the sun rises.¡±

 Chapter 558: The Plan

    Noah wasn¡¯t quite sure exactly what had happened during the last few minutes. When he¡¯d stepped out of his tent to find Zath and tell him that he was done with his preparation, Zath had already been ready for him.

    It seemed the huge demon had finished his conversation with¡­ whatever it was that he had been speaking to some time ago. The very instant Noah emerged from the tent, Zath had snapped his fingers and a portal had begun to trace itself into the air, sending sparks of purple light arcing off it.

    Zath had then herded them all straight into it with no room for argument. As much as Noah didn¡¯t want Moxie and Lee tagging along with him to meet the Archdemon, Zath refused to accept any counterarguments.

    Unfortunately, going directly against the Rank 7 was functionally impossible. All of Noah¡¯s strength depended on Zath actually playing along and wanting something from him. Straight up opposing him was still beyond what he was capable of doing if he wanted everyone else to leave the camp in one piece.

    Noah had no idea why Zath had suddenly decided that Lee and Moxie had to come along as well. The demon refused to explain. He¡¯d just pointed at the fully formed portal and waited, his armored foot clanking away as he tapped it on the ground.

    And that was how Noah, along with Lee and Moxie, found themselves stepping into Sievan¡¯s domain.

    A cool chill gripped Noah¡¯s shoulders as soon as he emerged from the portal ¡ª and he froze in place. An endless sea of darkness stretched out around him. A familiar, almost comforting, darkness. It was the very same as the shadow that made up his own soul.

    But this was not a soul.

    Beneath his feet was a cracked obsidian platform, its edges trimmed with plain gold. Noah¡¯s domain prickled as it brushed across what could only have been described as a sea of imbuements.

    Everything around him was positively awash with magic. It felt like trying to breath through a lungful of honey. A thick silence ruled over the air to such a degree that Noah could hear his own heartbeat. His footstep echoed through the room like a gunshot.

    Moxie and Lee had both entered before him. They stood locked in place, frozen in the same shock that Noah felt, but something was wrong.

    They were barely moving. It looked like someone had locked the two of them in time and slowed their speed down by a thousandfold.

    What the hell is this? What¡¯s going on?

    It was then that Noah realized they were far from alone in the room. The immensity of the silent darkness had drawn his attention away from the man floating in the air, wreathed in a crackling storm of red energy and obsidian shards.

    Wizen.

    His mouth was open in a cry of fury, hands thrust forward. Electrical power crawled from his fingertips, moving so slowly that it might as well have been frozen in place. A small demon girl sat on the ground behind him, her wide eyes half-lidded in exhaustion. She was similarly unmoving, locked in time and space.

    What the fuck? Wizen is here?

    Noah nearly leapt out of his own skin in surprise. He ripped power from his runes and prepared for a fight.

    ¡°Hello, Spider. I¡¯m glad to see you were able to make it. I¡¯ve been looking forward to meeting you.¡± A gentle voice cut through the air.

    Noah spun toward its source.

    Standing before him was a plain man in a plain gray suit, a mop of brown hair on his head and hands crossed behind his back. And his eyes ¡ª his eyes were pure white, as flat and empty as the void.

    The breath caught in Noah¡¯s chest as he met the man¡¯s gaze.

    There was something there, lurking deep within it.

    Something he had never seen in anything other than a mirror.

    It was more than familiarity.

    It was understanding.

    ¡°Sievan,¡± Noah said, knowing without a doubt who stood before him. ¡°You¡¯ve been to the Line.¡±

    ¡°I would daresay that all of us have been to the line, Spider.¡± A smile crossed over Sievan¡¯s features. ¡°It¡¯s just that nobody else is unfortunate enough to recall the experience.¡±

    Noah swallowed. He tried to find words, but his thoughts failed him and nothing came forth. He could do nothing but stare. Before him was more than a Demon Lord. It was someone who actually knew what came beyond life.

    Someone who had remembered it.

    Just like he had.

    ¡°Why did you call me here?¡± Noah asked, finally finding his voice once again. ¡°This isn¡¯t about a Broken Master Rune.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Sievan agreed. ¡°It is not.¡±

    The Demon Lord lifted his hands. Smoke twisted up from the ground and formed into a pair of wispy chairs. A table formed between them, and all three pieces of furniture solidified into obsidian an instant later. Sievan stepped around a chair and lowered himself into it without a word.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    Over his shoulder, Wizen¡¯s magic crawled through the air in a slow-moving march to nothing.

    Noah pulled his gaze away from Wizen and approached the table. He sat down across from Sievan, the cold obsidian biting uncomfortably into his back.

    ¡°How did you know?¡± Noah asked, his mind still spinning in disbelief.

    ¡°As like many things in life, equal parts coincidence and intention. The Woven man made little effort to hide his power when he arrived in my domain. A power whose source I am very familiar with,¡± Sievan replied, interlacing his hands on the table before him. ¡°That heightened my attention ¡ª and when you passed from this world but failed to enter the next, I felt the very same power in you as well ¡ª unless I am mistaken?¡±

    Noah¡¯s stomach tightened. Wizen had recognized Sunder back in the mortal realm, but this confirmed it. He wasn¡¯t the only one with a piece of Decras¡¯ power. Wizen had it as well ¡ª and if Sievan recognized that strength, then there was a possibility that Noah knew exactly where the Lord of Death¡¯s power came from.

    He glanced up at Wizen. If Sievan had the power to slow time like this¡­ the demon wasn¡¯t just powerful.

    For all intents and purposes, he was a god.

    Noah was surprised to find that information didn¡¯t scare him. It actually set him at ease. For one of the first times since arriving at Arbitage, he didn¡¯t have to hide who he was. He didn¡¯t have to hide his powers.

    There was simply no point.

    ¡°You are not,¡± Noah said. ¡°I wield Sunder.¡±

    Sievan¡¯s expression was unreadable. He drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly as he turned his gaze toward the darkness above them.

    ¡°And so Decras reminds me of my failure once more,¡± Sievan breathed, letting his gaze fall back to Noah. ¡°Will you tell me of how you came about taking Sunder into your possession? I will not force you if you do not wish to speak, but the story would mean a great deal to me.¡±

    There was desire in Sievan¡¯s empty eyes, but not desire for power. He didn¡¯t care about the rune. He cared about what it represented.

    Noah told him.

    The story was a long one.

    Frozen lightning coiled behind Sievan like a dragon crawling across the sky as Noah spoke. His words vanished into the silent maw of the darkness surrounding them as he told Sievan of the Line. He told the ancient demon about Renewal and Decras, and about his arrival in the mortal world. Noah told Sievan about Arbitage. About Moxie and Lee. He told him about the students still waiting for him, and about Wizen.

    Noah said almost everything ¡ª but not everything. He didn¡¯t share the details of his research on Runes or Formations. It wasn¡¯t pertinent to the story, and those were secrets that Noah felt no reason to give up.

    Sievan did not say a single word until Noah finished telling his story. The demon barely even so much as twitched from his spot in the chair. His features were an unreadable mask, his eyes as flat and empty as an icy ocean on a still night.

    ¡°I see,¡± Sievan said quietly. ¡°We are not as alike as I believed.¡±

    Noah blinked. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You walked the Line for eons. I have only witnessed it, and that alone was difficult to handle,¡± Sievan said. ¡°I cannot comprehend recalling every step upon that endless path. It would break me.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯ve been there,¡± Noah said. ¡°And the gods? They didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°The gods are bound by rules. They cannot interfere so long as we do not,¡± Sievan said, his gaze drifting from Noah. ¡°And Decras would not interfere with me. Not again.¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you know him.¡±

    ¡°You could say that.¡± Sievan let out a small laugh. The smile slipped away from his features as he turned to look at the small demon girl sitting on the ground behind Wizen. ¡°Tell me, Noah. What do you see when you look at her?¡±

    Noah turned to follow Sievan¡¯s gaze. ¡°A girl, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°I see failure.¡±

    ¡°That seems a bit harsh. She¡¯s barely a kid. What did she do?¡±

    ¡°Not hers,¡± Sievan said. ¡°Our race¡¯s. Mine. Demons are a flawed, broken people. We are controlled by the runes within us. We are the runes within us. They are broken, and thus, we are too. The harder we reach for perfection, the more that we rip ourselves apart from within until nothing but the rune remains.¡±

    Noah¡¯s mouth nearly fell open. In a single line, Sievan had told him exactly what was wrong with Lee.

    Holy shit. That makes so much sense. That¡¯s why demons get consumed by the feeling their runes represent. Their body and soul are so closely linked that they literally are their own runes. The rune takes over the body, making it more like the rune, until they lose themselves.

    ¡°And the girl? Why is she a failure?¡± Noah asked, desperate for more information. If Sievan had more information, perhaps there was a way to save ¡ª

    ¡°She is broken,¡± Sievan said. ¡°A living example of what is broken in my race. She possesses no runes. A demon without runes is nothing. It grows harder to keep her alive with every passing day. Her body consumes the magic that comes into contact with it, but no rune can take purchase in her soul. She has tried to delay the end by injecting magical energy into her own heart, but that does nothing but lessen the stress on her body. Her soul still crumbles.¡±

    Noah looked back to the girl.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you in control of death? Just bring her back.¡±

    ¡°I have nothing to bind to her with. Runes are the tether between soul and body, and she does not have anything I can call upon.¡± Sievan shook his head. ¡°I did not mention her predicament to ask for advice, Noah. You told me your story. I tell you mine.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I follow.¡±

    ¡°My race is cursed. You search for a solution that cannot be found, because demons are broken. I, with all the powers of 7 perfected Rank 8 Runes, could not save a mere girl. And you believe you have a chance to save Lee?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed. Sievan wasn¡¯t giving him a solution. The demon was trying to make him give up ¡ª and that would never happen. ¡°I¡¯m not going to abandon my friend. Just because someone stronger than me couldn¡¯t pull something off doesn¡¯t mean you thought about every option.¡±

    ¡°Well said,¡± Sievan said. His smile returned to his face as he rose to his feet. The obsidian chair beneath him disintegrated into smoke. Noah hurried to stand before the table and his own chair followed suit. Sievan looked up to Wizen, then blew out a sigh. ¡°I cannot slow time for much longer. We will soon rejoin the others. I am pleased that you were more amiable than the Woven Man.¡±

    Noah glanced up at Wizen, who was still wreathed in a cloak of roaring magic. ¡°That really wasn¡¯t too difficult to pull off.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Sievan agreed with a small smile. ¡°It was not. I enjoyed our conversation, Noah. I am glad we got to have it before the end.¡±

    ¡°The end? I¡¯m not sure I like the sound of that.¡±

    ¡°Few do,¡± Sievan said. He turned back to Wizen. ¡°But I have come to realize that I cannot ascend as I am now. I, like every other demon, am flawed. I cannot reach the next rank, and even as powerful as I am, my life is not eternal. The dying girl on the ground is no different than I.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re dying?¡± Noah asked, blinking in surprise. The Lord of Death dying almost felt ironic.

    ¡°I am falling apart at the seams. I fear I never truly lived,¡± Sievan replied with a smile. ¡°But it struck me that I have not tried everything. There is one last thing that I can do to attempt to gain true control over my runes and become more than my shackles.¡±

    ¡°And what is that?¡± Noah asked, but from the way that Sievan was looking at Wizen, he suspected he already knew the answer.

    ¡°I am going to die. I would appreciate your assistance in the matter.¡±

    Sievan swept his hands downward, and time snapped back into motion.

 Chapter 559: Death

    Red lightning screamed through the air and slammed into the cracked obsidian ground with an earsplitting crack. Fragments of black stone exploded upward and spun into the void, vanishing from view.

    Noah staggered, doubling over as a wave of nausea washed over him. He ground his teeth and forced himself upright, drawing on his Runes as the crackling roar of a storm filled the air. More and more magical power gathered around Wizen ¡ª far more than any single mage ever should have been able to wield.

    Fire, lightning, gray matter, and sickly red tendrils all mixed together with blades of obsidian and other swirling forms of energy. Noah¡¯s skin prickled in a mixture of awe and horror. What Wizen was doing should have been impossible.

    A mage could only cast a single spell at once unless they were using a Formation to draw from multiple runes. Noah had broken that ironclad rule with the Violin Moxie gave him, and even that only let him cast two spells at once. That alone was an enormous advantage.

    Realization snapped into existence within Noah¡¯s mind as he finally put the pieces of information he¡¯d been given together. Wizen had thought Sunder¡¯s name was Weave. Sievan had called him the Woven Man.

    Wizen doesn¡¯t have Sunder. His Rune is called Weave, and I¡¯ll bet that it¡¯s literally weaving people¡¯s runes together like some form of zombie, letting him control all of them at once. How many mages worth of power does Wizen have?

    A bolt of red lightning crashed down several feet away from Noah, ripping through his thoughts and snapping him back into the present.

    Thick storm clouds had gathered over Wizen. They stretched out through the void like greedy fingers, staining the sky a ruddy crimson.

    Noah had no doubt that Sievan could have killed Wizen by now if he¡¯d wanted to. But the Lord of Death had no plans of doing that. He wanted to die ¡ª but Noah couldn¡¯t let the demon bring the rest of them along with him into the afterlife.

    ¡°Zath!¡± Noah screamed, grabbing his gourd and flinging it to Moxie. ¡°Get them out of here!¡±

    The Rank 7 Demon didn¡¯t miss a beat. He spun, scooping Lee and Moxie off the ground like they were children. Neither of them said a single word of argument. There were times when staying to try and help fight was a good idea ¡ª but in a ring together with Sievan and Wizen, the only winning move was to leave.

    Zath tucked them both under one arm before springing toward the small demon on the ground and reaching out for her.

    ¡°No,¡± Sievan¡¯s voice was gentle, but Zath ground to a halt in an instant. He spun and dashed down the stairs, taking a dozen of them at a time as he made for a small pinprick of light far below them at the base of the stairs.

    Relief roiled up in Noah¡¯s chest, but he didn¡¯t let it distract him. He still didn¡¯t know what it was Sievan wanted. The Lord of Death said he¡¯d planned to die, but he somehow wanted Noah¡¯s help with it.

    Wizen seemed more than willing to take care of that on his own. There was something missing. Noah hadn¡¯t caught some piece of subtext that Sievan had dropped for him, and it didn¡¯t look like there was going to be much time to work it out.

    Energy roared around Wizen as he let out a roar of fury, not so much as looking in Noah¡¯s direction as he thrust his hands toward Sievan.

    A sea of power crashed down toward the Lord of Death from every direction. Lightning plummeted from the sky. Shards of obsidian shot for his body. Red and gray magic enveloped him in a swirling tornado with such intensity that the ground beneath him shattered, sending shrapnel flying in every direction.

    Noah darted forward, flinging himself between the demon girl and the explosion. He lifted his hands and summoned a wall of wind.

    It was pointless.

    Not a single fragment drew near to him or the girl.

    Roaring magic drowned out Noah¡¯s thoughts as Wizen rained down spell after spell upon Sievan, each one shaking the world with the ramping intensity of their might. It felt as if Wizen didn¡¯t have any limit to his power, and every passing minute only made him stronger.

    ¡°Is he winning?¡±

    Noah glance down. The demon girl squinted past him, her face pale and covered in a thin sheen of sweat. She looked like she had a violent fever. Her arms were trembling from the effort of keeping herself upright and her eyes fluttered with strain.

    ¡°Who?¡± Noah asked.

    ¡°Both of them,¡± the girl replied. A tiny smile pulled at the corner of her lips. ¡°Wizen wanted to kill Sievan. Sievan wants to die. He told me. I¡­ just wanted to help. Did I help?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Noah looked back to the storming magic covering half of the platform. He could barely make out Wizen or Sievan¡¯s forms anymore. There was only an ocean of runic magic, so intense that he suspected he would have been vaporized the moment he tried to approach.

    ¡°I suppose you did,¡± Noah said, looking back to the girl.

    The back of his spine prickled and the breath caught in his throat as a realization struck him.

    Sievan had called her hollow. A demon without runes.

    A demon without a Minuscule Fragment of Decras. Holy shit. She¡¯s not broken. This girl is a pure demon. If she could make a Fragment of Self, I could learn how to help every single other demon do it. She¡¯s the key I need.

    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± the girl said. Her features relaxed and she sank back to the ground, staring up at the cloud-covered void above. ¡°Are you Sievan¡¯s friend?¡±

    A loud crack of thunder split the air as another bolt of lighting crashed down. The girl barely even reacted to it.

    ¡°Something like that,¡± Noah said over the crash of magic behind him. ¡°Listen. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been told, but I think you could be very important. I¡¯ve been researching demons for some time now. I¡¯ve discovered the problem with your runes, and I think I can fix it. You might be the key to doing that.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You found the wrong demon.¡± the girl¡¯s voice was weaker than before. ¡°I don¡¯t have any runes.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Noah said, taking her gently by the shoulders. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Sticky.¡± The demoness blinked, heavily, trying to muster the energy to look up at Noah. ¡°But I don¡¯t have any magic.¡±

    ¡°You can,¡± Noah said. He put a hand on the grimoire hanging from his back. ¡°I¡¯ll help you. I can come into your mind, and we can make you a rune. The others are wrong. You might be the most important demon in history. Just hold¡ª¡±

    A powerful blast of wind slammed into Noah¡¯s back. He staggered, nearly falling straight on top of Sticky. He yanked on Natural Disaster and blew himself back into position before he could crush her.

    Noah spun toward Wizen and Sievan and the blood froze in his veins.

    All the magic was gone. Wizen stood before Sievan, a sword made of woven red and gray energy clutched in both of his hands.

    Its blade was buried directly in the center of Sievan¡¯s chest. Blood bloomed like a flower around it and soaked into the demon¡¯s gray suit. For an instant, Noah locked eyes with the Lord of Death.

    A faint smile pulled across the demon¡¯s lips.

    Then Wizen¡¯s voice tore through the room like the blast of a cannon.

    ¡°Open the way,¡± Wizen commanded. Mind magic poured from his words and slammed into Noah¡¯s stomach like a physical blow. He drew on Empty Proliferation as he felt the words worm into his skull, but they passed by harmlessly before they could take root.

    The command hadn¡¯t been meant for Noah.

    Strands of gray magic wound out from Wizen¡¯s palm. They wound around Sievan and sank into his skin. The demon made no move to resist, even as Wizen ripped the sword free of his body.

    ¡°Very well.¡± The Lord of Death lifted his hands into the air. ¡°It has been a long time coming, hasn¡¯t it?¡±

    All the energy in the air vanished with a pop. Ice crawled across Noah¡¯s skin and wound into his chest. His heart missed a beat and the breath stilled in his lungs. An immense pressure rolled through the room.

    Black coiled through the air above them. It was sheer, unimaginable power. Horrifying and peaceful. Silent and omnipresent. The inevitable end for all mortals.

    It was Death.

    Sievan clapped his hands together, but the sound made no noise. The void was utterly still.

    A white rectangle split open between his palms as he pulled them apart. It expanded to float before him, twisting with whorls of smoke that faded away to reveal a distant, shimmering path of gold.

    Ice gripped Noah¡¯s throat.

    The Line.

    Wizen let out a shuddering breath. Portions of his skin peeled back and floated in the air as if he were made out of confetti, but the man didn¡¯t even seem to notice. His eyes were firmly fixed on the white portal before him. ¡°Finally. Await me, Bella. Your father comes for you.¡±

    He stepped into the void.

    ¡°Did he do it?¡± Sticky whispered, her weak voice just barely making it to Noah¡¯s ears. ¡°I can¡¯t see.¡±

    His eyes jerked back to the girl. Noah swallowed the fear twisting in his gut and carefully looped a hand around Sticky¡¯s head, lifting it so she could see the portal.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Noah¡¯s throat was tight. ¡°They did.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll be happy now,¡± Sticky said, relaxing into Noah¡¯s hand. ¡°I did something good, right?¡±

    ¡°You can do a whole lot more than that,¡± Noah said, grabbing for the Fragment of Renewal with his mind and sending the magic flooding into her body. Power tingled at his fingertips as the rune worked into her. ¡°Listen to me, Sticky. I can come into your soul and we can fix you up. You can save the entire demon¡ª¡±

    ¡°Your magic is nice. So¡­ warm.¡± Sticky¡¯s lips twitched in a small smile, but she didn¡¯t have the strength to keep it for more than a moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wish I could have helped you too.¡±

    And there, lying in Noah¡¯s arms, Sticky died.

    The magic pouring from the Fragment of Renewal evaporated. It could do many things, but it could not bring back the dead.

    ¡°No!¡± Noah yelled, but death could not be reasoned with. It did not accept bargains.

    Noah¡¯s teeth clenched. He lowered Sticky to the ground, brushing his hands over her eyes to close them, and turned toward Sievan.

    The Lord of Death still stood where he had been run through, the white portal buzzing between his palms. A knowing smile was still present on his face.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Noah snarled.

    Wizen had gotten through the portal and taken the key out of the Damned Plains with him. The best lead he¡¯d found to help Lee had died ¡ª and she¡¯d been a child. Noah had failed at every single thing he¡¯d come here to do.

    His hands tightened into fists at his sides.

    The portal still stood.

    ¡°Hold on a bit longer for me, would you?¡± Noah asked, striding up to stand before the Lord of Death.

    Sievan¡¯s smile twitched wider. Blood trickled down from his lips and dripped from his chin. ¡°Death waits for no man.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been a mere man for a very long time,¡± Noah replied.

    Then he dove into the void.

 Chapter 560: Infinity

    The world was cold and silent. An endless void ¡ª the true void, not the replica that had existed within Sievan¡¯s domain ¡ª stretched out around Noah like the maw of an ancient beast. Golden paths swirled through the emptiness like strands of hair as they converged in the far, far distance.

    Noah couldn¡¯t see where they were going, but he didn¡¯t need to. He knew what came at the end of eons of journey along the sprawling paths.

    Faint, translucent motes of blue shimmered upon the pathways. They moved one ponderous step at a time to the beat of an endless march. There were no words. No desires. No goals. Souls that walked upon its surface seemed to feel nothing but the millstone of time grinding away at them until they finally arrived at its head, where Renewal would be waiting for them.

    There was only the Line.

    This was the one location in all existence that he would have given almost anything to never return to ¡ª but he had no choice. Wizen had the Key. Noah and Moxie weren¡¯t demons. They couldn¡¯t be summoned, even if they wanted to be. Returning to the mortal plane was impossible without it.

    Cold space pressed in on Noah, and his domain churned as it fought to keep it back. There was no air in the afterlife. His lungs found nothing when he breathed in, and yet, his body sustained all the same.

    The void was pure, unfiltered magic. Power permeated everything within the darkness, omnipresent and uncaring. Even if Noah¡¯s entire body had shut down, he got the feeling that he would have continued to exist.

    This was a place in which the mortal concept of life did not exist. The beat of the heart, the breath of the lung, the pump of blood ¡ª none of it mattered. The afterlife was a misnomer. It was not a place of life or unlife. It was a place of existence.

    And, no matter how badly someone wanted to live or do the very opposite, there was only one option for them here. It was to exist.

    Mortals did not belong here. Noah did not belong here. It was a place reserved for those who walked the line and the gods that oversaw them.

    Knots twisted his stomach and a deep sense of terror and unease clawed at Noah¡¯s heart. It begged him to turn back toward the only point of color other than gold in the void ¡ª the stark white portal that burned in the air behind him, held open by Sievan.

    Noah crushed the desire. He couldn¡¯t leave. Not without the key. His eyes scanned the line in search of Wizen.

    Fortunately for him, mortals stuck out like a sore thumb in a land where the only residents were floating blue souls.

    He spotted Wizen after mere moments. The man floated above the line, churning red and gray magic enveloping him like the tendrils of an eldritch god. Pieces of Wizen¡¯s skin had peeled back. He was unraveling at the seams, but in his right hand was the key. The mage had bound it to himself with strands of gray magic.

    Noah¡¯s lips thinned and he willed himself forward. To his surprise, the thought sent him zipping through the empty void like a rocket. He moved so quickly that he nearly slammed straight into Wizen before jerking to a halt a dozen feet away from him.

    The Woven Man¡¯s head snapped up toward Noah. Surprise and anger carved across his features and he turned in his direction.

    ¡°You,¡± Wizen snarled. The void swallowed his words, barely letting them make it to Noah¡¯s ears. ¡°Leave. I have no more need for your power. We have no quarrel.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a load of shit and you know it,¡± Noah replied as he drew on his Runes. Power carved through his body and reared back, waiting for his command. ¡°You don¡¯t get to do heinous shit and then go around claiming we have no quarrel once you get what you want.¡±

    ¡°I have done bad, and I would do worse. You could not understand.¡± Wizen turned toward Noah and lifted his hand toward him, his fingers curling into the shape of a claw. ¡°I have no energy to waste on you. Leave. This is your final warning.¡±

    ¡°Give me the key, and I¡¯ll consider it.¡± Noah pulled his lips back in a snarl. ¡°What are you going to do? Mind control me?¡±

    Wizen mind controlled him.

    Or, more accurately, Wizen tried to mind control him.

    His magic slammed into Noah like a crashing river, driving into his mind in a spike and seeking to rip control of his body from him.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    If they had been outside the afterlife or if Wizen hadn¡¯t been holding his power back for some purpose, perhaps it would have been more effective. But they were not. By the time Wizen¡¯s magic reached Noah, it had been severely weakened.

    And, when Noah felt the prickle of Wizen¡¯s mind pressing against his own, he smiled. Noah¡¯s mind grabbed onto the connection the other mage had established.

    Then he unleashed Empty Proliferation.

    His mind slammed against Wizen¡¯s, but Noah didn¡¯t try to overwhelm the other mage. That would have been impossible. Wizen¡¯s runes were far stronger than his. It was impossible to defeat him as they were now ¡ª which meant Noah had to change the fight.

    And if there was one place where things were even, it was when magic was a battle of will rather than pure runic force.

    Noah ripped open his Mindspace.

    The afterlife evaporated.

    ***

    Gentle gold light burned beneath Noah¡¯s feet. It was a translucent path that he knew well, but there were no translucent blue souls joining him upon it. It was the endless path that led to Renewal, but it was not the afterlife.

    A black space stretched out in all directions around him. It was the void, but it was not the afterlife.

    There was only one other being present upon the golden pathway that stretched out into oblivion. Wizen stood a dozen feet away from Noah, staring at him in stunned disbelief. They were on the Line, but it was not the afterlife.

    It was Noah¡¯s mind ¡ª but it was more than that. A foreign presence burned within it. This place was Wizen¡¯s just as much as it was his. Their minds had linked.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Wizen demanded. ¡°What have you done?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one that established the connection to my mind. But the thing is, those things go both ways,¡± Noah replied, cracking his neck. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s fair to even the playing field a bit?¡±

    ¡°You have Mind Runes? Since when¡­ no. No, it does not matter. You are in my way. What is one more death?¡± Wizen¡¯s jaw clenched and he thrust a hand toward Noah. A sea of lightning exploded from his hand.

    It ripped through the air ¡ª and folded in on itself. The magic barely made it a foot away from Wizen before it had shrunk to nothing more than the size of a worm. It vanished with a blip, disappearing well before it could reach Noah.

    ¡°Whoops,¡± Noah said. ¡°No tantrums, Wizen. Your magic isn¡¯t going to work here.¡±

    Wizen clapped his hands together. He ripped them apart, and gray threads burst from his palms. They extended like the tendrils of Cthulhu reaching for Noah, only to collapse and disappear within feet once more.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Wizen demanded, disbelief gripping his features. ¡°You are a Rank 4! How is this possible? I am not in your soul. I am a far greater Mind Mage than you. Neither of our mindspaces rule over this place. It is a common ground that you merely aided in shaping. You cannot control it.¡±

    Damn. Wizen really knows his Mind Magic shit. I¡¯m just glad this worked. I was a little worried Wizen would crush me with sheer strength.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m in more control than you think.¡±

    ¡°You are not,¡± Wizen said flatly. He thrust his hands forward again and unleashed a storm of black flames. Once more, the magic sputtered out well before it reached Noah. Wizen¡¯s hands tightened. ¡°This is impossible. I have fought other Mind Mages before. A mental connection like the one you formed is perfectly balanced. Our minds have equal control here ¡ª so how is it that you have snuffed my magic?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure your magic is fine, but it can¡¯t do anything when it can¡¯t get to me,¡± Noah said with a small smile.

    ¡°I cannot waste time with the likes of you!¡± Wizen snapped, a note of panic entering his voice. He snapped his fingers. A magical storm ripped out from him in every direction. It expanded through the darkness ¡ª and vanished.

    Not a single scrap of his magic drew close to Noah.

    ¡°It seems to me that you can,¡± Noah said, trying not to show just how fast his heart was beating. His magical energy was draining away at an alarming rate. Empty Proliferation wasn¡¯t a particularly large rune. He couldn¡¯t keep it going forever. ¡°My Mind Rune is the concept of emptiness, Wizen. The closer your power gets, the more space it has to cover to reach me.¡±

    Granted, this doesn¡¯t work anywhere outside of my own mind. But while we¡¯re here¡­ Empty Proliferation is built off the endless bullshit that is the Line¡¯s waiting time. Anything passing from Wizen¡¯s mind into mine is going to take a few thousand years.

    ¡°How can you possess a rune like this?¡± Wizen demanded. ¡°It¡¯s not possible. A concept like that isn¡¯t something that the human mind can comprehend.¡±

    ¡°See, there¡¯s the thing,¡± Noah said. ¡°The human mind is capable a lot of shit. Shit that it doesn¡¯t want to do ¡ª but it can still do. Our minds can experience a lot of things. They just might not make it out in one piece. I know that from experience.¡±

    Wizen¡¯s gaze bore into Noah. His eyes flicked down to the translucent gold path that shimmered beneath his feet, then out to the void surrounding them. When his attention returned to Noah, realization lurked within it.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been here,¡± Wizen said in awe. ¡°You¡¯ve been to the afterlife.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve all been to the afterlife. I just remember the experience. It did a lot of things to me, Wizen. I hate waiting ¡ª but I¡¯ve had no choice but to become very good at it.¡± Empty Proliferation had no more than a few minutes of power left within it ¡ª and that number was even less if Wizen started attacking him again. And, thus, Noah did what he did best. He lied through his teeth.

    ¡°How long can you afford to sit around, Wizen? Because I¡¯m not letting either of us leave here until you give me that key. I hope you decide quickly. I doubt the Goddess of Reincarnation is going to be pleased about intruders.¡±

    ¡°She would kill you just as surely as she would me,¡± Wizen said. ¡°You seek to kill us both. Mortals cannot¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the second time today that somebody associated me with the likes of you,¡± Noah said interrupting Wizen as his lips thinned. ¡°There is no more torture that can be done to my mind that has not already been done. I have been forced to bear witness to infinity. And if you don¡¯t give me that key, your fate will be the same.¡±

 Chapter 561: Wizen

    Noah fought to keep the strain from showing on his face. The golden light glistening at his feet reflected of his feet and faded into the infinite void that stretched out all around them. The world was silent and still.

    His energy was depleting, the power within Empty Proliferation rapidly approaching its limits. He couldn¡¯t keep himself and Wizen in the space between their minds for much longer. There were minutes at most left before he lost control and they returned to the afterlife. That couldn¡¯t happen. Not yet. The only way Noah could stand against Wizen was with Empty Proliferation keeping the other mage at bay.

    The disbelief that had warped Wizen¡¯s features slowly shifted to realization. His expression changed as he looked upon Noah in a new light, connections forming within his mind. More pieces of his body peeled away, revealing pulsating gray energy beneath his skin. Wizen barely even seemed to notice.

    ¡°You have walked the Line,¡± Wizen breathed. ¡°You survived the line. I knew it was possible. Who helped you?¡±

    ¡°Nobody,¡± Noah replied.

    Not intentionally, at least.

    ¡°Impossible. You are not powerful enough to¡ª¡± Wizen¡¯s words ground to a halt and his jaw clenched. He let out a hiss and his hands tightened at his sides. ¡°No matter. I do not care. Hear me now. I have absolutely no care for you or the mortal plane. I only have a single desire in this life, and I will stop at nothing to achieve it. I cannot spare the magic to fight you. Release this prison, and I will give you the key.¡±

    Noah opened his mouth to reply, but the words died at his lips.

    What?

    ¡°You¡­ will?¡±

    ¡°I will have no need for it after this,¡± Wizen replied. ¡°Quickly, now. Our time is thinner than hair. Once I have completed my task, the key will be yours. There will be sufficient strength left within it to open a path back to the Mortal Plane within it. I promise this.¡±

    ¡°¡­why?¡± Noah asked, so stunned that his mask fell for a moment. ¡°I really wasn¡¯t expecting you to actually say yes. You aren¡¯t actually planning to just waltz back to Arbitage and pretend you didn¡¯t do anything wrong, are you? You¡¯re a fucking monster. You mind-controlled people. You killed people.¡±

    ¡°I have done a great many things, and I would do a great many worse ones, all to arrive in this point in space. This point in time,¡± Wizen replied, grabbing the key attached to his palm by gray threads. He ripped it free. Magic crackled around him and Wizen staggered, letting out a snarl. ¡°My real body mirrors my actions here. I will not give you the Key until my work is done, but you will have it. But I will not allow a single spare second to slip by. Either we both get what we want, or the Goddess of Reincarnation ensures neither of us do.¡±

    Noah hesitated for a second longer, but Endless Proliferation was so low on energy that he really didn¡¯t have much choice. His actual plan ¡ª as barely formed as it was ¡ª had mostly been hoping that Renewal would show up and kill Wizen before she killed him, giving him a chance to grab the key and hopefully slip out while she was scolding his soul for being naughty ¡ª or doing whatever it was that a Goddess of Reincarnation did.

    This option seemed like it had a slightly higher chance to actually succeed. The idea of working with Wizen had never occurred to Noah, and he wasn¡¯t so sure he liked the sound of it, but if it landed him the key, he got what he needed. At the end of the day, if he could save Moxie and Lee, nothing else mattered. Nobody else mattered.

    It¡¯s the right move. But¡­

    Something in Noah¡¯s stomach twisted.

    Empty Proliferation gave out.

    His magic winked out. The melded Mindscape collapsed.

    With a roar, the true afterlife reformed all around Noah and Wizen. Twisting paths of gold carved through infinity on their path toward the Waters of Life. Countless souls populated their surface, locked in the endless trudge through the great beyond.

    Wizen spun toward the line below them.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Noah barked, his words carving through the void like a hot knife. He shot forward grabbed Wizen by the shoulder, spinning the mage around. ¡°I know the line better than you, Wizen. Better than anyone. Even Sievan. I can accomplish far more than you. If you want to succeed, you¡¯ll need my help. Why are you here?¡± Noah asked. ¡°The real reason, not some lie or whatever you might have told other people. Is it really¡ª¡±

    ¡°I have never lied about my purpose. There was no need to. My daughter is in that line,¡± Wizen said, his hands clenching at his sides. He batted Noah¡¯s hand off his shoulder. ¡°She was stolen from me. Stolen from life. There is nothing in this world that will keep me from righting that wrong. I will rip the world asunder a thousand times over to bring her back. Now step back. I will abide by our deal, and you will not interfere any longer. I have not the magic to waste on you.¡±

    Wizen lifted a hand into the air. Large chunks of his fingers had peeled back and holes grew across the surface his palm. He clenched his fingers and red energy peeled away from his body, crackling into a vibrating disk.

    The disk shifted. Its surface grew smooth and glossy like a still lake. It folded in on itself until it was the size of a marble, and a dim thread lit in the dark void. It stretched off through infinity, running parallel to the line.

    ¡°She waits,¡± Wizen breathed, his gaze lifting to follow the red line into the distance. ¡°Still, she walks the afterlife. I was certain of it. I am coming, Bella.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Noah¡¯s stomach clenched again. Going along with Wizen was the easiest way to get away with this. Even if Renewal showed up, Wizen would draw her attention and he¡¯d have a chance to nab the Key and make a run for it.

    It should have been easy. All he had to do was stand to the side and let it happen. Wizen seemed like he had a plan. He clearly had a way to find his daughter. Noah just had to do nothing.

    His hands tightened at his sides.

    Fuck. I can¡¯t. Out of everything I could stand back and watch¡­ this might be the one thing I can¡¯t allow.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this,¡± Noah said.

    ¡°Idiot,¡± Wizen growled. His free hand turned toward Noah, but he hesitated. Wizen obviously needed every single scrap of power he had to pull this off. He couldn¡¯t afford to waste any, an advantage Noah fully planned to abuse. Wizen¡¯s teeth clenched. ¡°You still seek to stand in¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Noah said. ¡°Time is of the essence. You were right about that. Do you know what you seek?¡±

    ¡°The same thing I always have. The return of my daughter¡ª¡±

    ¡°The torture of your daughter. Do you know what the line did to me? Millenia upon millennia of agony seared into my brain. Thousands of years of hell. Everything since has been nothing but a blip in my mind. A flicker of existence in a sea of emptiness.¡±

    ¡°She has not been dead that long,¡± Wizen said, but there was an instant of hesitation before his response. ¡°Four hundred and seven years.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Noah spat. ¡°Four hundred and seven years. Even if time flows at the same rate here as it does in our world, I am certain that four hundred and seven years of desolation will leave her mind unscarred. She will thank you for forcing her to endure another life, her memories of what comes beyond haunting her every living moment.¡±

    ¡°I ¡ª no. This cannot ¡ª she will recover. Humans are resilient,¡± Wizen said. Panic lit behind his eyes. ¡°She will be fine.¡±

    ¡°You take her chances of reincarnation and replace them with a wretched, warped existence,¡± Noah said. ¡°And what of Renewal? Do you think the Goddess of Reincarnation will look kindly upon what you do? Your desire to bring her back will do nothing but grant her a few short years of suffering before she returns to where she was, all too painfully aware of what she will have to endure again.¡±

    Wizen flinched back with every word. Power stormed around him and twisted into the empty void, seeking release. Noah¡¯s gaze was unflinching as it bored into Wizen¡¯s eyes.

    I can¡¯t let another person like me exist. I died hundreds of times before I reconnected with my mortality, and I was only able to because of my students. Because of Isabel. Because of Todd. Because of Moxie and Lee. They tied me back to this world, but still the Line lurks. I¡¯ll never be rid of it. Not as long as I live.

    I will not let that fate happen to someone else.

    ¡°Look down,¡± Noah said. ¡°Look at the line, Wizen. It is silent. There is nothing. Nobody. You can¡¯t speak to the other souls. It is utter loneliness in the crowd. All you can do is walk. It rips your being to pieces, so that when the time finally arrives for rebirth, you accept it with open arms. You would steal that from you daughter.¡±

    Wizen looked down, and Noah followed his gaze. He¡¯d been avoiding looking directly at the line for as long as possible, but the movement was almost instinctive.

    Both of them froze.

    Standing near the end of the line was a familiar soul. Though she was translucent and her form muted by the other souls surrounding her, there was no mistaking the small figure.

    It was Sticky.

    ¡°Why is she here?¡± Wizen whispered. He spun toward Noah, his voice turning to a roar that was swallowed by the void all the same. ¡°Why is she here?¡±

    ¡°She died,¡± Noah said. ¡°She wasted the power Sievan used to keep her alive so she could open that door to Sievan¡¯s room for you.¡±

    Wizen¡¯s arm trembled. His eyes flicked from the strand of red energy running from the marble in his hand down to Sticky.

    ¡°She wasn¡¯t meant to,¡± Wizen said. Pain knitted through his words and his jaw clenched. ¡°She was going to find a way.¡±

    ¡°We did.¡± Noah¡¯s fists tightened at his sides. ¡°I believe I have a way to fix the demons, but she didn¡¯t live long enough for me to use it.¡±

    A distant shimmer of pearlescent light grabbed Noah¡¯s attention. It was so far that he could barely make it out, but a pink glow was washing across the horizon.

    Wizen¡¯s head jerked up toward it.

    ¡°She comes,¡± Wizen said. ¡°The Goddess of Reincarnation has sensed our intrusion.¡±

    ¡°If anything, I¡¯m surprised it took this long,¡± Noah said. ¡°Give this up, Wizen. Don¡¯t do this to your daughter. Give me the key.¡±

    ¡°Tell me something,¡± Wizen said, his voice going distant. ¡°You processed the line? As you walk through it? You could not interact, but you knew what was present?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Every last second.¡±

    Wizen looked back down at the figures below them, locked in their endless march. Something in his expression shifted.

    The pink light in the distance grew brighter. Noah couldn¡¯t tell how fast it was approaching. It was impossible to gauge distance in the void. The light simply was.

    ¡°I see,¡± Wizen said simply. ¡°You will wait here.¡±

    Noah blinked. ¡°What? Do you not see the light? Our time is¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not yet up. You will wait. My task is not complete.¡±

    Wizen flung the Key toward Noah.

    Noah lunged, grabbing it from the air before it could sail past him and into the void. He spun back toward Wizen in shock, but the other mage wasn¡¯t watching him anymore.

    Wizen was looking down at the line. He extended both of his palms toward it, his fingers digging into the air like claws. Gray strands peeled away from his entire body and flooded the air around him like he were the herald of an eldritch god.

    Glistening blue energy burst free from within his body as it split apart. It burned like a flame in the night, growing so bright that Noah was forced to squint.

    ¡°This is my final binding.¡± Wizen¡¯s words were quiet, but the immense power they held threatened to shatter the darkness around him. He clapped his hands together, then ripped them apart.

    A sea of grey exploded outward, tearing free from his body and driving into the line. Wizen¡¯s own body unraveled in the process, pieces of him vanishing and transforming into the gray strands. His legs and torso crumbled away.

    ¡°I am coming, Bella. You will not be alone for much longer ¡ª but there is one more thing I must do first.¡± Wizen¡¯s lips pulled back in a smirk. He clapped his hands together one final time, and then they too vanished into the sea of gray. The energy crawled up his neck and cracks reached across his face. Wizen looked down onto the huge bridge that his magic had formed between himself and the line. For an instant, a faint smile crossed over his expression. ¡°Bear me witness. Twice now, your father steals from the gods.¡±

    The pink light on the horizon grew brighter still, casting the afterlife in a faint hue, but Wizen didn¡¯t so much as glance in its direction. He simply looked down at the line. Any expression his face might have retained was blocked from Noah¡¯s sight, visible to only the souls below him.

    ¡°Weave.¡±

 Chapter 562: Judgement

    The word slammed into Noah like a physical blow. He doubled over, the air driven from his lungs and the world spinning around him. Noah barely managed to gather his senses and will himself to a halt before he was sent hurtling through the darkness and into oblivion.

    And with that word, the final scraps of Wizen¡¯s body evaporated.

    All that remained of him was the glowing blue light that had been growing stronger with every passing second.

    His soul.

    There was a sound like a zipper ripping through the planes of reality. Every thread of grey magic tightened as if they had been pulled taut.

    Familiar power roiled in the air. Power that Noah had felt within Sunder ¡ª and yet, unique enough to make it completely apparent that this was not his Rune. They may have been cut from the same cloth, but they were different.

    A loud snap echoed through the void, and a soul was torn free from the line.

    The magic wrapped around the soul, pouring into it to create flesh. Gray thread wove into the form of a small demon, her new flesh the color of cobblestone. Power thrummed from her body in waves, and though her eyes were closed, her chest rose and fell in faint breaths.

    Sticky had a body once more. Coils of grey power slithered beneath her skin like a bed of snakes, slowly fading away as they found their places and settled in.

    Noah stared at her in disbelief. Sunder had rebuilt his body countless times when he¡¯d died back in the Mortal Plane, but Wizen had just ripped Sticky straight out of the Line itself. His final words had proven true.

    Wizen had stolen straight from the gods.

    I think I¡¯m going to need a little bit more than just a fruit basket.

    Noah willed himself toward Sticky, but Wizen was faster.

    His glowing blue hand pressed into the demon girl¡¯s back, sending her flying through the void toward Noah. She landed in Noah¡¯s arms limply. Sticky was wrapped in in a deep cloak of sleep. That was probably for the best. The less she remembered of the afterlife, the better it would be.

    Noah¡¯s gaze lifted. For a moment, he stared into Wizen¡¯s glowing blue eyes. The other man¡¯s lips worked as he tried to form a word. Noah had never had any difficulty speaking to himself as a soul after he¡¯d been reincarnated, but it seemed that boon did not extend its grace to the afterlife.

    Wizen¡¯s finger lifted in to the air and he traced it through the air. A faint trail of energy followed in the wake of his finger as he wrote a single word.

    Then he turned toward the red line that stretched out through the afterlife. A single strand of grey energy, the only remaining one, swirled up to wrap around Wizen¡¯s wrist. He grabbed onto the strand of red and shot off, a streak of light fading into eternity.

    Noah stared at the final word that Wizen had left behind. He was all too aware of the growing pink light in the distance, but the other man wouldn¡¯t have wasted time drawing a word for no reason.

    And that was a problem.

    The word made absolutely no sense.

    Orlen.

    There was no pattern to it. No sign that it might have been a hidden message or something else. It was simply a word.

    Noah couldn¡¯t risk sitting around and waiting any longer to find out what it meant. He spun, his gaze turning to the burning mote of white in the distance. The portal back to the Damned Plain was still open. Even now, Sievan held it for him.

    With Sticky under one arm and the key clutched in a hand, Noah flew toward the portal that would take him away from the Line.

    He flew toward life.

    ***

    A bowl of chocolate lay spilled across the ground at Renewal¡¯s feet. A dark screen floated before it, devoid of picture or life. The dark chair that had taken residence beside her own had vanished.

    Decras was gone.

    Renewal had forgotten how empty the world could feel. The infuriating god had been the first break in the monotony of her job in thousands of years. Even though he had only stuck around for a few brief instants in time, she had no choice but to admit to herself that those moments had been enjoyable ones.

    And now they were over.

    Like all things in existence, those moments had been forced to come to an end.

    It was her fault. She¡¯d been too lax in her duty. Renewal had been distracted. She¡¯d been having too much fun watching. Too much fun speaking with Decras. That had cost her a mere flicker of an instant. An amount of time that was so small that a mortal wouldn¡¯t have realized it was happening.

    She hadn¡¯t thought it would matter. Wizen¡¯s goal was impossible. He was too far from his daughter. By the time he grew closer, she would have had a chance to interfere, and so she had been content to watch.

    To let things play out.

    But that brief instant had been enough for Wizen to change his mind. Instead of spending years traversing the line to find his daughter, he had used his powers on the spot.

    He¡¯d ripped Sticky from the Line.

    He¡¯d shattered the natural order.

    It had been far from subtle. The void was sensitive. Magic ¡ª especially forbidden magic ¡ª passed through it like a current of electricity. It bore word of what had happened. Of Renewal¡¯s failure.

    And that word did not go unheard.

    Renewal did not blame Decras for running. It had been the smart move.

    The very instant the shockwave had torn through the void, Decras had flung himself into a dark portal and vanished, taking every trace of his passing with him.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    He had left Renewal alone to face Judgement.

    He had left Renewal alone as the universe split apart.

    And from within that rend in the universe emerged a woman clad in a dress of stars. Galaxies coiled through her body and starlight shimmered in her wake. The woman¡¯s face was indescribable, even to Renewal. Features came and went, the ebb and flow of a universal ocean. The faces of a thousand overlaid over each other in one instant, only to become nothing but stars in the next.

    She was everything and nothing at once. Pressure pushed and pulled like the heartbeat of the universe itself. The immensity of her magic was such that a planet would have crumbled under her presence alone.

    She was Judgement.

    And, though Renewal could not speak to a single defining detail in Judgement¡¯s features, there was a single emotion present within that ever-changing face.

    Anger.

    ¡°Renewal.¡± The word was silent. Devoid of all the power and immensity that made up Judgement¡¯s being. ¡°You have failed in your duties. How could you have allowed this to happen?¡±

    ¡°I take full responsibility,¡± Renewal said, bowing her head. There was nothing more that could be done. No excuse or justification would have changed the outcome. Everything in life had a price. This was the cost of distraction. The cost of deviation from the path that the universe had set for her.

    ¡°Responsibility is not sufficient. You are stripped of your position.¡± Judgement extended her hand to the side, and the axe of an executioner shimmered to life within it. The weapon was plain, nothing but wood and metal, but a fist of ice clenched around Renewal¡¯s heart at the sight of it.

    It was a weapon that had tasted the blood of gods.

    Renewal¡¯s hands clenched at her sides.

    There was nothing she could do. Judgement was a Rank 11 God ¡ª a High God. And more than that. Judgement ruled this section of the universe. Her word was more than command. It was law.

    ¡°I understand,¡± Renewal said.

    ¡°But you do not regret,¡± Judgement said. ¡°I see it in your eyes, Renewal. You have been led astray. So much talent, squandered. We could have used your strength, but you have allowed yourself to fall. One of the Outer Gods, then? Tell me their name.¡±

    Renewal¡¯s jaw set. The universe did not permit for the lesser gods to rebel against it. Only those with true power ¡ª or a death wish ¡ª could oppose it.

    But her fate was already set in stone. Judgement would not have drawn her axe if she did not plan to use it.

    A tiny smile pulled at the corners of Renewal¡¯s lips. Judgement had been right. She didn¡¯t regret anything. The tiny flicker in time she had spent with Decras, watching the strange mortals desperately fight for power, had been some of the most enjoyable in her life.

    The only enjoyable moments since she had become a god. There had been a time where Renewal had justified her interest in Noah by convincing herself that she only watched to see how she could take the power that he had stolen.

    Now, she knew that to be a lie. The power was nice, but true power could not be stolen. To become a god was to become oneself. And now, at the end, there was no room for mistruth.

    Renewal had simply been having fun.

    ¡°Tell me their name,¡± Judgement repeated. ¡°I order you, Renewal. This is your final command.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Renewal replied, her faint grin forming into a full smile. ¡°I will not. Good riddance to you, Judgement.¡±

    ¡°You have truly fallen.¡± Disgust dripped from Judgement¡¯s words. ¡°You disgust me, Renewal. You had everything ¡ª but now, you will have nothing. I judge you unfit to continue existence. You are a stain upon the universe, a collaborator with Chaos.¡±

    Renewal said nothing.

    Judgement lifted her axe.

    Renewal didn¡¯t try to dodge or block. There was no point. Judgement¡¯s swing would follow her through universes. It would shatter anything in its path. A power like hers could not be rebelled against.

    Perhaps Decras had the right idea. Damn this order to the ends of the universe. There is no joy in complacency.

    ¡°Your sentence is death,¡± Judgement said.

    Renewal squeezed her eyes shut.

    There was a wet thud.

    ¡°I fear that I must object.¡±

    Renewal recognized that voice. Her eyes snapped open.

    Protruding from the center of Judgement¡¯s chest, sending rivers of golden blood pouring down her starry dress, was a black spear.

    Blood splattered across the ground as Decras stepped out from behind the High God, his weapon coated golden.

    ¡°You,¡± Judgement hissed, clutching a hand to her stomach. ¡°Impossible. You are not a High God. You cannot injure me.¡±

    Decras¡¯ laughter rang out through the void. He was still laughing when Judgement¡¯s axe split through the air like a plummeting comet.

    It carved clean through Decras, splitting him down the center.

    ¡°No!¡± Renewal yelled.

    ¡°Fool,¡± Judgement spat, the wound on her chest already sealing. ¡°This is the one that you cavorted with, Renewal? Your taste is truly so poor to choose the Desecrator as the reason you abandon the side of order?¡±

    Renewal¡¯s response was swallowed by a flash of black and a wet thud. Her lips split apart in disbelief.

    Decras¡¯s spear was lodged in Judgement¡¯s head, having been driven directly through one of her eyes. The Goddess¡¯ lips were parted in stunned disbelief, golden blood pouring down her face in thin rivers.

    He drove the spear straight through her eye. Judgement¡¯s body jerked as Decras ripped his weapon free, spraying more golden blood across the ground. The High God crumpled in a heap of growing gold.

    Strands of black reached out from Decras¡¯ halves, latching onto each other. With a squelch, his body reconnected itself and he turned, a smile on his face.

    Renewal gaped, taking a stunned step back.

    ¡°Was that a scream of horror I heard?¡± Decras asked. ¡°For me?¡±

    ¡°I ¡ª how?¡± Renewal stammered. ¡°You killed a High God?¡±

    ¡°Killed? No.¡± Decras looked down at Judgement. Then he stabbed her again. Her body jerked as he pulled the spear free. ¡°I would love to, but I can¡¯t kill this thing. She is arrogant, but that arrogance is earned. All I can do is incapacitate her.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Renewal asked, swallowing. ¡°And why are you here? I thought you ran!¡±

    ¡°I hid,¡± Decras corrected. He stabbed Judgement once more. ¡°Judgement was far too powerful for me to challenge properly. I had to cheat a little, but I¡¯ve had far too much fun to abandon you so easily. I do fear that your time as a Goddess of Reincarnation is over. There¡¯s no coming back from this.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Renewal said quietly, her gaze drifting back to Judgement. ¡°There isn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Time for a choice,¡± Decras said, driving his spear into the back of Judgement¡¯s head as her body twitched. ¡°You could probably find a different corner of the universe to lie low in. Judgement¡¯s reach isn¡¯t that large, despite what you¡¯ve been led to believe. You can stay prim and proper, your hands unsullied by becoming one of the vile fallen. Or¡­¡±

    ¡°Give me that,¡± Renewal said, grabbing the spear from Decras¡¯ hands. She lifted it up, then drove it down into Judgement¡¯s heart with all the force she could muster. The High Goddess jerked, golden blood splattering everywhere as Renewal ripped the spear free. ¡°The order can rot. I¡¯ve hated this job for centuries. I quit.¡±

    Decras cackled. He took the spear back from Renewal, then swept it through the air. A black portal split open in its wake.

    ¡°Welcome to the ranks of the Fallen, Renewal.¡± Decras gestured to the portal. ¡°Freedom awaits. And if you ever decide you want out, a written notice will suffice.¡±

    Renewal hesitated for a moment. She glanced down at Judgement, then to the dark screen that had occupied so much of her time recently.

    ¡°What about¡ª¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll be fine. Judgement doesn¡¯t know who they are, and the trail is already gone. I¡¯ve dealt with that. Now stop wasting time and march. The more time you spend here, the less time we get to watch. I¡¯ve already got a spot waiting for us, and the food is getting cold.¡±

    A smile pulled across Renewal¡¯s features. ¡°I suppose you did leech off my hospitality for a while. It¡¯s about time you returned the favor.¡±

    She stepped through the portal and vanished.

    Judgement twitched. A furious hiss slipped from her blood-wetted lips. ¡°I will find you, Decras. You cannot escape Judgement.¡±

    ¡°Could you be more pretentious? I have no idea how Renewal put up with your shit this long. I would have done this long ago,¡± Decras said. ¡°You may be a High God, but while you have been stagnant, I have grown. The universe changes, Judgement ¡ª and you are too great of a coward to admit it. The time of your order draws to a close. And when it ends, I will be there to sever its head from its shoulders. But for now, I will settle for this.¡±

    Then he stabbed Judgement in the ass.

    The High God howled curses after him as Decras pulled the spear free and stepped into the twisting patch of shadows. It twisted shut in his wake, and Judgement was left with nothing but the darkness as company.

 Chapter 563: Quick Trip

    Pink light flooded through the void, and Noah didn¡¯t dare turn back to see what the source was. He accelerated toward the white gateway floating in wait before him, hurling himself through it.

    The world warped. White stretched to cover the skies and wrapped around Noah like an all-consuming blanket. He squeezed his eyes shut and twisted his body to protect Sticky. His stomach lurched, and then he shifted.

    Cold stone slammed into Noah¡¯s back and knocked the breath from his lungs.

    He drew in a sharp breath and his eyes snapped open. A void stretched out above him, black and devoid of stars. A replica of the afterlife ¡ª but not the afterlife. Exhaustion gripped at Noah¡¯s head as he turned it to the side, letting glistening obsidian press against his cheek.

    Golden lines trimmed the platform he laid on, and powerful imbuements covered every inch of the ground around him.

    He was back in Sievan¡¯s domain. Back in the Damned Plains.

    With a groan, Noah pushed himself upright. Sticky laid in his lap, her body frail but chest rising and falling with every breath.

    She was alive.

    Somehow, he and Wizen had literally stolen a life straight from the afterlife. Noah swallowed. There were different levels to slighting the gods, and he didn¡¯t know where this one landed.

    Maybe it¡¯s not too bad. They¡¯ve got a whole bunch of souls wandering around. Maybe they won¡¯t miss one.

    Nobody had shown up to smite him on the spot, after all. Perhaps Renewal had just been busy doing something else. Noah wasn¡¯t about to complain. He was, however, probably going to have to make his fruit basket a little bit bigger.

    Something about the size of a small continent should probably do the trick.

    Noah studied Sticky for a moment. He was far from a doctor, but she looked¡­ healthy. It didn¡¯t seem that she was about to die at any point soon. Thin grey veins still pulsed beneath her skin, but her body was settling down.

    Who would have thought that Wizen had a power like this. Not even Sunder or the Fragment of Renewal could have pulled another soul back from the dead.

    Noah was silent for several long moments. He wasn¡¯t actually sure how he was supposed to feel. Emotion and logic twisted and fought for supremacy, only to both realize they were equally as confused and give up the fight altogether.

    It¡¯s almost ironic. The ultimate sacrifice; the power to give one¡¯s life for someone else, in the hands of the most evil man I¡¯ve ever met. And he used it to save a child he barely knew. He didn¡¯t have to. He could have saved the strength and gone to walk with his daughter anyway.

    Why?

    There was no answer. Perhaps not every action could be described by logic. Perhaps not every man was completely good or evil. When Noah had been a teacher on Earth, he would have said that he¡¯d had a pretty good understanding of life. That some things were inherently good, and some were evil. That was that.

    But the more he witnessed, the harder it became to understand. Wizen had not been a good man. He had stolen people¡¯s minds with his runes. Only the gods knew how many people he had killed, and he had done irreparable damage to countless families, not to mention countless other crimes.

    And, in saving Sticky, Wizen might have saved more than just a child. He might have saved the demons as a race. Even if there were others that were like her, she was the one that Noah had to work with.

    How are good and bad weighed? Can you right past wrongs through good deeds? Is there some sort of cosmic scale for good and bad?

    A small smile pulled across Noah¡¯s lips.

    Eh. Fuck it. I don¡¯t know, and it¡¯s not my job to know. That¡¯s a problem for the gods to deal with. Maybe I¡¯ll find an answer one day, but right now, there¡¯s only one thing I care about. Keeping the people I care about safe.

    Noah pulled his jacket off and folded it into a makeshift pillow. He slipped it under Sticky¡¯s head and let her rest on the obsidian as he rose to his feet. She was asleep, so there was no point connecting to her mind yet ¡ª and Empty Proliferation needed some time to regenerate its power.

    Only once he had stood did Noah realize that the white light was gone. His eyes snapped over to Sievan. The Lord of Death stood exactly where he had been stabbed, arms crossed behind his back and eyes closed.

    In the center of his chest was a gaping hole.

    He held it until Sticky and I came back through.

    Noah swallowed. He approached the plain-looking demon, stopping several feet away from him. There was a faint, content smile on Sievan¡¯s face. He stood proud in death.

    For several long seconds, Noah stood in silence. Then he bowed his head in respect.

    What a demon. He wasn¡¯t at all what I was expecting, but after meeting him, I don¡¯t know if I can imagine anyone more fitting to wield the title Lord of Death. I would have liked to¡ª

    ¡°Are you done?¡±

    Noah froze. His eyes snapped up and he took a step back, his lips parting in shock.

    Sievan¡¯s eyes were open.

    ¡°I ¡ª what?¡± Noah stammered. ¡°You¡¯re alive?¡±

    Quiet laughter echoed through the void as Sievan¡¯s lips curled up in a faint smile. ¡°Can Death live? Perhaps nothing has changed.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ you said¡ª¡±

    ¡°I died,¡± Sievan said with a small shrug. ¡°A minor inconvenience. A fresh one. It was an interesting experience. Quite a beneficial one. There are some things that one cannot truly understand while they still live.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    That, at least, is true.

    ¡°Did you really have to wait to come back to life until after I had already started doing a mental eulogy for you?¡± Noah asked through a laugh and a shake of his head. ¡°You¡¯re a bastard.¡±

    ¡°So I have heard.¡±

    ¡°Did you at least manage to fix the problem you had? Can you¡­ ascend?¡±

    Sievan looked down at the hole in his chest, then let out a sigh. ¡°No. I discovered much, but the process was not sufficient. I am still bound at Rank 8 ¡ª and I suspect my soul damage will hinder me for quite some time. It seems that your own escapades were more fortunate.¡±

    ¡°Wizen is dead, and I¡¯ve got the key,¡± Noah confirmed. ¡°And Sticky as well. She lives.¡±

    Damn. I was hoping he might be able to give me some more insight into demons and how their runes work. The more I know, the less guesswork I¡¯ve got to make. It¡¯s too bad I can¡¯t fix his Runes, but I don¡¯t think Sunder could even touch a Rank 8 rune. Sievan is just too powerful, and ripping his runes apart down to Rank 1 would probably kill even him.

    A smile pulled across Sievan¡¯s lips. ¡°So she does. And the grip of death is lessened on her, though it hangs over her head all the same. Is it your power that binds her soul to this world?¡±

    ¡°No. It was Wizen,¡± Noah replied with a shake of his head. He looked from Sticky to Sievan, then tilted his head to the side. ¡°What exactly did you try to do when you went to fix your Runes?¡±

    ¡°I sought to change the manner in which I viewed Death,¡± Sievan replied. ¡°I had thought that, if I died, I could approach things in a new manner. Find an angle that I could not witness before then and attempt to wrest myself free from my maker¡¯s influence. It was impossible. The connection is ingrained. I cannot change the core of my being.¡±

    That is the issue, isn¡¯t it? Demons are drinking from a well of poisoned water. You can¡¯t fix the problem until you remove the poison ¡ª or get a whole new well. But there¡¯s one thing I still don¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Can you tell me something?¡± Noah asked. ¡°What controls the emotion that a demon feeds on? You feed on death. I¡¯ve met demons that feed on knowledge, slaughter, friendship, and everything ¡ª but why? Half the time, it¡¯s got nothing to do with the runes. So what determines that?¡±

    ¡°An interesting question,¡± Sievan said. He scratched at the hole in his chest. ¡°I did not determine what I fed on. My maker chose it for me.¡±

    ¡°Do you remember why?¡±

    Sievan frowned. His head tilted to the side and he was silent for several long seconds. ¡°I¡­ remember little. My creation was a long time ago. A very long time ago. I believe¡­ I believe my maker was deeply unhappy at the time he created me. He wanted someone who could give him a worthy fight. A legacy. One that could end him. But I failed in that. I could not become as powerful as him, and I do not believe his goals are the same as they once were.¡±

    Noah¡¯s brow furrowed. Sievan was the original demon. There had to be something in his creation that could explain how demons came to be.

    I need to figure out where the energy to make a Fragment of Self comes from. If I can get that, I can help Sticky make hers.

    But Sievan is a special case. He was made intentionally by Decras, while the other demons take form themselves. What¡¯s the missing piece?

    A mumble broke through Noah¡¯s thoughts. He and Sievan both glanced over as the small demon¡¯s eyes fluttered open. She sat up, wiping at her face.

    ¡°I ¡ª what happened?¡± Sticky asked. She looked around and confusion played across her features. ¡°I¡­ I was dead. In a line.¡±

    ¡°Wizen got what he wanted,¡± Noah replied softly. ¡°He found his daughter again, and he saved your life in the process.¡±

    Sticky blinked. She looked down at her body, then back up to Noah. Confusion still gripped her features as she struggled to piece memories back together. ¡°I helped?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Noah said with a small smile. ¡°You did.¡±

    ¡°Is Wizen coming back?¡±

    ¡°Those who pass from this realm unto the next are not meant to return,¡± Sievan said. ¡°Wizen is, for better or for worse, at peace. He stole you from the gods themselves at the cost of his own life. A bold man.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Sticky asked, staring at them with wide, watery eyes. ¡°Why would he do that? I¡¯m just¡­ me. I can¡¯t do anything.  Why would he waste a gift like that on me?¡±

    ¡°A gift isn¡¯t something that has to be justified,¡± Noah said. ¡°What matters is that you¡¯re alive, and you¡¯re wrong about not being able to do something. Life has inherent value. And if that isn¡¯t enough ¡ª I need your help.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± Sticky blinked.

    ¡°Yes. I think you¡¯ve got the key to save every single demon,¡± Noah replied. ¡°But I just have to figure something out first. I know you¡¯re probably confused right now. Coming back from the afterlife is¡­ difficult. I¡¯ve been there. Just relax for a little.¡±

    Sticky nodded slowly. She looked down at her hands, flexing her fingers as if suddenly recalling that she had them.

    Noah chewed his lower lip. ¡°I need to figure out what causes demons to determine what they consume. It can¡¯t just be random.¡±

    ¡°I have never considered this,¡± Sievan said. ¡°It is not something we can change, so it did not feel prudent.¡±

    ¡°There has to be a pattern that determines what demons eat,¡± Noah muttered. ¡°Aylin got Knowledge. Violet became a Hoarder. Maybe it¡¯s something that happens before you reach Rank 3? Demons could be initially partial to some emotion that then becomes what they consumes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not Rank 3 yet,¡± Sticky volunteered. ¡°But I don¡¯t really feel like there¡¯s anything I really lean toward. I¡¯m fine with how things are.¡±

    Noah blinked. ¡°Seriously? You wouldn¡¯t change anything? Not even¡ª¡±

    Sticky shook her head. ¡°No. That¡¯s just how life is. It¡¯s okay. And I got to meet some really incredible demons because of how I am. Sievan only found me because I was broken. I even got to help Wizen. I wish I could do more, but I¡¯m happy. I want to live, but I wouldn¡¯t change anything about myself.¡±

    I ¡ª

    Wait.

    Sievan¡¯s words echoed through Noah¡¯s head. Back when they had first spoken, while time had been frozen, the Lord of Death had said something that stuck in Noah¡¯s mind.

    Demons are the runes within them.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want anything,¡± Noah muttered. ¡°Holy shit. That¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°It is?¡± Sticky blinked. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Aylin wanted knowledge. Violet wanted to protect her family. Sievan was made of Decras¡¯ desire to die. The feeling or power a demon ends up feeding on is the one that they lack the most. The reason Sticky¡¯s soul doesn¡¯t work properly is because she¡¯s content. She doesn¡¯t long for anything.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Sticky asked.

    ¡°Demons and their runes are one and the same,¡± Noah said, starting to speak faster as excitement gripped him. ¡°But demons are broken. They¡¯re missing something. That¡¯s why they consume emotions. They want what they don¡¯t have. But you ¡ª you¡¯re not broken at all, Sticky. You¡¯re perfect. The perfect demon is literally right in front of us. You don¡¯t want for anything, and so your soul doesn¡¯t need to bring in a new emotion. I bet that¡¯s why Demons can¡¯t continuously advance either. Your souls are missing a core element. You can¡¯t fully comprehend your runes when your soul is focused on bringing in something that isn¡¯t you. I¡¯ve been looking for a way to make something that already exists. Sticky is her rune.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Sievan asked. ¡°Sticky has no runes. That is her problem.¡±

    ¡°Wrong,¡± Noah said with a laugh. ¡°You told me this yourself, Sievan. How could a Demon possibly exist without a Rune? The power we need is within Sticky. It just needs to be freed.¡±

    Just like my Fragment of Self. I didn¡¯t truly create it. It was a part of my soul that I cut out and re-bound to myself. Decras¡¯ Fragments don¡¯t work because his desires have corrupted every single demon and forcibly changed them into something they don¡¯t truly want to be. But Sticky wants nothing. Her soul is pure ¡ª and that means the energy from her Runes is exactly what every demon would need to make their own Rune.

    ¡°Can such a thing even be done?¡± Sievan frowned. ¡°How would you harness such a power?¡±

    Noah smiled. ¡°Leave that to me. Sticky, I¡¯d like to take a quick trip into your soul.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Noah said. His smile grew wider. ¡°I can help you become what you were always meant to be.¡±

 Chapter 564: Fragments

    As soon as Sticky voiced her assent to his request, Noah called upon Empty Proliferation. The Mind rune might have been made to defend himself against Wizen and other mind mages, but it also served a very useful second purpose of letting him knock on the figurative door of someone else¡¯s mindspace.

    The Rune was nowhere near as effective as a Mind Meld Potion. The maximum amount of time Noah could keep it going was probably no more than ten minutes if his target wasn¡¯t actively trying to shunt him out of their mind, but it was free ¡ª and he didn¡¯t have to carry a bunch of vials around with him everywhere he went.

    His mind prickled as it brushed against Sticky¡¯s, but her soul was so weak that there was almost no delay before his consciousness entered the small demon¡¯s mind.

    Color bloomed all around him. Gentle blue-green water spilled across the ground and formed into a deep ocean, as smooth as a mirror and still as a painting. Ripples of energy rolled out as Noah¡¯s feet alighted upon its surface.

    Gentle light shone overhead, illuminating the cloudless sky. There didn¡¯t appear to be any source for it. The light was simply there. It warmed Noah¡¯s skin and wrapped around his body like a comforting blanket.

    In summary, it was the least demon-like soul that Noah had ever seen. Even his own soul felt like it fit the bill better than hers. Then again, given what Sticky was, perhaps this was the most demon-like soul that he¡¯d ever seen.

    Noah¡¯s neck craned back. There wasn¡¯t a single rune floating anywhere. Her soul was completely and utterly empty. He¡¯d known that to be the case, but it still felt odd. Incomplete.

    This is¡­ odd. Shouldn¡¯t Weave be here somewhere? Wizen definitely didn¡¯t keep it. I saw the rune in Sticky¡¯s eyes.

    Now isn¡¯t the time to worry about it. Perhaps it managed to hide itself somehow.

    His eyes lowered back to the surface of the sea.

    Sticky stood across from him, looking up with wide, nervous eyes. Her hands were tight at her sides. She wanted to hope, but she couldn¡¯t let herself do it. Not yet ¡ª but Noah would fix that.

    ¡°What do I have to do?¡± Sticky asked.

    ¡°For now? Just stand around while I have a look at you,¡± Noah replied. His senses crawled across the ocean and reached into the sky.

    There was a pattern hidden somewhere within this still world. It wasn¡¯t a question of if it existed. Even human souls were patterns. Noah had seen that in his own soul, even if it didn¡¯t fully qualify as a normal mortal one anymore.

    He hadn¡¯t even realized the pattern existed before he¡¯d managed to harness a tiny portion of that pattern to mistakenly make his Fragment of Self. But now he did ¡ª and in theory, this was even easier than a human soul.

    Demons were their runes. Sticky existed. And, thus, she had a rune that represented her. Noah just had to find it and carve a little chunk free with Sunder.

    And so he searched.

    Sticky watched on quietly.

    Noah¡¯s domain swept through Sticky¡¯s mind in pursuit of magic. Seconds ticked by and turned to a minute. His mind and his logic warred. To his magic, there was nothing. Sticky¡¯s soul appeared barren and empty.

    It seemed as if there was nothing there, but Noah didn¡¯t believe that for a second. There was a pattern. Everything had a pattern. Sticky was not so great an anomaly that she could somehow break every single law of magic that Noah had learned since he¡¯d arrived in Arbitage.

    I just need to figure out where it¡¯s hidden. It has to be here somewhere. Maybe buried deep within the ocean, or hidden somewhere within the sky? She¡¯s tricky. I¡¯ll give her that. But there¡¯s a rune here somewhere, and I¡¯m not leaving until¡ª

    And then he saw a flicker

    Noah¡¯s eyes widened. He blinked several times as his mind adjusted. Noah banished his domain, pulling the magic back and looking on with only his eyes. He¡¯d been looking at her soul the wrong way.

    A laugh nearly slipped from his lips.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    The pattern was right in front of him, in plain view. It wasn¡¯t hidden somewhere. The pattern was the stillness of the ocean. It was the endless depths below and the warm sky above. Every single piece of the soul around him was the pattern that Noah sought.

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Noah breathed. ¡°There it is.¡±

    ¡°What is?¡± Sticky asked. ¡°Did you find something? Where is it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I found what I was looking for, and it¡¯s everywhere,¡± Noah replied, casting his hands out. ¡°All around us. Every single thing.¡±

    Sticky¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    ¡°You will.¡± Noah chuckled. He lifted a hand, veins of black carving beneath his skin as he drew on the faintest trickle of Sunder¡¯s power. He had no desire to accidentally split Sticky¡¯s soul straight down the middle and accidentally kill her.

    All he needed to do was to take a tiny sliver.

    ¡°Is this going to hurt?¡± Sticky asked nervously.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Noah replied with a smile. ¡°This is nothing more than a little haircut.¡±

    He pressed his palm into the still ocean beneath his feet. The tiny amount of power he¡¯d gathered in Sunder, slipped out, guided by his intent as it pierced into Sticky¡¯s soul. His brow creased in concentration. Despite the amount of power he was using, this was far from a completely simple task.

    Sunder was a razor-sharp scalpel. It would cut through anything in its path if he let it, but he wasn¡¯t trying to carve Sticky¡¯s soul apart at the seams.

    It was actually harder to guide the tiny amount of power he used from the Rune than it would have been to flood it with energy and just demolish everything in his path ¡ª but Noah had been using Sunder for quite some time now.

    The Master Rune was no longer foreign to him. Even though he¡¯d yet to unlock the full extent of Sunder¡¯s strength, Noah could use every bit that he could access near perfectly. It was an extension of his will.

    A tiny black line sliced into the bottom of Sticky¡¯s soul, cutting into the still water and parting it like a block of Jell-O. Black threads stretched out between the two halves of the ground. Beneath them, a fragment of white void shimmered, marking a minor amount of soul damage.

    Noah smiled at the sight.

    There we go. I was starting to wonder if she was even a demon at all. Still the same race at the core, but their souls were never meant to be a goopy sea of corrupted emotion.

    Noah reached into the darkness and extended his will along with his hand. Tingles prickled against his palm as energy rose up from the cut. He gathered it into a tiny ball of shimmering white light, then turned to Sticky and extended his palm.

    ¡°This is your energy. It¡¯s already part of your soul. You just have to condense it down into a Rune.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Sticky asked, shifting from foot to foot nervously and swallowing. ¡°I¡¯ve never done something like that. I didn¡¯t know you could make runes.¡±

    Ah, shit. Forgot about that bit.

    ¡°You need three things to make a Rune,¡± Noah said. ¡°Energy, intent, and an inciting event ¡ª Something to kick the combination off. This is the energy. For the intent, just focus on yourself. Who you want to be.¡±

    ¡°What about the last thing?¡±

    Noah gestured around them. ¡°That¡¯s you, Sticky. Demons are a race of desire. Your souls and bodies are completely connected. You don¡¯t need an external event. That¡¯s the piece I was missing for so long. I was trying to figure out how a demon could make a Fragment of Self. But demons are desire. What moment could be more of an event for your kind than the deepest longing to become something?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to understand. I know you¡¯re content with how things are. But is this really all you want? There¡¯s nothing more in life you want than to die?¡±

    Sticky stared up at him. At the energy in Noah¡¯s outstretched palm. She swallowed.

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to die.¡±

    ¡°Then change your fate.¡±

    The demon¡¯s features set. She extended her hand toward Noah.

    Traces of light lit around Sticky¡¯s fingertips. The power intensified and buzzed around her palm like a hive of angry bees. Flickers of magic slipped away from the energy Noah had gathered from Sticky¡¯s soul and transformed into streamers of light that wove around her fingers like gray threads.

    Sticky¡¯s hands clenched into fists. The rest of the energy ripped away from Noah and gathered around her. A tiny prickle of pressure pushed into Noah. Two lines of gray light sliced into the air.

    The strokes of a rune. They burned in the air, buzzing with silent power. More strokes followed after, swirling out to begin taking the shape of a rune. Wind howled past Noah and gathered around the small demon in a vortex.

    Tremors shook Sticky¡¯s hands as she fought to control the power. It might have only been a Rank 1 Rune, but she¡¯d never had a rune to call upon before.

    She needs a push.

    ¡°Say it,¡± Noah yelled over the growing howl. ¡°What do you want? If you could have anything in this world, what would you choose?¡±

    Sticky¡¯s hands clenched.

    The wind stopped.

    ¡°I want to live.¡±

    The final stroke of the rune carved through the air.

    Yes!

    A brilliant flash of gray lit the small demon¡¯s mindspace.

    Noah staggered back, blinded, as a wave of crackling energy rolled past him. It buzzed against his skin and curled through his hair like an electric current. He raised a hand, blinking furiously and squinting through his fingers until his vision returned.

    And then he saw it.

    Noah¡¯s face split apart in a smile.

    Floating between him and the small demoness was a small gray Rune ¡ª and he could read it perfectly.

    Fragment of Sticky

 Chapter 565: Afterlife

    Gray light from the newly made Rune shimmered across Sticky¡¯s mindspace. It reflected off the water and faded into the warm sky, slowly fading away as the demon¡¯s soul calmed down. Strands of black reached up from within Sticky¡¯s mindspace, wrapping around the rune in attempt to pull it back into her greater soul, but it had been split apart until she re-imbued it.

    The air was silent for several long seconds. Neither Noah nor Sticky spoke. They both just stared at the small Rank 1 Rune that floated between them.

    ¡°A Rune,¡± Sticky breathed, staring at her creation with wide-eyed awe. She reached out toward it, then caught herself before her fingers could brush across its surface. ¡°I made this?¡±

    ¡°All you,¡± Noah confirmed. He could feel the power in Empty Proliferation starting to erode. He didn¡¯t have much time left, but there would be more than enough for the rest of what he needed to accomplish. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°¡­fine,¡± Sticky said after a moment of hesitation. She swallowed. ¡°Am I supposed to feel different? Did something go wrong?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Noah said with a chuckle. ¡°If anything, you might have felt a little worse because of the soul damage I gave you removing a chunk of energy to work with. I¡¯ll get that patched up soon enough. There¡¯s only one thing left that you¡¯ll have to do.¡±

    Sticky blinked. ¡°There¡¯s more? What is it?¡±

    ¡°You need to finish the bridge,¡± Noah replied. He nodded to the rune. ¡°That¡¯s a representation of yourself, but it belongs with the rest of the whole. Demons already have souls that are very connected to their bodies, but you still need to bridge that gap completely. Imbuing your own body with the Fragment of Self will solidify it within you and keep that slot open for other runes.¡±

    ¡°Demon Runes?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Noah said with a shake of his head. ¡°You don¡¯t need those anymore. Demon Runes are all built off fragments of somebody called Decras. They¡¯re flawed, and they¡¯re part of the reason demons consume emotions.¡±

    ¡°So the Demon Runes cause everything? Demons are just¡­ humans without them?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. Demons are demons. You have an incredible connection between your soul and your body. That will never change.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ still confused. I want to understand, but I don¡¯t.¡± Sticky¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°There¡¯s still a flaw in us, then?¡±

    ¡°No. The issue is gone now that you¡¯ve created that rune,¡± Noah said with a grin. ¡°Now, demons are just different. It took me a long time to really figure out what the original issue with demons was, but it boils down to two things. Your runes and your nature. They feed into each other in an endless cycle. That¡¯s what caused the problems.¡±

    ¡°Our nature?¡±

    ¡°The connection I just mentioned. Because of how closely tied your mind and body are, demons don¡¯t just use runes. You are your runes. And if your runes affect you, then it would only make sense that your desires affect your runes. The desires of a demon shape their runes just as much as their runes shape them.¡±

    ¡°And the Minuscule Fragment of Decras messed it up?¡±

    Noah nodded. ¡°Exactly. The first Rune that every single demon gets is a Minuscule Fragment of Decras ¡ª and that Rune is tainted. It¡¯s full of someone else¡¯s desires. And when a demon wants for something, that rune latches onto that desire and tries to fill it. But it can¡¯t. You can never truly feel satisfied when the satisfaction doesn¡¯t come from you. All you¡¯re doing is trying to fulfill someone else¡¯s vision of you. So the rune overcompensates. It hungers for more, and the pattern grows. As the demon gets stronger, so does their desire.¡±

    ¡°And it just keeps going,¡± Sticky said, her eyes going wide in realization. ¡°That¡¯s why strong demons are all so obsessed. They keep needing more and more of their emotion until they become it.¡±

    ¡°And it¡¯s not even their emotion. It¡¯s just the emotion they wanted most. Nobody is just a single emotion, but there¡¯s no room for anything else when your runes are warping your whole body to optimize for a single thing,¡± Noah said. He nodded to Sticky¡¯s Rune. ¡°That¡¯s why this is so important. You don¡¯t have a bias toward an emotion, and you¡¯re a true demon, one without any influence warping you.¡±

    ¡°But won¡¯t my rune just cause demons to become¡­ me?¡± Sticky asked worriedly. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem much better than how things already are.¡±

    ¡°If they tried to replace their current Demon Runes with yours, yes. But that¡¯s not what we¡¯re going to be doing. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible, but what I want is the energy from your Rune. Your rune is you, but the energy that went into it is pure. Any demon can use that energy to then form a Fragment of Self that represents who they are.¡±

    Sticky¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m almost certain of it,¡± Noah replied with an excited smile. It fell away, briefly replaced by a grimace. ¡°This does mean I¡¯m going to have to ask you for a favor. I need a copy of your rune. I¡¯ve tried to split a Fragment of Self from my own body before and it didn¡¯t work, but I¡¯m hoping it¡¯ll be different because of your unique physiology. The connection between your body and rune is stronger, but that goes in both ways. My runes can¡¯t exist without me, but I think yours can. No matter what, this won¡¯t be easy. It¡¯s definitely going to cause soul damage, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Sticky said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even finish. I can deal with the soul damage,¡± Noah said. ¡°Don¡¯t agree to people asking to damage your soul before you hear them out completely.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Sticky repeated. ¡°It¡¯ll help Lord Sievan too, won¡¯t it?¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Possibly. I¡¯d like it to.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll do it. How do I imbue the Fragment?¡±

    She¡¯s almost too eager to mutilate herself. I feel like the universe keeps showing me how Moxie feels when I repeatedly off myself.

    ¡°First, you need to get another Fragment,¡± Noah said. ¡°Once you¡¯ve got two of them, you¡¯re going to imbue the first Fragment back into your soul. You do that by drawing it onto the surface and pushing power into it.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Sticky said. ¡°Cut me again.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s phrase that differently, please. You¡¯re making me sound like a psychopath,¡± Noah said with a frown. He summoned a flicker of Sunder¡¯s power to his fingertips. ¡°This part should still be fairly easy. It¡¯s the imbuing that might suck.¡±

    The demoness gave him a firm nod. Noah reached down and pressed his palm to the still water beneath his feet, sending a blade of power cutting through it.

    Sticky burst into action. She was a fast learner. As soon as the power swirled forth from the new crack within her mindspace, she gathered it to her fists and narrowed her eyes in concentration.

    Just seconds later, a second Fragment of Sticky floated in the air before her.

    Good. It¡¯s better to just completely Imbue a second fragment than worrying about playing around with splitting the first. Keeps things a lot simpler, soul damage notwithstanding.

    ¡°What now?¡± Sticky asked.

    ¡°We go back to the Damned Plains,¡± Noah replied. ¡°And then we wait a bit before you try Imbuing anything. I need to rest so I can get my¡ª¡±

    He paused. A frown crossed over his lips. Noah had been about to say that he needed to get the energy from the Fragment of Renewal back. He¡¯d used it trying to save Sticky, which meant it should have been inactive until the next day ¡ª but for some reason, the power met his thoughts without reservation.

    Huh? Why has the Fragment of Renewal awakened already? There should have been hours left before it came back! Did returning to the afterlife somehow refill it?

    I¡¯ll have to worry about that later. We have an opportunity to end this problem for good.

    ¡°Scratch that,¡± Noah said, shaking his head. ¡°We can do this immediately. I¡¯m going to send us back. Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± the small demon replied with a determined nod.

    He released Empty Proliferation.

    Sticky¡¯s mindspace crumbled as his soul flew back into his own body.

    Noah¡¯s eyes snapped open. The darkness shifted before his vision as an obsidian platform materialized beneath him. He sat up, pushing away from the cold stone and rising back to his feet.

    A small groan echoed out as Sticky awakened beside him. She rubbed at her eyes. ¡°My head hurts.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be done soon,¡± Noah replied, removing the grimoire from his back and flipping it open to a blank page. He sat it down on the ground before Sticky. ¡°Don¡¯t feel pressured, but whenever you¡¯re ready, do your best to imbue one of the Runes you just made here. It might take you a few tries, so you can relax¡ª¡±

    Sticky pressed her finger to the page. Her brow furrowed in concentration, and Noah¡¯s mouth snapped closed. Saying anything else would just distract her, and the little demon was far too determined to hesitate any longer than absolutely necessary.

    Minutes ticked by. Sticky didn¡¯t move as she stared at the page. Considering she¡¯d never had Runes of her own, she couldn¡¯t have had the opportunity to practice Imbuing.

    Will she be able to do it? Even I couldn¡¯t split apart a Fragment of Self. But as a demon, it just might be possible because of the very thing that makes demons what they are. That connection between their body and runes might be the legs her rune needs to exist without her. It¡¯s a long shot, but it¡¯s the only one I¡¯ve got right now.

    That didn¡¯t seem like it was going to stop her. After another minute, Sticky started to draw. Gray light shimmered at her fingertip. Her jaw clenched and a droplet of sweat rolled down the side of her face.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Sievan breathed, his words nothing more than a whisper. ¡°She has a Rune.¡±

    Discomfort turned to pain in Sticky¡¯s features as she worked, but she didn¡¯t let herself slow.

    Noah drew on the Fragment of Renewal. Cooling energy rolled through his veins and gathered at his hands as he prepared to release its power. He watched the demon like a hawk as her finger continued to move across the paper.

    Her discomfort grew. The muscles in her neck went taut and her finger trembled, but she didn¡¯t slow. Even a fool could have seen that it was taking every single scrap of self-control Sticky had to keep going.

    But keep going she did.

    The demoness drew the final lines of the rune with a pained wheeze.

    Energy solidified into solid lines with a snap. She¡¯d managed to successfully imbue a Fragment of herself.

    At the very instant she pulled her hand away from the page, Sticky swayed and her eyes threatened to roll back. Noah grabbed her by the shoulders and unleashed all the power he¡¯d gathered from the Fragment of Renewal. Soothing magic poured out from him and into her.

    The tension slipped away from Sticky¡¯s features. She relaxed, her eyelids fluttering as she pulled back into consciousness.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Noah asked, supporting Sticky to keep her from falling.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Sticky murmured. Some of the strength seeped back into her voice and she looked down at the page. ¡°Did it work?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Noah replied. ¡°It did. You did everything you had to. Thank you. This is huge. You have no idea how much we¡¯re going to be able to do with this.¡±

    ¡°Can you help Lord Sievan next?¡±

    A quiet laugh echoed through the void as the Lord of Death shook his head. ¡°Did you truly find a way to solve our flaw, Spider? You did what I ¡ª what Decras himself ¡ª could not?¡±

    ¡°Now you¡¯re just setting me up to sound like a proud asshole,¡± Noah said. ¡°Really, Sticky did everything. I¡¯m just stealing some of her power. She¡¯s the building block we needed. I¡¯m going to have to make copies of this Rune. A lot of them. From there, demons can break the rune and use it to form a new Fragment of Self to bind their soul with. It won¡¯t be easy ¡ª you¡¯re probably going to have to rip out the bad runes you¡¯ve got. Not every single demon will be capable of that. But for the ones that can¡­ it should fix them.¡±

    Or for the ones I use the Fragment of Renewal on, but I¡¯m not going to sit around fixing every single demon in the Damned Plains. Even if they can¡¯t get rid of Decras¡¯ runes entirely, this should help them get some control of themselves back.

    ¡°I see,¡± Sievan said with a small smile. ¡°But it is not yet my time for this.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to let him help you?¡± Sticky asked, blinking in surprise.

    ¡°I am not so easily repaired. I must rebuild my soul. I have felt Spider¡¯s power, but the immensity of what must be fixed is beyond even your abilities. It will be years before I am ready for such a procedure. This is a procedure for the young and easily changed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I could help the process along,¡± Noah said.

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Sievan said. ¡°But there are some things that must be done on your own. When you reach my strength, you will come to understand this as well. And I suspect you have a slightly more pressing matter at hand.¡±

    ¡°I do?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Sievan replied. ¡°There are those that wait for you. It has been some time since you followed Wizen into the next realm.¡±

    Noah¡¯s eyes went wide.

    That¡¯s why the Fragment of Renewal had returned. Not because it had been refilled, but because it had been given enough time to regenerate.

    Oh, shit. How long was I stuck in the afterlife?

 Chapter 566: Favor

    ¡°How long have I been gone?¡± Noah asked, his chest tightening even as the words left his lips. Days were precious. Now, especially so. Had he missed another thousand years? What had happened to Moxie? To Lee? To his students, who still waited still back in the mortal plane.

    If he¡¯d missed all of that¡­

    Noah¡¯s throat clenched.

    ¡°The situation is not as bad as you fear,¡± Sievan said, lifting a hand and freezing the thoughts in Noah¡¯s head. ¡°You did not remain within the afterlife for long. The time that has been lost can be measured in days, not years.¡±

    Some of the tension slipped from between Noah¡¯s lips in a sigh, but his shoulders remained taut. Moxie and Lee would be fine. They weren¡¯t gone.

    He wasn¡¯t so sure if he could say the same for his students back in Arbitage. There was a big difference between a few days and a dozen days. That was especially true in the Damned Plains, where the days were far longer than back in the mortal realm.

    Every moment that went by in the Damned Plains mounted the risks they faced. They had too many enemies. He¡¯d honestly pushed it to the back of his mind; his focus completely on finding a way to defeat Wizen.

    But now that he had a way out and he hadn¡¯t lost as much time as he feared¡­ the idea of missing their exam was painful ¡ª and somewhere deep in his mind, Noah had never considered not being there for it.

    Perhaps he¡¯d been delusional. Nobody fell into the Damned Plains on the back of an artifact controlled by a mage far more powerful than them and then decided they¡¯d make it out before a few weeks had passed.

    But it was his duty as a teacher to be there for all of them. To make sure they could take the honest test that they should have been promised, and to ensure that nobody tried to interfere with things.

    Isabel and Todd were still in danger, and not from the chance of failing the exam. People wanted Isabel¡¯s Master Rune. Verrud, the professor from the Herron family that had tried to trick him and Moxie into thinking he was on their side so he could get closer to Isabel. Jakob, the Torrin professor working with Verrud, and his two brats, Marley and Yulin ¡ª and who knew who else.

    If I¡¯ve been gone for too long, what happened to them? Verrud and Jakob are nothing to me now. But what does that matter if they¡¯ve already struck? Am I already too late?

    ¡°How many days?¡± Noah asked stiffly. ¡°And where is Moxie? Where is Lee?¡±

    ¡°Just about three or four on the mortal realm,¡± Sievan said, predicting Noah¡¯s next question with a quiet smile. ¡°I have spoken to your friends. I know where your concern lies. They are safe, and it is not too late. Your friends in Arbitage still reside there, though your time runs thin.¡±

    Thank God. Okay. We can still pull this off. I¡¯ve got the Key. We can make it back in time for the exam, then. It just seems like we¡¯ll have to move quickly.

    ¡°Where exactly is safe? Are Moxie and Lee here?¡± Noah asked, glancing around the platform. Aside from Sticky and Sievan, it was completely empty.

    Sievan nodded over Noah¡¯s shoulder.

    Noah turned to find a silent portal of purplish black energy blooming in the air behind him. Gentle waves of energy rolled out from it and prickled against his skin. He took a step back as its surface rippled and bulged.

    Zath¡¯s huge form stepped out from within the portal, ducking to fit through it properly. He unfurled to his full height, bowing his head in respect to Sievan, and stepped to the side as Moxie and Lee followed him out of it.

    ¡°Noah!¡± Lee exclaimed launching herself in his direction the moment she spotted him.

    Noah caught her with a laugh. Lee wrapped herself around his upper body like a koala and Moxie strode over, joining the group and throwing her arms around both of them. Noah was pretty sure he felt several bones in his spine pop as he got squeezed.

    ¡°Moxie. Lee,¡± Noah wheezed. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Wizen?¡± Lee asked. ¡°Is he¡ª¡±

    ¡°Gone,¡± Noah replied. ¡°He¡¯s in the Line. I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ll be seeing him again¡­ and I got what we came for.¡±

    Moxie released him and Lee dropped down to the ground, freeing Noah¡¯s arm so he could lift the Key up and let them all see it. Moxie and Lee¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°That¡¯s the thing Wizen stole from Tim, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lee muttered. ¡°Does that mean we can go back home?¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°Do you know how to use it?¡± Moxie asked.

    Noah winced. The Key had the power to somehow cut through planes and allow passage between them¡­ but he had absolutely no idea how it had worked. Wizen hadn¡¯t exactly given him a tutorial. He¡¯d left Noah with a single word of information to work with.

    ¡°No,¡± Noah said. ¡°But I¡¯m sure we can figure it out. We have to. I don¡¯t suppose the word Orlen means anything to either of you?¡±

    Both Moxie and Lee shook their heads.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard it before. Why?¡± Moxie said. ¡°Should it?¡±

    ¡°It was the last thing Wizen told me before he gave me the Key.¡±

    ¡°Wait. He gave you the Key?¡± Moxie blinked in surprise. ¡°Why would he give it to you? Weren¡¯t you fighting?¡±

    ¡°Wizen¡¯s entire purpose in the Afterlife was finding his daughter, but he had no idea as to the extent of the damage that the afterlife does to a mind. We had a little chat before things really started to go south, and I was able to convince him that bringing her back would be the worst thing he could possibly do.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ what, he just gave up?¡± Lee frowned. ¡°He didn¡¯t seem like the type to give up.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t give up,¡± Noah said with a shake of his head. He looked down to Sticky, who sat in silence on the ground, knees pulled up against her chest. ¡°He changed his plan and decided to do his best to save two people instead of one. Sticky died during the fight. Wizen brought her back.¡±

    ¡°From the dead?¡± Moxie¡¯s eyes went wide in awe. ¡°He actually had a way to bring someone back?¡±

    ¡°Once,¡± Sticky said softly.

    This might be a bit too much of a sore wound for Sticky to keep talking about it here.

    Noah shook the key slightly. ¡°We need to figure out how to get this working as soon as possible. Sievan told me that I missed a few days of time. That means we¡¯re really going to be cutting this close. I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d even be able to get back in time, but if the possibility is there, we have to take it. The students¡¯ exam might have already started. We have to get back as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re so motivated to return for?¡± Sievan asked, a chuckle slipping from his lips. ¡°An exam? You, who walked the Line and returned, are worried about missing a test?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just a test,¡± Noah said with a shake of his head. ¡°I¡¯m a teacher, and my students are in danger. There are kids up on the mortal plane who are being hunted for their runes. I¡¯ve got allies there, but I don¡¯t know how desperate our enemies are. If I have the chance to protect them, I have to take it.¡±

    A flicker of hesitation wrapped around Noah¡¯s chest. Most of his students were back in the mortal plane, but not all of them were. His travels through the Damned Plains hadn¡¯t exactly been solitary.

    What happens to Aylin and Violet when we leave? They¡¯re both much stronger than they were when I met them. Strong enough to defend themselves and what I basically had them build for me¡­ but there¡¯s more to life than just being strong.

    Yoru is proof of that. She¡¯s one of the strongest demons in the Damned Plains, but she¡¯s been alone for centuries. Is it really right to just up and vanish without speaking to a single one of them?

    Noah¡¯s jaw clenched. He was being pulled in two different directions. His duty was to his students ¡ª but even though he hadn¡¯t planned on it, he¡¯d picked up a few more in this world. He couldn¡¯t just abandon them.

    He looked down at the key. His senses brushed across the artifact. There was power stored within it ¡ª there was no doubt about that. An ocean of roiling energy waited within the Key¡­ and Noah had absolutely no idea how to access it.

    No matter how hard he tried, his mind couldn¡¯t find common ground with the key. There was no way to access the energy within it. It was immensely powerful, and about as useful as a chunk of lead in his hands.

    Shit. Even if I get this working¡­ I still haven¡¯t answered the other question. What do I do?

    Sievan¡¯s domain was quiet for several seconds until Moxie broke the silence.

    ¡°We need to go back ¡ª but we can¡¯t leave the kids here. They don¡¯t deserve that.¡±

    Noah chewed on the insides of his cheeks. He wanted to do everything. To protect his students, both here and in the damned plains. His fingers tapped an incessant beat against his legs as he dug for an answer.

    ¡°If you need to leave now, maybe you could come back after?¡± Sticky asked hesitantly. ¡°So you can help the other demons?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I have no plans of abandoning everyone. I just didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have an opportunity to get back to the others in time,¡± Noah said. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was workable. Right now, the most important thing he could do was make sure he made it back to the mortal plane in time. He¡¯d have preferred to return the key to Tim the moment he could, but waiting a bit longer wouldn¡¯t kill anyone. He looked down at the key in his hand. ¡°I just have to figure out how to use this.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ think I might be able to do it,¡± Sticky said, her gaze locked on the key and expression twisting in concentration. ¡°There are memories in my head. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re mine, but I remember how to use the key.¡±

    Noah blinked. ¡°You do? Then Orlen¡ª¡±

    Sticky shook her head. ¡°Not like that. No words. More like I¡¯ve done something enough times that I remember how to do it.¡±

    ¡°If you can, then we would be in your debt,¡± Noah said, holding the key out to Sticky. It must have had something to do with how Wizen had completely rebuilt her body with Weave. He would have loved to know more, but there were many things that he wanted to do and not nearly enough time to do them all.

    He just wished ¡ª

    Wait.

    Noah paused.

    ¡°Should I stop?¡± Sticky asked.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re fine. Please figure out how to work the key,¡± Noah said. He looked to Sievan. ¡°But, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like a little help. I believe there¡¯s a rune you were looking to buy.¡±

    The skin around Sievan¡¯s eyes crinkled in amusement. ¡°What price are you thinking?¡±

    ¡°Oh, not too much,¡± Noah replied. There was a way he could get almost everything he wanted. It wasn¡¯t something that he had any chance of pulling off on his own ¡ª but he wasn¡¯t exactly on his own. ¡°Just a small favor and a bit of Zath¡¯s time.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Sievan asked with a quiet laugh. ¡°I know what you seek, and it can be arranged. This is going to be fun.¡±

 Chapter 567: Fire

    The mushrooms were on fire, and it was only partially Todd¡¯s fault.

    ¡°Duck!¡± Emily yelled, her voice just barely carrying through the crackling roar of the flames around him.

    Todd threw himself to the marshy ground. Moss squelched beneath him as he rolled, and he ripped more dirt up from beneath the layer of foliage to reinforce his damaged armor.

    Something screamed through the air above him. Ice prickled against Todd¡¯s neck in passing. A loud crash echoed through the forest a moment later, followed by a warbling scream of pain.

    Todd rose back to his feet, yanking the fire from the burning mushrooms around him and forming it into a ball between his palms. Before him, amidst dozens of fallen and crushed fungi the size of buildings, stood a huge froglike monster.

    The monster was easily three times taller than he was. A huge grey tongue lolled from its mouth, covered in jagged barbs. Its yellow skin was covered with a slimy ooze that had proven to be an infuriatingly effective flame retardant. Todd¡¯s explosions had managed to scorch it in a few small spots, but his magic had proven to be largely useless against the monster.

    It wasn¡¯t quite so lucky against Emily.

    A huge arrow made out of ice protruded from one of the frog¡¯s feet, pinning it into the ground. The frog croaked and thrashed in attempt to free itself, but it was futile. Frost crept up its limb, biting deep into the monster¡¯s flesh and freezing the ooze on it solid.

    ¡°Nice!¡± Todd cheered, a grin splitting his features. ¡°Good shit, Emily.¡±

    There was a loud creak from behind him. Todd stepped to the side.

    A burning mushroom crashed down behind him. Its head exploded with a splattering crash, sending burning goo flying everywhere. One chunk slapped into the stem of another mushroom. It went up in flames with a roar like a bundle of dry wood.

    Todd winced.

    ¡°Dude, have you ever heard the word restraint?¡± Emily asked from several paces behind Todd, drawing her bow back and forming another arrow in it. The frog screamed and thrashed, but it was stuck fast.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Todd said. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize the mushrooms exploded when they caught fire. Really couldn¡¯t have seen that one coming. Why the hell would anyone choose such a weird place for an exam?¡±

    Emily loosed the arrow from her bow. It flashed through the air and slammed into the frog¡¯s eye, burying deep into its brain. The monster jerked, then went limp and collapsed to the ground, struggles ended forever.

    No energy entered Todd¡¯s body, but that was to be expected. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the sheaf of Catchpapers that he¡¯d folded up inside it. A grin split his features and he held one up.

    ¡°Rank 2 Dripping Ooze,¡± Todd said. ¡°I got a rune.¡±

    ¡°Finally. Good news,¡± Emily said. She walked out from the treeline to join Todd, and he handed the paper to her. She gave him a blank one in return.

    Another burning mushroom crashed down. They both winced as its head exploded, but fortunately, every other mushroom in the area had already been burnt to a crisp and the muck that filled the fungus¡¯ heads just splattered harmlessly across the wet, mossy ground.

    ¡°I still think they just should have had the exam in the Scorched Acres. For old time¡¯s sake,¡± Todd said, stuffing the new Catchpaper into a back pocket. He paused, squinting at the air behind Emily.

    There was nothing visible, but to his heat-vision, there was a patch of heat that marked a person. Todd crossed his arms in front of his chest.

    ¡°James. Are you going to just stand there sniffing her hair, or are you actually going to be useful?¡±

    ¡°I was not sniffing her hair,¡± James said, the air rippling as he let his magic fall and emerged in plain view. ¡°I was assessing the situation.¡±

    Emily didn¡¯t so much as flinch at his arrival. Either she¡¯d gotten used to James popping up out of nowhere, or she¡¯d already known he was there.

    ¡°What, the situation regarding the scent of soap she uses?¡± Todd snickered as he scanned the area around them for any more signs of newcomers. The fire made it a little difficult for his heat vision to pick up on humans or monsters around it, but most of the flame was already dying away.

    ¡°Mango,¡± James said.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Emily exclaimed. Her eyes went narrow and she prodded James in the stomach in a manner remarkably similar to what Todd had seen Moxie do to Noah countless times. ¡°You don¡¯t need to go sharing that. That¡¯s weird.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± James asked. ¡°I got it for you.¡±

    Another heat signature caught Todd¡¯s eyes, but he¡¯d been expecting this one.

    Isabel stepped around the trunk of an unburned mushroom and emerged into the burnt clearing that Todd had mistakenly created.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to know we¡¯ve managed to keep focused during the exam,¡± Isabel said with a dry smile. ¡°Todd, why are you trying to bring the Mushroom Forest down on top of you?¡±

    ¡°The mushrooms explode when you burn them,¡± Todd said. ¡°I was unaware. Where¡¯s Alexandra?¡±

    ¡°She went off on her own. She felt like the exam would be too easy if she worked together with us, and she wanted to make sure she learned from it. I think we might have let her spend too much time with Jalen,¡± Isabel said, pinching the bridge of her nose. ¡°But she¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a single student that can really pose her a threat. Even that Rank 3 girl, Fiona¡­ she hasn¡¯t seen a real fight like Alexandra has.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s badass,¡± Emily said with a nod.

    Todd thrust a finger in her direction. ¡°Hah! You said badass! I told you it was a cool word!¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Emily said, burying her head in her hands. ¡°He¡¯s ruining my vocabulary. Do you know what Moxie is going to do to me if she figures out I can¡¯t speak like a proper noble anymore?¡±

    ¡°Compliment you for removing the stick from your ass?¡±

    James coughed into a fist to hide a laugh. Emily narrowed her eyes, then prodded him again.

    ¡°Hey! That wasn¡¯t my fault. Why aren¡¯t you attacking Todd?¡± James protested.

    ¡°He¡¯s Isabel¡¯s problem,¡± Emily replied.

    ¡°Ah.¡± James nodded sagely, then did a double take and nearly tripped over himself as he spun toward Emily. ¡°Wait. They¡¯re dating. If he¡¯s Isabel¡¯s problem, does that mean I¡¯m¡ª¡±

    A flicker of heat caught Todd¡¯s attention from the sky ¡ª a location that he had most certainly not set on fire.

    ¡°Above us!¡± Todd yelled.

    All of them snapped into motion instantly. Isabel pushed Emily behind her and heavy plates of armor rushed up from the ground to slam down around her. James vanished from view and Todd pumped energy into his own stone armor, readying the explosive attacks in his arms and feet.

    An attractive woman dropped from the sky above them, landing in the center of the burnt clearing with a flourish. Her bright blonde hair fluttered through the air behind her like a streamer, and even though they were in the middle of an exam, the only thing she wore was a flowing white dress.

    She arched her arms over her back, almost as if she was trying to strike a pose, and Todd realized that she hadn¡¯t actually touched the ground. The girl floated about an inch away from it.

    Todd¡¯s brow furrowed. He recognized the girl, but only vaguely.

    She¡¯s from the Advanced Track. I can¡¯t remember her name, though. And what is she doing? Is she choking on something?

    For a long second, nobody did anything. They just all stared at each other. Then the newcomer¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°What? No reaction?¡±

    ¡°Should I shoot her?¡± Emily asked.

    ¡°Why bother?¡± Isabel asked. ¡°I doubt she¡¯s managed to collect any Runes. It¡¯s not worth the energy.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The girl¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°I¡¯m in the Advanced Track too, you know!¡±

    ¡°Do you have runes?¡± Todd asked.

    ¡°I ¡ª that¡¯s none of your concern.¡± the girl said, charging straight past Todd¡¯s question. That was as good as a confirmation that she had not, in fact, collected any runes. She thrust a finger at Todd. ¡°You¡¯re going to give me the ones that you¡¯ve collected.¡±

    ¡°This is the weirdest robbery I¡¯ve ever been part of,¡± Todd said.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to shoot her,¡± Emily said, raising her bow.

    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± the girl smirked. A white shield hummed to life around her and the forest rustled. Five other students emerged from the far end of the clearing, each covered with a shield of their own. They made their way over to stand by her side. ¡°Have you forgotten who I am?¡±

    Todd was fairly sure they were all in the Advanced Track, but he couldn¡¯t remember for certain. He hadn¡¯t noticed their approach, but they¡¯d come from the direction of the fire.

    It had been a bit since Todd or any of the others had gone to one of the meetings with the rest of the Advanced Track. Jakob and Verrud had been getting bolder in their attempts to get near Isabel recently. Marley, Jakob¡¯s student, had given it a few shots as well.

    There were just too many enemies. It was difficult to keep track of them, so the group had just opted to avoid the issue entirely. Training with other Advanced Track students was great ¡ª but training with Jalen, Bird, Brayden, and the others was far more effective.

    It was also considerably safer.

    Jalen was only kind of trying to kill them.

    ¡°Why is nobody answering me?¡± the girl demanded. ¡°If you¡¯re scared, we can just skip to the part where you give me your¡ª¡±

    ¡°I forgot your question. Sorry,¡± Todd said with a sheepish grin. He drew on more power but kept his tone perfectly casual. There were a number of enemies. They couldn¡¯t afford to take this lightly. ¡°What was it again?¡±

    ¡°I asked if you knew who I was!¡± the girl snapped. ¡°It was rhetorical. Of course you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sorry. Forgot your name too.¡±

    The girl¡¯s eye twitched.

    ¡°Me as well,¡± Isabel admitted. ¡°My bad. Alexandra was kind of the one remembering the random names. She¡¯s really polite, but she¡¯s busy right now. Do you remember, Emily?¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ was it Casie?¡± Emily hedged. Even though her words sounded uncertain, more energy was gathering at the tip of her arrow. She was preparing to fight.

    ¡°No! Bethany! My name is Bethany! How did you forget? We¡¯ve sparred before!¡±

    ¡°We have?¡± Isabel asked.

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Did I win?¡±

    Bethany¡¯s mouth snapped shut. Her eyes narrowed even further. ¡°Yes. But this time will be¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah. Then that¡¯s why I don¡¯t remember your name,¡± Isabel said, speaking right over Bethany. She shook her head. ¡°This isn¡¯t worth the time. She clearly hasn¡¯t gotten any runes yet.¡±

    Wind howled around Bethany and gathered in her hands, forming into two balls of twisting white magic. ¡°You¡¯re good with a sword, but we¡¯ve got you outnumbered, and this isn¡¯t a sparring ring. This is the real world. Give me what you¡¯ve got and we won¡¯t crush you out of this exam here and now.¡±

    ¡°Wow. Good line. Did you practice that one in front of the mirror this morning?¡± Todd asked.

    Bethany¡¯s cheeks went bright red. ¡°How did ¡ª No! Of course not!¡±

    ¡°This is just sad,¡± Emily said. ¡°I¡¯m shooting her now.¡±

    ¡°Yup,¡± Todd said.

    Bethany thrust her hands forward. The balls of wind exploded, transforming into a howling gale of white blades that carved out toward Emily.

    Emily released the string of her bow.

    An ice arrow screamed through the air in a blur. It struck the rolling front of wind and sliced through it in a split instant. Bethany¡¯s eyes went wide.

    One of the boys beside Bethany lunged before her, a brown shield burning with energy as he summoned stone up from the ground and formed it into a wall between them.

    The arrow carved straight through the stone. It continued on into the boy, shattering his Shield like sugar glass and driving straight into his chest. His eyes went wide in disbelief. A necklace on his neck flashed a brilliant white and he vanished, yanked out of the exam to get medical attention.

    Every single one of them wore a similar necklace. It wouldn¡¯t do anything if they took an instant killing blow, but those were supposedly against the rules. Todd wasn¡¯t about to count on Verrud and Jakob¡¯s students remembering that.

    ¡°How?¡± Bethany staggered back, her mouth hanging askew in disbelief as she stared at the spot where one of her allies had been a moment before.

    Todd shook himself off. He was getting distracted.

    I should probably focus, even if these people are jokes. Their Runes are nothing compared to ours thanks to Teacherman showing us how to make flawless combinations.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be happy to pretend to answer your questions once the exam is over,¡± Isabel said. Bethany thrust her hands forward and sent blades of wind carving toward her. Isabel just raised a shield of stone from the ground, blocking the magic effortlessly. Bethany¡¯s face went pale. She took a step back, then launched herself into the air.

    ¡°You¡¯re cheating! I¡¯ll be ba¡ª¡±

    A glowing blue spear sailed through the air. It sliced straight through Bethany¡¯s shield, shattering it, and drove into her back. The girl stiffened, then vanished in a flash. Several empty pieces of Catchpaper fluttered down from where she¡¯d been.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let any of them leave with their Catchpaper,¡± Isabel said, her spear reforming in her hand as she turned to the remaining students.

    The remaining students went pale. Two of their members had gone down in two attacks. Their shields hadn¡¯t been strong enough to tank a single hit. They turned and ran, sprinting for cover.

    Todd grinned.

    I wish the Professor was here to see us now. Nobles, running from us.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got this,¡± Todd said.

    The ground beneath him exploded. Fire curled out from his feet as he burst into motion, crossing the distance between himself and the running nobles in moments.

    His laughter was the last thing any of them heard before their shields shattered and their amulets went off, dragging them out of the exam and to safety.

 Chapter 568: Avalanche

    The exam had been meant to last a full day. It took time to hunt monsters, and even more time to hunt enough of them to get a Rune to manifest on Catchpaper. An average mage could take hours just to get something worthwhile, and that wasn¡¯t even accounting for the quality of the rune.

    Todd and the rest of Noah¡¯s students had every rune they needed in less than four hours ¡ª though that wasn¡¯t an entirely accurate statement. They each needed to secure themselves a Rune in order to pass the exam, which meant the group needed a total of 5 Runes ¡ª though Alexandra had gone off on her own and lowered the group¡¯s requirement down to 4.

    They currently had 20.

    Only about 4 of those had come from actually hunting the monsters. The rest had come from students kindly donating their belongings to the group by trying to attack them.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯m starting to feel like this exam is more about fighting other mages than it is about hunting monsters,¡± Todd said as he watched Isabel leaf through the runes they¡¯d earned. ¡°Maybe everyone else got the wrong memo and thought this was an exam to hunt other students.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a little more targeted than that,¡± Isabel said. She gathered the runes back into a pile and handed half of it to Emily, who slipped the papers into a pouch on her waist. Isabel glanced around the small clearing they¡¯d taken a break in, then stretched her arms over her head and shook herself off. ¡°The amount of people we¡¯ve had come after us is way higher than it should have been.¡±

    ¡°Verrud and Jakob are pulling strings,¡± Emily said. ¡°It has to be.¡±

    ¡°What, with the entire Advanced Track?¡± Todd asked.

    ¡°To be fair, less than half the people that we¡¯ve run into have been from the Advanced Track. I think the majority of those guys are just focused on winning. We pass the exam if we can get a rune each, but we¡¯ve got to get the most runes to win the Advanced Track competition.¡± Isabel scratched the side of her neck. ¡°Though, at this rate, we won¡¯t even have to fight any more monsters. We can just keep taking out all the students that attack us.¡±

    ¡°I wonder how he paid them off.¡± The air beside Emily rippled as James took form at her side.

    ¡°James!¡± Todd exclaimed. ¡°Where have you been, man? You went to scout thirty minutes ago!¡±

    ¡°Sorry. I fell asleep.¡±

    ¡°While scouting?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It was very boring.¡±

    ¡°I think we need a new scout,¡± Todd said.

    ¡°Quite possibly, yes,¡± Isabel agreed with a sidelong glance in James¡¯ direction. James didn¡¯t even have the good grace to look chagrined. He just shrugged and wiped at his nose.

    ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Emily asked.

    ¡°More students. There are a lot of them in the area around us,¡± James said. He craned his neck back to look at a mushroom looming above him. ¡°We should probably be ready for more people to show up. It feels like everyone just decided that this area of the Mushroom Forest is the best one to be in.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he really did pay people off,¡± Emily said with a frown. ¡°That feels like it would be painfully blatant, though. There¡¯s no way you can do that without at least somebody going ¡®huh, that¡¯s weird¡¯. The Advanced Track is also full of nobles. It¡¯s not easy to buy nobles off. Verrud and Jakob aren¡¯t that rich.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s more than one way to get people to turn against someone or hunt them,¡± Isabel said. ¡°All he had to do was tell the truth. He¡¯s probably mentioned that we have a bunch of runes, and defeating us is an instant pass for the whole exam.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Todd said. ¡°In the end, they¡¯ve managed to make this easier for us. We can¡¯t be far from winning the Advanced Track competition. Maybe we should just start hunting the people hunting us instead. It¡¯ll make things faster.¡±

    ¡°Now there¡¯s an idea.¡± A familiar, smarmy voice echoed through the clearing.

    All of them turned as one, annoyance rather than surprise crossing their features, as Marley emerged from the treeline. It was hard to miss him ¡ª the noble was practically jingling as he walked.

    He was covered from head to toe in bracelets, rings, bracers, and just about every other piece of Imbued equipment that someone could fit onto themselves. Marley even wore light armor reminiscent of that of a Soldier.

    Todd blinked at the vast amount of wealth Marley had on him. There was a difference between the funds of a noble and using¡­ whatever this was. The sheer number of Imbuements he was carrying around were terrifying.

    Holy shit. Somebody spent a ridiculous amount of money outfitting him¡­ but that has to be at least partially for show. That many Imbuements running together will interfere with each other. Simple is king. This idiot just cleaned out daddy¡¯s closet.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Marley asked, two shimmering swords made of swirling blue energy buzzing to life in his palms. ¡°Too scared to speak?¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s helping the moron?¡± Isabel asked. ¡°I doubt he could have found the broad side of the barn in a field if he didn¡¯t have help.¡±

    Anger flashed across Marley¡¯s face. He pointed his swords at Isabel. ¡°Keep talking smart, bitch. We¡¯ll see what happens when¡ª¡±

    An ice arrow screamed through the air and slammed into Marley¡¯s chest. A shield erupted around him with an earsplitting screech. His eyes only had a moment to go wide before the force of the magic launched him off his feet and sent him hurtling through the stem of a mushroom and into the forest beyond.

    ¡°That¡¯s a strong shield,¡± Emily said, lowering her bow with a frown.

    ¡°It¡¯s Soldier equipment,¡± Todd said, his lips going thin. ¡°Someone is powering him. He¡¯s an idiot, but don¡¯t take him lightly while he¡¯s still got power. Those Imbuements will do all the fighting for him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Marley said, chuckling as he stepped back out of the forest, completely unscathed. He hesitated for a moment. ¡°Wait. No, it¡¯s not. I¡¯m fighting you! Not my equipment! This is just something to even the scales. You have a whole group.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Todd was barely paying attention to him. His eyes scanned their surroundings as he searched for any signs of heat.

    He found them.

    Three other people were moving around the clearing, trying to get into position. Todd lifted a hand toward one and released a concentrated stream of fire in a thin beam. The magic cut through the air and melted straight through the trunk of a mushroom. There was a thud and a curse as someone threw themselves out of the way of the magic.

    ¡°So do you,¡± Todd said. ¡°Two behind us. One in the direction I just toasted.¡±

    ¡°Cheater,¡± Marley spat.

    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Emily asked. ¡°How dense are you?¡±

    Marley thrust a sword into the air. The mushrooms around him shuddered, then cracked as they split apart at the stems. Oozing growths rose up from within them like tendrils, extending into the air until they¡¯d grown to the size of trees and towered at his back.

    ¡°No more talking,¡± Marley growled. He swept his swords down. ¡°Kill them!¡±

    The mushroom tendrils exploded forward. All three of the mages in the forest burst into motion.

    Isabel slammed her foot into the ground. A wall of stone exploded up from it and rolled out around them like a huge ripple in a pond. It rose up the group for long enough to buy them a few seconds.

    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with Marley,¡± Isabel said. ¡°Todd, back me up. James, Emily, deal with the others.¡±

    ¡°On it,¡± Emily said.

    James nodded, then faded from view. ¡°I¡¯ve got your back.¡±

    The stone wall exploded. Marley burst through it, riding on a wave of rolling mushroom flesh. His eyes were locked directly on Isabel. He definitely had an agenda, but that was nothing new.

    ¡°Get yourself ready. I¡¯ll keep him distracted,¡± Todd said with a grin. The ground at his feet exploded as he launched himself forward, streaking toward Marley like a human missile. Power burned against his knuckles as he pushed it into the explosion chamber in his gauntlets.

    Let¡¯s see just how strong his defenses are. He might not be ready for a max strength attack right at the start of the fight.

    The noble¡¯s eyes widened at Todd¡¯s approach. He crossed his arms before him. One of his bracelets shimmered and magic spilled out from within it. A gray shield formed over one of his arms and Marley braced himself against it.

    Todd twisted midair, bringing a fist crashing into the shield with all the force he could muster. It connected with a massive explosion. A wave of pressure sent Todd skidding back as fire bloomed from the spot he¡¯d struck and fragments of rock scarred across the ground and flew through the air around him.

    Marley staggered a step back, his shield warped and bent. He stared at it in disbelief. ¡°How can you do so much damage with one punch?¡±

    Todd righted himself, drawing energy back into himself from the explosion and repressing a grimace.

    That¡¯s all the damage I did? This isn¡¯t good. That was the strongest attack I can manage right now. How much power does he have people donating to him? This is more than just someone trying to edge out a win in a competition. The amount of money it would take to get him this strong¡­ someone is angling for more than a win.

    ¡°You¡¯re just weak,¡± Todd said, not letting any of his thoughts show through in his features.

    Marley¡¯s features twisted in anger and he swiped his sword through the air.

    The ground beneath Todd roiled. He threw himself to the side a moment before white roots exploded up from beneath where he¡¯d been standing. They thrashed around in the air like squirming snakes, each of them as thick as a tree trunk. The ground rumbled from the force of the magic within them.

    What the hell? This is something that Moxie could do, not Marley. There¡¯s no way he should be this strong. The only thing in our favor is he fucking sucks at using his magic.

    Todd set off an explosion at his feet, throwing himself to the side before the roots could slam into him. He rolled across the ground and shot upright, summoning stone up from the ground to rebuild his armor from his own explosions.

    ¡°That¡¯s not Rank 2 magic,¡± Todd said, his eyes narrowed. ¡°Who¡¯s helping you cheat?¡±

    ¡°Using items you own isn¡¯t cheating,¡± Marley replied, thrusting his hand forward and sending more roots racing after Todd.

    ¡°Bullshit. You aren¡¯t controlling that yourself. Someone¡¯s feeding you magic,¡± Todd said as he flung himself to safety once more.

    Roots slammed into the ground one after the other in Todd¡¯s wake. Each one shook the earth with the force of their impact. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a root hurtling straight for his head.

    It didn¡¯t look like Marley was trying to leave enough of anyone alive to get pulled out of the exam.

    Todd gritted his teeth and set off an explosion from his palms. It hurled him to the side and he hit the ground in a grunt, rolling to safety and staggering back to his feet.

    Marley turned toward him ¡ª but he didn¡¯t get a chance to attack. Isabel exploded forward, clad entirely in her heavy armor. She held a huge tower shield in one hand and a glowing blue greatsword in one of her hands.

    Roots crashed down toward her, but the ground exploded up around Isabel in a sea of spikes. They drove into the roots, slowing them and buying her precious seconds to arrive before Marley.

    She slammed her shield down on his head. His shields flared, burning with power as they resisted her strike. Isabel¡¯s sword flashed and Marley brought his own up. The weapons slammed together with a loud crackle.

    Isabel slammed her foot into Marley¡¯s chest and he staggered back, his shields repelling her once more. He went to stab at her but was forced to dodge back as Todd sent a streak of concentrated flame screeching past his face, just narrowly missing.

    Loud crashes and the roar of magic filled the clearing all around them from Emily and James¡¯ fight against Marley¡¯s backup. A quick glance told Todd why the fight was still going. They were all outfitted in Imbued equipment as well. It didn¡¯t look like the quality was as high as Marley¡¯s, but there were three of them.

    Isabel and Marley crossed blades again. Their weapons crackled ¡ª and Isabel dismissed her weapon, reforming it an instant later once it had passed by Marley¡¯s guard.

    The sword would have gone straight into his shoulder if it didn¡¯t connect with his shield first. Magic screamed.

    Isabel was thrown back several feet as a huge wave of pressure rolled out from Marley, ripping up the dirt around him.

    A pillar of dirt shot up behind her and connected with her back to stop her from falling. If she lost her balance in the immensely heavy armor she wore, it was the same as a death sentence.

    Marley crossed his swords and power arced down their blades, rippling across his body. Someone was pumping him full of even more magic. Curls of magic rose up from him and he bared his teeth in something between a snarl and a grin. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t look as confident as you did before.¡±

    This might be bad.

    ¡°Isabel?¡± Todd asked.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Her voice was terse.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re going to have to use some of the things you¡¯ve been practicing.¡±

    ¡°On this idiot?¡± Isabel asked, aghast. ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just him. It¡¯s him and however many people are powering him.¡±

    ¡°You really think you can do anything against me?¡± Marley asked through a burst of snorting laughter. The amusement left his face in an instant, replaced by cold cruelty as he shifted his stance. ¡°You¡¯re delusional.¡±

    ¡°Right. Sorry, Professor,¡± Isabel said. She tossed her shield to the side and grabbed her sword with both hands. She drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly.

    A root crashed down toward her.

    Isabel¡¯s sword snapped out, catching it on the flat of the blade and deflecting it down into the ground with a loud crash.

    There was something different in her motions as she moved toward Marley once again. Magic burned in her every step, each one slightly faster than the last, every movement like a pebble rolling down the side of a mountainside.

    Roots shot toward Isabel. Her sword flashed up and down and up again, the repeated crash of its blade striking the roots filling the air.

    The first was knocked to her left.

    The second was deflected to her right.

    The third was split in half. Every blow Isabel made came slightly faster and stronger than the previous as she continued her advance. The magic imbuing her movements and blade intensified by the second.

    Her body ¡ª her blade ¡ª was becoming an avalanche manifest.

    For the first time since they¡¯d started training, Isabel was unleashing her Pattern against a real opponent.

 Chapter 569: Vocabulary

    Thunder cracked as lightning split the air and hurtled for Emily¡¯s head, only to slam into a shimmering square of translucent light just inches away from her. Crackles of electricity arced into the air and buzzed against her skin.

    ¡°Thanks, James,¡± Emily said, throwing herself into a roll as acid scorched across the ground where she¡¯d been standing and burnt a thick streak into it. She shot to her feet and took aim, drawing her focus into the arrow forming in her bow.

    A bolt of lightning made itself known right beside her head, deflected by James¡¯ magic once more. Emily gritted her teeth and released the arrow in the direction of one of the mages.

    The spell scraped across his shoulder as he twisted, scoring along the armor he wore and failing to do any significant damage. It knocked him off balance for a moment, giving her an opportunity, to follow up and actually land a real blow, but Emily didn¡¯t have a chance to follow up on the opening.

    She was forced to dodge back as vines raced across the ground and reached out toward her, attempting to intertwine her legs and keep her from dodging.

    Another bolt of lightning slammed into the air, stopping against a disk of light just inches away from Emily. The light wavered as power crackled off it. For a moment, it seemed as if it would break, but the magic held strong. James was keeping the attacks from hitting her and buying her time to attack, but it wasn¡¯t enough.

    There were three enemies and James was forced to play defensive so Emily could even try to fight back. If she could actually injure any of them, perhaps she would have had a chance. But with the armor they wore¡­ she needed more than a glancing blow.

    Emily resisted the urge to curse as she dodged out of the way of more magic. Readying her attacks took time and attention ¡ª two things she didn¡¯t have when three mages were raining down attacks on her from different directions.

    ¡°We can¡¯t keep this up forever.¡± James¡¯ voice was low enough to only be heard by Emily¡¯s ears. ¡°Can you survive for long enough if I go after one of them?¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡± Emily wasn¡¯t so certain. The students attacking them had a ridiculous amount of energy. They¡¯d been raining down attacks for nearly two uninterrupted minutes and showed no signs of slowing.

    That would have been impressive if she didn¡¯t suspect basically all of their power was coming from someone transferring it to them through their Soldier armor. Unfortunately, the source from where they pulled their magic changed nothing.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound very confident,¡± James said.

    Emily dodged back as forked tongues of lighting screamed down toward her, blackening the dirt where she¡¯d been standing with a brilliant explosion. She spun toward the mage that had called them down, but before she could take a moment to take aim, acid spikes were hurtling for her head.

    She dropped to the ground. Vines reached for her and she gathered moisture from the air, flicking a blade of ice from her fingers and slicing the vines apart as she rolled back to her feet.

    We can¡¯t keep going like this.

    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± James said. ¡°I think Isabel is using her¡­ you know.¡±

    Emily blinked in surprise. The hesitation nearly got her impaled by a sharpened root, but she twisted out of the way at the last moment and cut the root apart with another blade of ice.

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    Lighting slammed down toward them and a dome of light bloomed overhead, absorbing the hit before shattering apart into sparkling motes of light.

    ¡°You should be paying attention to us, not your friends,¡± the lightning mage said in a sneering tone. They sounded female, but the helm on their face muffled their words and made it a little difficult to tell.

    Emily really didn¡¯t care one way or another.

    ¡°You¡¯re all pretty pathetic. Having to rely this heavily on equipment in a Year 2 exam,¡± Emily said, sending an arrow of ice streaking through the sky toward the other woman.

    Without time to properly take aim, the attack only managed to slam into her shoulder and shatter against her armor. One of the other mages laughed as they flung acid blades toward Emily once more.

    James summoned more shields of light from the air, blocking the magic and letting out an exasperated sigh. ¡°This is such a hassle. Can¡¯t you just deal with them already?¡±

    ¡°What do you think I¡¯m trying to do?¡± Emily hissed. ¡°I told you, I¡¯ll be fine! You can go attack¡ª¡±

    A vine shot up from the burnt ground, reaching for Emily¡¯s leg faster than she could react. Light flashed and several chunks of plant matter splattered against Emily, severed in a dozen different places.

    ¡°You¡¯re not doing the most you can,¡± James said. ¡°You could do more. I¡¯ve seen it. Isabel certainly is. Why are you holding back? You¡¯re welcome, by the way.¡±

    ¡°Isabel is better at it than I am,¡± Emily hissed. ¡°I¡¯ve never tried using that ability during a real fight. Just training. Have you forgotten how bad I was at it when we started?¡±

    Acid arrows rained down toward Emily and a shield of light formed in the air above them, absorbing the attack once more. The acid mage snickered. ¡°Talking to yourself isn¡¯t a good sign. You might want to get that checked out.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Where did you go to learn your shit-talk? Your teacher fucking sucks,¡± Emily said, diving out of the way as lightning streaked toward where she¡¯d been standing. A hand snagged the back of her shirt and yanked her up to her feet before the vines crawling across the ground could reach her, and she froze them in place with a blast of ice.

    ¡°That¡¯s a sharp mouth for a noble. Maybe you¡¯ve been hanging around scum for too long,¡± the lightning mage said. ¡°You¡¯re not half bad. Swapping between two different forms of magic so quickly is really impressive. It¡¯s too bad that¡¯s all completely wasted.¡±

    Gods, they¡¯re stupid. I¡¯ve got my ice magic active at the same time as James¡¯ light abilities. Anyone with half a brain would realize that I have an invisible Light Mage on my side, but I suppose these idiots threw their lot in with Marley. That doesn¡¯t say much for their intelligence.

    ¡°Who cares how bad you were at the start?¡± James hissed back to Emily, prodding her in the lower back. ¡°I¡¯ve seen what you can do. You¡¯re holding yourself back. I know you can do this.¡±

    Light flashed as lightning slammed down on them again. Emily gritted her teeth. James poked her again.

    ¡°It takes me too long,¡± Emily snapped. ¡°I can¡¯t pull it off fast enough to¡ª¡±

    ¡°You can. I¡¯ve seen you do it before. Stop doubting yourself so damn much. You aren¡¯t alone. I¡¯ve got your back, but I can¡¯t keep blocking magic forever. Are you really going to let Isabel show you up this hard? You¡¯re just as good as she is.¡±

    Emily¡¯s hands tightened around her bow. Her heart thumped in her chest ¡ª once, twice, and then her features set in stone. ¡°Fine. Cover me.¡±

    ¡°On it,¡± James replied, and she could hear the grin in his voice even as the air rippled beside her and he let his invisibility fall away.

    The plant mage let out a curse. ¡°Where¡¯d he come from?¡±

    Idiot.

    Emily dragged her thoughts away from the fight and turned them inward. She stilled her breathing and gathered her concentration. She had time. James had promised to cover her. He wouldn¡¯t let an attack get through ¡ª but she had to hold up her end of the deal.

    Magic crashed and crackled all around her. James and the other mages exchanged taunts that slipped past her ears like a rushing stream.

    She barely noticed any of it.

    Frost prickled against her skin. Freezing mist coiled up from her body and spilled all around her in a white fog that was only a step away from condensing into thick snow. It rolled out in every direction, creeping across the ground and filling the clearing around her.

    Her senses traveled through the icy mist ¡ª through the patterns of frost racing through every single minuscule crystal that made it up. Every noise in the world stilled. Even the thump of her heartbeat and the throb of her head faded into the background.

    Emily closed her eyes.

    She moved a hand through the air. Felt the patterns in the ice shift as her hand passed through them. The mist coiled in her arm¡¯s wake. Every single movement within it changed the pattern.

    And that was exactly how it was meant to be.

    Ice was a single element of water, and more than any other element, water was ever-changing. Todd had spent hours with her going over the properties it could achieve in imbuements, and Emily had studied every single one of them as best she could.

    Hers was not a pattern that remained exactly the same. It was not a pattern that could be approached in a rigid manner. The change itself was part of the pattern.

    Emily let her bow vanish from her hands, letting herself completely immerse herself within the mist. She felt where it was ¡ª and where it wasn¡¯t.

    And in that mist, Emily felt the three mages.

    Her eyes snapped open.

    James laid on the ground before her, his arms crossed behind his head. A bolt of lightning streaked toward him, but a disk of light flashed up and blocked it, fading away the very instant the lightning had been stopped.

    Another shield flicked up to block a bolt of acid, and a third one manifested itself to cut through several vines. All of them vanished the very instant their task had been accomplished.

    Power thrummed in Emily¡¯s body, and the mist thrummed in response. They were synchronized.

    ¡°How are you doing that?¡± The female student demanded.

    ¡°Optimizing,¡± James replied through a yawn. ¡°I¡¯m lazy. No point using more energy than I need to, and now I don¡¯t need to use any at all.¡±

    The acid mage let out a snort. He stepped through the mist and gathered magic above his palms, forming it into a large spike of sickly green energy. ¡°And why¡¯s that? You surrendering?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± James replied, letting his eyes drift shut. ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡±

    The air around the mage crackled. He only had an instant for his eyes to widen in surprise before a hundred white streaks flashed through the air. His shield flickered to life around him, but it shattered under the flurry of magic.

    He staggered back with a scream. Thin needles of ice emerged from every single piece of unarmored skin in his body. There wasn¡¯t a single part of his face or upper neck that hadn¡¯t been run through.

    The attack wasn¡¯t enough to kill him, but a brilliant flash of light lit up the forest as his pendant activated and yanked him to safety.

    ¡°You¡¯re so cheesy,¡± Emily murmured, her eyes drifting over to the other two mages.

    Both of the other mages reacted instantly, grabbing for their magic and darting in opposite directions to split Emily¡¯s attention. They slammed down every bit of armor they had and activated their Shields.

    It changed nothing. She didn¡¯t have to see them. She could feel them. Everything within the fog was visible to her. Needles flashed within the rolling fog, scraping against the shields and wearing their power away with every strike.

    Lightning screamed toward her, but another disk of light blocked it. Emily didn¡¯t so much as glance in its direction. Her attention was fully within her pattern. There was no room for any distraction ¡ª and she had no need for it.

    James was protecting her. She didn¡¯t have to think about anything other than her magic as long as he had her back.

    Shields were excellent for blocking attacks, but as it turned out, they had a minimum amount of power they called on every time they activated. Nobody tried tickling a Shield to death, after all. Controlling hundreds of tiny attacks was too difficult for most mages to bother with ¡ª but this wasn¡¯t hundreds of tiny attacks.

    The needles were all one. They were part of the fog. Part of the pattern ¡ª and part of Emily.

    The plant mage¡¯s Shield shattered. He let out a scream as needles found every inch of exposed skin, no matter how small. They flitted through gaps in the armor and flooded into his mouth.

    His pendant flashed.

    ¡°How is this possible? What kind of¡ª¡± The lightning mage¡¯s shield shattered before she could finish her desperate protest.

    ¡°Eat shit,¡± James said.

    Her pendant flashed.

    Emily slowly let her hands lower, her heart pounding in her chest. She¡¯d actually done it. She¡¯d activated her pattern in the middle of a fight.

    Yeah, that¡¯s right. Eat shi¡ª

    Wait.

    ¡°You know what?¡± Emily asked as a small laugh slipped from between her lips. ¡°They were right. You¡¯re ruining my vocabulary.¡±

 Chapter 570: Yulin

    Across the forest, while Isabel and Emily¡¯s groups were fighting against Marley¡¯s group, Alexandra was caught up in a fight of her own.

    The mushrooms in a wide area around her had been carved to ribbons. Splinters of woody fungi littered the scarred earth at her feet; patches of the ground had been blackened and scorched by magic. She stood in the center of it all, a plain sword held before her in both hands.

    There was the faintest scent of what was almost reminiscent of a burnt omelette in the air ¡ª likely due to all the scorched mushrooms around her.

    Four students stood around her in a square formation. Magic burned between their palms, each of them holding a spell at the ready. Not one of them was willing to let their magic slip free before any of the others.

    Alexandra¡¯s lips quirked up in amusement for a split second before her expression flattened once more as concentration returned to reign supreme. ¡°Is something wrong? You were all eager to catch me out. Now you have.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Ollie?¡± one of her pursuers asked. He was a boy from the advanced track, but she¡¯d forgotten both his name and the family that he¡¯d come from. Neither had been important. He¡¯d never been a capable sparring partner.

    ¡°Who?¡± Alexandra tilted her head to the side. ¡°I haven¡¯t kept track of every single person I¡¯ve fought, you know. Especially not the idiots that spend time yelling their names out as if they matter. The only time it¡¯s worth introducing yourself in a fight is when you¡¯re up against someone worthwhile. I haven¡¯t seen anyone worthy of that during this exam.¡±

    Angry mutters rose up from the students. They shifted, posturing for each other, but not a single one of them attacked. A flicker of annoyance built in Alexandra¡¯s chest. This was a waste of time. There were enough opponents to actually pose her a challenge. Every one of the students around her was in the advanced track. They had relatively powerful magic ¡ª enough to give even her resilient body pause if they worked together ¡ª but they were all cowards.

    All of them knew that they weren¡¯t fast enough to take her out with a single round of spells. At least one of them would have to be willing to bear the brunt of her attention if the others wanted to have a chance to land their attacks, but not a single one of them was willing to make that sacrifice.

    ¡°You¡¯re wasting my time,¡± Alexandra said. ¡°Either attack or don¡¯t. I came here looking to train and to find a challenge that could really push me to improve. Something tells me none of you are going to be the person I¡¯m looking for.¡±

    ¡°Ollie¡¯s pendant didn¡¯t go off, but he¡¯s missing,¡± one of the other students snarled. ¡°Tell us where he is, or we¡¯re all going to forget this is an exam and the gloves are coming off.¡±

    Alexandra blew out a small sigh, then nodded up to the mushrooms at the edge of the clearing. ¡°If Ollie is the previous one that came after me, he¡¯ s up there. I threw him.¡±

    One of the students turned to look in the direction Alexandra had indicated. A pair of legs extended from the top of a tall mushroom. The rest of him had been buried solidly within its head. Despite the intensity at which the legs were thrashing, it seemed they were having absolutely no luck in freeing their owner from his fungal prison.

    Incredulity crossed the lead student¡¯s face. He took a disbelieving step back and started to turn back toward Alexandra. ¡°You threw¡ª¡±

    She blurred. Wind whipped past her face as she closed the distance between herself and the boy in less than the time it took to draw a breath of air. He activated his shield, panic flashing across his features as he desperately tried to defend himself.

    A glowing silver dome enveloped him for a split second. Then Alexandra¡¯s fist smashed straight through the shield. The magic wasn¡¯t anywhere near strong enough to withstand a Rank 3 Mage who had put every scrap of their available power into the Body Runes powering her every move.

    Alexandra¡¯s fist continued on to connect with the boy¡¯s nose with a loud crunch. Bone crumpled and his head snapped back, sending blood flying through the air in a spray of droplets.  The magic at his fingertips evaporated with a hiss, and Alexandra brought the hilt of her sword down on the top of his head.

    A flash of light lit the clearing as his pendant activated. A slip of paper fluttered through the air and alighted on the ground, now devoid of an owner.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    All three of the other mages let out panicked curses and released their spells¡ª but it was too late.

    When there had been four of them surrounding her, they might have had a chance to land a good blow on her. But there weren¡¯t four of them anymore.

    Alexandra¡¯s breathing stilled. Her body flowed like a butterfly flitting through a windy day, her features as peaceful as a lake in a still summer day. She stepped to the side as a coil of fire rolled past her face, then passed between blades of silver wind that sliced through the air and ripped through the mushrooms behind her. Shadows rose from the ground and sharpened into blades. They cut at Alexandra, but she slipped past each one of them like there was nothing in her path.

    Her sword flashed. A Shield shattered, and a flash of light filled the air as a pendant activated before the energy from the Shield could even finish crumbling away. Alexandra moved from one student to the next in a single fluid motion. She swung her weapon twice more, and two more students vanished in bright flashes.

    When she came to a stop, the clearing was empty once more. Several more pieces of Catchpaper fluttered to rest on the ground around her feet.

    Alexandra let her sword lower. Her lips thinned and she repressed the urge to shake her head in disappointment. That was just rude. There was no need to be rude ¡ª but she¡¯d been hoping for so much more than this.

    Despite her best efforts, she hadn¡¯t found the real talents from the Advanced track. There were only two groups that she actually wanted to challenge. The first was Fiona ¡ª the agreed upon strongest member of the Advanced Track. She¡¯d never taken part in a sparring match during training, but Alexandra was almost confident the girl was a Rank 3 at the minimum. The rest of her group was likely quite competent as well.

    They would have been a worthy opponent, but Alexandra would have been equally satisfied finding Marley or Yulin, though for entirely different reasons. If Alexandra found Marley ¡ª she had no plans of letting him continue the exam.

    She didn¡¯t have particularly strong opinions of many people in the advanced track, but he was the only one that Alexandra felt absolutely no respect for. At least all the other students had taken steps to hide how scummy they might have been. Marley wore it like a badge of honor on his chest.

    As for Yulin¡­ she and Alexandra had spent quite a few nights practicing swordcraft. Yulin didn¡¯t have much free time to herself. But every second she did have was dedicated to training. She was no match for Alexandra in a real fight, especially if Alexandra utilized her pattern, but in pure swordcraft, Yulin could more than hold her own.

    Fighting her would have been a good use of time. It had been a while since they¡¯d both pushed the limits of what they could do against each other.

    But, for some reason, it almost seemed as if everyone worthwhile was avoiding her. Alexandra¡¯s brow furrowed as she walked around the clearing, gathering the pieces of fallen Catchpaper.

    Several of them already had runes upon their surfaces. That made her ears heat slightly. The point of the exam had been to hunt monsters and capture a Rune from them, but she¡¯d yet to fight a single monster during the exam.

    But, despite that, she had already gathered six Runes from defeating the students she¡¯d come across.

    I suppose they never said where I have to get the runes, just that I have to get them. It¡¯s not my fault people keep donating them to me.

    A dry piece of mushroom crunched and broke through her thoughts. Alexandra turned toward its source, and a flicker of excitement passed through her as she recognized the person approaching her.

    ¡°Alexandra,¡± Yulin exclaimed, sliding to a stop as she skidded into the clearing.

    ¡°Finally,¡± Alexandra said. ¡°I¡¯ve been making so much noise that it¡¯s a miracle you didn¡¯t find me earlier. Why are you coming out without your sword drawn, though? That¡¯s practically asking to lose before the fight starts.¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m not here to fight you,¡± Yulin replied sharply. ¡°You need to come with me. Now.¡±

    Her tone was deadly serious. She wasn¡¯t joking around. Alexandra blinked in surprise. For a moment, she wondered if this was meant to be some sort of trap. It was always possible. She rather liked Yulin, but she hadn¡¯t forgotten whose student the girl was.

    She only hesitated for an instant. Perhaps she was just sentimental, but Alexandra would have liked to say she¡¯d gotten to know the other girl fairly well after the amount of time they¡¯d spent crossing blades. It wasn¡¯t like Yulin to try to lie like this.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Alexandra lowered her sword and strode toward Yulin, who turned and started into the mushroom forest without wasting a moment.

    ¡°Your friends are in danger,¡± Yulin said. ¡°This exam isn¡¯t proctored because the pendants are supposed to ensure people¡¯s safety ¡ª but Isabel¡¯s is sabotaged. Jakob tampered with it before the exam. It¡¯s not going to work.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that all? Isabel will be fine. There isn¡¯t any student that can take out the rest of our group. But I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d be willing to tell Arbitage what you just told me?¡± Alexandra asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not suicidal, Alexandra.¡± Yulin sent a flat glare over her shoulder at Alexandra. ¡°Isabel might be talented, but can she fight a professor?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Alexandra asked. ¡°No, of course not.¡±

    ¡°Then we better move faster.¡± Yulin accelerated, forcing Alexandra into a run to keep up. ¡°Professor Jakob is here ¡ª and he¡¯s going to kill Isabel if you don¡¯t get there in time to stop him.¡±

 Chapter 571: Run

    Noah¡¯s eyes bore into the image rippling in between Sievan¡¯s hands. A forest of mushrooms stretched out around Isabel as she, Todd, Emily, and James fought against Marley¡¯s group.

    Beside them, in a smaller image, Alexandra and Yulin raced in search of the others¡­ but they weren¡¯t there, and Noah didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d make it on time. And even if they did, he didn¡¯t know if it would be enough.

    Isabel and the others had no idea about the conversation that had gone down between the other group. They didn¡¯t know they were being hunted.

    Fear pounded in Noah¡¯s heart. Everything had been working out. He¡¯d stopped Wizen and had a way back to the mortal Plane. Sticky had the key back to the Mortal Plane and a way to use it.

    He couldn¡¯t accept that he¡¯d gotten this far just to watch Jakob cut his students down while he did nothing but helplessly stand and watch.

    ¡°Is there any way you can open the portal faster?¡± Noah asked, his hands flexing at his sides.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± Sticky replied tersely from the platform beside him. Her teeth were gritted in concentration and she clutched the Key with both hands. Red energy twisted around her palms and coursed down the length of the artifact, but it was still dull. ¡°There¡¯s just not much energy left. It¡¯s really hard to establish the connection between the planes. Wizen¡¯s memories are helping¡­ but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll be enough. I¡¯m opening the portal as fast as I can.¡±

    ¡°Her speed may not matter,¡± Sievan said. ¡°Time is compressed when you take a portal between the planes. It is only a matter of hours, but it seems that hours will be too long.¡±

    Noah¡¯s throat clenched. He couldn¡¯t take it out on Sticky. She was doing her best ¡ª but Sievan was right. He couldn¡¯t afford to wait hours.

    ¡°Just keep trying your best,¡± Noah said, his fists clenching at his sides. ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out, or they¡¯ll hold out until we can make it. I know they will.¡±

    Moxie put a hand on his shoulder. Her jaw was clenched tight in stress, but she said nothing. They were thinking the same thing. Getting this far just for their students to die while they could do nothing but stand around¡­

    It couldn¡¯t happen. It would be too cruel.

    ¡°Did you not say your students were Rank 2?¡± Sievan asked. ¡°You believe they will be able to fight back against a Rank 4 mage with reinforcements for hours?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not just any Rank 2s. They¡¯re my students.¡±

    Noah¡¯s reply did nothing to stop the thoughts from spinning in his head. He had faith in everyone, but the odds were immensely stacked against them. If Jakob was making his move, then he refused to believe that Verrud would be somewhere on the sidelines. There was more than just one Rank 4 they had to fight.

    He couldn¡¯t leave the students alone against a threat like that.

    He would not fail them.

    But what can I do when I¡¯m stuck all the way in the Damned Plains waiting for a portal that¡¯s going to get us there just a few mere hours too late?

    ***

    Isabel¡¯s sword slammed down into Marley¡¯s shoulder, ringing off the armor with a resounding clang. The ground around them had been ripped to shreds. Fragments of ripped mushrooms and pieces of torn-up roots covered the earth.

    Marley staggered a step back, crossing his swords before him as Isabel swung her glowing blade down once more. Brilliant blue energy crackled as their weapons collided and coils of energy arced off into the air around them.

    With a roar, Marley shoved Isabel¡¯s sword to the side. His Imbued armor flared with power, sending rivers of light rippling down the lines buried within the metal greaves covering his legs.

    He drove a foot into Isabel¡¯s chest. There was a loud thud. The blow didn¡¯t even make her flinch. Marley was forced to jump back as her sword carved through the air where he¡¯d been standing and she continued her advance.

    Roots shot out for Isabel, rising from behind Marley and burst from beneath the ground to reach for her legs. Concentrated bolts of fire tore through several of them as Todd provided backup from the sideline, but the rest were ripped to shreds as Isabel¡¯s sword continued to accelerate.

    Each attack she made cut through multiple different segments of Marley¡¯s magic at once, sending huge root chunks thudding to the ground all around her as she continued her advance toward Marley.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Marley demanded, slashing his blades at Isabel as he backpedaled. She caught the blow on the upswing of her sword, then drove it down for his shoulder in a blur. Despite her glowing blue weapons¡¯ size, it barely seemed to have any weight to it.

    The magical sword slammed into Marley¡¯s shoulder in the same spot that Isabel had hit it previously. But, while Marley had shrugged the previous attack off, this one sent him staggering. His armor dented under her blow and one of his legs trembled.

    Surprise flashed behind his eyes.

    He dropped both of his swords and clapped his hands together. Roots exploded up from the ground all around Isabel and slammed into her stone armor, wrapping around her in a cocoon in an instant. A smug grin crossed Marley¡¯s lips and he took a step back, trying to conceal how hard he was breathing.

    ¡°Finally,¡± Marley said. He clenched his hands, and the bundle of roots tightened against each other as they started to squeeze shut. His eyes drifted toward Todd, his smile turning into a sneer. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you¡ª¡±

    The tip of a burning blue sword carved out of the knot of roots. It carved down and a stone-covered hand reached out from within the nest of woody growth. There were several scratches along the armor¡¯s surface, but it was functionally undamaged.

    Roots crunched and bulged before ripping at the edges, parting to reveal Isabel as she stepped out of the trap. She strode toward Marley at the same speed that she had been moving at before, barely even bothered by his attack.

    ¡°What in the Damned Plains?¡± Marley took a step back, his smile evaporating. ¡°What kind of magic are you using? You¡¯re a Rank 2! You shouldn¡¯t be able to¡ª¡±

    A bolt of concentrated fire caught in the side of his head. Marley¡¯s green shield flashed to life, protecting him from the bolt, but it still rippled from the force of the magic. His eyes shot to Todd.

    Todd sent him a rude gesture.

    Before Marley could respond, Isabel¡¯s sword was carving toward him once again. Marley cursed and lunged back ¡ª but not nearly fast enough. The tip of her sword screeched across the front of his armor.

    It ripped deep into the metal, sending coils of magic crackling into the air as it damaged imbuements. Marley stumbled in surprise and tripped over his own feet. He hit the ground with a grunt and a slew of even more curses.

    He scrambled back to his feet, grabbing his swords from where he¡¯d dropped them on the way up. They lit with blue energy and he crossed them before himself an instant before Isabel¡¯s glowing blade hurtled toward him again.Stolen story; please report.

    A loud clang rang out. The swords were ripped from Marley¡¯s hands and her sword continued down, driving into the damaged armor on his shoulder. It bit deep into the metal and drove Marley down onto one knee.

    ¡°How?¡± Marley demanded through gritted teeth. Magic sputtered from his armor as the Imbuements tried and failed to activate.

    Isabel dismissed the sword as she lifted her hands. She didn¡¯t even bother to answer his question. It barely even looked like she¡¯d heard his words. Her sword reformed in her hands and she brought it back down. Like every blow before it, this one was stronger than the last.

    Marley¡¯s eyes went wide and he hurled himself out of the way ¡ª but he wasn¡¯t nearly fast enough to avoid the attack. The glowing blue sword plummeted straight for his exposed back with enough power to cut through his armor and him alike.

    A clang echoed through the clearing.

    Isabel¡¯s sword had stopped just above her target, caught by a thin grey blade.

    A man with a well-kept goatee and sleek, combed black hair with a faint glossy sheen stood above Marley. His features were sharp and thinned with displeasure.

    Isabel¡¯s pattern broke, her advance halted. She took a step back in surprise. The hair on her neck stood on end.

    What in the Damned Plains? Why is Jakob here? This is a survival exam. There aren¡¯t supposed to be professors present.

    ¡°Why is a professor interfering in the middle of an exam?¡± Todd demanded, walking up to join Isabel as she took several steps back to meet him.

    ¡°Get up, Marley,¡± Jakob¡¯s voice ground out. There was a cold, deadly edge to his tone.

    Marley, who had curled himself into a ball to protect his head, lowered his hands and glanced up. He spotted Jakob and scrambled to his feet. Dirt clung to his armor and magic still sputtered along the huge gouges that Isabel had left in it. A small river of blood ran down from the wound on his shoulder.

    ¡°Professor,¡± Marley stammered. ¡°I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough,¡± Jakob said. ¡°You¡¯ve done your part. I do not know how you¡¯ve managed to fail so badly, but it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. I will deal with this myself.¡±

    Marley¡¯s mouth snapped shut.

    ¡°You realize he could have just broken the pendant, right?¡± Emily¡¯s voice rang out as she approached them, her ice bow still in hand. She stopped a fair distance away from them and made no moves to dismiss her weapon.

    Isabel was pretty certain this had absolutely nothing to do with the exam anymore. Jakob¡¯s gaze hadn¡¯t left her once.

    Shit. He¡¯s here for my Master Rune. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s so shameless that he¡¯d just attack midway through the exam. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m giving it to him. I¡¯ll break my pendant on purpose before I hand it over. Why would he choose now? It doesn¡¯t make sense.

    Jakob¡¯s sword flicked. A root exploded up from the ground before Isabel, moving at a dozen times the speed of Marley¡¯s magic. She twisted out of the way, but she wasn¡¯t fast enough to stop it from slamming into her shoulder. It pierced clean through her stone armor and drove through her shoulder. Pain ripped into Isabel and she cried out.

    An explosion ripped through the clearing. Todd blurred through the air, flame curling up from his feet as his fist slammed into Jakob¡¯s face, but a glistening shield burst into being and absorbed the blow.

    A second root shot up from behind Jakob and slammed into Todd¡¯s chest, shattering his armor and pelting him into the ground like a ball.

    Emily¡¯s hands shot up and she fired an ice arrow. It shattered against Jakob¡¯s shield harmlessly.

    ¡°Help!¡± Emily yelled, drawing another arrow. ¡°A professor went rogue! He¡¯s trying to kill us!¡±

    ¡°Oh, be silent. A former Torrin heir should have more respect for themselves,¡± Jakob spat. ¡°Nobody is coming. Do you really think I would be stupid enough to make a move when there were others present?¡±

    Todd fired a blast of fire at Jakob, then drove his fist into the vine pinning Isabel. An explosion ripped the growth to shreds and he pushed Isabel behind himself, his armor reforming around his legs.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Isabel said, gritting her teeth. The wound in her shoulder was bad. She couldn¡¯t risk ripping the vine out and causing herself to bleed out. ¡°We need to get out of here. We can¡¯t fight a professor.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jakob agreed. ¡°You can¡¯t. This farce is over. The other families were so convinced that you were incompetent that you managed to hide the Soul Master Rune for years, but that ends now. I¡¯ll be taking it back.¡±

    Ice gripped Isabel¡¯s heart, but it was fought back by a burning fury that built in her chest. Anger that had been suppressed for years because of her own weakness, ripped to the surface by the sneering professor before her. ¡°Take it back? You tried to steal it in the first place!¡±

    ¡°It belongs in the hands of someone that can use it,¡± Jakob said. ¡°You and your worthless family have no claim to such a powerful weapon. Far too many problems were created by the foolish mercy of leaving you alive. That will not happen again.¡±

    He flicked his hand.

    The ground behind him exploded. A thigh-sized root covered with jagged thorn growths burst free from the ground and blurred into motion as it headed straight for Isabel.

    Her heartbeat thumped in her ears.

    Emily released her ice arrow. Todd leapt forward to knock the Vine off its path, the ends of his gauntlets starting to shatter as an explosion built within them. Neither of them would be enough.

    The world slowed. Her Master Rune hummed in her ears as its power activated and accelerated her mind. She¡¯d refrained from using any more than a trickle of its power for years, but it didn¡¯t matter anymore.

    Isabel had absolutely no idea what Soul was truly capable of. It could manifest her soul as a weapon and let her imbue her will into her armor ¡ª and herself. It had given her a few extra moments to think mid-fight as it infused her mind, accelerating her thoughts, but that wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop Jakob.

    What do I do?

    Panic built in Isabel like a rising tide. They¡¯d made it too far to fail like this. They¡¯d finally started to get strong enough to get a chance to fight back. She couldn¡¯t die here. Todd couldn¡¯t die here.

    Isabel drank from the Master Rune, desperately pulling on its strength as she activated her final trump card.

    Her only normal rune shuddered as it resisted Soul¡¯s mounting pressure. The world slowed even further.

    Even 7 Flawless Rank 2s would have been unable to pull this off ¡ª but a single Rank 3 could.

    The Flawless Rank 3 that she¡¯d formed just before the Exam had started, Flowing Stone.

    It would have been enough to crush any of the other students. But against Jakob¡­ there was only one way to find out.

    Isabel exploded into motion. Streaks of blue light curled off her skin as she drove a hand into Todd¡¯s side, shoving him out of the way and twisting in the same motion.

    Jakob¡¯s vine ripped through the air, the thorns covering it slicing along her skin as it passed her by. Isabel didn¡¯t relent. She blurred forward, a spear forming in her hand as she drove it directly for the Professor¡¯s chest.

    His shield shimmered to life.

    Isabel¡¯s spear passed straight through it, passing through his magic as if nothing was there. The shield didn¡¯t even ripple in the weapons¡¯ passing as it drove forward and slammed into Jakob¡¯s chest.

    The world snapped back into motion.

    Jakob¡¯s foot blurred out and slammed into Isabel¡¯s chest. The air exploded from her lungs and she tumbled back, sliding across the ground as pain burned in the wound in her shoulder and a furious headache pounded in her skull, gripping it like the claws of a demon.

    Isabel¡¯s attack shattered against Jakob¡¯s shield. The green energy rippled, but it didn¡¯t break. He reached up to the wound on his chest, blinking in surprise. Hunger burned in his eyes as he looked to her.

    Shit. It wasn¡¯t enough. He must have body imbuements reinforcing himself.

    ¡°Gah! You little shit. The Soul Master Rune is this powerful, even in your hands?¡± Jakob asked, his voice warped with pain. Isabel¡¯s attack had done a lot of damage, but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop him. ¡°Incredible. Imagine what it will do in the hands of a true mage.¡±

    He lifted his hands into the air, his jaw tight. The ground around him shuddered. Isabel tried to call on Soul again, but her power was spent. It had taken every scrap of energy in Flowing Stone to let her access the immense strength of Soul, and now she was drained dry.

    ¡°Run!¡± Isabel yelled. She grabbed her pendant and snapped it.

    Nothing happened.

    What?

    Jakob chuckled, anger and pain twisting his features. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    Three roots exploded from the ground. The air beside Isabel shimmered, and an invisible hand fell on her shoulder.

    James was beside her ¡ª but it wasn¡¯t going to be enough. He couldn¡¯t stop Jakob¡¯s magic.

    The roots flashed for Isabel, splitting the air at an incredible speed.

    ¡°Isabel!¡± Todd threw himself forward, but he wasn¡¯t fast enough to block the attack.

    Shimmering disks of light appeared before Isabel as the roots advanced. They shattered like glass, falling apart beneath the power of Jakob¡¯s spell. Then the roots were upon her. She crossed her arms before herself in an attempt to protect her vitals.

    Something blurred past Isabel. The loud snick of severing plant matter filled the air and chunks of root pelted the ground around her. Isabel¡¯s eyes widened.

    Alexandra had arrived before Isabel ¡ª but she wasn¡¯t alone.

    Yulin stood beside her.

 Chapter 572: Fill in

    Isabel was baffled, but she didn¡¯t have time to wonder why Yulin, one of Jakob¡¯s own students, had shown up to stop his attack together with Alexandra. She gritted her teeth as she tried to draw more power from her drained Rune. There was practically nothing left to take after her Master Rune had ground her energy down, but she managed a flicker of power.

    Fortunately for her, Jakob seemed to be just as confused as she was. The roots rising up from the ground around him twitched as he stared at the newcomers. Anger creased his features and his jaw clenched.

    ¡°Yulin. What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Jakob ground out. More roots pushed free of the ground and rose around him like a swaying sea of grass in the wind.

    ¡°You¡¯re on the wrong side, idiot,¡± Marley said. ¡°Did you forget that you were supposed to deal with Alexandra, not bring her here?¡±

    ¡°Have I ever forgotten anything?¡± Yulin asked quietly, raising her sword before her and shifting her stance.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been a decent aid, Yulin,¡± Jakob said, his tone dripping with anger. ¡°But I believe you may have gotten misguided. Perhaps I wasn¡¯t clear enough with my instructions. Deal with the students behind you.¡±

    Yulin¡¯s hands clenched. She didn¡¯t move.

    Isabel would have burst into laughter if she wasn¡¯t so stressed. It looked like Alexandra had somehow gotten Yulin to swap teams. She didn¡¯ t know how, but she wasn¡¯t about to complain. They needed all the help they could get, and Marley was such a raging asshole that it really wasn¡¯t all that big of a surprise that someone that had to deal with him on a daily basis would turn against him. Her only regret was that Yulin didn¡¯t have the same armor that Marley did.

    ¡°Stupid woman,¡± Jakob growled, shaking his head. ¡°What a waste of Torrin resources. You serve us. That is your duty. That is your purpose. You are dead, Yulin. You realize this, yes? You are choosing to betray the Torrin family. There are no more warnings after this. I will kill you along with the thief. We do not harbor traitors.¡±

    Anger pulsed in Isabel¡¯s heart and pushed back the numbing pain in her arm. The absolute gall of Jakob to call her a thief when he was trying to steal her rune. When the noble families had conspired to kill her father and had taken everything from her and Todd. Her stomach twisted in fury and her hands clenched at her sides.

    Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Todd¡¯s face creased with concentration. He was trying to do something during the momentary distraction that Alexandra and Yulin had bought them, but she couldn¡¯t tell what.

    ¡°I am not a traitor,¡± Yulin said.

    ¡°Get over here,¡± Marley growled. ¡°Now, Yulin. This is an order. Professor Jakob isn¡¯t playing around. This isn¡¯t the time to decide to be annoying.¡±

    Yulin¡¯s expression didn¡¯t so much as twitch. ¡°Your order is invalid. I obey the Torrin family ¡ª but you and Jakob are unworthy of our name. I have chosen to support a different branch of the family.¡±

    ¡°Oh, ouch,¡± Emily said, drawing an ice arrow back and taking aim at him. ¡°I¡¯m practically homeless, and I¡¯m still a preferrable choice to you, Marley. I think I¡¯d be finding something pretty strong to drink after this. Maybe you can ask Jakob to drink with you, since I doubt anybody else can stomach your presence.¡±

    Marley¡¯s mouth dropped open as his eyes shot to Emily. ¡°Are you kidding me? Her? What claim does she have to the throne? Evergreen is dead! Exal commands the Torrins now. Turning against him is like signing your own death warrant. Even if we don¡¯t kill you here, there won¡¯t be any future left for you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking very bold for someone who hasn¡¯t managed to win a single match against me,¡± Alexandra said. ¡°And we outnumber you.¡±

    ¡°Numbers mean nothing in the face of strength,¡± Jakob replied. ¡°I am at the peak of Rank 4. What do you think a few middling children are capable of against me? I have wasted enough time here. Marley, enough playing around. Deal with the worthless ones while I get the Master Rune.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Marley brought his palms together. Power flared up from his damaged armor as Imbuements hummed to life along it. Magic leaked off the metal and rose into the air in a thick gray haze.

    He lifted his swords and they both ignited with a loud hum, burning with even more energy than they had before. Whoever was supporting Jakob was pumping magic into Marley¡¯s armor and practically throwing huge swathes of it away.

    The amount of power Marley was leaking was painful. He was basically burning magic just to keep his equipment active ¡ª but it didn¡¯t seem like either he or Jakob were particularly concerned with that.

    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with Yulin, Professor,¡± Marley said with a sneer, stepping forward. ¡°I beat her in matches all the time. You can get the others.¡±

    ¡°I find your presence distasteful, but I do not want to kill you,¡± Yulin said. ¡°Stand down. I have never lost to you when I did not allow myself to.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Marley¡¯s expression darkened in fury. ¡°Then let¡¯s find out which of us is actually stronger.¡±

    That¡¯s hardly a fair challenge. Marley is completely kitted out in fully imbued armor, and Yulin has absolutely nothing but her sword.

    Isabel¡¯s muscles tensed as the roots around Jakob rose up to tower over him, casting a shadow over the entire clearing. The taste of blood stung against Isabel¡¯s tongue and her arm throbbed in pain. She barely had anything to work with, but she clung to the one scrap of magic that she¡¯d gathered in wait for an opportunity. Isabel refused to go down without a fight.

    ¡°You know what?¡± Todd asked, his voice cutting through the clearing. ¡°I¡¯m so fucking fed up with this. You all piss me off.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Jakob asked, tilting his head to the side. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t have to complain much longer. You¡¯re just one more loose end that should have been tied off.¡±

    ¡°And there you go again, spouting off bullshit,¡± Todd said. He cracked his neck, then rubbed at it with one hand, but his eyes never left Jakob. ¡°I used to think every noble was like you and Marley, you know. A bunch of arrogant, self-entitled pricks with massive egos that think the world belongs to them.¡±

    ¡°You are scum,¡± Jakob ground out. ¡°Every single one of you are scum, and you will die like scum. I can¡¯t be bothered to deal with this one. Marley, handle him first. I will discipline Yulin myself.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing, Professor,¡± Marley said with a grin. He strode toward Todd, smokey magic curling off his body and into the air like a pyre. ¡°I¡¯ll dig his grave for you.¡±

    ¡°Dig an extra one,¡± Todd said, lifting his hand toward Marley. Stone raced up his body and encased his arm in an extra layer of protection. It jutted out of the back of his shoulder and dull lines of orange energy lit it from within. ¡°Because I¡¯m done fucking around.¡±

    Several loud explosions went off in rapid succession within Todd¡¯s arm. A deafening crack split the air. Steam exploded out the back of his arm and fire rolled out around his fingers in a roar.

    Spurts of fire pushed through cracks in his arm, ripping it apart. He staggered to the side, nearly tripping over his own feet as he fought to keep his balance. The fire only made it about a foot away from him before dissipating into the air.

    Jakob let out a snort of amusement. ¡°You are pathetic. Put the yammering fool down already, Marley. What are you waiting on?¡±

    Marley stood stock still, a sneer frozen on his face as if cast in ice. A trickle of blood rolled down his face and dripped from his nose.

    At the very center of his forehead was a small hole. A stone was lodged deep within his brain, still smoking from the explosion that had launched it free from Todd¡¯s palm.

    The magic pouring from Marley¡¯s armor sputtered and went out. The metal turned dull. Marley pitched back and crashed to the ground like a limp doll with a heavy thud. And there he remained, unmoving.

    ¡°You vile scum!¡± Jakob screamed, thrusting his hands forward. ¡°What have you done?¡±

    Vines exploded forward toward Todd. Alexandra blurred, her figure dancing through the air like the wind itself. She ripped through nearly every vine before it could find its mark, but one slipped past her.

    Yulin dove forward. She grabbed Todd and tackled him to the side, bringing him out of the path of the deadly magic. The Torrin girl rolled to the side and back to her feet. For a moment, she stared at the spot where Marley had fallen. Then she lifted her sword again and returned her attention to Jakob.

    Todd staggered up beside her, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

    ¡°On second thought, you might need to dig the extra grave yourself. I don¡¯t think Marley¡¯s going to be doing much of anything,¡± Todd said. ¡°This one¡¯s on you, dumbass. You turned his pendant off too so he wouldn¡¯t get pulled out of a fight by a small injury since he¡¯s got that bullshit armor to keep him alive. Why should I fight fair when all you ever do is cheat?¡±

    ¡°I am going to kill you. All of you,¡± Jakob said, flexing his fingers like claws as veins bulged in his neck. Roots burst up from the ground around him to replace the ones that Alexandra had destroyed. ¡°Painfully.¡±

    ¡°That hasn¡¯t been the first time someone¡¯s said that to me,¡± Alexandra said, pointing her blade at Jakob. ¡°And it isn¡¯t going to be the last. Professor Vermil isn¡¯t here right now, so I¡¯ll have to fill in for him and remove your head.¡±

 Chapter 573: Help

    The Mushroom Forest rumbled as Jakob ripped roots up from the ground in swathes. Fury burned in his eyes as the worked ground bubbled and churned beneath his feet. Then he thrust his hands forward with a wordless cry of fury and anger.

    Roots exploded forward in a wave.

    ¡°Run!¡± Alexandra yelled, launching herself toward the roiling roots hurtling toward them. Her motions were fluid as her sword danced through the air, slicing through everything in its path.

    Yulin fought at her side. The Torrin¡¯s blade was more akin to a whip of metal than a solid weapon. It seemed to flow and ripple like liquid, growing and shrinking in length as she spun it around her.

    There was no time to appreciate either of their fighting styles. Despite their best efforts, Jakob was pushing them back. For every root they cut down, two more took its place. Thorns burst free from the white foliage, as long and sharp as swords.

    They lost ground with every passing second. Alexandra and Yulin couldn¡¯t hold Jakob off on their own. Despite their skill, Yulin was still a Rank 2 and Alexandra was only Rank 3. The fact that they were holding off Jakob for this long was already impressive ¡ª but they couldn¡¯t just hold him off.

    Isabel grit her teeth as she dug through her mind in search of a solution. They needed backup, but backup wasn¡¯t coming. And despite Alexandra¡¯s order to run, that wasn¡¯t going to do anything either.

    Jakob had control of plants. Right now, they were in a clearing. Running into a forest would just make it even easier for him to attack them. The only advantage they had was numbers, but that wasn¡¯t going to last for long when Jakob started to pick them off.

    How can we beat him? There has to be a way we can pull this off. What would Professor Vermil do if he were here right now?

    ¡°Todd, can you do that thing you just did again?¡± Isabel asked as she fought to catch her breath. Muscles in her neck throbbed in tension as a wave of pain and weakness rolled through her from the wound in her shoulder, but she pushed it down.

    ¡°No,¡± Todd replied grimly. ¡°I drained every scrap of energy I had to use that attack, and that includes the power I recycled to get the explosion that concentrated. There are too many flaws in it still.¡±

    Great. So both of us are functionally out of energy. That only leaves Emily and James.

    The ground before Isabel twisted. Her eyes widened and she leaned back. The reaction wasn¡¯t nearly fast enough. A thin root burst up from the dirt, its tip sharpened to a point, and drove straight for her throat.

    A glimmer of light swirled in the air and a shield formed before Isabel. The vine struck it and the magic shattered, but it bought her the extra half-second she needed to throw herself out of the way.

    ¡°You are wasting all of our time,¡± Jakob snarled, taking a step forward. The intensity of the roots bearing down on Alexandra and Yulin intensified, forcing both of them back.

    One of them scraped along Alexandra¡¯s arm, ripping her shirt but failing to penetrate her skin. Another one shot for Yulin ¡ª but James intervened with a disk of light, blocking the attack and giving the girl a moment to reposition.

    An arrow of ice streaked through the air in a blur. It shot past the roots and slammed into Jakob, only to be blocked by his shield flickering to life. He barely even reacted. The professor just took another step toward Alexandra and Yulin, intensifying the strength of his assault further.

    ¡°You¡¯re trying really hard just to kill a few students. That¡¯s not a good look, man,¡± Todd taunted, stepping away from Isabel and raising his voice loud enough to make sure that Jakob could hear him.

    ¡°Wait your turn,¡± Jakob growled. He swept a hand through the air and a root blurred up from the ground behind Alexandra, striking her square in the back.

    The force of the attack launched her into the air, and another vine whipped out and batted her out of the sky like an insect. She slammed into the ground with a loud crunch.

    Isabel¡¯s heart flew up into her throat, but Alexandra rolled to the side as another root crashed down on the spot where she¡¯d landed. She shot back to her feet, clothing damaged but only bleeding from a few small cuts rather than a severe laceration. Her Body Runes were protecting her against the brunt of Jakob¡¯s magic.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°We need something more,¡± Emily hissed as she sprinted over to stand by Isabel. ¡°I can¡¯t break his shield, and I can¡¯t get close enough to use my pattern without him attacking me. Alexandra and Yulin have his attention, but that won¡¯t last forever. James is trying to back them up, but he¡¯s also low on magic.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Isabel said, her fists clenching at her sides. Frustration crashed against her insides like a raging ocean. All the years of having to hide from the noble families. All the years of knowing what had been done to her and Todd, the years of waiting for revenge ¡ª and all she¡¯d managed to do was stab one of the bastards that had destroyed their families.

    Things can¡¯t end like this, but right now, the only thing we can do is lighten the load on Alexandra and Yulin while we look for an opening.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± Todd asked.

    ¡°Take attention away from the others,¡± Isabel said, flexing her fingers and setting her jaw. ¡°Jakob might be able to control a lot of roots, but there¡¯s no way he can split his attention in every single direction. We need to get Emily close enough to use her Formation. She¡¯s the one that has the best chance of breaking Jakob¡¯s shield.¡±

    Todd gave her a sharp nod, and the three of them burst into motion.

    ***

    Noah stared at the fight unfolding before him, invisible hands clenched around his throat. His students were fighting for their lives, and they were putting up a damn good showing ¡ª but it was apparent that they were not going to win.

    Sticky crouched nearby, the portal still gathering before her. Her body trembled with exertion and her face was creased in concentration. She was throwing every single scrap of power and ability she had into controlling the artifact, but it wasn¡¯t going to be enough.

    They didn¡¯t have time.

    Jakob had far more magical energy than the students. Even though his runes weren¡¯t perfect, they were far from trash. He could keep fighting for a lot longer than Isabel and the others could. Time was running thin. It would only be minutes before the students just didn¡¯t have any magic left to work with.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way you can help?¡± Noah asked Sievan, pacing back and forth as desperation and fury swirled within him. All the power he¡¯d gathered meant nothing if he couldn¡¯t be there when it mattered.

    ¡°I cannot,¡± Sievan said. ¡°Even the greatest of demons cannot form a connection between the mortal realm and the Damned Plains on their own. We must be summoned or go through an existing pathway. The Key in Sticky¡¯s hands is one of the only ways to do that, and no others are near us.¡±

    This can¡¯t be happening.

    ¡°Can we help Sticky?¡± Lee asked. Her eyes were locked on the vision of the students and her skin was pallid and sickly. The small demon¡¯s hands clenched at her sides, her claws digging into her palms and drawing blood. ¡°There has to be something we can do!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m almost there,¡± Sticky said through clenched teeth. The Key trembled in her hands. ¡°I¡¯m going to make the portal. I¡¯m going to be helpful. I promise.¡±

    ¡°Do what you can, Sticky,¡± Moxie said through clenched teeth. ¡°Just get that portal opened. You aren¡¯t at fault for this, but we¡¯re going to fucking kill the people that are.¡±

    Only if we can actually get there. I can¡¯t wait for this portal. I need another way onto the mortal plane. One that doesn¡¯t take me a bunch of time when I cross between the planes. There has to be a way. There¡¯s always ¡ª

    Noah froze.

    That¡¯s it.

    ¡°Mascot,¡± Noah said, his voice as sharp as a blade. ¡°I need you.¡±

    And then Mascot was there, crouched upon his shoulder. For once in the cat¡¯s life, there was no smug amusement or playfulness in the cat¡¯s eyes. The little monster was dead serious.

    ¡°What in the planes is that?¡± Sievan asked, his eyes going as wide as saucers.

    Noah ignored him. Sievan couldn¡¯t help, but Mascot could. A flicker of hope built in his chest.

    ¡°Can you get me there?¡± Noah asked, pointing to the scene playing out before them.

    The cat stared at Noah. For a moment, he couldn¡¯t tell if his request had been misunderstood. He¡¯d always been fairly confident that Mascot could understand what he was saying, but the cat had never actually directly acknowledged any of his requests.

    Mascot shook his head.

    Noah¡¯s stomach fell. The cat had been his only idea, but Mascot couldn¡¯t bring people along with him when he teleported. There wasn¡¯t even time to write a letter to send to Jalen. By the time Mascot found him and Jalen read the letter, he¡¯d still have to find where the students were in the exam. It wasn¡¯t proctored. Nobody was watching. Even if it only took him a minute, it would be too late.

    Mascot was the only one that could slip through planes like it was nothing. If he couldn¡¯t get Noah there, then it was over. There was absolutely nothing he could ¡ª

    No. Fuck that. I¡¯m not accepting this. There has to be another way.

    He was dimly aware of his students surrounding Jakob in the vision. They had split apart to stretch his attention, but the professor had clearly seen combat before. He¡¯d built a ring of spiked vines around himself to keep them from getting close while he bore down on Alexandra and Yulin.

    James was doing what he could to protect the girls, but they were all running out of magic. Blows were connecting more often, and Yulin was already limping badly. There were only minutes left in the fight at best.

    There¡¯s a way to make it out of this. I refuse to accept any alternative.

    The grimoire on Noah¡¯s back shuddered. It somehow slipped itself off his arm and fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

    There was a jerk on Noah¡¯s back. It ripped itself open to a blank page, and worlds scrawled across its surface in black ink.

    I can help.

 Chapter 574: Promise

    Noah stared at the grimoire, trying to make sense of the words upon its page. The book had never spoken to him before. He¡¯d known it was sentient, but this was a step beyond showing Bird inappropriate drawings purely to get him in trouble.

    There was something going on that he didn¡¯t understand. The grimoire was more than he had thought it was. But, no matter how badly he wanted to figure out what the hell was up with it and why Sievan¡¯s men had been so unsettled by the book, there was no time right now.

    The only thing that mattered was his students. He couldn¡¯t waste precious seconds trying to determine what the book was or what it wanted. Noah didn¡¯t care. If it could help him, then everything else could wait.

    More ink bloomed within the grimoire¡¯s page, but this time, it didn¡¯t take the form of words. It made a pattern from runes ¡ª but they weren¡¯t just any runes. Noah recognized these runes.

    They were his own.

    Noah¡¯s eyes went wide. It wasn¡¯t just the runes he recognized. It was the pattern as well. A circle. A circle he¡¯d seen many months before, though it now seemed like it had been years ago.

    The runes within the circle were different than the last time he¡¯d seen it. That did absolutely nothing to change its purpose. Noah knew exactly what the purpose of this pattern was, and he realized what the book was suggesting.

    It was an idea so ridiculous that it would have been laughable in any other situation.

    But this wasn¡¯t any other situation. His students were putting up an incredible fight, but their time was running out, slipping like grains of sand past Noah¡¯s fingertips as he did nothing but watch.

    This situation called for something ridiculous.

    Ink twisted beneath the rune circle to form into more words upon the grimoire¡¯s pages.

    I will require payment.

    ¡°Done,¡± Noah barked. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you need. All I care about is saving my students. If you can let me do that, then anything you want is yours. You¡¯ve seen how I work. You know I hold true to my promises as long as you aren¡¯t asking for something that I¡¯m not willing to offer.¡±

    Accepted.

    Noah slammed the grimoire closed. There was nothing more to be said. He and the book were on the exact same page ¡ª figuratively and literally.

    Mascot hopped down from his shoulder and landed on top of the book. For a moment, he met the cat¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°The book,¡± Noah said, his voice as taut as a tightrope. ¡°Take it to Isabel.¡±

    There was a flicker of acknowledgement in Mascot¡¯s eyes. A ripple of reddish-purple energy washed over the cat and the grimoire beneath it.

    Then they were gone.

    ***

    Isabel dove to the ground. Pain flared through her shoulder as she hit it in a roll, and a loud crash behind her marked a root demolishing the dirt where she¡¯d been moment before. Her breath came out in ragged gasps as she scrambled back to her feet, exhaustion gripping her heart and piercing into her side like a blade.

    She had no time to give in to it. Isabel dove out of the way once more as another root whipped through the air with a whistling howl.

    Dust and wispy white mist swirled through the air around her. It stung her wounds and coated her tongue with the cold flavor of iron and earth.

    Another root was already moving for her face by the time she started to rise. Her muscles screamed in protest as she prepared to dodge, but before she could, Alexandra slipped past her in a blur of motion, her blade carving Jakob¡¯s magic to shreds as she tried to find an opening in his defenses.

    Isabel spat gritty blood onto the ground as she fought to catch her breath with the brief moment that the other girl had bought her.

    Their fight wasn¡¯t going well. Jakob was wearing them down. It was pathetic that the professor hadn¡¯t actually managed to defeat them yet, and it was pretty clear he knew that. The scumbag traitor¡¯s features were twisted in fury and embarrassment as he simply used his superior magical reserves to grind away at what power they had left.

    He knew that there should have been no contest in the fight. Numbers meant nothing in the face of overwhelming strength. He¡¯d said that himself, and yet he hadn¡¯t managed to beat them.

    That would be little solace when they all ran out of magic and died.

    Isabel¡¯s jaw clenched. They only had one chance. Emily¡¯s pattern was practically optimized for destroying shields. She¡¯d been steadily making her way closer to Jakob over the fight, but it was hard to tell if she¡¯d make it in time. Emily was almost certainly close enough to attempt her attack now ¡ª Jakob didn¡¯t know the full range of the mist she could summon ¡ª but the moment she started doing anything, the professor would turn his full strength against her.

    And if she does break Jakob¡¯s shield¡­ I don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll be able to do after that. Can we really kill him, even without a shield?

    Damn it. One step at a time. Emily needs an opportunity.

    I can give that to her.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Isabel screamed over the rushing crash of the vines all around her. She drew on a tiny amount of the magic she still had remaining to summon a flicker of blue energy to her palm. ¡°Torrin scum! Did you get so caught up trying to beat children that you forgot about why you threw your honor away?¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    Jakob¡¯s eyes snapped over to her. The vines surrounding him writhed like a dying snake.

    ¡°You have a good point,¡± Jakob hissed. ¡°Perhaps I should just deal with you first.¡±

    Oops. More effective than I was hoping for.

    Todd tackled Isabel out of the way as a dozen massive vines exploded into motion and reached for her as one. They hit the ground in a tumble and he was back to his feet in an instant, yanking Isabel up along with him.

    Isabel¡¯s heart slammed in her chest as she put every scrap of energy she had left into running. She couldn¡¯t risk throwing a glance back at Emily to see how things were going. She heard Alexandra and Yulin fighting behind her, trying to keep the vines from growing close, but they were losing the fight.

    Todd slammed his shoulder into Isabel¡¯s side out of the blue. She lost her footing and hit the ground in a tumble. There was a loud crunch from above her. Todd snarled in pain, and panic ripped through Isabel¡¯s chest like a blade.

    A root had wrapped around Todd¡¯s arm. His bones cracked as it clenched down like a snake and he let out a cry of pain.

    ¡°Todd!¡± Isabel yelled.

    Another root rose up above Isabel as she tried to rise to her feet.

    Then it crashed down.

    Alexandra blurred. She slammed her shoulder into the root, knocking it out of the way. The thorns covering it scraped along her arms and sides as it smashed into the ground directly beside Isabel with enough force to shake the dirt.

    The swordswoman fought to catch her breath. Her clothes were ripped apart and her magic was clearly nearing its limits. There was only so long she could keep her pattern active.

    A root snapped up from the ground and snapped around Isabel¡¯s legs, binding them together and yanking her into the air so fast that a flash of pain shot through her neck.

    ¡°No more running,¡± Jakob snarled. ¡°I¡¯ve had it to my neck with you slippery little rats. I don¡¯t understand how a group of Rank 2 and 3s could be so blasted infuriating.¡±

    He was so focused on her that he didn¡¯t seem to notice the white mist that coiled across the ground at his feet.

    ¡°Go back to licking the Torrin¡¯s feet, you worthless shitstain,¡± Isabel rasped. ¡°My father accomplished more when he took a shit in the morning than you will throughout your entire life.¡±

    The root binding Isabel¡¯s legs tightened. She cried out in pain as the bladed growths covering it dug into her flesh and ground against her bones.

    ¡°I don¡¯t typically enjoy killing, but I¡¯ll make an exception for you,¡± Jakob growled. He extended his hand toward her ¡ª

    A hundred shrill shrieks, overlaid over each other and in rapid succession, carved through the air. Minuscule needles flashed within the mist and Jakob¡¯s shield flashed to life. Ripples exploded across its surface at the violent assault.

    His eyes went wide.

    His shield shattered in an instant, and razor thin cuts bloomed across the professor¡¯s body. Jakob spun, bringing his hand down with a roar. A root exploded from the ground beneath Emily, heading straight for her heart.

    The air before her shimmered as James appeared directly before her, crossing his arms before himself. Several disks of yellow light took form between himself and the white growth. Jakob¡¯s attack smashed through every one of them.

    It continued on into James, slamming his hands into his stomach and driving him into Emily. Both of them were launched off their feet and slammed into the ground with a resounding crash. When it rose, neither of them moved.

    Agony tore through Isabel¡¯s body as she twisted in a desperate atttempt to free herself.

    No!

    A tiny flicker of reddish-purple caught Isabel¡¯s eye as she swayed from the root suspending her in the air.

    Her eyes went wide. Mascot sat before her, perched upon a massive grimoire. The cat pawed at its closed cover.

    It couldn¡¯t be, but there it was.

    Noah¡¯s grimoire.

    Did he send this to me?

    The mist around Jakob evaporated. He turned back toward Isabel.

    ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn,¡± Jakob growled.

    Isabel ripped from her minuscule reserves, spurred by the flicker of hope blooming in her chest. A tiny blue blade formed in her hands and she heaved herself up, driving it into the root and giving it a sharp jerk.

    The plant split apart and she dropped unceremoniously to the ground with a pained thud. Isabel dragged herself toward the grimoire with her hands, her legs worthless.

    The shadow of a root rose up over Isabel.

    She grabbed onto the sides of the grimoire.

    ¡°I could use a little help, professor,¡± Isabel whispered through ragged gasps. ¡°We need you.¡±

    ¡°What would your father say if he saw you crawling away from a battle?¡± Jakob asked, his cold laughter ringing through the clearing. ¡°Pathetic until the end.¡±

    The root crashed down.

    The grimoire in Isabel¡¯s hands ripped itself open, and inky shadow arose from within it with a howl like a soul escaping the depths of the afterlife.

    A clawed hand made of darkest night formed from the books pages and moved in a split instant, grabbing the root an inch before it could come into contact with Isabel¡¯s back.

    There was a loud crunch.

    Plant matter splattered across Isabel¡¯s back as the hand closed down, crushing the root into pulp.

    The dark arm rippled, and a second one emerged from the book. It crashed into the dirt with enough force to send tremors ripping through the earth beneath Isabel, and an abomination rose free from within its pages.

    Twisting strands of sinewy flesh as black as night had been crudely sewn together to make up its figure. It undulated and pulsated like a warped parody of a beating organ. The monstrosity had a slender, sickly form that bent like it had been broken over and over, and it would have been easily twenty feet tall if it hadn¡¯t been so hunched over.

    Long arms as thin as bones jutted at its sides and dug into the ground, slender fingers digging through the dirt like there was nothing there. Its eye sockets were empty and sunken, a crooked mouth of all-too-wide teeth twisted into a horrifying smile as the creature drew in a deep, wheezing breath.

    ¡°What in the Damned Plains is that?¡± Jakob asked, his voice raising in pitch and disgust. He flicked his hands forward and every root around him exploded forward, crashing down toward Isabel and the monster like an avalanche.

    The horrifying creature lifted its warped finger into the air and touched the nearest root as it approached. There was a loud, wet squelch.

    Every single root in the clearing shriveled in on themselves like they had been flash dried. They collapsed to the ground, brittle and worthless.

    Jakob¡¯s disgust turned to horror. He took a step backward, his lips parting. Then his hand shot up to his neck, pulling free a pendant and preparing to rip it off his neck.

    That fucking coward. He brought one of the escape pendants meant for students?

    The monstrosity beside Isabel drove one of its arms into the ground in a blur. Black flesh exploded up from the dirt before Jakob and a spindly hand clamped down around his arm.

    There was a crunch followed by a wet, splattering rip. Jakob¡¯s arm flew free of his body, torn clean off at the shoulder. He let out a scream of agony.

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave so quickly, Professor,¡± the abomination said, its voice a hissing whisper. Massive teeth ground against each other as its grin stretched to cover its entire face. ¡°I have been promised your runes. I will ensure you live long enough for me to properly enjoy this.¡±

 Chapter 575: The Book

    ¡°How long are you just going to make us sit around doing nothing?¡± Silvertide demanded, his normally calm eyes burning with poorly restrained fury. The elderly soldier drove his staff into the dirt at his feet to punctuate his words. ¡°Are you going to wait until the children are dead, Jalen?¡±

    The tension within the small clearing in the mushroom forest was high. A number of teachers that most certainly should not have been present at the exam stood in a group, staring at a small, three-dimensional recreation of a section of the forest made from stands of twisting purple magic that floated above Jalen¡¯s hand.

    Even without detail, it was easy to make out the forms of the students squaring up against Jakob.

    ¡°Silvertide is right,¡± Brayden said. His knuckles were white around the hilt of the huge sword at his back and he shifted from foot to foot. If it had been anyone but Jalen standing in his path, he would have already acted ¡ª and he was starting to consider disobeying even the head of his own family. ¡°Your games are going to get them killed. I promised Vermil that I¡¯d protect his students.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t promise him shit. He fucked off to the Damned Plains before you could,¡± Jalen replied, examining his nails. He blew out a short breath and shook his head. ¡°Nobody is moving anywhere. We will not be budging from this location.¡±

    ¡°Jalen, I think you might be taking things too far,¡± Bird said as she took a step toward the Linwick Family¡¯s head. ¡°I don¡¯t have the tie any of you do to those kids, but Jakob is cheating. We should be notifying the proctor and stopping the exam. They can¡¯t beat Jakob ¡ª and he¡¯s clearly using artifacts to strengthen himself. This isn¡¯t a fair fight in any stretch of the imagination.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not taking advice from someone that starts stripping at the first sign of trouble,¡± Jalen said, placing a finger on Bird¡¯s forehead and pushing her back the step she¡¯d just taken. ¡°But look at you, actually growing a backbone. Cute. Maybe we¡¯ll keep you around.¡±

    ¡°I ¡ª what?¡±

    ¡°Ignore him,¡± Silvertide growled. ¡°Jalen, I¡¯m not playing around any longer. I spent far too many years standing to the side and ignorant of those kids¡¯ plight. That will not happen again. I will not stand around while they are cut down.¡±

    ¡°Nor will I,¡± Brayden said. He glanced at Bird out of the corners of his eyes. She blew out a heavy sigh.

    ¡°Or I,¡± Bird said.

    ¡°Damned Plains, you¡¯re all so cute,¡± Jalen said through a bark of laughter. He reached into his pocket. ¡°I¡¯d say I¡¯m offended that you think so poorly of me. Do you really think that I¡¯d be doing absolutely nothing purely because I thought it would be entertaining?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± every single other person in the clearing said.

    Jalen winced. ¡°Perhaps I deserved that. But I can assure you ¡ª this is not without reason. I would have stepped in long ago myself if not for this.¡±

    He pulled a folded piece of paper free from his pocket and flipped it open with a finger. A single sentence had been cut into the paper with the tip of what seemed to have been a small claw.

    Do not interfere.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Brayden asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. ¡°A threat? From Jakob or Verrud?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jalen replied, his voice going grim. ¡°From the fucking cat.¡±

    And that was when Jakob¡¯s arm, seemingly of its own volition, flew off his body.

    ***

    Jakob staggered backward, his face as pale as a sheet. Blood coursed from the stump of his shoulder and soaked into his clothes as it poured down the side of his body.

    ¡°What are you? A demon?¡± Jakob demanded, flicking his other hand. A root burst free from the ground and shot for the abomination¡¯s throat.

    The warped monster twitched. It carved through the professor¡¯s magic without so much as glancing in its direction. A raspy laugh ground out from its mangled throat.

    ¡°A demon?¡± The abomination lurched forward, dragging itself forward at a terrifying speed with its gangly hands before slamming a palm into Jakob¡¯s chest.

    Jakob¡¯s legs buckled beneath the strength of the blow. It slammed him into the ground with a loud crunch, and several of his bones cracked under the monstrosity¡¯s palm as it pressed down on him, claws tightening around the professor¡¯s body.

    ¡°No, professor,¡± the abomination said, its words scraping against the air like nails on a chalkboard. The ghastly, wide-toothed grin on its face stretched even wider. ¡°I am so much more than that. More than you could ever comprehend.¡±

    It lifted Jakob into the air. The man writhed in the monster¡¯s grip. He flexed his remaining hand like he was trying to call on his runes, but nothing happened. The professor wheezed, even more of the blood draining from his face as his legs kicked helplessly.

    ¡°What is this?¡± he wheezed. ¡°What are you doing to my magic?¡±

    ¡°Taking it,¡± the abomination replied, shifting its voice to match Jakob¡¯s wheezing tone. ¡°You lack flavor, professor. You are hardly worth the effort my master spent sending me here. I no longer feast on fear, but I suspect that I would make an exception for you.¡±

    ¡°You are a demon,¡± Jakob forced out. ¡°You¡¯ll never make it out of this forest. You and your master¡ª¡±

    A laugh ripped through the clearing, and the rest of Jakob¡¯s sentence vanished in a pained cry as the abomination¡¯s hand tightened around his body, cracking his bones and ripping deep into his flesh.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even realize your situation,¡± the vile monstrosity said. ¡°Are you so scared that you speak to yourself, Jakob? Who will save you from the empty air?¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Its grip loosened and Jakob dropped to the ground in a crumple. He groaned in pain and forced himself upward ¡ª only to find nearly every one of the students staring at him in confusion.

    Jakob and Isabel realized what the abomination meant at the exact same time. Nobody else could see the monster. It was invisible to all but Jakob and Isabel¡¯s eyes ¡ª and it didn¡¯t seem that the monster even realized that Isabel was among the number of the enlightened.

    ¡°Verrud! Help me!¡± Jakob screamed. ¡°The girl has¡ª¡±

    There was a wet crunch as the monster drove its fist through Jakob¡¯s stomach, shattering his ribcage and tearing through his internal organs. It ripped its hand free. Blood dripped from its fingers. It flicked its hand, splattering viscera across the ground.

    Twisting rivers of magical energy rose up from Jakob¡¯s body and spun into the monster¡¯s palm. It let out a satisfied sigh as Jakob wheezed, still gasping and begging for help.

    Isabel swallowed heavily. She could still taste her own blood in her mouth. Something soft butted into her thigh. She glanced down at Mascot, who padded back over to the book before her and pawed at its pages.

    Upon its surface was a circle of Runes. It wasn¡¯t a pattern she recognized, but something about the runes almost felt vaguely familiar.

    ¡°Verrud!¡± Jakob screamed again. ¡°We had a deal!¡±

    Mascot pawed the runes on the page again. He sent a pointed look up at Isabel, then flicked her with his tail.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Isabel asked, wiping her mouth with the back of a sleeve. ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡±

    She could have sworn the cat squinted at her. Mascot planted a paw in the center of the page. Across the clearing, Jakob screamed again as the aberration lifted him into the air and shook his body around like a child¡¯s doll. Blood sprayed from the professor¡¯s body and splattered across the ground as his cries grew weaker.

    Mascot wants me to touch the rune circle? Why?

    Isabel reached for the page.

    A loud crash roared through the clearing. Isabel¡¯s eyes snapped up as a huge waterfall slammed down on Jakob and the abomination, driving them both to the ground. The blood in her veins froze as Verrud emerged from the side of the clearing, his features etched in fury and hand outstretched.

    ¡°What in the Damned Plains is going on?¡± Verrud snarled. He ripped a healing potion from his waist and hurled it at Jakob.

    It struck the other professor in the side and shattered, coating him with glowing red liquid. Energy shimmered as his wounds started to knit themselves shut.

    ¡°Ah,¡± the abomination said. ¡°There we are. I had to slow down. It was getting difficult to rip the power from your body. Humans are so fragile.¡±

    The abomination rose back to its full height ¡ª and the professor¡¯s eyes widened. He might not have been able to see the monster, but he could certainly see the water dripping from its form.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Verrud demanded, horror twisting his features.

    ¡°We need to run!¡± Jakob yelled. ¡°It¡¯s a demon! An invisible¡ª¡±

    The abomination drove its hand back into Jakob¡¯s stomach and he let out a scream of pain. Verrud thrust his hands forward and water ripped itself from the air, slicing into the abomination in a hail of razor-sharp blades.

    They cut through the monster¡¯s black, twisted flesh and it collapsed into a pile of oozing pieces and shadow ¡ª only to start pulling itself back together a moment later. Jakob dragged himself backward and lifted a hand.

    His fingers trembled, but no plants arose from the ground. A trickle of blood ran down from his nose.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Jakob demanded, his voice weak. ¡°What have you done?¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± the abomination said as it finished reforming in its entirety. ¡°How disappointing. That was all you had?¡±

    ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± Verrud demanded, sending another wave of slicing water in the abomination¡¯s direction. The monster twitched out of the way, only taking a few glancing blows. ¡°The demon?¡±

    ¡°Where are my runes?¡± Jakob screamed.

    ¡°Thank you for the meal,¡± the abomination said through a raspy laugh. It lifted a hand, and seven flickering green runes twisted through the air above its fingertips before vanishing once more. ¡°It¡¯s a shame we won¡¯t get to spend more time together, professor. My energy runs thin.¡±

    The monstrosity turned toward Isabel. For a brief instant, its empty, eyeless gaze was directed right at her. Its smile grew wider. The monster knew she could see it.

    Isabel¡¯s blood ran cold and her hands went clammy.

    Then the creature collapsed, transforming into a stream of energy that flooded back into the pages of the grimoire.

    ¡°Jakob!¡± Verrud roared. ¡°Snap out of it. Tell me where the monster is!¡±

    ¡°It ¡ª it¡¯s gone,¡± Jakob stammered, staring at his palms in disbelief. ¡°I¡­ my magic. Where¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop yammering, you idiot,¡± Verrud snarled. He spun toward Isabel. Magic twisted into a spinning disk above his palm. ¡°You had one job. Kill a worthless, blacklisted girl. How did you fail so badly?¡±

    Oh, no. We can¡¯t beat him. Not like this. Where¡¯s the monster? Come back!

    ¡°They were stronger than I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, shut up,¡± Verrud said. ¡°Incompetent idiot. I should have known better to work with a second-rate family. I¡¯ll deal with this myself.¡±

    Todd staggered to his feet, his teeth gritted. Emily and James dragged themselves up as well, and Alexandra and Yulin both moved before Isabel as well.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to get through all of us,¡± Alexandra said, lifting her sword. She was tired ¡ª they all were ¡ª but none of them were out of the fight.

    ¡°Trust me,¡± Verrud said, the disk of water in his palm splitting into six, ¡°that will not be a problem. I¡¯ve been waiting to do this for quite some time.¡±

    We can¡¯t win. I don¡¯t even know how strong Verrud is, but he¡¯s more powerful than Jakob. He¡¯s probably a Rank 5. This is so fucking unfair. I can¡¯t let everyone die for me.

    Isabel opened her mouth to tell the others to run¡ª

    Mascot batted her in the nose. He sent a furious glare at the page before her, then whacked it with his tail.

    Isabel slapped her palm against the center of the rune circle. She felt a faint prickle as the grimoire pulled at the tiny sliver of magic that she had left, and she gave it freely.

    A ripple of magic pulsed out from the grimoire. It ripped past Isabel and rolled across the ground, passing by all of the students and washing over Verrud. A crackle split the air and the professor¡¯s eyes went wide.

    ¡°What have you done?¡± Verrud. Horror twisted his features and he took a step back, his face going several shades paler. ¡°Idiot girl.¡±

    Arcs of electric crimson energy screamed out from the grimoire and rose into the air. They twisted into a horizontal portal directly above the grimoire¡¯s pages. Waves of power pulsed off the disk of energy, each one coming stronger than the last.

    A flicker of smug satisfaction passed through Mascot¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Gods above,¡± James breathed, staring at the grimoire as fear gripped his features. ¡°That amount of energy¡­ everyone, run! Now!¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Alexandra asked. ¡°What did she do?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s far too late to run,¡± Verrud breathed, ripping even more energy from the air. An ocean of water twisted into the sky above him as he readied an attack. ¡°She¡¯s killed us all. The fool summoned an Archdemon.¡±

    Rivers of purple lightning ripped out from within the portal and scorched the ground around the grimoire as a glowing figure rose up from within the portal, details twisting themselves into place as the energy took physical form.

    Isabel¡¯s mouth dropped open in disbelief as a familiar shape took form in the air before her.

    ¡°Wrong, you slimy piece of shit,¡± Noah growled as his form materialized in the mortal plane. He stepped down from the portal and cracked his neck. ¡°She summoned me.¡±

 Chapter 576: Return

    Verrud¡¯s mouth went slack. He stared at Noah like he was witnessing a ghost rise back up from the depths of hell. All things considered, that wasn¡¯t too far from the truth. Disbelief gripped the professor¡¯s entire body and he took a step back. Burnt ground crunched beneath his heels as he took another step.

    ¡°Impossible,¡± Verrud stammered. ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡±

    Even though Isabel had already known that Noah still lived she couldn¡¯t help but feel the same shock crossing over her own face. Her lips parted as dozens of emotions crashed within her like oceans all meeting at a single point. Relief, surprise, exhaustion ¡ª there was just too much to properly handle at once.

    ¡°Dying seems to be a reoccurring symptom for me,¡± Noah said, baring his teeth. Arcs of purple magic danced across his fingers. ¡°Unfortunately, it just never seems to stick. Maybe you can take that up with management when you see them.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an Archdemon,¡± Verrud said. His face went as pale as a sheet. ¡°That¡¯s why you took the worthless girl in. You were planning to take the Soul Master Rune for yourse¡ª¡±

    The air cracked as a bolt of lightning ripped from Noah¡¯s palms. Verrud¡¯s shield flared to life, twisting gray energy enveloping his body and absorbing the magic with a ripple. He flinched, then blinked when he realized the shield hadn¡¯t fallen.

    ¡°Don¡¯t group me in with the likes of scum like you,¡± Noah said. ¡°You know what the problem with Arbitage ¡ª no. With every single noble family ¡ª is? It¡¯s people like you. All machinations and stupid little plots to try and wrest power from each other instead of fucking earning it for yourself. You can¡¯t even comprehend the idea that others aren¡¯t trying to lie and cheat their way to strength.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re no Archdemon,¡± Verrud said, looking at his rippling shield. His eyes lifted back to meet Noah¡¯s and he bared his teeth in a sneer. ¡°That magic was Rank 5 at the strongest. You¡¯re just the same coward professor. Was that just a lightshow? Some trick to make for a grand reappearance after you abandoned your students to go into hiding?¡±

    ¡°Whoa, look at the switchup. You¡¯re really grasping at straws here,¡± Noah said. He glanced at Jakob, who still laid on the ground, wheezing for air. ¡°What happened to that moron? He lost a fight to a bunch of teens ¡ª speaking of which, good job, all.¡±

    ¡°Your mockery will mean nothing when I kill you properly,¡± Verrud spat. The water he¡¯d gathered churned in the air like an ocean preparing to come crashing down on their heads.

    ¡°I mean seriously,¡± Noah said, shaking his head. ¡°Isn¡¯t that fucking prick a Rank 4? What was he doing with his domain? Sitting on it? How do you let a Rank 3 damage you at Rank 4? Is his control over his domain so poor that this was the extent of his power?¡±

    The flush of embarrassment and anger that crossed Jakob¡¯s face was enough to tell Isabel that Noah had hit the nail on the head. It seemed that Jakob wasn¡¯t anywhere near as capable of a mage as he would have liked people to believe.

    Even through the pain and exhaustion, Isabel let out a laugh. Verrud¡¯s features erupted in fury.

    ¡°Enough!¡± With a roar, Verrud brought his hands crashing down.

    The enormous amount of water in the air came down directly upon Noah¡¯s head like an avenging waterfall, bearing with it thousands of pounds of force. The ground rumbled under the immensity of the magic and Noah was enveloped entirely within it.

    Isabel¡¯s stomach clenched. Verrud was one of the most powerful mages she¡¯d ever seen in combat. Noah was strong, but she¡¯d never seen him survive an attack like that before.

    Verrud thrust his hand up, drawing up the water in preparation for another attack ¡ª and his eyes widened.

    Noah stood with an amused expression on his lips. There wasn¡¯t a single wet hair on his body. He was as dry as a bone in a desert. His head tilted to the side and he arched an eyebrow.

    ¡°Would you look at that. It looks like my domain is stronger than your magic.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky,¡± Verrud spat. He twisted his hands and the water separated into dozens of twisting spikes that gathered in the air above Noah. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but the scum of the Linwick family. Using artifacts isn¡¯t going to save you forever.¡±

    ¡°Using artifacts?¡± Noah let out a burst of laughter. ¡°You know, if I cared enough to correct you, then I would.¡±

    A spike of water screamed toward Noah. He lifted a palm toward it and gray magic erupted from within it, arcing out and slamming into the water. The spike exploded in a spray of mist that dissipated before it could reach Noah.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Verrud asked, his confidence faltering as he stared at Noah. ¡°What did you do?¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Water counts as matter,¡± Noah said, flexing his palm. ¡°Good to know. I¡¯d love to make a proper example of you, Verrud. Unfortunately, I¡¯m on a time limit.¡±

    ¡°You are using artifacts,¡± Verrud said. His lips curled up in a sneer. ¡°False power will never¡ª¡±

    ¡°God, you¡¯re a moron,¡± Noah said. He clapped his hands together, pulling them apart as blocky gray energy gathered and twisted between his fingers. ¡°I know it¡¯s been a while, all. But please, watch closely. We¡¯ve got a lesson to catch up on.¡±

    ¡°What are you blabbering about?¡± Verrud snarled, sending a dozen spikes of water crashing down for Noah. ¡°If you have real power, then show it. Talk is for the weak.¡±

    Noah thrust his hands outward. His magic slammed into Verrud¡¯s and ripped through it, destroying every drop of the water before it could grow anywhere near him. The unease on Verrud¡¯s features grew stronger.

    ¡°I¡¯ll happily oblige you,¡± Noah said. His expression went flat. ¡°Today¡¯s lesson: don¡¯t fuck with my students.¡±

    Noah blurred into motion, moving faster than Isabel had ever seen him. Her eyes went wide. He was nearly as fast as Lee.

    Verrud jerked his hands back and water twisted around his body in a defensive orb ¡ª but Noah hadn¡¯t been going for him. He¡¯d been going for Jakob. Noah¡¯s foot lifted into the air.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Jakob rasped. ¡°I¡ª¡±

    Noah¡¯s heel slammed into Jakob¡¯s skull. The professor¡¯s head slammed back against the ground and bone shattered with a crunch. Blood splattered across the dirt as Noah lifted his foot free, disgust twisting his features.

    ¡°That one was from Moxie,¡± he said. There wasn¡¯t a single trace of amusement left in his voice. ¡°Enjoy the wait, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure you have company.¡±

    ¡°Killing an Arbitage Professor is an assault on the school itself,¡± Verrud snarled, sending two blades of water screaming out.

    Noah turned to face Verrud and lifted a hand into the air. Gray energy stretched out from his palm and consumed the magic before it could reach him. His eyes narrowed. ¡°And what does attempting to kill its students count as?¡±

    ¡°When they are worthless? Taking out the trash,¡± Verrud spat. He sent a dozen blades of rippling magic slicing through the air toward Noah from every direction.

    Every single one of them missed. Noah blurred past the magical attacks, his body twisting and contorting in ways that Isabel would have sworn that only Lee was capable of. The distance between him and Verrud evaporated like summer rain.

    The Herron Professor ripped a dagger free from its spot at his waist and thrust it forward. More spikes of water shot down toward Noah at the same time. Once more, every single attack missed as he blurred out of the way, not even bothering to use magic to stop the strikes.

    ¡°You can¡¯t even get through my shield,¡± Verrud spat. ¡°What do you think you¡¯ll be able to¡ª¡±

    White cracks carved through the air from Noah¡¯s palm. Verrud didn¡¯t even try to dodge out of the way. The sneer was still present on his face when the magic passed clean through the gray shield as if nothing was there. It wound past the Professor¡¯s hip, traveling about a foot away from Noah¡¯s palm.

    Then the cracks detonated with a loud, sharp snap. Verrud let out a scream of pain as his Shield shattered ¡ª along with several of the bones in his right leg. He crumpled, suddenly no longer able to support himself, and landed on his back as his eyes went wide in horror.

    The professor¡¯s eyes went wide in disbelief. He dragged himself back with his hands as Noah stared down at him, his features still as flat as the stone face of a cliffside.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t an artifact,¡± Verrud stammered, pain tinging his voice. His hand scrabbled at his side and he grabbed a healing potion.

    He never got a chance to use it. Noah¡¯s foot slammed down on his arm, driving it into the ground in a blur. The potion rolled from Verrud¡¯s grip, coming to a stop in a burnt pit in the ground several feet away from them.

    Isabel could barely believe what she was seeing. Verrud wasn¡¯t just losing the fight. He was getting manhandled. The bastard looked like he¡¯d never used magic a day in his life ¡ª but she knew that wasn¡¯t the truth. He was a powerful mage that should have been able to fight back against even a low level Rank 6, even if he had no chance of winning.

    She swallowed heavily.

    How strong has Noah become?

    ¡°No extensions,¡± Noah said. White lightning buzzed across his palm as he lifted a hand into the air. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for those right now.¡±

    ¡°Demon,¡± Verrud rasped.

    ¡°Would you make up your goddamn mind?¡± Noah exclaimed. ¡°First I¡¯m a demon, then I¡¯m not. When will you stop twisting the truth and realize that you¡¯re just fucking weak? This isn¡¯t a fight, Verrud. You¡¯re a rabid dog, and I¡¯m putting you down. I¡¯d tell you to find an opponent your rank the next time around instead of going after my students ¡ª but, well, there won¡¯t be a next time.¡±

    ¡°My family will destroy you,¡± Verrud spat. ¡°You cannot kill me and get away with it. The Herrons will find out. They will rip you and the thieving bitch into shreds. You will never know peace. Every one of your waking moments will¡ª¡±

    Noah¡¯s foot slammed into Verrud¡¯s stomach and the rest of the man¡¯s sentence vanished in a wheeze of pain as he folded like a sheet of paper. He crouched down, the white magic racing across his fingertips intensifying.

    ¡°If you happen to run into Renewal, do me a favor and let her know that I owe her a fruit basket.¡± He grabbed Verrud by the head. Jagged white cracks expanded through the air all around the man¡¯s skull.

    The other professor¡¯s eyes only had an instant to go wide before there was a loud, ear-splitting crunch.

    And in that moment, it struck Isabel that her professor hadn¡¯t been posturing. At no point had she witnessed an actual fight between Verrud and Noah. That would have required one of the parties to have a chance of victory.

    No, this hadn¡¯t been a fight.

    It had been an execution.

    Noah straightened, shaking the blood from his hand as he let the shattered corpse tumble from his grip. He turned, and the cold anger that had burned within his eyes evaporated in an instant as he properly laid eyes on his students for the first time since falling into the Damned Plains.

    ¡°Professor,¡± Isabel said, pushing through the pain and rising to her feet. The only emotion that still remained in her was relief, and a small smile crossed over her lips. ¡°Welcome home. We¡¯ve missed you.¡±

 Chapter 577: Problem

    Noah couldn¡¯t describe the immense amount of relief he felt at seeing every single one of his students alive and kicking. They were bruised up and exhausted to the core, but none of their injuries were too bad. Isabel looked to have the worst of things.

    He hooked the potion that Verrud had dropped from the ground with a foot and kicked it up into the air, grabbing it and handing it to Isabel. She took it with a weary smile, ripping the cork off and downing the healing liquid.

    A dull tug pulled at the back of Noah¡¯s mind. It wasn¡¯t an unfamiliar sensation, but it was one he was unused to having while he was still within his own body. Noah grimaced and pushed the sensation away. He still had some time.

    ¡°Professor Vermil,¡± Emily said, wiping a few specks of blood away from her face with the back of her hand. ¡°Where¡¯s Moxie? Is she¡ª¡±

    ¡°Safe.¡± Noah raised his hands to forestall any questions. They had so much to talk about, but this wasn¡¯t the place. He sent his domain out in every direction, activating his tremorsense to see if there was anyone else nearby. A small grin tugged at his lips. It looked like Verrud had taken steps to ensure nobody would be around, and that had worked against him perfectly. He blew out a small breath. ¡°And Lee is safe too. All of us are fine.¡±

    ¡°Can we bring them back as well?¡± Emily asked, swallowing heavily. ¡°I miss Moxie.¡±

    Emily¡¯s matured a fair bit if she¡¯s actually able to admit that. Damn. How much have I missed?

    ¡°We¡¯ll all be back soon,¡± Noah promised. ¡°It might be a few days or so, but we¡¯ll be back.¡±

    ¡°We?¡± Todd asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you already back?¡±

    ¡°Only for a bit,¡± Noah replied. He knelt by the grimoire resting beside Isabel and flipped it closed. ¡°We had to do a bit of a stopgap. I couldn¡¯t spend the time waiting to get here the proper way, so we had to accelerate things. I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Your professor is a demon,¡± Yulin said, taking a step back as her features went as pale as a ghost. ¡°You summoned a demon to the exam.¡±

    Noah glanced in her direction. He¡¯d almost forgotten Jakob¡¯s student was still there. His head tilted slightly to the side as he studied her. Marley had been a little shit, but the boy laid dead at Jakob¡¯s side, a hole between his eyes. Yulin hadn¡¯t been nearly as bad as him, but she¡¯d still been an opponent.

    If anyone tells the Torrins or any other noble family about what happened here, we¡¯re all fucked.

    Alexandra stepped in front of Yulin. ¡°Please wait, Professor. Yulin is the one that told me what Jakob was planning. She put her own life on the line because she disagreed with his and Marley¡¯s actions. We can trust her.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s pledged herself to aiding me instead of Marley,¡± Emily said after a moment of silence. ¡°I¡¯m still Main Branch. That means she follows any direct orders from me or my mentor. Moxie is my only mentor, even if she got exiled. She¡¯s thrown her lot in with us.¡±

    Have I grown so cold that they think I would actually just murder a kid because she might report what happened to her family?

    The thought caused a small frown to pull at Noah¡¯s lips as a second one followed after it.

    I would do that. When it comes to Lee, Moxie, and everyone here, there¡¯s no life that I wouldn¡¯t sacrifice to keep them safe.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill Yulin,¡± Noah said with a shake of his head and dismissing his thoughts. They weren¡¯t something he could afford to spend time on right now ¡ª and he hadn¡¯t been forced to kill anyone that the world would miss. Removing Verrud and Jakob had been a favor to everyone that had known them. ¡°I saw her fighting to protect you all. If you trust her, then I¡¯ll listen to you¡­ assuming she doesn¡¯t mind what just happened to her professor.¡±

    ¡°We are trained to prepare for death,¡± Yulin said, swallowing heavily. ¡°Both ours and those of our allies. Jakob will not be missed. I am unprepared to work with a demon, but I suppose it will not be overly different from what I have experienced before.¡±

    Noah snorted. ¡°Good enough for me, but I¡¯m sorry to disappoint.¡±

    ¡°Disappoint?¡± Yulin blinked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a demon,¡± Noah said. Another tug pulled at the back of his mind and he thinned his lips. ¡°Which is why my time right now is rather limited. Summoning me doesn¡¯t work quite the same as it does for a demon. I¡¯ll be pulled back to the Damned Plains soon. Minutes at most.¡±

    Isabel¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Noah said. ¡°As I was saying earlier, we have a way back. We¡¯ll return soon. All of us. There¡¯s just a little bit more I have to take care of. What¡¯s most important is that all of you are fine.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°How can someone summon you if you aren¡¯t a demon?¡± Yulin muttered.

    Alexandra put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it.¡±

    ¡°To your dead professor getting summoned?¡±

    ¡°Not understanding what the fuck is going on,¡± Emily corrected.

    Noah raised an eyebrow. ¡°Someone¡¯s had some bad influences.¡±

    Emily winced. ¡°Shit. Don¡¯t tell Moxie, please. How long do I have before she gets back? She¡¯s going to be so mad if she realizes I talk like this now. She spent years trying to get me to speak like a proper Torrin.¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯ve got slightly bigger problems to worry about,¡± Noah replied with a chuckle. ¡°But back to business. Until I make it back, I want all of you to¡­ well, keep doing what you have been, I guess. I didn¡¯t get to see all of your fight, but I saw enough to say how proud I am of how far you¡¯ve come. We have a lot of stuff to talk about.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t make us wait too long,¡± Todd said. ¡°I appreciate our other teachers, but they kind of suck. Jalen has been making us play darts with him, and Bird keeps trying to get us to strip.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s doing what now?¡± Noah asked, his train of thought running straight into a wall and crashing in a ball of flames.

    ¡°Ignore him,¡± Isabel said, flicking Todd in the shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s just being an idiot. We do miss you though, Professor. Lee and Moxie too. I hope you didn¡¯t break anything too important while you were gone.¡±

    If only you knew.

    Noah scratched his chin. ¡°Eh. Just the usual.¡±

    ¡°So the Damned Plains are gone,¡± Todd said.

    ¡°What? No. They¡¯re fine. Mostly. Why would you think that?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you blow up Dawnforge when you went there on vacation?¡±

    ¡°What? No!¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Alexandra said. ¡°You definitely did.¡±

    ¡°That was hardly my fault,¡± Noah protested. ¡°And I didn¡¯t blow up Dawnforge. Just a few underground passages inside it.¡±

    ¡°Wait. You were responsible for the explosion in Dawnforge?¡± Yulin asked. ¡°I heard about that. It practically took out an entire section of the city because of how extensive the damage was to the underground.¡±

    ¡°Time for a change of topic,¡± Noah said, clearing his throat. ¡°This exam is still going, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°You still care about that?¡± James asked. He glanced around the destroyed clearing, his gaze lingering on the corpses behind Noah. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem a bit¡­ I don¡¯t know. Irrelevant?¡±

    ¡°An education is always important,¡± Noah replied. ¡°And why would you turn down the chance to get more resources? These two idiots are dead. It¡¯s going to take time for people to realize what happened, which means the rest of the exam is safe.¡±

    ¡°So what do we do about them?¡± Isabel asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t someone going to find out?¡±

    ¡°As far as you¡¯re all concerned, you never heard from Marley, Jakob, or Verrud today.¡± Noah grabbed Verrud¡¯s body and dragged it over to Jakob¡¯s, then repeated the process with Marley to add him to the pile. ¡°Just pretend all of this never happened.¡±

    ¡°Then what are you going to do about¡­¡±

    Isabel trailed off as Noah extended a hand toward the pile of bodies. Grey energy crawled out from his palm and swallowed the corpses, cubic fractals twisting across their forms as they were consumed. When the magic faded away, all that remained was a jagged dent in the ground.

    Yulin swallowed again as she stared at the spot where her former professor and fellow student had been. There was no trace of them left.

    Noah flexed his fingers and shook his hand off. Using Warped Matter was still a pain. He¡¯d drained just about every scrap of magic he had within the Rune. It was powerful, but it ate magic like no tomorrow.

    Another tug yanked at the back of his head, this one stronger than the last. The connection between his body and his runes wasn¡¯t powerful enough to let the demon summoning ritual actually keep him bound to the mortal realm.

    The connection would soon snap and send him back to the Damned Plains ¡ª where, ironically, his way right back here would soon be ready.

    Noah¡¯s fingers shimmered. Their tips turned translucent, and Mascot butted up against his leg. He crouched down and picked the cat up, setting him on his shoulder as he rose back to his feet.

    ¡°My time is almost up,¡± Noah said. He scooped his grimoire off the ground and slung it over his shoulders.

    ¡°You¡¯ll return in a few days?¡± Isabel asked. ¡°You promise?¡±

    ¡°I swear it,¡± Noah said with a firm nod. ¡°In fact, I¡¯ll get more specific. In a day, come to the place we first trained in. I¡¯ll be waiting for you there.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting,¡± Todd said with a grin.

    ¡°I just have one request for you all,¡± Noah said.

    They all turned to him.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Alexandra asked.

    ¡°Crush the rest of this exam,¡± Noah said, his eyes growing dark. ¡°Nobody else is going to be interfering any further, so you can focus entirely on winning. I want to take every damn scrap of resources that the Advanced Track has to offer.¡±

    ¡°You got it, Teacherman,¡± Todd said, a grin pulling across his lips as he cracked his neck.

    More of Noah¡¯s body turned translucent. He took one final look at the students around him, then at the destroyed remains of the clearing they all stood in.

    They were safe.

    ¡°Good luck,¡± Alexandra said.

    ¡°You better tell us what happened in the Damned Plains when you get back,¡± Todd said.

    ¡°I will,¡± Noah promised with a chuckle. His body shimmered, and then the world twisted like it had been put into the blender. The clearing vanished and darkness swallowed his vision as he was ripped through time and space, pulled back toward the Damned Plains.

    As he went, there was only a single thing left on Noah¡¯s mind.

    There was just a single task he had left to do before everyone could return from the Damned Plains.

    He had to make a Rune ¡ª and every Rune required three components. Energy, an inciting incident, and intent.

    Noah had the Fragment of Sticky for the energy. Lee¡¯s desires as a demon would be the inciting incident, and her intent would be the guide. Every single piece was finally in place.

    It was time to fix a problem that had stumped a god.

 Chapter 578: Hungry

    The Damned Plains greeted Noah like an old friend. Cool air prickled against his skin as his body reformed upon an obsidian platform trimmed with gold amidst a void that stretched out as far as the eye could see.

    Sticky had relented on the portal she¡¯d been opening, allowing the magic to fade, and everyone had gathered around Sievan to stare at the rippling image contained between his palms.

    The final strands of magic curled away from Noah as his body re-solidified within the Damned Plains. He didn¡¯t even get a chance to say anything before Moxie drove into him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and spinning him around with a delighted laugh.

    ¡°You did it!¡± Moxie exclaimed. She set him back down and took a step back, the relief in her features so prominent that it may as well have been painted across her face. ¡°Gods, I was so damn scared. I thought you would be too late.¡±

    ¡°I was thinking the same thing,¡± Noah said with an exhausted laugh. All the adrenaline that had been pumping through his veins finally started to settle down, but there would be time to rest later. ¡°Getting summoned was certainly a strange experience.¡±

    ¡°You make a very convincing demon,¡± Sievan said. He pressed his palms together and the image flickering within them collapsed into fragments of flickering energy. ¡°That was¡­ satisfying to watch. Well executed.¡±

    ¡°I was just doing what had to be done,¡± Noah said. He turned to Sticky and crouched so they were face to face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for stressing you out while you were summoning that portal. It was unfair of me. You were doing great.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Sticky said. She glanced down at the key. ¡°You just wanted to save those people. I want to help people too.¡±

    ¡°You will,¡± Noah said, putting a hand on her shoulder. ¡°You already have, actually. You¡¯ll help every single demon.¡±

    ¡°Is that what you meant when you said you had to do something before you went back to the mortal realm?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± He straightened back up and turned to Lee. ¡°I think it¡¯s about time we take care of things, Lee. You¡¯ve been waiting for long enough.¡±

    Lee met his gaze and gave him a small nod. He could tell that she was thinking something, but it didn¡¯t look like she was about to voice her thoughts. It would have been hard to blame her. There was a lot riding on this.

    If Noah¡¯s theory was right, then Lee would be the first demon that they used Sticky¡¯s rune to save. It was a monumental task, and it wouldn¡¯t be exaggerating to say that the hopes of the entire demon race rested entirely on her back.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Lee said. She sat down on the platform, crossing her legs beneath her and placing her palms on her knees.

    Noah sat down across from her. He set his grimoire down before him and flipped it open. Sticky¡¯s Rune shimmered across its pages. For a moment, Noah stared down at the book. He¡¯d missed exactly what had happened between Jakob and the book, but he¡¯d seen the results.

    There¡¯s something in this book. One day soon, I¡¯m going to have to have a real good talk with it and figure out just what the hell I¡¯m working with. But, today, I don¡¯t care what it is. It helped my students. That¡¯s all that matters.

    Noah tore his gaze away from the page and up to Lee. She swallowed, then gave him another firm nod.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this,¡± Noah said.

    He extended his mind toward hers and unleashed Empty Proliferation.

    The world crumpled around them both. The Damned Plains vanished as Noah plunged into Lee¡¯s mindspace.

    ***

    Thick, inky darkness swirled all around Noah. It twisted at his feet, threatening to swallow his body whole if he stood still for too long.

    Before him floated a massive conglomeration of runes, still bound by Azel¡¯s power. Viscous strands of soul-matter ran down from it and bound the rune deeply to Lee¡¯s body. It was exactly as he remembered it.

    Even though he had Sticky¡¯s Rune to work with, this wasn¡¯t going to be easy. Decras¡¯ runes were ingrained into Lee¡¯s from the core. The first step would tell him if the process was viable, but completely transitioning away from Decras would probably take weeks if Noah wanted to avoid killing Lee.

    They¡¯d have to slowly build up a replacement rune based off Sticky¡¯s energy and then slowly cut out the other one once her new one grew strong enough to keep her soul afloat. It wasn¡¯t the most efficient plan, but Noah hadn¡¯t ironed out the kinks in his theory yet. He hadn¡¯t even had a chance to properly test it.

    He blew out a small breath, shoving the tension gripping his body into the back of his mind. There was no room for nerves now. He had to act. Lee was relying on him. With a thought, Noah traced the rune into the air. It floated there, glistening with pure white light, prepared for Lee to call upon it.

    It¡¯ll work. It has to.

    ¡°You know, I always used to wonder what was wrong with me,¡± Lee¡¯s voice said to his left.

    He turned to find her standing beside him, looking away from the warped Rune floating in the center of her soul.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    That¡¯s right. She can¡¯t look in its direction without risking activating its power and weakening the seal Azel put on it.

    Something about that struck Noah as profoundly sad. The more he learned about runes, the more he realize how closely integrated they ¡ª and the patterns they represented ¡ª were to life. That was true for humans and doubly true for demons. Not being able to look at such a core part of oneself was just wrong.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with you,¡± Noah said. ¡°Everyone gets dealt a hand in life, and we all need help from time to time. I¡¯m just giving you the tools that you should have had from the start.¡±

    ¡°Not that,¡± Lee said with a small shake of her head. ¡°I meant before we knew about Decras and about his runes. Every demon consumes an emotion. And even if they don¡¯t start consuming it before Rank 3, they still have an inclination. Aylin was always inquisitive. Violet was protective. But me¡­ I could never figure out what it was that I wanted, so I wanted everything.¡±

    Noah remained silent. Something told him this was a conversation where his role wasn¡¯t to speak but to listen.

    ¡°I¡¯ve spent a lot of time thinking about why,¡± Lee said, studying the palms of her hands. ¡°Why every other demon knew what they wanted, but I just wanted. Why I couldn¡¯t consume emotions like the rest of them could. It wasn¡¯t because my runes were special. They weren¡¯t worse or better than anyone else¡¯s. So it wasn¡¯t my runes. It was me that didn¡¯t work.¡±

    Noah frowned, but he kept himself from speaking. Lee wasn¡¯t just saying this because she wanted to. There was a reason.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve known the answer for a long time. I just didn¡¯t want to admit it,¡± Lee said. She lifted her gaze from her hands and turned toward Noah. ¡°I know why Demons are the way they are. We feast on the concept that we feel we lack the most. The concept we¡¯re the most scared of not having. After you told me what the Demon Rune really was, I figured it out. Decras was scared of failure, and that¡¯s what my race was built on. We try to make up for what we lack by taking it from others and magnifying that concept until we¡¯re nothing but that concept. But that must make you wonder why I couldn¡¯t figure out what it is that I could consume.¡±

    ¡°It does,¡± Noah admitted. ¡°But it sounds like you¡¯ve figured it out.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always known,¡± Lee replied. Her hands clenched at her sides. ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to admit it. I¡¯m the worst demon.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be anything you don¡¯t want to be,¡± Noah said gently.

    Lee shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s the problem. I¡¯ve been avoiding what I want to be this whole time. I couldn¡¯t consume any emotions because I want all of them. I¡¯m scared, Noah. I don¡¯t want to lose anything, and so I want everything. I can¡¯t content myself with just a single aspect. I¡¯m too greedy. I¡¯m the worst of every demon.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with not wanting to give up your other emotions to embody a single one. That¡¯s just natural. When you consume the energy from Sticky¡¯s Rune and use it to form a Fragment of Self, you can¡ª¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Lee said. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. ¡°But that¡¯s okay. You aren¡¯t a greedy person. You could never understand how selfish or arrogant I am. I let you spend all that time worrying and trying to find a way to fix my Runes when I¡¯ve known all along that I wouldn¡¯t let you.¡±

    Noah blinked. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I liked the attention,¡± Lee said with a small smile. ¡°But I¡¯m too greedy to give up anything that belongs to me. Sticky¡¯s Rune will probably work for everyone else. They only have a single emotion they fear losing ¡ª but I don¡¯t want to let any of them go. I don¡¯t want to be content.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand,¡± Noah said slowly. ¡°You don¡¯t want me to use Sticky¡¯s Rune to help you fix yours?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Lee said.

    Noah was silent for several long seconds. Then his features thinned. ¡°I¡¯m greedier than you think, Lee. I¡¯m not going to let you stay like this. I won¡¯t let your runes destroy you ¡ª even if I have to fight you to fix them. I won¡¯t leave you behind.¡±

    She let out a small giggle. ¡°I¡¯m not going to stay behind, Noah. I¡¯ve spent a lot of time thinking. About me. About demons. About our runes and about patterns. And in the end¡­ I just wanted you to be here.¡±

    ¡°To be here for what?¡± Noah asked, a flicker of unease building within him.

    ¡°To watch,¡± Lee replied. ¡°Thanks for trying so hard to save me, but you pulled it off a long time ago. I don¡¯t want Sticky¡¯s rune. You¡¯ve showed me so much ever since I got to the mortal plane. You and Moxie and everyone else ¡ª you showed me what it is to have a family. To be human. Now now I want to show you something.¡±

    ¡°Lee¡ª¡±

    ¡°I want everything ¡ª and replacing my Demon Runes would change that. I don¡¯t want to change. I want to be more. And that power can¡¯t be given. It has to be taken,¡± Lee said. Her features set in determination. ¡°I¡¯m going to show you what it is to be a demon.¡±

    Lee turned to look directly at the rune floating in the center of her soul. She extended a hand toward it and the rune lurched. The bindings that Azel had placed upon it snapped with loud cracks.

    She extended a hand toward the rune and curled her fingers inward. Her soul rumbled. Power burned within the inky darkness surrounding them and the rune trembled as it shrank down, twisting in on itself until it was the size of her palm.

    ¡°Lee?¡± Noah asked. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°The same thing you did,¡± Lee replied. Horns tore free from her forehead, their ends glistening a brilliant blood red. The demon¡¯s lips curled into a determined smile. ¡°Making a Rune needs 3 components, and this is the inciting event.¡±

    Her rune floated to hover before Lee, no larger than an apple. Power buzzed and crackled within it like a miniature storm. The rune did not like being crushed down. Lee plucked it from the air, arcs of energy burning across her palm as her grip tightened on it.

    She bit down on the Rune.

    It shattered. The strands binding it to her soul snapped and power exploded free, tearing through the darkness all around Lee. A wall of pressure slammed into Noah and launched him back, sending him skidding across the slick ground.

    Thoughts and feelings mixed with the energy as it pulsed through the darkness. Fear and desire. For the briefest instant, it felt as if Noah had stepped into Lee¡¯s very mind. A Demon was their Runes, and she had just spilled that energy everywhere.

    Thousands of loud cracks echoed out. Cracks tore through Lee¡¯s soul, sending an ocean of white light spilling into it.

    ¡°No!¡± Noah yelled. ¡°You still need¡ª¡±

    And then the words died in his throat. Blood poured down Lee¡¯s face and seams split all across her body as it came apart together with her soul, but her features had not lost an ounce of their determination.

    The vast majority of power from the rune was still gathered in her mouth. Her eyes flicked to meet Noah¡¯s.

    Then she swallowed. Every scrap of power within the soul howled as it was ripped toward Lee. Claws pushed out from her fingertips as she carved lines into the air, drawing a pattern.

    Noah¡¯s back stiffened. All the fear and desire within Lee had formed into a thick miasma, but the stronger it grew, the more it felt odd. There was something strange about it.

    Something familiar.

    And just like that, Noah realized what Lee had done. She was using all the energy contained within her Rune to connect back to its source.

    And in that moment, far in the darkest reaches of the universe, Decras¡¯ eyes went wide.

 Chapter 579: Lee

    Nestled deep within the cracks that spanned throughout the edges of the universe, a banquet hall of silver glistened amidst a sea of empty white. The hall was enormous, with a ceiling that rose so far above that a sea of distant stars rested below its ceiling.

    A long, grandiose table ran down the room¡¯s length, lined with hundreds of gilded chairs on each side. Every single one of them was empty.

    The table came to a stop hundreds of feet away from a raised platform, where two plain chairs had been set up before a large disk of dark water that floated like a mirror, an image of another plane rippling upon its surface.

    Between the pair of chairs was a pedestal made from pitch black night. Silver trimming ran up its rippling surface. The pedestal was plain, yet the magic within it was so immense that any mortal lucky enough to lay eyes upon it likely would have found their understanding of runic patterns magnified by a hundredfold ¡ª if their mind managed to survive the experience.

    And upon the pedestal, a priceless artifact made of magic that would have been worth more wealth than what entire nations could ever dream to possess, was a bowl of chocolate.

    There were only two beings within the room. They sat on either side of the bowl, slumped back in the chairs with their feet kicked up on small stools with more than a few chocolate stains on their faces ¡ª and they were both frozen mid-bite.

    ¡°Impossible,¡± Decras breathed, his words echoing through the empty room like a distant storm. But even as he spoke, he knew that his words were false.

    A tiny chunk of his power had been bitten away. It was so small that he had no doubt it would regenerate within a few mere years, but it was there. Disbelief swirled within him like a raging sea and he cast his mind inward without an instant of hesitation.

    His surprise only grew stronger as he looked upon his Divine Rune. For several long minutes, he could do nothing but stare. A chunk had been ripped free of him. It should not have been possible.

    He had lost small segments of power before. Revin had consumed a gift Decras had given him, using the connection to siphon a tiny segment of power away. Wizen had done much the same with an ancient artifact that Decras had lost a long time ago. Noah had repeated the trick with a few droplets of his blood.

    But this ¡ª this should have been impossible. His power had not been stolen by someone using a physical catalyst. It had been bitten out of him. For the first time in thousands of years, Decras could not believe his eyes.

    Fury burst through the dam of surprise and his features tightened. Decras extended a hand and a spear slammed into it, pitch black energy roiling throughout its length.

    What manner of creature dares steal from me?

    Decras extended his senses. The pattern of the thief still twisted through space, and his soul slipped through reality as he followed after it with a thought. A mortal claiming a minuscule portion of his power through a connection was one thing.

    That was his fault. His mistake. It would be unfair to punish them for claiming the power that had been laid before them. But to take directly from his runes¡­ there were some things that Decras could not allow.

    The world twisted and collapsed around Decras as he followed the line of the pattern back to its source. He had absolutely no idea what could have known his pattern so well as to be able to rip magic away from him. It didn¡¯t matter.

    Such an insult was far too great to be allowed. He would not permit it. They would be ground out and crushed.

    Color exploded through the darkness as Decras¡¯ soul arrived at the location of the thief¡¯s pattern ¡ª and Decras¡¯ eyes widened in surprise.

    He knew this place.

    An obsidian platform trimmed with beautiful gold and stuffed to the brim with minute imbuements floated in a sea of void magic.

    He was in Sievan¡¯s domain.

    Impossible. Sievan could not have taken my power. He could not comprehend my path. He could not comprehend any path. That failure ¡ª my failure ¡ª is why he cannot ascend beyond the limits of the flawed form I created.

    Did that greedy little shit Noah take even more of my power?

    Decras traced the pattern back to its source.

    And then he froze. For several long seconds, Decras didn¡¯t so much as move. His mind struggled to comprehend what he was seeing. It made absolutely no sense. It couldn¡¯t make sense.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    He checked the pattern several times again, but his senses were far too powerful to be deceived. There was no denying what he knew to be true.

    The pattern didn¡¯t connect to Noah.

    It connected to Lee.

    And within the tiny demon girl, Decras sensed his power. It spread through her body, permeating and changing every single part of her being. But there was something more. Something different.

    Sievan¡¯s gaze lifted to the sky and the demon peered up at Decras. The Rank 8 demon knew Decras¡¯ power enough to realize that he was there, even though the others were all blind to his presence.

    And in him, Decras felt himself. The constant reminder of his mistake. A mirror of his own magic that corrupted every single demon, twisting their desires with his own and preventing them from ever having any true potential.

    That piece was not in Lee.

    Decras floated in the stillness of the void, his lips parting in awe as he stared down at the impossible scene before him. The power within Lee was not the same as his. The hunger for power was still there, but it was changing ¡ª and it changed more with every second.

    It can¡¯t be. A demon cannot break away from my influence. No matter how hard they try, demons are fragments of me. They are incapable of splitting away and becoming a truly independent being.

    But in spite of that fact, Lee sat below him on the platform, entirely uncaring of what should have been possible. She was separating her soul from his influence.

    Decras cast his senses out, searching for a trick ¡ª and his eyes went wider still. His entire body stiffened as they brushed across the tiny demon that Wizen had stolen from the afterlife.

    Her body was permeated with his power, but her soul was completely independent of it. He couldn¡¯t find a single scrap of his energy in her astral form. She was something entirely different.

    There wasn¡¯t just one demon that had found a way to ascend.

    There were two.

    Decras¡¯ surprise was so great that all his anger evaporated. All he could do was float and stare, trying and failing to comprehend the scene unfolding beneath him. There was a solution to a problem that he problem that he had been unable to solve for years. One that he had been convinced was unsolvable.

    But how? What could they have done that I could not?

    ***

    Noah raised his hands to cover his eyes, gritting his teeth as a vortex of black energy engulphed Lee¡¯s soul. It was like her entire being had gone into uproar ¡ª and after what she¡¯d just done, he wasn¡¯t surprised.

    The ground trembled beneath him in an earthquake as cracks of thunderous magic roared overhead. Lee stood in the center of it all, her hands raised to the sky and head thrown back. Strands of the darkness twisted together into a point and spiraled into her mouth as she drew it into herself.

    Noah didn¡¯t know if it would be enough. Immense magical pressure bore down on him and the soul around him, and the huge white cracks running throughout it grew larger by the second.

    He drew on every scrap of power that the Fragment of Renewal had to offer. There was only one thing he could do for Lee now, and he¡¯d be damned if he let her soul collapse around him.

    Healing energy poured out from his palms and fought to enter Lee¡¯s soul. It battled to seal the cracks, but it was a losing fight. There was so much damage ¡ª so much power ¡ª that the damage was appearing faster than the Fragment of Renewal could knit it shut.

    Noah yelled into the howling wind, but his words were swallowed by the storm before they could even leave his mouth. There was nothing more he could do. He was a spectator, only able to help Lee from the sidelines.

    Black flashes of magical energy lit the sky. Decras¡¯ presence bore down on Noah, activating Sunder and sending the rune trembling in his soul. Despite the severity of the situation, he couldn¡¯t help but be impressed.

    Lee actually managed to pull it off. She ripped power out of Decras, and she didn¡¯t even have his blood like I did.

    The vortex around Lee thrummed and tightened, pulling together and twisting in on itself as more of it poured into her mouth. Her hands clenched and her back stiffened, but she continued to pull it into herself. It struck Noah that she was slurping Decras¡¯ magic up like it was a giant bowl of noodles.

    White light poured off the cracks riddling Lee¡¯s soul and blood poured down her face from her nose and eyes. Her entire body trembled, but she didn¡¯t relent. If anything, the weakness only pushed her harder. Determination burned within her eyes like two distant flames.

    And then something shifted. The cracks growing beneath Noah¡¯s feet slowed. Then they stopped their advance. Pearlescent energy twisted within them and began to knit the damage shut.

    The breath in Noah¡¯s chest caught.

    More of the cracks slowed their growth. The vortex weakened, and the last of its power vanished between Lee¡¯s lips.

    Rivers of white energy exploded out from Lee¡¯s feet and twisted through the floor of her heavily damaged soul.

    And, to Noah¡¯s disbelief, the cracks riddling the darkness changed. They sharpened and changed their shape even as they fought to seal. The damage wasn¡¯t made whole ¡ª but it was changed into something more.

    She¡¯d turned the cracks in her mindspace into a pattern.

    There was a brilliant flash of light. Noah squeezed his eyes shut and raised his hands before his face. A wall of pressure slammed into his chest and he stumbled a step back, already forcing his eyes open as he squinted to find Lee.

    She stood alone in the center of a sea of twisting black and white, the pattern of a rune carved into the bottom of her mindspace with cracks of soul damage.

    Her soul had changed, but it wasn¡¯t alone. Her body had joined it. Two jagged horns jutted up from her forehead, and her small, pointed teeth had grown a little wider. But, most noticeably, a pair of leathery, jet-black wings jutted out from her back like those of a bat.

    Lee swayed.

    Noah burst into motion, arriving right in time to catch her by the shoulders as she pitched forward. Her eyes fluttered as she squinted up at him.

    ¡°I think I did it,¡± Lee muttered. ¡°Did I do it?¡±

    Noah looked down at the rune flickering beneath him. While the other cracks in Lee¡¯s soul were fighting to seal themselves, the white lines directly beneath his feet were unmoving. They were a pattern ¡ª and one that he could read.

    Fragment of Lee

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Noah said, awe gripping his words like a vice. ¡°You did it, Lee.¡±

 Chapter 580: More

    Noah remained with Lee in her soul and the two of them stood in silence as they watched her soul damage slowly stitch itself shut as the Fragment of Renewal worked its magic. She didn¡¯t seem quite ready to return to the others yet, and he still had some energy in Empty Proliferation.

    It would be quite a while before Lee¡¯s soul was completely fixed. Days, at the minimum. There was a good chance she¡¯d need another usage of the Fragment of Renewal to completely repair her.

    But not every wound was healing. The soul damage that Lee had used to carve her own Fragment of Self at the bottom of her soul hadn¡¯t altered in the slightest. White light leaked through the perfectly smooth lines and into the darkness of her soul. The Fragment of Renewal hadn¡¯t even tried to touch them.

    Worry twisted in Noah¡¯s stomach and made throat clench. He hated seeing anyone he cared about in pain ¡ª and there was no chance that having gaping holes like these in her soul was going to be comfortable for Lee.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Lee¡¯s voice broke through he silence. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Noah asked.

    ¡°No. I lied. It feels like I stubbed my toe a hundred thousand times all at once.¡±

    ¡°At least you¡¯re being honest.¡± A small smile pulled at the corners of Noah¡¯s lips. ¡°And your soul? How does it feel? Intact?¡±

    ¡°Like I carved a rune into it,¡± Lee said. She looked down at the lines glowing by her feet, then back up to him. She lifted a hand to touch the horns protruding from her skull, running a finger along one of them. ¡°Are you mad at me?¡±

    ¡°Why would I be mad at you?¡±

    ¡°Because I lied.¡±

    ¡°Lying about not being hurt isn¡¯t going to make me mad at you.¡±

    ¡°Not about that,¡± Lee said. She shook her head, then winced at the motion. Evidently, she was in a fair bit more pain than she was letting on. ¡°About everything.¡±

    ¡°Everything? That feels like a bit of an exaggeration.¡± Noah crossed his legs beneath him and sat down. He couldn¡¯t help but notice that the floor of Lee¡¯s soul was no longer syrupy. It was cold and glossy, a sea of obsidian.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you that I knew what my emotion was.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t always know.¡±

    ¡°But I did for a while. I let you do a bunch of work for no reason. All because I was selfish.¡± Lee sat down beside Noah, but she kept her gaze firmly affixed on the distant cracks in her soul.

    ¡°It had a reason,¡± Noah said. ¡°I did this for you, but it¡¯ll help other demons everywhere.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll help the ones that are willing to let go of their emotion. None of the strong ones will ever take you up on it. Most of the weaker ones won¡¯t either. Why do you think Sievan said no? Demons become their emotions, Noah. We don¡¯t want to lose that.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s their choice to make,¡± Noah said with a small shrug. ¡°You found a way to make it work. You¡¯re still you, aren¡¯t you? Maybe they¡¯ll do that as well.¡±

    Lee turned to look at him. ¡°Do you really not care that I tricked you?¡±

    ¡°Tricked is a strong word for it,¡± Noah said slowly. He mulled over Lee¡¯s words. She wasn¡¯t just looking for him to mindlessly promise he didn¡¯t care about what she¡¯d done. That would just be dismissive of her emotions. ¡°I think everyone has ulterior motives at some points. I¡¯d have preferred you to be honest with me, but you weren¡¯t in an easy situation. I¡¯m more just relieved that you¡¯re okay.¡±

    ¡°Even though I¡¯m not going to lose my demonic traits?¡±

    ¡°Did you think I was trying to find a cure for you because I wanted to purge you of the things that made you a demon?¡± Noah asked, blinking in surprise.

    Lee didn¡¯t respond. She turned her gaze away from him.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°That couldn¡¯t have been farther from my goal,¡± Noah said, grabbing Lee by the shoulders and gently twisting her so she was forced to meet his eyes again. ¡°Lee, I don¡¯t want to change you. None of us do. I¡¯m not trying to go through the demon race and scrub them of what they are. I admittedly only tried to find a solution to their problem because of you, but that wasn¡¯t because I was jumping at the chance to turn you into¡­ I don¡¯t know. A toned down version of yourself. I just wanted you safe. That¡¯s it.¡±

    Lee sniffled. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Really.¡±

    The small demon sniffled again.  She wiped her nose with the back of her hand, then wiped that off on Noah¡¯s sleeve.

    ¡°So you aren¡¯t mad at me at all?¡± Lee almost sounded a little disappointed at that.

    Does she¡­ want me to be mad?

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll get a little angry at you later, once we¡¯re all back on the mortal plane and we¡¯ve verified that you¡¯re completely healthy. And no more secrets from here on out, okay? Not from me or Moxie.¡±

    A small smile pulled at the corners of Lee¡¯s lips and she wiped her nose off straight on his shoulder, skipping the middleman entirely. She didn¡¯t bring her head away from his shoulder but instead leaned into him, her eyes slowly drifting shut.

    ¡°Noah?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Does that mean I can¡¯t keep older secrets too?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I told you that I was eating squirrels, but they were actually humans that were trying to kill you.¡±

    Noah nearly choked on his own saliva. ¡°I ¡ª what?¡±

    ¡°Also, when I went to Vroth¡¯s camp, he was a big asshole. I killed him and made Vrith think it was an accident so she would agree to become the Streetlord instead,¡± Lee said, the words spilling from her mouth like a fountain that had finally had an old blockage removed.  ¡°I also let some demons from the camp I was supposed to kill live because they smelled nice. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°I¡ª¡±

    ¡°I also stole a bunch of snacks from your bag. I do it all the time. Moxie¡¯s bag too. And your spicy water. It¡¯s kind of gross, but the bottles are crunchy.¡±

    Noah couldn¡¯t help himself. He burst into laughter.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Lee. You don¡¯t ever have to apologize for being you.¡±

    Lee turned her head to bury her face in his shoulder. Her tears soaked into his sleeve and her body shook with sobs of relief and exhaustion.

    ¡°I want to go back to Isabel and Todd and everyone else,¡± Lee said. ¡°I love them. And you. And Moxie.¡±

    A small smile crossed over Noah¡¯s face and he wrapped his arm around Lee¡¯s shoulders. There was nothing left to be said.

    I guess Lee finally figured out¡ª

    ¡°And food,¡± Lee said, her voice muffled against his robes. ¡°I still love food. But not as much as you and Moxie.¡±

    Eh. Baby steps.

    ***

    Decras¡¯ consciousness stared down at Lee. The disbelief he felt was something that had not been matched in ¡ª he couldn¡¯t remember how long. Not even Revin had managed something like this.

    It was more than a feat.

    It was impossible.

    And yet, sitting in the center of the obsidian platform with two new horns jutting from her head and tears streaking down her cheeks, was an impossibility. Her soul was stabilizing. Decras could still feel the immense damage that had been done to it.

    The damage was enough that any demon of her rank should have been dead ¡ª but Lee was not dead. As a matter of fact, she was stronger than she¡¯d ever been. The girl had ripped enough power from Decras and the fragmented mess of runes within her soul to form a Rank 4 Fragment of Self.

    At some point, Decras realized that Sievan was looking at him. There was a small, satisfied smile on the demon¡¯s features. It struck Decras that the expression looked oddly¡­ correct on Sievan. Decras couldn¡¯t remember the last time Sievan had smiled.

    He¡¯d always been so serious. So driven to achieve the pinnacle, pushed by Decras¡¯ own power to seek something that could never be his. At least, that was what Decras had thought.

    Now it seemed that he had been wrong on all fronts. Perhaps there really was a path forward for Sievan. For every demon.

    And that path hadn¡¯t come from him.

    Decras looked up to the small pocket of void surrounding Sievan¡¯s lair. It was empty and dark. It was familiar, but somehow, it felt different to his eyes. But it was not the darkness of the void that had changed. It was the same as it had always been.

    The one that had changed was Decras.

    And, in the minuscule spot that Lee had taken a bite out of his powers, something shifted. Power bloomed where there had been none. But this was not the same kind of power that had been there before.

    How fascinating.

    It seems I have been proven wrong. Not by another god. By mortals. Perhaps there have been scales over my eyes. For many years, I have looked to the heavens in search of enlightenment in my path.

    There were many types of power in the universe, but in the end, Runes were merely patterns. The greater one¡¯s understanding of a pattern was, the more powerful it became. That was a universal law, even once a Divine Rune had been formed.

    But enlightenment did not come easy. There were very few things that Decras had not experienced in this portion of the universe.

    But today, he witnessed something new.

    Today, his Divine Rune had advanced.

    Renewal is going to be insufferable about this, but I do not think I can bring myself to care.

    What fascinating creatures these mortals are. It seems I still have more to learn.

 Chapter 581: Friends

    Noah only let Lee¡¯s mindspace fall away once Empty Proliferation had been completely run down to its core. He found himself in the Damned Plains once more, seated upon Sievan¡¯s obsidian platform.

    Everyone had gathered around him and Lee. Sticky clutched onto the Key so tightly that her small knuckles turned white and Moxie was frozen mid-pace, her face so creased with stress that Noah feared she was about to start sprouting white hairs by the dozen.

    Noah couldn¡¯t help but notice that Sievan¡¯s attention seemed to be directed toward the ceiling rather than toward him. The Lord of Death noticed his attention and let his head tilt down just enough for Noah to spot the faint smile that passed over and left his features like a summer breeze. He blinked the last of the Rune¡¯s effects away as Lee¡¯s eyes drifted open beside him.

    ¡°Moxie!¡± Lee launched herself at the other woman.

    Moxie only had an instant to process her surprise before a demon missile slammed into her. The demon wrapped around Moxie, clinging to her like a koala ¡ª and swiping a piece of jerky from her pockets in the process.

    ¡°Lee,¡± Moxie said, palpable relief washing over her features. Her eyes flicked to Noah. ¡°Did¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fixed. And it isn¡¯t even my fault.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°I ate my Rune,¡± Lee said, but her words were spoken straight into Moxie¡¯s side and were barely audible.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t need mine?¡± Sticky asked. It was hard to tell if she was relieved or disappointed. ¡°Did it not work?¡±

    ¡°No. I used yours,¡± Lee said, unentangling herself from Moxie just enough to free a hand and pat the other demon on the head. ¡°I ate it.¡±

    ¡°You ate my rune?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It was very useful,¡± Lee said.

    Sticky smiled. ¡°Oh. Okay, then. Sievan, will you eat my rune too?¡±

    The Lord of Death let out a gentle laugh. ¡°No. Not today, Sticky. But perhaps one day. After the damage to my soul has healed. After I have had time to think.¡±

    Sticky¡¯s face fell.

    Lee¡¯s words echoed through Noah¡¯s head. Sticky¡¯s Rune may have been a way that demons could fix themselves¡­ but that didn¡¯t mean they¡¯d want to take it. The stronger a demon became, the closer to their emotion they were.

    Something tells me they can¡¯t all do what Lee did. She said she was the worst demon, and her desire was everything. So if a demon is hyper focused on one thing, who knows if they¡¯ll be willing to give it up, even if that means they can never advance.

    That was a problem for another time ¡ª specifically, when he had some time to speak with Yoru and Aylin. They were his best references for demons right now, and he had no plans of giving up on their race now that they knew there was a solution to the problem when he had so many friends and allies that were demons.

    ¡°So¡­ Lee is okay?¡± Moxie asked a second time. Her voice was tense, too scared to let herself start hoping. She managed to wrangle Lee for long enough to hold her out like an elongated cat. ¡°You¡¯re okay?¡±

    ¡°My rune is fixed. I took a bite out of Decras, just like Noah. I¡­ yeah. That¡¯s it. Didn¡¯t do anything else.¡±

    Noah squinted at her. Moxie, who normally would have never missed such an obvious interaction, was a little caught up on the first part of Lee¡¯s admission. Her mouth dropped open.

    ¡°You did what?¡±

    ¡°Quite literally that,¡± Noah said, walking over to Moxie and gently extracting Lee from her hands so she could have a moment to actually think. Lee didn¡¯t try to fight back. Other than eating, there wasn¡¯t much she enjoyed more than getting carried around. ¡°I think we¡¯re going to need to put together a charcuterie board at this rate. A fruit basket might not cut it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you cannot be¡ª¡± Moxie cut herself off and turned away for a moment to wipe her face with a sleeve. She let out a long, slow breath as she steadied herself, fighting to hold her emotions down. ¡°I can¡¯t leave either of you alone for more than a minute.¡±

    ¡°We do kind of need a supervisor, don¡¯t we?¡± Noah asked.

    ¡°Sometimes,¡± Lee said. ¡°But that makes it harder to eat the squirrels.¡±

    Noah grimaced. He hadn¡¯t forgotten about that particular tidbit. For a moment, he tried to remember if he¡¯d shared any meals with Lee after any of her¡­ squirrel escapades. His memory failed him. That was probably for the best. Noah wasn¡¯t so sure he wanted to know.

    ¡°The squirrels? What does that have to do with anything?¡±

    ¡°We agreed to stop keeping secrets. I¡¯m sure Lee will fill you in when you get a moment together.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Moxie nodded her understanding. There were some things that, even among friendly company, were not meant to be shared.

    ¡°Are we going back home now?¡± Lee asked, craning her neck to look back at Noah.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Noah said. He looked to Sticky and cleared his throat. ¡°That is¡­ if you¡¯re okay with trying to open a portal again? I know the last one was really stressful. No rush this time around. You can take your time.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to take time!¡± Sticky scrambled to her feet and thrust the key out before her. ¡°I can do it. I¡¯m ready. It might take a little while though. I want to be careful this time. So I don¡¯t break anything.¡±

    ¡°A little while is fine,¡± Noah said. ¡°Thank you, Sticky.¡±

    She gave him a firm nod and sat back down, focusing her attention on the artifact. Tiny streams of crimson energy began to twist around its surface. They were forming a lot slower than they had the previous time around. It looked like it would probably take her at least an hour or two to manage the portal.

    Sievan watched over her with an expression almost akin to that of a proud father ¡ª but not quite there. There was something about the demon that made his emotions completely foreign to Noah. No matter how friendly Sievan was, he was still the Lord of Death. He and Noah understood each other, but they were far from the same.

    ¡°It has been an eventful meeting,¡± Sievan said, looking down at the gaping hole in his chest. ¡°The Damned Plains will be an¡­ interesting location in coming years. I have played a passive role for many years, but perhaps it is time for some change.¡±

    For a moment, Noah almost felt bad for the Demon Lords. If Sievan decided that he was going to take over the Damned Plains, he was almost certain that none of them could do anything to stop him.

    Sievan caught Noah¡¯s expression and chuckled.

    ¡°Not anywhere near that extensive¡­ but Sticky has worked too hard for her efforts to go to waste. There must be a way for demons to access her efforts, should they wish to utilize it.¡±

    Surprise prickled at Noah¡¯s thoughts. Somehow, he hadn¡¯t expected Sievan to offer to help distribute Sticky Runes. He supposed it made sense ¡ª it wasn¡¯t like he could sit around in the Damned Plains peddling them to everyone.

    ¡°I can get one for you to copy,¡± Noah said. ¡°We¡¯ll be here a bit while we wait for the portal anyway.¡±

    ¡°Very good. I do not expect many will initially take the risk to attempt using it, but it is a good start. Perhaps some will. Perhaps we will learn from it.¡± One corner of Sievan¡¯s lip curled up. ¡°I doubt it. We are a stubborn kind. But it will be interesting to see change in a plane that has been stagnant for this long.¡±

    ¡°I suspect we¡¯ll be back at some point in the future,¡± Noah said. ¡°I don¡¯t think our business here is done. Every time I think I¡¯ve gotten closer to figuring out everything there is to know about Runes, I figure out I don¡¯t know shit. The Damned Plains have so much to study.¡±

    Sievan let out a soft laugh. ¡°That means you are beginning to truly understand. I look forward to seeing what you can come up with ¡ª but there is more business that we must conclude before I can allow you to leave.¡±

    ¡°There is?¡±

    ¡°You brought me a Death Rune,¡± Sievan said, his eyes flicking to Lee. ¡°Even if I did not take it. And you will also be giving me another Rune before you leave. I am not one who leaves my debts unpaid.¡±

    He¡¯s going to give me a free rune? Hell yeah. I knew I loved this guy. The Lord of Death is my second favorite demo ¡ª well, Sticky is pretty endearing. Third favorite? But then there¡¯s Aylin as well. Ah, shit. Well, he¡¯s up there. Somewhere in the top¡­ ten or so.

    ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you,¡± Noah said, already trying to figure out what Rune would work the best. If Sievan was willing to bargain, he was pretty sure they could get something incredibly powerful.

    ¡°It is not you who I have a Rune for.¡±

    Noah blinked. That was fine with him ¡ª but it sounded like Sievan had someone in specific in mind.

    ¡°Who¡¯s it for?¡± Moxie asked. ¡°Lee?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Sievan replied. ¡°You.¡±

    ***

    Moxie and Sievan headed down the floating stairwell to retrieve her rune. Apparently, Sievan didn¡¯t have it on hand. That was fine with Noah. He set about the surprisingly difficult task of duplicating Sticky¡¯s rune.

    The difficulty was almost entirely because his grimoire had decided it had worked enough without sufficient pay and stubbornly refused to give up any magical energy until he¡¯d finally prodded it into submission.

    Sievan and Moxie returned just a few minutes after Noah wrapped up his work. Sticky¡¯s portal was almost entirely complete beside him, the final strands of energy twisting together into a twisting crimson maw that yawned open in wait for them.

    There was an odd look on Moxie¡¯s face. It was an odd mixture of pensiveness, unease, and what might have been interest. It was a look that told Noah that he¡¯d have to ask her exactly what Sievan had given her after they got a moment alone.

    Sievan harvested the duplicate Sticky rune from the book, then sent a bemused look at the grimoire¡¯s pages.

    ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± Sievan asked.

    ¡°Do you?¡± Noah¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Will you tell¡ª¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Sievan said with a wry smile. ¡°I suspect it would be displeased if I did.¡±

    ¡°What, you¡¯re scared of a book?¡±

    ¡°Me? No. But it is amusing,¡± Sievan replied. ¡°What a curious little¡­ conglomeration. It seems to rather like you.¡±

    The grimoire snapped shut on Noah¡¯s hand. He let out a slew of curses and yanked his fingers free of its thick pages, slinging the huge book over his back. ¡°You could have fooled me.¡±

    Despite his words, he hadn¡¯t forgotten how the Grimoire had saved his students ¡ª or how it had talked to him.

    Yet another long conversation he was going to have soon.

    One that he looked forward to.

    There was a sharp pop. A wave of invisible energy rolled past Noah and prickled against his skin. Sticky¡¯s hands dropped and her back slouched as she blew out a relieved breath. She looked too tired to do anything more than give them a small smile.

    ¡°I did it. I opened a connection back to the mortal plane.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re incredible, Sticky,¡± Noah said with a grin. He hesitated. ¡°How do we control where it goes?¡±

    ¡°I set it to the place you told your friends to meet you,¡± Sticky replied. Her cheeks reddened. ¡°We were listening in.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s convenient. Great job. Sievan, is Zath¡ª¡±

    ¡°Finished with the task I set him.¡± Sievan nodded. ¡°They are prepared.¡±

    The Lord of Death cast his gaze down the stairwell. Noah followed it. The Rank 7 Demon stepped out from the hall, clearly having been called by Sievan. In his wake were a number of familiar faces.

    Noah smiled as he looked back to the portal. Excitement and a smidge of anxiety rose within him. After all this time, he was finally returning to the mortal plane ¡ª and properly, this time around. Noah was returning to his students.

    He just hoped they wouldn¡¯t mind that he was bringing a few new friends back with him.

 Chapter 582: A thousand

    Inquisitor Twistfinger was becoming increasingly certain that there was something odd happening at Arbitage.

    He ran his thumb over the smooth surface of a large, bone bead in his rosary. The evidence had been building up day by day. Missing Inquisitors. Traces of demonic energy. Reports of demon sightings ¡ª though the latter was always a dubious way to determine much of anything.

    Every fool farmer with a quill convinced themselves that some large, half-blind rodent with an odd patch in its fur was a demon when it made off with their worthless crops. Reports were almost always made by yammering fools.

    Almost always.

    Twistfinger hooked his finger around the bead and pushed it down the thread. Anger welled in his stomach. There was evidence ¡ª but just not quite enough to justify an Inquisition. If this had happened years ago, one would have already happened. It it would have happened when several Inquisitors went missing near the Linwick Estate. It should have happened again when another Inquisitor on leave had gone missing while investigating Arbitage itself.

    But it had not.

    The Inquisition had gotten complacent, but there was more than that. Information had gotten delayed. Lost. The details of the missing Inquisitors had been purged. Twistfinger had only even realized they were missing because of his personal reviews of records. Nobody had properly reported their deaths.

    Someone was interfering.

    They were interfering to such a degree that when Twistfinger had brought his findings to the other Head Inquisitors, they had quietly smothered his findings. Some promised to look into things, then did nothing. Others just told him he was a paranoid fool. They said he saw shadows where there was only light.

    Twistfinger¡¯s jaw clenched. Old wounds in his neck throbbed, but he ignored them. Anger was a tool. Emotions were a tool. He was not controlled by his desires. They obeyed his will.

    The anger evaporated, crushed under the weight of his willpower. The rest of the Inquisition had been taken out of the battle. He did not know how it had been done. There were no obvious signs of mind control ¡ª not to mention how impossible it would have been to control the other heads of the Inquisition.

    Every Head was a Rank 6. They, just like he, had trained their entire lives to purge the threat of demonic influence from this realm. There was no way they all would have fallen to mind control. There was no mage powerful enough to pull that off.

    No, this was something else. Perhaps there was an inside agent undermining Twistfinger¡¯s efforts. A Head that had allied with the demons ¡ª or perhaps they had simply gotten lazy. There hadn¡¯t been a major demonic incursion in years. Complacency bred weakness.

    But whatever the reason, it didn¡¯t matter. Twistfinger had not become an Inquisitor to beg others for help. He had become an Inquisitor to act.

    And that was what he had done.

    Paved cobblestone rang beneath Twistfinger¡¯s Imbued boots as he strode across the street, a black cloak wrapped around his body and the hood pulled low over his head to hide the protective Imbuements that he had tattooed into his skin.

    He¡¯d considered bringing some of the younger Inquisitors along with him. Reinforcements would have been useful ¡ª but he couldn¡¯t bear with the thought of leading them to their deaths.

    Any threat powerful enough to effectively decapitate the rest of the Inquisition was far too great for a Rank 4 or 5. He had to deal with this himself.

    It was not a mission Twistfinger expected to return from.

    That thought hung around his neck like a noose, tightening with every step he took. He couldn¡¯t bear to think of the names of the other Heads. Not anymore. That would bring emotion, and emotion was weakness when it came to fighting demons.

    Today, his friends were nothing more than the Heads. And the Heads had been strong. They had been righteous. They would have never faltered from such a threat, but somehow, they had all been removed from the playing board.

    And if they had been removed, then he would be too. It was only a matter of time. He doubted he would be able to defeat what they could not. Not if he met the threat on its terms ¡ª and thus, he met it on his.

    Death may wait for me today, but I will not die without purpose.

    Twistfinger¡¯s death would not be so simple to conceal. He had left letters detailing every scrap of what he set out to do today.

    A hundred of them, to be specific. Twistfinger had written until his fingers bled. Some had already been delivered. Others had orders to be delivered, while some were hidden among his belongings.

    There would be record of what he did today. And there were more branches of Inquisitors. He had sent letters to them, too. He would have liked to seek them out directly, but the others were far more¡­ discreet than the main branch.

    If Twistfinger¡¯s analysis of the situation was correct, then there was no way to contact them in time. He¡¯d been forced to settle for more letters.

    Of course, he had no plans to fall. It was a very strong possibility ¡ª one that he had accounted for ¡ª but he had taken equal steps to ensure that he would survive. The rosary in his hand held more power than almost any other in the Inquisition. His clothes were woven with demonic bone fragments and treated with their blood before being imbued by some of the strongest mages the Inquisition had.

    He was ready for a war ¡ª and there was no doubt in Twistfinger¡¯s mind that a war was what this would be. The only question was whether it started with his death or if his preperations were sufficient to find the evidence he truly needed to force the rest of the Inquisition into motion.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    The sound of Twistfinger¡¯s echoing footfalls stopped. He had arrived at his destination. The only hint he had managed to scour from all the evidence he had studied. The Head Inqusitior lifted his gaze from the cobbled ground.

    A mansion rose before him. A tall ring of multicolored, thorny shrubbery rose up before it, walling off a large garden. White brick made up a pathway through the garden, leading up to the imposing wooden door. The door already stood open, allowing access into a red-carpeted hall.

    So this is it. What sort of man is so arrogant that he names himself Father?

    It mattered not. It seemed that Father was ready for him.

    Twistfinger strode into the hall, throwing his hood back. There was no point disguising himself any longer. If Father knew he was coming, then it was just pointless theatrics. The Inquisitor strode down the plush red carpet and arrived at a large stairwell leading down into the depths of the mansion.

    Far above, he could just barely make out the sound of distant music. A Formation.

    He did not have to pause to steady himself. An Inquisitor was always prepared. He had no fear. He had no weakness. There was only what must be done.

    Twistfinger descended the stairwell, following the winding stairs in circles as they brought him deeper into the depths of the mansion. The sounds of the Formation had faded into the distance by the time he arrived at a long, thin hallway.

    Doors lined the left side of the hall, leading up to a massive vault entrance flanked by two lanterns of flickering purple flame. The vault door was covered with so many Imbuements that Twistfinger could feel them from a dozen feet away ¡ª and, because of them, he could feel nothing else. There was too much information to filter through.

    He approached the door, focusing his senses and preparing his domain for an ambush. The doorway ground open before he was even before it, allowing entry into a plain office. An elderly man sat at a wooden desk within it, his fingers interlaced and expression unreadable.

    Twistfinger¡¯s mind exploded forward to scan the surroundings.

    There was nothing. The only person he could feel within the room was Father.

    Does he not know why I am here? Is he so arrogant that he believes I do not pose a threat? Or is he so powerful that he knows I do not?

    The final option seemed¡­ doubtful. Twistfinger¡¯s magic took father in. His domain assessed his opponent, and it found him lacking.

    Father was not a weak mage. His Runes had quite a bit of pressure, but he was nowhere near powerful enough to overwhelm the other Heads of the Inquisition. Even if Father were a mind mage, he would not have been able to control them so effectively.

    ¡°Come in,¡± Father said, his eyes as empty and black as a starless night.

    Twistfinger walked in. He was not a brute. His suspicions were strong, but he did not have enough evidence to start murdering members of Noble families. And Father, early Rank 6 as he may have been, was not powerful enough to force him to become a monster.

    The door ground shut behind the Inquisitor. It was a pointless show of power, and Twistfinger did not acknowledge it.

    Father nodded to a plain wooden chair across the desk. ¡°Will you sit?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Twistfinger said. His voice was raspy and damaged. It had been ever since a demon had nearly ripped his throat out when he was fourteen and overconfident in his abilities. He could have had it fixed by a powerful healer, but it worked just fine the way it was. As a reminder.

    ¡°I thought as much,¡± Father said. He took a glass of wine from the desk beside him and poured himself a glass. ¡°I trust you won¡¯t take a drink either.¡±

    ¡°I will not. You know why I am here.¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± Father raised the glass to his lips and took a sip from it. He let out a satisfied sigh, but his eyes didn¡¯t so much as flicker. They remained flat and dead. He hadn¡¯t taken so much as a scrap of pleasure from the action. It was just for show.

    ¡°Then speak. Do you cavort with demons?¡±

    Twistfinger ran a finger over the bone rosary, sending power into it. Energy burned within the beads, seeking demons to resonate with.

    Father didn¡¯t so much as flinch.

    ¡°That is an interesting question. If you had asked it some time ago, I would have said yes. I would have been wrong, but you would have believed me. Today, my answer is no, but you will not believe me.¡±

    ¡°Illogical,¡± Twistfinger said. He did not let his expression change, but every one of his senses dialed to the max. Father had just admitted to working with demons. He gathered every scrap of potential emotion and crushed them, shoving them far back into his mind and locking them away. ¡°I do not understand, but did you just confirm you have worked or attempted to work with demons?¡±

    ¡°Something is not illogical simply because you do not understand it,¡± Father said. He rose from his chair, then gently took the glass of wine and set it on a shelf beside himself. ¡°But I do not expect someone with a world scope as narrow as yours to understand that.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t reacting to the beads at all. Twistfinger poured even more energy into the artifact, but Father remained unbothered. That should have been impossible. Even if Father had only summoned a demon, the residual energy should have reacted with the rosary¡¯s magic.

    ¡°Do you think this is a game?¡± Twistfinger rasped. ¡°Do you know what is at stake?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes. More than you ever could. But I believe words are wasted when it is just the two of us, Inquisitor. I have an appointment to be at very soon, so I have only cut you out a small block of my time.¡±

    ¡°You do not dictate the time we have, Linwick. You do not seem to be influenced by any demonic sources, but I will be thoroughly examining your estate. Cooperate or die.¡±

    ¡°Children.¡± Father blew out a disappointed breath. The sentiment still failed to reach his eyes. ¡°So pushy. So insistent. But I suppose this makes things simple for me. I should thank you. You did deliver yourself to me, after all. That makes this much easier.¡±

    ¡°You speak arrogantly. I sense your power, and though we may both be Rank 6, your runes are far weaker than mine. Have you forgotten the immense difference that even a single Rank 6 rune can generate?¡±

    Father tilted his head to the side. Then a chuckle started deep in his chest. It intensified until his entire body was shaking, and to Twistfinger¡¯s unease, for the first time, he saw an emotion in the other man¡¯s eyes.

    Amusement.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame you came now. You might have been an interesting piece to play. Unfortunately for both of us, the game has progressed past the point in which you would be useful.¡± Father walked back to his desk and lowered himself into his chair. The emotions evaporated from his features.

    ¡°If you will not speak, then I will force you to,¡± Twistfinger said. He clasped his hands together and his blood responded from within him. It was purified with silver and completely toxic to demons ¡ª and humans.

    Cuts opened up across his palms and blood welled up from the cuts, twisting into the air and forming into two massive scythes that floated at Twistfinger¡¯s sides. They hummed with magic, imbued with enough power to cut through even another Rank 6 mage¡¯s domain.

    ¡°You will tell me of what has happened to the Inquisition. I will not allow you to escape.¡±

    ¡°Escape?¡± Father frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving this room, Inquisitor. Not yet. Now, are you certain you don¡¯t want a drink? It¡¯s customary to offer.¡±

    Twistfinger didn¡¯t let Father¡¯s taunts burrow under his skin. He needed answers ¡ª but the other mage could answer without an arm.

    His domain exploded out around him and he burst into motion, the scythes at his sides flying along with him as they flew toward Father.

    Father¡¯s eyes flicked up. And, for the first time, he locked gazes with Twistfinger.

    There was a sound like a thousand breaths slipping from punctured lungs.

    Twistfinger crumpled.

 Chapter 583: Introductions

    Isabel shifted from foot to foot, squeezing bunches of the inner material of her pant pockets in a tight grip. Ash and burnt sticks crunched beneath her feet as she tried and failed to remain still.

    Her nerves were completely shot, and she wasn¡¯t the only one. The rest of Noah¡¯s class gathered around her, along with just about everyone else they knew.

    Todd stood at Isabel¡¯s side; Emily and James several feet behind him. Alexandra and Yulin joined them, and they were flanked by Silvertide, Bird, Jalen, and Brayden. Every one of them was trying and failing to conceal their worry.

    Even Jalen was uncharacteristically silent. He stared at the space before Isabel, arms crossed and hands tucked under his armpits.

    It had been a day since the end of the exam.

    They¡¯d won, and Isabel barely even remembered it. Isabel had taken first place, while Emily had taken second. Fiona, supposedly the best student in the Advanced Track, had ended up in third, much to her immense displeasure and disbelief.

    None of them had attended the award ceremony ¡ª nor had they had anything to say about the mysterious disappearance of Jakob, Verrud, and Marley. Nobody had questioned them much. Perhaps that would come later, or perhaps not. There was something far more important on all of their minds.

    Noah, Moxie, and Lee¡¯s return.

    And so now they stood in the Scorched Acres, waiting like lost children. Noah had promised that he would return. He wouldn¡¯t lie to them.

    ¡°He¡¯s going to show up any second,¡± Todd said. There was a note of strain in his voice that stood out like a sore thumb. ¡°He always does.¡±

    ¡°Stop saying it like he¡¯s dead,¡± Isabel said firmly. ¡°We saw him. A day ago. He said he¡¯ll be back. He¡¯ll be back.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been twenty three hours and ten minutes since he said that,¡± Yulin supplied. ¡°There are still fifty minutes left for him to keep the promise. But¡­ is he really breaking out of the Damned Plains? Is that possible?¡±

    ¡°He did it once,¡± Emily said stiffly. ¡°But what about Moxie? Can she come too? What if she¡¯s stuck there?¡±

    ¡°Professor Vermil said they¡¯d all be back,¡± James said through a yawn as he paced back and forth behind Emily, dry sticks crunching beneath his feet. ¡°Just relax. He¡¯ll be here any moment.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re relaxed, why aren¡¯t you just sitting like you always do?¡± Emily asked, prodding him irritably. ¡°Stop pacing already! You¡¯re driving me up a wall.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, everyone.¡± Alexandra¡¯s hands tightened at her sides. ¡°Professor Vermil wouldn¡¯t break a promise to us. Just wait.¡±

    ¡°Are you really sure he was there yesterday?¡± Jalen asked. ¡°We didn¡¯t hallucinate it, did we? That¡¯s what missing games of darts does to a man, you know. It¡¯s a cruel torture. Do you know how long I¡¯ve had to wait to have a good opponent, only for him to up and vanish? Cruel indeed.¡±

    ¡°It was your magic that showed him to us,¡± Silvertide said, glaring at Jalen. ¡°Would you stop being insufferable for one minute?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jalen said.

    A prickle of energy rolled across Isabel¡¯s back. She stiffened, and everyone else did too. They¡¯d all felt it.

    Something was happening. Her eyes darted around as the sensation grew stronger, and a dull buzzing sensation built in the back of her mind.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Isabel took a step back. The hair on her arms and neck stood on end, and Todd lowered into a fighting stance beside her. Isabel mirrored him.

    Escaping the Damned Plains couldn¡¯t be easy. Who knew what kind of monsters would be lurking to interfere with their professors¡¯ return. She didn¡¯t know how much she¡¯d be able to do, but Isabel was ready to do whatever it took.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The instructors readied themselves as well. Even Bird hooked a finger around her top, preparing to utilize her now-honed technique inspired from Noah¡¯s fighting style.

    ¡°Look!¡± Emily exclaimed, pointing into the air.

    Todd drew in a sharp breath and Isabel craned her neck back. Her eyes widened.

    A red mote of light appeared in the air before them. It intensified until it was as light as a lantern, lowering to float about six feet above the ground. The mote traced a circle through the air, growing brighter with every moment, and leaving a trail of red energy in its wake.

    The buzzing in the back of Isabel¡¯s mind grew stronger. Slow-moving arcs of electric magic curled off the portal and extended through the air like fingers, ripping into space itself. Undulating waves of power pressed into everyone.

    Isabel was forced a step back. She raised her hand before her face and squinted past her fingers as the light grew brighter and the power more intense. Her heartbeat sped up in fear and anticipation alike.

    A portal had twisted to life in the center of the Scorched Acres.

    ¡°So much power,¡± Yulin breathed, her voice barely audible over the roar of growing magic. ¡°What kind of people are your professors?¡±

    Isabel didn¡¯t get a chance to reply. There was a loud whump, and a wave of wind exploded out from the portal. It buffeted her and bit at her eyes. Her ears popped as the pressure in the clearing abruptly shifted ¡ª and the disk of red light shimmered.

    Noah stepped out from within it.

    His foot hit the ground with a thump. Dry ashen sticks crunched beneath it as he emerged into the clearing, his grimoire slung over his back, a familiar small grin pulling at the corners of his lips.

    ¡°Well, hello there,¡± Noah said as the portal shimmered once more. Moxie and Lee stepped out from the red disk. ¡°Did you miss us?¡±

    Isabel almost dropped to the ground in relief. They were all safe.

    Then she realized that there were horns jutting out from Lee¡¯s forehead. Isabel¡¯s stomach sank like a rock.

    Oh no. What happened to Lee? She looks fine¡­ but is she losing her fight and becoming more demonic?

    She opened her mouth.

    The portal rippled again.

    ¡°Watch out!¡± Todd yelled, striking his bracers against each other to summon a coil of fire. ¡°There¡¯s something else coming!¡±

    Isabel drew on her Master Rune. Emily¡¯s ice bow snapped into her hands with a crackle, and everyone else readied their magic as well. Even Jalen¡¯s eyes sharpened. A wave of pressure rolled out from him, pressing against Isabel¡¯s back ¡ª restrained, but only barely.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Moxie called, raising a hand to forestall everyone. ¡°It¡¯s not an enemy.¡±

    ¡°We made some friends!¡± Lee exclaimed cheerfully, waving to them. ¡°Hi everyone! Did you bring me any snacks?¡±

    And then a demon boy stepped out from within the portal. Two wicked horns curled along the sides of his head. His head turned on a swivel as he took in the Scorched Acres, lips parted in childlike awe ¡ª but there was something about his eyes that set Isabel on end. They were like two black, endless pools of hunger and intelligence.

    He¡¯s dangerous.

    But he wasn¡¯t the only one. After the demon came a girl, her body stocky but lithe. She scanned over the group with a critical eye, her hands clenched at her sides and shifting from foot to foot as if ready to burst into motion at a moment¡¯s notice. She positioned herself beside the boy as he looked around the forest, glaring at everyone as if challenging them to attack.

    Another young demon woman followed after them, this one covered with sleek black fur. Her movements were difficult to track, as if the shadows clung to her very body. She slunk behind the others, wary eyes scanning over the gathered crowd as she sheparded two small demons along with her. They couldn¡¯t have been more than fourteen or fifteen years old.

    The two groups stared at each other for a long few seconds.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Bird muttered, rather aptly. Her arms fell limp at her sides.

    ¡°What?¡± Noah asked, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. ¡°We might have made a few friends while we were down in hell. It happens, you know?¡±

    The portal rippled again, and another small demon emerged from it. She didn¡¯t look much older than the last two, probably somewhere around fourteen. Her eyes were firmly affixed on the ground as if scared to meet anyone¡¯s gaze. A key clutched in her hands pulsated with a dim red light that matched the portal behind her.

    Isabel couldn¡¯t tell if she wanted to laugh or cry.

    What in the Damned Plains ¡ª literally ¡ª is going on? Did Noah bring every single demon back up with him? Surely this is¡­

    The portal rippled once more. A final demon emerged from within it, long silver hair trailing long the ground behind her. The demon¡¯s face was covered by a white mask with a blue design depicting a single eye upon its front.

    ¡°We¡¯re all here!¡± Lee said happily. ¡°Good job, Sticky!¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± the demon holding the key said shyly. She shuffled her feet on the ground, and the portal finally snapped shut.

    The two groups stared at each other. For several long seconds, neither of them said anything. Even if Isabel could have mustered the words to speak, she wasn¡¯t sure what she would have said.

    Finally, Silvertide let out a mixture between a choked laugh and a cough.

    ¡°What happened down there? Where is Wizen? And how did you get the key?¡±

    Noah cleared his throat.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story¡­ but I think I should probably start with some introductions, huh?¡±

 Chapter 584: Common

    Isabel, the rest of Noah¡¯s students, and all of the professors in the clearing sat in a circle with seven demons ¡ª eight, if she counted Lee. She was in the process of doing a remarkable job at keeping her eye from twitching as the everyone listed off their names and an interesting fact about themselves.

    ¡°My name is Sticky,¡± the small demon clutching the key in both of her hands like it was a sword said, peering out from beneath her hair shyly. ¡°I died once, but I got better.¡±

    You can¡¯t be serious. Another Noah?

    ¡°You have to give us more than that. Give me details!¡± Jalen exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air. He seemed to be the only one in the circle who was actually enjoying the exercise. Aside from him, all the other professors had been pretty caught up over the fact that they were sitting in a group of apparently friendly demons. Noah¡¯s reassurances that nobody was going to be killing anyone managed to placate them, but there was definitely more than a little unease.

    Isabel and the rest of the humans had started the ¡®sharing circle¡¯ ¡ª as Noah referred to it ¡ª though Jalen had taken nearly half of their time talking about how bored he¡¯d been for the past few weeks.

    ¡°I¡¯m a new kind of demon,¡± Sticky said.

    ¡°You¡¯re a what now?¡± Silvertide asked, leaning forward. ¡°A new kind? What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°Next person!¡± Noah said, clapping his hands together. ¡°Don¡¯t put too much stress on Sticky, please. She¡¯s just been through a lot. Aylin, you¡¯re up.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Aylin. If I figure anything new out from you, I might accidentally take a bite out of your runic energy,¡± the boy sitting beside Sticky said. ¡°I¡¯m honored to meet Spider¡¯s other minions.¡±

    Spider? Is that his name now? I suppose he went under a new alias when he was in the Damned Plains. Better than Professor Vermil, I guess.

    ¡°Students,¡± Noah corrected. ¡°Not minions.¡±

    ¡°How do you take bites out of¡ª¡± Todd started, lifting his hand and revealing a band on his hand. Then he winced and let out a slew of curses. ¡°Shit! That hurt! What was that?¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Aylin said. ¡°I was wondering how you summoned fire to use this early in the ranks. You use those metal bands, huh?¡±

    ¡°What¡ª¡±

    Todd clapped a hand over Isabel¡¯s mouth before she could finish the question. Then he just shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m working on it,¡± Aylin said sheepishly. ¡°I will try not to eat you on accident.¡±

    ¡°Is it my turn?¡± the muscular girl beside Aylin asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Noah said. ¡°No threats, please. Everyone here is a dear friend of mine.¡±

    ¡°My name is Violet. I am a Hoard Demon in Spider¡¯s merciful employ. Because he views you as his own, so long as you do not threaten those I care about, I will protect you all with my life.¡±

    Well, that¡¯s not coming on strong at all. I¡­ guess she¡¯s got her head on right, at least? I can respect wanting to protect your friends. But ¡ª

    ¡°I am Vrith.¡± The catlike demon crossed her arms in front of her chest and said nothing else.

    Noah squinted at her. ¡°Fun fact, Virth. You need a fun fact. It¡¯s integral to the process.¡±

    ¡°Not to be detrimental, but what exactly is the process here?¡± James asked wearily. ¡°Because I¡¯m not certain I¡¯m seeing the point of this.¡±

    ¡°Bonding.¡± Noah crossed his arms in front of his chest. ¡°Bonding through shared trauma. Now, Vrith. Fun fact. On with it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a fun fact.¡±

    ¡°Everyone has a fun fact. You just aren¡¯t trying hard enough. I¡¯m sure I could come up with a few. What about how Aylin feeds¡ª¡±

    ¡°I have a fun fact!¡± Vrith said, bolting upright like she¡¯d sat on an anthill. ¡°I ¡ª uh, I don¡¯t like being seen. I like hiding. That¡¯s my fun fact.¡±

    Isabel didn¡¯t miss the flicker of a grin that danced across Noah¡¯s lips. An involuntary shudder ran down her back. It looked like the Damned Plains hadn¡¯t left him completely without their mark.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°I¡¯m Edda,¡± the tiny female small demon beside Vrith said, waving to everyone. ¡°And this is Torick. My fun fact is that Torick is scared.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Torick yelped, his eyes darting around the clearing. He was most definitely scared. ¡°I ¡ª I¡¯m not scared! I¡¯m just¡­ constipated.¡±

    ¡°Constipated?¡± Edda asked. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Dunno,¡± Torick admitted. ¡°I heard Golon say it a while ago.¡±

    Noah cleared his throat. ¡°Torick and Edda are with Violet and Aylin. The four of them are siblings, but only Violet and Aylin can fight. No training for the kids. They¡¯re too young right now.¡±

    ¡°No such thing as too young,¡± Jalen said. He winced as soon as the words were out of his mouth, then hurriedly amended himself. ¡°For training. Too young for training. Oh, damn it. I give up. Does anyone want to play darts?¡±

    ¡°Sit down,¡± Noah said, pointing at Jalen as he started to rise. ¡°We¡¯ll play later, but only if you finish letting everyone introduce themselves.¡±

    Jalen sat back down.

    Somehow, that wasn¡¯t the most impressive thing that Isabel had seen all day.

    ¡°I¡¯m the last one,¡± the demon wearing the mask said. ¡°Right?¡±

    ¡°Do you really need to ask that?¡± Noah tilted his head to the side. ¡°Or are you just being polite?¡±

    ¡°I am¡­ temporarily taking up your advice,¡± the masked demon replied. ¡°We will see how long I allow for it. It makes me feel naked.¡±

    ¡°Effective for fighting,¡± Bird said under her breath.

    Todd choked on his own saliva and Isabel coughed into her fist.

    ¡°My name is Yoru.¡± The demoness paused for a second. ¡°My name is Yoku.¡±

    They all waited for a few moments.

    ¡°Interesting fact?¡± Noah reminded her.

    ¡°That was my interesting fact. I have two names. Yoru and Yoku. I made one of them specifically so a particular idiot commander would mix it up.¡±

    ¡°Which one is your real name?¡± Todd asked.

    The masked demoness thought for a moment. Her head twitched as if she wanted to tilt it to the side, but she prevented herself from finishing the motion. ¡°I do not know.¡±

    There was a long, awkward pause.

    ¡°I think I like Yoru,¡± Noah said. ¡°But we can call you whatever you¡¯d prefer.¡±

    ¡°Yoru would be nice.¡±

    And then it was done. Everyone sat in the circle quietly for a few more long seconds. None of them spoke. Even if Isabel had wanted to, she had absolutely no idea what she should say.

    There were so many emotions twisting in her chest that she couldn¡¯t make one from the other. She had no idea what she¡¯d been expecting, but this was somehow the most Noah way that their professor could have returned.

    Finally, it was Yulin that broke the silence. The girl, who had been sitting in near complete silence the entire time, seemingly lost in contemplation of life, cleared her throat.

    ¡°Is¡­ this how your class always is?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Emily said.

    ¡°Pretty much,¡± James said.

    ¡°Somewhat,¡± Alexandra added.

    ¡°Depends on the day,¡± Todd said. ¡°It¡¯s a little less deadly than normal today. Jalen isn¡¯t throwing darts at us.¡±

    ¡°Jalen throws darts at you?¡± Noah asked, blinking in surprise. ¡°Just how much did I miss?¡±

    ¡°A lot of fun, mostly,¡± Jalen said despondently. A smile stretched across his face and he rose to his feet. ¡°But something tells me you¡¯re going to make up for that soon enough. I really want to see how you¡¯re going to manage to slip a classroom full of demons into Arbitage grounds.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a few ideas,¡± Noah said, a small grin pulling at the corner of his lips. ¡°But that¡¯s definitely going to be a little problematic. I¡¯m hoping they don¡¯t mind camping out for a little while until we can find a way to do more proper lodgings.¡±

    ¡°Spending time in the mortal plane is like a dream come true,¡± Aylin said, looking around the Scorched Acres with wonder scrawled across his features. ¡°There¡¯s so much wood here. I¡¯m rich. I could stay here for a year.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t have to be anything that extreme,¡± Noah said with a chuckle. ¡°Just for long enough until I can figure out how to smuggle some demons into school grounds.¡±

    Yulin sent a sidelong glance at Alexandra. ¡°He¡¯s always like this?¡±

    ¡°Oh, usually much worse,¡± Alexandra replied absentmindedly. Her gaze was affixed on the demons, the curiosity in her expression undisguised. ¡°I think he¡¯s in a good mood today ¡ª but more importantly, are any of you willing to exchange sparring tips? I¡¯ve only fought one demon before. I bet there¡¯s a lot I could learn from you.¡±

    ¡°Predict all of your opponents moves perfectly and you¡¯ll never lose,¡± Yoru advised.

    ¡°Run away,¡± Sticky put in.

    ¡°Let Spider kill them for you,¡± Aylin suggested.

    ¡°Or Lee,¡± Vrith muttered.

    Noah clapped his hands together, a small smile on his face. He gestured for everyone to stand up. ¡°We don¡¯t have to remain in a circle forever, guys. Get to know each other ¡ª other than you, Aylin. Just talk about yourself. No asking him questions until he figures out how to get a handle on that magic.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m working on it,¡± Aylin said, his cheeks reddening.

    ¡°I know you are,¡± Noah said. ¡°And I¡¯m sure you will. Many of the people here will be able to help as well. We¡¯re taking a bit of a risk doing this, but I¡¯m not leaving any of you behind. Everyone is to treat each other as an equal. We can all learn a lot from each other. Keep any sparring to a minimum today until we can make sure everything is safe. I don¡¯t want anyone getting hurt, okay?¡±

    At that, every demon and human student in the clearing nodded. They rose to their feet, hesitantly at first, and the very beginnings of awkward conversation started up amongst them.

    Noah broke away to catch up with the other professors while the students continued their conversation. That conversation grew just a little less uncomfortable with every passing word.

    Demons and humans couldn¡¯t have possibly been more different from each other, but as it turned out, they had more than a few things in common as well.

 Chapter 585: Lorne

    Garina was halfway through taking a bite out of Ferdinand¡¯s sandwich when the wave of magic slammed into her like a roaring storm.

    Someone powerful had arrived within the empire. Someone that shouldn¡¯t have been there.

    Goosebumps erupted across her skin and her hair stood on end. She nearly choked on her bite as she shot up from the wooden lounge chair she sat in ¡ª though not too quicky. Garina didn¡¯t want to break the chair. Ferdinand had spent several hours making it.

    Her feet landed on the hot sand, her head already turning toward the source of the magic by the time she had risen.

    And then the presence vanished.

    Garina froze on the spot. She focused her senses, but it was fruitless. She found nothing. Confusion prickled at her mind and an uneasy blanket wrapped itself around her shoulders and weighed down on her back.

    ¡°Garina?¡± Ferdinand asked, glancing over from his chair. One of the cucumber slices he had on his eyes fell off and splattered to the sand beneath him. ¡°Is something wrong? Or did you already get back after dealing with it?¡±

    What was that? I know I just felt someone¡­ right?

    There was no possibility that she¡¯d hallucinated it. But if she hadn¡¯t, that meant an immense presence had just broken through the barrier between planes and then vanished mere moments later as if it had never been there.

    The amount of power needed to do something like that was deeply concerning. There were a number of monstrous existences that could have pulled it off. None of them should have had the slightest interest in the empire.

    ¡°Someone just broke into the protected zone,¡± Garina said.

    ¡°Oh. Do you have to go deal with them? Also, you¡¯re crushing your sandwich.¡±

    Garina glanced down at her hand. It had been transformed into a ball of crushed bread and squashed ingredients. Sauce rolled down her fingers and dripped from her hand. Her eye twitched in annoyance.

    And now I¡¯ve gone and ruined a perfectly good meal. Gods damn it.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Garina said. ¡°And I would be happy to deal with them if I knew where they were.¡±

    Ferdinand sat straight upright, worry creasing his near-hairless face as realization passed over his features. ¡°You mean¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not that one. I still don¡¯t know where the first bastard that escaped me is.¡± Garina¡¯s expression darkened even further. ¡°I was unhappy enough when there was just one of them. Now there are two. Give me a second. And another sandwich.¡±

    She extended her hands and drew deeply on her magic, sending her magic twisting through the nature around them. It rolled across the waves lapping against the beach and stretched over the swaying forest behind them. Fingers of power extended across the entirety of the kingdom, trawling through the runic energy permeating the world for any traces of an intruder.

    It had been years since the last time someone had managed to trick Garina. And before that, it had been never.

    She¡¯d taken a few measures to ensure a similar issue didn¡¯t happen a second time around. Where there were great powers that did not want to be known, there were signs. A gap in power could be just as telling as an excess of it.

    For several long seconds, she stood as still as ice. Whoever this was, they were talented. There were nearly no traces of their arrival at all. But Garina had spent more than a few nights pissed off in bed and trying to figure out a way to ensure she was never made a fool of again.

    And, as it had turned out, there was only one real way to determine where someone immensely powerful and determined to conceal themselves was hiding. It was to memorize the patterns of every single location.

    Everything in the universe was a pattern. Runes bound even the most basic and simple of concepts together, permeating the very essence of every being. The world was no different. Its patterns were subtle, beautiful, and immensely infuriating. They constantly changed, an endless ebb and flow as the cycle of existence ran its eternal course.

    Attempting to memorize them was like trying to remove sand from a beach one grain at a time.

    Garina had done it.

    It had taken her years, but she had done it. Every single night, she¡¯d studied the patterns of the world and committed them to memory. Even changes had a pattern to them, and they were a pattern that could be learned with sufficient agony. She¡¯d hated every second of it, but she hated losing even more. Every scrap of her effort had been put in to ensure that nobody made a fool of her again.

    And now, her efforts finally paid off.

    There was a change to the world¡¯s pattern. One that didn¡¯t belong, and one that was localized in a location that she¡¯d actually rather enjoyed.

    Though I hate admitting I¡¯m wrong, I may have to find that little demoness and tell her she had a point. It looks like I¡¯ll be paying her town a visit.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± Garina said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need help, do you?¡±

    Garina arched an eyebrow. Ferdinand shrugged in response.

    ¡°I figured I¡¯d offer. I¡¯ll have a sandwich for you when you come back.¡±

    Some of the anger and displeasure welling in Garina¡¯s chest faltered and a faint smile pulled across her lips. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Ferdinand nodded amiably, and then Garina was gone.

    ***Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Leagues away, beyond the kingdom and well outside of Garina¡¯s domain, a man sitting in a stone chair in an empty cave was trying to remember which face belonged to him.

    There were just so many of them. He was pretty sure that he was a she yesterday, but that had been yesterday and yesterdays were best left in the past. Then again, he had never been a huge fan of todays either. It was the tomorrows that he tended to prefer, but the tomorrows were always a day away.

    It was all quite a bother.

    The man heaved a sigh ¡ª and it came out through two mouths. He blinked, then hopped to his feet and turned around.

    ¡°Aha!¡± the man exclaimed, looking down at a thin line on the armrest of the stone chair. Molten crimson energy twisted between his fingers like a snake as he reached down and plucked the line, pulling it right out of the stone.

    He slapped it onto his palm. His skin split apart, revealing two rows of uncomfortably wide teeth.

    ¡°There you are,¡± the man said from his mouth and his hand alike. ¡°I was wondering where I left you. Now, where¡¯s the rest of your face?¡±

    The mouth, as good as it was at talking, did not give him an answer. The man resisted the urge to heave another sigh. Mouths enjoyed talking. That was what they were meant to do, after all. But they did not enjoy telling.

    There was a difference, after all. He couldn¡¯t go around talking pointlessly until his mouth told him where the rest of its face was.

    He was pretty sure he liked that face.

    A distant thud echoed through the empty room, and the man blinked again. One of his eyelids moved in the wrong direction. They tended to do that when he forgot to remind them which way to move.

    The man plucked the line from his palm and slapped it back onto the armrest of his chair. With a flick of a finger, he sent a streamer of red light flying free. It flashed into the line and stitched the mouth shut, sealing it.

    ¡°You stay there,¡± the man said, and the mouth on the chair remained silent.

    He turned, brushing off his immaculately cared for robes. It seemed that he had a visitor. He was fortunate that he¡¯d wore his favorite clothes today. They were spun of white silk and softer than the kiss of a goddess ¡ª not that he¡¯d ever had a chance to try the latter out. That was probably one of the events that would arrive with tomorrow, whenever tomorrow decided to stick around for more than a day.

    Then the wall to his side split open, and sound spilled forth from the hall beyond.

    ¡°Let me go!¡± a girl screamed, her legs kicking desperately as two men carried her in, holding her in the air by either arm. She wore rags covered with a mixture of blood and fluids. Both of the men bearing her in were clad in black hood and matching robes, leaving no parts of their skin visible.

    The men threw the girl to the ground. She hit it with a pained grunt, rolling once and letting out a whimper of pain. Blood leaked across the floor behind her. She¡¯d been run through somewhere. It didn¡¯t look like she was going to die immediately, but it wouldn¡¯t be long.

    A rumble filled the room as the passageway closed behind the men.

    ¡°No!¡± the girl begged, dragging herself upright and lurching for the stone, only for her hands to collide with cold stone. She spun, staring at the man before the throne with wild terror dancing in her eyes. The girl stood heavily on one leg; the other was stained with blood. ¡°Stay away from me! I ¡ª I didn¡¯t do anything! I got mugged! I was just delivering milk!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have my face, do you?¡± the man asked, approaching the grimy girl. He studied her clothes intently for several moments. The way the colors mixed on her ratty dress was quite beautiful.

    ¡°Please,¡± she begged. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. Stay away from me. Let me go.¡±

    ¡°You are going to die.¡±

    ¡°I ¡ª that¡¯s fine. I can die. I don¡¯t fear death. But¡­ please. I know who you are. They warned me that you ¡ª fuck. I¡­ just let me die. Please.¡± She clutched at her chest, and red spread farther across her red dress. The girl¡¯s voice was trembling.

    A frown crossed the man¡¯s face ¡ª or at least, his current one. His actual face was still missing.

    ¡°You¡¯re lying to me.¡± The man¡¯s voice took on a singsong pitch and he flowed, arriving before the terrified girl and leaning down so they were at the same height. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s in your nature to lie, isn¡¯t it? That is the burden of kindness. You don¡¯t want to hurt my feelings. You don¡¯t want to inconvenience me.¡±

    The girl stared at him, horror cinching her throat shut.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± the man whispered, extending his hands toward her face. The finger and thumb on his right hand warped, then swapped positions in a heartbeat. ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask. It is my duty to fix you.¡±

    The girl flinched away, but the man was faster. His hands clamped down on her skull. Her eyes went wide; her skin bubbled like boiling oil. Features melted down her face, blood twisted and jerked like it was a writhing animal in the throes of death.

    She screamed.

    ***

    The girl was a good screamer. She screamed for nearly an hour before her voice gave out entirely.

    Then she fell silent, and the man finished his work in peace.

    He stepped back, his eyes delighting in the results of his creation.

    ¡°There,¡± he said. ¡°Look at you. Beautiful.¡±

    The girl stood before him, as still as ice. Her mouth hung askew, her eyes were so wide that their whites threatened to swallow her irises entirely.

    ¡°I¡­ what did you do to me?¡± the girl asked, her words coming out in a melodic whisper.

    Her body had been fixed. Her voice box had too. And, dare the man say it, they had been improved.

    ¡°You came to me for healing. I healed you, my beautiful child,¡± the man replied, giving her a gentle pat on the face. The girl flinched, but the man didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°I undid the damage to your body. You like screaming, so I fixed your voice so it can scream better. I also removed your weakness. Yes, yes I did.¡±

    ¡°My¡­ weakness?¡±

    ¡°Your vision was poor, and your heart was strained. Too much poor diet, I should say,¡± the man said, tapping a finger on his chin. ¡°Your growth was also stunted. A foot too short, you were. I added on a little.¡±

    The girl looked down at her body. Disbelief warped her features as she ran her hands across her body. Her gaze lifted back to the man and her voice trembled as she spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. How?¡±

    ¡°Because I decided you needed fixing,¡± the man replied, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. ¡°There are many things in the world that need fixing.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± The word slipped from the girl¡¯s mouth unbidden, and she looked mortified the moment after it escaped.

    The man didn¡¯t mind. A smile split his features.

    ¡°Have you ever built a tower of wood pieces? Built it as tall as you could, up until your chin and then a log further?¡±

    She shook her head.

    ¡°Ah. You would not understand.¡± The man patted her on the shoulder and she flinched, but nothing happens. He simply turned away and walked back over to the stone chair. He paused before he sat and glanced back. ¡°Say, have you seen my face?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± the girl said, swallowing heavily. ¡°I think you¡¯re wearing it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. This isn¡¯t mine,¡± the man replied with a shake of his head. He pointed at the smooth stone walls and a passageway opened up. ¡°You were heading in that direction. Don¡¯t forget your milk, even if it¡¯s spoiled by now. One must finish the jobs they start.¡±

    The girl stared at him for several long seconds. Then she mustered up a scrap of courage. ¡°You saved me? Just for free?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want anything in return?¡±

    ¡°What I want can only be taken. Unless you know where my face is?¡±

    The girl shook her head.

    ¡°Then on with you.¡±

    ¡°Can ¡ª can I ask your name? I want to know. It hurt so much¡­ but you saved me. I didn¡¯t want to die.¡±

    ¡°I know you didn¡¯t,¡± the man replied idly. ¡°Today, my name is Lorne.¡±

    The girl looked from him to the passageway. Then she nodded, turned, and ran into the darkness.

    Lorne nodded to himself. He walked back over to his stone seat and sat down, watching a crackle of red energy play between his fingers.

    Then a frown crossed his features.

    ¡°Where did I put my mouth?¡±

 Book 5 of Runebound is out on Amazon!

    Hi guys! Runebound 5 has released on amazon! It''s been a ton of work getting this far, so I''d like to thank everyone for reading. Writing Runebound has been such a blast. This marks something around 1 million words of RB out on amazon!

    If you''d like to support me, please consider going over and leaving a rating / review, you don''t even have to download or pay for the novel. I got some moron instantly give me a 1* review claiming the cover was AI when it is not.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    If you want to check the novel out, you can see it HERE on KU!</a>

    Also, check out this cover.

    I really like it, and I feel horrible for the artist who put a ton of work in only for this to just instantly be called ai.

 Chapter 586: Recruits

    With everyone¡¯s introductions done and tensions rather low in the clearing, there were only a few things left that Noah had to take care of before he and the others could return to Arbitage, which would come with its own host of new problems.

    And so, while everyone else was distracted by a mixture of Lee, Jalen, and the general absurdity of the situation as a whole, he made his way over to Yulin.

    The girl stood at the edge of the clearing, a clear separation between her and the others. Alexandra had been keeping her company and trying to get her to mingle with the others to little success.

    Noah had been forced to wait for Alexandra to head off to get them some food before he made his move. He trusted her, but this wasn¡¯t something he wanted to do with other people around. It made things more difficult ¡ª and whether Silvertide knew it or not, his words still rung in Noah¡¯s head like an echo.

    There was no room for weakness. No room for mercy when the people that depended on him were involved. He wouldn¡¯t be cruel, but there would be no chances. No opportunities for someone to take advantage of idiocy.

    Yulin looked up at Noah as he arrived behind her. Neither of them had to say a word. She didn¡¯t even look surprised at his arrival. She just quietly nodded, then followed Noah through the blackened trees and into the forest.

    They walked for several minutes in silence. Noah took those moments to sift through his thoughts. Yulin was a student, no older than any of the others. She¡¯d also gone out of her way to help everyone, going so far as to put her own life at risk.

    Those were huge marks in her favor. Noah highly doubted that Jakob or Verrud had planned to kill Isabel at the cost of their own lives. Of course, he had no delusions that the two of them were the only ones aware of her rune.

    They had only been the beginning. If they¡¯d known, then higher members in the families had known as well. Yulin could have been a plant from someone even higher up, set in case her professors had failed. She certainly had the training to pull it off.

    Noah shook his head. Conspiracy theories without anything to base them on would get him nowhere. All he knew was that, from here on out, the Torrins and the Herrons were functionally his enemies. It just remained to be seen where Yulin¡¯s allegiances truly laid.

    He and Yulin came to a stop after about ten minutes had passed with the only sound being the crunch of the dry ashen sticks beneath their feet. The scent of burnt wood lingered in every part of the Scorched Acres, and this one was no different.

    For some reason, it was oddly comforting.

    Noah turned to face Yulin.

    ¡°Are you going to kill me?¡± Yulin asked quietly, her features bearing no more expression than a still lake.

    ¡°That¡¯s an odd question to ask in such a calm tone.¡±

    ¡°It would make sense. I am associated with your enemies. I am surprised you did not do it earlier, but I suspected that you knew your students would not approve and so you were waiting for a more opportune time to act.¡±

    ¡°You knew that and you didn¡¯t run?¡± Noah tilted his head to the side, a habit that he¡¯d mistakenly built up during the time he¡¯d spent in his Spider persona ¡ª one that he wasn¡¯t so sure he¡¯d be shaking off anytime soon.

    ¡°Running would be pointless. You escaped from the Damned Plains. I think you¡¯d be able to hunt down a Torrin on the brink of exile. They would accept me back in, but with Jakob dead, there is little use for me in the near future. I would be given up the moment you made it clear you were hunting for me.¡±

    Man, this is almost sad. She¡¯s so resigned to whatever fate she gets dealt that she barely even seems to care about her own life. I just can¡¯t tell if this is an act or if this is genuinely what the Torrins have made her into.

    ¡°I doubt the Torrins would be so willing to work with me after what I did to their last head¡ª¡±

    ¡°You were just a bystander.¡±

    Noah arched an eyebrow. ¡°I think we can get past the bullshit for today, Yulin. We¡¯re in a very unique spot, you and I. One where there¡¯s no point to keep secrets.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re going to kill me.¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m either going to kill you or you¡¯re going to join my side,¡± Noah corrected. ¡°And regardless of what you end up doing, my secrets remain safe. Thus, I don¡¯t feel any fear in revealing that I killed Evergreen. She had it coming.¡±

    Not going to mention that Lee and Moxie were involved, though. I really don¡¯t care what the Torrins think of me at this point¡­ but I¡¯m going to have to take the last few steps to gaining power before I let them find too much out. That¡¯s a problem to deal with after this.

    ¡°She probably did,¡± Yulin admitted. ¡°She was a cruel woman.¡±

    ¡°She was,¡± Noah agreed. ¡°Killing her was one of the best things I¡¯ve done here.¡±

    ¡°Here?¡± Yulin asked.

    Noah shook his head. That was a secret that she wasn¡¯t getting anytime soon. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the topic at hand, Yulin. I want to know why.¡±

    ¡°Why what?¡±

    ¡°Why did you help my students? If you hadn¡¯t, Jakob and Verrud likely would have gotten what they wanted. Was it to take revenge on them for the way they treated you?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Yulin said. ¡°I am a servant. To serve is my duty.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the bullshit that the Torrin family hammered into your head, and I don¡¯t buy it for a second.¡±

    A tiny smile flickered across Yulin¡¯s lips. ¡°No. Neither do I. But that is still the answer the world must hear.¡±

    ¡°And the answer that I hear?¡±

    Several seconds passed before Yulin spoke.

    ¡°Marley was an insufferable spoiled brat that used me like a toy and punching bag. Jakob saw me as an emotionless weapon to be used in the training of his brat. I never cared. That was just life¡­ until I ran into Alexandra. She wanted to train with me just because it was fun. No ulterior motives. She just wanted to talk and fight. At first, I viewed it as reconnaissance for the mission. I didn¡¯t realize how much fun I was having until it was too late.¡±

    ¡°Alexandra was safe, though,¡± Noah pointed out. ¡°She was nowhere near the fight. You brought her to it.¡±

    ¡°She would have been distraught if the others were killed. I was just repaying a debt.¡±

    ¡°So it was purely transactional. That¡¯s what you¡¯re trying to say? You only helped because you felt you owed Alexandra for giving you a few moments where you were actually treated like a human.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I¡¯m not so sure I buy that. This was more than repaying a debt.

    ¡°That was a lie.¡± A quiet voice echoed through the trees around them.

    Noah and Yulin both looked to their left as Aylin stepped out from between two scorched trunks and approached them.

    ¡°You followed us?¡± Yulin asked, blinking.

    ¡°I asked him to,¡± Noah replied. He put a hand on Aylin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s particularly good at pulling the truth out of situations. I would have preferred that we could speak with just the two of us for a little longer, but I trust he¡¯s come to a decision if he¡¯s revealed himself.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s been honest about everything but two answers,¡± Aylin said. ¡°She doesn¡¯t believe that she was repaying a debt, and she didn¡¯t view it as transactional.¡±

    Yulin stared at him in surprise. ¡°How could you possibly know that? Are you a Mind Rune user?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Answer his questions honestly, please,¡± Noah said. ¡°And well done, Aylin. It doesn¡¯t look like you took a bite out of her.¡±

    ¡°I am doing my best,¡± Aylin said, his voice slightly terse. He was definitely exerting more than a little effort to make sure he didn¡¯t mistakenly start snacking on the Torrin.

    There were a few seconds of silence. Then Yulin grimaced. ¡°I might honestly prefer if you just killed me.¡±

    ¡°At this point, I¡¯m really not feeling all that inclined to do so,¡± Noah said. ¡°You don¡¯t have an ulterior motive. My only concern was if you were working for someone above Jakob or Verrud. But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case, is it?¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Truth,¡± Aylin said.

    Yulin heaved a sigh. ¡°This is so embarrassing. I helped because I¡¯ve never had a friend before. I didn¡¯t want Alexandra to be sad or angry at me. I wanted to be able to keep training with her. That¡¯s it.¡±

    Noah didn¡¯t need Aylin to say anything. The Knowledge Demon gave him a slight nod, but it was practically pointless. Yulin was telling the truth.

    ¡°That¡¯s a reason I can get behind,¡± Noah said. ¡°Most anything other than not working directly for the Torrins to kill Isabel would have been, honestly. But now you¡¯ve got a new problem to figure out.¡±

    ¡°You mean you¡¯re not killing me?¡±

    ¡°I already said I wasn¡¯t a while ago. But you are going to have to figure out what it is you want to do. Because if you want to keep training with Alexandra, that means you¡¯re joining up with me ¡ª and turning against the Torrin family. I know you gave an excuse of following Emily, but I think we both know that won¡¯t hold up with them. You¡¯ll be their enemy. Is that fine with you?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Yulin said without an instant of hesitation.

    Normally, Noah would have been concerned about such a hasty decision, but he wasn¡¯t really all that surprised to see how much Yulin disliked her family. He hadn¡¯t liked the vast majority of the Torrins he¡¯d met himself ¡ª though the few he did like more than counterbalanced his distaste for the rest.

    ¡°Then come on. Let¡¯s head back to the others. I¡¯ll look into getting you assigned to me or Moxie as a student,¡± Noah said, turning on his heel and striding back toward the others.

    ¡°Is that even possible?¡± Yulin asked, hurrying after him alongside Aylin.

    Noah threw a wry glance back over his shoulder at them. ¡°I came back from the dead. I think I can recruit an extra student along the way.¡±

 Chapter 587: Who

    With their conversation finished, Noah brought Yulin back to rejoin the others. She stood around near the treeline for a few moments before slipping away to stand in the shade of a large tree.

    It didn¡¯t look like she was quite ready to start properly mingling with everyone else. Noah was pretty sure she was still trying to process everything that had happened in the past few days.

    He didn¡¯t blame her. It was a lot to take in. She¡¯d get used to it eventually. The only thing he cared about was that she wasn¡¯t going to go around spilling their secrets to their enemies, and as far as he could tell, she was definitely on their side. There was always the option of using a Rune Oath, but those were so finicky and dangerous that Noah dismissed the idea on the spot.

    Oaths were a trap. They were a double edged sword unless someone used an intermediary, and he had absolutely no plans of keeping someone around just to get them killed when an oath shattered.

    No, normal promises were enough for him. Yulin had done enough to prove that she wasn¡¯t just in this to betray them. Between Aylin and Alexandra, Noah was pretty confident she would fit right in.

    She¡¯d just have to get used to¡­ everything.

    That made Noah wince. There was a lot of everything to get used to. Yulin was going to be in for a rough time. Things had been weird for his students for a while, but they were about to get a whole lot weirder once the noble families realized their somewhat covert attempt to wrest Isabel¡¯s Master Rune from her had failed.

    His hands clenched at his sides. His Rank 4 Runes put him well ahead of the average Rank 4, to the point where he couldn¡¯t even be compared to anyone else of his rank on the mortal plane. He wasn¡¯t worried about himself¡­ but if the nobles got really serious and started sending more than a few people, his students would be in danger.

    Noah¡¯s face darkened. He couldn¡¯t allow for that to happen. The moment he returned to Arbitage, a timer started. A timer that counted down the seconds Isabel had left to live in peace ¡ª and Noah didn¡¯t know how long it would take to hit zero.

    He was so focused on his thoughts that he didn¡¯t notice Jalen approaching until the other man stood directly in front of him.

    ¡°That¡¯s a stormy look you¡¯ve got in your eyes there, Vermil,¡± Jalen said. ¡°Not the expression I was expecting from someone who just ripped his way out of the Damned Plains with a host full of friendly demons.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m wondering how many people I¡¯m going to have to kill,¡± Noah said. ¡°And how many of them I can kill.¡±

    ¡°Always a good hobby to have.¡± Jalen nodded sagely. ¡°The same thought passes through my mind at least once a week, especially when I¡¯m standing in a particularly long line at a restaurant.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m being serious here, Jalen. You know why all this shit is happening, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Jalen arched an eyebrow and waved his hand around the clearing. ¡°There¡¯s so much shit happening here that I genuinely don¡¯t know which shit you¡¯re referring to. Is it the fact that you¡¯re the only human in known history to go to the Damned Plains? The fact you ferried a bunch of powerful demons back along with you? Is it the the monster in your book that was torturing Jakob to death, or perhaps the fact that Todd killed Marley before you killed both of the other professors? Or is it¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Isabel.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I was getting to her. Eventually. As I said, a lot of shit,¡± Jalen said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. ¡°The Master Rune.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Noah said. His jaw tightened. ¡°The Master Rune.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have no interest in it. I¡¯m too old to care about toys like that. Now, if you¡¯ve got any demon women that are in search of something fun ¡ª older ones, mind you ¡ª I¡¯d appreciate an introduction. That¡¯s something interesting. I¡¯ve heard horrible things about what they do to people.¡±

    Noah¡¯s eye twitched, and he couldn¡¯t keep himself from letting out a small chuckle. Jalen¡¯s brain was so melted by age that it was hard to tell when the half-mad man was actually being serious. There was a genuine tossup as to whether he actually wanted to be introduced to an eligible demon bachelorette or if he was just bored and flapping his mouth.

    ¡°One topic at a time,¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯m a little more concerned about Isabel than I am about your love life.¡±

    ¡°Ouch. That hurts. Much like the majority of my love life.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Which is entirely your fault. I¡¯m getting serious here, Jalen. The nobles are going to make a move. They already have, but now that they know the cat is out of the bag, they really will. And I can¡¯t let that happen.¡±

    The smile slipped away from Jalen¡¯s lips as his expression turned flat. ¡°Yes. I am aware. You want me to interfere.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I will not.¡± Jalen raised a hand to forestall Noah before he could say anything else. ¡°But it is not because I do not want to. I have grown¡­ attached to your students. They amuse me.¡±

    ¡°So why won¡¯t you help? You of all people could.¡±

    ¡°And in doing so, I would cast the kingdom into war.¡±

    ¡°War? For squashing a few bugs?¡±

    A corner of Jalen¡¯s lips pulled up in a cold smile. ¡°I see the Damned Plains have hardened you if you¡¯re referring to powerful mages as nothing more than bugs. You are correct. I could squash a few bugs without issue ¡ª but do you really think the families will be sending bugs? No. They will send the strong. Their best. Isabel¡¯s Master Rune is one that has been more desired than any other. The Soul Rune¡­ its power is enormous. Our Souls are the most core and powerful parts of our being. If Isabel masters it, she could be the greatest mage that this kingdom has produced since the Long Night ¡ª and that potential passes to anyone who takes it from her.¡±

    ¡°What are you implying here?¡±

    ¡°That you will not be faced with Rank 4 mages,¡± Jalen said. ¡°It will be strongest members of the families, bar their heads. Rank 5 mages at the peak of their potential. Rank 6 ones that have lurked within the shadows, waiting for opportunity to grow beyond the limits of their abilities. Every single one of them will come for Isabel.¡±

    ¡°All the more reason for you to¡ª¡±

    ¡°If I interfere, then the nobles will send their Family Heads. One head cannot act without the others noticing. There will be war.¡±

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Noah said.

    ¡°Not nearly as much as I would like, unfortunately. I¡¯ve been far too busy as of late.¡±

    Noah ignored Jalen. The man had been serious for a few sentences. That was more than what he could normally ask for, and he¡¯d had a good point. Jalen couldn¡¯t act without making all the other powerful Rank 6 mages throw their lot in as well ¡ª and as powerful as he was, he couldn¡¯t win a war singlehandedly.

    ¡°And if you don¡¯t interfere? If it¡¯s just me and the others?¡±

    ¡°Bird can¡¯t help either. It would jeopardize her position with the King family ¡ª and she cares far too deeply about Otto and her position working under him. They are close. I would not attempt to get in their way¡­ and she is not nearly powerful enough to make a significant difference in a fight.¡±

    ¡°Just my group, then. And possibly Silvertide.¡±

    ¡°Then you would face the Rank 5 and 6 mages, but not the family heads. They would make up rumors. Accuse you of everything under the sun and rip your reputation to shreds while attempting to kill you and making themselves out to be the heroes. They would continue until they ground you to a paste.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s lovely to hear you¡¯re optimistic about our chances.¡±

    ¡°I am realistic,¡± Jalen said. He was silent for several long seconds before he spoke again. ¡°The only thing the noble families hate more than one of them getting more power is when an outsider gets it. You are capable, but do you believe you could defeat a legion of rank 5 and 6 mages?¡±

    If I had the full strength of everyone here¡­ I think we could hold them off. The rank 5s, at least. Maybe the 6s if Yoru was using her power, but forever? Probably not. I¡¯d get tired or I¡¯d die at some point. And when I do, it¡¯s all over.

    ¡°No,¡± Noah said. ¡°Not as I am now.¡±

    ¡°As I thought. You are a uniquely fantastic mage, Vermil. And I do not say that lightly.¡± Jalen turned to look at the students and demons gathered in the center of the clearing. ¡°But if you stay this course, you are going to die.¡±

    I¡¯ve died more times than you can count ¡ª though, given who I¡¯m speaking to, probably isn¡¯t all that high. I¡¯ll die a thousand more times if that¡¯s what it takes¡­ but dying isn¡¯t going to solve my problems here.

    ¡°As I am now, you¡¯re right,¡± Noah said grimly. ¡°Which just means things have to change.¡±

    ¡°Slapping shoddy runes together will not change much,¡± Jalen warned. ¡°You will buy yourself a scrap of power at the cost of an ocean. If you wish to survive, you should run. Take the students and leave the school.¡±

    ¡°As if the noble families wouldn¡¯t track us.¡±

    ¡°They would, but it would be harder. You would have a chance to escape.¡±

    Noah was already shaking his head. ¡°No. That only delays the problem.¡±

    ¡°So does brute forcing your way up a rank. You will be no stronger than the Nobles whose parents feed them all their power.¡±

    But that¡¯s not true at all, is it? I¡¯m not combining runes blindly. I¡¯ve been taking things slow and steady for long enough now. I¡¯ve been trying to make sure that I don¡¯t draw too much of the wrong attention ¡ª even though that hasn¡¯t exactly always gone to plan.

    But I think the time for that is over. If I¡¯m this strong at Rank 4¡­ then at Rank 5, I might be able to challenge Rank 6 mages.

    Noah¡¯s features set.

    ¡°Made a decision?¡± Jalen asked.

    ¡°Something like that,¡± Noah said quietly. ¡°I¡¯m going to need some favors.¡±

    ¡°Are they going to make things interesting?¡±

    ¡°Without a doubt.¡±

    ¡°Then they are yours. What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Some Catchpaper. Enough to hold some Demon Runes ¡ª and entrance to the biggest auction in the near future that you can get me.¡±

    Jalen arched an eyebrow. ¡°Your plan is to go to an auction?¡±

    ¡°Me? No. As far as the rest of the mortal plane is concerned, Vermil Linwick is still dead. I¡¯m changing my plans to keep it that way for a little while longer. I can¡¯t go back to Arbitage yet. That¡¯ll buy us time. A few days at most, but a few days can go a long way.¡±

    ¡°So if you¡¯re not going, then who is?¡±

    Noah smiled.

    ¡°Spider.¡±

 Chapter 588: Alexandras Runes

    Jalen set off shortly after his conversation with Noah, leaving him with a promise to get him access to the auction he wanted. Noah wasn¡¯t too concerned about waiting ¡ª in a place like Arbitage, where every single noble family had representatives, there were bound to be constant auctions. Too many people had money to sling around and egos to pad.

    Unless Noah was incredibly lucky, he was pretty sure that it would take at least a day or two before there was an auction that suited his needs. He wasn¡¯t going to just settle for random common runes, and he couldn¡¯t afford to go around selling his own runes unless there were people wealthy enough to actually afford them.

    The thought of selling Demon Runes did prick Noah¡¯s spine with distaste. He knew what the noble houses would do with those runes, and it probably wasn¡¯t going to be pretty. They tested runes by forcing their lower-ranked members to take them on.

    If a human took on a demon rune ¡ª well, he still wasn¡¯t sure exactly what would happen, but it would probably start to warp them as they grew stronger, just like how it did to demons. The rate at which it corrupted someone would be reduced since humans weren¡¯t as susceptible to their runes as demons were, which was the only saving grace.

    Noah highly doubted that anyone would be making it to Rank 5 with a Demon Rune that didn¡¯t fit their combination. If he were a kinder man, he would have considered it for longer. But, with the way things were going, the noble houses were his enemies. He would not be showing them mercy or compassion.

    He couldn¡¯t afford to.

    Not when the price could end up being the lives of his students.

    ¡°Professor?¡±

    Noah blinked. It took him a moment to realize that someone was speaking to him. He¡¯d been standing near the edge of the clearing a few feet away from the other professors, quietly observing all his students mingling and getting to know each other while he brooded under the shade of a large, ashy tree that had been cracked down the center.

    Alexandra had somehow arrived at his side. His distraction had been so great that she¡¯d managed to completely slip past his senses and domain. Leaves crunched beneath him as he shifted his weight and smiled.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°You looked¡­ troubled.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m planning some minor war crimes,¡± Noah said. ¡°Not too happy about it, but such is life. We all have to do a little war crime now and then.¡±

    Alexandra blinked. ¡°War crime?¡±

    Oh, God. No Geneva convention here. That¡¯s¡­ incredibly disturbing to think about, actually. Especially given what Runes are capable of. At least it means I¡¯m not going to be breaking any laws by selling a bunch of poisoned runes to the nobles.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s a grown-up thing,¡± Noah said. ¡°You¡¯ll learn when you¡¯re older.¡±

    Alexandra squinted at him. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not that much younger than you, Professor.¡±

    Noah chuckled and ruffled her hair. ¡°Right. Don¡¯t mind my blabbering. Was there something you wanted?¡±

    She scrunched her nose and ducked away from Noah¡¯s hand, though it did take her a moment longer to do it than someone who could move at her speed would have needed. ¡°I¡­ wanted to speak to you. Alone.¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t really anyone here right now. Nobody¡¯s paying attention. Sometimes, the best place to hide is in plain sight. Leaving might actually draw more attention ¡ª but if this is something really private, we can put some distance between us and the others.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s probably fine. You¡¯re right. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Alexandra trailed off and hesitated for a second before continuing, her shoulders slumping as she kicked a dry stick by her feet. ¡°I¡¯m at my limit, Professor.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve done everything I can to get stronger. And I have been improving. Especially with your Formation training. It¡¯s done a lot for me, but I feel the others catching up. They¡¯re all getting so strong, but I¡¯ll forever be a Rank 3. The gap closes every day, no matter how hard I try. I¡¯ve done everything I can, even Bird¡¯s weird techniques. I almost considered actually trying to fight naked¡ª¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°¡ªbut I decided against it. I¡¯m not that desperate yet,¡± Alexandra continued, the corner of her lip twitching up for an instant. It fell flat again a moment later and she shifted her gaze to the tree behind Noah. ¡°I think I¡¯m running out of options. Even Formations and patterns can only take me so far. When the others hit Rank 4, I¡¯ll still be the same Alexandra. I¡¯ll still be a Rank 3 that relies on her Body Runes to keep up¡­ up until I can¡¯t keep up anymore.¡±

    That¡¯s right. I never got a chance to fix Alexandra¡¯s runes before I got pulled into the Damned Plains. She¡¯s more than earned enough trust for me to show her Sunder ¡ª to tell her the truth about who I am.

    ¡°I see,¡± Noah said. ¡°Well¡ª¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Alexandra said with a firm shake of her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you do. I¡¯m stuck like this, Professor. And I can tell the others see it too. They keep hedging around the topic of getting stronger when I¡¯m around. I want you to tell them to stop tiptoeing around me. It won¡¯t do anything if I¡¯m the one to say it, but I know my lot in life. I dealt my own cards. I hate people acting like I¡¯m some sick, injured fool that needs to be coddled. I know what my future holds, but I don¡¯t want to have to deal with it before it¡¯s already arrived.¡±

    She came to me, not to ask for a solution, but to ask me to make the others stop feeling bad for her?

    Oh, Alexandra. I don¡¯t think they were feeling bad for you at all. They just didn¡¯t want to talk about what I can do before I returned ¡ª or hell, if I returned. They didn¡¯t have a way to know for certain. Giving her hope would have been cruel.

    Noah put a hand on Alexandra¡¯s shoulder and gave her a small smile. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re asking.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ll do it?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    Alexandra blinked.

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°Because there¡¯s only one person who can see fate, and it isn¡¯t you. Relax your mind and brace yourself. I¡¯m going to show you something.¡±

    Noah only waited long enough for Alexandra to nod her understanding. He then glanced over at Moxie, catching her eye and jerking his chin to the girl beside him. Understanding flickered in her eyes and she gave him a thumbs-up.

    Then Noah activated Empty Proliferation.

    Alexandra drew in a sharp breath.

    The world fell away.

    ***

    Noah stood upon a rocky plateau, a gentle wind blowing through his hair. It howled as it slipped through rocks, jagged like teeth, that rose up in a circle around the plateau around him. The sky stretched out in all directions around him, wispy white clouds curling past his feet and moisture prickling against his skin.

    Alexandra¡¯s soul was the peak of a massive mountain.

    It took him a moment to figure out where her runes were. Carved within the rocks jutting up along the platforms edges were dim runic patterns, so weak that their glow was little more than a flicker from a candle held before the sun.

    Noah¡¯s eyes went wide.

    Six out of seven of Alexandra¡¯s Runes were imbued completely into her soul. They were so deeply meshed with her body that he could barely even make out what their patterns were meant to be.

    It¡¯s almost like a demon.

    ¡°Bad, isn¡¯t it?¡± Alexandra asked, walking up to join Noah with a weak smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could do this.¡±

    ¡°Picked it up in the Damned Plains, along with a few other party tricks,¡± Noah said absently. He studied Alexandra¡¯s soul intently for several long moments. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize so many of your runes were Body Runes. I thought it was just a few.¡±

    ¡°Do you think you can get a body as resilient as mine with just one or two Body Runes?¡±

    ¡°Never tried using them before, so I can¡¯t say. That¡¯s fine. You¡¯re strong, and you aren¡¯t a demon. This will be painful, but you¡¯ll survive.¡±

    ¡°I ¡ª what?¡±

    Noah turned to fully face Alexandra. Her runes could wait for a moment longer. It was well past time that he brought her fully into the fold.

    ¡°I have something I¡¯d like to share with you.¡±

    ¡°A technique from the Damned Plains to get past my runes?¡± A hint of hope entered Alexandra¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Not exactly. More like a little information about me. Information that could get all of us killed in very brutal ways. One of the greatest secrets I have.¡±

    ¡°Why would you want to tell me something like that?¡± Alexandra asked in horror. ¡°You don¡¯t need¡ª¡±

    ¡°I do, actually. It¡¯s something that I¡¯ve already told Isabel, Todd, and Emily. It¡¯s something that I¡¯d like to tell you as well, if you¡¯ll let me. It¡¯s been killing them to keep this from you, but if you let me tell you why, I think it¡¯ll make sense.¡±

    A frown pulled across Alexandra¡¯s lips. Then, slowly, she inclined her head. ¡°If you think it¡¯s that important that I know, then that¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Lovely. I¡¯ll keep things brief, then.¡± Noah clasped his hands behind his back. ¡°I¡¯m not Professor Vermil.¡±

    There was a long pause.

    Then Alexandra blinked, taken aback.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Vermil is dead,¡± Noah said. ¡°You never met him. He died months ago, and I¡¯m the one that killed him. I took his body from him when I arrived in this world. My real name is Noah Vines, I¡¯m thousands upon thousands of years old, and I can fix your runes. All of them.¡±

 Chapter 589: Training weights

    Alexandra stared at Noah for several long seconds. The corner of her mouth kept twitching like it was trying to decide if she wanted to smile or not. Eventually, incredulity got the best of her and she let out a snort, shaking her head as a cold wind curled past the mountain peak of her soul.

    ¡°That might be the strangest joke anyone¡¯s ever tried to tell me. I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re trying to pretend to be a skinwalker, a god, or something else entirely. Really, Professor, I¡¯m not a child. You know what I¡¯ve been through. I don¡¯t need to be coddled. I just want¡ª¡±

    Noah called on Sunder. Power slammed within him as his runes all strained, pushing back against the immense Master Rune. His veins turned jet black and particles of dark energy gathered around his palm.

    Waves of pressure drove out from his palm and slammed into Alexandra, driving the breath from her soul-lungs like a punch. She took a staggering step back, the words dying on her lips as her eyes went as wide as saucers.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Alexandra breathed. ¡°I thought you were Rank 4!¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Noah said. Energy burned within his fingers as he clenched them into a fist. Twisting strands of black magic coiled around his fingertips like eels. That was new ¡ª but it certainly helped his demonstration. ¡°But there¡¯s a vast difference in power between a shoddily made Rank 4 and a truly flawless one. And there¡¯s a lot more to power than merely having a few good runes.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t mean you were being serious,¡± Alexandra stammered. ¡°Professor, you¡¯re claiming the impossible. Thousands of years old? That¡¯s older than every single Rank 6 in the empire ¡ª no. Older than the empire itself! Even the Long Night doesn¡¯t date that far back.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not from this planet,¡± Noah said with a shrug. ¡°But does that really matter? You¡¯ve focused on the background shit.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re claiming to be immortal!¡± Alexandra yelled.

    ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t gotten to that bit yet.¡±

    She stared at him. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°One thing at a time, please. Seriously. You can¡¯t study by spreading your attention in every direction. You¡¯ll have to work on that. Learn to lock in on one subject while you¡¯re working on it.¡±

    ¡°Did¡­ everything go okay in the Damned Plains? You didn¡¯t get hit too hard or something while you were there, did you?¡± Alexandra asked carefully.

    Noah blew out a sigh. It would have been easy to just slap Sunder against one of the runes sealed within the rocks beside him and shatter it, cleaving the Body Rune from Alexandra¡¯s soul entirely. Easy enough that it was tempting ¡ª and Noah would never let himself do that.

    This was Alexandra¡¯s soul. It wasn¡¯t about how easy things were for him. He was asking her to believe the impossible. Anyone sane would have been at least a little baffled, especially since he¡¯d just popped out of Hell with an entourage of demons in his wake.

    Taking his annoyance out by forcing her under Sunder¡¯s blade was not the way he would ever let himself handle his students.

    After all, he had a far more effective way to demonstrate the truth. The human mind was remarkably good at understanding things once it got a chance to see them laid out before it.

    Empty Proliferation did not perfectly insert Noah directly into someone¡¯s soul. Instead, it bridged their souls, overlaying them and making a balance that allowed both him and his target to exist in a single soul location.

    When he went into someone¡¯s mind, he had to find an equal balance between their soul and his in order to make the connection easier and lengthen the amount of time they could remain merged.

    For almost everyone, that meant shrinking the amount of Noah¡¯s own soul to a nearly minuscule amount. His soul was just so much larger than the average soul that bringing half of it to bear would probably end crushing the average mage.

    With Alexandra, he¡¯d been using just about five percent of his full soul¡¯s might. It was hidden in the distance, specks of distant black that lurked at the edges of their vision.

    And if he wanted to show Alexandra the truth, all he had to do was one little tweak.

    A.

    Tiny.

    Little.

    Tweak.

    Noah drew on his soul.

    The sky shattered. It fell apart like planes of broken glass as the night swept in. Darkness swallowed the mountain and crushed the clouds in a black waterfall. Pressure slammed down on Alexandra¡¯s shoulders and her lips parted in mute disbelief, unable to muster words.

    And in the darkness, a golden line bloomed. It wasn¡¯t so much a part of Noah¡¯s natural soul as much as an extension of his powers. Empty Proliferation made it considerably easier to tweak the mindspace around himself and his target to appear how he wanted it to.

    That golden line stretched out across the horizon and raced toward where they floated in the infinite black. Pressure rolled off it, growing stronger with every new step that took form. The line coiled around them like a constricting snake, then exploded outward until it was nothing but a distant thread spiraling through the universe.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Alexandra breathed. She¡¯d fallen to her knees at some point during what Noah liked to think of as a slightly advanced PowerPoint presentation of what awaited mortals when they reached afterlife.

    Might need to tone down the amount of pressure I use. Don¡¯t want to hurt anyone.

    ¡°Death,¡± Noah replied, pulling Alexandra to her feet. ¡°The Line.¡±

    ¡°What is¡­¡± She trailed off, unable to complete her thought as her eyes followed the gold through the dark.

    ¡°The afterlife,¡± Noah said, the corner of his lips pulling up. ¡°Endless suffering. Mind-numbing agony. More than you could ever come to comprehend ¡ª but you will, should you die. Everyone does. I certainly did.¡±

    ¡°Thousands of years old¡­¡± Alexandra muttered, her eyes following the line into the distance. Then they snapped back to Naoh. ¡°That¡¯s what you meant? You were dead. They just let dead people leave the afterlife?¡±

    ¡°No. I had a bit of a breakout. There are a few gods pissed off at me about that ¡ª but this really isn¡¯t the point, Alexandra. I¡¯m not showing you this to scare you. I¡¯m showing it to prove that I¡¯m telling the whole truth.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I believe you. This is terrifying. It feels like my soul is getting ground to a paste.¡± Alexandra swallowed. ¡°I¡¯ve never felt so vulnerable. My Body Runes aren¡¯t protecting me at all. Wait. Did you say gods¡ª¡±

    ¡°Focus!¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Alexandra shook her head. She clenched her jaw and let out a short, sharp breath. ¡°Everything you said is true. I believe you. Everything¡­ wait. Everything?¡±

    Noah smiled. She¡¯d finally gotten the picture.

    ¡°Everything.¡±

    ¡°You can repair my Body Runes so I can reach Rank 4?¡±

    ¡°Repair?¡± Noah let out a chuckle and snapped his fingers. The darkness vanished like it had been sucked from the sky, and the mountain peak of her soul snapped back into existence as if it had never left. ¡°I can do so much more than that.¡±

    Alexandra staggered, eyes darting around in surprise. It took her a moment to re-adjust before she turned back to him. ¡°What are you talking about? How could you do more? They¡¯re part of my soul. Even if I had the most powerful healing potions, it would still take me years to recover.¡±

    Noah clenched his fist, and his blackened veins pulsed with even more power. Sunder roared, releasing waves of pressure that made the stones at Noah¡¯s feet tremble and dance in terror.

    ¡°Alexandra. I¡¯ve seen eons pass by like seconds. You¡¯d think that it would have made me a remarkably patient person, but unfortunately, it¡¯s the contrary. I really don¡¯t like waiting. It¡¯s a pet peeve of mine. I¡¯ve given you even more information than I gave Isabel and Todd. So¡­ make a choice. You came to me to be taught. Let me do that or remain as you are. It¡¯s your choice. But, if you really need a little longer, that¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t rush you into a decision. Take a few¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Alexandra swallowed, then shook her head. Her features set and she clenched her fists at her sides. ¡°No, you¡¯re right. You saved me from Gentil and Wizen, and the others have definitely been acting weird. I didn¡¯t think they would pity me, so it was kind of odd. This would explain it. I was just being stubborn. If you¡¯ve got anything that can fix me, I¡¯ll take it.¡±

    ¡°Even if you lose your Body Runes in the process?¡±

    ¡°Screw the Body Runes,¡± Alexandra snapped. ¡°I made them from desperation, not desire. I don¡¯t want to be the strongest Rank 3. I want to be the strongest me.¡±

    ¡°This won¡¯t be fun. Probably quite painful, actually ¡ª  but it¡¯ll definitely be cathartic. Choose a rune for me to remove.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Alexandra? Just choose one.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Alexandra pointed at the rune closest to Noah. ¡°That one. What are you going to¡ª¡±

    Noah set his hand on the stone.

    Sunder burst forth, and a flash of purplish-black energy split the stone from top to bottom. Alexandra grabbed her chest and let out a pained hiss.

    Then the stone shattered, and the rune went with it. Fragments of rock tumbled down the side of the mountain and vanished into the sky that stretched on beneath. White cracks drove into Alexandra¡¯s soul like someone had driven a pick into it. They weren¡¯t huge, but they were far from small.

    Power poured out of the remaining rubble, rising up into twisting energy. No runes emerged. That was new ¡ª it must have been because the Body Rune had been so closely integrated with her soul that there was practically no separation between the two for anything to escape the bond.

    Meh. It was just a Rank 3 Rune. Easily enough replaced.

    Alexandra stared at the spot where the Body Rune had been in mute shock.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can fix the damage,¡± Noah said.

    ¡°Can¡­ you do it again?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯ll hurt. Each removal will hurt more than the last. We can pause for a day and I can heal you¡ª¡±

    ¡°The next rune.¡± Alexandra¡¯s tone bore more than a request. It was desperation and desire mixed into one. It held hope. ¡°Please. Get the next one. I can handle it. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a god or not. If you can give me a chance to be more than¡­ this, then I¡¯ll follow you forever.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for anything like that.¡±

    ¡°Then what? Nobody does a service like this for free.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s free.¡±

    ¡°What do you want, then? It¡¯s yours.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± Noah tapped his chin in thought as he walked up to the next stone. ¡°Follow a good sleep schedule and make sure you have a varied diet. Practice your patterns at least an hour every day, but don¡¯t forget to relax and give your brain some time off. Also, hang out with the other students more. They want to get to know you more. Help Yulin integrate with them as well.¡±

    Alexandra stared at him. ¡°That¡¯s just a bunch of stuff to make me a better student.¡±

    ¡°Ding.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all you want?¡±

    ¡°From you? Yes. Now, brace.¡±

    Alexandra opened her mouth, then let out a snarl of pain as Noah unleashed Sunder and another stone shattered. She drove her foot into the ground to keep herself from falling over and swayed in place. Cracks crawled across the surface of the mountain peak.

    Before Noah could ask if Alexandra was doing okay, she forced her hands open.

    ¡°The next one. Get the next rune.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? Waiting a day won¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°I survived Gentil for years,¡± Alexandra ground out. ¡°I can push through a little pain. Pain is a reminder that you¡¯re still alive. Do you really think you can dangle a future in front of me and expect me to wait to grab it? Rip the damn thing out.¡±

    ¡°Hard to say no to enthusiasm like that. Just remember, you can stop whenever you want. There¡¯s nothing forcing you to push through everything today.¡±

    ¡°Professor Vermil?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not my name. Not in private.¡±

    Alexandra gave him a thin smile. ¡°Professor Vines, then.¡±

    ¡°Better.¡±

    ¡°Rip the damn rune out. Please.¡±

    Noah unleashed Sunder. If Alexandra wanted to do everything now, then he would oblige her. She¡¯d waited long enough ¡ª and he was confident that she could handle it.

    ¡°As you wish. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing what you¡¯re capable of once you¡¯ve got the training weights off.¡±

 Chapter 590: Functionally

    Noah carved every single one of Alexandra¡¯s body runes out of her. He¡¯d fully expected to have to stop when she had one or two of them left, but her soul was a lot more resilient than he¡¯d thought.

    By the time he was done, only a two runes remained within her ¡ª a plain Rank 3 Fire Rune and the Master Rune, Earthen Muster. Noah couldn¡¯t tell exactly how, but he could feel that Earthen Muster hadn¡¯t been used much yet. Its connection to Alexandra felt¡­ weak, for lack of a better word. She¡¯d clearly trained with it, but there was no strong connection between them. That was a question for another day.

    As a result of his work, her soul had been riddled with hairline cracks. They grew to large fissures toward the edges of the mountain. The gentle wind around Noah and Alexandra had picked up to a howling gale.

    Her soul was heavily damaged, but she¡¯d made it through. Noah didn¡¯t waste a moment in pouring energy from the Fragment of Renewal into Alexandra¡¯s body the moment his work was done.

    There was a chance he could have cut out her final rune as well ¡ª it was far from Flawless ¡ª but there was simply no point. She probably could have pushed through one more application of Sunder, but there was no way she could have managed to form replacement runes in this state.

    Alexandra let out a hiss of pain and relief as the pearly-pink energy from the Fragment of Renewal coiled through her soul and caressed the top of the mountain. It poured into the cracks covering the ground and began to slowly stitch back together the immense amount of soul damage.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Alexandra muttered, sweat rolling down the side of her face as she looked on in awe. She knelt beside a crack as it sealed, running her hands over the surface of her soul. ¡°Damage like this¡­ it should have taken years to heal. And yet I was expecting so much more. Removing six of my seven runes and not ripping my soul apart shouldn¡¯t have even been possible.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t think it would succeed and you still let me do it?¡±

    Alexandra gave him a one-shouldered shrug. ¡°It was worth the bet. There¡¯s no point to life if you can¡¯t continue improving. I was going to die one way or another, and you told me to trust you. I did.¡±

    ¡°You might have your priorities a little screwed up.¡± Noah shook his head and let out a small chuckle. He could feel Empty Proliferation¡¯s power starting to wane. He¡¯d been working on Alexandra for quite a few minutes now, and it wouldn¡¯t be long before their time was up. Noah took one last look around her soul to make sure everything was healing properly, then adjusted his jacket. ¡°There are a few things we have to briefly talk about before we return.¡±

    ¡°What are they?¡±

    ¡°Well ¡ª this one might be obvious, but I¡¯ll say it anyway. You¡¯re going to have to be careful. Your soul is incredibly weakened from where it was. Don¡¯t let yourself forget.¡±

    ¡°You mean the soul damage? Can you not fix all of it? I thought it would¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be patched up within a few hours, but that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about. You don¡¯t have Body Runes anymore, Alexandra. That means you can¡¯t do a lot of what you once did. No more taking spells or blows straight to the face. Let the others know immediately so none of them accidentally run you through.¡±

    ¡°Right. I know. Probably a good idea to let them know I¡¯m weakened, though. I¡¯ll do that.¡±

    ¡°Good. And one more quick thing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Think on what your new rune will be. I¡¯ll be removing that Fire Rune as well.¡± Noah gestured over to the last of Alexandra¡¯s original runes. It floated, flickering innocently, unaware of its imminent fate. ¡°You¡¯ll need a replacement. Something that really fits you. I¡¯ll be able to help you make it, since we¡¯ll obviously want a Flawless Rune.¡±

    ¡°Flawless?¡± Alexandra frowned at tilted her head to the side. ¡°You mean perfect?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. Flawless runes are better than perfect ones.¡± Noah waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Perfect runes are only balanced in a single phase, while Flawless ones are perfect in all phases. Moxie and I figured it out a bit ago, so we can¡¯t have you running around with a subpar rune.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Alexandra stared at him. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Flawless Runes are¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, I got what you said. But are you seriously telling me that there¡¯s a version of a Rune that¡¯s even better than perfect?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. But that really isn¡¯t all that important. I need to talk about¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not important?¡± Alexandra exclaimed, flinging her hands up into the air in disbelief. ¡°After what you just showed me, I don¡¯t even doubt you¡¯re telling the truth. But how can you casually mention that you¡¯ve got something that the noble families would go to war for?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure at least a few of them have figured it out by now.¡±

    Alexandra¡¯s eye twitched. ¡°How significant is the difference in power between a Perfect and Flawless rune?¡±

    ¡°Magnitudes, I¡¯d guess.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to faint.¡±

    ¡°Then I probably shouldn¡¯t tell you about the other thing I figured out.¡±

    Alexandra froze in place. Her gaze bore into Noah¡¯s like two beams of molten lava. ¡°There¡¯s something else? Now you¡¯re just pulling my strings.¡±

    ¡°A Fragment of Self. Every single being has one,¡± Noah said. ¡°I won¡¯t get into all the theory right now, but I think you more than any of the other students will need one.¡±

    ¡°You really need to slow down,¡± Alexandra half-begged. ¡°What do you mean every being has one? You¡¯re telling me I¡¯ve got a whole extra rune that I don¡¯t know about?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Please try to keep up. We¡¯re low on time. Everything alive has a Rune of Self ¡ª well, except for demons. They had a fragment of someone else, but I¡¯ve fixed that bit too.¡±

    Alexandra swallowed heavily. ¡°Demons¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not important right now. Another time. What is important is that if you can manifest your Fragment of Self and imbue your own soul with it, you¡¯ll solidify your connection between your body and your runes.¡±

    ¡°You mean I¡¯ll basically become a demon?¡±

    ¡°A pseudo-demon, yes. You won¡¯t get controlled by your emotions as far as I can tell, but your reaction speed and physical prowess will skyrocket. It¡¯ll be like your whole body got unlocked for the first time.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ sounds incredible,¡± Alexandra muttered. ¡°How do I get it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem. You¡¯re going to have to do some soul searching. Literally, mind you. Best I can tell, you need to perfectly understand yourself. Then when you do, you use the 3 basic components of rune creation¡ª¡±

    ¡°Creation?¡± Alexandra exclaimed. ¡°You can make runes? Are you fucking kidding me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Sorry, I skipped that bit. There¡¯s a lot I¡¯m trying to cram into a few minutes.¡± Noah snapped his fingers to pull Alexandra¡¯s attention back to him. ¡°The components are intent, an event that incites the rune¡¯s creation, and the energy to condense into a pattern. Are you with me?¡±

    Alexandra gave him a weak nod. More cracks pulled shut around her soul and she fought to gather her words for a few moments. ¡°Yes. I think so. That¡¯s another secret that the noble houses would murder entire cities for, by the way. Just in case you were wondering.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t. I would appreciate you not sharing anything I tell you here with anyone. Not even Todd and Isabel or the other students. They know most of it, and I¡¯ll tell them the rest as soon as I can. I just don¡¯t want you speaking about it where anyone might be able to overhear.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Alexandra said, her voice as soft as a mouse¡¯s squeak. ¡°No talking about the earth-shattering revelations that you¡¯re hitting me with one after the other. Even if I wanted to say anything, I might not get a chance to after you give me a heart attack. You¡¯re sure the noble families aren¡¯t aware you know of this?¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t. They¡¯d have their dogs kicking down my door if they did ¡ª but if I¡¯m honest, I don¡¯t give much of a shit about those incompetent idiots at all. Now, what I do care about is the hard part of our original topic. I haven¡¯t actually figured out how a human can make a Fragment of Self.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? Don¡¯t you have one?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I do. The method I used probably won¡¯t work for anyone else, though. I had to use the magical energy that makes up my creation in order to do it. So that¡¯s what I¡¯m entrusting you with. I want you to deeply think on how you could get an event that will let you form a Fragment of Self.¡±

    ¡°Hold on. Please, just hold on a moment.¡± Alexandra raised her hands before her. ¡°If I understand what you¡¯re saying, I need to find some event that I can use as¡­ what, a burst of energy to guide the creation of a rune?¡±

    ¡°Yes, exactly.¡±

    ¡°Then what in the Damned Plains is ¡®the magical energy that makes up your creation¡¯ and why can¡¯t I just use that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really scatterbrained today. I¡¯m sorry. Escaping from the Damned Plains must have scrambled my head a bit. The energy I was referring to is the power that gathers around me after I kill myself.¡±

    ¡°After you kill yourself?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m not sure if I mentioned, but I¡¯ve died a few hundred times since arriving at Arbitage. I believe I¡¯m functionally immortal.¡±

    And with that, Alexandra ¡ª whose mind must have been under an immense amount of stress from all the Soul Damage it had just taken ¡ª finally lost her battle against the inevitable.

    She fainted.

 Chapter 591: Advice

    As it turned out, when somebody fainted while Noah was still in their soul, it served as a rather effective boot to the ass.

    The moment Alexandra lost consciousness, Empty Proliferation¡¯s power shattered. A sea of inky black darkness exploded up from Noah¡¯s feet and swallowed him whole, yanking him away and back to his own mind before he could even try to check on her.

    The scent of burnt wood and dirt greeted his nostrils. In the time it took his eyes to snap back open in the Scorched Acres, Alexandra had already recovered.

    She sat up just a moment after him, blinking furiously as she looked around. The girl¡¯s gaze focused on him and he gave her a sheepish grin in response.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Noah said. ¡°That was a bit much.¡±

    ¡°A bit much,¡± Alexandra muttered, massaging her temple and letting her head thunk back against the ashy tree trunk behind her. Its branches rustled and she let out a pained yelp. ¡°Shit! That hurt!¡±

    ¡°No more Body Runes. Compared to what you were, you¡¯re quite fragile right now. You need to be careful.¡± Noah clambered to his feet and brushed the ash and dirt off his pants. He cleared his throat. ¡°Not that I¡¯ve been helping much there.¡±

    ¡°Not helping is an understatement,¡± Alexandra said, letting her hands drop. She gingerly pushed herself upright. They¡¯d only been under Empty Proliferation¡¯s magic for a few minutes, and it looked like nobody had really noticed what was going on.

    Moxie and Lee had everyone¡¯s rapt attention on them. The two seemed to be midway through a somewhat exaggerated retelling of what had happened in the Damned Plains. Lee was eagerly gesturing with the giant black axe that she¡¯d taken from Axil, forcing everyone to keep a fair amount of distance from her to avoid getting cut in half.

    A flicker of confusion passed through Noah.

    Wait. Where did she get that thing? I remember her taking it from Axil back in Treadon, but I can¡¯t quite place the last time I saw it. She didn¡¯t have the axe back when we were in Sievan¡¯s domain, did she? So where did it¡ª

    Lee overcommitted to a demonstrational swing. The axe launched from her grip like a massive boomerang, whumping through the air and flying over the treetops. Everyone turned to watch it vanish into the horizon.

    ¡°Oops,¡± Lee said.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you steal that from a Death Demon?¡± Isabel asked with a wince. ¡°Maybe we should go get it? It seems pretty valuable.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine.¡± Lee gave Isabel a thumbs up. ¡°It always comes back.¡±

    Todd¡¯s eyes darted around and he raised his hands defensively. ¡°You mean like¡­ immediately? Is it about to come flying through the trees and chop one of us in half?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Lee said. ¡°It just pops up. Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve done that at least four times already.¡±

    When!?

    A poorly suppressed snicker broke through Alexandra¡¯s lips and she shook her head before running a hand through her hair. ¡°I¡¯m really going to have to be careful. I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re going to drop any more revelations on me? Because if you do, I¡¯ll need to sit down to avoid a traumatic head injury.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Noah hesitated for a moment. ¡°I think. I might have forgotten something.¡±

    ¡°Well, keep it to yourself for a while unless I really need to hear it.¡± Alexandra blew a strand of hair up with a huff. ¡°I¡¯ve got enough to piece through already as it is. I¡¯ll work on trying to figure out how to do that thing you mentioned to me¡­ preferably without killing myself.¡±

    ¡°Always a good idea. That¡¯s kind of my whole thing, so I¡¯d be offended if someone crimped my style.¡± Alexandra stared at him like he¡¯d started speaking a new language. Evidently, not every single English word was going to translate properly. Noah cleared his throat and shook his head as she waited for an explanation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m just rambling. Off with you. Go listen to Lee regale you with mostly accurate tales.¡±

    ¡°¡­and then they blew up a noble demon¡¯s mansion with a giant plant,¡± Lee said, throwing her hands over her head to emphasize the size of the supposed explosion.

    How¡¯d she find out about that one?

    Alexandra glanced at Noah out of the corners of her eyes. ¡°Did that really¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s close enough.¡±

    The girl shook her head and wandered back over to the other students, her mind still clearly lingering on their conversation. There was definitely a lot for her to take in. Noah was pretty sure he¡¯d gone just a bit overboard. He¡¯d been too eager to get her up to speed.

    I¡¯ll have to do much the same with others, but at least Todd, Isabel, and Emily all know a fair amount about me already. Emily doesn¡¯t know the complete story, but she¡¯s got a good bit of it. James¡­ well, I¡¯ll find out how much he already knows from Emily.

    I haven¡¯t seen that madman Revin in a while, but who knows if he¡¯s swung by to say something to James since I¡¯ve been gone. Not sure if I can completely trust him yet. We¡¯ll see.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    A leaf crunched to Noah¡¯s side.

    The thump of a staff met his ears as Silvertide stepped out from the treeline and came to a stop beside him. They were both silent for several long moments. The elderly soldier studied Noah out of one eye.

    Then he broke the silence.

    ¡°You took my advice.¡±

    ¡°Your advice?¡±

    ¡°Your eyes,¡± Silvertide said, tapping the side of his face. ¡°When you left, you moved like a soldier these were of a kinder man. You¡¯ve changed. Was that the Damned Plains?¡±

    ¡°Ah. That advice. Yeah. I took it to heart. When I took a moment to weigh every possibility, I realized that there were some things that I was willing to do anything to accomplish¡­ but it wasn¡¯t the Damned Plains that changed me. They were just a place, no different than here.¡±

    ¡°Truly? That¡¯s a bold claim. The Inquisitors would say that the Damned Plains are a land of horror and torture. A world of agony where demons rip each other to pieces without restraint.¡±

    ¡°Well, they probably wouldn¡¯t be entirely wrong about the ripping each other to pieces bit. I wouldn¡¯t say the Damned Plains were a great place. But the people there ¡ª the demons are no different than us. They just want to live. Not all of them are trying to destroy the world.¡±

    ¡°You will have a difficult time convincing the Inquisitors of that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been much a fan of the Inquisitors. They and I don¡¯t see eye to eye.¡±

    ¡°That may be so, but they carry a great deal of power in the kingdom. There are many people that fear what a powerful demon could do should they manage to get a good foothold on the mortal plane. You will have trouble from them.¡±

    ¡°Only if they find out about our new friends before I¡¯m ready for them.¡±

    Silvertide planted his staff in the ground and crossed his arms, leaning against it. ¡°Do you really think they didn¡¯t feel the massive portal you opened to return to the mortal plane? They will come, Vermil. As surely as you and I breathe, they will come. And I suspect you will kill them.¡±

    If they try to go after Lee or any of my other friends, then you¡¯re damn right I will. Probably best not to admit that, though. I like Silvertide. I like him, but he¡¯s still an instructor at Arbitage. His loyalty is to Isabel and Todd, not me.

    ¡°Bah. I¡¯m just a Rank 4. I couldn¡¯t¡ª¡±

    A soft laugh bubbled up from Silvertide¡¯s chest. He shook his head. ¡°No, Vermil. You are not. I have not gotten to this age without becoming an observant man. Your Runes may be Rank 4¡­ but you are no Rank 4. A Rank 4 could not command the respect you do from a group of powerful demons.¡±

    Noah kept his expression flat. He highly doubted the old man had any plans of doing anything that could put Isabel at Todd at a risk, nor did he think Silvertide would turn him in to the inquisitors. He had an angle. ¡°Is there a reason you¡¯re mentioning this?¡±

    ¡°I know you are strong,¡± Silvertide said. ¡°But will you be strong enough? You call great danger, not just upon yourself, but all of your students. The Inquisitors will not be careful when they come to purge those who they believe to be demons.¡±

    It was a while before Noah responded. ¡°Yes. I will be strong enough ¡ª and when the Inquisitors come looking, I fear they will find nothing.¡±

    ¡°You truly think you can hide the demons from the Inquisitors? They have been training to find demons since before you were born.¡±

    Noah let out a burst of laughter. The old man sent him a surprised look, but Noah shook his head and held a hand up until he¡¯d gathered himself. ¡°I highly doubt that, Silvertide. They will find nothing. Because, unlike them, I actually know demons. I know what makes them what they are¡­ and I know how to change that.¡±

    ¡°A new type of demon. The girl wasn¡¯t being metaphorical, then,¡± Silvertide murmured, his eyes burning with inner light, and Noah realized that this was the answer that the old soldier had been fishing for ever since they¡¯d started their conversation.

    ¡°No. She wasn¡¯t,¡± Noah said. He didn¡¯t see any reason to hide it from Silvertide. ¡°I determined what caused demons to have their detrimental affixation with a single feeling or aspect of life, and I can repair it.¡±

    ¡°So all the demons here¡­¡±

    ¡°Not all fixed. Not yet ¡ª but they will be.¡±

    ¡°And this makes them¡­ docile?¡±

    ¡°It makes them who they were meant to be. Are you docile?¡±

    Silvertide¡¯s lips pulled up in a smile. ¡°No. And there are few who are foolish enough to believe otherwise. I see your point, Vermil. I take it that you have great confidence in these demons, then. You are defensive of them.¡±

    ¡°I do. They are my students, just like Isabel and Todd. Many of them are children. They deserve to live just as much as anyone else does.¡±

    ¡°I believe you, for some odd reason. I would act with haste, then. The Inquisition will not wait long. They will have doubtlessly felt your arrival. If there is something you must do to ensure they cannot find your people, then I would do it soon.¡±

    Noah nodded. That was good advice, and it was already well within his plans. ¡°I will, right after Jalen brings everyone back to Arbitage. The demons and I will remain in the forest.  And, as far as Arbitage is concerned, I will remain dead.¡±

    ¡°I had thought you might. Do not worry. My mouth is sealed. But, if I may ask, how do you plan to resume normality? Not just with the demons, but for Isabel and Todd. The noble houses¡ª¡±

    ¡°Are welcome to try me.¡±

    ¡°You could need a small army to fight them off if the full truth gets out. Isabel¡¯s Master Rune could mean war.¡±

    A cold smile slipped across Noah¡¯s face as his thoughts drifted to the demons that he¡¯d left back in the Damned Plains ¡ª but not without task. Sievan had been kind enough to help him out with a few things. It would take some time, but he was pretty confident that his name would carry a lot of the work for Pirren.

    After all, Spider might have left the Damned Plains, but that didn¡¯t mean the demons knew that. Recruitment was going to be at an all time high after news of his meeting with the Lord of Death got out.

    ¡°If its war they want, then I think they¡¯ll find that I¡¯m more than ready for it.¡±

    Silvertide¡¯s gaze bore into Noah. ¡°You¡¯re being serious. Just how powerful are you, Vermil?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d imagine we¡¯ll have the misfortune of finding out soon enough,¡± Noah replied. ¡°But, until then, I have a few demons to repair. I hope you don¡¯t mind the interruption.¡±

    ¡°Mind?¡± Silvertide arched an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯d have to knock me out if you wanted me to look away. Fixing a demon. Bah. You¡¯re talking about the discovery of a century. The next best thing would be to tell me that you¡¯ve found a way to cure death itself.¡±

    The corner of Noah¡¯s lip twitched.

    For myself, sure. For others¡­ hmm. Maybe one day.

    Silvertide didn¡¯t miss it.

    ¡°What was that? Was that a smirk?¡±

    ¡°Curing death,¡± Noah said through a snort. He shook his head and turned on his heel, heading toward the others. ¡°What a ridiculous concept. Nobody is immortal. Now let¡¯s go fix some demons, shall we?¡±

 Chapter 592: Greater

    ¡°We are prepared for anything it is that you require,¡± Aylin said, his features completely serious as he pressed a hand to his chest. ¡°If you wish to begin your conquest of the mortal plane, then we will all prepare to¡ª¡±

    ¡°That is not the kind of thing I was about to ask for,¡± Noah said sharply, holding a hand up in the air to forestall Aylin before the Knowledge Demon could say anything else.

    They ¡ª along with all the other demons, had gathered near the broken trunk of a large, burnt tree. Everyone else stood off to the side. They were still in earshot and able to see what was going on but had given just enough space to the demons to avoid being rude.

    Among their number was Brayden. Noah hadn¡¯t had a chance to properly talk to his body¡¯s brother yet, but it was high up on his list. He¡¯d actually been planning on doing it right after his conversation with Silvertide, but the renewed warning about the Inquisitors had been enough to kick his butt into gear.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Aylin said. ¡°So we aren¡¯t going to conquer the mortal plane?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll put a pin in that. There¡¯s something more important that we have to do first.¡±

    ¡°Taste all the food! It¡¯s so much better than the stuff in the Damned Plains,¡± Lee suggested.

    ¡°We can get to that afterward,¡± Noah said, narrowing his eyes. ¡°This is a slightly more pressing matter. Truth be told, I¡¯d prefer you all got to know my other students better. You¡¯ll be working together closely in the future ¡ª but unfortunately, life doesn¡¯t always follow my orders. There are a number of people on the mortal plane that have a pretty significant distaste for demons. I¡¯d like to make sure we¡¯re ready to deal with them when the time comes.¡±

    ¡°Inquisitors,¡± Lee said, her features twisting in rare distaste. She pursed her lips like she¡¯d eaten a sour lemon. ¡°Assholes.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re a big enough threat that even you have to be worried about them?¡± Aylin¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°What manner of power do they wield?¡±

    Noah bit back a laugh. Aylin acted as if he was basically a god made flesh, able to deal with any threat with little more than a flick of his hand. He supposed that was probably a good thing ¡ª but as strong as he was, he wasn¡¯t that strong.

    ¡°Inquisitors have specialized ways to directly hunt and attack demons. Incredibly effective ones that can bridge the gap between even a weaker mortal and a powerful demon,¡± Noah said. He remembered all too well just what they were capable of. The memory still made his chest burn with fury. They¡¯d nearly killed Lee, Isabel, and Todd back on their way back from the Linwick Estate to Arbitage.

    He had no plans of ever letting that happen again.

    ¡°Is there a reason you choose to allow them to exist?¡± Aylin asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion. ¡°If they possess such a power, then they should be crushed before they get the opportunity to attempt to turn it against us. You could destroy them with a wave of your palm ¡ª so perhaps this is a training exercise for us? You wish to see if we are capable of defeating these mortals.¡±

    Okay. I appreciate the vote of confidence, Aylin, but I am not about to go solo the entirety of the Inquisition. At some point I¡¯m really going to have to sit down with the demons and let them know that I might not be quite as strong as I led the vast majority of everyone who I ran into in the Damned Plains to believe.

    ¡°They¡¯re a little too problematic for me to quash them entirely on my own,¡± Noah said. He very pointedly avoided looking in the direction of the human students and professors. They were definitely going to be cracking up in the corner, and that would ruin his mysterious persona entirely.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°They¡¯re so strong that they threaten even you?¡± Vrith asked. The catlike demon¡¯s eyes grew wide and her ears flattened against her head. ¡°What could we possibly do against existences like that?¡±

    See, there¡¯s an interesting thought. They were able to use the anti-demon magic on me the last time we fought. It worked, but not nearly as much as it did on a demon. For a long time, I had absolutely no idea why¡­ but now I do.

    Those rosaries somehow resonate with demons. It¡¯s a form of sympathetic magic or something. Anything with any amount of Decras¡¯ power would get affected by their magic. They think they¡¯ve got anti-demon powers, but what they really have is anti-Decras powers.

    And if I take the Decras out of the demons, then the only thing the Inquisitors are left with are a bunch of useless bone beads that work on me more than they do on the demons.

    ¡°It¡¯s not me that I¡¯m worried about,¡± Noah said, realizing that he¡¯d been quiet for too long. ¡°There are very few things in any world that I¡¯m truly scared of ¡ª but you and the other demons are an entirely different question. As things stand now, a single Inquisitor would likely be able to kill many of you.¡±

    ¡°Not all of us,¡± Yoru said.

    ¡°You¡¯re an exception,¡± Noah said. ¡°There isn¡¯t much of anything that can kill you.¡±

    Yoru tilted her head to the side at that, and Noah could have sworn that her gaze was boring into his skull from through her mask.

    He decided to ignore it. Yoru would be a task all on her own. Out of all the demons, it was actually her that he was the most concerned about. He could fix Aylin and the other Rank 3s ¡ª but Yoru was a Rank 7.

    She was immensely powerful, and that meant that ripping her runes up in order to replace Decras¡¯ influence with his newly minted Fragments of Sticky would be¡­ problematic. He had no plans of leaving her as she was, of course.

    Possibly more than any of the other demons present, Yoru needed his help. She¡¯d been chained by her rune for so long that Noah refused to leave her in that state, Inquisitors or not. Yoru deserved to be able to make her own decisions instead of being forced to be a pawn of the fates that she saw.

    ¡°So what do we do against these Inqusitors?¡± Violet asked. ¡°Whatever your orders are, I¡¯m ready for them. Is there a technique we can learn to defeat them?¡±

    Noah glanced at Sticky, and the small demon gave him a small grin. She was clever. She¡¯d already figured out where this was leading ¡ª though being proxy to all the conversations in Sievan¡¯s domain had definitely helped fill in some of the gaps for her.

    ¡°I like the enthusiasm, but to tell the truth, there¡¯s no technique that could fix this. No, what we need is a far more significant change. Fortunately, we¡¯ve got some time before my good friend Jalen returns here,¡± Noah said. ¡°He¡¯ll be bringing an invitation to play some games with mortals. It should be a day or two, in my best estimation.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of time,¡± Aylin said.

    Noah cleared his throat. ¡°Sorry. I should have clarified. Days aren¡¯t quite as long here as they are in the Damned Plains. Your day-night cycle is several times longer than the one here.¡±

    Aylin stared at him. ¡°How many hours do we have?¡±

    ¡°Something around twenty four to forty eight.¡±

    ¡°That is¡­ not a lot of time.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Noah agreed. ¡°It isn¡¯t. Fortunately, we¡¯re not going to need that long at all. My solution is quite simple. And, when it¡¯s done, then the Inquisition will have absolutely no leverage over any of you.¡±

    ¡°I thought you said they could defeat demons that were even more powerful than they were,¡± Vrith said with more than a little concern. ¡°I will obviously do as you order, but it seems that we may not be suited to fight this type of opponent.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be correct. The Inquisition has perfected the art of fighting against demons. And that¡¯s why, by the time Jalen gets back with our invitations, there isn¡¯t going to be a single demon left in this clearing.¡±

    ¡°It kind of sounds like you¡¯re going to kill them,¡± Lee said through a snicker.

    Noah¡¯s shoulders fell and he let out a sigh. There went his grandiose speech. Lee was right ¡ª even Violet was staring at him with a more than a little concern. His reputation had gotten just a tad out of hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m not killing anybody here. That would be pretty damn counterintuitive after all the effort I went through to pull you out of the Damned Plains,¡± Noah said wearily.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Aylin muttered. Realization lit behind his eyes. ¡°Them. Lee referred to us as ¡®them¡¯, but she¡¯s a demon. The only reason she¡¯d do that¡ª¡±

    ¡°Is that she¡¯s not a demon anymore,¡± Noah said, fighting to hide his smile. He made a mental note to thank Aylin later for rescuing his speech from Lee¡¯s sabotage. ¡°She¡¯s so much more. Something greater. And when I¡¯m done here, all of you will be too.¡±

 Chapter 593: Build-a-demon?

    Noah did what a god could not.

    He fixed Aylin ¡ª or at least, he fixed the most pressing issues. A true repair to a demon¡¯s soul would only come with the creation of a proper rune of self, but Sticky¡¯s rune could be used as a very effective patch over. It would work to fix the vast majority of the demon race, and Noah could get around to helping the demons he personally cared about make real Self Runes when they weren¡¯t on a time crunch.

    The repairs were surprisingly easy. He only had a single Rank 3 Rune that was relatively new to his soul, so ripping it apart and replacing its demonic with the Fragments of Sticky proved to be simple.

    And that was that.

    The entire thing had only taken Noah about a minute. He¡¯d jumped into the demon¡¯s mind, patched him up, and hopped out. The Knowledge Demon had seemed a little loopy after the repairs. There were no external changes to his appearance, but something deep within Aylin¡¯s eyes had shifted.

    Noah didn¡¯t press on the matter. He just sat down to think. There was a lot of thinking to be done in the near future. Thinking on what runes he would need to finish his combinations and advance to Rank 5. Thinking on his students and how he would protect them. Thinking on the Inquisitors. Thinking on Moxie ¡ª though those thoughts were liable to get away from him and best left for later.

    He would have loved to just do every single demon one after the other, but the Fragment of Renewal limited him. It would only work once a day. He didn¡¯t want to go around replacing runes without having a way to patch anyone¡¯s soul up.

    And so the first day wrapped to a close. And on the night of the second, while all the students were off with the other professors, Brayden sat down beside Noah.

    The two of them were silent for quite some time.

    ¡°This is strange,¡± Brayden finally said, breaking the silence as he shifted his weight and cracked a stick beneath him. ¡°Every time we meet, you seem different.¡±

    ¡°Is that a good thing?¡±

    ¡°Depends on who you ask,¡± Brayden replied with a small smile. ¡°I can¡¯t help but find it strikingly ironic that Vermil died failing to summon a demon and now you¡¯ve taken his body and used it to bring back an entire squadron of them.¡±

    ¡°Life is strange that way, isn¡¯t it? I do still feel a bit bad about the whole Vermil thing.¡±

    ¡°About killing him?¡±

    ¡°No. About lying to you. There aren¡¯t many Linwicks I actually think much of. The vast majority of them are insufferable pricks. Vermil got what was coming to him. I¡¯m not much a fan of Father either ¡ª but you¡¯re different. You looked out for the kids while I was gone.¡±

    ¡°That was more Jalen than me.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s an insufferable prick in his own way,¡± Noah said with a small smile. ¡°But his help doesn¡¯t invalidate yours.¡±

    Brayden grunted. ¡°Janice isn¡¯t half bad either. She¡¯s just¡­ dedicated. But I was just doing my job. A lot of nobles have forgotten their duty, but that doesn¡¯t mean we all have. We¡¯re meant to protect people. That¡¯s why the houses were established in the first place, back in the Long Night. The strongest mages grouped up to shield and train the weaker.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of bad that can be traced back to good intentions.¡±

    ¡°I hope that isn¡¯t foreshadowing.¡± Brayden looked off in the direction that the students had gone off in. ¡°Those demons are interesting. Nothing like what I thought they were¡­ but at the same time, they¡¯re not human.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that only remains to be found out. Good and bad can be pretty subjective. I don¡¯t imagine the kingdom is going to think much of me if everything goes to plan. And demons are demons. I¡¯m not trying to make them human. They are who they are.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Well, if anyone can pull it off, it¡¯s probably you. I couldn¡¯t even imagine a world where demons and humans can live on the same plane. But that¡¯s the benefit of not being from here. If such a future is really possible, I think I¡¯d like to see it. And it might be wrong of me, but there¡¯s a small part of me that¡¯s happy you¡¯re in Vermil¡¯s body, Noah.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    That probably hadn¡¯t been the best response to Brayden saying he was okay with Noah killing his brother, but Noah had been caught so off guard that the word slipped out before he could stop it.

    ¡°I know. Maybe it¡¯s wrong of me, but I do mean it,¡± Brayden said. He looked up through the ashen branches overhead and into the late night sky above them. ¡°Vermil was lost. Father destroyed him, and I let it happen. I was a bad brother. I didn¡¯t try hard enough to keep him on the right path ¡ª so it makes a part of me happy to know that you¡¯re giving him a legacy.¡±

    Noah wasn¡¯t quite sure what to say to that. It seemed that Brayden wasn¡¯t expecting an answer. He pushed himself upright with a grunt and brushed the ash and dirt off his backside before stretching his arms over his head.

    ¡°Once this whole business is done, I¡¯d like to learn more about who you really are,¡± Brayden said. ¡°But I won¡¯t take more of your time today. You¡¯re going to need every second you can get if you¡¯re planning to go up against the Inquisitors.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m raiding their base,¡± Noah said, but Brayden was already walking away. The large man raised a hand in farewell before stepping into the forest in the direction of the other students.

    Then the forest was quiet.

    At least, it was for a few short moments.

    Then Noah¡¯s domain tingled. A delicate footstep pressed against the dirt behind him as someone walked up to the tree he leaned against. He didn¡¯t have to turn to tell who it was.

    ¡°Yoru,¡± Noah said as she came to a stop beside him. ¡°You aren¡¯t with the others?¡±

    ¡°Their training is not useful for me at the moment. It requires the usage of Runes. My time was better spent here. You will not have time to repair all of our souls before your Rank 6 ally returns. You will have to choose the ones that attend the auction with you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d gathered as much,¡± Noah said. ¡°Are you saying you want to be one of them?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? Fixing your runes is going to be¡­ difficult. You¡¯re a Rank 7, Yoru. The amount of damage you¡¯ll take when I¡¯m ripping your runes out and putting them back together will be really significant. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s something we can even do in a single session. My plan was kind of to do it in stages, but we don¡¯t have time for that.¡±

    ¡°I am the most useful demon to repair. Violet and Vrith will not provide a significant benefit in the auction.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t argue that you¡¯re powerful, but are you even sure you¡¯d survive me cutting you up all at once? Did you use your future sight to confirm it or something?¡±

    Yoru sat down beside Noah. ¡°No. I did not.¡±

    That was a surprise. This felt like more of a reason to use her Master Rune than any other. What was the use of being able to see the most likely futures if Yoru couldn¡¯t determine if she¡¯d survive him messing with her soul?

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because Moonlit Prophecy did not want me to be here,¡± Yoru said quietly. ¡°I do not want to be here.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°And that is why I must be here. It is why you must fix me. I have withdrawn my power from Moonlit Prophecy so that it cannot interfere, but I do not know how long I will be able to resist its pull. I cannot check the future. If I do, I fear I will not have the willpower to release it again.¡±

    ¡°I respect that, Yoru. A lot. And if you¡¯ve done it once, you can do it again. I want to fix you, but I think we should do it properly. Rushing to get you ready for the auction could just end up killing you. I don¡¯t want that to happen. This is a repair that has to take place over several days.¡±

    ¡°I do not believe that will be possible.¡±

    Noah looked up to Yoru. And, for the first time, he realized that there was something dripping down the sides of her face, dripping from beneath her mask. Trails of blood glistened against her skin and soaked into her shirt.

    He shot to his feet. ¡°What did you do?¡±

    ¡°I anticipated that you would be unwilling to risk my life. I am too great of an asset to waste, so I accelerated the process. My runes are already shattered. My soul is currently crumbling under its own mass. If it is not repaired within minutes, I will die.¡±

    ¡°Son of a ¡ª you idiot,¡± Noah snapped, grabbing Yoru by the shoulders. The Fragment of Renewal was almost ready to be called upon after his work with Aylin. Yoru had timed everything to make sure he didn¡¯t have a chance to fix a different demon first. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re selfish or a genius.¡±

    ¡°That would depend on if you succeed. If not, then I will just be dead.¡±

    Noah pushed Yoru down to sit against the tree, adrenaline rushing through his veins as he reached for Empty Proliferation and he grabbed his grimoire. Noah flipped it open to one of the copies of the Fragments of Sticky that it had made using power from the other runes stored within its pages.

    Yoru really hadn¡¯t left him with much option. He had no choice but to do everything he could to repair her soul while he still had a chance.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting scolded once I get through this,¡± Noah said.

    Then activated Empty Proliferation.

    He had a Rank 7 demon to rebuild from the ground up.

 Chapter 594: Deal

    Yoru¡¯s soul expanded all around Noah as his mind merged with hers. He¡¯d had absolutely no idea what a Rank 7 demon¡¯s inner world would look like, but as his sight returned to him and solid ground materialized beneath his feet, he realized that this was not it.

    Soft grass pressed against Noah¡¯s bare feet and the fragrant smell of sweet sap and honeydew lingered in the air like a resurfaced memory. Rows of flowers ran in carefully arranged patterns all around him. Gentle moonlight shimmered against them like a silver wave, casting everything in just enough light to see by.

    He stood in a huge garden.

    There must have been dozens of different varieties of flowers all around him ¡ª none of which he recognized ¡ª but there was intention to every single one¡¯s position.

    It was a pattern.

    Not one that he could understand, but a pattern nonetheless. Noah was too deep within it and didn¡¯t have enough of an ariel view to figure out what its purpose was, but he could feel the latent power within the arrangement around him. There wasn¡¯t so much as a single blade of grass that was out of place.

    An uneasy air lingered against Noah¡¯s skin despite the beauty of the garden. A beautiful amber carnation bloomed beside him. It was perfect, completely without mar or malformation, nestled in a bunch of equally perfect flowers.

    There wasn¡¯t a single thing in the garden that wasn¡¯t perfect. If he hadn¡¯t known better, he would have thought the world around him to be made of plastic. Nature was intentional, but it was never this perfect.

    Noah found his gaze, as if by instinct, lifted to the sky. To the moon illuminating the world ¡ª but there was no moon.

    There was only a massive Rune.

    Moonlit Prophecy burned like a silver sun in the sky far above. The Master Rune was immense, but something had completely removed its pressure from Noah¡¯s soul. He wouldn¡¯t have even noticed it if he hadn¡¯t checked.

    It was almost as if the rune was trying to hide itself from him and blend into its environment as best as a monstrosity like it could possibly hope to.

    ¡°Did you forget I was dying?¡± Yoru asked, her words cutting through Noah¡¯s thoughts.

    He turned. The small demon stood behind him. A bush of red roses lay crushed beneath her feet, their heads desperately straining up as if trying to reach one last time for the heavens. A single line of blood trickled down from one of her nostrils and traced over her lip.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your soul damage? You should have a lot of it if you¡¯ve already started ripping your runes out,¡± Noah said, turning fully to face Yoru. Something deep inside him shifted in discomfort. He didn¡¯t like that he had to turn his back on Moonlit Prophecy in order to speak with Yoru.

    Something about that Master Rune really sat wrong with him ¡ª and the moment his thoughts focused further on it, he realized what it was.

    He was too calm. His heart should have been racing. Yoru was meant to be actively dying from soul damage, but he hadn¡¯t even spun to find her when he¡¯d arrived. He¡¯d just sat around in the garden and observed it.

    Yoru¡¯s soul was somehow dulling his senses. But, even though Noah was fully aware of it, he couldn¡¯t do a single thing about it. There just wasn¡¯t a single scrap of panic or fear to be found. Even his motivation to help Yoru was faltering.

    I could just sit down and enjoy the flowers. There¡¯s no need to fight so hard to change someone who belongs to a Master Rune. That would just be a waste of energy. Why would I make her weaker and less useful to me?

    ¡°The damage is buried beneath the earth, stitched together by this garden,¡± Yoru replied. ¡°It will not hold. Moonlit Prophecy seems to keep me under its control. It is displeased.¡±

    Why would you be displeased about being strong? There¡¯s nothing you could ever need that Moonlit Prophecy could not provide for you. The future is yours to command when you are under its sway. Shifting your true self to be something else will only weaken its powers. Why take on the extra struggle of control when something far more capable can do it for you?

    A faint frown flickered across Noah¡¯s lips.

    Something was wrong.

    He instinctively reached for Natural Disaster ¡ª but instead, he found his mind brushing against Sunder.

    Power raced through his soul. His veins turned jet black in an instant, and what felt like an ocean of freezing water slammed down on his back. Noah staggered, his eyes shooting wide open as he drew in a sharp breath.

    The thoughts that had been wrapping around his mind like a constricting snake shattered. They hadn¡¯t been his. All of his emotions came rushing back in a deluge.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Noah rasped, clasping a hand to his head as a violent headache slammed into him. ¡°Your fucking rune is trying to mind control me!¡±

    ¡°It is persuasive,¡± Yoru said dispassionately. ¡°Please do your best to resist its pull. If you cannot, I will die. Moonlit Prophecy has grown powerful enough to not need a living host. When my soul collapses, it will claim my body for itself. Please do not let that happen. I trust you.¡±

    Yoru¡¯s words crushed any remaining influence that her Master Rune had over Noah. The world seemed to sharpen. The beautiful garden around them lost its luster and his gaze focused on her.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you die,¡± Noah promised, his heart slamming in his chest as adrenaline injected into his veins. He extended his mind to his Grimoire, preparing to draw a Fragment of Sticky. ¡°Where are your runes? What do you want them to be? We need to work fast.¡±

    ¡°I trust you. I trust you because Moonlit Prophecy fears you,¡± Yoru said again. Her voice was¡­ different. Even as Noah worked to draw a Fragment of Sticky into existence, he dimly noted that she had changed. Gone was the flat, empty voice of the demon perpetually in control.

    What remained was the voice of a girl that had never gotten a chance to experience life for what it was. She may have been hundreds of years old, but they were not years that she herself had lived.

    Yoru had been a puppet for her entire life. Ever since she¡¯d gotten Moonlit Prophecy, not a single one of her actions had truly been her own. The rune had stolen more than just her sight. It had stolen everything.

    The air above Noah shimmered.

    His neck prickled; his instincts screamed. He lunged to the side, hitting the ground in a roll and shooting back to his feet even as a soft snick echoed through the silver night. A blade of glistening light had driven into the ground where he¡¯d been standing.

    The Fragment of Sticky faded. He hadn¡¯t had a chance to finish drawing it into her soul.

    ¡°Moonlit Prophecy does not want you to fix me,¡± Yoru said. ¡°Please be careful.¡±

    A fucking Rune is attacking me? You can¡¯t be serious.

    ¡°How do I fight it?¡± Noah asked, lifting his hand and starting to draw once again. He¡¯d be damned if he let a giant pattern get the best of him. ¡°Without killing you, that is? And where are the remains of your runes? There should be energy. We¡¯ll need that if you want to regain any measure of your former strength.¡±

    ¡°Buried,¡± Yoru said, looking down at the flowers at her feet. ¡°And I do not know how you can fight Moonlit Prophecy. I have never been successful.¡±

    I should have seen that one coming.

    Noah was nearly finished drawing the Fragment of Sticky when another shard of light carved through the air like a silent knife. He lurched out of the way, letting it pass by him harmlessly, but the damage was done. His rune faded away again.

    ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± Noah snarled. He started drawing again immediately. He didn¡¯t have time for this. The rune was trying to stall him out, and he couldn¡¯t let that happen. Every second that passed brought Yoru closer to her grave.

    Even if I can get one rune made, how am I meant to get everything else when Moonlit Prophecy is actively trying to kill me? Yoru¡¯s soul is so large that we¡¯ll need a whole lot more than a single Rank 1 Rune to keep it from collapsing on itself when there are no normal runes to keep its pressure stable. Not even the Fragment of Renewal will be able to save her if that happens.

    Noah¡¯s teeth gritted. He¡¯d be damned if he let a fucking rune steal a life from him. There was no way to try to counter Moonlit Prophecy, as drawing on his magic would have stopped him from making a rune at the same time.

    All he could do was press on.

    He was midway through the final line in the Fragment of Sticky when another shard of light carved out toward Noah. It was toying with him ¡ª or saving energy, expecting a larger fight later.

    The shard slammed into his palm. It drove deep into his arm. Pain pierced through his body. Noah didn¡¯t even flinch. He flicked his left hand to the side and finished drawing the Fragment of Sticky with his free one.

    A lone Rank 1 Rune shimmered into being before him, summoned into Yoru¡¯s soul. Noah¡¯s jaw clenched as blood dripped from his palm and fell to the grass, soaking into the dirt beneath.

    The victory was a minor one. He¡¯d lost an entire limb making a single Rune. He needed a way to fight back while he worked, but Moonlit Prophecy was nowhere near in range for him to fight, even if he¡¯d wanted to.

    ¡°Can you fight back against that thing at all?¡± Noah asked.

    ¡°I already am,¡± Yoru replied. ¡°If I were not, you would have already been crushed by the full force of its pressure.¡±

    Goddamn it. Should have guessed that was why such a powerful Master Rune wasn¡¯t exerting pressure on me. I need a way to fight back or defend myself while I work. But how ¡ª

    Something brushed against Noah¡¯s mind.

    Perhaps I may be of service¡­ for a price.

    The back of Noah¡¯s spine prickled. He couldn¡¯t say how, but he knew exactly who it was that was speaking to him.

    ¡°Discussions later,¡± Noah said, making a split second decision. ¡°Help me. We¡¯ll figure out a suitable payment if this works.¡±

    A distant laugh echoed through Noah¡¯s mind.

    The grass beneath him wilted. A pool of black spread out from his feet. It bubbled and churned, and a gale howled through Yoru¡¯s soul. Far above, Moonlit Prophecy shuddered in the sky.

    Yoru staggered, clutching a hand to her chest.

    ¡°Moonlit Prophecy is fighting back,¡± Yoru wheezed. ¡°It¡­ did not forsee this. I have blocked it. It can only witness the future in a world with weight. There is nothing here but our souls, but you must act quickly. I will not live for long.¡±

    A black hand shot up from the black lake and slammed into the ground, the chunks of sewn, sinewy flesh that made it up pulsing and undulating as its fingers carved furrows through the dirt.

    An abomination rose free of the ground beside Noah, and the laugh echoing through his mind its way into his ears. The gangly monster¡¯s form jutted and zigzagged at sharp angles, its back broken a dozen times over. Even badly hunched over, it towered over Noah.

    Its empty, sunken eye sockets peered up at the rune taking the place of the moon in the sky. A ragged smile split the monster¡¯s black lips to reveal a mouth of wide, crooked teeth.

    A buzz filled the air and Yoru dropped to her knees, her teeth clenching.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never eaten one of these before. An open-ended offering¡­¡± The monstrosity let out another raspy laugh. Sickening pops and squelches rang out as it straightened one snap at a time until it stood at its full height. The monster reached up toward the moon, as if to grasp it from the ground. ¡°I accept your deal, Noah Vines.¡±

 Chapter 595: Dont care

    The sky above the garden of Yoru¡¯s soul twinkled. Stars took form in the darkness, a wave of shining lights washing through the night sky. On the ground to Noah¡¯s side, Yoru let out a hiss of pain.

    Blood dripped down her features and fell to the squashed grass around her. A wave of pressure rolled against Noah¡¯s mind, pressing down on him like a weight on his chest that threatened to squeeze his lungs shut.

    Moonlit Prophecy was pushing back against Yoru¡¯s restraints. It didn¡¯t look like she¡¯d be able to hold the Master Rune back for much longer. Something about Noah ¡ª or more likely, the twisted abomination that he¡¯d just summoned in to the Rank 7 demon¡¯s head ¡ª had it in full panic mode.

    Noah didn¡¯t wait around to find out what the Master Rune was planning. He only had a short while to work, and he couldn¡¯t afford to waste a second of it. There was no choice but to trust that the abhorrent creature would be able to keep its word and protect him until he could finish patching Yoru¡¯s soul and give her a way to properly push back against Moonlit Prophecy.

    ¡°What do you want to be, Yoru?¡± Noah asked, urgency gripping his words. ¡°I can¡¯t choose this for you. Demons more than anyone else, your runes are who you are. I¡¯m just returning some of the control to you.¡±

    Yoru shook her head mutely. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t made a decision like this before. It¡¯s too big. How am I supposed to know what I want to become? There are too many options! What¡¯s the right one?¡±

    Out of the corner of Noah¡¯s eye, he saw the lights burning above grew stronger ¡ª and it struck Noah that they were no stars. The entire sky was awash in burning blades of moonlight. His face paled as the blood rushed out of it.

    Each of the blades was easily ten feet long. Even though Yoru was keeping their pressure restrained, the pressure in her soul was still ramping up. He wasn¡¯t even sure if his summoned companion was going to be able to do anything about this. The full might of a Master Rune of this strength¡­

    Noah crushed the thoughts from his mind. He didn¡¯t have time for distractions. He started to draw another Fragment of Sticky into Yoru¡¯s soul.

    ¡°There is no right answer,¡± Noah snapped. ¡°We¡¯re all flying blind, Yoru. Nobody knows the future. Don¡¯t forget that my work is never permanent. I can always undo it. It might be the only situation in which the past can be repaired ¡ª but right now, you need to tell the past and future to fuck off and live in the present before we all die in it instead. What runes do you want?¡±

    ¡°Light,¡± Yoru said after a moment of hesitation. ¡°It¡¯s safe. I know light. Can you give me light?¡±

    Not particularly original, but it¡¯s still a decision she made on her own. That¡¯s progress. I should have some light runes sitting around.

    What would Light combine with to get moonlight? Maybe something with shadows? Some dichotomy would be good. Great way to balance competing energy. Shit. I¡¯ve never had to fucking throw entirely new rune combinations together on the fly!

    Even if I knew, I don¡¯t have enough Light and Shadow runes to get her all the way back up to Rank 6, much less Rank 7. Fuck. I didn¡¯t think of this. What do I do?

    A star fell from the sky. It carved down toward Noah, burning from within like a miniature moon. The abomination reached upward and darkness gathered at its palm. Long, gangly fingers slammed down on the blade of the weapon and shattered it before it could pierce through the monster¡¯s palm.

    Something prickled against Noah¡¯s skin. Something familiar. He knew this feeling. This sensation was something he felt before.

    The sound of breaking glass rang through Yoru¡¯s soul as the magic disintegrated into streamers of glowing white mist. It tried to flee, but the abomination was faster. The monster drew in a deep breath. In a howl, all of the mist was ripped from the air and drawn into its mouth.

    Another sword crashed down from the sky, only to meet the same fate. The sense of familiarity gripped Noah even more than it had before.

    This is runic power. Raw magical energy, the same type that¡¯s used to create runes. What¡¯s going on?This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°I need that power,¡± Noah said urgently. ¡°Can you make me Light Runes?¡±

    ¡°Make?¡± The abomination asked. ¡°You overestimate my power ¡ª and my willingness to help. All I¡¯m doing is drinking in all the power that this Master Rune stole from the demon¡¯s soul. It harvested the energy so we couldn¡¯t use it to remake her runes.¡±

    So that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t sense any power. Yoru tried to bury the damage to preserve her power and make her soul last a little longer, but Moonlit Prophecy is ripping it back and using the power for itself.

    That means that the weaker it gets, the more power I have to work with. That means I¡¯ve got two of the three components needed to create a rune from scratch¡­ but I don¡¯t have an inciting event. Nothing about this is going to let me create a rune. I have to copy and combine them the old-fashioned way.

    ¡°Can you distribute the energy you¡¯re taking?¡± Noah asked.

    Three more swords fell. The gangly monster caught one of them, grabbing it by the hilt before it could drive through Noah¡¯s skull. It wasn¡¯t quite so fast for the others. They both slammed into its back, driving deep into its stitched flesh and punching out like blooming flowers.

    It felt like there should have been a spray of blood or some other bodily fluid, but the only reaction the monstrosity had to being stabbed twice was the thunk of the weapons hitting its body.

    The monster¡¯s hand tightened around the sword it held. It shattered, and it broke the other two blades as well, drawing all of their energy into itself.

    ¡°You are leaving me with little for myself,¡± the Grimoire said. ¡°I will not accept this deal. Figure the solution out yourself.¡±

    Oh, for the love of ¡ª

    ¡°I did figure out a solution,¡± Noah snapped. ¡°You don¡¯t make the rules here. Work with me or don¡¯t work at all. Keep the extra energy. I only need to get Yoru partially back to her former strength.¡±

    A sword slammed through the abomination¡¯s head. It didn¡¯t even seem to notice. It just kept speaking, ignoring the new sword-nose it had grown.

    ¡°She was only a step into Rank 7. Impossible. There will not be sufficient power left for me.¡±

    ¡°Rank 6, then,¡± Noah said. ¡°The power growth is exponential. Keep everything after Rank 6, but help me get her back to that. I¡¯m not bargaining anymore, Grimoire. That¡¯s a good deal and we both know it. Choose your side.¡±

    The monster snapped the sword in its head. The weapon evaporated into streamers of energy that it devoured, and its mouth split into a wide grin. ¡°Acceptable. You are fortunate that we are in an ideal domain for me. There is so much latent power here that I can make up for your attempts to starve me.¡±

    ¡°Just do your damn job. I¡¯ll happily get to know you and your dietary requirements more afterward,¡± Noah ordered.

    ¡°As you command, Herald.¡±

    Herald?

    Noah wasn¡¯t so sure he liked the sound of that, but even if he¡¯d had time to argue, he didn¡¯t get a chance to. A wave of power slammed into the base of his spine and coursed up his entire body.

    It wasn¡¯t power he could draw on. There was a distinct difference between his own runes and this. Noah¡¯s magic felt like an ocean within his soul, while this was just a river passing through.

    Knowledge exploded through Noah¡¯s mind. Runes flashed behind his eyes, forming and fading with such speed that he could barely make them out ¡ª and yet, he knew every single one.

    The Grimoire had formed a direct connection with him. He could feel every single rune in its pages. Every single crease on the paper and every ounce of magic stored within it. Noah was also vaguely aware of a number of drawings that the Grimoire kept within itself. He wasn¡¯t so happy about seeing those, but he didn¡¯t spare them more than an instant of thought.

    Another wave of pressure slammed down on him. This one was stronger than the last. Swords crashed down from the sky, letting out keening wails as the screamed through the air toward him.

    A gangly hand wrapped around Noah¡¯s chest and he found himself lifted into the air. Wind buffeted his face and his scream of surprise was swallowed by the howl of wind as the Grimoire burst into a sprint, bounding across the ground with impossible speed.

    ¡°Best get to work!¡± the monster called, shattering another blade and ripping the magic from it. ¡°You¡¯re on a time limit, Noah Vines. The girl is going to die if you don¡¯t get her the runes she needs! I just hope you¡¯re good at working while on the move.¡±

    Noah didn¡¯t waste his time with a reply. It didn¡¯t matter if he was good at it or not. His hand started to trace through the air, and the energy remained attached to his fingertip even as he was ferried through the garden like a toy doll.

    Yoru wanted Light runes ¡ª and that was exactly what she was going to get.

    ¡°Get ready!¡± Noah yelled, hoping Yoru could hear him. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to have long to solidify these! I¡¯m making you all the components you need!¡±

    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the demon push herself to her feet. She turned in their direction, her eyes sharpening as her jaw set. She gave him a firm nod. At least, Noah hoped she did. It was a bit hard to tell when he was getting bounced around.

    Yoru was ready. She was counting on him, and Noah refused to fail her. He was not about to lose a fight to a sentient Rune.

    I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a crazed mage, a rune, or a fucking god. I will not allow anything to take my people away from me.

 Chapter 596: Turn

    Noah didn¡¯t remember much of the next minute. Yoru¡¯s soul blurred and swam at the edges of his vision as the Grimoire sprinted through the garden, trampling flowers with every step it took.

    Shimmers of moonlight carved through the air like glistening silver raindrops. Some of them missed; some of them slammed straight into the grimoire and tore through the monster¡¯s body. Not a single one hit Noah.

    His attention was completely on drawing runes. The rest of the world was just a distraction. There was no other option. Noah couldn¡¯t afford to let himself get distracted by unimportant things such as not getting killed.

    That would just have to be left to his Grimoire. The monster had promised him that it would be able to keep him safe while he worked ¡ª Noah had to take that at face value. And so, even as the smell of crushed flowers and blood mixed in the air to mar the once gentle sweetness of the garden, he continued to work.

    Noah drew as the sky fell around him. He worked as the bushes covering the ground started to wilt, and he worked as white cracks pushed their way free from beneath the dirt and let new light spill into Yoru¡¯s soul.

    There was no time to do anything else.

    Every rune he finished, he threw to Yoru. She knelt on the ground, tears of blood running down her cheeks and joining with the rivers running from her nose. Her features were clenched in pain and concentration.

    He couldn¡¯t tell if she was combining runes or not, and he didn¡¯t have time to check. Noah did note that there were no more Fragments of Sticky. Yoru had shattered them. She was attempting to form her own rune of Self. He couldn¡¯t afford to see if it was working.

    All he could do was keep making components.

    At least ¡ª that was until the pressure in her soul started to rise. It was a strange feeling, like an invisible layer of water rising up all around her soul. Noah¡¯s chest compressed and breathing grew more difficult.

    ¡°The demon is too slow,¡± the Grimoire roared as it ran, the howl of the wind in Noah¡¯s ears nearly drowning the monster¡¯s voice out. ¡°Her soul can¡¯t contain this many runes, even if they¡¯re merely rank 1! She¡¯s going to break.¡±

    ¡°Put me down next to her,¡± Noah ordered, grabbing onto a Light rune he¡¯d just finished creating. ¡°And cover both of us.¡±

    ¡°Protect both of you? What do you think I am?¡± the Grimoire demanded. But, despite its complaints, the dirt at its feet flew into the air as it skidded to a stop and changed directions, bounding back toward Yoru.

    The world jerked around him as the monster reared back. Noah¡¯s eyes only had an instant to widen before he was whipped through the air like a baseball, a slew of curses dying as the wind slammed into his throat and nearly choked him on the spot.

    He hit the ground with a pained grunt, rolling to keep his momentum and scrambling back to his feet. The Grimoire had been surprisingly accurate with its throw. He¡¯d landed just a foot away from Yoru ¡ª and away from a cloud of Rank 1 Runes that enveloped her.

    Noah pushed past the runes and grabbed her by the shoulders. The thunk of a blade striking flesh echoed out behind him, but he didn¡¯t even turn to look. Either the Grimoire would protect him or it wouldn¡¯t. Worrying would change absolutely nothing.

    ¡°Yoru,¡± Noah said.

    She blinked sleepily at him. Yoru¡¯s flat blue eyes were glassy, her expression nearly slack. She wasn¡¯t holding up well.

    Noah gave her a shake. She stiffened and drew in a sharp breath.

    ¡°What? What¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°The runes,¡± Noah snapped. A crack of soul damage snaked past them. Dirt cascaded into it, vanishing into the white void, but Noah ignored it. ¡°You need to combine the runes I¡¯ve made you. There are a bunch of Rank 1s here. Ones that I made for you. Just focus your intent and put them together.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never combined a rune on my own,¡± Yoru stammered. Her voice started to grow distant again. ¡°I don¡¯t know how.¡±

    Noah slapped her. It wasn¡¯t his proudest moment. Striking a child was just about the absolute last thing that a teacher should ever do ¡ª but Yoru was no child. She was an ancient demon with no experience making choices of her own. Even with her soul breaking apart, she was still so tough that striking her was akin to patting someone on the shoulder.

    ¡°Enough of this,¡± Noah barked. ¡°You made a decision, Yoru. I wanted to take things slow. You did not. You came to me and broke your runes. That¡¯s fine. That was your choice to make. But you will not make a choice and then leave the consequences to someone else to deal with. You are going to combine these goddamn runes, and you¡¯re going to like it.¡±

    Yoru stared at him, clarity sputtering to life behind her eyes.

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Envision what you want,¡± Noah said. ¡°Focus your intent. Not too wide. Not too narrow. Rank 2 Runes should be something like Moonlight. Rank 3s can get a little more specific. Think of elements of the moon that you want to embody. Reflection, that kind of thing. Don¡¯t forget to account for every part of the rune when you create it. If you¡¯ve got light and water, to make Moonlit Reflection, then remember to have intent for both elements and not just your final result.¡±

    ¡°What if I make a mistake?¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll fix it. That¡¯s what I do. I fix people¡¯s mistakes ¡ª but you can¡¯t make a mistake unless you do something, and there¡¯s nothing in this world that¡¯s worse than sitting around and letting a chance to try pass by you. You want freedom, Yoru? Then act. Failing is fine. That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for. But if you don¡¯t act, then you die.¡±

    Yoru swallowed heavily. She blinked ¡ª and when her eyes opened again, something behind them had shifted. There was determination within them. There was emotion.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Yoru said. She extended a hand to one of the runes ¡ª and a shudder racked her body. The rivers of blood pouring down her face widened and she let out a stifled hiss of pain. The waves of pressure filling her soul magnified. An overbearing presence slammed down on Noah¡¯s back and nearly sent him crashing to his knees.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°What the hell?¡±

    ¡°Moonlit Prophecy,¡± Yoru wheezed. ¡°It won¡¯t let me.¡±

    ¡°This fucking rune.¡± Noah ground his teeth and spun toward the massive Master Rune looming in the sky overhead. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the rune, Yoru. You focus on your job.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°Grimoire!¡± Noah yelled. Anger swirled within his chest and radiated throughout his entire being. He¡¯d had it to his neck with this Master Rune. ¡°Swap with me! I know you can duplicate runes already. Give her what she needs. Harvest any energy you have to, but do not let her fail.¡±

    There was a blur of black. The ground beside Noah exploded as the Grimoire slammed down beside him, its back to the rune. A blade flashed down for the monster, but it reached up and crushed the sword before the weapon could connect with its body.

    ¡°I was wondering when you would take over, Herald,¡± the Grimoire said. ¡°This is a task I am far more suited to. Should you rip the rune to shreds, leave me the scraps.¡±

    Noah barely even heard the Grimoire. His blood pounded in his ears and his hands were clenched so tight that his knuckles had turned white. There were lines that could not be crossed. The Great Rune wasn¡¯t getting killed. They weren¡¯t carving it apart. All Yoru wanted was autonomy of her own body.

    And that simple request had been enough to cause Moonlit Prophecy to decide it would burn the demon¡¯s soul down around her. She just wanted to be its partner, but it would rather kill her than let her be anything but a slave.

    Pressure slammed down on Noah¡¯s shoulders. Moonlit Prophecy was completely focused on him.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to have a problem,¡± Noah said through clenched teeth. He reached out to Sunder.

    His Master Rune responded ¡ª and Noah opened the flood gates.

    For the first time, instead of trying to ration the rune¡¯s power, he drew every scrap of power that he could from it. There was so much pressure in Yoru¡¯s soul that he didn¡¯t need his own runes to resist its presence. Moonlit Prophecy was doing that job for him.

    The air around him crackled. Slivers of black light flashed around Noah¡¯s hand like arcs of lightning. Instinctively, he extended his arm and unclenched his fist.

    There was a sharp crack. A flash of darkness split through the air, and a spear materialized against Noah¡¯s palm.

    It was as black as night. Nearly invisible designs covered its surface, running from the blade at its tip all the way down to the base of the shaft. Even without being able to read them, Noah knew for a fact that they were the same patterns that covered Sunder.

    The weapon trembled against his grip. Not in rebellion, but in excitement. There was so much power stored within it that Noah felt like he¡¯d drank a dozen cups of expresso at once. Adrenaline and jittery energy burned through his veins like wildfire.

    Moonlight gathered above Noah¡¯s head. The loose dirt on the ground around him trembled and bounced. Noah didn¡¯t flinch. Sunder¡¯s might rolled out from him in waves, fighting back against Moonlit Prophecy and keeping it from crushing him.

    The silver light formed into an enormous sword, and a pure white hand materialized around its hilt. Light continued to gather and the hand turned to an arm, connecting to the entirely silver-white body of a familiar demon.

    It was Yoru ¡ª but at the same time, it couldn¡¯t have been farther from her. There was only a single aspect of the demon that he¡¯d come to know. The cold, calculating indifference in which she saw the future.

    This was Moonlit Prophecy, and all it had done was stolen her form.

    Wordlessly, Moonlit Prophecy lifted her blade. Delicate white light swam within it, a galaxy of stars trapped within a sword.

    Then there was an instant of stillness. Everythign went silent. The world seemed to hold its breath in awe of the power manifesting before Noah.

    Then Noah heard the drip of blood against dirt. He felt the gentle fluctuations in power as Yoru worked to combine her runes. She was following Noah¡¯s orders and paying the fight no attention. Her entire focus was on combining a rune.

    ¡°I know the future,¡± Moonlit Prophecy said, her emotionless voice washing over Yoru¡¯s soul like a frozen plague. ¡°I will see the sun set on eternity. You cannot stand in the way of fate. This is my vessel. You cannot have her.¡±

    Then Moonlit Prophecy swung the sword. The sky itself seemed to shift. The enormous weapon cut through the sky like a crashing meteor and plummeted down toward Noah¡¯s head.

    ¡°You do not control fate. Nobody does. All you can do is measure probabilities.¡± Noah tightened his grip around the hilt of the spear. ¡°And here, you can see nothing. I reject your future.¡±

    Noah drove the spear up into the sword as it fell.

    The two Master Runes struck each other, not with a resounding crash, but a gentle, echoing ringing like a piece of glass being rung.

    A wave of power exploded out from the two of them without so much as a pop. It ripped across Yoru¡¯s soul, a torrent of soundless wind.

    And, for an instant longer, there was only silence.

    Then a black line split down the length of the blade.

    It shattered.

    Silver mist screamed free from the weapon ¡ª and streamers of it curled through the air, flying to gather at the Grimoire¡¯s palm. The monster¡¯s hand clenched down on the magic and it vanished, drawn within itself.

    The pressure pressing down on Noah evaporated. Without it, there was nothing to keep Sunder from crushing Noah. He went to dismiss the spear, but it shattered and faded away even before the thought could finish crossing his head. The Master Rune had pulled its own power back.

    The silver version of Yoru dropped from the sky, landing on the ground before Noah and staggering.

    ¡°Impossible,¡± Moonlit Prophecy said. The stoic demeanor on her silver features faltered as fear flickered behind her eyes. ¡°You cannot resist fate.¡±

    ¡°Maybe not, but you aren¡¯t fate,¡± Noah replied. He cracked his neck. ¡°Stop interfering with Yoru.¡±

    ¡°She is mine. I raised her from birth. I trained her. I protected her. You are nothing but an usurper who seeks to steal the power that I deserve by birthright. Who are you to stand in my way?¡±

    ¡°He is the Herald,¡± the Grimoire said, delight dripping from its words. ¡°Shatter the rune, Noah. Eviscerate it. The power will be yours; the corpse mine. We can use this power for ourselves. With vision of what is to come, there will be none that can stand in our way.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Noah said. ¡°This isn¡¯t our power to take. It¡¯s Yoru¡¯s¡­ and frankly, I want nothing to do with this rune.¡±

    ¡°I am nobody¡¯s to take,¡± Moonlit Prophecy yelled. ¡°I am¡ª¡±

    Noah took a step forward, twisting his entire body to put his weight behind his fist as he drove it into Moonlit Prophecy¡¯s face.

    There was a satisfying crunch. Her glowing eyes only had an instant to widen before her nose shattered and she was sent tumbling back. Her body bounced twice against the ground before skidding across the ground and falling into a massive crack in Yoru¡¯s soul.

    A silver hand grabbed onto the crumbling dirt at the edge of the crack. Noah strode over to the rune, looking down at her as she struggled to keep her purchase on the ground, trying to avoid plummeting into the nothingness below.

    Noah crouched and held the rune¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Stay there,¡± Noah said. ¡°Your power belongs to Yoru ¡ª but if you try to fight back again, I¡¯ll just kill you.¡±

    ¡°You would throw my magic away?¡± the rune demanded. ¡°The power to control the future, all for a worthless child?¡±

    Noah reached down and grabbed Moonlit Prophecy by her hair. He lifted her into the air before him and leaned in so she could get a good look at his features.

    ¡°Without a second thought.¡±

    He tossed the rune to the ground.

    Moonlit Prophecy wasn¡¯t going to get in his way again. Either the rune gave in or it died. He wasn¡¯t about to risk Yoru¡¯s life over it after all the damage it had already done ¡ª but he didn¡¯t even know if that would be enough.

    The cracks running through her soul cracked and widened. It was some of the worst damage he¡¯d ever seen. If he started fixing it now, there was a chance her soul would collapse under itself. She needed the pressure from her runes returned before he could patch the cracks.

    ¡°Come on, Yoru,¡± Noah muttered under his breath, turning to watch the demon as his hands clenched by his sides. ¡°There¡¯s nothing else left in your way. It¡¯s just you and the runes.¡±

    It was a race against time, and Yoru was the one running.

    Noah had done everything he could.

    Now it was her turn.

 Chapter 597: Tithe

    Twisting clouds of misty magical energy curled through Yoru¡¯s soul, washing over the night sky like an ocean of shimmering stars. The cracks riddling the ground in the garden trembled, slowly stretching to consume more of its surface.

    The smell of cut flowers filled the air, lingering from all the crushed plants that littered the ground. Many of them had fallen through the cracks to vanish into the endless white void below.

    Silence ruled. Moonlit Prophecy sat, its silvery copy of Yoru¡¯s body as still as ice before Noah. Even the wind had stilled itself. The entirety of the demon¡¯s soul was focused.

    Uneven waves of pressure rolled out from Yoru as her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides. Runes floated all around her, and the lanky form of the stitched abomination that was Noah¡¯s Grimoire loomed over her like a grotesque shadow that had risen up from the ground.

    ¡°Give up,¡± the silvery form of Yoru hissed. ¡°Give yourself to me and a part of you may live on. I crafted this existence for you, Yoru. Everything you are is what I have created. You cannot exist in a world that I do not control. This struggle will only ruin everything I have worked for. This life is¡ª¡±

    Yoru¡¯s eyes snapped open, and they burned with the brilliant silver light of the moon.

    ¡°Mine,¡± Yoru said. ¡°It is mine to destroyed.¡±

    There was a snap. The air before her twisted like a miniature black hole had formed directly in the air before her, crumpling in on itself. Pressure roiled through Yoru¡¯s soul and twisted the light swirling around her.

    And from the fragments formed a shimmer of light.

    A rune.

    Fragment of Yoru

    The abomination¡¯s lips twisted into a smile.

    ¡°What?¡± the manifestation of Moonlit Prophecy breathed, eyes going wide. ¡°Impossible. How¡­¡±

    Yoru ignored her clone. It rested its gangly hands on Yoru¡¯s shoulders and whispered into her ear. As to what it was saying, Noah was unaware. The runes in the air around Yoru shifted and drew closer.

    Then they drove together with a brilliant flash of light.

    And, where there had only been Rank 1 Light Runes before, a Rank 2 Cracked Silver Light Rune had formed.

    Yoru had combined a rune.

    Unfortunately, it was far from perfect, much less flawless, and building a foundation upon weakened runes would just mean Yoru had to suffer through an immense amount of soul damage a second time around.

    She had to get it the first time around.

    ¡°Good job,¡± Noah had said.

    Then he¡¯d sundered her efforts, splitting it back up into a cloud of misty energy and its constituents.

    Yoru didn¡¯t even flinch. Her head tilted slightly ¡ª not to the sides, but forward ¡ª in a nod of appreciation. Then she¡¯d continued to work.

    The cracks in her soul continued to spread. Blood poured down her face in rivers. It soaked into her clothes and dripped to the ground, turning the dirt into mud. There was so much damage to her soul that Noah couldn¡¯t even understand how she was still alive, much less working.

    But still Yoru pressed on. Something more primal than determination drove her forward. She formed the rune twice more. Twice more, Noah sundered it.

    And on the third try, she made a flawless Silver Light Rune.

    When Noah didn¡¯t sunder it, Yoru moved on immediately. More runes followed afterward. Three more Moonlight Runes, joined by three Shimmering Light runes.

    Yoru was a terrifyingly fast learner. The Shimmering Light Runes didn¡¯t need to be repaired. They were all done correctly on her first attempt.

    The pressure in her soul still had yet to see much of a change. A Rank 2 Rune was so insignificant in comparison to Rank 7 that her soul was still in just as much danger than it had been before.

    She pressed on.

    The Rank 2s were combined into a Moonlight Rank 3 ¡ª and to Noah¡¯s shock, that too was Flawless.

    Even though he and Moxie had been the ones to initially figure out that Runes could reach Flawless, not even Noah had managed to adapt to it so quickly. Yoru was learning like a sponge in water.

    It took him a moment to realize why. Noah would have laughed at the thought if the state of things hadn¡¯t been so tense.

    Children learned things at incredible rates. Yoru had never had a chance to truly experience anything for herself, so she was speeding through understanding. He just hoped it would be enough to fix her soul in time.

    Loud cracks echoed out. A tremor shook the ground, and more dirt sloughed into the void below. Noah stepped to the side to avoid pitching into the endless white space that was quickly growing to consume Yoru¡¯s soul. Nearly half of the solid ground in her world had fallen away.

    Cracks formed on Yoru¡¯s fingertips, burning with brilliant white light as she continued to draw runes in the air and the Grimoire continued to feed her magic and runes to work with, ripping them out from within its own body and tossing them into the air beside her without even stopping to draw them.

    Yoru combined runes into a Rank 3 Moonlit Reflection Rune.

    It wasn¡¯t Flawless.

    Noah sundered it. More cracks ripped through her soul in response and he winced, his teeth clenched tight enough to bend iron between them.

    Yoru¡¯s second attempt worked.

    A third Rank 3 Rune followed after ¡ª this one named Empty Sky.

    It was Flawless.

    More damage spread through Yoru¡¯s soul. A distant howl picked up, growing louder by the second. Yoru¡¯s pinky finger crumbled into dust, and the cracks spread to cover her other fingers and began to work down her wrist.

    She made the remaining Rank 3 runes and slammed them together with a brilliant flash of light, leaving behind a Rank 4 Moon rune.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Not once did her features even flicker. Noah was pretty sure she was advancing at a rate faster than anyone since before Arbitage had been built, and Yoru barely even cared. The only thing on her mind was combining runes. Now that she¡¯d started, it almost seemed as if she couldn¡¯t stop.

    Something prickled against Noah¡¯s skin. It was faint, but he could feel pressure starting to fill her soul once more. Yoru made three more copies of the Moon Rune.

    Her hand crumbled away in its entirety, and the damage reached up her arm for her shoulder. Noah¡¯s jaw clenched, but there was absolutely nothing he could do. Activating the Fragment of Renewal now would just doom her. It would partially heal the damage, but she¡¯d still get more as she continued to advance ¡ª and if he patched her too early, then her soul would still accrue more damage and collapse shortly afterward¡­ and he¡¯d be unable to do anything until a day later.

    Yoru didn¡¯t acknowledge the damage. She just swapped to her other hand and continued to draw. Cracks already riddled it, but her fingers were still there.

    ¡°She won¡¯t make it,¡± the Grimoire said, lifting its head from Yoru¡¯s ear.

    ¡°What?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Look at her! She¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°Putting up a good struggle, but she will die. Look around you.¡±

    Noah didn¡¯t have to be told that. The dirt beneath his feet was shifting and crumbling. More than half of Yoru¡¯s soul had already fallen through the cracks into oblivion. She was well through Rank 4 now, but the amount of time it took between every rank grew higher and the combinations grew more difficult.

    ¡°She¡¯ll make it,¡± Noah said firmly. He injected determination into his words. He wasn¡¯t going to doubt Yoru to her face.

    ¡°No, she will not.¡± The demon¡¯s claws tightened around Yoru¡¯s shoulders as Yoru finished making a Rank 4 Starflame rune. It was good, but it wasn¡¯t Flawless.

    Noah Sundered it.

    Yoru coughed. Blood splattered across the soaked ground before her. More cracks tore through the ground. She got back to work.

    ¡°Enough,¡± Noah said. ¡°You¡¯re distracting her.¡±

    ¡°She could not be distracted even if we wanted to. Yoru is completely focused¡­ but focus alone is not sufficient. You cannot build hopes and dreams from nothing but desire, Herald. You should know this better than anyone. Your goals ended on Earth unaccomplished.¡±

    Noah¡¯s answer caught in his throat. ¡°How do you know about that?¡±

    ¡°You have imbued countless pieces of your soul into me when you leave runes upon my pages. I have absorbed much of who you are, Herald. I know your power. I know your goals and desires.¡±

    The fingers on Yoru¡¯s left hand crumbled away. Her jaw clenched and she continued to draw with nothing but the stump of her wrist, but the accuracy of the lines in the runes suffered. She was forced to abandon her current attempt and restart.

    ¡°Get to the point,¡± Noah snarled. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time.¡±

    ¡°I can help her,¡± the Grimoire said, its voice little more than a deadly whisper. ¡°Repairing bodies is something of my specialty.¡±

    ¡°Do it,¡± Noah said immediately.

    ¡°It is not that simple. I will not give up a portion of myself. What has been lost cannot be regained so easily, and I am not so kind as you.¡±

    ¡°You want me to give up a portion of my body?¡± Noah asked.

    That¡¯s easy. I barely need the damn thing. I¡¯ll just make¡ª

    ¡°Your soul,¡± the Grimoire replied. ¡°And not a piece you can rebuild, Herald. But your life is infinitely more valuable than that of this demon. I have felt your strength. Your potential. We will feast on the gods ¡ª but not if you rip yourself to shreds. No, I am not asking you. There is another. If you spoke the truth, then you do not care about this power.¡±

    Noah turned to follow the abomination¡¯s gaze. His eyes landed on the fallen form of the Moonlit Prophecy rune.

    ¡°What do I have to do?¡±

    ¡°One hand should suffice.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± the rune exclaimed, scrambling to her feet and lifting into the air as energy gathered around her. ¡°I won¡¯t ¡ª¡±

    The rest of the rune¡¯s sentence was lost in a loud crack. Noah¡¯s hand carved through the Moonlit Prophecy¡¯s arm, Sunder¡¯s magic empowering his blow and severing it completely. He grabbed the limb before it could hit the ground and spun to the Grimoire, thrusting it out.

    ¡°No hesitation,¡± the monster observed, its wide mouth splitting apart in a massive grin. It lifted the arm to its mouth and bit down on the end. A loud crunch echoed out through Yoru¡¯s soul, and a wave of power buffeted Noah¡¯s hair back.

    Moonlit Prophecy screamed in agony.

    The Grimoire took what remained of the hand, which had been cut to perfectly match the missing flesh of Yoru¡¯s right arm and pressed it onto her stump. There was a loud hiss and the smell of burning flesh filled the air.

    A crack split the edge of the Moonlit Prophecy rune in the air far above them. Yoru¡¯s body stiffened.

    Then she lifted her new hand and started to draw.

    That easy?

    Something told Noah that it was anything but, but now wasn¡¯t the time to question what had just happened. He watched with bated breath as Yoru continued to draw runes to life, moving with renewed speed now that one of her hands had been returned to her.

    The cracks on that side of her body stilled, but they continued on the other. Her left arm was eroded up to the elbow and the damage was making for her shoulder.

    Yoru clenched her one remaining hand. She¡¯d managed to finish making her Rank 4 runes during the past few seconds of conversations. A number of her runes weren¡¯t Flawless, but they were close to perfect.

    Their time was running out. There was no time for Noah to sunder anything. He didn¡¯t interfere. Another brilliant flash of light lit her soul.

    The pressure rolling off her magnified, and the spread of the cracks slowed as a new Rank 5 rune appeared within her, nestled in the misty clouds of churning energy and runes awaiting their turn to be combined.

    Her new creation was a Rank 5, not quite Flawless but better on average than a normal Perfect rune ¡ª Night of the Moon.

    It was one of the most abstract runes that Noah had ever seen. Yoru was far from done, though. She was forming runes before the last one had even finished, dragging power from the air around her and driving it home at an incredible speed.

    Everything sub Rank-4 component she made was either Flawless or close to it, and the Rank 5s were far better than the average mage¡¯s ever could have been. More copies of Night of the Moon took form, joined by Rank 5 Falling Night rune.

    Noah¡¯s fingers twitched at his sides. The damage to Yoru¡¯s soul was well past critical. Almost the entirety of her garden had fallen away. Only a few sparse bushes remained, their roots desperately holding the dirt together and keeping it from plummeting away.

    Moonlit Prophecy¡¯s stolen body laid on the ground, unmoving at Noah¡¯s feet on one of the few remaining patches of unbroken ground.

    Noah reached for the Fragment of Renewal and kept it at bay, the gentle power twisting within him, an entire ocean of magic waiting to be released from behind its dam.

    Yoru¡¯s left arm was completely gone. Her shoulder was cracked and splintering, and the damage threatened to reach into her chest and wrap around her heart.

    She was so close.

    Rank 5 runes swirled around her.

    The cracks on the ground pressed forward, encircling the remains of the solid ground. They were moving slower, but they were still moving. Another Rank 5 rune took form ¡ª the last one Yoru needed.

    She clenched her glowing silver hand.

    The cracks reaching for her heart froze. The world locked in place, specks of dirt suspended mid-fall into the void.

    Noah¡¯s heart thumped in his ears.

    A flash of brilliant white light lit Yoru¡¯s soul.

    The pressure rolling out from her magnified exponentially. It slammed into Noah and roared past him, whipping his hair back and forcing him to squint.

    Yoru¡¯s soul stopped shrinking.

    Floating before her was a new Rune.

    The Rising Moon ¡ª Rank 6

    Noah practically dove forward. He put his hand on her forehead and unleashed the Fragment of Renewal directly into the demon. An enormous wave of power coursed out from within him, sending pearlescent shimmers dancing across her soul as it worked deep into the damaged ground.

    A shudder rocked Yoru¡¯s body. She dropped to her knees, drawing in a ragged, choking gasp. The enormous amount of soul damage covering her began to slowly pull itself shut.

    The cracks on her body closed as well, but her missing arm didn¡¯t reform.

    Behind her, the Grimoire¡¯s smile grew wider. It lifted a hand, and all the excess magic swirling within Yoru¡¯s soul ¡ª more than Noah suspected he had within his own body ¡ª gathered above the monster¡¯s palm.

    Then its fingers slammed closed around it. The magic vanished as if it had never been there. Red flashed within the Grimiore¡¯s eyes and it let out a delighted sigh.

    ¡°A bite of a Master Rune and an ocean of energy. A good tithe.¡± The Grimoire looked down to Noah, and a pallid tongue ran across its lips. ¡°For now, it will suffice.¡±

    For now? I don¡¯t like the sound of that.

    Noah didn¡¯t get a chance to say anything. Yoru¡¯s eyes fluttered shut. She finally passed out.

    The world went black, and Noah was hurled back into his own body in the Scorched Acres.

 Chapter 598: Fishy

    Noah¡¯s eyes fluttered back open as the smell of ash and burnt wood greeted him. Something rough was pressed against his side and prickly dirt pressed against his cheek, doing its best to work its way into his mouth.

    He was back in the Scorched Acres ¡ª and from the looks of things, he strongly suspected that he may have managed to fall over while he¡¯d been in meditation. The face full of dirt and the rough bark beside him rather than at his back were strong indicators of that.

    It took Noah a moment to remember what he¡¯d been doing before he¡¯d been in the Scorched Acres. His memories were a little fuzzy and he couldn¡¯t quite put a finger on what had happened. He could vaguely recall ¡ª

    Yoru!

    Noah lurched, shoving himself away from the ground as his memories rushed back to him. The small demon laid on the dirt across from him. She was face down, but her chest rose and fell with faint breaths.

    Relief passed over Noah. He pushed himself to his feet to walk over to Yoru, but the edge of his domain prickled. It pulled his attention up into the canopy of the burnt trees around him as he sensed a familiar presence.

    Lee sat upon a large branch, her legs dangling over the edge as she watched over them. She pushed off and dropped to the ground to land a few feet away from Noah.

    ¡°You fell over,¡± Lee said, pointing to the dirt covering Noah¡¯s face. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to move you in case it messed something up. I didn¡¯t realize you were going to try to fix Yoru today.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on it,¡± Noah replied as he hurried over to Yoru and knelt beside her. He wasn¡¯t exactly up to date on his first-aid courses. He pressed a hand to the side of Yoru¡¯s neck to see if he could feel a heartbeat. It was there.

    He rolled her over carefully.

    Oh, fuck.

    Yoru¡¯s arms were gone. Both of them had just completely evaporated, leaving nothing but the sleeves of her shirt behind. Her face was covered in blood ¡ª as was the ground beneath her and her shirt. The damage she¡¯d taken in the soul realm had carried back over into the real world.

    Noah¡¯s hands tightened at his sides.

    Oh, Yoru. Damn Moonlit Prophecy. It did this to her. If it had cooperated, I would have been able to get Yoru completely fixed up before the damage to her got this bad. That fucking rune just wouldn¡¯t give up any power. It wasn¡¯t satisfied taking away her chances at a normal life. It also took her arms.

    Maybe I should have shattered it entirely and said screw the power.

    The only consolation that came was that they had won. Moonlit Prophecy had failed to keep Yoru under its thumb. Even if it had cost her arms, the Fragment of Renewal had managed to knit Yoru¡¯s soul back together to the point where she wasn¡¯t actively dying anymore.

    ¡°Her arms,¡± Lee said sadly. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Her Master Rune happened.¡± Noah wasn¡¯t in much of a mood to explain it farther.

    ¡°Poor Yoru. She¡¯s going to have to eat with her feet until we get her a new arm,¡± Lee said with a despondent look. ¡°But why did you start with her? Wouldn¡¯t Violet or Vrith have been safer?¡±

    ¡°I was planning on doing Violet,¡± Noah said, running a hand through his hair and shaking his head as he flopped down to sit beside Yoru. ¡°But Yoru had other plans. She broke all her runes before I could get a chance to say anything and forced my hand.¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t very smart,¡± Lee said in a matter-of-fact tone.

    That line would be quite funny if Yoru survived. It would be a lot less funny if she didn¡¯t.

    Noah wiped the dirt from his face and leaned back, taking a moment to let his pounding heart still. Adrenaline was still pumping through his veins like a runaway train. But, no matter how much he panicked or stressed about the results of his work, it would change nothing.

    The Fragment of Renewal was at work. It wouldn¡¯t fix her body, but it could repair her soul. Yoru had managed to replace all her runes. Her arms were gone, but her life had returned in their place.

    All he could do now was wait.

    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the cover of his Grimoire twitch. He snagged the strap connected to it and dragged it over to himself. He and the large book were going to need a heart-to-heart sooner rather than later. It had been making itself known pretty often as of late, and each time it did, Noah couldn¡¯t help but feel like he was making contracts with a devil.

    He pushed the thoughts away. The Grimoire would have to be addressed later. Now wasn¡¯t the time. Even if it had been willing to speak with him at the moment, his head just wasn¡¯t going to be in the game.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    And when he was dealing with¡­ whatever it was that lurked within the Grimoire¡¯s pages, he was going to need to be at his best.

    ¡°Where are the others?¡± Noah asked. ¡°And how long have we been out?¡±

    ¡°Mostly asleep. Alexandra was wandering around, but Moxie is distracting her,¡± Lee said. ¡°She¡¯s the one that noticed something was up with you and Yoru first. She woke me up to check on you. It hasn¡¯t been that long since she did. Maybe two minutes?¡±

    That fast? How¡¯d Moxie even realize that quickly? Did the runes that Sievan gave her really help that much? Now I really want to know what they are.

    Noah lifted his gaze to the sky. It was still deep into the night. The moon shone high overhead, glistening with silver light, and he couldn¡¯t help but squint at it.

    Prick.

    A small groan rose up from the ground. Noah¡¯s eyes widened and he nearly jumped out of his own skin. Yoru¡¯s face twitched. Her shut eyes tightened even further and her lips pressed thin.

    She was awake.

    After what had happened to Lee when she¡¯d split her runes, Noah had fully expected Yoru to be out for days.

    I¡¯ve got half a mind to scold her for ten minutes straight for that idiotic stunt, but I should probably hold off until I actually make sure she¡¯s not about to die.

    ¡°Yoru?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Are you there?¡±

    Yoru shifted. Then her entire body stiffened.

    A pit formed in Noah¡¯s stomach.

    How am I supposed to tell her she has no arms?

    ¡°Where¡¯s my mask?¡±

    Noah blinked. That hadn¡¯t been the question he¡¯d been expecting. He¡¯d honestly forgotten that Yoru had been wearing a mask. It felt like there were slightly more important things that were missing.

    He wasn¡¯t about to argue, though. It took him a moment to find the mask, half-buried under one of her shoulders. He pried it free and set it down gently on her face. She relaxed almost immediately.

    I¡¯m not sure why she wants her mask that badly, but if it makes her more comfortable, I¡¯m not going to stand in her way.

    ¡°There,¡± Noah said. ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s tilted,¡± Yoru said. ¡°Can you fix it?¡±

    He fixed the mask.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    There¡¯s no way she hasn¡¯t realized her arms are missing, right?

    ¡°Are¡­ you okay?¡± Noah asked, the words feeling hollow even as they left their lips. Asking if she was okay after what had just happened almost felt like an insult.

    ¡°It was too painful to sleep, so I woke up.¡±

    ¡°You have no arms,¡± Lee informed Yoru with the tact of a barreling 18-wheeler truck.

    Noah nearly slapped himself in the forehead. He immediately regretted not just bringing the injury up himself. There were definitely considerably more tactful ways to bring that particular fact up. Unfortunately, he¡¯d forgotten who his company was, and Lee was nothing if not blunt.

    ¡°I am aware,¡± Yoru said.

    Noah blinked. ¡°You are?¡±

    ¡°Would you really not notice you were missing your arms when you woke up?¡±

    ¡°Probably not up until I tried to scratch my ass,¡± Noah admitted.

    ¡°Precisely.¡± Yoru twitched, then muttered something under her breath that Noah couldn¡¯t catch. Her heels dug into the ground and she let out a grunt as she fought to sit up.

    Noah put a hand on her back and helped her upright. He was at a complete loss for words ¡ª and for a moment, it seemed Yoru was as well.

    ¡°What do I do?¡± Yoru asked quietly.

    ¡°We can find a powerful healer. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a potion¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not my arms. Me. What do I do?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. What do you want to do, Yoru? Wasn¡¯t that the whole point of this? You¡¯ve got control again, right? Moonlit Prophecy isn¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still there, but it doesn¡¯t hold the strings anymore,¡± Yoru said. She hesitated for a moment longer. ¡°I¡­ I wish it did. I¡¯m scared. I think I made a mistake.¡±

    ¡°You did not,¡± Noah said firmly. ¡°And even if you did, that¡¯s natural. People make mistakes. There¡¯s no point to a life lived perfectly. That takes all the meaning out of it. The thing that makes somebody who they are is how they press through difficulties, not how they succeed.¡±

    Yoru turned to look straight at him. Even though the mask was covering her features, he could feel her gaze boring into his.

    ¡°You¡¯re very confident about that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve had a lot of time to think about it,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Life isn¡¯t easy, Yoru, but at least now it¡¯s yours to live. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m happy about the way you chose to go about this, but what¡¯s done is done. Your life is yours again.¡±

    ¡°What should I do with it?¡±

    Noah suppressed a sad laugh. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you that. It¡¯s yours.¡±

    ¡°You should eat something tasty,¡± Lee suggested. ¡°I¡¯ll feed you.¡±

    ¡°That actually sounds¡ª¡±

    Noah¡¯s senses screamed a warning.

    They were too late.

    There was a loud crack.

    A wave of pressure slammed into Noah like a steel bar to the kidney. His eyes bulged and he was slammed face-first into the ground.

    By the time his face had hit the dirt, he¡¯d already instinctively called on Sunder. Power flooded into him, twisting through his body and turning his veins jet black. Noah drove a hand into the ground with a snarl, fighting desperately against the immense power.

    ¡°You think you can trick me? You think the Rules are a joke?¡± A sultry woman¡¯s voice demanded, her words twisted with derision and raw power. Each of them slammed into his skull like a hammer blow. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll have to carve them into your skin to make sure you remember.¡±

    Noah managed to pry his head up from the ground.

    Standing above him was a woman with black hair and matching clothes, a spiked collar around her neck. Her teeth were pointed and her features so pale that she may well have been dead.

    And then they both froze.

    He knew this woman. It was the lady that Lee had gotten into an argument with while they¡¯d been at a restaurant in Arbitage.

    His brain scrabbled for her name for a moment, but someone else beat him to it.

    ¡°Garina?¡± Lee asked in a strained voice. ¡°Is that you?¡±

    Garina¡¯s eyes went wide.

    ¡°Fish girl?¡±

 Chapter 599: Garina

    The power flowing through Garina¡¯s body from her runes sputtered. She was far too experienced to actually let herself get completely off guard, but for the briefest instant, even she couldn¡¯t keep surprise from driving into her gut like a physical punch.

    This couldn¡¯t be right. Her senses were never wrong. She¡¯d come here for a runaway Rank 7 ¡ª not the brass little demon girl that had actually managed to win an argument against her.

    My prey was here. There¡¯s no doubt about it. I feel the disturbance.

    A trick, then? Someone trying to exploit a weakness to catch me off guard? I don¡¯t know how they even would have figured this out, but anyone who thinks something like this will bring me low is about to be very sorely mistaken.

    Her senses exploded outward in every direction. Garina could have been anywhere within the entirety of the baby kingdom around her should she have willed it. Her mind could stretch from one end of it to the other, so digging through one burnt up forest was nothing to her.

    Nobody in this little backwater corner of the world could match Garina. Any Rank 7 that dared to try and hide in wait for an ambush, no matter how much information they¡¯d managed to dig up about her, would be found and summarily dealt with.

    Out you come, pup.

    The corner of Garina¡¯s lip twitched up in anticipation of assured victory.

    Then it fell flat again.

    She found nothing.

    There were traces of a Rank 7 ¡ª a disturbance centered directly on top of the Fish Demon and the group around her ¡ª but there wasn¡¯t a single Rank 7 rune in this forest other than Garina¡¯s.

    Her eyes twitched in anger. This was impossible. She refused to accept it. Letting one Rank 7 slip out of her grasp was bad enough. But now, after preparing for so long, having it happen again was like someone spitting straight into her open mouth.

    ¡°Where are they?¡± Garina asked, her voice as sharp and cold as black ice.

    ¡°Who?¡± Fish Girl asked, glancing around.

    ¡°Don¡¯t play games with me,¡± Garina snapped.

    She regretted it instantly. Yelling at a weak little creature was below her, and that only made her annoyance grow even further. That was twice now that she¡¯d been bested in words by a goblin-adjacent child, and the 2<sup>nd</sup> time, it had only taken a single word to break her.

    ¡°You know who,¡± Garina snarled. ¡°I was called here. This was no mistake. I¡¯m not a fool, girl. Whatever they paid you ¡ª whatever you think you¡¯re going to get out of this ¡ª you won¡¯t. Disobey me and die.¡±

    ¡°I think you might be hungry.¡±

    I am hungry. I don¡¯t even want to be here. I should be eating a sandwich with Fredrick right now, not hunting some idiot Rank 7 that thinks it would be a good idea to yank at my chain. Fuck the rules. I¡¯m going to rip this idiot in half when I find them.

    ¡°The only people here are us,¡± the scruffy-looking man beside Fish Girl said. His features were narrow in suspicion. He put a hand on the massive book on his back as if he were planning to try and hit her over the head with it. ¡°How did you get here and what do you want?¡±

    That¡¯s odd.

    There wasn¡¯t any fear in the man¡¯s eyes. It wasn¡¯t present in his posture either. A small frown formed on Garina¡¯s lips. The longer she looked at him, the more askew something felt. Her senses had been refined over years of life, and there was something wrong about the mortal before her.

    It took her nearly a second to realize what it was.

    He didn¡¯t feel like a mortal at all.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    A Rank 7 in hiding?

    Her domain brushed across his.

    Garina¡¯s frown deepened. He was far from a Rank 7. This wasn¡¯t the one she was looking for. She scanned Fish Girl to similar results. That left only the armless demon lying in the dirt at their feet. She was a Rank 6.

    It¡¯s none of them. I¡¯d be able to feel a Rank 7 rune no matter who was hiding it if it was right next to me.

    Where is this fucker? don¡¯t give a shit about what¡¯s going on. I just want to be done with this and go back. Every second I waste here is one I¡¯m not getting back.

    ¡°I won¡¯t warn you twice,¡± Garina said, her lips thinning. ¡°Tell me where the Rank 7 is. Don¡¯t think that you can play coy with me because we¡¯ve had one amiable interaction. This is your one and only opportunity to tell me what¡¯s going on. Pass up on it and I¡¯ll hang you with the idiot trying to pull a fast one over an Apostle.¡±

    ¡°Rank 7?¡± the scruffy man tilted his head to the side. The corner of his lip twitched. ¡°Why are you looking for a Rank 7? There are no Rank 7s in the kingdom. That¡¯s common knowledge.¡±

    There was something smug in his voice that grated Garina¡¯s gears to no end. She was the smug one. People didn¡¯t talk back to her. They groveled at her feet. It would have taken nothing more than a mere thought from her to grind every single one of the mortals before her to a paste with her Rune Force ¡ª and for that reason alone, she couldn¡¯t use it.

    The day I¡¯m forced to unleash my Rune Force against a Rank 6 and a few middling lower ranks is the day I hand them the leash to my collar and die from shame.

    ¡°You seem to misunderstand the situation,¡± Garina said, her lips pulling back to bare her teeth. ¡°I¡¯m not opposed to ripping your head clean off your shoulders and shoving it so far back up your ass that it pops out your neck, boy. Last chance. Rank 7. Where are they?¡±

    Something in the man¡¯s gaze shifted again.

    Garina¡¯s body stiffened. Goosebumps prickled against the back of her neck.

    What is this?

    He seems¡­ familiar.

    ¡°My name is Vermil,¡± the man said. ¡°You should know that. We had dinner together, Garina. And if I¡¯m being honest, I preferred the bald guy to you. As for your Rank 7 ¡ª I¡¯m getting the feeling that the only way you¡¯ll find one of those here is if you look in a still lake.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± Garina said flatly. ¡°And you¡¯re not going to enjoy what happens next.¡±

    ¡°Why would I lie?¡± Vermil tilted his head to the side. ¡°I would never put my allies at risk for no reason. There¡¯s no Rank 7 here. I¡¯d swear a Rune Oath, but I think everyone with half a brain knows how worthless those are. You didn¡¯t deny that you were a Rank 7 ¡ª so you should be able to sense another one, right?¡±

    He¡¯s not wrong about that¡­ or the Rune Oaths. I¡¯m being too clumsy. Revealing myself to a bunch of weak magelings like this is already bad enough. Seeing the Fish Girl threw me for a bad loop. Damn it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. There was a Rank 7 here. Don¡¯t even try to tell me there wasn¡¯t,¡± Garina said, striding up to Vermil so they stood nose-to-nose. She wasn¡¯t sure why she¡¯d singled him out over the still-mute Rank 6, but there was something about him that pulled at the back of her mind incessantly. ¡°Where. Did. They. Go?¡±

    Vermil raised his eyes to meet her gaze without so much as blinking.

    The goosebumps on the back of Garina¡¯s neck intensified. A cold hand brushed over her back as her senses shifted in unease.

    His eyes were wrong.

    It was so subtle that she never would have even noticed were they not so close. The difference wasn¡¯t even something a mortal could detect through anything other than sheer instinct, but reaching Rank 7 unleashed an entire new layer to the world that nobody weaker could ever hope to witness. It revealed truths that permeated the universe and laid one¡¯s soul bare to unleash its power ¡ª and in turn, it granted sight into the souls of others.

    And the soul of this mortal did not belong in his body.

    It didn¡¯t belong at all.

    Deep within his eyes lurked something familiar. A heavy, oppressive aura of an immense Divine Rune, a power that she had only borne witness to on very rare occasions. Disbelief welled within her, but it was stemmed by the still-growing unease.

    There was something else in the man¡¯s gaze.

    Something ancient ¡ª and something deeply wrong.

    ¡°That power¡­ I know you.¡±

    Vermil¡¯s veins turned jet black in an instant. He thrust his hand forward, driving it straight into Garina¡¯s gut. The blow didn¡¯t even register. Her body was so reinforced with magical energy that she may as well have been struck by a fly.

    But the magic within the strike was another question. Garina felt, for a flicker of an instant, that familiar sensation in Vermil¡¯s eyes intensify by a hundredfold.

    Her gaze snapped up.

    A black spear plummeted down toward her like a falling star.

    Garina thrust her hand upward. The spear slammed to a halt an inch away from her nose. Slowly, she turned to look at the man. She¡¯d had her domain deactivated to make sure that she wouldn¡¯t crush anyone on accident, but just her body alone should have been enough to stop any attacks from in this weak, backwater kingdom.

    And yet Garina knew without a doubt that if the spear had hit her, it would have left the slightest of cuts upon her skin.

    Her gaze lowered back to the man. Her fist tightened. The spear shattered.

    ¡°You were right under my nose this whole time. I can¡¯t believe it. You¡¯re the one that he¡¯s looking for.¡±

 Chapter 600: The Balance

    As soon as the accusation left Garina¡¯s mouth, something within Vermil¡¯s gaze changed for the second time. The borderline arrogant air that had wrapped around his words fell away as he seemed to adjust approaches in a split instant.

    It was almost as if a layer of his soul had been peeled back. There was still no fear within his eyes. All that remained was grim determination ¡ª but Garina hardly cared. A Rank 4 wasn¡¯t about to do her in no matter how he tried.

    Her skull pounded with a building headache.

    Everything was falling apart.

    The Rank 7 had managed to find a way to hide themselves, and the person she needed to interrogate was the one that she¡¯d been meant to be looking for this entire time. He was the one that allowed her to remain away from the other Apostles.

    And the moment she found him, her full duties resumed. Sitting around in a kingdom of magelings when there were no threats to its existence would draw too much attention ¡ª especially if she was sitting around in the exact same spot.

    This is the one person that I couldn¡¯t afford to find. But now that I have, what the fuck do I do? Directly disobey an order from Decras himself? That¡¯s as good as turning against every other Apostle.

    I could take some of them¡­ but the Prophet? I can¡¯t beat him. Shit. And if Ferdinand discovers this idiot is here, then he¡¯ll have to act as well. Am I supposed to just lie to him?

    Garina¡¯s fists clenched at her sides. Her rune-empowered mind was moving so fast that even a second was enough to have an entire conversation with herself, and that second was still nowhere near long enough.

    The Rank 7 and everything to do with them was bundled and shoved into the corner of her mind. Her pride didn¡¯t matter when everything that she¡¯d come to enjoy over the last few all-too-short weeks was about to go up in flames because of Vermil¡¯s presence.

    All that mattered was finding a way to deal with this.

    Do I just kill the lot of them? If nobody knows they were here, then the search goes on forever. I¡¯d have to lie to Ferdinand, but I can live with that. I could tell him in a year once it¡¯s too late for anything to matter and it¡¯s clear that he¡¯s abandoned the Church of Repose.

    Garina wasn¡¯t the only one thinking. She could see Vermil desperately cycling through ideas, but he must have realized the situation they were in. There was nothing he could do against her and they both should have known it.

    ¡°Lee, get Yoru and go get the others,¡± Vermil said, his voice flat. He grabbed a gourd from his waist and tossed it to her. ¡°Get them out of here.¡±

    Lee. Yes. That was her name.

    Lee didn¡¯t hesitate to obey his orders. She grabbed the fallen demoness and slung the masked girl over a shoulder before darting off into the forest. Garina¡¯s hand twitched. The smart move to do would have been to stop her, but it hardly mattered.

    A few lower ranks couldn¡¯t escape her. It wouldn¡¯t matter where they went. If Garina wanted to find them, she would.

    At least that was what she told herself.

    In truth, Garina wasn¡¯t so certain she could bring herself to cut Lee down.

    I don¡¯t think anything of most mortals. Fuck. How did I get attached to this one so easily? She¡¯s just a mouthy little demon brat.

    A demon brat that had once had a point. Garina¡¯s eye twitched. Her hands tightened even further, and she felt a flicker of Rune Force push past her mental walls before she could stop it. Every dry stick and tree in the area around her shattered. Ash flattened into a black sheet on the ground as a wave of pressure drove into the ground.

    Vermil staggered, slammed down to one knee by the force of her presence ¡ª but he didn¡¯t fall.

    His veins turned jet black. Garina¡¯s domain prickled as pressure pushed out from the Rank 4 ¡ª but far more pressure than there should have been.

    The back of her neck prickled.

    Did he really steal all this from Decras? Or is this his own power? Either way, it¡¯s little surprise that gods are looking for him. Damn it all, Decras. What do I do? If it comes to choosing between my self-respect and losing this new life¡­ then does honor have any use but to burn?

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to let Decras know that I¡¯ve been otherwise occupied,¡± Vermil said through clenched teeth. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to reject his request to meet, but I¡¯ll make sure to add an extra fruit basket to the gift package when I send it off.¡±

    ¡°Fruit baskets?¡± Garina asked, taken aback even through her distress. ¡°Are you insane?¡±

    ¡°Only a little,¡± Vermil replied. The pressure rolling off his body intensified. It was still nowhere near enough to pose a threat to her, but it let him slowly rise back to his feet.

    A flicker of awe passed through her. Even though she wasn¡¯t actively using her Rune Force, the fact that he could shrug off her pressure like that was unnerving. A Rank 4 should have been laid flat by her magic.

    The power coming off him was familiar. He was drawing on his Master Rune. But, the more power Vermil used, the stranger it felt. It was close enough to Decras¡¯ power that there was no mistaking it, but there was something different.

    There were just too many things that didn¡¯t make sense ¡ª and among them was the complete and utter lack of fear in Vermil¡¯s features¡­ and the ramping power pouring out from him.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Black spiderwebbed out from his veins and seeped into his fingernails. The whites of his eyes washed out like the night sky.

    How much energy can he draw from that rune? That amount of pressure isn¡¯t possible from a Rank 4. Not by a long shot.

    ¡°How are you doing that?¡± Garina asked, her surprise breaking through her internal struggle. ¡°A Rank 4 soul shouldn¡¯t be able to resist that much energy without shattering.¡±

    ¡°Who said anything about not shattering?¡± A mix between a snarl of concentration and a cold smile split his features. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. There wasn¡¯t a trace of the arrogance that had been in his words a moment ago. ¡°You¡¯re a Rank 7, Garina. The strongest one I¡¯ve ever met. I¡¯m not stupid and playing games with you obviously isn¡¯t going to work. That only leaves me with one option.¡±

    ¡°You think you can kill me?¡± Garina demanded ¡°You¡¯d choose that over trying to convince me to spare your lives?¡±

    ¡°I see the look in your eyes,¡± Vermil replied. Even more power built within him. Tongues of black smoke trailed off the edges of his eyes and slipped from between his lips. The boundary between his soul and his rune was breaking. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what we say, does it? You¡¯ve already made your decision.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to shatter your soul long before I get to do anything if you draw that much power from a Master Rune. You can¡¯t resist that much magic, idiot.¡±

    ¡°Why do you care?¡± Vermil tilted his head to the side. The air around his body thrummed with a dull greyish-black haze. There was so much power gathered around him that it was spilling out into the world. ¡°You¡¯re about to try to kill me anyway.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t decided if I need you alive or not yet. Drop the damn magic, fool. Don¡¯t throw your life away. You have no idea as to what the extent of the universe holds. This doesn¡¯t have to be your end. A Rank 4 with this much power in a little shit thole like this¡­ you could be so much more.¡±

    A real smile replaced the snarl on Vermil¡¯s lips.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be anything else. This ends with us, Garina. Stay the fuck away from my students.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, you suicidal shit!¡± A firm woman¡¯s voice echoed through the forest.

    For the second time that day, surprise washed over Garina. She ¡ª and Vermil ¡ª both glanced to the side in unison.

    Standing at the edge of their clearing was a woman with strawberry ginger hair and a furious look on her features. She wore a thick, white-furred cloak and the burnt trees around her squirmed as if in agony.

    Garina hadn¡¯t sensed the woman coming at all.

    Her magical energy was completely concealed ¡ª but Garina knew who she was. It was the woman that had sat with Lee and Vermil during their dinner.

    Impossible. She¡¯s not a Rank 7. There¡¯s no way she¡¯s more than a Rank 4. I would have noticed if it was here. What the fuck is going on?¡±

    ¡°Moxie? What are you doing here?¡± Vermil demanded. ¡°You need to run! I told Lee to¡ª¡±

    ¡°You are not killing yourself for this,¡± Moxie snarled, striding forward. The trees at her sides shuddered. Then, with a series of loud tearing crunching noises, they split apart. Jagged blades of ashen wood rose into the air around her, gathering behind the woman like the churning form of a vengeful angel.

    ¡°How can you conceal yourself from me?¡± Garina demanded. ¡°What manner of magic could you possibly have that can fool my power? Is this how you¡¯re hiding the Rank 7?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no Rank 7,¡± Vermil said. ¡°They¡¯re gone, Garina. Destroyed. The only one here of any interest to you is me. Let Moxie leave.¡±

    Moxie pulled her hood back. Instantly, Garina¡¯s senses could feel her once more. The woman was a Rank 4, just like Vermil.

    ¡°Wrong,¡± Moxie said. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. Lee told me what happened. The gods can get shafted. They don¡¯t get to make demands of us. Especially after we saw how badly Decras fucked everything in the Damned Plains. He owes an entire race an apology.¡±

    The Damned Plains? You can¡¯t be serious. They know a lot of demons, but these two little pipsqueaks have been to the Damned Plains and know enough about them to know that Decras created the demons?

    What is going on?

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Garina asked.

    ¡°Someone who¡¯s had it up to her neck with people trying to kill us,¡± Moxie replied. She thrust her hand forward and the shards of wood exploded forward in an ashen wave.

    Garina flicked her fingers. A wall of pressure shot out from her. It shattered and disintegrated the wood before it could get anywhere close to her. But, even as the cloud of ash exploded from their remains, something prickled against her domain.

    The chills running down her back doubled in intensity.

    Dark green and black magic lit behind Moxie¡¯s eyes. Her shadow stretched out along the ground and the dead trees around her shuddered. Then prickles of life appeared upon their surfaces. The burnt bark healed. Broken limbs regenerated.

    Fresh matter appeared where there had only been death. Sickly black smoke poured out from the healed trees. It twisted into Moxie¡¯s outstretched hands, pouring into her palms. Thorned tattoos appeared upon her skin and wound up her arms, working their way toward her heart.

    Garina had never seen the rune at work, but that mattered for nothing. Its pattern was far too similar for her to have forgotten it. It was the power of Decras¡¯ one and only true child.

    It was the might of the Lord of Death.

    ¡°Sievan,¡± Garina breathed. ¡°How do you have Sievan¡¯s Rune?¡±

    ¡°Close, but wrong again,¡± Moxie said, her teeth pulled back in a snarl. ¡°This is Eternal Cycle. I made it with Fragmented Master Runes from Sievan. It¡¯s my Master Rune, not his.¡±

    Someone would have to have an incredible understanding over the pattern of life and death to manifest a rune like that. How would a Rank 4 have achieved that?

    ¡°He gave you the pieces to make a rune like that? Sievan protects the power of death from those who would abuse it. You expect me to believe he would just give it to a random mortal? And you expect me to trust, even with power like this, that you managed to kill a Rank 7?¡±

    ¡°I never said we killed the Rank 7,¡± Vermil said. ¡°Just that they¡¯re gone. Moxie, she¡¯s Rank 7. You need to take the kids and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Moxie said. ¡°Where are we going to run from a Rank 7? She¡¯ll be on our asses the moment you go down. At least the two of us have a chance.¡±

    Garina¡¯s attention caught on Vermil¡¯s words. Something about the way he¡¯d said the Rank 7 was gone was¡­ wrong.

    Then her eyes widened as an impossible thought struck her.

    No. That can¡¯t be it, but nothing else makes sense. The power he stole from Decras was the ability to carve runes apart? That¡¯s why there was a Rank 6 a moment ago. He cut her down from Rank 7 ¡ª but that shouldn¡¯t be possible. The Almighty Sever is Decras¡¯ Divine Rune! A mortal could never have absorbed something like that into their own soul. He should have gotten one of Decras¡¯ weaker runes, not his true one. A Divine Rune, even if its powers had been weakened, would completely crush a mortal existence unless there was an immense¡­

    Counterbalance.

    And just like that, everything finally clicked together.

    That¡¯s why the Church of Repose is searching for him. Renewal doesn¡¯t want Decras¡¯ power. He¡¯s got her in him as well. This little mortal didn¡¯t steal from one god.

    He stole from two.

    And if I don¡¯t deal with him here and now, then it won¡¯t be just the Apostles that are at my neck.

    It¡¯ll be Renewal as well.

 Chapter 601: Call me

    A second dragged on like thick molasses. Garina stood frozen between duty and desire. For one of the first times in her life, neither path she saw before her led to victory. She couldn¡¯t just crush her problems beneath the heel of her power.

    The Garina of just a few mere months ago would never had an issue with this. Vermil would have already been captured ¡ª or dead ¡ª and the problem never would have had a chance to come into being.

    But the Garina of that time had nothing to lose. She hadn¡¯t cared about anything other than her duties. She hadn¡¯t realized just how much she enjoyed her time with Ferdinand until now ¡ª and now there was a chance she¡¯d never get another quiet moment with him again. Not if she wanted to keep him away from the prying eyes of the other apostles.

    Damn it all.

    The Garina of the past was no more. All the immense might that she was so proud of was just about as useful as a bag of sand. It could do absolutely nothing to dig her a way out of the deepening hole she found herself standing in.

    Her thoughts blurred through her mind at a speed that a mortal brain could never comprehend. Vermil and Moxie were still on the same thought that they had been on at the start of the second, but even Garina couldn¡¯t sit around thinking forever.

    I have to focus. There has to be a way through this. My orders were to bring the one who Decras sought back to the other apostles alive. There are a total of three options for how this plays out.

    <ol>

    <li> I fight and he kills himself. Decras doesn¡¯t get what he wants. I fail my mission and Ferdinand loses his cover. Fail on both counts. This can¡¯t happen.</li>

    <li> I capture Vermil alive and bring him in as ordered. Something tells me that won¡¯t be possible without killing Moxie and some of the other mortals. I ruin my pride and lie to Frederick. He eventually finds out. His cover is gone and someone like him would never forgive me for slaughtering mortals. He¡¯s too soft. Another utter failure.</li>

    <li> I let Vermil go and pretend I didn¡¯t see him. The Rank 7 is gone. He dealt with them himself. Technically speaking, my job is done. But if the other Apostles figure out what¡¯s happened¡­ I¡¯m dead. Ferdinand is too ¡ª and at the rate things are going, this idiot Vermil is going to kill himself before I get a chance to make a decision myself. </li>

    </ol>

    Every single option was bad. Garina grit her teeth. There simply wasn¡¯t an easy solution to this. It boiled down to one simple question: did she care more about pissing off Decras and Renewal, two literal gods, or keeping the life that she¡¯d only gotten a taste of?

    She made her decision in a split instant.

    ¡°Put that damn magic away,¡± Garina ordered. ¡°I¡¯m not fighting you, so dismiss it before someone notices.¡±

    Vermil and Moxie both stared at her.

    ¡°What?¡± Moxie asked.

    ¡°You heard me. I came here looking for a Rank 7. I don¡¯t see one. The fact that this scruffy little shit happened to be the one being in the entirety of this world that I couldn¡¯t afford to run into was just pure bad luck.¡±

    Vermil didn¡¯t release his magic, but the black smoke pouring off his body reduced in intensity. He was being unbelievably unmotivated about stopping his own soul from burning away. The idiot was probably already slow in the head from the amount of soul damage he¡¯d given himself.

    ¡°How can we trust you?¡± Moxie asked.

    ¡°Because I could crush you ¡ª and all the other mortals hiding in the trees waiting to get themselves killed ¡ª in the time it takes me to blink.¡±

    Moxie paused. She glanced over her shoulder.

    Lee stepped out from the treeline and Silvertide followed after her.

    ¡°What are you doing here Lee? Silvertide?¡± Moxie demanded. ¡°You were supposed to get the kids out!¡±

    ¡°Brayden is with them,¡± Silvertide said. ¡°We were not about to leave you to fight a Rank 7 alone. I believed a surprise attack would have increased our chances, though I¡¯ve never had the misfortune to fight a Rank 7 before. I didn¡¯t think they existed.¡±

    ¡°There would be no fight,¡± Garina said. ¡°You would all be dead in the blink of an eye.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not going with you,¡± Lee said, her fists clenching at her sides. She shifted into a fighting stance. ¡°You can¡¯t have him.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want him,¡± Garina snapped. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? I don¡¯t want to be anywhere near this fool. His mere existence threatens everything. So put that damnable Divine Rune away, you fool. Are you trying to bring the entire world down on top of you? I need you to stay hidden.¡±

    Moxie¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°But you just said¡ª¡±

    ¡°Forget what I said,¡± Garina snapped. ¡°I changed my mind. None of you saw me today. I never saw any of you. We¡¯ve met once, and it was when we had a surprisingly enjoyable dinner together. And Vermil ¡ª never let Decras or Renewal find you. You must remain hidden. My sandwiches depend on it.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Your what now?¡± Moxie asked.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s understandable,¡± Lee said with a slow nod. ¡°She¡¯s being serious. I can taste it. Nobody jokes about their sandwiches.¡±

    ¡°What, are you Aylin now?¡± Vermil asked, but the immense amount of magical energy pouring out of him stemmed. He was smart enough not to cut off connection to the rune instantly, which would have released all of its power directly upon himself all at once, killing him on the spot.

    What is with this lack of fear toward me? They respect my power but speak normally to me and each other. How many times have they fought an opponent that¡¯s capable of crushing them all on the spot?

    ¡°You¡¯re just going to leave, then?¡± Moxie asked. She still hadn¡¯t released her own Master Rune. ¡°Just like that?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Garina replied. ¡°Just like that. And should I get my wish, we will never meet again until you reach Rank 7.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible?¡± Silvertide¡¯s eyes widened.

    Despite the situation, the corner of Garina¡¯s lips twitched up.

    Mortals can be so cute. Acting as if Rank 7 was the peak of power¡­ if only they knew.

    ¡°For some, inevitable,¡± Garina said. ¡°But that day will come when it comes. All that matters is that nobody ever¡­¡±

    Ice bit at the edges of Garina¡¯s domain. Something blurred through the kingdom at a blinding speed ¡ª and it was headed right in their direction. Familiar power burned within it.

    Her sentence died as it reached her lips. Every single one of her senses screamed a warning. The blood rushed out of her face, turning pale skin somehow even paler.

    It was the magic of an Apostle.

    Oh, fuck. You can¡¯t be serio¡ª

    A black comet ripped through the clouds and hurtled straight down toward the burnt forest. It moved so fast that none of the mortals even realized it had arrived until it slammed into the ground directly before Garina, unfolding into the form of a huge man.

    He was clad in obsidian armor and bore a massive broadsword upon his back. Instead of a helm, a heavy hood was pulled over his features. No light passed beneath it, leaving his face as nothing but a void of empty darkness.

    The mortals all let out startled curses.

    Warning bells rang with such intensity in Garina¡¯s head that they nearly deafened her. This was worse than bad. It was Crone, the second of the Apostles. She hadn¡¯t fought him in a long time, but the last time they¡¯d sparred, it had been a tie.

    He¡¯d spent almost every waking moment since then in training ¡ª and she¡¯d spent them as a guard dog.

    Shit. Maybe he didn¡¯t sense ¡ª

    ¡°Where are they?¡± Crone asked, his voice like the whisper of a dozen men all speaking as one. ¡°I felt the Master¡¯s energy in a new form. I was beginning to think you were slacking in your duties, but it seems you have beat me to the scene.¡±

    Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

    This is bad. This is really bad.

    ¡°He¡­ uh¡­¡± Garina coughed into a fist and trailed off, her mind failing her.

    Crone¡¯s head turned as his invisible gaze swept over the gathered mortals. ¡°Which one, Garina? We¡¯re going to break the mortals if we subject them to our presence for too long. The stench is everywhere, and your nose has always been better than mine. Don¡¯t worry about me taking your valor. The credit for the hunt will go solely to the Apostle¡¯s bloodhound.¡±

    ¡°Watch your mouth,¡± Garina hissed, stepping toward Crone and baring her sharp teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t get familiar just because it¡¯s been a while since we last fought. Keep calling me a dog and I¡¯ll find out what your throat tastes like.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to take you up on a fight when the time is better, but this takes priority. A direct order from the Master himself cannot be disobeyed,¡± Crone said. ¡°On with it, Garina. Which one?¡±

    Moxie caught Garina¡¯s eye. Ironclad determination gripped the mortal woman¡¯s features. Garina¡¯s mind accelerated. Moxie¡¯s lungs were expanding. She was about to speak ¡ª and even though not a single word had passed between the two of them, Garina knew what she was going to do.

    What a brave, stupid move. She¡¯s going to say that she¡¯s the one Decras is looking for to throw them off Vermil¡¯s scent.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡± Moxie started.

    ¡°You are mistaken,¡± Garina said loudly.

    ¡°What?¡± Crone tilted his head to the side. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°The one Decras is looking for isn¡¯t here.¡±

    ¡°Do you take me for a fool? I felt them, Garina. There was an immense rune with the same characteristics as that of the Master upon this plane. What else could that possibly¡ª¡±

    ¡°Idiot. The one you felt was my student.¡±

    ¡°Your¡­ student?¡± Garina could feel Crone¡¯s gaze burning into her from beneath his hood. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Garina strode forward and slapped a hand down on Vermil¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Right here. I¡¯ve been training a mortal up to deal with some of the more annoying tasks that I couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with. This is my student.¡±

    Crone stared at her. Then, slowly, he turned to look down at Vermil. The Apostle was easily two heads taller than him.

    It took everything Garina had to keep herself from wiping her forehead with the back of a sleeve.

    ¡°Your¡­ student,¡± Crone repeated. ¡°And what, pray tell, have you taught a mortal? You claim that the feeling I felt just now was not Master¡¯s stolen rune, but one you gave him?¡±

    ¡°Correct,¡± Garina said. ¡°He¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not another word from you,¡± Crone ordered, his Rune Force infusing his words. Pressure slammed into Garina and drove her jaw shut. He¡¯d directed the attack solely at her, so none of the mortals had been crushed instantly beneath it. Crone crouched so he and Vermil were eye-to-eye. ¡°You are her student?¡±

    Gods, I hope this scruffy fool is quick on the uptake and a better actor than he looks.

    If he isn¡¯t, we¡¯re all¡­

    Garina¡¯s thoughts trailed off for the second time that day. Because, instead of fear, there was something else glistening within Vermil¡¯s eyes.

    His entire demeanor had shifted on a dime.

    For, on his face, was not the look of prey.

    It was that of a hunter.

    ¡°Pleasure to meet you. Garina has been a bit tight-lipped about her co-workers, so I¡¯ve been positively shaking to make your acquaintance,¡± Vermil said, extending a hand as his lips curled in a measured smile. ¡°You can call me Spider.¡±

 Chapter 602: Empty in the head

    Years of training were the only thing that let Garina keep her body still from the nervous energy pumping through her. She could do nothing but watch as Crone loomed over Vermil, staring down at the mortal¡¯s extended hand.

    Garina couldn¡¯t remember the last time that she¡¯d been so worried about a conversation. Even the revelation from the Prophet that Decras had sent for a mortal hadn¡¯t shaken her like this. A distant part of her mind squirmed in unease.

    This is what happens when you give yourself weaknesses. Ferdinand was a mistake. Getting attached to someone weaker than yourself is just asking to be hurt.

    That part of her mind barely managed to squeeze out its protest before logic crushed it out. Garina only needed one look around the clearing to tell that her thought couldn¡¯t have been farther from reality.

    All the mortals that had stepped out to face certain death in a fight against her for Vermil¡¯s sake had made that evident enough. Perhaps care was a weakness now, but if they managed to survive until they were powerful¡­

    Such bonds were rare amongst powerful mages. Most of them didn¡¯t get to where they were by being trusting. The path to power that Garina had walked was strewn in corpses and painted in blood. Most others of note had walked the path alongside her.

    An entire group of high Rank 7 mages that trusted each other to this degree¡­ the back of Garina¡¯s neck prickled.

    They would be able to destroy the Apostles. Even the Church of Repose is only held together by strained string and smiling faces that conceal blades in the dark. Everyone is in it for their own gain.

    Unfortunately, Vermil¡¯s group were not yet a small army of Rank 7 monsters. They were a smattering of weak mortals standing before the second Apostle.

    ¡°What game do you play at, Garina?¡± Crone demanded. ¡°This pathetic little scruffy twig? You want me to believe this is your disciple?¡±

    ¡°It does not matter what you believe,¡± Garina said, letting derision seep into her words. She considered spitting on the ground but dismissed it. There was no need to get that crass. She nodded to Vermil¡¯s hand. ¡°Acknowledge my apprentice.¡±

    ¡°I will not,¡± Crone said. He ignored Vermil¡¯s hand and reached up for the hilt of the huge sword hanging from his back. ¡°I am not a fool, Garina. This is not your apprentice. This is the one we sought. You are attempting to hide him from me to collect the reward yourself.¡±

    Fuck.

    Whelp. No helping it, then. Between the Apostles or Ferdinand¡­ these bedsheet wearing fuckers can eat dirt and so can Decras. It¡¯ll be fun to see how I match up against Crone after all these years.

    Garina ignored the nervous pit in the bottom of her stomach. She ignored the knowledge that if Crone really had kept training since they¡¯d last fought, she¡¯d be no match against him. There were some things that were just worth taking the risk for.

    If I lose, I hope Ferdinand ¡ª no.

    I¡¯m not losing.

    She started to shift into a fighting stance.

    ¡°Hey, shithead,¡± Vermil said, snapping his fingers like an impatient mother. ¡°We were speaking.

    The huge Apostle slowly looked back down to the mortal. His expression was unreadable, but Garina could feel the annoyance building within him like rising water crashing against a dam.

    ¡°You know not who you speak to. Be silent, wretch.¡±

    ¡°I know exactly who I¡¯m speaking to,¡± Vermil replied. ¡°Garina hasn¡¯t kept me completely in the dark about the incompetent idiots she has to share a poor sense of fashion with. And frankly ¡ª what were you, Rank 7? That¡¯s not nearly strong enough to be acting like such a cocky shit.¡±

    Crone¡¯s attention shifted fully away from Garina. ¡°Are you seeking death?¡±

    ¡°Seeking dea¡ª God, man. That¡¯s your line? I think I¡¯d kill myself if I ever said something that cheesy. Maybe you should focus your training on not sounding like an edgy twelve year old next. I know you¡¯re young, but please. Try to have some respect for yourself.¡±

    Confusion gripped Crone. His hand hovered just above the hilt of his blade as he likely tried to figure out what was happening. If his theory about Vermil was correct ¡ª and it was ¡ª then killing the mortal would cause them to fail Decras¡¯ orders.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°You call me young?¡± Crone asked incredulously. ¡°I was old before the wretched city you were born in had a single brick laid. Compared to me, you are a child.¡±

    ¡°Your age is measured in cities? That makes you¡­ what, a few hundred years old? That¡¯s cute. I was just speaking with Sievan a few days ago. I think we spent that long pondering on dinner.¡±

    Crone tilted his head to the side. ¡°What? How do you know that name?¡±

    ¡°We were visiting him a short while ago. Family field trip,¡± Vermil replied through a snort. ¡°Are you dense? Why else would I go to the Damned Plains? For fun? It was for practice.¡±

    ¡°You ¡ª no. Impossible. I refuse to believe that Garina has a disciple. She couldn¡¯t teach a dog to play dead. Why would any of us choose a pathetic mortal from Arbalest?¡±

    Vermil let out a burst of laughter. ¡°Oh, you are dense. Not only do you think that I took Decras¡¯ rune, but you think I¡¯m a mortal?¡±

    Garina¡¯s eyes would have twitched if she didn¡¯t have such extensive control over them. Vermil had been heading down the right path for a moment there. She¡¯d seen cracks starting to form in Crone¡¯s defenses, but claiming to not be a mortal was the absolute worst move that Vermil possibly could have made.

    Shit. This isn¡¯t good.

    ¡°You sign your own life away with your lies,¡± Crone said. His hand closed down around the hilt of his sword. ¡°Garina coached you.¡±

    ¡°Moxie?¡± Vermil prompted.

    Without a word, Moxie drew on her Master Rune.

    Crone stiffened. ¡°Sievan¡¯s power. But¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sievan¡¯s power,¡± Vermil mocked in the tone of an impudent child. ¡°Idiot. What is it going to take to get this through your thick skull? Or are you going to insinuate that we managed to steal something from the Lord of Death as well? If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d just start to worry that every single one of you was incompetent. I mean, seriously, how many people can get their runes stolen before you start wondering where the problem really lies?¡±

    Crone¡¯s fingers tightened. Then they relaxed. Then they tightened again. The man had never been the most intelligent of the Apostles, and the bafflingly aggressive manner that Vermil bore was enough to throw even Garina completely off balance.

    I can¡¯t even provide him any support. I don¡¯t have the faintest clue as to what¡¯s happening or what he¡¯s planning.

    ¡°Your arrogance¡­ just like Garina,¡± Crone said in disgust. ¡°Perhaps her stench really has rubbed off on you. To not only meet Sievan but to give his rune away to a worthless mortal woman¡­ unbelievable. You are a liar that spews filth, but if you are truly just her disciple, then it is only right for you to meet the Prophet.¡±

    That bastard! This is a trap. The Prophet will see right through any bullshit and recognize Decras¡¯ magic on the spot. We can¡¯t let that happen.

    Garina didn¡¯t get a chance to say anything. Vermil¡¯s features had sharpened in anger the moment that Crone mentioned Moxie and the man had already started to respond.

    ¡°No. We¡¯re busy right now, and I¡¯m not inclined to do anything you want until you apologize,¡± Vermil said.

    Crone stared at him. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You were wrong,¡± Vermil said. There was real anger in his words. ¡°You insulted Garina. You insulted me. That calls for an apology.¡±

    ¡°And pray tell, what insult did I give you but the truth?¡±

    ¡°You said I was a liar,¡± Vermil replied. ¡°You claimed that I was just a child.¡±

    ¡°You are.¡±

    ¡°I can prove that I¡¯m not.¡±

    Crone let out a dark laugh. ¡°Is that so? Can you, now?¡±

    ¡°Quite easily. All you have to do is lower your domain and let me into your mind. I¡¯ve got a Mind Rune. I¡¯ll lay myself bare to you and we can see what I¡¯m been lying about. And after that, you¡¯re going to apologize to Garina and me ¡ª and then you¡¯re going to fuck off.¡±

    ¡°And if you fail to prove that you are not a liar? How will you atone?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill myself.¡±

    Crone snorted. ¡°No. If you are a liar, then you are the one we seek. I will need you alive. If you wish me to accept this deal, then Garina will kiss my boots when you are proven wrong. How does that suffice?¡±

    Garina¡¯s back stiffened. She nearly blurred into an attack on the spot. Crone had gotten even more arrogant since the last time they¡¯d fought ¡ª or perhaps he was just trying to goad her into revealing their hand.

    There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to debase myself to that degree. There are limits to everything.

    ¡°Done,¡± Vermil said before Garina could say a word.

    You squirmy little shit!

    ¡°Of course,¡± Vermil continued, his eyes darkening. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty nasty request. I think it¡¯s only fair that you pay a deeper punishment if I¡¯m not lying.¡±

    ¡°What? You wish for me to face the same punishment?¡±

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t give a shit about your foot fetish,¡± Vermil replied. ¡°If I¡¯m right, I want you to perfectly copy one motion I do. It will take no longer than three seconds. That¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°Accepted,¡± Crone said without an instant of hesitation. Garina could feel his smirk from beneath his hood. ¡°That is, assuming your mentor is willing to swear on it as well. Should she have any faith in her student, I¡¯m certain it should be no issue.¡±

    Anger pulsed in Garina with such intensity that it threatened to pour out of her ears. She forced herself to remain calm. Vermil had to be playing at something ¡ª but Crone hadn¡¯t chosen his words lightly.

    Any promises between the Apostles were sworn on Decras¡¯ name. Breaking it was equivalent to calling down the wrath of every other Apostle.

    If I agree to this¡­ I¡¯ll actually have to do it.

    I swear to any god that¡¯s listening, Vermil. If you haven¡¯t thought this through, I¡¯m going to fucking murder your entire family tree.

    ¡°I swear to it,¡± Garina said through clenched teeth.

    ¡°As do I. Look forward to what comes next, Garina,¡± Crone said with a dark laugh. He crouched before Vermil so they were both at the same head level. ¡°My domain is relaxed, boy. Show me what it is you believe will prove that I am a liar. This will be fun.¡±

    ¡°It will be fun, but not for you.¡± Vermil set his hands on either side of Crone¡¯s head. ¡°Allow me to show you eternity. Empty Proliferation.¡±

 Chapter 603: The Mortal

    Garina didn¡¯t have the slightest idea as to what Vermil could have been planning when he grabbed Crone¡¯s head. Even with Decras¡¯ magic, there was no power he possessed that had a chance of causing any real harm to the Apostle.

    The moment Vermil tried to release an actual attack, Crone would kill him. The difference between their souls would be larger than the size of an ant and an elephant. There was simply no way to bridge that gap.

    Could Renewal possess some ability that Vermil plans to call upon to kill Crone? No. She¡¯s no more powerful than Decras ¡ª and even if she were, Vermil wouldn¡¯t be able to harness that magic. His other runes are too weak to resist the pressure of such strength.

    That means he¡¯s planning on somehow outsmarting Crone?

    Garina¡¯s fists clenched at her sides. That was not a smart plan. Crone wasn¡¯t exactly the most intelligent Apostle, but he was no fool. He couldn¡¯t be fooled by a desperate mortal with no plan. If Vermil was planning to somehow fabricate evidence in his mind, it would fail.

    And if he failed¡­

    Garina¡¯s stomach churned in fury and disgust. Her fingers twitched at her sides. It would have been easy to stride forward ¡ª to drive her pointed fingernails through the other Apostle¡¯s eye and kill him on the spot before he could react.

    But she couldn¡¯t do that. Her honor would have died a painful death at the notion¡­ and Crone knew it. She wasn¡¯t sure if shame or honor would kill her first, but at the rate things were going, she was getting the sinking feeling that she was going to find out.

    Damn it all. How did I get myself into this situation? Why did I agree to let Vermil do this? How far have I fallen from what I once was that I¡¯m willing to risk so much just so I can have some damn peace?

    Garina¡¯s nails bit into her palms. Blood dripped down her fingers and fell to the ground of the burnt forest.

    Then her thoughts missed a beat.

    Something was wrong.

    There should have been concern in the faces of the other mortals. Even if they weren¡¯t the ones that were about to be forced to humiliate themselves, they had to know that Vermil would not be making it out of this alive if he lost the bet.

    Crone was going to take him to the rest of the Apostles, and they would bring him to Decras. No mortal was going to survive a meeting with a god.

    But in the face of all of that, the only one of Vermil¡¯s allies that looked concerned was the old man.

    And that didn¡¯t add up in the slightest. Garina was not blind. She¡¯d always prided herself on being observant. Vermil and Moxie were clearly more than just friends. But Moxie ¡ª the one that should have been the most worried ¡ª looked more relaxed now than she had when Garina had arrived.

    Lee shared a similar expression, and it wasn¡¯t one that fit the situation in the slightest. It was not the expression of one whose friend was about to be killed.

    It was the one of someone who knew they had already won.

    What¡¯s going on? Are they fools? They can¡¯t possibly believe that Vermil is actually going to get the upper hand over Crone. There¡¯s no universe that a Rank 4, no matter who he is, will be able to match souls against a Rank 7.

    That means they think Vermil was actually telling the truth. But that isn¡¯t possible. He had to have been lying. Vermil is a mortal. Nothing he claimed could have been true. So what am I missing?

    Crone twitched in Vermil¡¯s grip. His expression shifted, screwing up as if in agony, and Garina¡¯s eyes went wide.

    A droplet of blood ran down from his nose. It traced across his lips as if in slow motion, continuing down across his face.

    Garina¡¯s gaze followed the drop as it beaded at the bottom of his chin and fell, landing on the ground with such an audible drip that she could have sworn it echoed in her ears.

    What?

    Crone¡¯s eyes snapped open. They¡¯d gone bloodshot and wild, darting around the clearing as if they were unable to comprehend what they saw. The Apostle ripped himself free of Vermil¡¯s grasp and jerked to his feet, nearly tripping over himself in his haste to rise.

    Vermil¡¯s hands dropped to his sides and he stood as well. His features were unreadable. He simply watched as the Apostle, 3 ranks above him, gasped desperately for air as he re-grounded himself in the world.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Confusion exploded through Garina¡¯s mind. Something behind Crone¡¯s eyes had changed. His pupils had dilated; his gaze was wide and vacant. He stared straight past all of them as if he were watching something that wasn¡¯t there.

    The Apostle didn¡¯t even seem to notice the small river of blood tracing down from his nose and dripping from his chin.

    ¡°What are you?¡± Crone rasped.

    ¡°That was never part of the question,¡± Vermil replied. He adjusted the collar of his jacket. ¡°You lose, Crone. Admit it. I¡¯m older than you.¡±

    Crone could do nothing but let out an agonized, wheezing laugh. It seemed the full control of his senses hadn¡¯t returned to him yet.

    Vermil¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Unless you still don¡¯t believe me? I¡¯d be happy to run through all of that with you a second time.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ were telling the truth. I should not have lowered all my barriers and allowed a creature such as yourself into my mind,¡± Crone ground out. He wiped his face with the back of a hand and squeezed his eyes shut. When they opened again, much of his former self had returned. Much ¡ª but not all. ¡°Someone like this¡­ now I see. You chose a fragment of a monster as your disciple. What I saw was not of Decras, but that does not mean he does not possess Decras¡¯ rune. This could still be the mortal that stole his rune. If you were willing to train an abomination like this, then you may have already turned your back on the rest of us.¡±

    Garina stared in disbelief. The words hitting her ears echoed as they passed through their mind. Nothing made sense.

    What the fuck am I watching? Did¡­ Vermil win the bet? What happened in there? And what is he talking about? And what is this about a fragment of a monster, much less the other shit he¡¯s saying?

    ¡°We¡¯re not done here,¡± Vermil said, snapping his fingers. ¡°Finish our bet first ¡ª unless you have no honor?¡±

    ¡°I have honor,¡± Crone snarled. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, his gaze re-focusing on Vermil. ¡°We who follow in the Master¡¯s footsteps have nothing but honor. It is our duty. Go on, abomination. Choose your action. I will copy it. I do not know what you seek to achieve with this. Will you debase yourself?¡±

    Vermil turned and strode over to Garina. He pointed at a dagger at her thigh and she wordlessly handed it over, still trying to understand what was going on. Vermil marched back to stand before Crone.

    ¡°Would you stop with your weird fetish shit?¡± Vermil demanded. ¡°At this point, it almost seems like you¡¯re hoping to do it, but don¡¯t wrap me up in that. But, before we get started, what happens if you refuse?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Crone¡¯s features tightened in anger. ¡°You insinuate I would be unable to do anything you commit yourself to? My resolve is unshakable. There is no humiliation too great¡ª¡±

    ¡°Answer the question. What happens if you fail?¡±

    The anger in Crone¡¯s face turned to fury and he pounded a fist against an open palm. ¡°It is impossible. I will do anything that you do. But if it will get you to finish this worthless discussion and get on with it, then fine. I will do whatever you ask of me. No restrictions or limits beyond turning my back on the Master. I will not betray him¡­ though it matters not. I will not fail. My motion will mirror yours perfectly.¡±

    ¡°Good to hear,¡± Vermil said. He moved his hand, bringing Garina¡¯s dagger up to his back so its handle lined up perfectly with the handle of Crone¡¯s sword. ¡°Prepared, I hope?¡±

    ¡°Pain does not scare me,¡± Crone said, taking his sword hilt in his hand. ¡°Do as you will. You are only mortal. I am a follower of the Master. There is nothing you can do that I cannot.¡±

    Vermil lifted Garina¡¯s blade in a wide motion, then brought it to rest at the side of his neck.

    ¡°This should be fun, then,¡± Vermil said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you on the other side.¡±

    Then, without another word, he carved through his own neck. The long dagger sliced through it in a single clean motion, sliding free of the other side even as the strength slipped from his body.

    Garina¡¯s mouth dropped open in abject disbelief.

    Across from her, the elderly man¡¯s eyes bulged in horror. He took a step forward, dropping his staff as he reached out to stop Vermil but nowhere near close or fast enough to move in time to have stopped him.

    Vermil¡¯s body pitched forward. It crashed to the ground, his head rolling and thumping as it bounced off his back and landed on the burnt ground beside the corpse, joining it in a growing pool of blood.

    Crone did not move.

    He stared at the corpse, the sword at the edge of his neck, lips parting.

    ¡°What?¡± he breathed, then in a higher tone, ¡°What?¡±

    Vermil had killed himself.

    Madman.

    Why would he do that? For the sake of his students? What level of conviction does it take to sever your own life like that?

    ¡°Do it,¡± Garina whispered. She swallowed. Her gaze sharpened. ¡°Copy him, Crone. That was the bet.¡±

    ¡°I ¡ª I can¡¯t do that,¡± Crone said, licking his lips. ¡°What manner of fool kills themselves? That¡¯s impossible to copy! I will not throw my life away for such a worthless task. What did he think he would get out of this? The deal was with him, not any of you. If the mortal is gone, then it¡ª¡±

    ¡°Gone is a strong word.¡± A voice echoed through the forest.

    Garina¡¯s blood went cold just as her domain prickled in recognition. It should have been impossible, but her domain was not one that could be tricked so easily. There was no doubting what she felt ¡ª and she could tell by the look on Crone¡¯s face that he felt it too.

    She, along with everyone else in the clearing, spun.

    Vermil strode out from the trees, as naked as the day he was born. He plucked a leaf from his hair and flicked it to the side, his eyes as cold as a dead sea.

    Garina couldn¡¯t help herself. She took a step back.

    This didn¡¯t make any sense. Vermil had definitely died. That hadn¡¯t been an illusion. She¡¯d felt him die¡­ and she¡¯d felt him return.

    ¡°You know, you keep calling me a mortal.¡± Vermil strode over to his corpse and lifted his own head by the hair. He pulled his own severed head¡¯s mouth up into a grotesque smile with two fingers and shook it in disappointment before tossing it to the ground, where it rolled to a stop at Crone¡¯s feet. ¡°I don¡¯t think you know what mortal means. Now, get on with it. Copy me as you promised to ¡ª or admit defeat. Which will it be?¡±

 Chapter 604: Offer

    For several long seconds, Crone stared at Vermil in mute silence. Garina couldn¡¯t even muster the energy to be smug. She just joined him in staring. A part of her was starting to wonder if someone had managed to land a solid blow on the back of her head or if Ferdinand had been sneaking strange substances into their food again.

    Vermil was not satisfied to let the silence rein.

    ¡°Answer my question. Do you admit that you are unable to copy me? Or are you going to run that blade of yours across your throat?¡± Vermil asked. He crossed his arms before his chest, craning his neck back to defiantly meet the Apostle¡¯s gaze. Garina was unsure if the notion was made more or less intimidating by the fact that he was buck naked.

    ¡°I will not,¡± Crone ground out. He twisted the weapon and slammed it back into the sheathe on his back. ¡°You are not the mortal that the Master is looking for. No mortal is capable of magic like that. He does not possess the ability to return from the grave, and a mortal would not have been able to develop such a power from your rank.¡±

    ¡°Great. Don¡¯t really care about the latter bit, though,¡± Vermil said. He tapped his foot impatiently on the ground. ¡°See, you¡¯ve gone and made me strip naked to prove a point.¡±

    Garina resisted the urge to cough into her fist.

    Actually, I¡¯m pretty sure you were the one that stripped naked on your own. He technically didn¡¯t make you do anything, but I¡¯m not about to point that out. It might make him turn in my direction, and then I¡¯ll see a bit more than I¡¯d prefer to.

    ¡°Name your price. I will not betray my word,¡± Crone ground out. ¡°What is it you want?¡±

    Vermil smiled. ¡°A lot of things. I¡¯m tempted to tell you to kill yourself just to see what would happen, but I¡¯m not that cruel. How about I settle for something a little simpler? You might even like it.¡±

    ¡°I will not deprive the Master of one of his greatest warriors. All other requests will be honored, no matter what they may be.¡±

    ¡°You really need to use better wording ¡ª but a deal¡¯s a deal. Here¡¯s your task. From now until I decide otherwise, you will do everything that Garina tells you to. I¡¯ve just proved my innocence. Thus, her loyalty to your master is not in question. That means there¡¯s no reason for there to be any conflict of interest and you have no way to refuse this command. Also, you¡¯re calling her Ma¡¯am from here on out.¡±

    ¡°What? Why wouldn¡¯t a Rank 4¡ª¡±

    ¡°You thought I¡¯d tell you to get me runes or something?¡± Vermil let out a cold laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t need your magic. I¡¯m Rank 4 because I choose to be, Crone. Not because I have to be. Now, where¡¯s that honor you were talking about?¡±

    Garina could hear Crone¡¯s teeth grinding within the darkness of his hood.

    ¡°So long as her orders are not against the service of the Master, then I will heed her.¡±

    This is not how I saw this going. Vermil is a little monster. What did he show Crone while they were together in his soul? He would have ripped most people in two for the mere insinuation that he had to follow someone¡¯s orders, much less mine.

    Then again, I suppose ripping Vermil in two wouldn¡¯t do much of anything at all. What a terrifying power. He must have gotten it from Sievan¡­ and that mean¡¯s he¡¯s incredibly well connected. Sievan wouldn¡¯t even share his Death Runes with the other Apostles.

    ¡°You can fuck off,¡± Garina said, unable to resist the temptation to see if Crone would actually listen.

    ¡°With pleasure.¡±

    ¡°Just that?¡± Vermil raised an eyebrow.

    Crone¡¯s fists tightened at his sides.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to find a way to kill you with honor, Spider. Ready yourself.¡±

    ¡°Do what you please. Now answer Garina properly.¡±

    ¡°With pleasure, Ma¡¯am,¡± Crone ground out. He drove a foot into the packed dirt and there was an earsplitting crack. Black energy exploded across his body and he launched into the air, blurring into the sky and disappearing within a split instant.

    There was a long second of silence. The elderly man still stared at Vermil in abject disbelief, shock so evident in his features that it almost distracted Garina from her own surprise.

    Lee stared at the headless corpse on the ground with an uncomfortably hungry look in her eyes, while Moxie just looked exasperated.

    Then Vermil walked over to his corpse and started pulling the blood-stained clothes off it. He didn¡¯t even look back over to Garina or the air where Crone had vanished. It barely even seemed like he cared.

    ¡°He¡¯s your problem now,¡± Vermil said as he tugged his pants off. A smirk pulled across his lips. ¡°Hope you enjoy dealing with that insufferable prick, Ma¡¯am.¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°You¡¯re a little shit, Vermil. You know that? Adding the last part in was entirely unnecessary. People are going to think I¡¯m humoring that weird bastard.¡±

    ¡°Then perhaps you shouldn¡¯t have come trying to threaten us. I appreciate you playing along, but I don¡¯t take kindly to people who threaten my friends.¡± Vermil squeezed the blood out of his jacket sleeve before slinging it over himself. ¡°Now, do we have any further business?¡±

    ¡°What, you think I¡¯m just going to leave?¡± Garina asked. ¡°After that?¡±

    ¡°Define what that is.¡±

    ¡°You scared a Rank 7 off. As a Rank 4. Do you have any idea how ridiculous that is?¡± Garina asked. ¡°And you have to realize that the Apostles won¡¯t stay gone forever. It¡¯s only a matter of time before you¡¯re found.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve made it this far.¡±

    ¡°Up until you draw on your runes to such an intensity again,¡± Garina said. ¡°Then you¡¯re dead, and I am too. I threw my lot in with you.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have had to if you didn¡¯t come here in the first place.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t change what I did,¡± Garina snapped. ¡°My bigger concern is the future. How are you going to deal with the next Apostle that shows up when they aren¡¯t stupid enough to let you melt their brains? Unless you¡¯re secretly a Rank 7 in hiding¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±

    ¡°Then what will you do?¡±

    ¡°Probably throw you under the wagon.¡±

    Garina¡¯s eye twitched. Vermil was being sarcastic. With her.

    ¡°Has anyone ever told you that you¡¯re insufferable?¡±

    ¡°Quite frequently, yes. I trust there¡¯s somewhere you¡¯re taking this? Because I¡¯ve got a lot of work to do and you¡¯ve caused me more than enough difficulties already.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand the significance of the situation that we¡¯re both stuck in. If the Apostles¡ª¡±

    Vermil spun on his heel, his features turning as dark as a stormy night as he strode up to stand nose-to-nose with Garina. A vein in his neck bulged as he fought to restrain anger that bubbled up from within him like steam escaping a vent in the earth.

    ¡°I know exactly how significant the situation is,¡± Vermil snarled. ¡°But there¡¯s shit all I can do against the other Apostles right now. That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to sit around and waste time. The only way to deal with power like theirs is to grow powerful enough to fight them on my own terms. That isn¡¯t going to happen if I waste time wondering about what to do. I¡¯m just going to get stronger.¡±

    ¡°You think you¡¯ll be able to close the gap between yourself and the Apostles in the short manner of weeks or months it¡¯ll take them to track you down? The stronger you get, the more of your power will leak free.¡±

    ¡°Then perhaps you should look into a solution yourself,¡± Vermil said, the anger vanishing from his features and leaving Garina unsure if it had ever truly been there at all. Even now, she didn¡¯t have the slightest clue as to what his real personality was. He was as unreadable as a moonless night. ¡°Either that or throw them off my trail.¡±

    ¡°Why would I do something like that?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯d assume you have reasons for stepping in the way you did. You¡¯re trying to hide something as well. That means we¡¯re on the same side, doesn¡¯t it?¡± A cold smile pulled across Vermil¡¯s lips. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ how do the Apostles feel about fraternization with people outside the organization? Is Ferdinand doing well?¡±

    Son of a bitch. He¡¯s sharp.

    ¡°There¡¯s no fraternization,¡± Garina said flatly. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ enjoying a little time off. I¡¯ve been watching over this little toy kingdom for far too long. How would you like doing the same shitty, thankless job for generations?¡±

    ¡°It would probably be a pain in the ass,¡± Vermil said with an understanding nod. ¡°So it seems it would be in both of our interest to keep this little alliance of ours. You keep telling people that I¡¯m your student instead of wasting time trying to kill me. I¡¯ll handle things on my end and do my best to make sure our cover doesn¡¯t get blown. We¡¯ll both be happy.¡±

    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m bargaining with a Rank 4. He¡¯s not asking for what I would have expected. Any Rank 4 should have asked me for Runes to get stronger. I could have boosted him up to Rank 6¡­ but instead, he wants me gone.

    That¡¯s odd. Very odd. Now that he knows our goals should be the same since we¡¯re both fucked if the Apostles discover we were lying, he should be trying to capitalize on it. He¡¯s clearly bold enough to.

    But instead, he¡¯s being abrasive. This isn¡¯t just Vermil being rude. He¡¯s doing this entirely on purpose. He was nothing like this during the dinner we had¡­ and I suspect that was closer to his true personality than this is.

    He¡¯s hiding something.

    Sorry, Vermil. I¡¯m not that easy to manipulate.

    ¡°No,¡± Garina said.

    Vermil blinked. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Your story is going to evaporate the moment an Apostle asks you a single question about us. You don¡¯t even know what Runes I use, nor do you have any techniques that I might have taught you. For that matter, I don¡¯t even know the name of your main Rune.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°How am I meant to pretend to be your student when we know nothing about each other?¡± Garina crossed her arms in front of her chest and arched an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t actually plan to pretend to do anything, do you? You¡¯re just trying to get rid of me.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    Garina snorted at that one, and the corner of Vermil¡¯s lip twitched as well. He¡¯d been caught and they both knew it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s be honest with each other for a moment,¡± Garina said. ¡°I genuinely did not want to find you. I came here for a Rank 7 that isn¡¯t here anymore. There¡¯s no animosity between us ¡ª but I will not allow the Apostles to destroy what I¡¯ve built.¡±

    Vermil blew out a long breath. His posture shifted as some of the tension drained out of it and his shoulders relaxed. ¡°I know where you¡¯re coming from. That¡¯s the same position I¡¯m in, but you¡¯re just as much of a threat to my people as the other Apostles are. You have to understand that.¡±

    ¡°I do. But the other Apostles will come. Make no mistake. Being my apprentice is not a coveted title. Our order very rarely takes on new members. You will be tested. And if you fail, so do I.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just say you changed your mind?¡±

    ¡°No. Not that easily. But I have another idea. One that might actually work to conceal what you really are while protecting both of our interests at the same time.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±

    Garina smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you really are or what powers you possess, but I¡¯d wager there¡¯s still a whole lot you don¡¯t know about this world. Why don¡¯t we make all the bullshit we just spilled real? This is the first time I¡¯ve ever met someone as uniquely deranged as you. It might actually be fun.¡±

    ¡°Wait. Do you mean¡ª¡±

    ¡°I, Garina of the Seven,¡± she extended a hand to Vermil and a dangerous smile played across her features, ¡°extend to you the offer of apprenticeship and access to the full knowledge of an Apostle.¡±

 Chapter 605: Limitations

    Noah stared at Garina¡¯s proffered hand with a blank expression. An offer of apprenticeship from one of Decras¡¯ followers. One of the strongest mages in the world ¡ª and a chance to ally with one of his far-too-numerous enemies.

    They had similar goals. Garina wanted to keep her personal affairs hidden from the other Apostles. Even if Noah didn¡¯t know the specifics of who the Apostles were, it was evident how powerful the group was.

    They were on an entirely different level. Garina herself was evidence of that. She was Rank 7, but not all mages of the same rank were built the same. Noah knew that to be true more than almost anyone else.

    Just as another Rank 4 would have been no threat in the slightest to him, he was confident that Garina was leagues in power above any other Rank 7 he¡¯d met. Her strength felt like it eclipsed Sievan¡¯s rank 7 aide, Zath.

    An offer to study under someone like that was a golden goose. Anyone else in the entire Arbalest Empire would have tripped over themselves in their haste to throw themselves at Garina¡¯s feet and accept it.

    ¡°No thank you,¡± Noah said.

    Garina blinked. Then she blinked again. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a kind offer,¡± Noah said. ¡°And I appreciate your extended hand of friendship, but I don¡¯t want to apprentice under anyone at the moment. Apprenticeships are too restrictive. It would mean I¡¯ve got to actually study under you, and that means less time for my students. I can¡¯t split my priorities like that.¡±

    ¡°Do you realize who I am?¡± Garina asked. There was no arrogance in her voice. It was a genuine question. ¡°I am Garina of the seven. Of every mage you have ever met, the only one who surpasses me is Sievan. I have defended the empire you live in for hundreds of years. There is no other that could give you anywhere near the power that I could. In the span of a mere few days, I could teach you magic that you have never heard of. Magic you could never dream of. And you refuse that¡­ because you have to teach children?¡±

    ¡°Sounds about right, yes. And I¡¯ll be honest. I rather enjoy discovering things. Part of the magic of magic is learning. Every time someone¡¯s told me some absolute about how Runes work, they¡¯ve been wrong. You never know what someone will find out when they have to stumble through it on their own.¡±

    A smile passed over Garina¡¯s features.

    ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly insightful. You¡¯re also far from the first person to come to that conclusion. What do you think the entirety of this Empire is?¡±

    It was Noah¡¯s turn to be surprised. ¡°The Empire? What does that have to do with anything?¡±

    ¡°Did you really think this was all there was to the world?¡± Garina asked with a small laugh. ¡°The Arbalest Empire is a testing zone. It¡¯s a science experiment ¡ª one to determine what happens when people with no true knowledge of Runes are left to their own devices. Well, that isn¡¯t exactly its full extent, but it¡¯s sufficient for the likes of you.¡±

    ¡°Hold on. Wait a moment.¡± Moxie raised her hands. ¡°What are you saying? An experiment? There was a war. The Long Night¡ª¡±

    ¡°A purge,¡± Garina said. ¡°One set about by a number of different factions working in rare unison. The Church of Repose. The Apostles. The Obsidian Gate. The Horde of Man. The Endless Path ¡ª and more. We all wiped every single trace of Rank 7 and above runes from this section of the world. Razed the Locations of Power to ash and let you start over with a new slate. One without external influence or preconceived notions.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to say that everything is just¡­ fake?¡± Moxie asked, aghast.

    ¡°Fake? No. It¡¯s quite real. It¡¯s just that the situation has been a bit¡­ contrived. There are mages who have been seeking a path to godhood for thousands of years. The Arbalest Empire was just one of the methods they hoped to distill information from.¡±

    ¡°It was a failure, then,¡± Silvertide said. He leaned heavily on his staff. ¡°We have not produced a Rank 7 mage.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve produced quite a number of them,¡± Garina replied with a shake of her head. ¡°Hundreds, actually. I just remove them from the baby area before they break any important toys. There¡¯s a ban on any Rank 7 from existing within the Arbalest Empire. We won¡¯t allow it to be destroyed by some brat with an ego problem.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why you came for Yoru,¡± Noah breathed. ¡°You¡¯re the janitor.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°That¡¯s an apt way to put it.¡±

    ¡°The Bastions, then?¡± Moxie asked. ¡°What was their purpose? If the War was all fake, then why have massive stocks of powerful artifacts?¡±

    ¡°Come, now. Do you really think there would be anything that powerful in a little hole like this? There are a few trinkets and toys stored within the Bastions that I¡¯m sure the nobles of this area are convinced to be of immense strength¡­ but the vast majority of the items stored in the Bastions are not weapons of war.¡± Garina let out a loud laugh. Perhaps an overly loud one.

    ¡°Research,¡± Noah said. ¡°They¡¯re research probes. Or portals of some kind?¡±

    Garina smiled. ¡°Well done. The Bastions house information transmitters. They send information on upcoming Rank 7s to the factions that started the Arbalest Empire. As you said, Vermil. A fresh take on knowledge is very valuable.¡±

    This whole kingdom is a giant petri dish. That¡¯s¡­ brutal. It makes so many things click, though. That¡¯s why there has never been a recorded Rank 7. It¡¯s not because it¡¯s impossible to do it. It¡¯s because Garina just yoinks them away.

    ¡°And that¡¯s what you want to do to N ¡ª Vermil?¡± Lee asked, her eyes narrowing. ¡°You want to take him away?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Garina said. ¡°If he wants to stand against the apostles, then he will need to be a Rank 7. I can¡ª¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Noah said. ¡°I appreciate the offer, Garina, but I have no interest of abandoning my students or my friends. No matter what this empire may be, I have no plans to leave until my work here is done.¡±

    ¡°How do you plan to deal with the Apostles when they come for you and you are a Rank 4?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be a Rank 5 by the time I next see an Apostle. And I have no plans to fight them head on. There are far more effective ways to battle than to sling magic around ¡ª as I just demonstrated with Crone.¡±

    Garina pursed her lips. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and tilted her head to the side. ¡°Arrogant.¡±

    ¡°A bit.¡±

    ¡°I suspect I will not be able to convince you to leave.¡±

    ¡°You will not.¡±

    ¡°Idiot.¡± Garina pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°But I can sense your Runes are far too strong for a Rank 4 of this area. I take it you¡¯ve determined how to make Complete Runes?¡±

    A pang of mild surprise passed through Noah.

    So we aren¡¯t the only ones that managed to discover Flawless Runes, then. I suppose it makes sense. There¡¯s no way the entire world would have been blind to this, but it¡¯s still good to know that we¡¯re ahead of all the people in the Arbalest Empire that didn¡¯t just get fed the information. I guess that was the point of the science experiment. To see what mages can accomplish on our own.

    ¡°I call them Flawless,¡± Noah said. There was no point hiding it.

    There was a long pause. Then Garina blew her hair up and let her hands drop to her sides. ¡°There has not been a single Rank 7 from this Empire that figured Complete Runes out¡­ and something about your soul is clearly different. You may be the very thing this empire was built to create. I will not force you to accept my offer, but it leaves us in the same position as before.¡±

    ¡°What if we didn¡¯t quite go so far as a real apprenticeship?¡± Noah asked, tapping a finger against his thigh. ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a big jump. I¡¯ve got my tasks, and I¡¯m sure you have things you want to do. How about you just swing by over tea every once and a while?¡±

    Garina stared at him.

    ¡°You want me come by for tea?¡±

    ¡°No commitments. No rules or restrictions. Just two people having a chat. You can tell me what I need to know about the Apostles, and I¡¯ll have no obligation to be dragged off and abandon my students.¡±

    ¡°And you would continue to learn on your own,¡± Garina mused. ¡°It would preserve your approach to magic and potentially reveal something new. But what do I get out of this? An Apprenticeship aids me as well as you. It gives me someone to do minor tasks and take over my less important duties. For me to simply visit you means you think we are equals.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d imagine I can teach you a few things,¡± Noah said.

    Garina studied him for several long seconds. ¡°Who are you, Vermil? When you strip the layers of lies and deceit away, who are you?¡±

    ¡°Depends who you ask.¡±

    ¡°A curious answer. You certainly have my interest, but do you have more than one trick? Teach me something, Vermil. Right now. Tell me something that I do not know. If you can do that and prove I have something to learn from you, then I will accept your offer.¡±

    This is a huge opportunity. If I could actually get Garina to agree to just give us information, it would speed things up by magnitudes that I can¡¯t even comprehend. I can¡¯t let myself get turned into her servant, but a business relationship with her is invaluable.

    The corner of Noah¡¯s lips twitched up in a smile and he turned his gaze to Lee.

    ¡°Look at her.¡±

    Garina tilted her head to the side. ¡°I am aware of the demon.¡±

    ¡°Are you, though? Tell me, Garina. Do you know who made demons?¡±

    ¡°Decras,¡± Garina replied slowly. ¡°I am familiar with Sievan and the rest of the race.¡±

    ¡°And you know of their limitations?¡±

    ¡°They are beholden to their runes and unable to wrest themselves free of Decras¡¯ influence. The Master rarely speaks of them. Where are you going with this?¡±

    ¡°Take a closer look at Lee.¡±

    The Apostle squinted at Lee for several long seconds. Then her head tilted to the side and a confused frown creased her face. ¡°I don¡¯t see where you¡¯re going with this.¡±

    ¡°Surely you can recognize your masters¡¯ presence.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not¡­¡± Garina trailed off. Then her eyes went as wide as saucers. She spun to Noah. ¡°It¡¯s not there. Where is Decras¡¯ influence?¡±

    Noah just smiled.

    Gotcha.

 Chapter 606: Miss

    After prying Noah with questions for nearly an hour, Garina left with nothing but a promise to return in the coming days ¡ª and an order to ensure that there was some tea ready for her. It was a strangely unceremonious departure. One moment, she was there.

    The next, she was gone.

    They were alone in the scorched acres once more.

    Even still, it was several seconds before anyone spoke. They simply stood there and stared.

    Noah rubbed at his throbbing skull. The headache was far from the worst it had been. He¡¯d been the one to kill himself so he hadn¡¯t taken too much soul damage. It could be easily fixed in a day or two¡­ but he couldn¡¯t quite muster up any words for his stunned allies.

    Silvertide stared at him like he¡¯d seen a ghost. The old man rubbed at his eyes and several times moved as if to speak, only to think better of it and close his mouth a moment later. His fingers drummed a soft beat against the shaft of his staff.

    ¡°Well,¡± Moxie said finally, her words breaking the silence. ¡°You¡¯ve definitely got a problem.¡±

    ¡°I do not,¡± Noah said.

    ¡°No, I think you do,¡± Lee said. She edged a step closer to Noah¡¯s headless corpse. ¡°Do you mind?¡±

    ¡°Feel free.¡±

    Lee started shoving the entire corpse down her gullet whilst Silvertide watched, eyes flat and glassy. A pang of sympathy rang through Noah. The old soldier had been far from up to date on any of their affairs. He¡¯d probably had some suspicions that they weren¡¯t as they seemed, but this was a step and a few beyond strange.

    ¡°Thanks for the meal,¡± Lee said as she finished off the last of Noah¡¯s body and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

    Noah ruffled her hair, taking care to avoid the horns that now jutted out of her forehead. Her transition to a full demon was going to take a bit to get used to ¡ª and he was going to have to figure out an approach to get her back into Arbitage. He doubted that people were going to be pleased with a demon hanging around them, free of Decras¡¯ influence or not.

    ¡°Silvertide?¡± Moxie asked with a concerned frown. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I believe I may be dead,¡± Silvertide said. ¡°But I was hoping the afterlife would be considerably more enjoyable than this¡­ or perhaps I have simply drank a bit too much tea. What did they put in those leaves?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not dead. Sorry to burst your bubble,¡± Noah said. ¡°And as far as I¡¯m aware, you aren¡¯t drugged out either. Can¡¯t verify that one, though.¡±

    And the afterlife is a lot worse than this. A whole lot worse.

    ¡°Then¡­ how? Rank 7s. You died, and yet you live. Moxie had a Master Rune¡­ no, made a Master Rune? I do not understand what is happening. I have seen more impossible things in the span of minutes than most see in a lifetime.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it,¡± Lee said cheerfully. ¡°That all happened.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you should sit down,¡± Moxie said, putting a hand on the older mage¡¯s shoulder. ¡°There¡¯s a lot to process. But I think it should go without saying that you have to keep everything you heard and saw today secret from anyone and everyone.¡±

    Silvertide let out a bark of laughter. ¡°Oh, I am no fool. If even one of the things I just witnessed was real, acknowledgement of its existence could bring the entire empire down to the ground in war. What manner of Rune allows someone to die and return to life?¡±

    ¡°One that¡¯s best left un-thought about,¡± Noah suggested. He ran a hand through his hair and grimaced as a pang of pain drove through his skull. No matter how many times he got a soul damage headache, he never got used to it. He could push past them, but they were always infuriatingly agonizing. "For what it¡¯s worth, I was planning on bringing you into the fold.¡±

    ¡°The fold implies there was one secret,¡± Silvertide muttered. ¡°This is more than a fold. It¡¯s a hundred of them. Like a wrinkled asshole.¡±

    Noah nearly choked on his own saliva. He hadn¡¯t expected that line from the prim and proper Silvertide ¡ª though he had seen the man steal tea leaves from a restaurant. Perhaps Silvertide wasn¡¯t quite as proper as he liked others to believe.

    ¡°I¡¯d say you should get some rest, but we should find the others before they start panicking,¡± Moxie said. ¡°We don¡¯t want them getting too far thinking that Garina is hot on their heels.¡±

    Noah started to nod in agreement. Then he paused as a faint crack from behind him caught his attention. His eyes narrowed and he turned.

    ¡°Seriously? Does not a single person listen to me?¡±

    Isabel stepped out from the forest, Todd and Alexandra in step with her. Yoru and Brayden flanked them. A ripple passed through the air beside the group. James and Emily emerged from within the protection of an invisibility spell.

    They weren¡¯t alone. Sticky and the other demons all emerged from the trees a moment later, awed expressions on their faces.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of running from a Rank 7?¡± Brayden asked, studying Noah with an unreadable expression. ¡°We got the message from Lee and ran for about ten seconds. Then we realized it didn¡¯t matter, and we might as well come to back you up. Didn¡¯t expect to find out you were¡­ what, immortal?¡±

    Noah blew out a slow breath. Everyone in their group had finally seen his secret. He was surprised to find more than a little worry twisting within him. Noah had no idea how everyone would respond to discovering that he was¡­ well, him.

    ¡°Immortal probably isn¡¯t the right word. I¡¯d go with persistent.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°Whatever you are, we¡¯ve been watching in case you needed backup,¡± Todd said, giving Noah a thumbs-up. ¡°You didn¡¯t. Nice. But hey, if you did, we would have been able to brag in the afterlife. After all, it¡¯s quite the achievement to get killed by a Rank 7.¡±

    That¡¯s Todd for you. I guess he already knew the majority of the story, but it¡¯s always nice to know he¡¯s on my side ¡ª especially when I¡¯m doing cool shit.

    But coming back into what they should have known was near-certain death¡­

    ¡°You¡¯re all idiots,¡± Noah said with a shake of his head. He couldn¡¯t exactly argue with them. Garina could have killed everyone in the forest if she¡¯d wanted to. Trying to flee really would have been pointless, but that didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t have tried.

    And, though he didn¡¯t say it, Noah couldn¡¯t quite quash the warm feeling in his chest. Staying had been stupid¡­ but he still appreciated all of them for it.

    ¡°Like teacher, like student,¡± Todd said.

    ¡°I am not stupid. I am tactical.¡±

    ¡°Tactically suicidal, maybe,¡± Isabel grumbled. ¡°You scared the life out of us, professor.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re one of the few that do know about what I¡¯m capable of,¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯ve kept you all in the dark about a lot of things to protect you, but that one shouldn¡¯t have been a surprise to everyone.¡±

    ¡°Professor, just because someone manages to come back to life once doesn¡¯t mean they can do it again,¡± Todd said. ¡°And watching somebody kill themselves to make a point is a uniquely unsettling experience.¡±

    ¡°I just want to know what you did to that other Rank 7,¡± James said. ¡°How¡¯d you terrify him like that? What did you show him, and can you teach me how to do it?¡±

    ¡°No. We are not going into detail about this,¡± Noah said firmly. ¡°There are certain things about me that I think everyone has earned knowledge of, but I¡¯m not teaching you that. You couldn¡¯t do it even if you wanted to.¡±

    ¡°What things?¡± Aylin asked, eyeing Noah with something approaching reverence in his eyes.

    Ah, fuck. I really don¡¯t need Aylin thinking any higher of me. He already basically acts like I¡¯m a minor god. This is going to give me a serious ego problem.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± Noah said. ¡°You could probably fill a few books with it.¡±

    ¡°How many?¡± Lee asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be more than happy to settle for the abridged notes,¡± Brayden said. ¡°Though I somehow suspect all this is going to do is give us even more questions.¡±

    Most likely, yes.

    ¡°We will be honored to hear whatever you¡¯re willing to share with us,¡± Violet said. ¡°But you owe us no answers, Spider.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps not. But I trust everyone here ¡ª and you¡¯ve all earned the right to know at least a little bit more about who I am. There¡¯s no point leaving you in complete darkness ¡ª but understand that you can never speak of anything I say here to anyone else.¡±

    ¡°Your secrets will die with us,¡± Vrith promised, staring at him with an expression eerily similar to Aylin¡¯s. Noah repressed a sigh. She¡¯d been one of the few demons that had just seen him as a powerful high Ranker, but now she had the same reverence in her gaze that Aylin did.

    Damn it. Hopefully this clears a few things up. I really don¡¯t need anyone here looking at me like I¡¯m anything more than a man.

    ¡°You all know me by a number of different names,¡± Noah said, drawing in a deep breath and launching straight into the thick of things. ¡°But my real name ¡ª and the one I got a very, very long time ago ¡ª is Noah.¡±

    ***

    It took Noah another hour to summarize the biggest secrets of his life. Noah didn¡¯t go into detail on his dealings with Decras or Renewal, but he told his closest allies everything about his runes. About Sunder and about the afterlife ¡ª and about what had come after it. He told them of Vermil and of Father. Of how he¡¯d met Lee and of everything that had happened leading up to the trip to the Damned Plains. He spoke of what had happened within the Damned Plains, of Sievan and Wizen.

    And then it was done.

    An hour almost felt like it was too short for the story, but he was glad it wasn¡¯t longer. He¡¯d been hoping that some of the reverence would evaporate when everyone learned he was just a teacher that had spent a very, very extended stay in hell.

    He couldn¡¯t have been more wrong.

    By the time he was done, he could have sworn there was more respect in the slew of eyes staring up at him from the circle that they¡¯d made while he spoke.

    There were several minutes of long silence as everyone processed Noah¡¯s story.

    ¡°You told me you killed Vermil,¡± Brayden said, finally breaking the silence. ¡°That¡¯s not true. You didn¡¯t kill him. Azel did. Why did you act like it was your fault?¡±

    ¡°My soul destroyed Vermil¡¯s,¡± Noah said. ¡°It wasn¡¯t intentional, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Then it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Brayden said firmly. ¡°Vermil did it to himself. You were never trying to kill him. I¡¯ve been blaming you for a death that wasn¡¯t even your fault. Even if you hadn¡¯t been there, Azel would have killed Vermil.¡±

    ¡°Not to be harsh, but even if Noah had killed Vermil on purpose, he did the world a favor. That man was lost,¡± Moxie said.

    Brayden blew out a long sigh. ¡°I know. Father ruined him before he had a chance to become anything better. I can¡¯t help but mourn for what he could have been ¡ª but know that it isn¡¯t your fault, Noah. You don¡¯t have to take the blame for Vermil¡¯s death, no matter how vile he was.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more concerned with the gods,¡± Silvertide said, running a hand through his hair and looking far older than his years. ¡°You¡¯ve stolen from the god that made demons?¡±

    ¡°Forget stealing. I thought you were a god yourself,¡± Aylin breathed. ¡°But a human found the issue with us? You did what Decras couldn¡¯t. Doesn¡¯t that mean¡ª¡±

    ¡°Careful,¡± Violet warned. ¡°We don¡¯t want to draw Decras¡¯ ire. He may not appreciate what Noah did for us. It has to be embarrassing for a god to have his work corrected by a mortal.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Noah said with a shake of his head. ¡°And it wasn¡¯t me that found it. It was Sticky. I just helped things along a bit.¡±

    The small demon reddened as everyone turned in her direction again. She scrunched down on herself. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. It was Spi¡ª uh, Noah. And Wizen.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re so good at killing yourself that you beat Wizen by convincing him to do it too,¡± Alexandra said in awe. ¡°Moxie is right. You have a problem.¡±

    ¡°I do not have a problem,¡± Noah snapped. ¡°And we are not going to go around saying that was how I beat Wizen. We didn¡¯t even fight!¡±

    The looks in everyone¡¯s eyes told Noah that it was going to be rather difficult to stop that particular sentiment from taking hold.

    ¡°Too late,¡± Lee said. ¡°You can¡¯t complain when we just all saw you kill yourself to prove a point a little while ago. That¡¯s like me saying I don¡¯t like eating.¡±

    Noah let out a heavy sigh.

    He could outmaneuver a Rank 7, but he lost a fight to an ill-founded rumor. He most certainly did not kill himself at every inconvenience. It was just that killing himself tended to solve a lot of his problems.

    ¡°Is there anything else anyone wants to ask?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Because we will not be speaking of most of this again. It¡¯s too dangerous to discuss.¡±

    He could see dozens of questions in everyone¡¯s eyes, but none of them asked anything. For that, he was thankful. The night had been long. Between Yoru nearly killing herself ¡ª which was definitely not influenced by his own habits in any way ¡ª and all the Rank 7 drama, he was exhausted.

    So, of course, it was at that moment that the air beside Noah crackled with purple energy.

    His ears popped.

    Jalen stepped out from a portal with his hands crossed behind his back and a wide grin on his lips.

    ¡°I have returned!¡± Jalen proclaimed. Then he paused and glanced around at everyone, taking in their expressions. His smile fell away and his brow furrowed in confusion. ¡°Is something going on? What did I miss?¡±

 Chapter 607: Break Them

    ¡°I hate you,¡± Jalen proclaimed.

    The head of the Linwick Family, one of the most powerful mages within the Arbalest Empire, laid sprawled out on the ground, glaring up at the sky, his face creased like a pouting toddler.

    ¡°That feels like an overreaction,¡± Noah said.

    ¡°No! I missed so much fun stuff!¡± Jalen whined, lifting his head to thunk it back against the dirt a moment later. ¡°It¡¯s not fair! I was doing work and you were having fun!¡±

    ¡°I would not call anything that we just went through fun,¡± Moxie said.

    Jalen harrumphed, and Noah resisted the urge to slap his palm against his face. They¡¯d filled the Rank 6 in on what had happened with Crone and Garina, though Noah hadn¡¯t yet elected to share his full story with him.

    He wasn¡¯t entirely sure Jalen wouldn¡¯t just go shouting it from the rooftops for the heck of it. The Rank 6 was a good ally, but he wasn¡¯t all there in the head. If Jalen decided that keeping Noah¡¯s secrets was no longer fun¡­ well, they probably wouldn¡¯t be secrets for long.

    ¡°You got to meet a Rank 7,¡± Jalen said. ¡°A Rank 7! And you told her off! I still don¡¯t get how you pulled all that shit off without getting yourself killed. Is this Garina like me? Is that it? Just bored and in want of something to do? Do you think she¡¯ll play darts when she gets back?¡±

    Technically, I didn¡¯t get through it without getting myself killed. I just did the killing myself. Subtle difference there.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to ask her when she returns, but I¡¯d really prefer if we could stick to the topic at hand.¡± Noah pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers. ¡°We really need to get to that auction. I need a lot of runes to prepare for what¡¯s to come.¡±

    Jalen let out a harrumph. ¡°You only want to give me the boring tasks. Go get us access to an auction, Jalen. Go sweep the trash while I have the time of my life dancing with certain death and forces beyond mortal comprehension. What if they¡¯d ripped you to little flesh ribbons? I wouldn¡¯t have gotten to watch!¡±

    ¡°Why does it sound like you were hoping for that to happen?¡± Moxie asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m an optimist. I always look on the fun side of life. Best to enjoy what¡¯s happening while it¡¯s happening,¡± Jalen said.

    His words might have been slightly more inspirational if he wasn¡¯t currently lying on the dirt mid-tantrum.

    ¡°Pull yourself together already,¡± Silvertide snapped. He rapped Jalen on the head with the end of his staff. ¡°If anything, this is your fault. You said you didn¡¯t want to get too involved or the other Family Heads would start stepping in as well. Has that changed?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jalen said reluctantly.

    ¡°And if you¡¯d been here, what are the chances you tried to fight one of the Rank 7s?¡±

    ¡°Nearly one hundred percent. Who would pass up on such an incredible opportunity to learn? To grow? They¡¯re from outside the kingdom, you withered old sod!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re older than I am,¡± Silvertide said.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t look older. I am a very superficial person.¡± Jalen stretched his arms over his head and let out a yawn. Motes of sunlight poked into the dark sky above them as the sun began its crawl into the sky. Jalen¡¯s entire body ground to a halt like it had been frozen in ice. Then the petulant expression evaporated from his features. ¡°Oh, look at that. Dawn.¡±

    He sat up and rose to his feet, brushing the dirt from his clothes and adjusting his shirt as if he hadn¡¯t just been pitching a fit moments ago.

    Noah and Moxie exchanged a baffled glance. It was exceedingly difficult to tell what Jalen was thinking on the best of days ¡ª and he seemed to be even more insane today than he was normally.

    Nobody else was having much more luck. All of Noah¡¯s students, demon and human alike, stood in a large ring around the Rank 6. They bore expressions from complete befuddlement to uncomfortable silence.

    The only ones that looked to be completely uninterested by his fit were Lee and Yoru. That was probably only because the former was occupied with some jerky she¡¯d lifted from Moxie¡¯s pockets while the latter had considerably more important things to be thinking about.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Do you conduct yourself properly at the advent of every new day?¡± Vrith asked through a confused frown. ¡°Why does dawn matter?¡±

    ¡°Because the auction is toward the center of the kingdom, and the tickets to enter don¡¯t activate until dawn,¡± Jalen replied, every trace of the whining child that had been in his place moments before gone with the winds. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a fistful of crumpled up papers trimmed with gold lining. ¡°I had to kill some time.¡±

    ¡°Kill time?¡± Alexandra squinted at Jalen. ¡°You mean that was¡­¡±

    ¡°Rather entertaining, yes. When you get to my age, you¡¯ll realize that it¡¯s time to let loose every once and a while.¡± Jalen flicked a speck of ash from his hair. ¡°Everyone¡¯s always so prim and proper. So measured. You should learn to relax. Just complain about some asinine shit every once and a while. It¡¯s healing for the soul ¡ª and it¡¯s a lot of fun. Good way to kill a few hours.¡±

    ¡°It is not,¡± Noah said, but attempting to argue with Jalen was something akin to beating his head against a brick wall and expecting to find anything but blood. The best thing he could do was just give up and try to get to the actually important portion of the matter. ¡°Did you say you got us access to an auction?¡±

    ¡°One of the biggest ones in the kingdom. It¡¯s a long-running one that goes for a week out of every month. We¡¯ll be showing up two days late, but they only approve new tickets in the morning. We should probably get ready quickly. It would be a shame to miss too much of it.¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have mentioned this when you first got back?¡± Moxie demanded. ¡°You¡¯ve wasted hours!¡±

    ¡°I have enjoyed hours,¡± Jalen corrected. He reached into a pocket and pulled out another bundle of papers. These, Noah recognized instantly. Catchpaper. Jalen handed the sheaf to Noah without even looking in his direction. ¡°And would knowing earlier have done anything other than make you pace in circles while you waited for the auction to open? What preparation would you have done?¡±

    Moxie hesitated for a moment. ¡°Er¡­ Vermil could have imbued the runes.¡±

    ¡°Which takes all of a few minutes,¡± Jalen observed dryly. ¡°A huge waste indeed.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think we¡¯re children that need to be distracted from a big scary appointment?¡± Moxie asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

    ¡°I think the words you were looking for are ¡®thank you¡¯. I just did you a favor. You may repay it with a game of darts at a future date.¡±

    Moxie rolled her eyes. ¡°Noted.¡±

    ¡°I should say,¡± Jalen said, his features growing serious, ¡°that you will need to be cautious. Especially the more demonically inclined of you. Vermil said he wanted access to a big auction. That¡¯s what I got. But big auctions are well defended. There will be Inquisitors. Given your appearances¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Noah said. ¡°I appreciate the warning, but it¡¯s something I¡¯ve already accounted for. The purpose of this auction is more than just getting some runes. It¡¯s a demonstration for all the noble houses.¡±

    ¡°A demonstration of what, exactly?¡± Jalen asked. ¡°You can¡¯t plan to challenge every single one of them. They¡¯d destroy you.¡±

    Noah just smiled.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see. You¡¯re welcome to attend the auction yourself. Even if you aren¡¯t doing anything, it should be useful.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding? After all the effort I went through to see something fun? I¡¯d rip my own heart out before I missed this.¡±

    ¡°Figured,¡± Noah said. He turned to the others. ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t bring everyone. As much as I¡¯d like to include you as a learning experience, this is going to be a little bit dangerous. I¡¯ll be having to ask the rest of you to wait here, safe, with Brayden.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Isabel asked.

    ¡°Lee, Yoru, Aylin. You¡¯re with me. Everyone else will remain back.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Isabel asked, blinking in surprise as she exchanged a look with Todd. ¡°Not that I¡¯m going to argue, but why would you bring all the demons? Isn¡¯t that going to bring every single Inquisitor down on top of you?¡±

    Noah put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°That was then, Isabel. I¡¯m not the same person I was back then¡­ and these aren¡¯t the same demons. Trust me.¡±

    ¡°Just don¡¯t take too long,¡± James said through a yawn. ¡°We might get attacked while you¡¯re off. The nobles have to be looking for Isabel and Todd at this point. We¡¯ve been missing for long enough for them to realize something is up. Especially since Jakob and Verrud disappeared during the exam and didn¡¯t do much to make their interest in Isabel secret¡­ well, it¡¯s not hard to start drawing connections.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone get through me,¡± Brayden promised.

    ¡°Nor will I,¡± Moxie said. ¡°I¡¯d prefer to go, but I know why I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re dead, of course,¡± Noah said with a nod. He stuffed the pages of Catchpaper into his book. It would imbue the runes he needed it to. There was no need to waste time doing it himself. ¡°I trust you can get us to the auction, Jalen?¡±

    In response, the Rank 6 snapped his fingers. A purple portal ripped open beside him with a loud tearing noise. Undulating magic rippled and pulsed at his side.

    ¡°One passageway to a shitshow,¡± Jalen proclaimed, holding up the fistful of tickets in his hand like a torch. His lips split in a wide grin. ¡°This is going to be fun.¡±

    You don¡¯t have the slightest idea.

    I can¡¯t wait to see the looks on these noble idiots faces when I break them.

    ¡°Moxie, could I borrow that gift I gave you a while ago? I promise to return it in pristine condition,¡± Noah said.

    She pulled the cloak off her back and handed it to him with a nod. He pulled it on, pulling the hood low over his face to cover his features.

    And with that, Noah¡¯s group stepped into the portal.

 Chapter 608: Better

    The auction was already well underway by the time that Jalen stepped through the portal and emerged onto a large, black marble platform alongside Vermil and his demons. Loud yells echoed through the darkened, dome-ceilinged room as noble families yelled out bids for a rune.

    Dozens of platforms similar to the one he¡¯d arrived on floated in the air, connected by swaying gold bridges and encircling a huge stage at the center of the room. A woman stood in its center, dressed in a decidedly chilly looking outfit that she most certainly had not suggested herself, yelling out information about the rune that was currently up for auction.

    Jalen¡¯s lips thinned as he scanned the room. It had been a long time since he¡¯d last attended an auction¡­ and it hadn¡¯t been long enough.

    He hated every part of them.

    The posturing noble families, covering their faces to protect their identities like cowards. Promises of alliances made as both parties prepared to drive a dagger into the others¡¯ back. It was a place of fear and cheating. There was nothing interesting. Nothing honorable.

    Jalen had seen the same shit play out over and over and over again.

    It was boring.

    His eyes flicked to Vermil, and a small grin pulled at the corner of his lips.

    Something tells me that this one will be different.

    An attendant rushed up to them, his long silver robes rippling and nearly tripping the man up. He was late. Jalen was quite certain the man was supposed to have been waiting for any new arrivals, but he couldn¡¯t have been bothered to care.

    ¡°Magus Jalen! I¡ª¡±

    Jalen¡¯s hand snapped out, pressing a finger to the other man¡¯s lips. His mind was on other things. Far more important things ¡ª such as the ideal trajectory of a thrown dart. It had been too long since he¡¯d had a match against Vermil, and he had no plans of losing their next one.

    The absolute last thing he needed right now was some blathering idiot wasting his time.

    ¡°Hush,¡± Jalen said. He shoved the fistful of tickets into the man¡¯s chest with his other hand. ¡°Our platform.¡±

    ¡°Of course, your lordship. Platform 4. It was prepared as quickly as possible. I ¡ª uh, we had to remove a lesser noble family. They¡¯ve requested repar¡ª¡±

    Jalen leaned close to the man, pressing his forehead against the other man¡¯s. ¡°Tell them to bring their complaint to the Linwick Estate. Personally. No servants. No retainer mages. The head of their family. If they come¡­ I will see to it that they are rewarded.¡±

    If they¡¯ve actually got the balls to show up, then I¡¯ll be more than happy to pay. They won¡¯t, though. Bunch of blasted pathetic cowering worms.

    ¡°Understood,¡± the attendant stammered, his voice nearly a whimper of horror.

    It would have taken everything Jalen had to keep the disgust from his features ¡ª so he didn¡¯t even bother trying. That only made the fear in the attendant¡¯s eyes grow. It was a small miracle the man hadn¡¯t collapsed into a puddle by now.

    ¡°Masks,¡± Jalen said, snapping his fingers. ¡°Do I have to do your job for you? Perhaps I should collect your pay and create some children with your wife as well?¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course!¡± the attendant said with a weak laugh, pulling a string of white porcelain masks from his waist. They each had two holes for the eyes and a flat line where the mouth went, effectively concealing all the features of the one wearing them.

    Was the ¡®of course¡¯ with reference to my plan to take his wife and job? Or was it to the masks? Gods, I hate these people.

    He took the mask from the attendant and slipped it over his face. As much as he hated the masks, they did provide for some interesting opportunities. It was a lot more fun to screw with people when they didn¡¯t know who they were talking to.

    The attendant moved along the line to Vermil, handing him a mask. He turned to Lee ¡ª and then he froze.

    His eyes went wide. He took a step back, the blood rushing from his cheeks and turning his face pale.

    ¡°D-d-demon! There¡¯s a demon!¡±

    An observant one, are you? Took you nearly a minute to find one of the 3 demons on the platform five feet away from you. They weren¡¯t even trying to hide their horns. Blithering idiot.

    This is good, though. It means we get to skip past the boring bullshit and get to the good part. Bring on the brawl!

    Jalen flexed his fingers ¡ª and Vermil let out a burst of laughter.

    ¡°Demon?¡± Vermil asked. ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot.¡±

    The attendant hesitated, taken off guard by the mocking amusement in Vermil¡¯s voice. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Would a demon let me do this?¡± Vermil asked, wrapping an arm around Lee¡¯s shoulders and ruffling her hair with the other hand. Lee did absolutely nothing to stop him, and Vermil slipped her a piece of beef jerky before releasing her.

    What is she, a dog?

    That looks like it feels kind of nice, actually.

    That thought passed through Jalen¡¯s head before he¡¯d even registered it. The old mage blinked, then pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers.

    It¡¯s been too long since I¡¯ve been in a relationship. I wonder if any of the old ladies from my generation are still alive. I¡¯m sure one of them is kicking somewhere.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the attendant said, some of the fear leaving his features. Some, but not all. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a demon¡­ but she has horns!¡±

    Vemril arched an eyebrow. He flicked one of Lee¡¯s horns gently. ¡°She¡¯s not the only one, friend. Look around at the rest of our party.¡±

    The attendant¡¯s eyes went wide once more. ¡°Three demons!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a dense one, aren¡¯t you?¡± Vermil asked as he shook his head. ¡°This is my daughter and her friends. They¡¯re dressed up for her birthday.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re dressed up¡­ as demons?¡± The attendant swallowed. His back relaxed. ¡°She¡¯s your daughter?¡±

    Jalen nearly laughed on the spot. The coward clung to the promise of safety over what his own senses told him. He was so desperate for safety that he would believe Vermil said.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Can I¡­ touch the horns? To make sure?¡± the attendant asked weakly. ¡°It¡¯s part of my job.¡±

    Huh. Maybe he¡¯s got a bit of a spine after all.

    ¡°Feel free, but if you touch my daughter, I¡¯m going to rip your heart out and feed it back to you,¡± Vermil said with a cheerful smile.

    The attendant paled once again. The blood was rushing in and out of his face at such a rate that Jalen was starting to wonder if the man was going to pass out.

    ¡°On second thought¡­ I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine,¡± the man said meekly. He handed out the masks to Vermil, who distributed them to Lee and Aylin. Yoru had brought her own mask, and she made no moves to replace hers with the shoddy white one.

    So much for his spine.

    ¡°Pleasure,¡± Jalen said the moment everyone had pulled their masks on. He snapped his fingers and drew on his runes.

    Purple energy swirled around all of them and they snapped out of existence, reforming upon Platform 4.

    It was, like all the other platforms, painfully gaudy. Silver-trimmed obsidian railing ringed it, covered with beautiful designs that had no place being wasted in a dark room like this. Large chairs covered with soft cushions were arranged in the center, allowing them to sit and look down on the platform like the arrogant little stuffy nobles they were.

    ¡°Incredible,¡± Aylin breathed as he shook the effects of Jalen¡¯s magic off. ¡°I wish I had Space Runes. I¡¯ve never felt control like this.¡±

    Little flatterer. That won¡¯t work on me.

    ¡°It is a very powerful ability,¡± Yoru said quietly. She looked around the room platform ¡ª she barely stood taller than the railing surrounding the platform, then back at the chair behind herself.

    She made to sit down, but her long silver hair got in the way. It would have been relatively easy for her to push it out of the way if she¡¯d had hands.

    Unfortuantely, she did not.

    Jalen flicked a finger and a band of purple stretched out, moving her hair to the side as she lowered herself into the chair. Yoru glanced at him in surprise, then inclined her head slightly.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    He grunted in response.

    Vermil hadn¡¯t told him what had happened to cause Yoru to lose her arms, but something had seriously changed in the demon in the time it had taken him to get tickets to the auction. It was hard to place exactly what it was. If he¡¯d been forced to find a way to describe it, Jalen would have said that she felt more¡­ there.

    Well, and that she no longer has arms. That¡¯s a pretty big change.

    Everyone other than Vermil and Jalen sat down in the plush chairs. Lee pulled her mask back to take a bite out of her armrest, then wrinkled her nose.

    ¡°It smelled like flowers, but it tastes like dirt.¡± That did nothing to stop her from chewing and swallowing the bit of furniture.

    ¡°That would be the perfume,¡± Jalen said, his lips curling in distaste. ¡°Horrible choice, really. They should have gone with something more exciting than whatever this flowery rose shit is. I can see it now: burnt pickles. That would be exotic.¡±

    ¡°My understanding of nobility leads me to believe they would likely not appreciate that smell¡­ unless humans have very different olfactory appreciation than demons,¡± Alyin said.

    ¡°Oh, we love pickles,¡± Jalen said. ¡°Especially burnt ones. You should give one to every highly ranked human you meet. It¡¯s a symbol of respect.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Aylin said. ¡°Thank you for your tutelage. Knowledge from someone like you is always appreciated.¡±

    Okay, the flattery might be getting somewhere.

    ¡°You think I¡¯m that intelligent, huh? Wise boy.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Aylin said. ¡°You are a Rank 6. I cannot accidentally rip your soul open in the process of learning from you.¡±

    Well now I just feel objectified.

    Vermil shot Jalen a look through the holes of his mask.

    ¡°What?¡± Jalen asked.

    ¡°Stop screwing with my students.¡±

    ¡°You mean your daughter¡¯s birthday attendees? Speaking of which, what does that make me? The godfather?¡±

    ¡°Hired clown,¡± Vermil replied. He approached the edge of the railing, shifting the book on his shoulder down to the ground and pulling several sheafs of Catchpaper out from within it before slinging it back over his shoulder.

    ¡°Ouch,¡± Jalen said, taking full advantage of his mask to grin unabashedly. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan, Birthday Dad? I trust you¡¯ve got a good reason to go through the effort of getting to this auction.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve got something like that,¡± Vermil said. He adjusted the hood of the coat he¡¯d taken from Moxie to make sure it fully covered his head. Jalen couldn¡¯t even see his mask beneath it. ¡°You know, I was thinking on what the best way to approach this would be. Most of my ideas took a whole lot of political maneuvering that I really couldn¡¯t be bothered to do. I just need a lot of runes¡­ and quickly.¡±

    ¡°So what did you decide on?¡± Jalen asked, leaning forward.

    ¡°This,¡± Vermil replied.

    Then he jumped over the edge of the platform.

    Moxie¡¯s white cloak fluttered around him as he fell down, slowing his fall with a burst of wind a moment before he landed upon the stage beside the female auctioneer. She sputtered off, midway through some speech about a worthless rune, and her eyes went wide.

    ¡°Sir! Please remain on your platform! Customers are not allowed to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hush now,¡± Vermil said, his voice far darker than Jalen recalled it. Something¡­ uneasy lingered just beneath his words. It was enough to set even Jalen¡¯s skin on edge. Vermil put a hand on the woman¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I need a moment of everyone¡¯s time.¡±

    A guard stepped out from the shadows.

    ¡°Come with me,¡± the man said. ¡°You¡¯ll be leaving the premises.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Vermil said, cocking his head to the side. ¡°I won¡¯t be doing that.¡±

    The man went to respond ¡ª and his eyes went wide. The fire covering his palms snuffed out and he grasped at his throat, trying and failing to draw a breath.

    ¡°What is this?¡± he wheezed.

    Uneasy murmurs passed through the auction, and more guards stepped out of the shadows. Jalen leaned forward in his seat, delight passing over his features.

    ¡°Relax,¡± Vermil said, lowering his hands. The guard drew in a ragged breath and scrambled back to the safety of his allies. Vermil did nothing to stop him. ¡°I come today bearing a business proposition.¡±

    ¡°Who in the Damned Plains are you?¡± someone yelled from right beside Jalen ¡ª and he turned to realize that it had been Aylin.

    The demon winked at Jalen from behind his mask.

    ¡°That is an unintentionally apt way to phrase that question,¡± Vermil said with a booming chuckle. ¡°My name is Spider. I have passed through the Damned Plains. I have killed men and demons alike that are more powerful than you could have ever imagined ¡ª and I have come to offer you all a very special deal.¡±

    There was an instant of stunned silence.

    ¡°He¡¯s a demon!¡± a woman screamed. ¡°There¡¯s a demon in the auction!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell what Rank he is! I can¡¯t read him at all!¡± a man called out, fear gripping his words.

    The room exploded into chaos.

    That was quite fortunate, as it covered Jalen¡¯s roaring laughter perfectly.

    This is going to be even better than I imagined.

 Chapter 609: Poor day

    The entire auction house rung in panicked cacophony. Mages scrambled everywhere, guards rushed across the floor, and yells mixed in the sky. Jalen watched more than a few bumbling idiots trip over themselves in their haste to make an escape.

    Even his amusement wasn¡¯t enough to keep him from shaking his head in disgust. The majority of the mages in this room were high Rank 4s or Rank 5s, and there were definitely at least a few Rank 6s scattered throughout it as well.

    They were meant to be amongst the most powerful people the empire had within it ¡ª but the mere mention of the Damned Plains was enough to make them soil themselves in fear. Of course, Jalen had no delusions that these were truly the strongest the empire had to offer.

    Almost all of the mages of any real worth aren¡¯t wasting their time at an auction. They¡¯re hidden away or training. But even still, there should be some people here that aren¡¯t completely pathetic.

    His gaze swept across the room in search of something interesting. He¡¯d spent years sifting through worthless, backboneless fools. Jalen liked to think he had something of an eye for people that wouldn¡¯t keel over at the slightest sign of an issue.

    And sure enough, he found what he was looking for.

    In all the chaos following Vermil¡¯s announcement, there were several people that hadn¡¯t so much as flinched.

    A woman on platform 2 leaned over the railing, staring down at Vermil. Her mask did nothing to disguise her interest. Jalen was slightly more interested in her hair. It was a fiery orange-red, the color of the Torrin family servants. Another woman stood on the platform with her, clad in heavy black robes that were a size too large for her. She was going out of her way to conceal as much of her form as possible.

    Then on platform 6 ¡ª a large man sat in his chair, straight backed. His fingers drummed against the armrest as he waited to hear Vermil out. A slew of attendants surrounded him, rushing around in a panic that he did not share.

    Upon Platform 8 was a tall woman with black hair. She stood, arms crossed behind her back, head cocked to the side like she were watching an interesting show play out before her.

    And those weren¡¯t all of them. All throughout the room, there were scattered points of mild interest. Mages here and there that weren¡¯t completely worthless. It was actually a few more than Jalen had expected to find, though Vermil hadn¡¯t actually done anything yet.

    He was a single supposed demon surrounded and revealed. There was a sea of bodies between him and the mages. Only the most cowardly fools would be getting terrified already. This was possibly the worst spot for a demon to attempt an attack.

    ¡°You¡¯re finished, demon!¡± A mage yelled. ¡°Showing yourself here is like throwing yourself neck-first onto a blade!¡±

    ¡°Demon,¡± Vermil repeated, cocking his head to the side. ¡°Is that what you think I am?¡±

    The guards surrounding him on the platform pressed closer. They readied their weapons and yelled orders, but none of them were actually willing to close the gap between them and Vermil.

    Even if the only proof of his identity was his claim to be from the Damned Plains, no sane man wanted to get anywhere near a demon ¡ª and not even an idiot would pretend to be one.

    ¡°You just said you were,¡± the mage called back. ¡°Are you not?¡±

    ¡°Lay down,¡± one of the guards called, his voice breaking. ¡°Hands behind your back!¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Spider said.

    The guards stared at him.

    ¡°Please?¡± the guard tried.

    ¡°Decent attempt, but no,¡± Vermil said. He set his massive grimoire down on the ground with a heavy thud. ¡°Now, I believe we were having an auction, were we not?¡±

    ¡°Where are the Inquisitors?¡± a mage yelled through the cacophony. ¡°They¡¯re paid for situations like this! Someone remove the demon!¡±

    That¡¯s a good question. An event like this should have at least one Inquisitor on staff somewhere. I¡¯d imagine Vermil was even planning for that. He wouldn¡¯t have made an entrance like this if he didn¡¯t expect an Inquisitor. As moronic as their group is, I can¡¯t say they¡¯re often slow to act on information.

    What¡¯s going on?

    ¡°Be calm!¡± a woman roared. Her voice boomed through the auction house like rolling thunder, ripping through the chaos. Jalen¡¯s domain prickled. Her words had been imbued with magic. A lot of it.

    Sound magic. There¡¯s something you don¡¯t see much anymore.

    Not a scrap made it through his domain. The woman was strong, but he was stronger. That was almost a disappointment. It had been too long since he¡¯d had an interesting challenge. Still¡­ they had to be a high Rank 5 or low Rank 6.

    And, to Jalen¡¯s mild surprise, the order worked. The panicked scrambling paused.

    A form flew through the air before alighting on the ground across the stage from Vermil. She wore gray robes with plates of armor sewn into them, covering vital spots. Imbuements ran throughout the material to strengthen the connecting cloth, and it had clearly seen some use before.

    There we go. Someone interesting. Not an Inquisitor, though. No bones on her that I can see, and they love flashing their bones around. Bunch of perverts.

    ¡°You look like someone in search of a good Rune,¡± Vermil said, not even flinching at her arrival.

    ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± the woman asked, flexing her fingers. ¡°You can¡¯t be stupid enough to think you can defeat an entire room of top-ranking mages, demon.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°What makes you so certain I¡¯m a demon? I never said anything of the sort.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t play games with me. You claimed to be from the Damned Plains. So either you¡¯re a demon or a very, very stupid mage,¡± the woman said. Her voice carried a layer of weathered experience in it. She wasn¡¯t some fresh magelings looking to make a name for herself. She was definitely on the older side.

    I don¡¯t think I recognize her, though. She must be from a generation after I stopped paying attention. Unfortunately, that still leaves her with a few hundred years of leeway.

    ¡°Or something else entirely,¡± Vermil said idly. He leafed through the pages of Catchpaper in his hands, then picked one out and flipped it around, holding it so only the woman could see it. ¡°But, fortunately for you, I¡¯m not here for a fight. I¡¯m here strictly on business. If you want to know what I am, I¡¯d be happy to tell you¡­ for a price.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m so easily¡­¡± the woman trailed off as she got a look at the paper. For several seconds, she stood in complete silence. Only then did she manage to finish her sentence. ¡°¡­bribed?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Vermil said. ¡°You¡¯re a mage. And what does a mage want more than power?¡±

    ¡°Give me that,¡± the woman snapped, grabbing for the Catchpaper. Vermil¡¯s hand twitched. It moved at an impossible speed, pulling the slip away from her a moment before her fingers could touch it.

    He clicked his tongue. ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not how this works. It¡¯s for sale. This is an auction, is it not?¡±

    ¡°What does he have?¡± a mage yelled. ¡°Is it a demon or not?¡±

    ¡°What is she, a demon-sniffing dog?¡± Vermil called back. ¡°Come down here and decide for yourself.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t run this auction,¡± one of the guards growled, emboldened by seeing that Vermil hadn¡¯t killed the woman. ¡°You¡¯re no demon. That¡¯s why the Inquisitors aren¡¯t here yet. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re playing at, but crossing us is the last mistake you¡¯ll make.¡±

    ¡°Someone should really tell you not to throw up death flags like that,¡± Vermil said, shaking his head.

    ¡°Last chance. Lay down. Hands behind your back,¡± the guard snarled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Vermil said, his voice going cold and dangerous. ¡°They don¡¯t pay you nearly enough for this.¡±

    ¡°Hold on,¡± the sound mage across from Vermil said, snapping out of her stupor. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s a demon, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°No quarter,¡± the guard snarled. He snapped his fingers and stone rushed up from the ground like a river coursing along his body. It formed into a glaive and he thrust it for Vermil¡¯s chest in a practiced motion.

    Vermil had moved before the man¡¯s blow had even begun. The glaive blurred harmlessly past him and his hand snapped out. He grabbed the weapon and ripped it out of the guard¡¯s grip before planting a foot in the man¡¯s chest and sending him flying back with a powerful kick. The guard hit the ground with a grunt, rolling and slamming to a stop against a wall.

    ¡°I¡¯m not here to play around or waste energy on worthless fights,¡± Vermil said. ¡°I¡¯m just here to sell some runes. That¡¯s what the auction is for, yes?¡±

    The ring of guards bristled, but none of the moved. They looked from Vermil to the fallen man in the corner of the room as he staggered to his feet, winded but largely uninjured.

    ¡°Yeah, right,¡± a mage on a platform across the room from Jalen called through a snort of gross laughter. ¡°The guard was right. You¡¯re no demon. Inquisitors would never let demons into this venue. Someone, go remove that idiot¡¯s mask so we can see what family he¡¯s from and then remove him. Nobody wants to buy his shitty¡ª¡±

    ¡°Five hundred thousand gold,¡± the sound mage said.

    Her words carved through the room like a knife.

    Everyone stared at her.

    ¡°What?¡± someone asked, their shocked words just barely reaching Jalen¡¯s ears. ¡°She¡¯s bidding on it?¡±

    ¡°What does he have?¡± the woman leaning over the railing of platform 2 asked. ¡°What kind of rune is worth that much? What does he have?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Vermil said. ¡°I¡¯m not looking for money. I¡¯m looking for a trade. Anyone that can bring me the runes closest to what I want, Rank 4 or higher, gets the runes. That simple.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not going to humor¡ª¡± a mage started.

    ¡°What do you want? I represent the Herron family. I can guarantee we can get you what you need.¡± the sound mage said, cutting the man off immediately. She shot a glare at one of the guards who was starting to approach and the man faltered before taking a step back.

    ¡°Now, that¡¯s not how an auction works,¡± Vermil said. ¡°Everyone deserves to get a chance to bid ¡ª but seriously, where are the Inquisitors? Are they asleep? Those idiots have a job to do! Is this seriously how bad security has gotten?¡±

    ¡°You wanted the Inquisitors to show up?¡± the sound mage asked incredulously.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that their job? I just claimed to have come from the Damned Plains,¡± Vermil said irritably. ¡°Would someone do me a favor and call them over? I¡¯ll happily start the auction once they arrive, but I really need those stuffy pricks here to verify what I¡¯ve got for sale.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± the huge man resting amidst a sea of attendants rumbled. ¡°Enough teasing. You have our attention. With a scene like this, you had best pray that your product is as important as you and your accomplice say.¡±

    ¡°Accomplice?¡± the sound mage asked, spinning toward the man. ¡°I¡¯m no¡ª¡±

    ¡°What does he have for sale?¡± the man asked, ignoring her protests. ¡°Tell me.¡±

    ¡°A type of rune that not a single one of you has ever had a chance to get your hands on before,¡± Vermil replied with a laugh. ¡°Demon runes. Harvested straight from the Damned Plains, from some of the most powerful entities within it.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit,¡± someone yelled immediately.

    Vermil pointed in their direction. ¡°And this idiot is why I need those stuffy Inquisitor pricks here. They can sniff out Demons anywhere.¡±

    ¡°If those runes are real¡­ then you¡¯re a demon,¡± the huge man said flatly. ¡°They will kill you.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s save that discussion when the Inquisitors arrive. It seems we all have a similar interest in getting them in here to verify my claim, yes? I was promised there would be an Inquisitor here, so if someone could go ahead and get them off the toilet and over to doing their job, that would be fantastic.¡±

    There were a long few moments of silence.

    Then another form blurred through the air. A man leapt off his platform and slammed down on the stage between Vermil and the sound mage. His entire body was wrapped in a black cloak and he had a wide, floppy hood pulled low over his head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d be the Inquisitor?¡± Vermil asked.

    ¡°No. I am not.¡± The man¡¯s back twitched. Something bulged under his cloak.

    ¡°Bummer,¡± Vermil said. ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait your turn to bid, then.¡±

    The sound mage took a step back, her eyes widening as she caught sight of something under the man¡¯s hood.

    She didn¡¯t get a chance to do anything more.

    Blood-red wings ripped free from the man¡¯s back, ripping through his clothes. He grabbed at his good, dark, pointed fingernails digging into the cloth as he tore it away from his face and threw it to the ground.

    His mouth was full of jagged fangs. Deep pits covered the man¡¯s face and his nose was nothing but a flat surface with two thin holes. Yellowed, snakelike eyes peered out from sunken sockets. Black flames danced across his wings and coiled down his back like a twisting tail.

    The man held a hand out.

    A bloodstained rosary fell from his fingers. It clattered to the ground, bone marbles clinking against each other.

    Power exploded through the room in a wave. It fizzled against Jalen¡¯s domain, hissing and popping all around him.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the Inquisitor is otherwise indisposed of,¡± the man said, his lips pulling apart in a thin sneer. ¡°You¡¯ve chosen a poor day to posture as one of my kind, scum. You are ruining my game.¡±

    Standing before Vermil was a demon ¡ª and based off the raw power burning from the monster¡¯s body, they were easily at the peak of Rank 5 or the bottom of Rank 6.

    Jalen stared, lips parting slightly behind his mask. The demon was strong. They¡¯d been concealing their power by using the oppressive power of the Inquisitor¡¯s beads against themselves.

    Huh. Didn¡¯t see that one coming.

 Chapter 610: Guide & ANNOUNCEMENT

    The entirety of the auction house stared down at the stage. For a few brief moments, it was completely silent. Surprise had stolen everyone¡¯s voices, taken their ability to do anything but gape with wide eyes.

    Vermil stood, hand rested on his massive book and head cocked to the side. A huge demon loomed above him. The monster had grown larger when it had shed its human form and now stood several heads above him. Quiet black fire licked across the demon¡¯s enormous wings and licked at the stage at its feet, melting the stone like it was butter.

    The auctioneer behind Vermil had fallen to her backside. Her eyes and mouth were wide open with terror and she had frozen mid-crawl to safety, unwilling to even budge an inch in the presence of the mythical monster before her.

    Even a weaker mage could tell just how powerful this demon was. The bloody rosary at its feet was all the proof anyone needed. For a demon to kill an Inquisitor was an immense feat, and the power pouring off the demon was so palpable that Jalen could practically taste it.

    As a matter of fact, he could. It smelled like sulfur and ash and sooty sweat.

    One of the guards took a step back. His pale features trembled. Hands tightened around his weapon. Breath filled his lungs as he prepared to yell something out. Perhaps he planned to rally the troops and charge. Perhaps he meant to run.

    They never found out which.

    The demon flicked his hand.

    A sharp needle of black flame leapt from the inferno upon his body. It pierced clean through the man¡¯s eye and passed out the back of his head. Without so much as a whimper, the man crumpled.

    The clang of his armor echoed through the auction.

    ¡°Nobody move,¡± the demon commanded, lips twisting as his sneer deepened. ¡°Move ¡ª and you die before we get to the main event.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re one demon. Killing one Inquisitor does not mean we cannot deal with you ourselves,¡± the huge man surrounded by attendants rumbled, though he didn¡¯t budge from his throne. It was hard to tell if that was because he was scared or if he just couldn¡¯t be bothered to heave his bulk up.

    The demon let out a raspy laugh. ¡°I am not the only one present. My demons are distributed throughout this building. There are more than enough of us to deal with all of you, especially when you never see us coming.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit!¡± a mage called from a platform below Jalen. ¡°You¡¯re¡ª¡±

    There was a wet thunk. The mage pitched over the platform. He plummeted through the air, blood trailing behind him like the tail of a red comet and splattered against the ground with a wet crunch.

    A woman stood behind him, ichor dripping from her claws. She reached up to her face and ripped the tanned skin away, revealing a dull blue sheen. Her lips split apart to reveal an impossibly wide, toothy grin.

    ¡°Oops,¡± she said, a forked tongue flicking from her mouth and tasting the air.

    Jalen scratched his backside.

    Those are good dart throwing hands. Wonder what she¡¯s doing later.

    ¡°We are the knife at your back,¡± the demon on the stage floor roared. ¡°The eyes in the shadows. The whisper in the wind. Nobody moves. Nobody does anything more than breathe without my express permission. Thank your gods that we have use of your power. It is the only reason you still draw breath.¡±

    Panicked mutters passed through the arena, but the demon¡¯s warning had worked. There was no way to know how many demons were planted in the audience, and when it came to fighting monsters, demons were amongst the worst opponents to have at your back.

    Mages weren¡¯t well suited to dealing with surprise attacks. Shields were optimized against magic, not impossibly fast assassinations.

    Of course, any real mage would be able to handle themselves just fine here, but those are few and far in between. We¡¯d probably win this fight easily if everyone just charged the idiot, but that would involve bravery and self-sacrifice that none of these pompous idiots have ever known.

    ¡°Any attempts to call for inquisitors will be severely punished,¡± the female demon said, her tongue running along her lips. ¡°But please, I encourage you to try.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Jalen called.

    The demon¡¯s eyes snapped up to him. ¡°I ¡ª what?¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Jalen repeated. ¡°Do you have a whip or something? It¡¯s been a few years and I¡¯m not as spry as I used to be, but I could be swayed¡ª¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she hissed. ¡°I don¡¯t have a whip.¡±

    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s a disappointment.¡± Jalen pursed his lips. ¡°Hot irons? Nipple clamps?¡±

    Leathery wings exploded from the demoness¡¯ back and she launched herself into the air, blurring across the auction house.

    To Jalen, it was painfully slow.

    He resisted the urge to teleport to where she¡¯d been standing. That would have left Vermil¡¯s students undefended, and he wasn¡¯t about to gamble their lives to have a little fun.

    The demon alighted on the railing before him and unfurled to her full height, lips pulling back in a snarl.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Play games with me and I¡¯ll rip you¡ª wait. What¡¯s a nipple clamp?¡±

    ¡°What are you doing tonight?¡±

    ¡°Linestra,¡± the demon on the floor snarled, anger burning in his eyes. ¡°This is not the time to play with your food.¡±

    ¡°On the contrary,¡± Jalen said. ¡°It¡¯s always a good time to play with your food. I¡¯ve never much gone for younger women, though. How old are you?¡±

    Linestra stared at him, so taken aback that she couldn¡¯t find words to respond. Her gaze shifted past Jalen and landed on the demons standing behind him. The demoness¡¯ eyes went wide.

    ¡°What¡ª¡±

    Jalen snapped his fingers.

    Bands of spatial energy snapped around the demon in a split instant. They slammed her arms to her sides and crushed her wings against her back. Her jaw was slammed shut as a band wound around her entire head, preventing her from speaking.

    At the same instant, burning purple energy exploded out from Jalen. It enveloped the entire platform they stood on, buzzing and hissing as ripples of magic washed within it.

    ¡°Would you look at that?¡± Jalen asked, tilting his head to the side. ¡°Still got it.¡±

    Linestra struggled desperately against the bindings, but they didn¡¯t so much as flicker. His magic eclipsed her power by a league.

    ¡°Your threats mean nothing, mage. Release her if you want to leave this building alive,¡± the demon on the floor ordered, the black fire twisting around his body magnifying in intensity. His wings flexed and sliced through the ground at his feet. ¡°If she dies, then not a single mage here will draw breath tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°You think I give a shit about anyone here?¡± Jalen asked through a bark of laughter. ¡°Don¡¯t you mind me. I just get rather peeved when someone¡¯s having a discussion with me and then decide they want to bugger off to do something else. It¡¯s quite rude.¡±

    ¡°What a coincidence,¡± Vermil said, his voice booming through the room. ¡°I feel the same way. This prick hasn¡¯t even introduced himself yet.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still here? Be silent, scum,¡± the demon snarled. He didn¡¯t let his gaze turn from Jalen. ¡°Release the demon, or¡ª¡±

    A crack split the air.

    One of the demon¡¯s wings crumpled. The air around it seemed to collapse, glowing white cracks collapsing in on themselves. A scream of pain split the air. The demon staggered as his wing let out dozens of loud cracks, the bones within it crushed.

    Vermil let his hand lower. ¡°You interrupted me.¡±

    The demon let out a roar. He blurred toward Vermil ¡ª and Vermil stepped right past him.

    Jalen¡¯s eyes widened. It should have been impossible for a mortal to move out of the way faster than a Rank 6 demon, especially without the use of magic. The ways to fight a demon were by setting up impenetrable defenses or trapping them, not by matching their speed or strength.

    It seemed that the demon was equally surprised. He stumbled and spun back toward Vermil, eyes wide. ¡°Impossible.¡±

    ¡°Impossible,¡± Vermil muttered. ¡°You know what¡¯s impossible? I had a great auction planned! I was going to offer these good people some great deals. Great prices. A blowout sale! How did I manage to find the one auction with your dumb ass in it?¡±

    ¡°You dare speak down to me after dodging one attack? I am Salthazar, Demon of¡ª¡±

    Vermil snapped his fingers. The fire sputtering along Salthazar¡¯s back evaporated, and the demon¡¯s eyes bulged. He clawed at his throat, suddenly finding it devoid of air.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± Vermil said as he pounded a fist into his hand. A ripple of energy passed out from him. ¡°You were right! I don¡¯t need the Inquisitors at all.¡±

    The book at Vermil¡¯s side rippled.

    The fury in Salthazar¡¯s expression vanished as he noticed something ¡ª as to what it was, Jalen had no idea. But in the span of a moment, there was terror within the demon¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°That power. What are you?¡± Salthazar rasped, taking a step back. His face went pale. ¡°What manner of¡ª¡±

    ¡°Behold!¡± Vermil boomed. ¡°A live demonstration has delivered itself to me!¡±

    ¡°Are you insane?¡± a mage yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t fight the fucking demon! We need to wait for the Inquisitors and do as they say! I don¡¯t want to get killed!¡±

    Vermil paused for an instant. He turned toward the mage who had spoken. Even though his features were covered by the mask on his face, there was so much derision in his stance that it was impossible to miss.

    ¡°You seem to have misunderstood my purpose for coming here. I am not one of you, Magus. Anyone so worthless that they can¡¯t defend themselves against a few knives in the dark isn¡¯t worth my time.¡±

    Then he snapped his fingers.

    ¡°No!¡± Salthazar yelled, spinning for the stands and calling out to his hidden allies. ¡°Help¡ª¡±

    Salthazar¡¯s limbs snapped to his sides like he¡¯d been grabbed by an enormous, invisible hand. Vermil¡¯s hand slammed down on Salthazar¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Never forget,¡± he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. ¡°You started this.¡±

    ¡°Orlen!¡± The demon screamed. ¡°Help! You didn¡¯t tell me¡ª¡±

    A blade of pitch black energy sliced down the demon, going from head to toe. For the briefest moment, Vermil was taken aback.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± he asked.

    The demon split straight down the middle. Blood poured from the demon¡¯s halves as he collapsed to the ground, dead. Six runes rose up from his corpse, and Vermil¡¯s composure returned in a snap. Jalen doubted anyone noticed it. Everyone, himself included, was far more focused on the runes. Jalen couldn¡¯t tell the their exact rank. For that matter, he couldn¡¯t read them at all.

    Fascinating. They feel like they should be somewhere between 5 and 6. I can¡¯t quite tell which one the demon was. He shouldn¡¯t have gone down that easily, though. Even without the magic a Rank 6 human mage would have, someone of his strength should have survived more than one blow from Vermil.

    What¡¯s going on? It¡¯s almost as Salthazar saw something else a moment before Vermil attacked. Like it wasn¡¯t even Vermil he was scared of.

    Tongues of paper shot out from the grimoire on the ground, binding around the six runes and yanking them within its pages. Vermil grabbed the grimoire and held it up high in the air.

    Upon its pages were the runes he¡¯d just taken from the demon.

    ¡°Behold!¡± Vermil roared. ¡°Your demonstration is concluded. Six freshly harvested demon runes are waiting for you to buy them. I¡¯d say that¡¯s more than proof of my words. So¡­ let¡¯s hear those bids, shall we?¡±

    ¡°Are you mad?¡± the sound mage asked, staring at him in a mixture of awe and terror. ¡°We¡¯re under attack! There are demons hiding in our midst. Nobody¡¯s bidding on an auction!¡±

    Vermil burst into laughter. ¡°No. You¡¯re under attack. I am holding an auction ¡ª and anyone who interrupts it will meet the same fate as this kind donor lying at my feet."

    There was a moment of stunned silence. Even Jalen stared in disbelief. Vermil had just ripped every single rune straight out of the dead demon ¡ª and not with Catchpaper, but in plain sight of everyone watching.

    What ridiculous power is that? He still has secrets? Incredible. Absolutely incredible.

    Linestra squirmed. She shot Jalen a desperate look. Intrigued, he flicked his hand and banished the bindings around her head, not taking his eyes off Vermil. This was far too fascinating to be distracted.

    ¡°Anyone can bid?¡± Linestra called, not even slightly bothered by the death of her compatriot.

    ¡°Anyone,¡± Vermil confirmed with a chuckle. ¡°So let¡¯s get this auction properly underway, shall we? I¡¯m an open-minded man. Demon, human, I don¡¯t care who you are. Forget your allegiances. Forget your past. All that matters is the now. If you want power¡­ I will guide you to it.¡±

 Chapter 611: Battle

    Humans and demons could never coexist together. They were predator and prey. Mortal enemies that could never truly come to equal footing. Demons feasted on human emotion, and humans hunted demons to purge every trace of them from the mortal plane.

    Hundreds of years, perhaps even thousands, had gone into the war between them. Fueled by fools summoning monsters beyond their power to control, by Inquisitors that zealously killed every demon they came across, no matter the demon¡¯s intention or desire.

    A chasm full of spilled blood spanned the gulf between the two sides. It was so deep that no man could hope to cross it. Nobody had been foolish enough to even try mending that rift. It was an impossible task.

    At least it had been.

    As it turned out, the solution to the Arbalest Empire¡¯s greatest grudge match was actually rather simple.

    It was the same solution that, despite what the rich would swear, existed for just about every single problem in life.

    Money.

    Or, to be more accurate, power.

    When the opportunity to grasp immense strength made itself known, then nobody gave a shit about who was standing at their side. They didn¡¯t care if the person beside them had horns sprouting from their forehead or hair from their ass.

    Jalen let out a whistle, shaking his head in disbelief. He¡¯d seen a lot of things in his life. Some of them had been nice, and some less so. At this point, even getting surprised was a rare occurrence. But seeing something for the first time ¡ª that was a rare treat indeed.

    He was getting second servings of it today.

    In a room full of some of the strongest mages in the empire and demons alike, there was only a single thing that anyone cared about.

    It wasn¡¯t their age-old feud. It wasn¡¯t the pile of bone beads on the floor, nor was it the sundered demon lying in two heaps beside it.

    They only had eyes for the book in the center of the room and the man beside it, hawking off runes like he was a vendor in a busy market square.

    ¡°Don¡¯t offer me shit,¡± Vermil snapped. ¡°I already gave you a list of the runes I wanted. Where among them was something even remotely similar to Blistering Blizzard?¡±

    ¡°It¡ªit¡¯s a rank 5 rune!¡± a woman stammered in disbelief, staring down at Vermil from the platform she stood upon. ¡°Formed at twenty percent full! That¡¯s one of the best ones we¡ª¡±

    ¡°It was not on the list,¡± Vermil said. ¡°I am uninterested.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop wasting time,¡± a massive man roared, pushing his way through the crowd. The smolder behind the eyes of his mask instantly gave him away as a demon. ¡°I¡¯ve got a Blackened Warp Rune. Rank 4.¡±

    ¡°Can anyone beat that?¡± Vermil called, cocking his head to the side.

    A mage raised a hand. Jalen vaguely recognized him from his patterned robes ¡ª the man was high up in a relatively large noble family. Jalen had forgotten his name¡­ and the name of his family as well. Neither had been worth remembering. The man cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯ve got a Shadowswept Night Jaunt¡ª¡±

    ¡°That is not a Space rune. The only thing I¡¯m accepting for this are space related runes,¡± Vermil said. ¡°If you have something else, wait for the next rune I put up for auction. I¡¯m in a generous mood today, so wet your hair and sit back down until it¡¯s your turn.¡±

    The mage, amongst the elite of the Arbalest Empire, sat down like an admonished child.

    ¡°Sold to you,¡± Vermil said, pointing at the demon.

    The man leapt from his platform with a delighted laugh, slamming down into the ground with enough force to crack it. He strode over to Vermil, slapped his hand against the pages of the grimoire, and imbued Blackened Warp into its pages.

    Vermil wordlessly handed the man a slip of Catchpaper with his prize upon it.

    ¡°Pleasure, Spider,¡± the demon said, his laugh muffled by his mask. There really wasn¡¯t much point for the mask anymore. The demon wasn¡¯t even trying to hide his identity. His eyes were literally burning.

    The demon was fully exposed in a sea of mages, and nobody so much as blinked. They just didn¡¯t care. If an Inquisitor had walked in on the scene, they would have wept bloody tears. After all the work they put in to purge the empire from demon filth, the nobles at its top didn¡¯t give two shits about the demons in their midst.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Not when there was power to be claimed. Demons were old news. New, unknown runes? Ones from a powerful, dead demon? That was far more interesting than someone else¡¯s battle.

    Vermil, you smarmy shit. You¡¯ve managed to achieve peace between the two biggest groups of assholes this world has ¡ª myself not included, of course. It would be unfair to include myself in the comparison. I¡¯m just one man, so everyone would be embarrassed when I trounce them.

    ¡°For this next rune, I¡¯m looking for any runes with Sound within them,¡± Vermil called, flourishing another Demon Rune from his grimoire. Even though nobody could see his face, Jalen could tell the brat was smiling. ¡°Rank 4 at the minimum. The more sound influence, the better.¡±

    The demoness by Jalen¡¯s side stiffened. She tried to free herself again from the bonds he¡¯d put around her. The effort failed miserably, and she shot him a look. Jalen had, unfortunately, already forgotten her name.

    ¡°What?¡± Jalen asked petulantly.  ¡°You started it.¡±

    ¡°What are you, a child?¡± She squinted at him. She gave her arm a tug, then let out an exasperated huff. ¡°Let me out. You¡¯re a demon, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯ve been called.¡±

    Mostly in bed, but I believe one or two people may have granted me that title when I was razing their family to the ground. Ah, I miss my younger days. Not enough to go back to them, though. Far too troublesome.

    ¡°Don¡¯t play coy with me,¡± the demoness said. She squirmed again. ¡°You¡¯re not with Salthazar, but I don¡¯t care. There¡¯s no reason to keep me bound like this. How is your magic this powerful? What Rank are you?¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be the one asking the questions here? I¡¯m the one that caught you.¡±

    The demon glared at him.

    ¡°I want to bid on that rune, but I¡¯m not going to do it while I¡¯m trussed up like a pig. Come on. How was I supposed to know you were demons? You baited me here by getting mouthy!¡±

    ¡°That was just my natural state, but if you¡¯re going to bid, I suppose it can¡¯t hurt. Just know I¡¯ll rip your head off and tear it into little confetti shreds if you so much as glance in the gremlins¡¯ direction,¡± Jalen said cheerfully. He grabbed the demoness and hoisted her into the air with one arm.

    His bindings evaporated as if they¡¯d never been there.

    She stared at him in surprise. ¡°Who are you? I¡¯ve never seen a demon with magic this powerful.¡±

    ¡°You must not get around much,¡± Lee said. Jalen glanced over to find her chewing on something that looked suspiciously like an arm. He decided not to question it. There were some things in life that even he didn¡¯t need the answer to.

    ¡°His power is incredible, but Lord Spider¡¯s is even more so,¡± Aylin said. ¡°You would do well to fall in line.¡±

    ¡°Lord Spider?¡± the demoness glanced over her shoulder at Vermil. Several people ¡ª and one person that Jalen suspected to be yet another demon¡ª were still yelling out offers for it. ¡°He¡¯s not a demon, is he?¡±

    ¡°He is Spider,¡± Aylin said. Reverence gripped his tone in a vice grip. ¡°He has treated with even the Lord of Death.¡±

    ¡°He defeated the Rising Moon,¡± Yoru said. ¡°He took my arms and I thanked him for it.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s been to the afterlife and returned unharmed,¡± Lee said. ¡°He even brought someone back with him.¡±

    The demoness stared at them, the confusion in her features pulling her lips open into a wide O of disbelief.

    ¡°What manner of monster is he?¡± she muttered. ¡°An Archdemon? Is that why I can¡¯t sense his power at all?¡±

    ¡°Be glad you can¡¯t,¡± Yoru said. ¡°If you were a threat to him, you would already be dead. This is all a game for his amusement. There are times he pretends to be weak. Times he pretends to be a demon, and times he pretends to be a human. But he is none of them. His motives are not yours to know. He is Spider.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think I want to bid anymore,¡± the demoness said, all the gusto evaporating from her features. ¡°This is the equivalent of him tossing out trash to see the birds fight, isn¡¯t it? I don¡¯t need to be in the debt of someone that powerful.¡±

    Jalen¡¯s hand landed on her shoulder as his lips split apart in a grin behind his mask. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s too late for that. See, me and Spider ¡ª we¡¯re good friends. We play darts together. Every weekend, as a matter of fact¡­ though he¡¯s missed our last few games. Whoops, I¡¯ve gone off track. Fact of the matter is ¡ª I could have killed you the second your feet landed on this platform. I chose not to.¡±

    ¡°No, the demoness muttered, horror warping her features. ¡°Wait. That¡¯s not fair. I¡ª¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve never been called,¡± Jalen said, cutting her off as his smile grew even wider. ¡°You¡¯re in my debt ¡ª which means you¡¯re in Spider¡¯s. And I¡¯m going to be rather pissed if you¡¯ve gone and lied to get yourself unwrapped. You said you were going to bid¡­ ah, fuck. What was your name again?¡±

    ¡°Linestra,¡± the demoness said weakly.

    ¡°Linestra,¡± Jalen said. ¡°Very good. As I was saying, I believe you were just about to place a bid. I do hope it¡¯s a good one.¡±

    ¡°Why is Spider here?¡± Linestra asked as she approached the edge of the platform and braced her hands against the railing. ¡°What does he want? If he¡¯s this powerful¡­ is he trying to go against Orlen? Why would he interfere with us?¡±

    ¡°Feel free to ask him yourself,¡± Jalen said. ¡°He doesn¡¯t bite.¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± Lee provided.

    ¡°Thank you, Lee,¡± Jalen said.

    ¡°I have absolutely no plans of speaking to Spider any more than I have to,¡± Linestra said with a shudder.

    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. Make that bid of yours¡­ but don¡¯t fret too much if you can¡¯t win. Spider is going to want to hear out what you have to say.¡±

    ¡°What? Why me? I¡¯m not the leader! I barely know anything!¡±

    Jalen¡¯s smile darkened. ¡°Because I¡¯m not convinced any of the other demons in this room are going to live to see sunset. I fear your little invasion wasn¡¯t nearly as discreet as you thought it was. There are Inquisitors surrounding this entire building.¡±

    Based on how they¡¯re moving into position¡­ I¡¯d say we¡¯ve got about five minutes for Vermil to finish up his little auction. I can¡¯t remember the last time there were reports of this many Inquisitors all gathered in one place¡­

    Someone tipped them off. This is going to be a bloodbath.

    How fun.

    I wonder if I can get the battle named after me.

 Chapter 612: Recruiting

    Any initial hesitation that the demons or humans had toward Vermil was blown away by the promise of power. For the residents of the mortal plane, it was a chance too great to pass up. Runes from the Damned Plains that had never been seen before¡­ no noble would ever pass that up.

    Every single person that had a rune Vermil wanted rejoiced. They all bid without reservation. After all, it was easy. His asking prices weren¡¯t measured in gold. Trading away relatively average runes in exchange for his offerings was an incredible deal.

    The demons bid with equal fervor. They could actually read the runes ¡ª and when a high ranked Demon Rune came up for auction, none of them could afford to pass it up. His requests were just too perfect.

    Vermil had every single person in the room dancing in the palm of his hand. In the span of just a few more minutes, he managed to auction off nearly a dozen Demon Runes of varying ranks.

    Jalen watched on, literally twitching in anticipation. Nobody else seemed to have noticed the growing forces of Inquisitors outside the auction house. They were getting ready to break in, he was sure of it.

    If Vermil hadn¡¯t been so confident his people would have no trouble against Inquisitors, then I¡¯d be getting Lee and the others out of here. Would have done it ten minutes ago. Well, maybe five. Or three. Can¡¯t be missing the action ¡ª but the point still stands. Keeping them around with a sea of bloodthirsty ball-fondlers outside is hardly the move of someone with a nice and wrinkly brain.

    Linestra stood beside him, drooped over the railing like a wilting flower. She¡¯d tried to make a run for it the moment he¡¯d revealed the presence of the waiting Inquisitors, but he¡¯d yanked her right back to the platform.

    They were going to need at least one survivor from the auction to figure out just what it had been that the demons had been planning. Jalen hadn¡¯t missed Vermil¡¯s expression when he¡¯d killed the prick in charge.

    The demon had mentioned someone by the name of Orlen as he¡¯d been split, and Vermil had flinched in response. He knew something about that name¡­ and if he¡¯d been unsettled by it, then it was probably important.

    ¡°Please,¡± Linestra said, hope binding her tone. ¡°Just¡­ let me go. I don¡¯t want to get killed by the Inquisitors.¡±

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯d go?¡± Jalen asked, arching an eyebrow. ¡°We¡¯re surrounded. There is no escape. Relax. You¡¯re probably in the safest position in this entire room. Spider knows the Inquisitors are here. Just sit your ass over there and keep bidding.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the worst part! I am bidding!¡± Linestra threw her hands up. ¡°And I lose every time! This is humiliating! What¡¯s wrong with my Runes? My offer was better than the one Spider chose! Why would he pick trash over me?¡±

    ¡°Maybe you smell bad,¡± Lee offered.

    ¡°He can smell me? From all the way over there?¡± Horror gripped Linestra¡¯s words. She sniffed at her armpit, then frowned. ¡°I smell fine.¡±

    ¡°I think Lee was joking,¡± Aylin said. ¡°You taste normal. Just a demon.¡±

    ¡°I taste ¡ª what?¡± Linestra stared at him. ¡°When did you taste me? And what do you mean just a demon? I can see your horns, you little brat.¡±

    ¡°We are not the same,¡± Aylin said. ¡°You are a demon. We are something more. Lord Spider has made us greater.¡±

    ¡°That didn¡¯t answer my first question.¡± Linestra slowly brought her hand up to her mouth and touched it with the tip of her tongue. ¡°I do taste normal. What is it you mean by greater? And what is Spider?¡±

    ¡°He is Spider,¡± Aylin said.

    Where did Vermil find this little straight-faced guy? I can¡¯t tell if he¡¯s fucking with Linestra or not. It¡¯s hilarious. His expression is about as flat as a dinner plate.

    Linestra let out a heavy sigh and slumped back over the railing. ¡°Can I please leave?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jalen said cheerfully. ¡°You haven¡¯t won a rune yet. Keep placing those bids.¡±

    ¡°I can leave if I win?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Jalen said. ¡°But I figured giving you a goal would keep your mind occupied. Just relax and enjoy the moment, would you?¡±

    ¡°This is blackmail. Don¡¯t you have any shame?¡±

    ¡°Yes. No.¡±

    ¡°Want a snack?¡± Lee asked, holding the half-chewed arm out to Linestra. ¡°This one doesn¡¯t taste very good.¡±

    Linestra eyed it like she was considering the offer for a few seconds before shaking her head. ¡°I prefer to stick to normal energy. I haven¡¯t been forced to resort to physical food in a long time, and if I¡¯m about to get eviscerated by a bunch of Inquisitors, I¡¯ll not debase myself now.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Lee shrugged and stuck the arm back into her mouth before speaking through a full mouth. ¡°It¡¯s quite chewy.¡±

    ¡°What do you even eat in the first place?¡± Jalen tilted his head to the side. ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly sentient for a demon. I don¡¯t have a lot of dealings with your type. Most of them end up being a bit more like your buddy Salthazar over there.¡±

    ¡°Fury demons?¡± Linestra asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Jalen replied, cackling. ¡°Dead.¡±

    ¡°Hilarious,¡± Linestra said woodenly.

    It seemed she had reached the point where there was no point for her to even put on a show of being scared. Jalen supposed being surrounded by a growing army of her mortal enemies would probably do that ¡ª and, if anything, he preferred the honesty to the false, desperate laughter of someone desperate to keep him from killing them.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Vengeance demon,¡± Linestra said. ¡°It¡¯s an offshoot emotion of anger and lust.¡±

    ¡°Lust? What does vengeance have to do with lust?¡±

    ¡°Everyone thinks vengeance has to be some grandiose thing. There aren¡¯t that many people that survive getting betrayed in a desperate battle,¡± Linestra said. She pushed away from the railing and slumped back into a chair. ¡°But there are a whole lot of cheating little shits. People who are never satisfied. People who always want more. Makes it quite easy to snag a meal. It¡¯s how I got pulled to the mortal plane in the first place. The idiot that summoned me wanted me to investigate her husband by testing his loyalty.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a delightful recipe for disaster,¡± Jalen said. ¡°How¡¯d that turn out?¡±

    ¡°She screwed up the circle, but I played along. It was too juicy of a chance for me to pass up. Turned out, her husband was perfectly boring. He just liked pulling long days at work. She was just projecting. I came back to report my uninteresting findings to find her in bed with his brother. It was delightful. I got to feast three times that day.¡±

    ¡°Three?¡± Aylin asked. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°I went right back to the husband, dressed like a private investigator, and told him his wife was cheating on him,¡± Linestra said, a small smile pulling across her lips at the memory. ¡°His fury was delicious. I told him I could make them pay, and he asked me to. It was easy. Headed right back home and told my summoner I betrayed her. Got my second meal out of that. Then I killed them both and brought their heads back to him. Imagine the look on his face when he saw his own brother in my hands. I might have neglected to mention who his wife was cheating on him with.¡±

    ¡°The third bit of vengeance was directed against you? That¡¯s cold,¡± Aylin said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do the crime. I just did as I was asked.¡± Linestra shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault he regretted his choices once they were done. If anything, I did him a favor. What kind of shitty brother fucks his siblings¡¯ wife?¡±

    ¡°Sounds fun,¡± Jalen said.

    ¡°The wife part?¡± Linestra squinted at him. ¡°That¡¯s kind of messed up.¡±

    ¡°I am not getting judged by the likes of you¡­ but I was referring to the detective bit,¡± Jalen said, crossing his arms.

    ¡°Ah. That¡¯s been my cover story since I¡¯ve been on the mortal plane,¡± Linestra said. ¡°I¡¯ve been running a detective agency out of Dawnforge while I waited for the other demons to get summoned. It was all for today. What a waste.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. You¡¯ll probably live,¡± Jalen said.

    ¡°Right,¡± Linestra said dryly. ¡°Forgive me if I don¡¯t believe that for a second. An army of Inquisitors? I¡¯m dead. I¡¯m barely Rank 5. More than enough to deal with one or two of the wretched corpse-desecrating bastards, but more than that? We¡¯re all done for. I¡¯m just going to sit here and enjoy the flavor of everyone swearing vengeance as they get killed. At least I¡¯ll get a meal as I die.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re depressing,¡± Lee informed Linestra. She took the half-chewed arm and shoved it into the other demon¡¯s mouth, silencing the surprised protests by pushing it in further. ¡°Here. Eat this. It¡¯s tasty.¡±

    Linestra managed to choke the arm down, coughing and sputtering. Then she went as stiff as a rod.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Linestra whispered. ¡°What did you just feed me? Why did it taste like¡ª¡±

    A brilliant crash ripped through the room. Light carved through the darkness like glowing blades. Screams echoed out as hooded figures dropped from the ceiling and burst in through the doors.

    ¡°Ah,¡± Jalen said, reinforcing the protection of the energy dome he¡¯d put up around the platform. ¡°Would you look at that? Here they are.¡±

    ¡°This is an Inquisition,¡± a voice boomed. ¡°There are demons present upon the premises of this building. Anyone trying to escape will be treated as a demon and put down accordingly. Do not leave your seat. Remain still. This will not take long.¡±

    Ice gripped the entire room in a vice grip as the temperature dropped like a rock. Jalen let his domain activate, grinding the magic away before it affected the platform they were on. Everywhere else, aside from small patches in the room where other mages were using their magic, frost spread across the ground.

    The Inquisitors had a powerful mage with them. Someone around Rank 6.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± Linestra breathed. ¡°I was really hoping you were lying to me.¡±

    ¡°Sit straighter,¡± Jalen said, leaning forward in his chair with a delighted grin. ¡°The fun part is only starting. You don¡¯t want to miss this.¡±

    And then another voice tore through the air.

    Not from the Inquisitors, but from the lone mage standing in the center platform of the auction house.

    ¡°Gentlemen, please. Calm yourselves,¡± Vermil called. Dozens of Inquisitors turned toward him as one. He didn¡¯t even miss a beat. ¡°I¡¯m trying to hold an auction here ¡ª and you¡¯re late.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s definitely a demon. Deal with him!¡± an Inquisitor ordered.

    Another cloaked man sprinted for Vermil. His sleeves flapped back to reveal a large, bone rosary clutched within a hand. The Inquisitor lifted it into the air and it ignited with burning white light.

    Linestra¡¯s teeth gritted in pain ¡ª but not a single one of the other demons on the platform even blinked.

    The Inquisitor skidded to a stop before Vermil, arm lowering in surprise.

    ¡°What?¡± the man asked, his voice faltering. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ not a demon?¡±

    Vermil¡¯s laughter echoed through the auction hall.

    ¡°And now, the final item of this auction¡­¡± Vermil grabbed the Inquisitor¡¯s hand in a vice grip and brought the man¡¯s glowing rosary right up to his face. He held it there for a moment before shoving the Inquisitor back and lifting his hands into the air. ¡°My name is Spider, and I offer every demon in this room freedom. Freedom from Inquisitors. Freedom from yourselves. I offer you the chance to never fear again ¡ª and the only price I ask is your loyalty.¡±

    Jalen¡¯s eyes widened. For once, he was so taken by surprise that he couldn¡¯t even be delighted by the stunned silence gripping the room like a hand around a throat.

    Vermil wasn¡¯t just trying to weasel a few runes out of people.

    He was recruiting an army.

 Chapter 613: Bargain

    Noah¡¯s mask was doing a remarkable job of hiding the blood streaking down his face.

    Pain wrapped his entire being. Spikes dug into the insides of his stomach and jabbed deep into his spine, trying to blend him apart from within. His skull pulsed with a relentless headache and his mouth was as dry as a desert rock.

    It had been a long time since he¡¯d last had an Inquisitor turn their magic against him. He hadn¡¯t forgotten the sensation in the slightest ¡ª but he was a lot stronger than he had been the last time he¡¯d faced one.

    He could withstand it. It wasn¡¯t an enjoyable experience by any stretch of the imagination, but that didn¡¯t matter. Noah could deal with pain. He¡¯d felt worse. So long as the Inquisitors bought his bullshit, he would stand in the center of the room and eat the burning magic for as long as it took.

    And it was working.

    The entire room stood in stunned silence. Inquisitors and demons and nobles stood alike, frozen like a sea of ice sculptures, disbelief holding all of them in place.

    Not a single one of them could tell who he was or what he was supposed to be. He claimed to be from the Damned Plains, withstood Inquisitor magic, but did not work with the attacking demons.

    Attempting to discern his intentions was impossible.

    Even for him.

    This is really not how I was planning to do this. How did I just randomly choose the one day where the demons were planning something? Why are there so many Inquisitors around ¡ª and what the hell was Salthazar going to say about Orlen before he died?

    I¡¯ve literally been talking out of my ass for the past few minutes. I¡¯m going to need to use the bathroom if I¡¯m forced to spew much more bullshit¡­ but at least I¡¯ve gotten just about every single rune I wanted and then some.

    The original plan is in smoking shambles, but who gives a shit? We have what we came for. All I need now is a way out¡­ and to test a few things in the process.

    ¡°Are you man or demon?¡± the Inquisitor before Noah demanded, clutching his rosary to his chest like it was a pearl necklace around the neck of a wealthy woman who had never worked for so much as a penny in her life.

    ¡°Dispatch him,¡± another Inquisitor ordered as he ripped himself free of his surprise. ¡°Man or demon, he plans to collaborate with the enemy. Spider is our foe.¡±

    The first Inquisitor grabbed a dagger from his waist and slashed it across his hand. Blood exploded forth in a river, swirling around him¡ª

    There was a wet thunk.

    Blood splattered across Noah¡¯s clothes.

    The Inquisitor froze. He swayed, then looked down at a clawed hand protruding from his chest, fingers wrapped around a still-beating heart.

    His lips parted. Whether it was in surprise or pain, they never got to find out. The hand squeezed shut and the organ squelched like a wet sack of meat ¡ª which Noah supposed it was. Without a word, the Inquisitor pitched forward.

    He crashed to the ground and his rosary slipped from his fingers. It rang against the stone floor with a loud, echoing crack. Several of the bones shattered and their pieces rolled to a stop all around the dead man, quickly swallowed by a growing pool of blood spreading around his body.

    And above the dead man stood Lee. The nails on her hand, now stained red, had sharpened to elongated points. Blood and viscera covered it like a layer of thick, unmixed paint. It dripped and splattered to the floor beside the Inquisitor.

    It took Noah a moment to even realize he recognized her.

    ¡°Anyone who approaches Spider will die,¡± Lee said, her voice ringing through the silent room.

    It wasn¡¯t a threat. It was a promise.

    ¡°A demon killed an inquisitor,¡± a noble whispered. His fear spread through the room like an invisible serpent, coiling through the air in a split instant.

    There was another moment of silence.

    ¡°Run!¡± a woman screamed.

    Nobles scrambled in every direction. Magic surged and chaos descended like a heavy blanket ¡ª only to be rudely ripped away no more than an instant later as an immense domain slammed down over the entire room.

    The frost covering the ground and walls grew thicker. Noah drew deeply on Combustion, yanking power from the Master Rune to keep his body from starting to freeze.

    ¡°Calm yourselves,¡± a woman said, emerging from the crowd of inquisitors and shrugging off her robes. Glistening white and silver armor covered her body, patterned in the unique fractals of falling snow.

    Every step she took left a frozen step on the ground. Coils of frosty mist rose up from it and tendrils of ice stretched out from them, freezing portions of the ground into solid ice. Her eyes burned into Noah; two flat, frozen lakes. Her angular features were completely emotionless.

    The hair on the back of Noah¡¯s neck stood on end, and it wasn¡¯t from the temperature. She was strong. Not the strongest person he¡¯d ever come up against, but after meeting Sievan, it was going to be rather difficult for anyone to ever fill those shoes.

    Lee lowered her stance as the woman approached, but Noah put a hand on her shoulder.

    She was a lot stronger than the average Rank 4, but this was no mere Inquisitor. She was too strong. To have a domain this large¡­ she was a Rank 6, and she was easily as strong as Evergreen had been if not considerably more powerful.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Noah said. ¡°I do suspect that this will go nowhere, but I am of the monogamous sort.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s magnanimous,¡± Lee whispered to him.

    Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t quite whisper quietly enough to keep her voice from reaching every single ear in the auction house.

    We¡¯re really going to have to work on our inside voices a bit.

    ¡°Right. Thanks,¡± Noah said in a considerably better whisper before raising his voice once more. ¡°The magnanimous sort. I have no quarrel with the Inquisitors, and I don¡¯t believe they have any true reason to have one with me.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°I¡¯m certain you¡¯d like it to be that way,¡± the woman said quietly. ¡°But even if I ignore my man ¡ª who you just orchestrated the death of ¡ª you are the vile sort that associates with demons. Your kind must be purged for the good of the kingdom.¡±

    Noah lifted a hand into the air. His mask repressed the agonized grimace that pulled at his lips at the effort of the motion. ¡°Ah. See, you¡¯re misunderstanding things just a little bit.¡±

    ¡°Pray tell,¡± the female Inquisitor said. ¡°I would be fascinated to know of my shortcomings.¡±

    Her voice was so flat that it felt like a literal blade of sarcasm driving into Noah¡¯s gut¡­ or perhaps that was just every single one of his internal organs trying to give out on him.

    The other Inquisitors milled about in confusion, their rosaries readied in their hands. They didn¡¯t want to attack without her permission, but waiting around in a sea of hidden demons was practically asking to get your head ripped off.

    Fortunately ¡ª or perhaps unfortunately, depending on the perspective ¡ª the demons didn¡¯t dare start fighting. It was going to be hard for them to believe that Spider wasn¡¯t a demon. And if he was¡­ he¡¯d offered them the moon and the stars.

    None of them could even consider trying to break the uneasy peace until they¡¯d had a chance to hear him out. Only once he spoke could they risk revealing themselves.

    The Inquisitors knew it too. One of them approached the armored woman, his rosary wrapped around his hands and his eyes locked on Lee and Noah.

    ¡°Mistress Fuyin, our orders were to purge without¡ª¡±

    ¡°We,¡± Noah said loudly. ¡°Are not demons. None of my associates are.¡±

    ¡°Your companion has a horn,¡± Fuyin said flatly. ¡°They are not even attempting to conceal their origin.¡±

    ¡°I was unaware that deer were also demons,¡± Noah said. ¡°Though some of us may share a few similar traits with the race known as demons, we are not of their ilk. Not anymore.¡±

    The Inquisitor who had companied a moment ago grabbed his rosary and lifted it into the air. Noah clenched his stomach. He couldn¡¯t afford to attack. Killing the man wouldn¡¯t be too difficult, but it would destroy the air of control he¡¯d managed to wrest for himself.

    The moment it became clear the Inquisitors attacks did affect him, the whole jig would be up. And, before that could happen, everyone else needed to get out.

    ¡°Then tell me, what are you?¡± Fuyin asked. ¡°Adrien, stand¡ª¡±

    The Inquisitor stepped forward. Burning white light ignited in the rosary.

    ¡°Die in agony, demons!¡± the man screamed, charging forward.

    And then Lee was before him. Her closed fist slammed into his stomach. The man doubled over in agony and let out a surprised wheeze. The rosary whipped in his grip, nearly flying from his grip, and Lee¡¯s hand clamped down on top of it.

    The Inquisitors eyes went wide.

    ¡°You can touch¡ª¡±

    His head rolled back mid-sentence, severed at the neck, and thunked to the ground. It was followed by the rest of his body a moment later. Lee held the rosary before her, watching the light fade from it, then tossed it onto the man¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°I warned you,¡± Lee said softly.

    A heartbeat of silence passed.

    Well, it looks like my theory was right on the money. The Inquisitors really don¡¯t have anti-demon magic at all. They have anti-Decras magic¡­ and there isn¡¯t any of Decras¡¯ original runes left in Lee. She consumed it to evolve.

    ¡°Did you see that?¡± the demon standing on Jalen¡¯s platform asked, awe burning in her eyes as brightly as the light of a rosary. ¡°That demon is immune to the Inquisition¡¯s magic!¡±

    She wasn¡¯t the only one. Excited murmurs rose through the crowd from demons unable to contain their disbelief.

    ¡°This is what I promise,¡± Noah called out. ¡°To any demon that lays down their arms and joins me ¡ª I will grant you evolution. I will make you who you were always mean to be. The runes within you are chains, but I can fix that.¡±

    Inquisitor Fuyin stared at Noah like she were trying to pry his mask off with her gaze. She didn¡¯t seem too concerned about the dead men at her feet.

    ¡°Even if you are no demon, you cannot think I will allow you to empower the greatest enemies of humanity,¡± Fuyin said. She pressed her palms together. Frost gathered between them as she pulled her hands apart, forming into a glistening sword.

    ¡°They will not be your enemies,¡± Noah said. ¡°Demons are as much a victim of their power as humanity is. The reason they hunt humans is not one of their own control¡­ but I can change that. If your wish is to purge demons from this world, Inquisitor, then I am your greatest ally.¡±

    ¡°Liar!¡± Another Inquisitor yelled.

    Noah¡¯s lips twitched in amusement behind his mask.

    The funniest thing is, I¡¯m being completely honest. I really can completely remove the majority of the threat demons pose to people. Half of these guys are only hunting people because their runes force them to¡­ but all that matters is that I¡¯ve given the demons a reason to fight.

    After this, the demons will put up enough of a distraction out of desperation to get free of their weakness that Lee and the others can escape. Any that actually manage to find us, I¡¯ll keep to my word and fix. If I want to take on the Nobles gunning for Isabel¡¯s Master Rune, I¡¯ll need an army.

    I can hardly pass this opportunity up. It¡¯s not my fault this one just served itself to me on a silver platter.

    ¡°Hold,¡± Fuyin said, raising a hand.

    Noah blinked in surprise.

    There was genuine thought in her features. She was actually considering his words.

    ¡°How?¡± Fuyin asked.

    Many of the other Inquisitors spun to her in surprise. A large man pushed through the ranks, throwing his hood back to reveal a bald man with a thick, bushy beard and unsettling, golden eyes. The man barely even looked human. He was nearly eight feet tall and proportionately wide. It was like a brick wall had taken to the flesh.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be planning to hear him out,¡± the mountain of a man said. ¡°Fuyin, you are stepping out of bounds. We have our orders.¡±

    ¡°Our duty is to seek ways to halt the demons. Spider claims to possesses one,¡± Fuyin said flatly. ¡°We have waited this long. I believe it is wise to wait longer, Inquisitor Tren.¡±

    She¡¯s not the one in charge? There¡¯s no way they sent two Rank 6s for this, right? Does that mean Fuyin is actually just a really strong Rank 5? Damn. I¡¯d love to get a look at what runes she¡¯s got rattling around.

    ¡°You are overruled, Fuyin. We will discuss this after the conclusion of this Inquisition. It seems your attitude may need to be adjusted,¡± the large man said. He turned toward Spider and pulled a huge rosary free of his sleeves, cracking his neck. ¡°Inquisitors, prepare to¡ª¡±

    ¡°You could try that,¡± Noah drawled. If Fuyin was interested in his offer¡­ perhaps he could leverage that. ¡°And many of you will die. Perhaps most. But why would you cut the tail of the lizard when it will simply regrow?¡±

    ¡°What do you propose?¡± Fuyin asked.

    Tren glared at her. ¡°Enough, Fuyin. Your orders are to purge. This arrogant fool claims to be the head of the demons, but all he can do is stall for time. There will be no more¡ª¡±

    ¡°I will remain behind. Everyone else here will leave,¡± Noah said. ¡°You¡¯ll have many chances to kill demons in the future¡­ but how many will you get to learn information from the one who can stop them?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lee asked, spinning to Noah.

    ¡°Or I can kill you and all the other demons here,¡± Tren rumbled. ¡°And then I will get everything I want.¡±

    ¡°You can certainly try,¡± Noah said. ¡°And regardless of what happens, you will not learn anything that I have to share. You need the knowledge I possess, Inquisitors. So tell me ¡ª will you lose the battle for a chance to win the war?¡±

    The huge man stared at Noah. All around him, Inquisitors twitched and nervous crowds stared down at them. If Tren attacked, this would be a bloodbath. Even with this many Inquisitors, there were enough demons to do an enormous amount of damage and everyone knew it.

    ¡°What do you fancy yourself,¡± Tren growled. ¡°Some manner of savior?¡±

    Noah smiled. His Grimoire had given him a perfect answer for that, even if the book hadn¡¯t been thinking of this particular scenario when they¡¯d last spoken.

    ¡°I prefer to think of myself as a Herald.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll never let you live,¡± a demon called. Noah glanced up at the voice ¡ª it was Aylin who had spoken. ¡°If you do this, you¡¯ll die! Why would you give up so much for demons you don¡¯t know?¡±

    Nice, Aylin.

    ¡°Because I am not so easily killed,¡± Noah said simply. ¡°Today will be remembered as a demonstration of my power. It is up to the Inquisitors to determine if the memory will be carved into history with blood or quill. So what do you say, Tren? Will you burn your chances at true victory just to kill a few demons?¡±

    Tren glanced to Fuyin, then grit his teeth.

    ¡°Speak, then.¡±

    Hook, line, and sinker.

    ¡°Everyone is to evacuate first. I will remain. And then ¡ª only then ¡ªwill we bargain.¡±

 Chapter 614: Cant be bothered

    Linestra¡¯s mouth felt like it was full of cotton. She gripped the edge of the railing in a vice grip as she ¡ª along with every other demon and human in the room ¡ª stared down at Spider.

    There was only silence following his offer. Linestra could barely believe what she¡¯d heard. It simply made no sense. There were times when demons worked together to further their own goals¡­ but this was something different.

    Spider stood before an army of Inquisitors and offered himself up in exchange for every other demon¡¯s life. It made no sense.

    It simply went against everything they were.

    What about his offer to free us? If that was real, then how can he do it if he¡¯s dead? Not even an Archdemon could try to go up against this many Inquisitors. That Fuyin woman is powerful enough on her own, and the huge human is even stronger than she is. That many pieces of bone rosary against one person¡­

    Spider is dead. He won¡¯t be able to defeat them all.

    So why would he do it? Does he have some manner of artifact that will let him fight back against the Inquisitors?

    The humans seemed to be just as confused as the demons.

    ¡°What manner of demon gives up his life in exchange for another?¡± Fuyin asked, tilting her expressionless head to the side like a dog as she tried to figure out what Spider¡¯s angle was.

    ¡°I already told you. I¡¯m more than a mere demon,¡± Spider said with a low laugh. He reached to his side and pulled off his gourd and travel bag, handing them to the demon beside him and patting her on the shoulder. He slipped out of his robe and put it over her as well.

    ¡°What? He can¡¯t be stronger than a Rank 5,¡± a mage muttered. ¡°Who is that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll even sweeten the deal. I will speak with you unarmed,¡± Spider said.

    ¡°Are you arrogant or a fool?¡± Tren cracked his neck. ¡°What game do you play at, Spider? You¡¯re weak.¡±

    ¡°Answering that question would ruin the fun,¡± Spider replied. ¡°Make your choice, Inquisitor. The battle or the war? Which will you win?¡±

    The large man gritted his teeth. He made a sharp gesture with his free hand and a ripple of motion passed through the Inquisitors as they all lowered their rosaries.

    ¡°Everyone is to leave this building. Immediately,¡± Tren growled. ¡°Immediately. Any stragglers will be executed. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a human, demon, or a hunk of metal puppeted by a dog. Get out. Only Spider and the Inquisitors are to remain. For any humans in the audience ¡ª return to your houses immediately. Call for Inquisitors to verify that your numbers have not been compromised. And for the demons hiding in the audience like cockroaches¡­ run. Enjoy the brief moments this buys you. I will find every last one of you.¡±

    The auction house exploded into motion. People drew on their Runes and launched themselves through the hole in the ceiling aboard flying swords; they fled from the auction house through any exit they could find.

    Linestra would have loved to do the same if the madman with the purple magic hadn¡¯t been keeping her captive. Even though she wasn¡¯t bound anymore, one of his eyes was firmly affixed on her neck. There was no doubt in her mind that, if she tried to flee, he would stop her.

    ¡°What should we do, Jalen?¡± Aylin asked. ¡°Did Spider inform you of this plan? Are we meant to stay?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one that¡¯s supposed to know things?¡± the madman asked, running a hand through his graying hair and shaking his head. ¡°Well, you heard the man. Answers would ruin the game.¡±

    ¡°What is that even supposed to mean?¡± Linestra asked. ¡°We need to run!¡±

    ¡°It would be wise to do as Spider says,¡± the armless demon said in a quiet voice. ¡°He has not been wrong before. I do not dare attempt to weight into the probabilities right now. I fear to see what I might find.¡±

    ¡°Probabilities? Like math?¡± Jalen scratched the bottom of his chin, then let out a snort and shook his head. ¡°Nerd.¡±

    ¡°The pursuit of knowledge is always wise,¡± Aylin said. ¡°Even if you hold great power, there is always more to be learned.¡±

    Linestra stared at them in disbelief. There wasn¡¯t any panic among Spider¡¯s companions. Every single one of them was acting as if this there wasn¡¯t an army of Inquisitors waiting to kill all of them. Like it was just another day.

    How are they so casual about this? We need to be running!

    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Jalen said irritably. ¡°I was shit at math, you little mouthy brat. Music too. Tried to get good at Formations when I was younger. Turns out, I don¡¯t have the patience for it. I much prefer smashing things over the head with cool magic. Much less of a hassle.¡±

    ¡°I can teach you, if you want,¡± Yoru said.

    Jalen blinked. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Math,¡± Yoru said. ¡°I can teach it to you.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ we can talk about this later,¡± Jalen said, his voice sounding slightly taken aback. ¡°I suppose we should do what Ve¡ª er, Spider suggested, eh? No point sitting around at a party when all the players have already left. Still¡­ what a disappointment. I was hoping to kill a few people. This wasn¡¯t even a battle. How am I going to get it named after myself now?¡±

    What is he talking about?

    ¡°Your head is damaged,¡± Linestra informed Jalen.

    The room around them was already mostly cleared out. Linestra was becoming more and more aware that the only people surrounding them were Inquisitors. If they didn¡¯t leave soon, they wouldn¡¯t be getting the chance to do it at all.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be the first woman to tell me that,¡± Jalen said. ¡°Good old Evergreen. Too bad she¡¯s rotting. She was always fun when she was mad.¡±

    He¡¯s properly insane. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    A blur shot toward the platform. Linestra flinched, but Jalen just flicked his fingers. The purple barrier surrounding them vanished. That seemed like a strikingly stupid thing to do when someone was actively flying toward them at a speed so fast that she couldn¡¯t even track where they were.

    Before Linestra could even flinch, the demoness that had gone to help Spider alighted on the railing of the platform across from her. She¡¯d slung Spider¡¯s massive Grimore over one shoulder and had his healing potion tucked under an arm.

    ¡°Come on,¡± she said. ¡°Jalen, bring the other one. Spider is going to want to speak to her.¡±

    How is he going to speak to me if he¡¯s taken by Inquisitors? He¡¯s going to be dead!

    ¡°We¡¯re actually leaving?¡± Aylin asked in surprise.

    ¡°Yes. Spider has this handled. Everything is as he wants it to be. Just trust him. Our job is to leave and make sure we aren¡¯t followed.¡±

    ¡°Well then,¡± Jalen said. He grabbed Linestra by the back of her shirt and hoisted her into the air like a wet cat.

    ¡°Put me down!¡± Linestra hissed, squirming furiously. ¡°I¡¯m more than capable of moving myself! I am not some child!¡±

    ¡°Relax,¡± Jalen said. ¡°And don¡¯t move too much, will you?¡±

    The air before them hummed as crackling purple energy spilled out from Jalen¡¯s free hand. It twisted through the air like snakes, tickling Linestra¡¯s skin.

    Then there was a loud snap, and the world lurched.

    One moment, they were in the auction house.

    The next, a sea of red sand stretched out in all directions around them. Linestra¡¯s stomach lurched into her throat and she nearly threw up. She managed to catch herself at the last second. The rest of Spider¡¯s people stood around her ¡ª and demons and nobles alike flew through the air all around them.

    ¡°Short range?¡± Aylin asked.

    ¡°There are Imbued runes all around the auction house. They only let you use Space magic to pop into certain areas, and it¡¯s easy to track long range teleports,¡± Jalen replied. ¡°We don¡¯t need an Inquisitor tracking us back. Any idiot who teleports right out of that auction house is going to have the Inquisition at their door by tomorrow. We go by foot until there¡¯s more distance between us and the auction.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Aylin said. ¡°We should be fast, then. There are a lot of people present that may interfere.¡±

    Jalen nodded. The air blurred around them again, and then they were standing dozens of meters from where they had been. Linestra¡¯s stomach lurched again.

    This has to be the worst method of travel ever invented.

    But just what is Spider planning? How is he going to get out of this?

    ***

    ¡°Well then,¡± Noah said, looking out over the small army of the Inquisitors surrounding him before turning his gaze to Tren. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s just you and me and the few dozen men staring at us. I¡¯ve never felt so wanted before.¡±

    His head felt like a vice was closing on it from every angle. He¡¯d taken too much damage from the rosaries. Even if he¡¯d somehow left with the others, unless he found a healing potion soon, he was pretty sure he¡¯d have just bled out from his internal injuries within an hour.

    Part of him just wanted to keel over and die now ¡ª but this was an opportunity. He had to at least see if he could get something useful out of it.

    ¡°You said you have a way to destroy the demons. Permanently,¡± Fuyin said. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°By fixing their Runes,¡± Noah replied. ¡°It¡¯s rather simple, really. I just make them what they were always meant to be.¡±

    ¡°What they were always meant to be? What are you trying to be, some sort of Demon Prophet? You sound like a fanatic,¡± Tren said with a cold laugh. ¡°But you and your demons¡­ you weren¡¯t affected by the Rosaries. How? That¡¯s what I want to know. Tell me that, and your death will be fast.¡±

    The corner of Noah¡¯s mouth pulled up. ¡°A demonstration, then.¡±

    He extended his hands and drew on Combustion. He flicked his hand to one of the dead Inquisitors at his feet and they ignited with a whoomph.

    The Inquisitors stiffened, but Tren held a hand up as smoke started to pour off the corpse.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Tren asked. ¡°If you try to fight¡ª¡±

    ¡°Relax,¡± Noah said. His nose wrinkled at the smell of cooking flesh, but he didn¡¯t waste time in reaching for Natural Disaster and drawing the smoke to him, causing it to swirl into the shape of Sievan. ¡°I¡¯m getting you some visuals. If you want to understand what I can do, then you need some visuals.¡±

    Fuyin frowned. ¡°This¡­¡±

    ¡°Silence,¡± Tren said. ¡°It¡¯s smoke, woman. You¡¯re an Ice mage. Deal with it if he tries to attack. Speak, demon. And do it quickly. If we are not satisfied here, then I will be bringing you back to our headquarters ¡ª and I can assure you that you will not enjoy that.¡±

    And so Noah spoke. He told them of the Demon¡¯s plight ¡ª there was no reason not to, after all. Inquisitors weren¡¯t exactly bad by nature. To the average mortal, a Demon was a horrible foe.

    There was a need for people that could protect the mortal plane against demons that were coming here just to hunt humans. Noah didn¡¯t give a shit about those demons. The only ones he cared about were the ones on his side¡­ and they had none of the weaknesses that the normal demons did.

    He told them of how Demons were controlled by their runes and how the stronger they got, the more of them was consumed by their own magic.

    And as he spoke, more of the room filled with smoke. It swirled around his body and danced at his fingertips, forming into shapes and images of what he described.

    The Inquisitors watched on in growing interest. Every word that spilled from his lips drew their attention even further.

    ¡°That¡¯s what you meant by free,¡± Tren breathed, eyes burning with hunger as he took a step toward Noah. ¡°You found a way to remove these¡­ poisoned runes from them.¡±

    ¡°I have,¡± Noah confirmed. ¡°I make them whole.¡±

    ¡°You empower them,¡± Tren said. ¡°You speak as if you are an ally for humans by fixing these demons, but you are only making them stronger!¡±

    ¡°Not all demons prey on humans. Some can live together with them. The demons are changing, Inquisitor. Perhaps you should as well.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Tren snarled. ¡°I can believe much of what you said, but demons are demons. I will not be taken in by your lies.¡±

    Oh, well. I tried.

    ¡°We should bring him back,¡± Fuyin said. ¡°The council will want to hear of this.¡±

    ¡°In that, I agree,¡± Tren said. ¡°You were right, Spider. This was far more valuable than just killing those demons. And tell me ¡ª are you one of these new demons? The ones immune to the rosaries?¡±

    ¡°I am.¡±

    ¡°Then you will be the perfect subject of study.¡± Tren¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°Thank you for your sacrifice, Spider. Your corpse will greatly aid us in finding a new way to destroy demons.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. I don¡¯t think it will,¡± Noah said, a smile of his own crossing his features. Enough time had passed. Everyone should have been able to get out of here by now. He coughed into his mask. ¡°Is it just me, or is the room getting rather smokey?¡±

    Fuyin tapped a finger against her waist. ¡°Tren. Perhaps it would be wise to hear him out? If these new demons are truly not a threat to humans, then they do not fall under our directive. They could be useful.¡±

    ¡°Demons are demons,¡± Tren replied. He thrust a finger at Noah. ¡°Restrain him! He¡¯ll be coming with us.¡±

    Inquisitors blurred forward, and Noah did nothing to stop them. They grabbed his arms and jerked them behind his back, shoving him down. He slammed to his knees with a loud thud.

    Noah just drew in a deep breath. He pulled rivers of smoke past his mask and into his lungs. Then his lips fully pulled into a smile.

    At least one of the Inquisitors seemed rather reasonable. Maybe I could convince more if I let them take me back to home base¡­ but I can¡¯t be fucking bothered.

    The inquisitors shoved him down onto the ground. One of them grabbed his mask and prepared to pull it off. Noah twisted his head to look straight at Fuyin. There was a chance she¡¯d be useful later.

    Her eyes widened as she recognized something in his gaze through the smoke twisting around all of them.

    The smoke that was flooded with his magical energy.

    ¡°Shields!¡± Fuyin yelled, ice already exploding around her in a dome.

    It was too late.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you,¡± Noah said.

    He ignited the smoke.

    There was a flicker of orange as the fire caught.

    Then the room exploded.

 Chapter 615: Who

    A roar ripped through the desert.

    Flames exploded up from the ground alongside a massive plume of sand, licking for the sky. A thick cloud of smoke and fire rolled out from the explosion.

    Linestra¡¯s mouth dropped open. Even though they were far from the auction house, she could still see the hazy waves of heat twisting up from where it had been.

    Linestra spotted Lee slipping away from the party and darting over a sand dune but paid little attention to it. Her eyes were transfixed on the molten air.

    ¡°Gods above,¡± Linestra breathed. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Spider,¡± Aylin whispered. The glow of the flame flickered in his eyes, making them shimmer as if in reverence.

    ¡°He¡¯s dead?¡± Linestra swallowed. ¡°Just like that? There¡¯s no way he could have survived an explosion like that, is there? I heard someone say he was only a Rank 4.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s absolutely nothing only about Spider,¡± Yoru said.

    ¡°But how will he complete his promise? He said he would fix us!¡± Linestra said. ¡°Was that a lie? Did he really just¡­ let himself die? Just to save us? Why?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to lay it on so thick. I¡¯m going to get an ego if you keep that up.¡±

    Linestra¡¯s blood went cold.

    That voice was familiar. But it was impossible. There was no way it could be here.

    She twisted in Jalen¡¯s grip, looking to the dune that Lee had vanished over.

    Standing at its top was Spider. He wore the coat he¡¯d given Lee and had his grimoire slung back over his shoulder, his potion at his hip.

    He was alive.

    Not only alive. He was completely unharmed.

    ¡°How?¡± Linestra breathed. Blood thumped in her ears as her brain struggled to process the information her eyes were feeding it. Ice gripped her veins.

    ¡°Afterlife¡¯s full,¡± Spider said with a careless shrug, as if coming back to life was something one did on an average afternoon. ¡°They sent me back.¡±

    What the fuck does that even mean?

    While Linestra tried and failed to pick her jaw up from the floor, Aylin reached up to the mask and pulled it away from his face. She was already in such a state of disarray that she barely even registered the motion until she caught a glimpse of his face.

    What she saw was enough to momentarily rip her out of her surprise ¡ª with yet even more surprise. Aylin¡¯s features were young. He couldn¡¯t have been older than 20 ¡ª and she didn¡¯t suspect it was because he was so powerful that his aging had halted.

    Even if she didn¡¯t have a domain, there was no magical pressure coming out of Aylin. Even Salthazar had possessed a magical weight about him. Not quite a domain, but more than this. That meant Aylin had to be less than Rank 5 or 6 ¡ª and yet, he was somehow one of Spider¡¯s new demons.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Linestra muttered. Her eyes flicked from Aylin to Spider as he made his way down to join the rest of them.

    Speaking of features ¡ª Spider¡¯s were strikingly¡­ normal. He was an average looking human with long black hair and a messy carpet of a budding beard. An average looking man that had just saved the lives of dozens of demons and destroyed a room of Inquisitors with a single fell swoop.

    ¡°How fortunate. That makes two of us,¡± Spider said. He glanced around the group. ¡°Nobody¡¯s hurt, yes?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re fine. We made it out while you distracted them, but it looks like there isn¡¯t anything to worry about now,¡± Lee said.

    Aylin shook his head. ¡°No, we aren¡¯t safe yet. That was a big blast, but some of the stronger Inquisitors definitely could have survived. I wouldn¡¯t bet on them all being dead.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Oh, they definitely aren¡¯t,¡± Spider said. He glanced over Aylin¡¯s shoulder at the spot where the auction house had once sat beneath the sand, then shook his head. ¡°But they¡¯ll be busy enough. The place caved in. Their stronger members are alive¡­ but they didn¡¯t see anything that they shouldn¡¯t have.¡±

    How would he even know that? And how did he get here so quickly? Some form of teleportation magic? But Jalen is already immensely powerful and clearly specializes in spatial magic¡­ and he said that it was difficult to teleport at a range without revealing to the Inquisitors where we¡¯ve gone.

    Spider wouldn¡¯t be dumb enough to reveal us like that, would he?

    ¡°How did you even escape?¡± Linestra asked, swallowing heavily. ¡°Are the Inquisitors still coming for us?¡±

    ¡°I highly doubt they have the slightest idea of where we are, and they¡¯re a bit preoccupied at the moment. That said, we should get going. No point sitting around and just inviting trouble onto ourselves.¡±

    Linestra nodded empathetically. ¡°I agree. I¡¯ll just be on my way¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. you¡¯re coming with us.¡± Spider¡¯s lips split into a smile behind his hood. ¡°Your boss said something that caught my attention. We¡¯ve got a lot to talk about.¡±

    Uh oh.

    ¡°Perhaps we could discuss here?¡± Linestra offered weakly.

    ¡°Oh, no. We might have Inquisitors on our tail at any moment. It would be pretty bothersome if they came after us now, but I¡¯d say we should be far enough that we¡¯ll blend in with everyone else teleporting anywhere. Either way¡­ Jalen, would you take care of this?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± Jalen said petulantly. ¡°You stole my chance to get a battle named after myself!¡±

    What?

    ¡°You took us to the auction. It¡¯s only fair you take us back,¡± Spider said, crossing his arms in front of his chest and tapping a foot on the ground. ¡°Stop being a brat. If you take us back, I¡¯ll ask my tea guest if she¡¯ll play darts with you the next time she visits. Just make sure you get us back in a way that is absolutely impossible to trace.¡±

    Jalen¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°One trip back to your boring-ass shithole is served. Pucker up, kids. Both ends. This isn¡¯t going to be fun.¡±

    Linestra¡¯s mouth didn¡¯t even get a chance to open and voice any of her endlessly mounting confusion.

    Jalen had barely even finished speaking by the time a wave of violet energy erupted from his body. It crackled against her skin as it washed past everyone around Jalen, swallowing them in a molten sea of twisting magic.

    Then they were gone.

    The world shifted.

    Grassy plains formed beneath Linestra¡¯s feet and her stomach jerked up ¡ª and the world changed once more. The grass turned to waves of rolling stones.

    The world shifted.

    A freezing gale slammed into Linestra¡¯s skin like miniature blades were driving into her flesh. It bit at her neck and pulled goosebumps up all along her body. Her breath caught in her throat¡ª

    The world shifted.

    They stood in a field of grass, surrounded by plump blue flowers. Linestra staggered as they arrived, stomach lurching in so many directions that it may as well have been a marble rattling around inside her.

    This is torture. I thought arriving in the mortal realm from the Damned Plains was bad, but this mortal teleports like a drunk man drives a wagon.

    There was an instant of stillness. She swallowed back the bile in her throat. ¡°Are we¡ª¡±

    The world shifted.

    Dirty brownish-black ground snapped into being below Linestra¡¯s feet. Looming burnt trees swam all around her and the smell of ash prickled against her nostrils. Her head spun and she staggered, nearly tripping over her own feet before a hand caught her by the back of her collar.

    ¡°No,¡± Jalen said, pulling Linestra back to her feet with the ease of a child righting a toy.

    Linestra¡¯s stomach lurched. She couldn¡¯t even muster the words to thank him ¡ª especially since he was the reason she¡¯d nearly fallen on her face in the first place. Her teeth clenched as she prepared herself for another teleportation, but nothing came.

    ¡°Are¡­ we done?¡± Linestra asked, tasting bile on each word she spoke.

    ¡°Do you want to be done? I can go for a few more rounds,¡± Jalen offered.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I have to agree with her,¡± Aylin said. ¡°That was¡­ less than enjoyable. It was, however, enlightening. I¡¯ve never gotten such a good demonstration of spatial magic before. Your reserves must be incredible.¡±

    ¡°Flattery,¡± Jalen said with a scoff. He paused for a moment, then arched an eyebrow. ¡°Go on. Nobody said you had to stop. Compliment me more.¡±

    ¡°That was it for now,¡± Aylin said.

    ¡°You are an egotistical man,¡± Yoru said.

    ¡°You have no arms,¡± Jalen said.

    ¡°Now that just seems uncalled for,¡± Spider said.

    ¡°I was under the impression we were just stating the obvious.¡± Jalen scratched at his chin.

    Spider visibly repressed a sigh. His gaze swept over the burnt forest surrounding them before landing on Linestra. She shrank back.

    This does not bode well for me. How did this job go so wrong? It should have been so cut and dry. Salthazar¡­ what have you gotten us into?

    ¡°Now, then,¡± Spider said. ¡°Tell me, what was your name?¡±

    ¡°Linestra. I¡ª¡±

    Spider held a hand up. ¡°I¡¯ll be more than eager to hear everything you¡¯d like to share, but you¡¯re going to start with a name.¡±

    ¡°A name?¡± Linestra asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

    ¡°Orlen.¡± Something in Spider¡¯s eyes gave rise to a primal fear deep within Linestra. They were¡­ wrong, for lack of a better word. She¡¯d heard the phrase that eyes were the windows to the soul before, but Spider¡¯s were more like portals into the depths of an endless, uncaring sea. ¡°You¡¯re going to tell me who ¡ª or what ¡ª Orlen is.¡±

 Chapter 616: Ritual

    Noah¡¯s gaze bore into Linestra as the demon flinched back from him. It looked like his demonstration had been effective in more than one way. She was absolutely terrified ¡ª and that was making staying serious a little bit of a challenge.

    I wonder what Linestra would do if she realized I was actually ¡®just¡¯ a measly Rank 4. Oh well. If it gets me information on who or what the hell Orlen is, I don¡¯t care what she thinks of me. Wizen¡¯s last word ¡ª literally ¡ª was this name.

    Unless he decided to have a bit of fun at my expense, then this has to be incredibly important.

    ¡°I¡­ I wasn¡¯t privy to all of the details,¡± Linestra stammered. ¡°Salthazar handled that. He was the one that ensured we got out of the Damned Plains and recruited us to the cause.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Noah said flatly. ¡°Tell me everything you know about Orlen. You clearly recognize the word.¡±

    A flicker of anger lit behind Linestra¡¯s eyes. The demon was still a demon. She definitely didn¡¯t take kindly to being ordered around. Unfortunately for her, she was completely surrounded and entirely outmatched.

    If anything, I¡¯m surprised she¡¯s got this much control over herself. I guess there¡¯s a difference between being controlled by your Runes and just throwing self-preservation to the wind.

    I wonder if all Demon Runes are somehow adjacent to Yoru¡¯s Moonlit Prophecy. Do they eventually become sentient when they get strong enough? Are they already sentient and just don¡¯t¡¯ have enough power to manifest themselves? If that¡¯s the case¡­ it would make sense that they would take actions to survive, even in spite of their normal nature.

    Noah yanked his thoughts back to the matter at hand. Demon Runes and how they worked was fascinating ¡ª but he couldn¡¯t let himself get distracted right now. There would be time to think about the demons as a whole later.

    ¡°Orlen was Salthazar¡¯s contact,¡± Linestra said. A stick cracked beneath her foot as she shifted her weight. ¡°He helped arrange for a lot of the summoning, and he was the one that wanted us to attack the auction house.¡±

    So it¡¯s a name. I thought so, but good to get confirmation.

    ¡°Why?¡± Noah asked. ¡°What did he want?¡±

    And why were there so many Inquisitors there? That definitely wasn¡¯t the normal amount. Is there a leak somewhere in the information channel between the demons and Orlen? Or is something else entirely going on?

    ¡°He just said he was looking for something. That¡¯s all I know,¡± Linestra said. She swallowed heavily, clearly aware just how useless her information was. ¡°That¡¯s really it. He didn¡¯t even tell us what it was he wanted. Our job was just to kill a few key targets and cause some chaos before making a run for it.¡±

    ¡°Making a run for it?¡± Jalen repeated. He tilted his head to the side and let out a derisive snort.

    ¡°Not likely you¡¯d get very far with all those Inquisitors standing outside of the auction,¡± Aylin observed.

    Noah couldn¡¯t help but agree. It almost felt like Orlen had set the demons up to fail on purpose.

    But¡­ why?

    ¡°Is Orlen a demon?¡± Yoru asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Linestra shook her head. ¡°I never saw his face. We never met in person. It was always through messages that would show up through red plasma portals. I once saw a demon try to peek through the portal. A strand of energy touched him and his whole body twisted up like someone was wringing a wet towel. Got blood and guts all over the whole damn room.¡±

    Noah¡¯s features twisted in distaste. Orlen was not sounding like a particularly enjoyable person¡­ but despite the expression on Linestra¡¯s face that betrayed how useless she felt she was, her information had actually been useful.

    Red plasma. Like the magic Wizen was using from the Key? That would certainly be a connection. But why would Wizen be using Orlen¡¯s magic? This isn¡¯t a situation where he¡¯s pretending to be Orlen. If he was, then there would be no point telling me his other name ¡ª and Orlen wouldn¡¯t be still ordering things around.

    So Wizen got something from Orlen? He took the Key from Arbitage. Maybe this Orlen gave him a way to use it? A Rune or something?

    Even if that was the case, Noah didn¡¯t have the slightest idea why Wizen would have bothered writing the man¡¯s name down. Orlen didn¡¯t matter if he was just some random powerful mage that had helped him out for some reason or another.

    He made sure to make sure I was aware of his name.

    Why?

    Noah¡¯s jaw clenched in annoyance. Every single answer he got just gave him even more questions. The more he learned about the world, the more he realized that nobody had the slightest fucking idea as to what was going on.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Linestra said. ¡°I swear. That¡¯s all I know.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Noah said with a shake of his head. It wasn¡¯t her fault, and Aylin hadn¡¯t said anything. That meant she was telling the truth. ¡°I don¡¯t expect the cogs to know what the machine is thinking.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Nevermind,¡± Noah said. He shook his head, his thoughts already drifting. The headache prodding his temples from blowing himself up certainly wasn¡¯t helping ¡ª but he was so used to them at this point that it really wasn¡¯t that much of a bother.

    I¡¯ll have to look into this Orlen. Figure out what it is that Wizen wanted me to know about him. But, until then, I¡¯ve got a much more pressing matter to deal with. The noble bastards after Isabel¡¯s Master Rune.

    ¡°That will be all I need you for. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ can go?¡±

    Noah paused. Unleashing a Rank 5 or 6 demon on Arbitage hardly seemed like a wise decision. He could think of a number of ways that could go wrong. Ferrying her off somewhere was also a bit of a problem. She¡¯d just go terrorize the local population.

    I don¡¯t want to be responsible for killing a bunch of innocent people. I suppose I could ask Jalen to drop her off at the Herron estate or something and just enjoy the carnage, but that would be a waste.

    ¡°Do you like cats?¡± Noah asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ never had the opportunity to consider that question. Should I like cats?¡±

    On second thought, no. Mascot would eat her alive.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m drawing a blank,¡± Noah said. ¡°Thoughts, anyone?¡±

    Lee¡¯s stomach grumbled.

    Linestra¡¯s features paled.

    ¡°Darts?¡± Jalen offered.

    ¡°You are a grown mage,¡± Noah snapped. ¡°You do not need to kidnap a demon to play darts.¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a kidnapping. More like a mandated vacation.¡±

    Oof. That¡¯s a rough line. Definitely wouldn¡¯t want anyone quoting that one.

    ¡°You ¡ª you offered us freedom back in the auction house,¡± Linestra said cautiously. She swallowed before continuing. ¡°Is that offer still available?¡±

    Oh, right. I do vaguely recall that. I was kind of bullshitting at the time, but I do need some backup to deal with the noble houses ¡ª and some more test subjects to polish up the process of fixing people with Sticky Runes certainly wouldn¡¯t hurt.

    ¡°That could be arranged, so long as you¡¯re willing to swear fealty,¡± Noah said. ¡°And you¡¯ll need a bit of patience as well. The procedure is not quick.¡±

    ¡°I just hope you aren¡¯t too attached to your arms,¡± Yoru said.

    Linestra sent a horrified look at the smaller demon. Noah sent her a look as well, but for an entirely different reason. His eyebrows twitched in surprise.

    Was that a joke? Yoru is making jokes? I¡¯m so proud of her. Wresting Moonlit Propehcy¡¯s influence away has done her wonders.

    ¡°I¡­ am prepared to sacrifice if it means I get my freedom,¡± Linestra said. She set her jaw. ¡°I can always get new arms.¡±

    ¡°No, no. You need your arms,¡± Jalen said. ¡°Lose the legs instead. You can¡¯t play darts without arms, and that¡¯s a mandatory part of the deal.¡±

    ¡°It is?¡± Linestra asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Jalen said. He sent Noah a pointed look. ¡°It¡¯s very important training. Life and death. You won¡¯t be able to withstand the changes to your body if you don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how Yoru lost her arms,¡± Aylin put in. ¡°She didn¡¯t play darts enough.¡±

    Okay, now we¡¯re just getting our stories twisted up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do anything it takes.¡± Linestra said. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how playing darts will influence anything, but I will follow your teachings, Spider. I want to be free.¡±

    ¡°Good enough for me,¡± Noah said with a shrug. ¡°Welcome aboard. I¡¯ll get around to fixing you up soon enough.¡±

    Linestra blinked. ¡°Just like that?¡±

    ¡°Did you expect a ritual or something?¡±

    ¡°¡­yes.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Sorry. I¡¯ll work on that for the next demon.¡± Noah scratched at the back of his neck. ¡°For now, a few ground rules. No killing anyone I don¡¯t tell you to. Cover your horns and blend in with humans. Do not be noticed under any circumstances. Avoid all fights and do not feed off anything but food for as long as possible.¡±

    ¡°You want me to starve myself?¡±

    ¡°Think of it as a fast,¡± Noah said. ¡°You have to purify your body to prepare for the process.¡±

    Aylin glanced at Noah out of the corners of his eyes, but Linestra was already nodding along in understanding.

    You¡¯re going to have to get used to a whole lot more bullshit than that if you¡¯re going to stick around forever, Aylin.

    ¡°I see,¡± Linestra said, nodding along as if Noah¡¯s explanation was the most logical thing in the universe. ¡°That makes sense. I will do as you say.¡±

    ¡°Great. See you tomorrow. Three in the morning, sharp,¡± Jalen said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about finding me. I¡¯ll find you.¡±

    ¡°Actually, why don¡¯t you just take her with you for now?¡± Noah asked. ¡°That¡¯ll save me the trouble of finding her housing.¡±

    Linestra¡¯s eyes went wide and she sent a horrified look in Noah¡¯s direction. ¡°What? I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Would be thrilled,¡± Aylin said, his hand falling on Linestra¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You do not disobey an order from Spider.¡±

    The demoness grimaced, then nodded. ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± Noah said, clapping his hands together. ¡°Now that¡¯s all settled. Jalen, would you mind waiting around for a little? And Aylin ¡ª can you find the others? It¡¯s just about time to head back.¡±

    ¡°Prepare?¡± Jalen asked. ¡°What are we waiting for? And for how long?¡±

    Noah smiled. He set his hand on his Grimoire. ¡°Just about 12 hours. And you¡¯re waiting for me. It¡¯s about time for Vermil Linwick to make his return to Arbitage.¡±

    I can already stand toe-to-toe with pretty much any noble. If the Nobles want to try to come after Isabel, then Rank 4 isn¡¯t going to be sufficient to deal with them.

    Normally, pushing all the way from halfway through Rank 4 to Rank 5 would be a great way to screw your growth completely¡­ but I have every single rune I need from that auction, and I¡¯ve got as many tries to get this combination right as I want.

    If the nobles want to come for my students, then the gloves are coming off. Garina said there was a world outside this kingdom. There¡¯s no reason for us to let these bastards throw their weight around any longer.  I could already handle most of their stronger mages at Rank 4¡­

    So let¡¯s see how they like me at Rank 5.

 Chapter 617: Voyeur

    ¡°This is¡­ nice,¡± Renewal said from what looked ¡ª and felt ¡ª to be a fluffy black cloud. It sponged all around her, somehow supporting her body perfectly whilst remaining impossibly soft.

    She¡¯d never sat in a chair nearly quite this comfortable, and she would never be admitting such to Decras.

    The other god sat across from her in a matching chair. His legs were kicked up; feet rested on a pillar of the same cloudy material. He sported a grin so smug that it could have killed a lesser being.

    ¡°Is it?¡± Decras asked, studying his fingernails as if the thought had never occurred to him. ¡°That¡¯s kind of you. I¡¯m glad to hear you like my humble abode. Of course, it¡¯s nothing compared to what the Order has.¡±

    ¡°Oh, get off me,¡± Renewal said with a huff. She ran her hand along the fur of the black cat coiled in her lap. ¡°I¡¯ve already defected from everything I spent the vast majority of my life working toward. Isn¡¯t that enough for you?¡±

    Decras¡¯ laughter echoed through the void around them. There were no real edges to the room they sat in. It simply¡­ ceased to exist after a certain point. Renewal couldn¡¯t quite tell where, and she didn¡¯t try to.

    The room had been made by a god considerably stronger than either her or Decras. That thought sent a chill down Renewal¡¯s spine. The Fallen had been the subject of a great many stories and a greater number of warnings from Judgement and the other gods in the Order.

    They were, if Judgement was to be believed, the reason that the universe failed to achieve perfection. A black stain on a white sheet. A mar upon existence itself.

    The Fallen were a relentless force of evil and chaos that stopped at nothing to tear down the perfect structure that the Order represented. Their mere existence spat in the face of life itself. Judgement had more than a few less-than-kind words to say about the Fallen.

    Renewal had believed them for a long time.

    But now¡­ she wasn¡¯t so sure.

    I always thought the Order was just¡­ life. We¡¯re the good guys, they¡¯re the bad guys. That¡¯s how it was. But Decras¡­ he¡¯s a prick, but he hasn¡¯t done anything evil. I can¡¯t say the same for Judgement. She was about to fucking kill me, the crazy bitch.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Some of the amusement fell away from Decras¡¯ tone. There was genuine worry within it. ¡°Is the room not to your liking?¡±

    Renewal held a hand to a mouth to cover a smile. ¡°No. Everything¡¯s perfectly fine.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that? Are you snickering at me?¡± Decras¡¯ eyes narrowed. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. I was just thinking that we don¡¯t have rooms anything like this back home.¡±

    Decras let out a derisive snort. ¡°You¡¯re lucky the Order gave you anything better than a wooden rod to sit your godly ass on. Bunch of stuck up bastards who think they can wrest the universe to do their bidding.¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t our purpose,¡± Renewal said defensively.

    The other god arched an eyebrow at her. ¡°Right. So you¡¯re just forcing souls to march through the cycles of reincarnation because you enjoy doing it.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Renewal tried to shift her position in the cloud, but it just swallowed her arms and left her bundled up in an annoyingly comfortable cocoon. ¡°We don¡¯t do it for fun! It¡¯s our duty!¡±

    ¡°Duty. What Duty? What makes you think that you have any more right to determine where a soul ends up than the soul themselves? It is not our purpose to determine fates. You play judge, jury, and executioner, but you were nothing more than a bored clerk.¡±

    ¡°Now that¡¯s just rude,¡± Renewal said crossly. ¡°I¡­ generally did my best. Most of the time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about your best.¡± Decras rose from his cloud and crossed the room to stand before Renewal. He reached into the cloud and found her hand, pulling her free of its depths with a sharp tug. ¡°And don¡¯t let yourself relax so much. The Cumulo will try to consume your energy.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll what now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a tamed monster,¡± Decras said, walking back over to his cloud and flopping into it. ¡°A very comfortable one. And before you ask ¡ª it¡¯s not intelligent. It¡¯s about as smart as a patch of moss. A very comfy patch of moss.¡±

    ¡°One that¡¯ll eat me if I¡¯m not paying attention.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Correct. Welcome to the real universe, Renewal. Not the fake sham that the Order has tried to squeeze it into. Life is power. It cannot be reigned.¡±

    ¡°But it can, apparently, be sat on.¡±

    ¡°Most things can be sat on. You just might not survive a few of the experiences.¡±

    Renewal laughed. She couldn¡¯t help herself. Shaking her head, she sat back onto the fluffy cloud, though she made certain not to let herself get too comfortable.

    ¡°What do you mean by this not being about my best, then? You can¡¯t possibly think the afterlife is meaningless. It¡¯s what everyone passes through. It keeps the universe going.¡±

    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t.¡± Decras shook his head. ¡°What do you think happens to all the souls that don¡¯t make it? The ones that fall off the lines? The ones that don¡¯t even get there in the first place?¡±

    Renewal frowned. That thought had never really come across her mind. Every soul passed through the afterlife.

    It¡¯s just how things work. That¡¯s what Judgement¡­ told¡­ fuck.

    ¡°It¡¯s fake?¡± Renewal asked, swallowing heavily. A knot built in her stomach and worked into her throat. ¡°The afterlife is fake? But I¡¯ve seen¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not fake. Just unnecessary,¡± Decras said with a shake of his head. ¡°I¡¯ll show you sometime. But there are so many souls that never make it to you. That simply enter the cycle of reincarnation on their own. After all, it¡¯s not that difficult when the waters of life aren¡¯t all horded in the same spot.¡±

    Renewal¡¯s gaze bore into Decras. Her chest felt like it was constricting. There was absolutely no reason for Decras to lie about any of this now. He could have told it to her earlier, when she was still in Judgement¡¯s domain, if he¡¯d been trying to sway her.

    But he hadn¡¯t. He¡¯d waited until she¡¯d already turned coat.

    Until he had absolutely nothing to gain by revealing the information.

    ¡°The Waters of Life don¡¯t originate in the wellsprings?¡± Renewal asked, barely daring to utter the words. They would have been blasphemy if she¡¯d spoken them before any of the other gods in the Order.

    ¡°Those gaudy things? Of course not. They were built by the Order. That energy should permeate the universe, cleansing the souls of the dead and preventing the powerful from passing beyond their means. The Order is just fucking with the natural way of life to build their palaces and so-called ¡®structure¡¯. It¡¯s all fake, Renewal. Life isn¡¯t that cut and dry.¡±

    ¡°Why would you tell me this now? Why not before?¡±

    ¡°Because then I would have had a motive,¡± Decras replied simply. ¡°And I didn¡¯t have one. I¡¯ve just enjoyed our time together. There was no grand plan to steal you over or turn you against the Order.¡±

    ¡°I thought the Fallen are fighting the Order. You can¡¯t tell me that isn¡¯t the case.¡±

    ¡°It is. But we don¡¯t recruit soldiers. Soldiers come to us,¡± Decras said. ¡°We ¡ª unlike the Order ¡ª do not steal the possibility of choice. Those who seek will find. If you are willing to blind yourself, we will not force you to see.¡±

    Renewal stared at Decras.

    The Cumulo started to eat her.

    She sent a pulse of magic out, forcing the creature to release her as she rose to her feet.

    ¡°Show me. Please. I need to see it.¡±

    ¡°Another day,¡± Decras said. ¡°It¡¯s not often that we get opportunities to celebrate like this, Renewal. Your blindfold is gone, so I thought we¡¯d get up to a bit of your favorite pastime.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Renewal asked with a frown. ¡°This is more important than any¡ª¡±

    Decras snapped his fingers. ¡°Voyeurism.¡±

    Colors bloomed in the air, twisting together to form into an ocean of black. A lone man floated within the darkness, surrounded by beautiful, swirling runes.

    Renewal¡¯s eyes went wide. She recognized the darkness. She¡¯d been there only once before, when her presence had been quite literally summoned.

    ¡°Is that Noah? But isn¡¯t this his¡ª¡±

    ¡°His Mindspace,¡± Decras said with a satisfied smile. ¡°He draws upon my power to great degrees ¡ª and that draw creates a minor connection between us. Almost like that of master and student.¡±

    Renewal¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Decras¡­¡±

    ¡°Relax. I¡¯ve had enough connection stored up to do this for weeks, Renewal. Most of it will be spent within minutes. I have no desire to interfere with the mortal, but don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t want to watch.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re making me sound like a creep.¡±

    Decras pointed at Noah. The mortal swept his hand through the air and his Crumbling Space rune split apart, severed perfectly down the center. He slammed his hands together before it could even begin dissipating, reforming the Rune in a split instant.

    His features turned down in displeasure and he carved it apart a second time before repeating the process.

    This time, he smiled.

    Renewal¡¯s eyes went wide.

    ¡°He remade a rune twice? That quickly?¡±

    ¡°And look at the Rune,¡± Decras said, more than a little respect in his voice. ¡°Flawless, as he calls it. A true perfect rune. In seconds. No fractures or missed notes. Just sheer damn determination.¡±

    Renewal flopped back into her cloud. She leaned forward, staring with rapt attention as Noah split apart a second Rune and slammed it back together with the same speed as the previous one.

    ¡°Have you ever made a Rune that quickly? One at this quality for your current level?¡± Renewal asked in awe.

    ¡°A single Rune? Once or twice,¡± Decras said. ¡°But this many? Never. I wonder if he¡¯s going to manage to pull it off. Brute forcing your way through half of a Rank isn¡¯t just difficult. It¡¯s ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°Half a rank?¡± Renewal¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. How do you know this?¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t the only one keeping an eye on him. I just never took mine off,¡± Decras said. He pointed at the screen, where Noah had started to draw Runes into his soul. ¡°Now watch. I¡¯ve only got a few minutes, so you better enjoy them.¡±

    Noah formed and shattered the runes one after the other. Magic danced through the air as his hands flitted like those of a conductor, painting the darkness with streaks of burning energy.

    It was beautiful.

    And, somewhere deep down within Renewal, she admitted that it was terrifying.

    If this is what he can do now¡­ what will he be capable of when he becomes a god?

 Chapter 618: Ready

    Energy from dozens of shattered runes prickled against Noah¡¯s skin. His entire soul felt like it had been permeated with raw magic. He could feel it tingling against his tongue and filling his lungs.

    Hairline fractures ran throughout the dark void surrounding him. Dim beams of white broke though the emptiness like rays of sunlight breaking through a dirty window. He wasn¡¯t concerned. The damage wasn¡¯t nearly as extensive as it could have been.

    As it turned out, bringing runes into his soul and shattering them an instant later really didn¡¯t give the runes much time to bond with him. That meant the injuries he sustained from removing them were far more manageable.

    The cracks wouldn¡¯t have even been worth thinking about if he hadn¡¯t made quite so many of them. He¡¯d been working with a lot of runes ¡ª but it had been to great effect.

    Crumbling Space and Warped Matter were finished. They floated alongside Natural Disaster and Empty Proliferation. All four of the runes were flawless. They were completely prepared to advance to the next stage.

    That left him with three slots to fill. Fortunately for Noah, he knew exactly what he was going to put there. He¡¯d known since before he started hunting for runes in the auction. The normal strategy would have been to carefully consider the Rank 5 Rune he wanted to create, get the constituents, and then make the Rank 4s one at a time whilst ensuring he understood every component enough to successfully combine them into an effective Rank 5 Rune.

    The process would take weeks or months for someone who was careful and intelligent enough not to rush ahead like a moron. It would probably take a few days for an idiot like Dayton, who just slammed all his runes together to advance through the ranks as quickly as possible without completely crippling his potential.

    Noah planned to do it in minutes.

    I¡¯m done doing things the normal ways. I don¡¯t need to hide from the nobles anymore. The time for that is over. If the nobles want war, I¡¯ll give them war.

    Noah lifted his hand. Runes shifted to float before him.

    The first Rank 4 he wanted to create was relatively simple. He¡¯d been heavily inspired by the Fragment of Renewal ¡ª or rather, its inverse.

    There were few disasters as horrifying as a plague. And, as far as Noah was concerned, that definitely counted as a disaster. It would fit in with the rest of his runes. He was already stretching his definition of exactly what counted as a disaster.

    That was the best part about runes. There were no hard rules about combinations. It was all fueled by intent. If he could find a common pattern among the runes he made, then they would combine. It was as simple ¡ª and difficult ¡ª as that.

    Noah carved his hand down, shattering a Rank 5 Creeping Frostborne Infection rune. He sliced through its components, splitting apart the sickness related runes and moving the rest to the side to store for energy later.

    He repeated the process with several other runes he¡¯d gotten from the auction, pulling all the rot and infection related runes free. It definitely wasn¡¯t his favorite rune. There was something a little unsettling about working with runes as gross as these.

    Anyone walking around with a rune that can rot things away is hardly someone I¡¯d want to associate with. I suppose that makes me a hypocrite.

    Oh well.

    His lips curled into a cold, determined smile. It was ironic. His life on Earth had been so short. Only twenty-something measly years, and the last one of which he¡¯d spent in a hospital. He¡¯d spent it lying alone in a pristine white bed with only the beep and whine of the machinery around him to keep him company.

    Noah could still remember wondering why he¡¯d been the one to get sick. Why he¡¯d been the unlucky one. He¡¯d eaten healthy ¡ª or at least, as healthy as his budget had afforded him to. He hadn¡¯t smoked or drank. He didn¡¯t use any drugs.

    Noah had done everything right.

    And none of that had saved him.

    He was more than familiar with the insidious rot of sickness. He knew what it felt like to have his body slowly wither away until nothing but the soul remained. Noah understood rot well. He wouldn¡¯t claim to be an expert on it ¡ª but he finally had an answer to that question he¡¯d asked. An answer to why he¡¯d laid in that bed and wasted away until nothing remained.

    The answer was that there wasn¡¯t one.

    There was no reason he¡¯d gotten sick. Life didn¡¯t give reasons. It was simply what one made of it. Nothing more and nothing less. It was experience. And today, Noah used that experience.

    He took everything he knew of the slow march of sickness and used those memories to drive the runes flying around him together.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    A brilliant flash lit his soul. Noah squinted through the light, looking down upon the new rune that had taken form.

    His lips twitched as his smile grew slightly wider.

    Then he called on Sunder and carved the rune apart.

    It hadn¡¯t been perfect, much less flawless. Noah supposed it would have been a bit arrogant to believe he¡¯d get it right the very first time around.

    Fortunately, he didn¡¯t have to.

    Twice more, he reformed the rune.

    Twice more, he Sundered it.

    Noah didn¡¯t let the failures dissuade him. They weren¡¯t even truly failures. They were simply steps in the right direction. Each one brought him closer to a flawless Rank 4 Rune.

    And then it was done.

    Fragments of green energy twisted around Noah, remnants of previous combination attempts, as he looked upon the new rune in his soul.

    Consuming Rot ¡ª Rank 4

    This time, Noah didn¡¯t smile. There was no time for him to waste on anything but advancing. He simply drew upon the rune, feeling its power grip his entire body as he tested it. The rune¡¯s power remained uniform as he walked in a circle around it. It never faltered or changed.

    He¡¯d created a Flawless Rune.

    Noah flicked his hand and the rune shifted back, floating to take its place in its soul. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly to steady himself. His soul was awash with energy and soul damage, but his work was not done.

    Two more.

    Consuming Rot had been the test run. It had been equal parts brute force and understanding. The next two runes he had to make were going to stretch his definition of a disaster even further.

    First, something that aligns with something else I¡¯m familiar with. Everything in this world is a pattern. Runes themselves are a pattern. There are few things that work better with patterns than music. I¡¯ve been trying to figure out how I could directly use music in a rune for a while now, starting with the first one I ever made.

    And now¡­ I have an idea on how to do it.

    Noah drew runes into his soul from the Grimoire and sliced them apart one after the other. He removed a mixture of Space, Matter, and Vibration runes from within them, cutting them down to their base components before rebuilding them to ensure that every material he worked with was at Flawless quality.

    Then he repeated the process that he¡¯d taken with Consuming Rot, driving the runes together. His first attempt failed to produce a Flawless Rune, and so it was sliced apart. His second and third attempts met the same fate.

    He was burning power at a rate that would have made even a noble cry. Noah was pretty sure he¡¯d completely destroyed dozens of runes in his pursuit of rapid advancement. Thousands upon thousands of gold, an immense amount of power, all burned.

    And from that fire, the fourth attempt emerged.

    It was a Rune inspired not by the harmony of music, but the lack of it. Nature was full of harmony. It could be found almost everywhere. But finding something with absolutely no harmony whatsoever¡­ that was difficult.

    A concept completely devoid of any manner of harmony was a pattern in itself ¡ª and that was the concept which Noah used to create his sixth Rank 4 rune. He ran it through several tests, but it passed every single one.

    The rune was Flawless.

    Spatial Deharmonization - Rank 4

    Noah¡¯s skull pounded, but he ignored the pain. He could feel power pressing against the walls of his soul from all the new runes he was forming, slowly and steadily causing it to grow even larger.

    There was only one Rank 4 left to make. He had absolutely no plans of stopping now.

    Features creased in determination, Noah called the last of the runes he¡¯d gotten from the auction into his soul. He still had a large number of Space and Matter Runes. They¡¯d normally have been pretty difficult to get, but the nobles had emptied their pockets out when he¡¯d put Demon Runes up for auction.

    Noah¡¯s lips creased into a thin line as he worked to cut the components up. He moved with the practiced precision of a chef chopping vegetables apart on his cutting board for the hundredth time, sweeping the unneeded runes out of the way to use as power sources later.

    He combined runes. He split them apart. He combined them again.

    Noah repeated the cycle relentlessly. If the Runes could have cried out in request for a break, they would have. He cut them apart easily ten times in his pursuit of understanding. He accepted nothing short of perfection.

    Ineffective runes were replaced. His approach was adjusted. He tried again. And again. And again.

    The cracks covering his soul grew. Even without giving the Rank 4 runes he was making time to properly connect with him, they were still part of his soul. There was only so much damage that he could take ¡ª but the Fragment of Renewal waited for him, and so he did not relent.

    Noah wasn¡¯t sure how many combinations he tried and failed. All he knew is that the rune was not where he needed it to be. Several times, he got close. He created a perfect rune that anyone else would have been beyond delighted to have.

    Noah shattered them without a second thought.

    He was not satisfied with anything but a flawless creation.

    And that was what he made.

    His breaths came heavy and ragged. He¡¯d fallen to his knees at some point while he worked, and before him floated a dull rune of murky gray. Its twisting shapes rippled like oil reflecting sunlight. The rune drew from much of his experience in the afterlife and what had come after it, and yet an equal portion of its power had been purely from theory and testing.

    Theoretically, Noah shouldn¡¯t have had the capacity to make it yet. The rune should have been just barely beyond his understanding. But, ironically, his lack of understanding had lent itself perfectly to the creation of the Flawless Rune that now floated before him.

    Fractured Reality - Rank 4

    His seventh and final Rank 4 Rune was complete. Noah grabbed for the Fragment of Renewal, letting its gentle power wash through his soul and cleanse the damage away as he battled to catch his breath.

    Three new Rank 4 runes floated within his soul, filled to the brim by all the energy he¡¯d ripped from the excess runes. The amount of power it had taken was astronomical.

    Noah¡¯s lips finally twisted into a smile.

    He¡¯d done it.

    I¡¯m ready to advance to Rank 5.

 Chapter 619: Clap

    Noah stood in the center of his soul and looked over his seven Rank 4 Runes as the Fragment of Renewal wove throughout the darkness, stitching shut the extensive damage that he¡¯d given himself over the course of the last few minutes.

    His soul had expanded considerably from the new additions. Power laid in wait for his call. More than he¡¯d ever had before. For lack of a better word, Noah felt heavier. Like his very existence bore more weight to it ¡ª or perhaps he¡¯d just had a little bit too much to eat for his last meal.

    Three new runes. All of them Flawless. I wonder what the heads of the other noble families would do if they could see this. Advancing like this is ridiculous, even for me. I must have destroyed a dozen Rank 5 runes worth of energy to pull this off¡­ but if I wanted to, I could push to Rank 5 right now.

    Noah had no delusions about his chances of making a Flawless Rank 5 Rune with what he had right now.

    To be put bluntly, those chances were zero.

    Even though every single component he had now was at the absolute peak of what he knew to be possible¡­ they weren¡¯t going to combine into a balanced rune. There was a heavy inclination toward spatial affinity in them.

    Probably why Space Runes are so desirable. They¡¯re just so damn useful. Sure, they consume a stupidly high amount of energy and put a lot of strain on the soul, but what¡¯s the point of having a massive soul if I don¡¯t abuse it?

    If I combine the runes now, I know for a fact the combination won¡¯t be at its peak potential. I don¡¯t understand these new runes well enough to truly fuse them. But, even still, a Rank 5 from all Flawless Rank 4 components is going to be very powerful. A lot more powerful than just leaving things as they are right now.

    I just have to make sure the combination is at least average. If it¡¯s too shitty, then the Rune might actually end up worse than the parts that make it up. That would normally be the reason why nobody would be stupid enough to do this, after all.

    Noah¡¯s lips pulled into a thin smile. There would have been a time when he¡¯d have held off for a little longer. Ripping a poorly combined Rank 5 out of his soul, even with Sunder, would cause a fair amount of damage. Spending some time to get to know the new runes would have been a safer bet.

    But from the moment he¡¯d emerged from the Damned Plains to find two members of major families in the Arbalest Empire doing their utmost to kill his students, the game had changed.

    Noah drew in a deep breath. He steadied his mind and soul. Extended his energy to the runes floating around him. Drew them to his front, so they all floated in a glowing pattern before him.

    He reached deep within himself and drew on everything he was. He drew on the joys of teaching his students back on earth. On all the suffering of the line, and the new life that had unfolded itself for him at its end. He focused that knowledge into intent, honed and razor sharp with desire.

    Then he clapped his hands.

    The runes slammed together.

    ***

    ¡°Oh, no. This is quite the fumble. It seems I¡¯ve gone and misplaced my mouth once more,¡± Lorne said, his lips pursed in great displeasure and nose pinched between two fingers. ¡°I must venture to ask if you¡¯ve happened to lay eyes on it?¡±

    There was no response.

    The circular cave room around Lorne was empty. The only disruption in the plain, glossy stone surrounding him was the stone chair in which he sat. That didn¡¯t seem to bother Lorne in the slightest.

    ¡°No,¡± Lorne said with a shake of his head. ¡°No, no. That isn¡¯t right. I¡¯m quite certain I had my mouth a moment ago. I was just speaking with it. It is preposterous to claim that I might have left it back in yesterday.¡±

    A second of silence dragged by. Lorne nodded along to an answer only audible to him, releasing his nose and kicking a leg up on his chair so he could rest his arm on top of it.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure,¡± Lorne said irritably. ¡°And don¡¯t even try to claim it might be waiting for me tomorrow. I haven¡¯t gotten there yet. How could my mouth be there if the rest of me isn¡¯t? I¡¯m beginning to suspect you¡¯re taking me for a fool. You wouldn¡¯t do that to me, would you? Because that would be quite¡ª¡±

    A section of the cave wall ground open with a rumble. Lorne¡¯s words dried up like water in the desert sun as a man stepped into the cave, clad in black robes. Not a single part of his flesh was visible. The man¡¯s hood hung so low over his face that it probably blocked his chances of seeing anything other than the tips of his feet as he walked.  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°Oh, splendid,¡± Lorne said. ¡°Another visitor. I¡¯ve been meaning to ask. Why do you always visit today? There are three days in the week, you know. You could consider coming by on another day. It¡¯s starting to get a little stifling.¡±

    ¡°This is your domain. I may only visit when you allow me to.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m quite certain I allowed you to visit me yesterday.¡±

    ¡°I was present in this location yesterday.¡±

    ¡°No, no.¡± Lorne shook his head firmly. ¡°That was today, but a day ago. I quite vividly remember you visiting on a today, not a yesterday. Nobody ever visits on a yesterday. Or on tomorrow, for that matter. Why is that? Am I the only one with proper manners?¡±

    ¡°Most likely,¡± the man said, bowing his head. ¡°The rest of us are incapable of such things.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s quite all right. I forgive you,¡± Lorne said with a comforting smile. ¡°Now, what was it that you wanted to give me? I¡¯m currently searching for my mouth. I suspect I might have put it somewhere tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I would daresay it is present on your face. Much as it was yesterday.¡±

    Lorne reached up to his lips. Then he frowned and shook his head. ¡°No, no. This isn¡¯t my mouth. It was kind of you to offer your help, but this won¡¯t do at all. If you are visiting to help me find my mouth, then you should know what one looks like.¡±

    ¡°I did not visit to aid in your search. I would not be so presumptuous as to believe myself capable of such a task.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Well, why didn¡¯t you say so? What do you want? Are you ailed?¡±

    ¡°I am not. I come bearing word. The Church of Repose has their insects crawling in our domain. They are still going on about that missive from their goddess that they got many moons ago.¡±

    Lorne clicked his tongue. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so rude. Calling them as such is quite disrespectful. Please conduct yourself politely in my presence.¡±

    ¡°I apologize.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite all right. You are simply uneducated.¡± Lorne rose to his feet and adjusted the beautiful, silken robes that draped his body. ¡°Insects are marvelous creatures. Many of my greatest friends are insects. Have I told you that? I¡¯m sure I have. I will introduce you to one some day. Are you married?¡±

    The man hesitated. ¡°I¡­ yes. Yes, I am. There is no need to perform such an introduction.¡±

    ¡°Truly? As of when? It wasn¡¯t tomorrow, was it?¡±

    ¡°About five seconds ago.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I see. I must have been distracted whilst looking for my mouth. Speaking of which ¡ª¡±

    ¡°The Church of Repose. Stay focused.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. Congratulations to the lovely bride,¡± Lorne said, scratching the back of his neck. ¡°Very nice indeed. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s a kind insect. I¡¯d love to meet her one day. What was it the Church wanted? Did they send another sacrifice?¡±

    ¡°No. They are searching for someone.¡±

    ¡°Your wife?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± Lorne scratched the side of his neck. ¡°Why not? Is your wife not of interest to them? Oh goodness, she must be quite displeased with you. Don¡¯t let her hear you comparing her to the Repose followers.¡±

    The man¡¯s hands twitched at his sides. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, as if trying to gather himself. ¡°Please. Could you focus on the now for a few moments? Repose has sent a Rank 8. They are being meddlesome. If they discover the caves, they may interfere with your work.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Lorne said absently. He waved his hand as if he were trying to flick an insect away from his face. ¡°No need to be snippy. Today will be today. I can assure you that the church has not sent anyone important enough to be twisting up about.¡±

    ¡°Your orders were to come promptly if any potential interferences arrived. You were very insistent upon them.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t recall giving any such orders.¡±

    ¡°It was¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Lorne¡¯s features twisted into a frown. ¡°Yesterday. I remember now. How troublesome. I suppose it would be rather problematic if our work was interrupted. I will politely request that the Church locate their nosey little dogs elsewhere.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I am sure that will ensure our work continues uninterrupted, as per your orders¡ª¡±

    Lorne¡¯s hand shot up as his entire body went as stiff as a rod. The man¡¯s mouth snapped shut.

    The air around Lorne vibrated. Purplish-red energy snapped around him as a dozen images of himself overlaid themselves over his body, sliding into place and vanishing within him in an instant.

    Something in Lorne¡¯s expression shifted. Flickers of red light danced behind his eyes. His head tilted to the side ¡ª and continued to turn until it was nearly entirely upside down.

    He flicked his hand.

    The space between him and the cloaked man collapsed. The stone room abruptly shrunk as a significant portion of it simply ceased to exist. Where there had once been easily five feet of distance between Lorne and the cloaked man, there was now none.

    A ripple of buzzing red energy raced over the cloaked man. His clothes rippled and snapped like they¡¯d been caught in a violent gale. Then they folded in on themselves, peeling away from his body in jerky, unnatural movements.

    Beneath them was nothing but plain skin. The man before Lorne had no eyes. He had no mouth, no nose nor eyes nor ears. There was only featureless flesh.

    ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Lorne asked. His voice had changed. The traces of lilting madness that had lingered in it before were nowhere to be found. It was as if the lost pieces of his mind had been found and pulled back.

    ¡°From the Kingdom of Arbalest. Yes. We feel it,¡± the featureless man replied, even though he had no manner with which to speak.

    ¡°Chaos,¡± Lorne breathed, all other thoughts forgotten. ¡°A scrap of chaos has been born in the world.¡±

 Chapter 620: Rank 5

    Renewal and Decras sat in a room as silent as death. The two of them stared at the shimmering image before them. Their eyes were transfixed on Noah, floating in the darkness of his mindspace.

    They were fixed on the single Rank 5 Rune that shimmered before him.

    The Cumulo beneath Renewal had swallowed about seventy percent of her body. Decras wasn¡¯t faring any better. His body had nearly vanished entirely into the cloudy chair. Neither of them could so much as move. They could barely even breathe. All they could do was stare.

    ¡°Decras,¡± Renwal whispered, forcing herself to speak.

    ¡°You¡¯re letting the Cumulo eat you,¡± Decras said. The dry, jesting tone he attempted to inject his words with didn¡¯t hit the mark. He was just as stunned as Renewal.

    ¡°So are you,¡± Renewal said. She sank an inch deeper and automatically released a burst of power, blowing the chair back so she could rise to her feet. Not for an instant did her eyes leave the scene before her. It had frozen in place, locked on a single scene. She swallowed. ¡°Turn it back on. Why did you pause it?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Decras said. ¡°I used up what connection we had. There¡¯s nothing left. I won¡¯t be able to access it again right now unless I brute force my way in. That¡¯s too great of an intrusion, even for us.¡±

    ¡°Shit.¡± Renewal¡¯s fists tightened at her sides and she took a step toward the scene as if to step right into it. She swallowed heavily. ¡°What the fuck is that, Decras? I need to see more of it.¡±

    Decras rose from his own seat. Like Renewal, his full attention was locked entirely on the image before him.

    ¡°I would say that I¡¯ll get more as Noah continues to use Sunder and deepens the connection between us¡­ but I am unsure as to how long Sunder will remain as an extension of me. He is progressing in a manner that I do not understand. My link to Sunder already fades. It will not be long before it belongs to him in its entirety. What a unique individual. I wouldn¡¯t have thought it possible for his perspective to be so thoroughly changed by the afterlife. How ironic.¡±

    Ironic was the word that Renewal would have used as well. A mortal who had passed through the cleansing of the afterlife with their memories in-tact wasn¡¯t even forbidden by the Order. The mere idea of it was purely ludicrous.

    I suppose, even in the history of the universe, nobody ever thought a mortal would manage to not only drink god blood on their way out of the afterlife, but also get power from a god that would let them repeatedly die for long enough to come to grips with their own mortality without going completely insane.

    ¡°What would Judgement do if she saw this?¡± Renewal breathed.

    ¡°Purge the world, most likely,¡± Decras said.

    ¡°Purge?¡± Renewal¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Surely not. Our purpose is to ensure the natural order and protect the¡­¡±

    She trailed off, her words dying before they could finish their journey from her lips. Decras just arched an eyebrow at her.

    ¡°You can¡¯t truly still believe that.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to believe anymore,¡± Renewal said. ¡°I thought I was doing what had to be done. What¡¯s the truth, then?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡± Decras let out a derisive snort and shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re one of the most creative fighters I¡¯ve met, Renewal. Use some of that creativity to think for yourself instead of looking for an answer from others. There¡¯s a reason I enjoyed fighting you so much. It wasn¡¯t exclusively because of your good looks and shimmering personality.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot easier said than done. I thought I understood the Universe, and now you¡¯re telling me that I don¡¯t have the slightest clue as to how any of it works ¡ª and I believe you. What do I ¡ª wait. What did you just say about my personality?¡±

    ¡°The Order is all rules. The true universe is none. Existence is simply existence,¡± Decras said. He pointedly did not answer Renewal¡¯s second question. ¡°Make of it what you will. Why do you think you haven¡¯t advanced your rank in so long? It¡¯s not because you haven¡¯t been training. Your comprehension is just stifled.¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Renewal¡¯s mind did its best to pull her in three different directions at once. She pressed a hand to her skull, forcefully stilling the voices rattling around within it.

    I am a goddess. Not a little mortal girl with no self-control. There are priorities. I cannot allow myself to be distracted by obvious ribbing. I must remain focused.

    ¡°I believe you might have mentioned my looks as well,¡± Renewal said, her mouth promptly ignoring every single thought that had just passed through her head.

    Decras let out a bark of laughter. ¡°It seems the Order was able to squash you into line, but they couldn¡¯t break your will. But my answer remains the same as it always will be. True learning is done through experience. If you want tutelage, then seek out one of the Fallen that actually comprehend more of what they are doing. And until then, I would be considerably more concerned about this.¡±

    He pointed at the rune in the center of the screen. Renewal¡¯s brain pulsed with another faint prong of pain. It wasn¡¯t that it actually posed her a threat. She was a goddess, and the rune was a Rank 5.

    It wasn¡¯t a threat ¡ª but it was wrong.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Renewal said softly. ¡°Judgement would destroy the entire planet if she discovered that Rune existed.¡±

    ¡°The existence of a Rune like this, especially at such a low rank, is the antithesis of everything that the Order stands for. Judgement would do everything in her power to ensure that Noah can never reach godhood. Even I am uneasy. Comprehending a sliver of the universe, no matter how minuscule, at this rank ¡ª imagine what he will be capable of when he ascends.¡±

    ¡°I think you should be more than just a bit uneasy,¡± Renewal said. ¡°Unless I¡¯m alone in lacking comprehension?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Decras said grimly. ¡°You are not.¡±

    A finger of ice brushed down Renewal¡¯s back.

    Decras¡¯ confirmation only put her even more on edge.

    Renewal had seen many runes in her lifetime. More than most existences could even begin to comprehend. Decras was no different. He had seen so many different variations of runes. He¡¯d even made a race ¡ª flawed as they had been.

    And, in spite of all that experience, the rune immortalized in the image before the two gods was completely foreign.

    Neither of them could read it.

    ***

    Noah¡¯s skull pounded. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was from pain or excitement. His mindspace swam all around him as he fought to keep his balance, squinting through throbbing eyes at the results of his effort.

    What the fuck did I make?

    The Rune before him felt like it squirmed beneath his gaze. Jagged lines turned straight; straight lines twisted and undulated like trapped snakes. The moment his gaze landed on a section of the rune, it changed, desperately doing everything in its power to keep him from reading it.

    Even its color couldn¡¯t seem to settle down. At times, it was a sanguine red. Then it was black and gray and a sickly green. The colors changed like a flitting butterfly, zipping away whenever his eyes tried to get comfortable.

    Is this some sort of uncertainty principle bullshit, where by perceiving the rune I end up changing it? Is that even the uncertainty principle? I really wish I remembered more of physics class.

    Noah gritted his teeth and squinted at the rune. It wriggled free from him. A flicker of frustration lit in his stomach, but he smothered it. No matter how strange the rune was, it was definitely a Rank 5.

    He could feel energy rolling off it in waves. Noah was certain it wasn¡¯t a perfect rune, much less a flawless one, but it was powerful. He was confident the rune was significantly stronger than the sum of its parts.

    Noah took several steps away from the rune so he could get a better look at the entire thing at once. He squinted at it. A wave of queasiness drove into his stomach, but he didn¡¯t let his eyes peel away.

    This was his rune.

    I made you. I know everything that went into you. I might not know some of the components like the back of my hand, but they¡¯re all built off things I have at least a general understanding over.

    This rune is built from the knowledge and experience that make me who I am. I¡¯ll be damned if I can¡¯t fucking read my own goddamn handwriting.

    Noah¡¯s jaw clenched. His eyes watered. A burning sensation built in his upper chest like he¡¯d gotten a bad case of heartburn. He didn¡¯t let it distract him. Noah drove his focus forward like a blade.

    His Master Runes shuddered as he drew deeply on everything he had at his newly made Rank 5. Power thrummed through his soul.

    ¡°Come on,¡± Noah whispered. His teeth throbbed from the intensity of his bite. Pain pricked his palms where his nails bit into it, but his gaze didn¡¯t waver. It remained locked on the rune, demanding the twisting shapes and designs to grind to a halt.

    And they did.

    For the briefest instant, the rune gave in. It surrendered the fight and fell still as it acknowledged its creator.

    And, in that moment, he finally knew his rune¡¯s name.

    Unstable Pandemonium ¡ª Rank 5

 Chapter 621: Zap

    Noah¡¯s eyes snapped open back in the Scorched Acres as he drew in a sharp breath. An imprint of Unstable Pandemonium had burned itself into his irises, dim lines glowing faintly in the air before him even outside of his mindspace.

    He sat on the ground, amidst a small clearing, surrounded by the entirety of his group. Moxie and the others had all returned in the time he¡¯d spent working on his runes and it seemed that they were splitting their attention between introductions and watching him.

    Jitters gripped Noah¡¯s body as he felt his domain twist and fluctuate. There was so much more power in it than he was used to. Keeping the magic contained was like trying to hold a squirming fish in a single hand.

    Energy filled him to the brim. It permeated through his veins and filled his lungs with every breath he took. Every single one of his Body Imbuements had crumbled with the combination of his Runes into Unstable Pandemonium. His tremorsense was gone until he figured out how to remake it ¡ª but, strangely enough, he felt like he could feel more now than he had been able to before.

    The entire world felt more vibrant. More¡­ there. He didn¡¯t know how else to describe it. Every single color was simply more than what it had before. Ash bore new notes in its scent, traces of its history that his nose simply hadn¡¯t been able to pick up before.

    Jalen studied Noah with an intensity that was uncommon to the old mage. He¡¯d picked up on the immense shift to Noah¡¯s domain. His brow went from furrowed to twitching upward; his lips parted in shock.

    ¡°What Runes did you just combine?¡± Jalen asked, staring at Noah in surprise. ¡°Half the Runes you got from the Auction weren¡¯t even your Rank! How did you do that?¡±

    ¡°A man has to have a few secrets, Jalen. It¡¯s how I stay interesting.¡±

    Noah shifted to rise to his feet, only to find himself already standing. His stomach lurched in surprise at his own speed. He staggered, which took him a blurring step to the side and nearly headlong into a tree. Noah managed to right himself an instant before he smashed into it.  Every single motion he made was like he was flooring the gas pedal on a racecar.

    Holy shit. I¡¯m going to have to get used to this. The connection that the Fragment of Self makes between my body and soul got even stronger when I hit Rank 5. I almost feel as fast as¡ª

    ¡°Gods,¡± Moxie said, her eyes going wide. ¡°What was that speed?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re almost as fast as I am!¡± Lee exclaimed. She squinted at Noah. ¡°Did you eat something really good? You smell¡­ spicy.¡±

    I¡¯m not even sure how to take that.

    Noah looked down at his hands. It took considerable effort to keep himself from accidentally smacking himself in the face as he raised them. It wasn¡¯t just that he¡¯d gotten the ability to be faster. He simply was faster.

    I¡¯m not moving at the speed of thought, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m too far from it either. This is ridiculous. I knew getting a Rune of Self imbued into my soul was a huge benefit, but I didn¡¯t expect it to scale this hard either.

    Makes me wonder what¡¯ll happen as Lee and other ¡®fixed¡¯ demons reach higher ranks as well. They¡¯re even more physically inclined than I am. Am I even going to be able to keep track of how fast they can move?

    ¡°What manner of ability is that?¡± Silvertide asked, leaning heavily on his cane. His gaze bore into Noah, a mixture of awe and desire within it. He clearly wanted to say more, but he restrained himself after a glance at Linestra, clearly not wanting to give too much away to the demoness by accident.

    ¡°One that can be taught,¡± Noah replied. He hesitated for a moment. ¡°Probably. It¡¯s not very easy. You¡¯re welcome to sit in on my classes. I¡¯ll be covering it after we all review our Formations.¡±

    ¡°Classes?¡± Linestra repeated. She squinted at Noah in confusion. ¡°I¡­ thought your role as a teacher was a cover for your plans?¡±

    Is that the explanation that Moxie gave her?

    Noah caught Moxie¡¯s eye, and she gave him a slight nod.

    ¡°A cover is worthless if it¡¯s only half-assed,¡± Noah said with a shrug. ¡°And I take the training of those who follow me very seriously. Have you already met my protegees?¡±

    ¡°We have been briefly introduced,¡± Linestra allowed. She sent an uneasy look toward the students, who had all gathered in a small circle. ¡°I cannot get a proper read on your people¡¯s strength. I am unused to being this¡­ unsteady with mortals. They are mortals, are they not?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always found it amusing to hear some demons call humans mortals.¡± Noah scratched his chin. ¡°It implies that you aren¡¯t mortal. That definitely isn¡¯t true. I¡¯ve killed enough demons to know that they die just as well as humans do. But yes, they are human. Most of them are, at least.¡±

    Linestra swallowed and nodded. She didn¡¯t say anything else.

    Noah caught Brayden staring at him. The large man wasn¡¯t doing much to hide it. He chewed the insides of his cheeks, his inquisitive gaze boring into Noah¡¯s head like a drill.

    ¡°Every time I lose track of you, you get stronger,¡± Brayden muttered. ¡°Your domain is stronger than mine. I can feel it. And to think I felt like I was making good progress recently.¡±

    ¡°Whoops. Is it still leaking?¡± Noah focused his thoughts and pulled his domain back to keep it from suppressing everyone else¡¯s magic. ¡°Sorry about that. And I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been making great progress. I¡¯ve just been in a¡­ unique set of circumstances. It¡¯s given me a lot to think about. I¡¯m certain the next few lessons will be quite enlightening.¡±

    ¡°Does this mean it¡¯s time to go back to Arbitage?¡± Isabel asked. ¡°We¡¯ve been hiding in the forest so long that I¡¯m worried we¡¯ll be marked as missing. We haven¡¯t had anyone come looking for us yet, but who knows how long that¡¯ll last.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°I sense some eagerness there,¡± Todd said, a smile pulling across his lips as he poked Isabel in the shoulder. ¡°You want to get back so we can show the asshole that funded Jakob and Verrud that we aren¡¯t running, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not so vain that I¡¯d only be thinking about showing off,¡± Isabel said, crossing her hands in front of her chest. ¡°I want to get back to work. We¡¯ve missed out on so many lessons. I¡¯ve got a lot of things I want to learn.¡±

    ¡°I notice you said only,¡± Todd said slyly.

    Isabel¡¯s lips twitched in a small grin. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that showing off doesn¡¯t hurt, but we aren¡¯t in a situation where I can let myself get too distracted. We don¡¯t know who knows what or what they¡¯ll try next.¡±

    Alexandra nodded. Her expression was deadly serious. ¡°We need to get stronger. Especially me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re plenty strong,¡± Yulin said. She stood together with all of Noah and Moxie¡¯s students. Even though she was Jakob¡¯s former student, it didn¡¯t seem that anyone held a grudge against her.

    That¡¯s good. She¡¯s capable ¡ª not to mention Yulin is the reason that Alexandra showed up in time to back everyone up against Jakob and Verrud. I really don¡¯t have a great grasp on her character, but I trust the kids. If they¡¯re okay with her, then I am too.

    ¡°Yulin is right,¡± James said. ¡°Alexandra, you¡¯re possibly the strongest one out of our whole group. You¡¯ll be back on your feet in no time, no matter what weird training you¡¯re putting yourself through right now.¡±

    Ah. Alexandra must have given them the gist of her being weaker without mentioning exactly what I did to those Body Runes she had stuck in her. Good. I¡¯m confident she¡¯s going to be one of the first ones to figure out how to get a Self-Rune without having to kill yourself to get it. She knows herself well.

    ¡°Taking caution may well be a wise path,¡± Silvertide warned. ¡°Jakob and Verrod did not act on their own. Enough time has passed for their families to have realized what happened. Your victory was well earned¡­ but know that the nobles will take their death as confirmation, Isabel. They will not rest until your rune is theirs.¡±

    ¡°Oh, they¡¯ll rest all right,¡± Noah said, his features going dark. ¡°Just not in the way they¡¯re planning on. It¡¯s time we return to Arbitage. No running. No hiding. We have a lot of training to catch up on. A few greedy noble bastards aren¡¯t going to stop us.¡±

    ¡°If they knew what kind of forces you had, I think they¡¯d bring a whole lot more than a few people the next time around,¡± Brayden said as he cast his gaze around the camp.

    Moxie¡¯s lips twitched up in a cold smile. ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it.¡±

    ¡°Nor do you,¡± Noah said with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ve expanded our recruitment efforts. Has Jalen told you what happened in the auction?¡±

    Moxie shook her head and glared at the Rank 6 mage. ¡°Not most of it. He says he didn¡¯t want to steal the fun bit from you. The new demon you brought along is too scared to do anything without your permission and Lee and Aylin won¡¯t say anything either.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Jalen said.

    ¡°I demand a bribe for information,¡± Lee said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any more food right now,¡± Moxie snapped.

    ¡°Then I don¡¯t have any info. Blame Aylin, not me.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t blame me,¡± Aylin said. ¡°Jalen said he would make me play darts with him if I said anything.¡±

    ¡°That should have been an encouragement!¡± Jalen protested. ¡°I gave you a great reason to tell Moxie what happened! This just proves your intense loyalty to Spider. You chose to give up one of life¡¯s greatest joys ¡ª playing a game of darts with me ¡ª to protect his fun moment.¡±

    Aylin stared at Jalen blankly.

    ¡°You can still play darts with me if you want,¡± Jalen offered.

    ¡°No thank you.¡±

    Jalen sighed. ¡°Brat.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, everyone,¡± Noah said through a chuckle. Moxie didn¡¯t seem too bothered about anything. She¡¯d probably already put together a lot of what happened. And, if Noah was honest, he was glad they hadn¡¯t shared everything. It had been a while since he¡¯d had time alone with her. That was one of the things he was looking forward to the most when they got back to their rooms.

    It''s time to head back. I should also pay a visit to Contessa and Karina. Been a while since I¡¯ve seen them. I wonder if they¡¯re still taking care of Mascot.

    ¡°Oop!¡± Lee said, her eyes darting to the side. ¡°My axe! It¡¯s coming!¡±

    Linestra frowned. ¡°What do you mean? How can an axe¡ª¡±

    A black streak leapt from the trees. Linestra¡¯s eyes went wide and she threw herself to the ground a moment before the massive black axe that Lee had liberated from Axil hurtled through the air, its head making loud, heavy whumps as it spun toward her.

    Lee grabbed the hilt of the weapon with a single hand, spinning in a full circle to spend its momentum and keep it from ripping her arms off. Then she held the weapon aloft before herself. ¡°It came back!¡±

    ¡°It thought you said it would come back slowly, not flying at our heads like a psychopath!¡± Todd exclaimed. ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°That was slow,¡± Lee said as she let the axe lower. Her eyes flicked to the side. ¡°Oh. Monkey.¡±

    Noah didn¡¯t have his tremorsense active anymore. His Domain was contained as well, so he ended up seeing the monster before he felt it.

    A Slasher stood at the edge of the path the axe had just made through the trees, staring at them with its beady black eyes. Saliva dripped from the large teeth that jutted from its mouth and its massive claws hung from gangly arms at its sides.

    It had been a long time since Noah had seen a Slasher. Somehow, they were more intimidating in his memory. This one just looked like a sad, angry monkey.

    ¡°There¡¯s a memory,¡± Noah said, his lips thinning. He still hadn¡¯t forgotten the number of times the monsters had ripped him to shreds. That one was probably going to linger for quite some time. ¡°Allow me.¡±

    The Slasher¡¯s lips peeled back in a snarl. Noah still remembered its attack patterns like he¡¯d seen them yesterday. He didn¡¯t know if the Slasher would even still use them since the Hellreaver was dead ¡ª but he didn¡¯t care to find out.

    Noah met the monster¡¯s eyes.

    He lifted a hand and drew on Unstable Pandemonium.

    A screaming ocean of energy responded. The power was familiar, but at the same time, it wasn¡¯t. It held the combined strength of every rune that had gone into the Rank 5¡­ but there was something new within it.

    Something different.

    Screaming a roar of challenge, the Slasher charged.

    Noah released the magic.

    A sleek bolt of sanguine lightning ripped from his palm. It screamed through the air, zigzagging at odd, abrupt angles, and slammed into the Slasher¡¯s chest.

    In a split instant, the towering monkey folded in on itself. Loud crunches split through the air as it collapsed like a black hole had spawned in its chest, drawn in on itself.

    The once-intimidating Slasher transformed into a spiral of cracking bone and splattering viscera.

    And then it was over. The monster¡¯s mangled body collapsed to the ground, dead long before it ever fell. Sickly blood and pulverized guts dripped from the trees around it and soaked into the burnt ground around the messy pile of its flesh.

    Holy fuck. That was not what I was expecting. What the hell is this rune? I¡¯m going to have to do some testing. Some very, very extensive testing.

    ¡°Oh, that is gruesome,¡± Jalen said. For the briefest second, there was genuine unease in his features. Then it vanished. ¡°What rune was that? I want it.¡±

    Noah let his hand lower. He didn¡¯t let any of his thoughts show on his features. He looked at the bloodied corpse of a Slasher for a long second.

    ¡°Silvertide,¡± Noah said. ¡°When¡¯s the next Advanced Track meeting?¡±

    ¡°Tonight,¡± Silvertide replied, not pulling his eyes away from the dead monster. His skin had gone a shade paler.

    Noah nodded slightly, then turned to Jalen.

    ¡°Open a portal back to Arbitage, please. I believe it is time for Vermil to return from the Damned Plains.¡±

 Chapter 622: Disappoint

    ¡°You want to pop back out in Arbitage? Just like that?¡± Jalen asked, arching an eyebrow at Noah and glancing around the rather full clearing. ¡°With everyone here?¡±

    Noah looked around. Their little group had certainly grown quite a bit since he¡¯d left. With the addition of all the demons to the mix, they certainly made quite the odd gathering. He had no plans of leaving anyone here behind.

    I¡¯ve got the strongest ones augmented with Sticky runes. Only Violet, Edda, Torrick and Vrith are left. Aylin and Yoru are fixed up, and Lee is Lee. After I¡¯ve repaired them all, Inquisitors won¡¯t be a threat to us anymore. They¡¯ll just have to wear something to cover their horns until the right time.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Noah said. ¡°We¡¯ll be able to find somewhere for them to sleep, and I need the backup. My plans are no longer something that can be accomplished by a single man. Everyone here will have a role to play¡­ at least until we¡¯ve dealt with the nobles.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to war,¡± Silvertide said flatly. ¡°Is that what you¡¯re implying?¡±

    ¡°War is such a strong term. I am teaching. It just so happens that there are some people who pose a threat to my students. A good teacher never allows for such things.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mince words with me, Vermil. I know what we¡¯re up against,¡± Silvertide said. He hesitated for a long second before shaking his head. ¡°But I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re capable of. Not anymore. I don¡¯t even know if I know what you really are.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t,¡± Noah said. The corner of his lips twitched. ¡°But if you want me to be forthright, then I will be. I plan to raze every single noble family that comes after Isabel to the ground.¡±

    ¡°Can you really do that? They¡¯ve ruled for hundreds of years, and for good reason. You don¡¯t even have a Rank 6 Soul Domain. How will you be able to protect everyone if you challenge the entire kingdom?¡±

    Huh. Now that he mentions it, I need to test out the new powers a Rank 5 Rune gets me. I¡¯m pretty sure I should be able to manifest my magic without needing a source. I wonder how that would apply to Unstable Pandemonium. I¡¯ll have to do some testing once I get a little alone time when we return to Arbitage. I don¡¯t want to do it with an audience¡­ especially when we¡¯ve got deadlines to meet. There¡¯s an Advanced Track meeting that Spider needs to be making an appearance at.

    ¡°There are ways. I don¡¯t plan to challenge them all yet. I don¡¯t have a death wish,¡± Noah said. Moxie arched an eyebrow at him, which he pointedly ignored. He continued on without gracing her expression with a response. ¡°Things have to be handled one step at a time. But I think you would be deeply surprised to see just how significant the differences in runes can be. The noble families know nothing. They¡¯ve been so content to force the status quo to remain as it was that their powers are waning. That¡¯s what happens when, instead of working together to try and improve your runes, you force artificial scarcity and hide your research.¡±

    ¡°Spider holds even Sievan¡¯s respect,¡± Aylin said. ¡°A group of mortals is no match for him.¡±

    Silvertide¡¯s brow furrowed. Then his lips twisted into a grim smile. ¡°Very well. I will expect to see proof of your true power before I throw my lot in with you entirely. I have a responsibility to my student. I will not put Tyler in danger needlessly. But if what you say is true¡­ then we will stand by you. The kingdom has been rotting from within for a very long time. Perhaps it is time for change.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me,¡± Jalen said. ¡°I¡¯m just here to watch. I¡¯m not doing shit until you start flicking Rank 6 mages in the nose. At that point, I don¡¯t reckon it¡¯ll matter much if I throw my lot in. Everything will have gone to shit anyway.¡±

    ¡°That means you¡¯ll fight by our side when things do go to shit?¡± Moxie asked, raising an eyebrow.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Jalen smiled. ¡°Do you think I would pass up an opportunity to have a little fun? It¡¯s been too long since I¡¯ve tried myself against another Rank 6. I will act when they directly interfere ¡ª but not a second before.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all I need,¡± Noah said. ¡°The portal, then. To my room, if you would. I want to sort out some accommodations before we pay the Advanced Track meeting a visit tonight.¡±

    ¡°With pleasure,¡± Jalen said. His lips pulled into a dangerous smile. ¡°This will be fun.¡±

    He snapped his fingers. Purple energy ripped through the clearing, wrapping around every single person in Jalen¡¯s vicinity. Then, with a crackle, they were gone. A breeze coiled through the Scorched Acres in their passing, leaving behind only the warped corpse of the Slasher that Noah had killed in their wake.

    ***

    Contessa¡¯s head jerked up as a crackle of energy went off outside the door. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as an uneasy chill ran down her spine and made its way along her arms.

    ¡°Karina,¡± Contessa whispered, reaching for her Runes. ¡°Did you feel that?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± the other woman replied in a grim tone. ¡°Space magic. In an Imbued area meant to protect against it. We might have visitors.¡±

    ¡°Took longer than I thought,¡± Contessa said. The two of them rose from the bed in unison. Nobody had come to take Vermil¡¯s room ever since he¡¯d gone missing, but the man had a number of enemies. It was an inevitability that some of them would come snooping around when it became clear he was really dead.

    I don¡¯t know why the school hasn¡¯t forced us out of his room already. Someone must be pulling strings, but it doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t know where else I¡¯d go. I can¡¯t return to the Torrins. Karina can¡¯t go back to the Linwicks. This is our home now.

    ¡°Mascot,¡± Karina whispered. ¡°You ready, buddy?¡±

    The plump white cat glanced up at them from where it had been curled up on the bed. With a yawn, Mascot rose to his feet and stretched himself out. He licked his lips, then hopped onto Contessa¡¯s shoulder and batted at her cheek.

    ¡°Not now, Mascot. I already spent all of Vermil¡¯s paycheck on top-grade fish. We¡¯re out of snacks,¡± Contessa whispered as she took a step toward the door. If someone was looking for a fight, then it was better to get the jump on them.

    Mascot let out a hiss of displeasure.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you some more if you help us out,¡± Karina said in a hushed tone. ¡°But if this is a strong mage, we might need some backup.¡±

    Mascot yawned.

    That was either an assent or a warning that he was about to void his bowels. It tended to be hard to tell, but Contessa was fairly sure it was the former. She wouldn¡¯t claim she could understand the odd cat. That would have been delusion. However, she¡¯d spent so much time with Mascot in recent times that she felt she could generally pick up on the cues Mascot put down.

    Oddly enough, Mascot didn¡¯t seem too bothered today. He normally got pissy whenever someone walked by the door, much less teleported in outside it.

    Then again, he also gets mad when we don¡¯t feed him with half the money we have left. It isn¡¯t a good idea to put too much stake in anything Mascot does. Maybe this is just Ulya visiting with a new puppet she¡¯s been working on.

    Contessa wasn¡¯t about to bet on it, but it was better than the alternative. Anyone with space magic strong enough to teleport right into the T building was going to be quite powerful¡­ and she could hear a number of people in the hallway.

    Gods, did someone bring an army? What in the Damned Plains is happening?

    A knock rang against the door.

    Contessa and Karina exchange a glance.

    Karina nodded.

    Mascot started licking his rear end.

    Contessa grabbed the door handle and pulled it open, preparing to release the magic she¡¯d gathered ¡ª

    Her mouth dropped open and her hand fell limply to her side.

    Before her stood Vermil. Beside him stood Moxie and Silvertide, but that wasn¡¯t all.

    Karina let out a whimper.

    Jalen loomed over Noah, a terrifyingly eager smile twisting his features. And, flanking all of them, was a mass of students and demons.

    What the fuck?

    Mascot licked the side of Contessa¡¯s face.

    ¡°Hello,¡± Vermil said with a wide smile. It didn¡¯t reach his eyes. Something about the man had changed. Contessa had never forgotten the look on his face when she¡¯d threatened his students, but this was different. It was almost alien, like she was staring into the eyes of a force of nature rather than a man.

    A chill gripped her spine.

    Why does it feel like I¡¯m staring into the eyes of death itself?

    ¡°Vermil?¡± Contessa breathed, eyes going wide. ¡°You¡¯re alive?¡±

    ¡°Sorry to disappoint. Did you miss me?¡±

 Chapter 623: A lot

    Contessa stared at Vermil in surprise for nearly a second before she managed to pick her jaw up off the floor. Not a single piece of the scene before her made even the slightest amount of sense.

    Vermil was dead. He had to be. She¡¯d struggled to believe it a while, but it had been so long since he¡¯d vanished during an operation with the Enforcers that there could have been no other solution.

    There had been a small part of her that suspected he¡¯d just cut his ties with the school and ran. But that wasn¡¯t the Vermil that she¡¯d come to know. She knew all too well just how much he cared about his students.

    He¡¯d never have left them in Arbitage voluntarily. Contessa had been certain he¡¯d just end up showing back up at some point, but days had turned to weeks passed since his disappearance and he still hadn¡¯t returned. She¡¯d been forced to admit that there was no way he was anything but dead.

    And now he stood before her, flanked by two of the greatest mages in the kingdom and a small horde of demons.

    Contessa¡¯s ears rang and she reached out for the wall to support herself. She wasn¡¯t deluded enough to think this was some sort of trick or a play by someone with Shift Runes trying to put her off guard.

    Nobody could encapsulate Vermil other than the real one. This was him.

    He¡¯d made it out of the Damned Plains.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look too pleased,¡± Vermil observed as he stepped past her and into the room. He glanced around, then frowned. ¡°Huh. Doesn¡¯t feel like my place much anymore. Have you changed something?¡±

    ¡°We ¡ª we put some decoration up,¡± Contessa said weakly. And, just in case he¡¯d somehow failed to notice, she added, ¡°You have demons with you, Vermil. A lot of them.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± Vermil glanced over his shoulder. ¡°Oh, yes. Don¡¯t worry about them. I picked up some friends in the Damned Plains ¡ª and you¡¯ve met Lee. I¡¯m pretty sure you have. Have you?¡±

    Karina stared in mute shock. She¡¯d still yet to manage to muster up a single word, and Contessa couldn¡¯t blame her. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure she hadn¡¯t somehow gotten stuck in the world¡¯s strangest nightmare.

    ¡°She¡¯s a demon?¡± Contessa asked, aghast. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening. I ¡ª didn¡¯t you die? How did you survive the Damned Plains? You know the school thinks you¡¯re dead, right?¡±

    ¡°Moxie is back too,¡± Karina pointed out somewhat unhelpfully, finally finding her voice.

    ¡°We had a bit of an involuntary vacation,¡± Moxie said. She joined Vermil in entering the room and cast a critical eye over it before giving Contessa a small nod. ¡°I like what you¡¯ve done with the place. N¡ª Vermil is a horrible interior decorator. This place was depressing. You can keep the room, by the way. Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s not going to try to move back in.¡±

    Lee ambled past Vermil and right over to the desk. She pulled a drawer open, plucking a tarp bag of dried jerky that Karina had bought a few days ago in the market. Lee popped the entire bag into her mouth, tarp and all.

    ¡°Can I eat this?¡± Lee asked as she chewed.

    At least she hasn¡¯t changed.

    ¡°I¡­ sure,¡± Contessa said. She flopped down in a chair before she tripped over her own feet and fell on her face. There had been a time when the mere sight of a demon would have probably given her a heart attack.

    Now, she couldn¡¯t even bring herself to be scared. She was just stunned. If there was one thing in the world she could thank Vermil for, it was repeatedly shattering everything she thought possible. Ever since she¡¯d had the misfortune of drawing his ire, he¡¯d managed to execute the impossible.

    She was absolutely certain that Vermil had been responsible for Evergreen¡¯s death. The old woman had put out the order for Moxie¡¯s death and been killed in a supposed usurping no more than a few days later.

    He has to be some form of Linwick agent intentionally sabotaging his public image to go undercover¡­ but frankly, I don¡¯t care anymore. I just can¡¯t bring myself to. The best thing that happened to me was him killing Evergreen. Maybe he¡¯s even a demon himself. I don¡¯t know.

    In the end, it struck Contessa that she didn¡¯t care. Vermil was back. That meant two things.

    First, she would probably get to keep her room.

    Second, somebody was going to die.

    Nobody brought a horde of demons with them because they thought that horns were the new fashionable style.

    ¡°My chin itches,¡± one of the demons ¡ª one who notably had no arms ¡ª said. She had long, silver hair that wrapped around her neck several times like a scarf.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help!¡± A tiny female demon that strongly resembled a child said, reaching up to aid the former demon.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°The soup we had for breakfast may have been bad,¡± Karina said. She pinched the bridge of her nose and supported herself against the back of the chair Contessa sat in. ¡°Are you also seeing this? Should we call for Richard?¡±

    ¡°Richard is dead,¡± Contessa said. ¡°And yes. I am also watching this.¡±

    ¡°Oh, cheer up,¡± Jalen said. He clapped Contessa on the shoulder. ¡°Say, do you think we could fit a few of our friends into this room? That bed has room for a few more. We could stack you up on top of each other. You don¡¯t have any problems with demons, do you?¡±

    ¡°Demons. No. I love demons,¡± Contessa said, no emotion left to muster up. ¡°They¡¯re my favorite.¡±

    ¡°Leave them alone,¡± Moxie said with a roll of her eyes. ¡°Nobody here wants to be stuffed into a small room. Contessa and Karina are enough, and I doubt Mascot would much appreciate his personal space getting invaded.¡±

    The cat nodded sagely. That was a rather impressive feat, considering he was still cleaning his rear end.

    ¡°Bah. You figure out where to stuff a bunch of demons, then,¡± Jalen said. ¡°We can¡¯t just parade them around the school, you know.¡±

    ¡°¡­why do you have a bunch of demons with you?¡± Karina asked.

    ¡°Oh, you know.¡± Vermil waved his hand dismissively. ¡°It kind of just happened.¡±

    Karina gave him a look that said very much that she did not know. She was also smart enough not to press the topic further. There were some things that simply weren¡¯t worth seeking the answers over.

    ¡°To business,¡± Vermil said after the rest of the demons had filed into the room. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to kick the two of you out, but I do need to figure out where I can house a bunch of demons for a little while. They¡¯re very polite. No need to worry about them.¡±

    Lee nodded empathetically, her mouth still full of jerky.

    ¡°How long?¡± Contessa asked.

    ¡°Indeterminate. I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve got any ideas? I¡¯m on a bit of a tight schedule. Oh, I¡¯ve also got to get my hands on a mask. There¡¯s a meeting I need to get ready for tonight.¡±

    He¡¯s definitely killing someone.

    ¡°I can do that!¡± Todd volunteered. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡±

    Why are you so excited about helping with a murder? And what in the Damned Plains is wrong with Vermil¡¯s students? Why are they completely comfortable when they¡¯re surrounded by demons? And¡­

    Wait. Isn¡¯t that Yulin? Jakob¡¯s student?

    Jakob went missing during the exam. Why is she with Vermil?

    Contessa¡¯s mind pulled every puzzle piece before her together against her will, painting a number of different pictures. Not one of them was one she wanted to think about. The consequences were just too significant.

    Yeah. I¡¯m done with that. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on here and I don¡¯t want to know. The farther away I stay from the Linwicks and the Torrins, the better my life is. I¡¯m more than content just staying here and taking care of Mascot.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to look into some places that would be more suitable,¡± Contessa offered.

    ¡°We spent all your money on cat food,¡± Karina said.

    ¡°Why would you say that now?¡± Contessa hissed.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Karina said, wincing. ¡°I was nervous.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t really care. Just keep Mascot happy and you can keep the room,¡± Noah said with a wave of his hand. ¡°But would you mind letting me deposit my friends here for a little while? Just for the day. I don¡¯t want them getting spotted before we find more permanent lodgings.¡±

    ¡°Any property of Spider¡¯s will receive utmost respect from us,¡± a male demon promised, pressing a hand to his chest. ¡°Though I cannot take responsibility for anything that Lee eats.¡±

    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s your room,¡± Contessa said. She found herself too tired to bother with any protests. ¡°I¡¯m not going to say otherwise. It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Contessa.¡±

    ¡°She used to be my handler,¡± Moxie provided. ¡°Now she takes care of Mascot.¡±

    ¡°A grand job,¡± the male demon said, his eyes widening in what appeared to be¡­ respect?

    He¡¯s impressed that I¡¯m a cat handler? Why?

    ¡°You have been given a great honor,¡± the armless demon said. ¡°My name is Yoru.¡±

    ¡°I am Aylin. I apologize in advance for any inadvertent bites I take from your soul. I have been practicing control, but I have much to learn,¡± the male beside her said. He nodded to the two small demons. ¡°These are Torick and Edda.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Lee,¡± Lee said.

    ¡°And I am Violet,¡± one of the female demons said. She nodded to a black-furred demon standing beside her. ¡°This is Vrith. She doesn¡¯t talk much.¡±

    Vrith stared at them and made no move to prove Violet¡¯s words wrong.

    ¡°Great. Good introductions,¡± Vermil said, clapping his hands together. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll all get on splendid.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s that leg treating you?¡± Jalen asked Karina.

    ¡°Stop that,¡± Vermil said, flicking the Rank 6 mage in the forehead like he was a petulant child.

    Contessa¡¯s eyes widened. She scrunched down in her seat, preparing to get flattened by a wall of force as Jalen released his domain, but the impossibly powerful mage just cackled like a deranged old man.

    ¡°Let a man have some fun. It was a perfectly normal question. I did make her that leg, after all.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s suffered enough. There¡¯s no need to be needlessly cruel,¡± Vermil said. His eyes darkened as he looked back to Karina. ¡°We can save the malice for the nobles who think they can take what does not belong to them.¡±

    Yep. He¡¯s definitely killing someone tonight. Why did he have to make it so obvious? I don¡¯t want to be an accomplice!

    ¡°Wait. So you¡¯re just leaving the demons here?¡± Karina asked.

    ¡°Is there a problem with that?¡± Moxie asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Karina said, finally shaking off her stunned disbelief and managing to find proper words. ¡°This is not a good time. Ulya is¡ª¡±

    The door, which nobody had locked, swung open.

    A woman stood on the other side, two large bottles of alcohol tucked under each arm, flanked by a hooded puppet bearing a picnic basket in its hands. The advanced track professor stood on one foot, having used the other to push the door.

    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late!¡± Ulya said. ¡°I got side¡­¡±

    She trailed off, leaving her mouth hanging open mid-word as everyone turned to look at her.

    ¡°Well, this is convenient. I was planning on paying you a visit before tonight. Hullo,¡± Vermil said. ¡°How are the puppet repairs coming on?¡±

    One of the bottles of wine slipped from Ulya¡¯s hand. Her puppet caught it, but she didn¡¯t even seem to notice. She just stared at Vermil in slack-jawed disbelief.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting the feeling you might be getting this a lot,¡± Moxie said.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Ulya breathed. ¡°You¡¯re alive?¡±

 Chapter 624: Show

    ¡°You know, I swear I¡¯ve had this conversation already. I think I¡¯m getting d¨¦j¨¤ vu,¡± Noah said, pursing his lips. He glanced at Moxie. ¡°I have, haven¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re going to be having it a lot,¡± Moxie said dryly. ¡°People tend to be surprised when someone comes back from the dead.¡±

    ¡°They really shouldn¡¯t,¡± Noah said.

    After all, I do it all the time.

    Ulya stared at him, slack jawed, barely maintaining her grip on the second bottle of wine in her hands. Her puppet was doing a remarkable job of balancing both her picnic basket and the other bottle she¡¯d lost.

    Well, it looks like she¡¯s definitely made those upgrades. Glad she was able to get back on her feet after her other puppets got screwed up in the fight between Silvertide and Wizen. Out of all the teachers in the Advanced Track, she was one of the few that¡¯s generally on our side.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Ulya said. ¡°You were pulled into the Damned Plains by Wizen. I heard the reports. Silvertide himself confirmed it. How are you here?¡±

    Silvertide cleared his throat. ¡°It seems that my findings were partially incorrect. He did fall into the Damned Plains, but it seems Vermil did not die.¡±

    Ulya froze. She stared at Silvertide, not having seen him in the mass of people in the room, then pressed a hand to her forehead. ¡°Silvertide? What is happening? None of this makes any sense. How could Vermil be alive?¡±

    ¡°Come on, Ulya. You¡¯re intelligent enough to know the answer to this question. Two people enter, one person leaves. What do you reckon happened?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re implying that you beat Wizen? The mage that was strong enough to take on the entirety of Arbitage¡¯s Enforcers and emerge victorious? And you defeated him ¡ª in the Damned Plains, no less?¡±

    If we¡¯re being really technical about things, then yes. Wizen definitely wasn¡¯t planning on leaving the afterlife alive, but I did convince him to end it earlier to save Sticky instead of looking for his daughter. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d normally want to go around bragging about having convinced someone to kill themselves. That¡¯s just bad taste. Moxie might be right, I do have a problem.

    ¡°I¡¯m alive. He isn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°He speaks the truth,¡± Aylin said.

    Ulya glanced to him.

    The second bottle of wine slipped from her hands. This time, her puppet didn¡¯t have any way to catch it. It shattered against the ground as Ulya¡¯s eyes went as wide as saucers. She took a step back.

    Moxie flicked a hand. A vine erupted out from within a sleeve and sliced through the air, binding around Ulya¡¯s mouth, cutting off the other woman¡¯s scream an instant before it could even start.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not bring the entirety of the T building down on our heads, shall we?¡± Moxie asked. ¡°Seriously. You¡¯re a Rank 4 mage. Carry yourself like one.¡±

    Ulya clawed at the vine with one hand and thrust a panicked finger in the direction of the demons with the other, as if Moxie had somehow managed to miss the fact that half the room was sporting horns.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Moxie said patiently. ¡°Demons. I know. They¡¯re friendly.¡±

    ¡°Honestly,¡± Emily said, shaking her head. ¡°You were staring at Vermil for like five seconds. If it takes you that long to notice a horde of demons standing right next to him, then they would have already killed you if they were planning on it. Do better.¡±

    Somehow, getting scolded by Emily seemed considerably more effective than Moxie¡¯s assurances. Ulya¡¯s eyes narrowed and she pulled at Moxie¡¯s vine again. It unwound from her mouth, letting her speak again.

    ¡°Is this meant to be some kind of joke? A setup?¡± Ulya asked.

    Moxie¡¯s vine slowly snaked around Ulya¡¯s back. The professor barely even reacted as it pulled her inside the room. Her puppet followed obediently after her, not even reacting as the vine released Ulya and reached over to the door to close it. The vine then twisted the lock to ensure they wouldn¡¯t get any more surprise visitors.

    ¡°I¡¯m not nearly this funny,¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s all real.¡±

    ¡°You escaped the Damned Plains.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°With a horde of demons.¡±

    ¡°Also correct.¡±

    ¡°And they¡¯re¡­ tame?¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t wild animals,¡± Noah said. ¡°And they also aren¡¯t deaf.¡±

    ¡°She tastes scared,¡± Aylin said. ¡°I would not take any offense to what she says right now. Her mind is in a state of panic. I suspect she may start crying.¡±

    ¡°I most certainly will not,¡± Ulya snapped, glaring at Aylin. ¡°I am a researcher in the Advanced Track at Arbitage. I am not some shivering schoolgirl.¡±

    ¡°Boo,¡± Lee said.

    Everyone stared at her.

    ¡°What?¡± Lee asked. ¡°I wanted to see if she would cry.¡±

    ¡°You ¡ª wait.¡± Ulya squinted at Lee. Then she cursed under her breath. ¡°I know you. You didn¡¯t have horns before. You¡¯re a demon?¡±

    ¡°Yup. Does this mean you aren¡¯t going to cry?¡±

    ¡°I am not going to cry!¡±

    ¡°Can I have your snacks, then? Your puppet isn¡¯t eating them.¡±

    ¡°You cannot,¡± Ulya snapped.

    Her earlier fear had partially evaporated, largely due to the sheer incredulity that had sprung up at Lee¡¯s questions. Noah couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that had been completely intentional. It was difficult to tell what Lee was thinking, but she was far more perceptive than most people gave her credit for.

    ¡°You did show up at a good time, though,¡± Noah said, trying to steer the conversation back in a constructive direction. ¡°See, I need to pay a visit to the Advanced Track. There have been some people in it involved in some things I¡¯m not all too happy with. You see, I take it quite poorly when someone endangers my students.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Ulya¡¯s eyes focused on Noah ¡ª and realization bubbled to life within them.

    ¡°When did you get back?¡± Ulya asked.

    ¡°Recently.¡±

    ¡°Jakob and Verrud. They vanished during the exam and the Enforcers are still trying to figure out what happened.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t see anything,¡± Todd put in.

    ¡°Nor did I,¡± Yulin said, raising her voice and squeezing through the crowd of demons so Ulya could see her. ¡°It must have been a freak accident.¡±

    ¡°I ¡ª oh, fuck off. How many people do you have packed into this room? Yulin is with you now? Did you steal Jakob¡¯s student?¡±

    ¡°I did nothing of the sort,¡± Noah replied. ¡°She simply requested to join my class and I obliged.¡±

    ¡°You killed Jakob and Verrud,¡± Ulya said flatly. ¡°Marley too.¡±

    ¡°I believe I made it very clear that I would tolerate no threats to my students. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re bothered about this. Two professors collaborated to murder innocent students. Are you really implying that¡¯s entirely fine with you?¡±

    ¡°Of course it isn¡¯t,¡± Ulya said. ¡°I don¡¯t care about them. I¡¯m more concerned with how you ¡ª a Rank 3 according to Arbitage ¡ª has killed Jakob, Verrud, and apparently, Wizen!¡±

    ¡°The power of friendship?¡± Noah offered.

    Ulya stared at him.

    ¡°Arbitage¡¯s records are outdated,¡± Moxie said, shooting Noah a glare that said not to mess with Ulya too much. ¡°Vermil is not a rank 3. He¡¯s a Rank 5.¡±

    ¡°Which I¡¯ll be reporting very shortly. I¡¯m certain the Office will be timely with my update in status,¡± Noah said. ¡°But I can¡¯t be held responsible for their incompetence. Look, Ulya. I know this is a lot to take in ¡ª but I trust our old deal should be more than sufficient to grease the gears.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Noah removed the massive grimoire from his back and thunked the book down on the ground before him. He flipped it open.

    She still needs Runes, and I need backup. As much as I¡¯d love to take out every single noble gunning for Isabel¡¯s Soul Master Rune on my own, there are just too many of them. The more people on my side, the better.

    A few strong runes for her puppets ought to change her mind real fast.

    ¡°This,¡± Noah said.

    Ulya stared at him. She looked a little more confused than impressed, though here might have been a small flicker of interest somewhere within her expression.

    That certainly wasn¡¯t the response I was expecting.

    ¡°What?¡± Noah asked.

    ¡°That is a picture of a fat man wearing skimpy clothes,¡± Aylin kindly informed Noah.

    He looked down at the pages of the grimoire.

    Aylin had not been lying. There was a rather impressive sketch of a well fed man who seemed to have found his way into a set of clothes that fit him, if only barely.

    At least he isn¡¯t naked.

    ¡°You twisted little shit,¡± Noah snapped. ¡°Show her the runes or I¡¯m not feeding you for a week.¡±

    The Grimoire¡¯s pages rippled. Ulya¡¯s eyes went wide.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°Runes,¡± Noah replied, checking the pages once more before speaking. ¡°I¡¯ve got a number of them. I¡¯ll warn you that Demon Runes tend to be¡­ flawed, but I¡¯d imagine they¡¯d serve quite well if used for fuel in making puppets.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this,¡± Ulya breathed. ¡°I can¡¯t read them at all. Can you?¡±

    Noah waggled a hand in the air. ¡°Not really, but the demons can.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re willing to sell these?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to give them to you,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Gold is nice, but it isn¡¯t what I¡¯m looking for right now. What I need is loyalty.¡±

    Ulya¡¯s head tilted to the side and she pulled her gaze away from the runes to meet Noah¡¯s eyes. ¡°That¡¯s the kind of line that someone preparing for some real shit gives. What are you planning?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that isn¡¯t how the deal works. You¡¯re going to have to decide if the risk is worth it before you throw your lot in.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a very favorable deal to me.¡±

    ¡°There are a select few people in this plane who have access to Demon Runes,¡± Noah said. He gestured to the demons around them. ¡°And even fewer who have direct access to demons that will help them understand what it is they¡¯re working with. No offer is without drawbacks. You can decide if it¡¯s worth it or not.¡±

    Ulya glanced at the hooded puppet standing behind her. Her hands tightened at her sides before she let out a curt breath and gave him a sharp nod. ¡°I joined the Advanced Track to get research opportunities. I wasn¡¯t expecting to play all the politics I got wrapped up in. That¡¯s on me ¡ª but this is a lot more than anything the Advanced Track can offer. If you can get me opportunities like this, then consider me swayed. I¡¯m in.¡±

    ¡°Joining Spider¡¯s encourage is the wisest decision you can make,¡± Aylin said. ¡°You have chosen the path of inevitable victory.¡±

    ¡°Spider? Wait. Wasn¡¯t that your mentor?¡± Ulya asked with a frown. ¡°Are you saying that¡­¡±

    ¡°I have a bit of a lying problem. I may have a few more names than you thought.¡±

    Ulya stared at him. ¡°I ¡ª what? But¡­ how?¡±

    Noah just gave her a grin.

    ¡°Better keep that name under wraps for the time being,¡± he said to Aylin. ¡°Don¡¯t need the wrong people getting wind of it too early. It¡¯ll make it harder to bait out the people I need to kill.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Aylin said.

    ¡°The people you need to kill?¡± Ulya repeated. ¡°Are you going after Verrud and Jakob¡¯s superiors?¡±

    ¡°Among everyone else that is trying to take what doesn¡¯t belong to them. I¡¯d start thinking on what kind of runes you want for your puppet,¡± Noah advised. ¡°Because you¡¯re going to need them soon. I¡¯ll be using all the resources at my disposal.¡±

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Ulya said. ¡°When you say everyone else¡­ nobles are greedy. You can¡¯t mean¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ulya,¡± Noah said softly, closing the grimoire and holding her gaze with his own. ¡°I will rip this kingdom apart at the seams if they think they can come after my students.¡±

    The front of the grimoire writhed. Its eye snapped open, swiveling around the room. Contessa let out something between a disgusted gagging noise and a whimper as its attention passed over her before landing on Ulya.

    Its excited. Not sure if that¡¯s a good thing or not, but I¡¯m beyond the point of caring. I¡¯ll feed it to its hearts content as long as it stays on my side and doesn¡¯t eat anything too important.

    Ulya¡¯s features paled.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that sound fun?¡± Jalen asked, rubbing his hands together. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen the kingdom in proper chaos in hundreds of years. I might go on a bender.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re all insane,¡± Ulya said.

    ¡°My mental faculties are entirely intact,¡± Aylin said.

    ¡°As are mine,¡± Yoru said softly. ¡°More than they ever have been.¡±

    ¡°Unlike your arms,¡± Lee said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be mean, Lee,¡± Violet said.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. She¡¯ll have new ones soon enough,¡± Lee said cheerfully. ¡°It¡¯s important to look on the bright side of life.¡±

    ¡°I will?¡± Yoru asked.

    Lee nodded empathetically. ¡°Of course you will. We can steal somebody¡¯s and stick them on if you can¡¯t find any of your own.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how it works,¡± Todd said.

    ¡°Have you ever tried it before?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then how do you know?¡± Lee arched an eyebrow as if she¡¯d just found a massive logical hole in his argument. ¡°You don¡¯t know until you try.¡±

    Ulya ran a hand through her hair. She reached out to the glass of wine her puppet held, popped the cork off with a thumb, and took a long swig straight from the bottle.

    ¡°What did I just sign up for?¡± Ulya asked.

    ¡°A fun time,¡± Jalen said.

    ¡°An opportunity to get stronger,¡± Moxie offered.

    ¡°Treason against the noble families,¡± Karina said.

    ¡°War,¡± Noah said. ¡°And I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be needing your services immediately. I need you to help prepare things for me tonight.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± Ulya asked with trepidation.

    ¡°I want you to spread word that a demon by the name of Spider will be making an appearance at the Advanced Track meeting tonight along with me.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you Spider?¡±

    Noah smiled. ¡°Fortunately, we have someone here who¡¯s quite adept at shifting their form. Isn¡¯t that right, Karina?¡±

    Karina¡¯s face paled.

    ¡°Would you believe me if I said I can¡¯t do that anymore?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Shit,¡± Karina said.

    Jalen¡¯s grin stretched until it covered his entire face and he let out a cackle of laughter. ¡°This is going to be a shitshow. I can¡¯t wait.¡±

 Chapter 625: Returning

    With the worst of the surprises done for the day, the group was left with no choice but to do the most agonizing, gut-wrenching activity known to man. They had to do proper introductions.

    It was painfully awkward to say the least. The vast majority of the demons that Noah had brought from the Damned Plains wouldn¡¯t know decorum if it hit them upside the head. For that matter, the demon that he¡¯d brought from the mortal realm to the Damned Plains was probably the worst of them all.

    Noah watched as Lee edged her way through the room, slowly and steadily making her way closer to the puppet bearing Ulya¡¯s picnic basket and wine. She was definitely both fast and sneaky enough to just steal it before anyone could even react if she chose to.

    She did not choose to. It seemed that she found the hunt considerably more enjoyable than the actual victory. Unfortunately, it also seemed that Lee didn¡¯t think people could see her if she moved slowly enough.

    There wasn¡¯t a single person in the room that wasn¡¯t aware of her gradually approaching the puppet. Nobody said a word about it. They just focused on their incredibly awkward introductions. There were some things that were just best left untouched.

    The situation wasn¡¯t helped by the fact that Noah¡¯s room was not really meant to house this many people. A few was no problem ¡ª teachers had rather spacious quarters ¡ª but there was a literal horde of demons packed in with the teachers, students, and clingers-on.

    At least everyone seems to be largely getting along. No massive rifts despite the whole demon thing. That¡¯s all I really need. I can¡¯t have everyone at each other¡¯s throats or terrified because they think they¡¯re going to get ripped open by a psychopathic demon.

    That¡¯s not who these demons are.

    Well, maybe Vrith, but I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯ll be fine.

    Moxie poked Noah in the side with her elbow. Noah pulled his attention away from Lee, who was extending a finger to try and hook the basket from the puppet¡¯s hands, and looked to her.

    ¡°What exactly is your plan for the Advanced Track meeting?¡± Moxie asked. ¡°If Spider makes an appearance, we¡¯re going to call the Inquisition down on Arbitage.¡±

    ¡°Most likely, yes.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we be under suspicion in that case? After all, we pretended that Spider was your mentor back at that other Advanced Track Meeting we went to,¡± Moxie said with a frown. ¡°Is calling the Inquisition down on our own heads a good idea?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I want to call them in. They know who Spider is already. I made an appearance before, and it wouldn¡¯t have been long before they came investigating us once it becomes known that I¡¯ve come back to Arbitage,¡± Noah said with a shrug. ¡°If I take control of the narrative, it¡¯ll be much easier to work around things. I want them focused on Spider rather than us¡­ and I think I¡¯ve already planted the seeds of interest. That female Inquisitor, Fuyin, she was interested in figuring out what I had to offer. She definitely survived the explosion, and I think she¡¯ll come looking for information. Then all I have to do is direct her toward the nobles.¡±

    ¡°You want to set the Inquisitors against the noble houses?¡±

    Noah grinned. ¡°Can¡¯t be too hard. Father couldn¡¯t have been the only one summoning demons. Once news of my return gets out, it won¡¯t be that hard for the people behind Jakob and Verrud to start putting all the pieces together. They¡¯ll realize that Isabel was the one they were after, and that I¡¯m likely the reason those bastards are dead. I don¡¯t know how they¡¯d react to that. Maybe they¡¯d be sneaky, or maybe they¡¯d just send their full force at us right off the bat.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ll keep them occupied by directing the Inquisition at them. That won¡¯t last if they¡¯re not actually summoning demons¡­ and our enemies might not be the whole house, but just portions of it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s far from a perfect solution, but it¡¯ll buy us at least a little time, and it serves a second purpose as well.¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Jalen stepped up behind them, a huge grin splitting his features. ¡°It gets word out that there¡¯s someone strong enough to not just defy the Inquisition, but also survive it. One that the other demons on the Mortal Plane will rally behind when word gets out.¡±

    Noah nodded. ¡°Not just demons. Anyone who wants power. Rumor about the auction will be out already. When it becomes clear that Spider isn¡¯t just helping demons but humans as well¡­ people will come to us.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re repeating what we did in the Damned Plains,¡± Moxie said. ¡°But I suppose you¡¯re actually planning to use it this time around. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to get lucky enough to have a run in with the head of the King Family that just makes them call off the whole thing.¡±

    ¡°Even if we did, I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s our goal,¡± Noah said slowly. ¡°This isn¡¯t just about getting the noble families to back off. Everyone that thinks they can take Isabel¡¯s Rune¡­ I don¡¯t want them hiding and biding their time. I wantthem to play their hands. Just not all at once. There¡¯s only so much I can do, after all. Fortunately, every interaction I¡¯ve ever had with nobles proves that they always play things safe. They¡¯re scared. The only time they act is when they think victory is guaranteed.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re planning to get them off guard to buy you time,¡± Jalen theorized.

    ¡°Seems sound enough as long as you don¡¯t make yourself such a huge target that every family has no choice but to act,¡± Moxie said. She arched an eyebrow. ¡°Though that seems like it very well may happen at this rate.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Noah said. A small grin flickered across his lips. ¡°Which is why we¡¯ll need more than just Spider. The enemy of your enemy is your friend. I need them off guard.¡±

    Moxie blinked. Then realization flickered behind her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re going to give them a bigger enemy?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of bullshit,¡± Jalen said. ¡°I love it. What¡¯s going to be a bigger threat than Spider, though?¡±

    ¡°Still working on that,¡± Noah admitted. ¡°But it¡¯ll come to me. I¡¯m open to suggestions.¡±

    ¡°If you do this, even if the enemy isn¡¯t ¡®Spider¡¯, you realize you¡¯re planning to start a fight with every single major family in the kingdom, right?¡± Jalen asked. ¡°They might think it¡¯s some new enemy Spider is helping them against, but the fact holds true. Even members of the Linwicks will be at your throat.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more than aware. You¡¯ve already made it clear you aren¡¯t too bothered about that prospect.¡±

    ¡°Oh, not in the slightest. I¡¯m curious to see if things will go as you¡¯re predicting.¡±

    ¡°Probably not,¡± Noah admitted. ¡°I fully expect things to go to shit when the ball finally drops.¡±

    ¡°And what then?¡± Moxie asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Because with the amount of chaos the whole empire is going to get plunged into if things go as you say¡­¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be much of a place left to live,¡± Noah said with a nod. ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re planning on leaving,¡± Jalen realized. ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°To somewhere where my students can learn without worrying about someone putting a blade through their back to steal what belongs to them,¡± Noah replied with a shake of his head. He wasn¡¯t going to pack his bags anytime soon. There was still too much to do in Arbitage. Too much to learn ¡ª but he had no doubt in his mind that there was only so much growth that could happen in a kingdom where everyone fought to keep information from each other. ¡°But that¡¯s something to worry about another time. I¡¯ve got more to do before the meeting tonight.¡±

    ¡°Getting your disguise together?¡± Jalen guessed.

    ¡°No,¡± Noah replied. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Key. Sticky had returned it to him back in the Scorched Acres so she wouldn¡¯t lose it by accident. It was mildly amusing to think that half the reason he¡¯d ever landed in the Damned Plains was because he¡¯d been trying to retrieve this. ¡°I¡¯ve got to return something.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re giving Arbitage back the Key?¡± Moxie¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°Is it still capable of opening a portal to the Damned Plains?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. That red energy that used to be in it is gone. Sticky spent it all getting us back to the mortal plane. It just feels like a key now.¡± Even as Noah spoke, a small frown tugged at the corners of his lips.

    The red energy was indeed gone ¡ª but he hadn¡¯t forgotten what it had looked like. It had been strange magic, of a variety he¡¯d never seen before¡­ up until he¡¯d created his most recent Rank 5 Rune.

    Is it possible this key had something to do with that Orlen person? Could it have been his magic that enabled Wizen to rip a portal into the Damned Plains? But why? What the hell does he want? He¡¯s also helped a bunch of demons for seemingly no reason.

    Noah¡¯s gaze drifted to Linestra. She was sitting toward the corner of her room, doing her best to avoid drawing too much attention to herself.

    She didn¡¯t know anything, and Aylin confirmed that she wasn¡¯t lying. The nobles are a problem I can focus on. But Orlen¡­ he puts me on edge. I don¡¯t know what his goals are, but I¡¯ve definitely fucked with them by accident. Twice now, actually.

    Oops.

    ¡°But why give it back to Arbitage? I wasn¡¯t under the impression you were that loyal,¡± Jalen said. ¡°You could at least¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not Arbitage I¡¯m returning this to,¡± Noah said. He slid the key back into his pocket. ¡°I¡¯m giving it back to an old friend.¡±

 Chapter 626: Timcident

    Noah found Tim in the Transport Cannon. That was equal parts entirely surprising and expected. There hadn¡¯t been any line leading up to the cannon. The last time he¡¯d been to the cannon, there had been a number of Space Mages working together to keep it active for emergency operations. Now, it had been completely abandoned in the absence of the artifact that powered it.

    When Noah got to the top of the tall, slightly perilous building, he found that more than just the popularity of the cannon had changed. It looked nothing like what it once had.

    Papers covered the walls from floor to ceiling. They were covered with scribblings and designs that made about as much sense to Noah as a Demon Rune did to a normal mage. Stacks of books teetered on the edge, moments away from crashing to the ground yet hanging on desperately to life.

    The smell of still-drying ink hung in the air and static electricity prickled against Noah¡¯s skin. And in the center of it all, his expression shifting in shock, was Tim. The old man¡¯s hair had grown considerably since they¡¯d last met, forming a beard that would have given Santa Claus a solid run for his money. Tim held a cup of tea with two fingers. His other hand held a quill that was midway through a sentence upon a paper pinned to the wall. Ink dripped, marring his work, as he stared at Noah in disbelief.

    ¡°Vermil?¡± Tim breathed. His hand lowered, his quill leaving a long line of ink on the paper he¡¯d been working on. ¡°Is that you?¡±

    ¡°You really got to fix the settings on this thing,¡± Noah said with a wry smile. ¡°I think it forgot to summon me back.¡±

    ¡°It is you!¡± Tim let out a delighted laugh and strode over to Noah, flinging his arms around him in a friendly hug. ¡°Gods, Vermil! I thought you were dead! The Enforcers said you fell into the Damned Plains!¡±

    Noah couldn¡¯t help himself from grinning. He returned Tim¡¯s hug and patted the old man on the back. ¡°The rumors of my demise were entirely accurate. I can¡¯t recommend the Damned Plains as a vacation spot, but it has its charm.¡±

    Tim took a step back. He grabbed Noah by the shoulders and studied his features intently. ¡°You mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was actually there.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°I made it out.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Tim blinked heavily. ¡°That should have been impossible. The amount of power needed to breach the barrier between the planes permanently¡­ did someone open a path from you from our side? It shouldn¡¯t have been possible to open one from your end. You would need¡­¡±

    ¡°An artifact of immense power,¡± Noah finished, pulling the key out from his pocket.

    Tim¡¯s eyes went as wide as saucers. ¡°You got it back. But didn¡¯t Wizen get it? How¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wizen is dead. He and I had a chat, and he realized that he didn¡¯t need to hold onto this thing anymore,¡± Noah said. He held the key out to Tim. ¡°We both decided it would be in better hands here.¡±

    ¡°I ¡ª you¡¯re giving it to me?¡± Tim asked. He took a step back and shook his head firmly. ¡°Oh, no. Thank you Vermil, but the risk is too great. That item is far too powerful. The Cannon isn¡¯t worth keeping active. As much as I love it, we¡¯ve seen what people will do to get their hands on power.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. The power that Wizen used to rip open a portal to the Damned Plains is completely spent. This isn¡¯t as powerful as it was before,¡± Noah said. He waved the key. ¡°And if you don¡¯t take it, I¡¯m throwing it away.¡±

    ¡°Throwing it away?¡± Tim exclaimed, his eyes flashing in disbelief. ¡°This is a treasure! An artifact from a lost age, Vermil! It must be kept and protected!¡±

    ¡°And who better to do that than someone who actually understands what it does?¡± Noah arched an eyebrow. ¡°Arbitage doesn¡¯t give a shit and we both know it. They barely care about their own students. This whole city is just a massive stockpile of weapons with a bunch of noble pricks that forgot what it is they sit upon.¡±

    Tim let out a snort of amusement. He studied the key for a long second, chewing his lower lip and shifting his weight from foot to foot.

    Noah wiggled it.

    ¡°Are you certain of this?¡± Tim asked.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Can you tell me anyone would be better suited to look after it?¡±

    The old man heaved a sigh. His lips pulled up in a smile and he reached out, accepting the key. Tim swallowed heavily as he stared down at the artifact in his hand. His fingers slowly closed over it and he slipped it into a pocket. ¡°No. Thank you, Vermil. When this was stolen, I spent many long hours wondering what the future would hold. The Transport Cannon was my entire life. It was the only worthwhile thing I ever accomplished.¡±

    ¡°It was sorely underappreciated by Arbitage.¡±

    ¡°I would agree with that. But I had a lot of time to think, Vermil. After everything had died down and people wrote Wizen off. The other Space Mages left and the transport cannon just became a tower. I stayed, of course. I didn¡¯t know what else to do. I stayed and thought.¡±

    ¡°So I can see,¡± Noah said as he looked around the room. Tim didn¡¯t seem insane. There was some form of rhyme and reason to whatever he was writing, but Noah just didn¡¯t have the slightest idea of what it was. Everything written on the papers was just completely beyond him.

    Tim smiled at Noah¡¯s expression. ¡°It¡¯s more than the key I must thank you for.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Noah blinked. ¡°What else?¡±

    ¡°You gave me a paper shortly before you left,¡± Tim said. ¡°I found it very useful. I¡¯d never had a chance to see a Rune like that. And after the helping hand you gave me with my old problems¡­ well, I spent a lot of time looking into that rune.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right!¡± Noah¡¯s eyes lit up. He¡¯d almost forgotten that he¡¯d given Tim a Space Rune before he¡¯d gone off to face Wizen. ¡°You were able to use it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always been fascinated by Space,¡± Tim said. ¡°And when I was left alone with nothing but my own thoughts, I fear this old man may have been possessed by an arrogance that I have done nothing to earn. An ambition. Never had many of those, Vermil. Wasn¡¯t my lot in life. But you hardly gave me much choice. That was a lot of responsibility, you know.¡±

    ¡°What, the rune?¡± Noah frowned and tilted his head to the side. ¡°What do you mean? It was just a Rune, Tim. I was hoping it might be useful since you were going to be in want of some new ones after¡­ well, you know. I didn¡¯t mean to cause trouble for you.¡±

    ¡°Trouble?¡± Tim let out a cackle. ¡°Oh, no, Vermil. Not trouble. I¡¯ve studied Space for a long time. The methods that make the Transport Cannon work properly are quite intricate. But I¡¯ve never had a chance to really get to know the magic myself. I always accessed it through a tool. Not quite the same thing. So when you gave me a chance to get up close and personal with a rune like that, I fear I couldn¡¯t help myself. I just had so many questions! I wanted to see how things worked. So I got to testing.¡±

    Noah glanced around the room. ¡°This is research, then? On Space Runes?¡±

    ¡°On Space,¡± Tim corrected, raising a finger into the air. ¡°See, I¡¯ve read all the theory. At least, the theory I could get my hands on. People aren¡¯t too open with it. I had a few chats with your brother. Nice lad. Big. He should really shrink a few inches, but no matter. He had some good insights, but everything I learned just made me want to know more. As you can see, I got carried away.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like something to apologize for. If anything, I¡¯m just glad to see you in good spirits.¡±

    ¡°Vermil, I am not merely in good spirits. I am in great ones,¡± Tim said with a delighted laugh. ¡°Every single question I answer just gives me a dozen more new ones. Isn¡¯t it wonderful? All my research is organized here. I am compiling it.¡±

    Organized is certainly a word. Not sure if it¡¯s the one I¡¯d use.

    ¡°Have you found anything, then?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes. My apologies. I should have started with that. I¡¯ve gotten a little scatterbrained as of late.¡± Tim snapped his fingers. Sparks of black energy arced from his hand and the air warped. A paper popped into existence before him ¡ª but Tim wasn¡¯t done.

    He swept his hand through the air. Energy crackled like a small thunderstorm. Papers appeared one after the other, forming in rapid-fire succession.

    Noah¡¯s eyes widened.

    Isn¡¯t Tim just Rank 3? Space Runes consume energy like no tomorrow, but he¡¯s using them like it¡¯s nothing.

    ¡°How are you doing this?¡± Noah asked.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve spent some time studying efficiency,¡± Tim said with a wave of his hand. ¡°It¡¯s of no concern. Something Brayden asked me to study. I have to get the results back to him, but this is far more important. Behold!¡±

    He pointed at the papers. Their surfaces were covered with formulas that meant absolutely nothing to Noah.

    ¡°I¡­ might be a little lost.¡±

    ¡°Space has magical weight!¡± Tim exclaimed in delight. ¡°And not every location shares equal weight! The farther you get from Arbitage ¡ª from any Bastion, for that matter ¡ª the less magical weight there is, but the distribution of weight seems conical! Despite decreasing away from Bastions, it actually grows stronger toward the edges of the Empire!¡±

    ¡°¡­right. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re going to have to dumb down why that¡¯s important,¡± Noah said sheepishly.

    ¡°It means magic itself has spatial weight to it,¡± Tim, pausing for a moment to drink in the moment before he spoke again. ¡°We already know the Bastions are magical stockpiles, which justifies their increased weight in comparison to the rest of the world. But then why would the magic decrease in a conical pattern as we approach the Empire¡¯s edges? There could only be one reason.¡±

    Noah¡¯s spine prickled.

    Hold on. Did Tim figure out¡ª

    ¡°The Empire is either surrounded by a magical barrier of immense strength¡­¡± Tim whispered, excitement glittering behind his eyes. ¡°Or we have been hidden by something. The distribution of spatial magic makes me certain of it. There is more out there, Vermil. An area with magic that makes what we have here look like a spark in comparison to an inferno. The Arbalest Empire is not the extent of this world. It is a sheltered cove.¡±

    Holy shit. Tim figured out the truth of what the Arbalest Empire is entirely on his own.

 Chapter 627: If you want something done...

    ¡°Incredible,¡± Noah whispered. ¡°You found all of that out just by using a low-level Space Rune?¡±

    ¡°And a lot of research. I plan to travel to this edge and determine what it is that lies beyond the kingdom. I have calculated its approximate distance from us. There, I will find¡­ wait.¡± Tim¡¯s proud expression faltered. He squinted at Noah. ¡°You knew.¡±

    ¡°I knew, but not because I figured it out. I was told.¡±

    ¡°Told?¡± Tim asked. ¡°By whom? If this knowledge has already been discovered, then why¡ª¡±

    ¡°By someone who exists outside the empire.¡±

    Tim¡¯s string of questions evaporated. He trailed off and stared at Noah in abject disbelief for several moments. Then he let out a bark of laughter, one borne from a mix of surprise and delight.

    ¡°Then I was right!¡± Tim exclaimed. He grabbed Noah by the shoulders. ¡°There¡¯s a greater world! Tell me about it! How did you meet this person? Why are they here? And why¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Noah said with a laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t know the answers to those questions, Tim. The person I spoke to only told me this because I got caught up in something. I barely know any more than you do. Honestly, I probably know less. There¡¯s only one piece you¡¯re missing, though I don¡¯t think it¡¯s related.¡±

    ¡°Tell me,¡± Tim said, his eyes flashing. He paused, then released Noah and cleared his throat. ¡°If you can, of course. I don¡¯t mean to overstep.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a reason there are no Rank 7s in the Arbalest Empire,¡± Noah said simply. ¡°And it isn¡¯t because making a Rank 7 Rune is impossible. I met many Rank 7 Demons in the Damned Plains.¡±

    ¡°A reason¡­¡± Tim¡¯s brow furrowed. Then his face went pale. He took a step back, and Noah could practically see connections forming in his mind. ¡°An intentional limit. The decreased amount of spatial energy in the Empire isn¡¯t because we¡¯re living in some form of anomaly. This was intentionally formed. Magical power is being removed from this area on purpose. But why?¡±

    Noah didn¡¯t even get a chance to respond. Tim¡¯s mind was working so fast and the old man was pulling pieces together so quickly that Noah couldn¡¯t do anything but sit and stare in awe as Tim pieced together the biggest secrets of the Arbalest Empire.

    ¡°An experiment,¡± Tim exclaimed. ¡°That must be it! It¡¯s the only thing that explains the abnormalities and the potential barrier surrounding the empire. Someone is intentionally keeping everyone within it at Rank 6 or below. Those that reach Rank 7 are removed to avoid impacting the spatial energy.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that last bit?¡± Noah asked, blinking. ¡°Impacting the energy?¡±

    ¡°Well, artifacts bear magical weight. That¡¯s why there¡¯s more power around the Bastions where they¡¯re stored,¡± Tim said absent-mindedly. ¡°The same bears true for mages. Insignificant ones may as well have no weight at all. But truly powerful mages would theoretically have the same weight as a powerful artifact. I¡¯ve been wondering why that hasn¡¯t proven to be the case ¡ª but if all the powerful mages are being removed from the kingdom, that would preserve this strange imbalance that we seem to be locked in. Thus, it must be an experiment. Someone doesn¡¯t want the Empire to grow.¡±

    ¡°Fuck, Tim.¡± Noah shook his head in awe. ¡°Your talents were completely wasted. You might be one of the smartest people I¡¯ve ever met. I¡¯m pretty sure everything you just said is completely correct.¡±

    ¡°Then you must introduce me!¡± Tim exclaimed. ¡°The person you spoke to. I have so many questions for them. I do hope you haven¡¯t killed them.¡±

    ¡°Killed them? How would I kill somebody strong enough to be from outside the kingdom?¡±

    Tim arched an eyebrow. ¡°If there¡¯s one thing that I¡¯ve become abundantly aware of, it is your ability to do what should be impossible. I take it that this person still lives? Are they our enemy?¡±

    ¡°No! I¡¯m starting to think you¡¯ve got a rather low opinion of me,¡± Noah said, narrowing his eyes.

    ¡°You have a slight history of altercations with the strong. It was a safe guess.¡± Tim¡¯s lips twitched in amusement. ¡°Does that mean it would be possible for me to meet this person?¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s more than possible. If anything, we need to make sure it happens. I¡¯d love to see Garina¡¯s expression when she realizes you¡¯ve put everything together on your own.¡±

    ¡°Garina,¡± Tim said, rolling the name over in his mouth before nodding. ¡°How can we find her? A great excursion to the edges of the empire? Or within the Damned Plains?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s coming over for tea in a few days.¡±

    Tim blinked. ¡°I ¡ª oh. That¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°You sound disappointed.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be that easy,¡± Tim muttered, tugging at his beard. ¡°She¡¯s coming over for tea? What kind of tea?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think we¡¯ve worked that bit out yet.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s quite important. I will arrange for something,¡± Tim promised. ¡°For tea. The strongest living being in the empire is coming for tea with you. Ridiculous. And here I was getting ready to set out on a grand, dangerous adventure. At my age, no less! Tea is far preferrable.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t get too lax,¡± Noah warned. His features darkened and he glanced around the Transport Cannon, at the sea of papers covering the floor and walls. ¡°Tim, you have to realize how much danger you¡¯re in right now. Forget the empire. If people discover what you¡¯ve learned about Space Runes¡­¡±

    ¡°A little danger is better than rotting away. I will hide away no longer. Not when I have a chance to make something of my life. Who knows how many things we¡¯ve all come to believe are actually false? I will not stop until I have unearthed them. This is my purpose, Vermil.¡±

    Noah tilted his head to the side. He glanced around the Transport Cannon once more. The building was really quite spacious, even with all the papers and books littering it. A thought started to take form in his mind and his lips slowly pulled up into a smile.

    I wonder¡­

    ¡°I might be able to help with that,¡± Noah said. ¡°How often do people drop by the Transport Cannon nowadays?¡±

    ¡°Never,¡± Tim replied. ¡°It is all but abandoned.¡±

    ¡°I see. And how do you feel about roommates?¡±

    ¡°Roommates?¡± Tim blinked. ¡°I¡¯ve never considered it, but I do love a good conversation. I would have no issue with it so long as they are well-mannered. Is there someone that needs a place to live?¡±

    ¡°A few someones,¡± Noah said with a grin. ¡°And I think you¡¯d find that they have quite a different worldview. It would definitely be beneficial for all of you to get to know each other.¡±

    ¡°Then dally not. This tower has been empty for too long. I would be thrilled to make this mysterious groups¡¯ acquaintance,¡± Tim said, reading the look in Noah¡¯s eyes. ¡°Something tells me this will be enjoyable.¡±

    ¡°With pleasure,¡± Noah replied. ¡°There¡¯s just one thing I want to do first. It seems you¡¯ve specialized into Spatial Runes. Shall we polish up what you¡¯ve got to make sure you don¡¯t have any trouble advancing further?¡±

    Tim¡¯s eyes lit up in delight. ¡°Truly? Are you certain?¡±

    Noah just grinned in response.

    ***

    A short while later, Noah headed down from the transport cannon, the Fragment of Renewal back on cooldown and his mind thoroughly unbalanced.

    Tim¡¯s runes were terrifying. He¡¯d made 6 space-based runes along with a mixed up one that had been the original Rank 2 that Noah had helped him make before his trip to the Damned Plains. And in that time, not only had Tim hit Rank 3, but Noah could literally see the progress in the man¡¯s understanding in each consecutive one. Tim¡¯s seventh Rank 3 Rune had been flawless ¡ª and Tim didn¡¯t even know what a flawless rune was.

    He¡¯d made it flawless purely through his understanding of spatial magic.

    What might have been even more ridiculous was that, even though Noah had cut apart and put together spatial runes dozens upon dozens of time, he realized that Tim¡¯s understanding of spatial magic was considerably better than his.

    Just looking at Tim¡¯s Rank 3 Runes had been enough to show him the difference between someone who understood a subject and someone who may as well have been the subject.

    He¡¯d barely even had to do anything to help Tim polish his Rank 3¡¯s up. Noah had just gone through and split the runes, removing the only non-spatial one, and Tim formed each of them into a flawless space-based rune within seconds.

    It had been one of the fastest repair sessions Noah had ever done, and Tim had been left with six Rank 3s, many of which were rather close to full. He was pretty sure it wouldn¡¯t be long until Tim was ready to advance to Rank 4.

    How many more people are there like Tim? People that could have been incredible mages if the nobles hadn¡¯t completely failed them?

    Noah¡¯s hands tightened at his sides. Arbitage pissed him off. It had everything it had needed to have been a real school. They were literally supposed to be one. It was a brilliant cover story. But instead of actually turning into a place of learning, the Bastion was nothing more than a place for nobles to posture.

    People here didn¡¯t truly want to learn. They just wanted to make sure they stayed ahead of their opponents so they could keep the little slice of the world they¡¯d stolen for themselves. Noah¡¯s lips curled up in derision.

    The Advanced Track might be the only exception to that¡­ but I¡¯m not too pleased with them so far. I suppose we¡¯ll have to see how tonight goes. Either way, I¡¯m done playing around. Arbitage needs a fire lit under it. There are people here that want to learn. People that haven¡¯t had the chance to.

    The world is changing. Arbitage is going to have to change as well. And if there isn¡¯t anyone willing to teach anyone how things should properly be done¡­

    Then I¡¯ll do it myself.

 Chapter 628: Optimistic

    Jalen teleported all of the demons into the Transport Cannon¡¯s top room.

    All things considered, Noah was pretty sure that was definitely not the best way to make an introduction. Tim had less than positive experiences with people making abrupt apperances in the cannon. Having a horde of what were commonly known to be the greatest enemy of mankind suddenly appear in his living quarters was definitely not going to be a good impression.

    Unfortunately, Jalen hadn¡¯t waited to hear Noah¡¯s reasoning out. The moment he¡¯d gotten back to his room and suggested it, the Rank 6 Mage¡¯s eyes had lit up and he¡¯d snapped his fingers. His power had grabbed everyone other than Contessa and Karina, and then the world had changed.

    Tim, who had been hunched over his desk scribbling something on what must have been the thousandth piece of paper in the room, had frozen in shock mid-sentence. He stared at the teeming mass of demons, lips pulling apart.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± Noah yelled, pushing his way to the front before the poor old man could get a heart attack. He nearly bowled Lee over in the process as she somehow managed to do everything she could to entangle herself in front of his legs.

    What is she, a cat? I¡¯ve already got one of those!

    ¡°Most of us hold you no ill will,¡± Aylin provided, in what was probably meant to be a comforting manner. ¡°We follow the Great Lord Spider.¡±

    ¡°Me,¡± Noah said as he finally managed to wade his way to the front of the horde. ¡°That¡¯s me. I like made-up names.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Tim!¡± Moxie called from somewhere at the back of the pack. ¡°Silvertide is here too! I hope Vermil got a chance to warn you about the visitors. He said you were fine with it, but something tells me he didn¡¯t get a chance to warn you that¡ª¡±

    ¡°He had so many lovely students? No, he didn¡¯t,¡± Tim said with a huge smile. He straightened and stepped around the desk, brushing his hands off on the front of his shirt as he approached them. ¡°But that¡¯s no problem. This many faces is more than I expected, but this old building is quite spacious if you go deeper. We can make room.¡±

    Noah¡¯s words died on his lips. His brow furrowed in confusion. Tim hadn¡¯t even mentioned the fact that half of his ¡®students¡¯ were demons. It wasn¡¯t exactly hard to tell. Vrith was covered in black fur and most of them had massive horns jutting out from their heads somewhere or another.

    He glanced back, just to make sure that everyone suddenly hadn¡¯t figured out a way to conceal themselves. They hadn¡¯t. There was no doubt that there was a horde of demons behind him.

    Noah coughed into his fist. ¡°Er¡­ yes. Thank you, Tim. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed, but some of my students are a little unique.¡±

    ¡°All students are unique. Every individual is a flower to be nurtured, and no flower is the same.¡±

    Okay, now you¡¯re just laying it on thick. Has he really not noticed that they¡¯re demons? That seems more than just improbable. Tim isn¡¯t stupid, and he isn¡¯t¡­

    Wait.

    There was something off.

    Tim was looking in their direction, but he wasn¡¯t looking at them. It was like his eyes were looking right past everyone in the room at something far behind them. Noah blinked in surprise.

    ¡°Tim?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Vermil?¡±

    ¡°Are¡­ you blind?¡±

    ¡°Blind? Oh, no. I¡¯ve never seen better in my life,¡± Tim replied with a hearty laugh. ¡°I¡¯ve just made a few adjustments to my eyes. I hope it isn¡¯t too disconcerting. I haven¡¯t left the tower much since my work.¡±

    Moxie squeezed her way through the demons, the surprise in her features evident. She knew just as well as Noah did that Tim was taking this way too well. Even if he was the most welcoming, accepting man in the entirety of Arbitage, it made no sense for him to be completely okay with demons. He should have heard enough rumors to be at least wary of them.

    ¡°Your eyes look a bit¡­ distant,¡± Moxie hedged. ¡°You aren¡¯t injured, are you?¡±

    There was a crackle beside Noah as Jalen teleported across the room, not even bothering to push past anyone. He stared at Tim, his features surprisingly serious.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°What have you done, Tim?¡± Jalen asked.

    ¡°Please, please.¡± Tim lifted his hands before him. ¡°Your worry for me means much, but I can assure you that I am doing quite well. I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯ve unnerved you with my eyes. I made a few Body Imbuements on them, you see. For research. Spatial weight is very hard to detect at my rank. I wanted to be able to study it better, so I had to modify the kind of information my eyes took in.¡±

    ¡°Spatial weight?¡± Moxie asked.

    ¡°I fear he¡¯s gone off the deep end,¡± Jalen said with a sad shake of his head. ¡°His old age has caught up to him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m younger than you are!¡± Tim exclaimed.

    ¡°Tragic. If only there was something we could have done.¡± Jalen continued to shake his head. ¡°He¡¯s senile. The mind just goes after a few hundred years. Such is life.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that old,¡± Tim protested. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky just because you look younger than me!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not insane,¡± Noah said, unable to pull his eyes away from Tim¡¯s as he slowly started to realize just what the old man had done. ¡°And I¡¯d have told you about his research if Jalen had given me more than half a second to explain things before he teleported everyone here.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Jalen glanced at Noah, his shoulders drooping almost as if he was disappointed to hear that Tim hadn¡¯t lost his mind. ¡°He¡¯s not senile?¡±

    ¡°Why do you seem unhappy about that?¡± Moxie asked.

    ¡°Do you have any idea how easy it is to gaslight the elderly into thinking they didn¡¯t play a game of darts with you recently? It¡¯s like an infinite-game generator. I do it all the time in retirement homes.¡±

    Noah stared at Jalen. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. He supposed there were probably worse things to do with one¡¯s time than entertaining aging seniors in retirement homes, but Jalen somehow managed to make it sound immoral.

    Moxie blew a hair away from her face and looked to Noah. ¡°Bring us up to speed, please.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can even properly explain it, but Tim has gotten very into researching space and Space Runes,¡± Noah said, looking back to the old man. ¡°He¡¯s found a number of things that he probably shouldn¡¯t share too freely if he wants to avoid¡ª¡±

    ¡°Space has magical weight, the empire weight is considerably lower than it should be, and I am confident that the empire is actually a man-made experiment walled in by some greater power to observe!¡± Tim fired off, his words practically blending into one in his excitement. He blinked, then cleared his throat. ¡°Allegedly.¡±

    ¡°Damned Plains,¡± Moxie muttered. She glanced at Noah. ¡°Did he¡­¡±

    ¡°Speak to Garina? Not yet. He will,¡± Noah said through a sigh. ¡°I suppose it isn¡¯t like anyone in this room is at liberty to go speaking to people. I trust you¡¯ll all keep this secret ¡ª especially because Tim is being kind enough to lend you his room.¡±

    Everyone nodded.

    Todd cleared his throat and stood on his tip-toes so his head poked out over the crowd. ¡°I might just be fixated on this, but I don¡¯t see why it is that Tim hasn¡¯t¡­ uh, reacted.¡±

    ¡°To what?¡± Tim asked.

    Todd waved his hands around him. ¡°Us?¡±

    ¡°I fear I may not understand your question. How should I have reacted?¡±

    ¡°He modified his eyes to see the magical weight that all space bears,¡± Noah said, shaking his head in a mixture of awe and disbelief. ¡°Tim, you can¡¯t actually see what we look like, can you? You¡¯re looking at our magic itself¡­ or something like that?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Tim said with a huge grin. ¡°Isn¡¯t that fantastic? It¡¯s actually quite easy to tell whose magic is whose. Everyone has a unique signature, and my eyes haven¡¯t been the best in recent years anyways. I¡¯ve been going by voice more than anything to tell who people were. This makes everything far easier. I needed a way to easily see shifts in magical weight in locations, and my eyes were slacking ¡ª so I put them to use. Is it unsettling?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Noah said. ¡°You¡¯re fine, Tim. It¡¯s¡­ well, can you tell anything off about the people here?¡±

    ¡°Your magical signatures are a little odd, but that seems rather standard given the company.¡±

    Okay, that¡¯s probably fair enough. I¡¯ve been involved in so much strange shit that I guess Tim is kind of used to it.

    ¡°Tim, I don¡¯t want to alarm you, but half of our students are from the Damned Plains,¡± Moxie said. Her words sped up as she hurried to add, ¡°They¡¯re not what you think. Demons have been very misrepresented, and they¡¯ve had issues with their runes at high ranks that make them become twisted versions of themselves. We¡¯ve been fixing that. You have nothing to worry about.¡±

    ¡°Demons?¡± Tim asked, blinking in shock. ¡°Truly?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Aylin said. ¡°Moxie speaks the truth. We will bring no harm to any who Spider considers friend. We will cause you no concern. Unless you leave food out. Then Lee may be problematic.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Tim said slowly. He studied them for several long seconds. ¡°How interesting. There isn¡¯t a significant difference between the spatial weight of a demon and a human. Fascinating.¡±

    That¡¯s what he¡¯s focused on?

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re okay with it, then?¡± Moxie asked.

    Tim shrugged. ¡°If you and Vermil vouch for them, then I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯ve had more negative experiences with humans than demons. That issue with their runes you mentioned ¡ª it¡¯s fixed?¡±

    ¡°Mostly,¡± Noah said. He glanced at Linestra, who winced and shrank in on herself in a failed attempt to become invisible. ¡°But they¡¯ll all behave. I promise you that.¡±

    ¡°Then they are welcome to my abode,¡± Tim said. A smile pulled at his lips and he rubbed his hands together. ¡°I have a lot of questions I¡¯d like to ask them. Perhaps this can expand my horizons even further. How wonderful!¡±

    Well, nobody can say he isn¡¯t optimistic.

    Noah blew out a relieved breath and nodded. ¡°Good. Good. Thank you, Tim. We really needed a place for everyone to stay. Now we can turn our attention to the bigger matter at hand. We¡¯ve got a few hours until the Advanced Track meeting, and those of us attending need to do a little prep.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡± Isabel asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a few ideas on how we can control the meeting,¡± Noah said, a smile pulling across his lips. ¡°But you¡¯re going to need to be ready to back up some bullshit. A whole lot of bullshit.¡±

 Chapter 629: Just as it was

    Jalen excused himself shortly after Vermil started explaining his plans. Sticking around for the reasoning always made things considerably less exciting. At least, that was the reasoning he gave them before he vanished.

    If one were to get particularly technical, he hadn¡¯t even actually excused himself. He¡¯d just left. But that was semantics, and Jalen had never been much a fan of those. They were a waste of everyone¡¯s time. After all, nobody gave a shit about what was technically true. All that mattered was the result.

    And thus, he found himself standing in a room that he hadn¡¯t been in for quite some time. Familiar occupants greeted him.

    A lone desk piled high with teetering stacks of paper that he didn¡¯t have the slightest intention of ever reviewing.

    A chair beside it, nice and comfortable whenever he was left alone for long enough to actually bother trying to sit down in it. At the moment, he was sorely tempted to toss it through a window.

    A window ¡ª the one that Jalen was tempted to toss the chair through.

    That was it. And, bar the papers, Jalen didn¡¯t particularly mind the room so long as the door remained shut. He didn¡¯t deem the door worthy of acknowledging, as it tended to admit people that he had absolutely no desire to waste time with.

    Jalen flicked his fingers. A haze of purple energy washed over the piled papers and, with a loud pop, the space above the desk collapsed. Air whooshed through the room as the papers were sucked into a twisting vortex, leaving the desk completely empty.

    He sat down in his chair and leaned back, kicking his feet up onto the top of the desk. And there he sat. His fingers twitched and tapped against his thigh and he stared up at the ceiling. It was one that he¡¯d stared at many times before. He knew every single crack, every mar in its surface.

    Jalen drew in a deep breath and let it out in an explosive sigh. He pushed his chair back, teetering dangerously on its hind legs. His stomach churned with a mixture of impatience and discomfort. It had been too long since he¡¯d been alone. He already got precious few moments of silence.

    That was intentional, but even he had his limits.

    ¡°You¡¯re growing complacent.¡± A familiar voice echoed in Jalen¡¯s ears, but he didn¡¯t so much as twitch. He knew the voice well. It was a voice he rather liked, as it happened to be his own.

    ¡°I am enjoying a long awaited rest. The gods know I deserve one after all the bullshit we¡¯ve put up with for the past few hundred years. You can¡¯t tell me that you didn¡¯t want to take a break yourself.¡±

    ¡°There is a difference between taking time off and¡­ this. Even if the title has lost all the meaning it once had, you are still the head of a great Noble Family. You are Jalen. The weight of the lives we have taken could sink a city to the core of the planet.¡±

    Jalen rocked his chair even farther back and let out a derisive snort. This wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d gotten into an argument with himself, and he highly doubted it would be his last. There were many times in which he¡¯d found himself greatly in want of intelligent conversation.

    That conversation rarely came from members of his own family, so he¡¯d had to adapt and get very, very used to his own company.

    ¡°I don¡¯t recall being so melodramatic. Life goes on. I am simply enjoying the small things.¡±

    ¡°Is that what you call dallying around and hoping that someone will play a game with you? We used to take what we wanted. There were precious few that could do anything to stop us. What stimulation is darts? We could seek out a true challenge. A battle for the ages. When is the last time we had one of those?¡±

    ¡°Boring. There is no joy in crushing those who cannot fight back. Everyone of worth in this Empire is hiding or dead. What¡¯s the point of crushing some worthless little worm? In darts, the scales are evened. It is gives me a taste of what once was.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± the voice was mocking now. ¡°But you know that isn¡¯t true, Jalen. There¡¯s so much more that you have done. Even a few scant months ago, there was more. You have never been content to sit back and let someone else take the wheel.¡±

    Jalen leaned back just a bit too far. The chair tipped and he crashed to the ground, landing on his back with a loud thud. He didn¡¯t blink. His gaze didn¡¯t even move from the ceiling above him.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°What do you think I¡¯ve been doing for the past decade?¡± Jalen asked. ¡°Don¡¯t answer that question. You know what I¡¯ve been doing. You¡¯re me. I¡¯m me. I¡¯m just in an argumentative mood.¡±

    Jalen¡¯s own smug laughter echoed in his head. That was particularly annoying because he was the one doing it. One could only wipe a smug grin off someone else¡¯s face. It wasn¡¯t like he could beat the shit out of himself and still claim victory.

    At least, he was pretty sure he couldn¡¯t. It was probably worth trying at least once. Fortunately ¡ª or unfortunately, as that would depend on whether beating oneself could be considered winning ¡ª he wasn¡¯t in the mood.

    And most certainly unfortunately, the voice in his head was not done talking.

    ¡°The last decade and the last few months have been vastly different. You are putting great amounts of interest in Vermil. Too much. Who is he to tell us what to do?¡±

    ¡°I play along because I enjoy his antics. You can¡¯t tell me they aren¡¯t funny.¡±

    ¡°They are,¡± Jalen¡¯s internal voice admitted. ¡°It is not Vermil that is the issue. It is you. We are bored. When did you become satisfied being a teacher? Sitting on the sidelines in case another Rank 6 shows up to mess up Vermil¡¯s plans?¡±

    ¡°It feels like today is a nitpicky day. What do you think we¡¯re going to get out of this conversation?¡± Jalen asked, scratching at the side of his nose. ¡°There¡¯s a Rank 7 coming to visit. Can you possibly think of anything more interesting than that? A chance to finally do something new.¡±

    ¡°That will be exciting,¡± the internal Jalen admitted. ¡°I am not saying to leave Vermil¡¯s group. We are aligned there. It is your approach that you take offense with.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t start that. You can¡¯t go claiming that I¡¯m the one taking offense with my own actions. I made you up.¡±

    ¡°Or perhaps I made you up.¡±

    ¡°No, you definitely didn¡¯t. I made you. See? I¡¯m talking out loud. You¡¯re in my head.¡±

    ¡°You are also saying my lines out loud,¡± the internal Jalen said, and it struck the external Jalen that the former was right. He¡¯d been speaking out loud the entire time.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jalen said. ¡°Fair point, then.¡±

    ¡°I always have fair points. I¡¯m you, and we¡¯ve never been wrong.¡±

    ¡°Now that¡¯s just a stretch.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps.¡±

    Jalen, both internal and external, remained silent for a few moments.

    ¡°What should I do, then?¡± Jalen asked, but he was no longer sure which version of him it was that was talking.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the other Jalen replied. ¡°I haven¡¯t figured that part out yet. It¡¯s been far too long since I¡¯ve had any real purpose. For years the empire has been rotting from the core. For the longest time, I thought there was nothing worthwhile left within it at all. Vermil proved that wrong. Him and his students ¡ª they are the first of a young generation that has garnered my interest. Perhaps there have been more, but I simply missed them because I have not been paying attention.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps. But we can¡¯t control that, can we? There was one thing we promised to do, all those years ago. To ensure that we would be ready for when change came. To protect this worthless empire from itself until it was ready to be reborn.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. I recall the promises of my deluded younger self.¡± Jalen picked himself up from the ground and brushed his hair out. ¡°It was the reason I bothered becoming the head of the Linwick family in the first place. A time when I felt like I was a good, noble man. How boring. Why bring that up?¡±

    ¡°All you have done as of late is slack off and play with Vermil and his students. When was the last time we checked the Archives? The true ones, not the fake treasury that we built.¡±

    ¡°Bah. Just about everyone old enough to remember those is either dead or more than aware of why those weapons were locked away,¡± Jalen said with an exasperated sigh. ¡°Is that what this whole conversation was about? Slacking in my duties because I¡¯m getting lazy? I deserve to have a millennia of doing nothing after all this shit.¡±

    There was no response.

    It seemed his conversation was over.

    Jalen heaved a sigh. Despite his earlier words, the faintest of frowns pulled at his lips. He muttered a curse. Spatial magic twisted to life at his fingertip. It buzzed and crackled, burning with such energy that a mere touch from it would likely reduce a weaker mage to a pile of melted flesh.

    He brought his finger down, tracing a line through the air. The Archives were well defended. When he¡¯d been entrusted with them all those years ago, back when he had still held hope for the world, he had spent nearly a hundred years studying them. They had inspired much of his strength today.

    Nobody was going to break through them. It would have taken a power that nobody within the Empire possessed.

    The line snapped and popped as Jalen dug his hands into the energy and pried it apart like a pair of double doors. His teeth gritted and his eyes squeezed shut he pushed against the Archives. Even though they knew his energy signature, opening a path was an immense task.

    With a groan, he felt the pathway finally snap open. The spell was not a simple teleportation, or even a portal. It was a direct connection between two points in space. He knew what would await before him. Instead of a twisting purple wall, he would see clean through it and into the Archives as if there was a door to them right within his office.

    He would be able to see the immense, untouchable imbuements that had stood for hundreds of years. Ones so powerful that no Rank 6, no matter how powerful, could even dream of scratching them.

    ¡°See?¡± Jalen asked as he opened his eyes. ¡°Just as it¡­¡±

    Jalen trailed off. His hands slipped, then fell to his sides.

    The Imbuements were dull and dead.

    Something ¡ª someone ¡ª had severed them.

    The Archives had been infiltrated.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jalen said as his face went bone pale. ¡°Oh, shit.¡±

 Chapter 630: Hello

    Jalen stepped into the Archives, gathering magic from his Runes and letting it build within his body. Invisible strands of power wormed through the air around him. His domain wrapped around them, preventing even the slightest hint of his energy from leaking free.

    Breaking into the Archives should have been impossible. He wasn¡¯t even sure he could have done it. But it had been done ¡ª which meant the intruder was one of two things. Either they were a group of powerful mages, or they were the strongest mage in the empire.

    Whichever it may have been, Jalen had no plans of letting his guard down. Fights between high ranking mages tended to be startlingly short. With the amount of magical power they could fling around, there was only so much the average body could withstand.

    That is, unless both people are prepared. Then the fights can go on for days ¡ª which is why it¡¯s all the more important to strike fast and hard. Whoever did this is no amateur.

    Jalen¡¯s head turned on a swivel as his domain swept the Archives around him. They found nothing but cold, gray stone walls. The only thing in the room with him was the portal leading to his office at his back.

    Weapons littered the wall of the Archives ¡ª though not all of them looked the part. Amidst the blades and hammers were scrolls, books, a particularly devious chair, a pickle jar, and an assortment of everything in between.

    He wasn¡¯t actually sure which of them were weapons and which had just happened to belong to whoever had made the Archives long before his time. In the end, it didn¡¯t matter. Everything within the labyrinth was far too dangerous to touch.

    Even with the Imbuements destroyed, the risk of attempting to set a single finger on any of the objects around him was that of a madman who had nothing left to lose. He wasn¡¯t nearly that far gone.

    Not yet.

    Dust scuffed beneath Jalen¡¯s feet as he stepped through the room and made for the door ¡ª the real one. There was a fake on the other wall. He wasn¡¯t sure where it led, and he didn¡¯t want to find out. All he knew is that it hadn¡¯t been there when he¡¯d last been in the Archives. That wasn¡¯t exactly uncommon. They tended to change small details when nobody was watching.

    Jalen set a hand on the doorknob. Then he paused. The frown on his lips deepened as he lifted his hand again and rubbed his fingers together. They were covered with dust. So was the floor ¡ª and all the weapons around him.

    Nobody had passed through the room. Jalen¡¯s eyes narrowed. He pulled the door open, preparing to send a wave of magic tearing free into the next room ¡ª but there was nothing.

    Nothing but more dusty floors and abandoned weapons. The confusion continued to build within him as he silently stepped forward. The Imbuements were destroyed here, too. This wasn¡¯t just a break-in. They¡¯d known what they were doing.

    The Imbuements were sectioned off, room by room. Why would you destroy the defenses on a room and then leave without taking any of the things within it? That¡¯s not the act of some blind thief.

    A chill wrapped its hands around Jalen¡¯s shoulders. This was the behavior of someone who was looking for something in particular. Someone with a mission ¡ª and someone who understood the Archives and what they were.

    There would be no other reason why they would pass up the weapons scattered across the labyrinth like trash without even pausing to examine them.

    Jalen¡¯s features had none of his characteristic amusement on them as he continued on through the Archives. The only sound was the muted scuff of his feet against the dusty floor and the distant thump of blood in his ears.

    The sprawling rooms were empty. It seemed as if they¡¯d been abandoned for centuries. No matter how many doors he opened or rooms he passed through, the result was always the same. Not a single item was disturbed. There were no footprints on the ground or scratches in the walls¡­ and every single Imbuement that had protected the ancient armory had been severed. Not a single one remained.

    Jalen made his way deeper through the Archives. His unease grew with every step. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time something had actually unnerved him to this degree. Vermil had certainly managed to surprise the shit out of him a number of times¡­ but this was different.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    What mages could have done something like this? Even if the other heads worked together¡­ no. They couldn¡¯t do this. Even Brutus couldn¡¯t have broken into the Archives so easily, and that King family prick is probably the strongest one of us if he hasn¡¯t killed himself with his experiments yet.

    So who did this? It couldn¡¯t have been that Rank 7 that Vermil was talking about, could it?

    Jalen¡¯s fingers twitched. There was no guarantee that whoever had broken into the Archives was even still here. They might have already left. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was better or worse.

    Something told Jalen this wasn¡¯t the act of some bored mage that just wanted to see what they were capable of.

    His descent through the Archives continued. Room after room passed by. Not a single one of them had their Imbuements intact. This was more than just impressive. It was methodical¡­ and at this point, Jalen was confident it was the work of a single mage.

    No group could pull something off this flawlessly. There was too much chaos that came with working together with others.

    Definitely the work of a single mage.

    Jalen¡¯s jaw clenched. If there was someone powerful enough to surgically slice the Archives apart like this, then there was no time to waste. Even if there was only the slightest sliver of a chance that they were still here¡­

    He had to stop them before what they got what they were looking for.

    As little love as he had for the empire, it was still all there was. He¡¯d spent far too many years waiting for something worthwhile to happen. And now that change had finally blossomed, he could not allow it to be crushed by the immensity of the weaponry stored here.

    Jalen¡¯s pace picked up. He swept through the rooms, shifting from a walk to a hurried jog to a run. He ripped doors open with his magic, expanding the space in the air around where his feet fell, delaying the sound of his footfalls and stopping the doors before they could hit the walls.

    He blurred through the Archives, completely soundless as he delved deeper and deeper into their depths. Jalen couldn¡¯t even remember if he¡¯d ever gone this far before. The Imbuements had been too intense for even him, but now they were gone.

    The only thing that met Jalen was silence. He extended his domain in every direction as he continued, sweeping through the rooms for any trace of anything living. Anyone that could have remained behind.

    And he found it.

    Something prickled against the very edges of his domain, several rooms deeper into the dusty halls of the Archives.

    He wasn¡¯t alone.

    Jalen slammed to a halt, yanking his magic back to him and binding it tightly to conceal its presence. He waited for a second, even the beat of his heart stilled. There was no sound. It didn¡¯t seem that he¡¯d been spotted.

    His lips pulled back and he crept forward, passing through the rooms in his way. The intruder was still here.

    Likely a Rank 7, then. I¡¯ve got seven full Rank 6 Runes. If they¡¯re at the lower ends of Rank 7 and I get the jump on them, it¡¯s possible I can take them off guard. That¡¯s probably my only chance of winning.

    Despite the immensity of the situation, a prickle of excitement poked at Jalen¡¯s heart. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he¡¯d approached a fight like this. The last time he¡¯d entered a battle without knowing if he¡¯d live to see the end of it.

    There had been a time where this was what he¡¯d lived for.

    That had never changed.

    He¡¯d just run out of opponents.

    Let¡¯s see what cocky bastard thinks they can fuck with the shit I¡¯m supposed to protect¡­ even if I¡¯m fucking terrible at my job.

    Jalen arrived before the final door in his way. He couldn¡¯t sense the presence behind it anymore, his domain was wrapped tightly around himself so as to avoid giving his position away, but he knew that his opponent stood just feet away from him on its other side.

    He gathered his magic, pulling deeper on his powers than he had in years. Deep purple twisted to life between two fingers and formed into a tightly packed marble. The power trembled, trying to collapse upon itself. There was enough magic within the ball to bring down a castle. The best way to end this would be within a single blow. Surprise was the greatest ally he had.

    A faint smirk pulled at Jalen¡¯s lips.

    He shifted forward in a flowing motion, pulling the door wide and stepping into the room as he thrust his hand forward, taking aim instinctively. The tiny ball of magic shot from his hand before his eyes had even consciously located his target ¡ª but it flew true.

    A cloaked man stood in the center of the dusty room before Jalen. The man¡¯s back was turned and his head was tilted up to look at a plain, wooden sheperd¡¯s crook that rested against the back wall of the room.

    There was no time for him to dodge the attack.

    The man¡¯s hand snapped up. His fingers splayed out.

    Too late. Gotcha.

    Jalen¡¯s magic slammed into the man¡¯s palm. There was a brilliant shriek as streamers of purple light sheared away from the orb, fluttering by the man¡¯s fingers like confetti. The attack evaporated without so much as touching the man¡¯s flesh.

    Disbelief dropped Jalen¡¯s jaw.

    Impossible.

    The cloaked man turned to fully face Jalen. He reached up, pulling his hood back and letting it rest on his shoulders to reveal an aging, sharp-faced man.

    A man he knew.

    ¡°Hello, Jalen,¡± Father said, the smile creasing his features failing to reach his empty eyes. ¡°You aren¡¯t supposed to be here.¡±

 Chapter 631: Oh.

    Just a few months ago, Jalen would have been thrilled beyond words to hear that he would be routinely getting surprised into silence. Vermil had been an endless wellspring of fun ¡ª but this wasn¡¯t funny anymore.

    Jalen found that he didn¡¯t like surprises nearly as much when he was at the butt of them.

    He liked them even less when, even after the reveal, they made absolutely no sense.

    The person that had broken into the Archives, who had carved through Imbuements with such surgical precision that he¡¯d been convinced it was one of the strongest mages that the empire had ever seen, was the middling, paranoid member of his own family that had only just clawed his way into the Main Branch.

    Impossible. Nothing adds up. Could he be working with someone else? Maybe the real threat is off getting whatever it is they came here for while Father remained back as a distraction with a plan to confuse the ever-loving shit out of me.

    But if that¡¯s the case¡­ how was Father strong enough to dismiss my attack like that?

    ¡°If there¡¯s anyone that shouldn¡¯t be here, it¡¯s you,¡± Jalen said. He cracked his neck. ¡°Who are you working with, Father? Do you have the slightest idea as to what it is you¡¯re trying to release on the empire?¡±

    ¡°I would wager that I know far more than you do,¡± Father replied. There was a faint clink as he shifted his weight and reached up to his cloak. It fell away from his body, revealing dozens of heavy red chains hanging from Father¡¯s body like tinsel on a tree. They wrapped around his body and bound his ankles together, leaving him only enough room to shuffle.

    Is he a prisoner? He certainly doesn¡¯t sound under duress.

    ¡°I did not volunteer to be part of your bondage kink,¡± Jalen said, cracking his neck. ¡°Time to stop playing, Father. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re up to, but you¡¯re playing with forces far more dangerous than you believe. All that work you did to get into the Main Branch isn¡¯t going to be particularly useful if you get yourself killed here.¡±

    Father¡¯s lips stretched into a thin smile, but the amusement still didn¡¯t meet his eyes.

    ¡°Any mild respect I might have for your abilities is marred by your insufferable personality,¡± Father said. ¡°I wish I could say it brought me amusement that you arrived now, of all times, but I am afraid I simply don¡¯t care. After all these years of waiting, I have what I need.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lecture me on waiting. I¡¯m hundreds of years older than you are.¡±

    Father¡¯s grin widened. And, for the briefest moment, what almost looked like genuine amusement flickered behind his dark eyes.

    ¡°Oh, I highly doubt that. I¡¯ve been waiting for a very long time. Do you even have any idea as to what this place is, Jalen? To what it holds?¡±

    ¡°I think we both know. It¡¯s an armory from before the Long Night ¡ª which is why it¡¯s so important none of this ever gets out. You¡¯ve never been stupid, Father. You have to know what would happen if weapons like this made it out into the Empire. We¡¯d destroy each other. It wouldn¡¯t even be fun. Everything would just be gone.¡±

    Jalen discreetly drew on his power, channeling his Runes while keeping his magic concealed by his domain.

    ¡°Wrong,¡± Father said.

    Jalen frowned. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°This is not an armory. It is a tomb. There are civilizations of long past in which a king was buried with all of his servants. They are all clad in riches and wealth to protect the body of the true king from being looted. Such is the Archives. Here lies a diamond hidden within piles of gold.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Jalen said. ¡°Tell me more.¡±

    And then he sent a bolt of spatial lightning snapping through the air. Black cracks carved out faster than the eye could follow, covering the ground between him and Father before the crack of its passing could even ring out.

    The lightning struck Father¡¯s palm and shattered apart like fragments of broken glass. Father¡¯s expression didn¡¯t even change as they spun past him harmlessly.

    ¡°Within the Archives rest an artifact,¡± Father said, unperturbed. ¡°One so powerful that a kingdom was destroyed to keep it hidden. An artifact whose mere touch would destroy a mage below the Rank of 7.¡±

    ¡°What are you on about?¡± Jalen asked, trying to hide the unease building within him. That was twice. Twice, Father had completely stopped his attacks from hitting their mark without so much as a modicum of effort.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°The Empire of Arbalest. So many lies. So many covers. So much deceit that even the deceivers do not know that the truth they believe in is nothing but another lie,¡± Father said with a hollow laugh. ¡°A war was fought to hide an artifact. And, when it was done, the cowardly survivors were too scared to claim their prize. So they locked it away. They sought out the weakest mages in the region and sent waves of monsters against them, arming the mages with magical weaponry and herding them into four great cities.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck are you on about?¡± Jalen asked, using the time Father was wasting monologuing to summon forth even more of his power. His attacks weren¡¯t working. He had to try something else. Something more drastic ¡ª but he didn¡¯t know what.

    ¡°When the weak mages managed to fight off the monsters, the last piece of bait was set. They were told to hide the weapons away, to protect their kingdom from being destroyed. The artifact was buried along with them, and all traces of the strong mages vanished. Of course, there were those who lived outside that continent. Those who were powerful ¡ª but the cowards were clever. They had lies for them as well. An experiment. A test, to see what new runes could be developed by mages that grew independently from the full resources of the world. Such is the greatest lie. One forged in truth.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re full of it,¡± Jalen said through a chuckle, but he was just buying time. ¡°You¡¯re telling me the Long Night was fake? That the Bastions, whose purpose is to defend the deadly weapons from that war, are just¡­ what, bait? Nothing more than a cover story?¡±

    ¡°There is no just in this world,¡± Father said. ¡°The Bastions are stockpiles of weapons. Guardians were selected to protect them, for they could do great damage to the empire. They are schools. They are research institutes. Those who advance to Rank 7 are removed from the empipre, and they often have new insights into runes. All of this is true.¡±

    A sinking feeling set in Jalen¡¯s stomach. There were a few too many pieces that fit too well from what Father said. It simply didn¡¯t make any sense for him to lie. Jalen hadn¡¯t been able to so much as touch him.

    But, if he wasn¡¯t lying¡­

    ¡°The Rank 7s are removed from the Empire because only a Rank 7 can touch the artifact,¡± Jalen said. ¡°Is that what you¡¯re implying?¡±

    ¡°The gap between 6 and 7 is a great one,¡± Father said. ¡°One that would damage the delicate balance that this kingdom hangs in. One that would allow a mage to attempt to channel the artifact that is hidden within the kingdom. Genius, is it not? Truth within lies. Lies within truth. Everything was so carefully crafted. The records of the tombs were purged very thoroughly, but information can never be truly snuffed. Pieces always remain. Fragments of information known to each of the mage families. Fortunately, they would never be shared. After all¡­ you hate each other. You were raised to hate each other.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Jalen asked.

    Father gave him an empty smile. ¡°I have gone by enough names to lose track of them. I was a King. I was a Herron. A Rivven. A Torrin. I have passed through nearly every family in this kingdom in my pursuit of knowledge. It has been so long since I have gone by my own name that I have almost forgotten it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why you wanted access to the Main Branch,¡± Jalen muttered. ¡°You were trying to read our records?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not so impressive to figure out once I¡¯ve already revealed it to you,¡± Father said. The chains hanging from his body rattled. ¡°You certainly made it easy. For more years than even you can count, I have hidden. I have rotted in the darkness, gathering information and evading notice. It took me centuries to stand in this spot.¡±

    So that¡¯s why the bastard never left his room. It must be Imbued to shit to hide his presence.

    ¡°Is it really wise to admit that you¡¯re weaker than whoever it is protecting the Kingdom?¡± Jalen asked, arching an eyebrow. ¡°If you¡¯ve been hiding, then it¡¯s been for good reason. And you¡¯re exposed now. That protector is coming for you.¡±

    ¡°Only a fool overestimates his power, but I will not be weaker for any longer,¡± Father replied simply. He lifted a hand and the chains covering him rattled. Tiny imbuements covered their surfaces, so small that Jalen could barely even see them. ¡°And I remain hidden. Go ahead, Jalen. Throw another attack. My power is restrained, after all. I am certain the third one will work.¡±

    Jalen¡¯s jaw clenched.

    He obliged Father and brought his hand down, slicing through the air. A blade of black matter flashed across the room. It struck Father¡¯s outstretched hand and shattered apart, just as the last attacks had.

    Goddamn it. This is seriously pissing me off. I can¡¯t even fucking touch him.

    This is bad.

    If he can ignore my attacks this effectively¡­ then the moment he decides to attack me, all likelihoods point to my death.

    Fuck me. How lame is that?

    ¡°Thank you for your attention,¡± Father said. He lifted his hand toward Jalen. ¡°I have dreamed of this moment for so long. I must admit that having an audience has made it more enjoyable ¡ª but your purpose is served. I won¡¯t allow for any interference in the final step.¡±

    ¡°You think you¡¯re so smart?¡± Jalen asked, arching an eyebrow. And, as he spoke, he reached deep within himself ¡ª for his Runes. He refused to give up like this. He couldn¡¯t let this be the end. If he was going to die, he was at least going to go down fighting. ¡°But if you boil down everything you just told me, it can be summarized by saying some fancy Rank 7 mage hid like a little cowardly baby until he could steal a big stick. That¡¯s pretty pathetic.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t goad me into anger. Such emotions have long since withered away. Goodbye, Jalen.¡±

    Father¡¯s fist clenched.

    There was a soft thud, like a loaf of bread being dropped on the ground. A light breeze passed by Jalen.

    He looked down.

    There was a hole the size of a dinner plate in the center of his chest. Jalen could see the ground behind him through it, where his heart had been. His body hadn¡¯t even realized that it had been cut yet. The blood was only just starting to well up around the edges perfectly cut organs now exposed to the air.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Jalen said.

    Father turned away.

    And Jalen, head of the Linwick Family, fell without another word.

 Chapter 632: At the throat

    The Advanced Track meeting was considerably more busy than usual. Noah wasn¡¯t sure if they¡¯d suddenly kicked up the recruiting drive or if a bunch of professors who normally hadn¡¯t bothered showing up had finally decided that it was time to remind everyone else of their existence.

    He wore a plain metal mask that Todd had created for him in the hours leading up to the meeting. It had no features aside from a flat line for the mouth and two similar slits for the eyes, which made it somewhat annoying to look through, but it did a fantastic job at obscuring his features.

    Beside him, along with all of his normal, non-demonic students, were Moxie and Vermil. A faint smile pulled at Noah¡¯s lips at that thought. Karina was doing a fantastic job impersonating him so far.

    As stressed as she¡¯d been before, she had managed to capture an arrogant, casual air that seemed to run native in most Linwicks. The disguise would hold up perfectly so long as nobody spoke too extensively to her.

    Lee stood beside Karina, a deep hood pulled over her head. There were two small points at its top where her horns poked into it. It wasn¡¯t exactly the most convincing disguise, but it would be sufficient for the time they needed it to be.

    Everyone had their roles.

    Everyone including Jalen ¡ª who had fucked off midway through Noah¡¯s debrief and had yet to show up again.

    What the hell is he doing? I was counting on him to help me increase my stage presence. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯d miss something like this. It¡¯s right up his alley.

    There, unfortunately, wasn¡¯t much time for him to wonder about Jalen¡¯s presence. Things were about to get moving. A Rank 6 would have made things a lot easier, but Noah was no stranger to Jalen being a bit¡­ distracted.

    He also couldn¡¯t help but notice that their group was getting more attention than normal. A lot more attention than normal. Nearly every single eye in the room was directed toward them. Even Godrick, the head of the Advanced Track, was staring right at them from where he sat at the head of a long table in the center of the room.

    Perhaps Contessa did her job a bit better than I was expecting. It seems that word of Spider¡¯s arrival has spread quite effectively.

    If that was really the case, Noah was impressed with Godrick. The man held enough respect to keep an entire room of powerful mages from trying to attack the demon they all knew was in their midst.

    One that had a rather impressive kill record against a number of Inquisitors.

    Speaking of which, I wonder if any showed up. I kind of hope they did. They¡¯ll be quite useful in some of my goals. Particularly that Inquisitor lady that was a bit receptive to what I was talking about back in the auction.

    I might have forgotten her name.

    Oh well. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll come up again soon.

    A loud bang echoed through the room as Godrick drove a fist down onto the table before him. It didn¡¯t seem like an act out of anger so much as one to draw everyone¡¯s attention. All the conversation echoing through the room died, but Noah couldn¡¯t help but notice that many of the gazes still remained fixed on his group.

    ¡°I believe we are all aware that this meeting is abnormal,¡± Godrick said, his words slicing through the now-silent room like a blade. His eyes affixed firmly on Noah. ¡°The individual responsible for that has made sure to have the word spread quite effectively. You wanted our attention, demon. You have it. I suggest you use what time you have left wisely. I do not know why Vermil saw fit to invite one of our greatest enemies into our own ranks. It matters not. That will be discussed ¡ª assuming he survives this. But, if you think you can defeat an entire group of mages prepared for your arrival, then you are a fool.¡±

    Damn. What the fuck did Contessa do? I¡¯ve got to give her a raise or something.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite the introduction, Godrick,¡± Noah said, crossing his hands behind his back as he took a step forward ¡ª both to ensure the attention of the room was completely on him, and to put some distance between himself and the others in case some idiot tried to attack him while he was speaking. ¡°But you forgot to mention my name. Defeats the point, don¡¯t you think? I am known as Spider.¡±

    ¡°We know who you are,¡± a pudgy but competent-looking professor said. Noah recognized him as George. He was the professor to Fiona, one of the strongest students in the Advanced Track. ¡°What do you want, Spider? And how arrogant can you be to bring a demon to our meeting, Vermil?¡±

    ¡°Are you really asking me that?¡± Karina/Vermil asked, tilting his head to the side and arching an eyebrow. ¡°I escaped the Damned Plains. I beat Wizen. I think I might know what I¡¯m doing. The question is¡­ do you?¡±

    Damn. Laying it on a bit thick, aren¡¯t we?

    ¡°As abrasive as Vermil is, he is not a fool. I would assume there is a purpose to this,¡± Silvertide called from across the room. He¡¯d arrived separately to ensure nobody would make the immediate connection that they were working together. Silvertide¡¯s eyes narrowed and he rapped his cane against the ground. ¡°I suggest we get to that purpose sooner rather than later, Demon.¡±

    ¡°With pleasure,¡± Noah said. ¡°My time is valuable. I don¡¯t have any desire to waste it, so we¡¯ll get right to the point.¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°I¡¯m certain many of you are wondering why I¡¯d ever ally myself with the strongest demon that¡¯s ever made itself manifest on the Mortal Plane,¡± Karina said. ¡°But, for those of you who have more than rocks rattling around in your skulls, you might have realized that there would only be one good reason to stand beside one of our greatest enemies. Does anybody care to take a guess?¡±

    Dozens of gazes bore into them. Noah stood as perfectly still as he could. The less human he felt, the more everyone would be uneasy ¡ª and the less likely one of them would try to do something that would interrupt his carefully prepared play.

    Come on. One of you have to want to speak. Answer the question so you can seem smart. It¡¯s not a hard one.

    And, to Noah¡¯s delight, it was Otto who stepped forward. He hadn¡¯t seen the wealthy man in quite some time, as most of his dealings had been with his assistant, Bird. Noah rather liked Otto. He was the sensible sort ¡ª and he also paid a lot of money for runes.

    ¡°A common enemy,¡± Otto said, his eyes boring into Noah¡¯s. ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re implying, isn¡¯t it? That Vermil is working together with you because there¡¯s some great enemy that threatens both demons and humans.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit,¡± another professor called almost instantly. ¡°That¡¯s a likely story. Just think for a moment. Verrud and Jakob died during the exam. Right before Vermil returned. Are you going to tell us that you don¡¯t know what happened to them, Vermil?¡±

    ¡°No. I know what happened to them,¡± Karina said. Her words were grim ¡ª she was doing an excellent job of looking a mixture of distraught and harrowed with Noah¡¯s face. It was rather impressive. ¡°I was there when they died.¡±

    ¡°Arrogant bastard. You don¡¯t even try to deny it,¡± another professor called. ¡°They were known to have issue with you, Vermil. Let me guess. You¡¯re going to try to claim they were working against all of us and you were forced to kill them by making a deal with a demon.¡±

    ¡°Wrong!¡± Karina barked. ¡°We had our differences. Jakob was arrogant ¡ª and worse, a Torrin. Verrud was a bit of a sleazebag¡­ but we were all colleagues. Jakob and Verrud were not our enemies. Despite everything that went down between us¡­ I am here today to say that they weren¡¯t our enemies. On the contrary. Jakub and Verrud were heroes.¡±

    A stunned silence fell over the room.

    There wasn¡¯t a single person that had attended an Advanced Track meeting in recent times that didn¡¯t see Noah¡¯s students at odds with Jakob¡¯s. They¡¯d all watched him humiliate both the students and masters in one of the earliest meetings he¡¯d been to. It was well known that the tensions between them couldn¡¯t have been higher.

    To claim that the people in the room that hated him most were heroes was inconceivable. Nobody would ever do that, especially when said people were no longer around to defend themselves. It would have been an easy opportunity to disparage them.

    No noble would ever pass that chance up.

    Noah smiled behind his mask.

    ¡°What?¡± George asked, blinking in surprise. ¡°Heroes?¡±

    ¡°Heroes,¡± Karina repeated, going off the script that Noah had practically handed to her. He didn¡¯t know exactly what the professors would say, but he¡¯d had a pretty general idea of how they¡¯d react. She took a step forward and clasped her hands behind her back. ¡°Jakob and Verrud died trying to protect the students.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Yulin said, emerging from behind Emily. ¡°We were attacked during the exam. Someone shut off our lockets.¡±

    ¡°And not just their own students,¡± Isabel called. ¡°A group of people in Arbitage uniforms attacked us. Jakob and Verrud tried to save all of us, but they were armed with magic we¡¯ve never seen before. It was a slaughter. They died covering us. If Vermil hadn¡¯t emerged from the Damned Plains with Spider right in time to scare them off¡­ we¡¯d all be dead.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I was too slow to stop them from taking Jakob and Verrud¡¯s bodies with them,¡± Karina said grimly. ¡°And I was severely injured in the fight, even with Spider¡¯s help. I have been hiding, recuperating. I told the students to keep what they saw to themselves to avoid overplaying our hand ¡ª but now is the time to act.¡±

    Brilliant, Karina. Well done. You¡¯ve got them dancing on strings.

    ¡°Act for what?¡± Gordrick asked, his initial anger turning to confusion. ¡°What are you saying, Vermil?¡±

    ¡°Use that little mind of yours,¡± Noah said, taking the opportunity to sieze control of the conversation. ¡°I don¡¯t care about your little political games. I have stood before the Lord of Death and left him mortally wounded. I have witnessed more lives than most of you could ever comprehend ¡ª and I know of the pathetic little secrets you try to keep¡­ such as how the Bastions are nothing more than stockpiles of ancient weapons.¡±

    ¡°What of it?¡± Godrick asked, but Noah could see unease in his posture. That wasn¡¯t knowledge that people wanted to get out¡­ and thoughts were starting to churn behind the large man¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Why do you think I would ally myself with a pathetic little mortal?¡± Noah asked, but he didn¡¯t bother giving anybody time to respond. ¡°Wizen already managed to steal one of your weapons, and he was not the first. He was not alone.¡±

    Come on. Somebody say it for me. Fill in the blanks in my bullshit.

    ¡°Traitors,¡± Godrick whispered as his eyes went wide. ¡°Are you saying there are traitors attempting to unearth the weapons from the Long Night?¡±

    ¡°No human would ever pose me a threat. I am greater than any demon you have met before. Even Inquisitors are nothing before me,¡± Noah said. ¡°But the weapons from the Long Night¡­ they are sealed away for a reason. There are weapons within the Bastions that could end existence as we know it. I do not want them unleashed any more than you do.¡±

    I don¡¯t have the faintest fucking clue about how strong the things in the Bastions are, but I¡¯m sure there have to be some super-weapons somewhere. Its quite plausible. I¡¯m willing to bet nobody here actually knows what the strongest weapons are, and even if they do, they probably assume there¡¯s a stronger one somewhere.

    ¡°But who would want that?¡± Ulya called from the other end of the room, right on cue. Noah had only managed to get a little time to warn her of their plans before the meeting, but she only had to say that one line.

    ¡°I have killed many of these traitors already. I care not for mortal families, but Vermil identified them for me. They are Torrins.¡±

    Someone snorted. ¡°Right. Sure¡ª¡±

    ¡°They are Linwicks,¡± Noah continued. ¡°They are Kings. They are Herrons. They are Rivvens. They are all of you,¡± Noah called, his mask concealing his smile as he laid the final piece of his plans down. ¡°The rot runs to the core. It permeates every single one of your families. If you wish to find the traitors, turn to each other. I have no doubt that they are present even here, in this room.¡±

    Everything I said is straight bullshit, but it doesn¡¯t matter. The pieces are all there, and the nobles already don¡¯t trust each other. I saw what happened when Wizen was using his plant clones ¡ª and this is a thousand times worse.

    The urge to laugh bubbled up in Noah¡¯s throat, but he crushed it down and did nothing but watch as chaos exploded through the room and everyone burst into loud yells.

    Let¡¯s see you bastards try to come for Isabel when you¡¯re all at each other¡¯s throats over some traitors to the empire that don¡¯t even exist.

 Chapter 633: Jalens Promise

    Janice sat as still as ice as arguments ripped through the room around her. The shadow of the pillar behind her covered much of her body, preventing anyone from getting a good look at her features.

    That was no mistake. She always chose the position that would be the most advantageous to her goals. Father had ingrained that habit into her. Emotions were a weapon when one was on the offense. But if she was on defense¡­ then they were nothing but a weakness.

    His words had proven true. Because, if anyone had the presence of mind and fortune to catch a glimpse of her features, they would have seen shock flash over them. Her expression was not one of surprised disbelief.

    It was one of recognition.

    Spider. How does he know? We don¡¯t have information leaks. The number of people who know about the artifact¡­ there are almost none. It¡¯s not inconceivable that another ancient power would have hidden within the Arbalest Empire in pursuit of it. Father expected that might be a possibility. But why would Spider be associated with them? How would he have ever found out?

    Janice swallowed. She wasn¡¯t even meant to be here. Father had assigned her to watching over Arbitage. Her duty was to avoid being observed and silently gather information. That normally would have meant avoiding any gatherings of the strongest mages in the Bastion ¡ª but the empire¡¯s hourglass was running out of sand.

    Father was getting the artifact now. And once he did¡­ she had no idea if she¡¯d ever get a chance to speak with Brayden again. She¡¯d observed him attending the Advanced Track meetings with Vermil¡¯s students.

    There hadn¡¯t been a chance for her to speak with him privately. And, even if there had been, Janice wasn¡¯t sure what she would have told him. What she could have told him. She would do nothing to endanger what she had worked for. Father¡¯s plans would go forward.

    They were the only fix for this broken, chaos-ridden world.

    And so she had said nothing. She¡¯d attended the meetings in private, watching from afar. It had been some time since she¡¯d last gotten a chance to even speak with Brayden, but a dozen conversations had happened within the confines of her own head. None of them would ever see the light of day.

    She¡¯d told Father that she was paying special attention to the mildly competent mages in Arbitage to ensure that none of them would inadvertently get in their way. He¡¯d been accepting of that explanation ¡ª though Janice just suspected he truly didn¡¯t care what she did when he didn¡¯t have a specific task for her.

    Not a single part of Janice had expected to be sitting in the room when none other than Spider exposed their plans as if he¡¯d always known them. The demon had a unique ability to be endlessly infuriating¡­ but this was something else entirely.

    If he knows this much¡­

    Janice sent her senses diving inward.

    Father! We have an issue. A very serious issue.

    There was a heartbeat of silence. Then her skin prickled. An icy presence wrapped around Janice¡¯s shoulders like a cloak, and she knew that Father had turned his gaze onto her.

    Speak.

    Spider is here. At the Advanced Track meeting. He¡¯s returned from the Damned Plains ¡ª and he knows about the artifact. He¡¯s just told the entire meeting about it.

    There was a moment of silence. Janice¡¯s throat clenched as she felt the weight of Father¡¯s attention magnify. His presence was ancient and oppressive, like an endless sky devoid of stars.

    Tell me exactly what has happened.

    Spider arrived at the meeting using what I suspect to be one of his extra bodies as cover for his Vermil persona. He had word spread that an immensely powerful demon would be making an appearance at the meeting, so the entire track gathered to see if it was true. He then revealed the presence of an organization spread throughout every noble house in pursuit of an immensely powerful artifact.

    He found out? Improbable. Spider is not that old. He is not an Archdemon.

    Is¡­ it possible that he managed to trick us? That he hid his true strength when we observed him?

    There was a moment of silence.

    Unlikely, but it is possible. This is unlikely to change our plans. Spider is too late. I have already arrived at the artifact. I will have it in my possession shortly. Continue to observe the meeting. Be wary of Spider. You still hold purpose.

    Janice swallowed.

    Understood.

    ***

    Blood pooled on the cold stone around Jalen, soaking into his clothes and spreading at a decidedly alarming rate. His body begged for air, but he didn¡¯t have enough of his lungs left to even try to fill.

    Darkness coiled at the edges of Jalen¡¯s vision and worked to pull his eyelids shut. Ice wrapped around his limbs and wound up his chest as it reached for his head. Even the pain from the wound Father had inflicted on him with nothing more than a flicker of his power had faded.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Jalen¡¯s body was shutting down.

    Ironically enough, that seemed to have sped up his thoughts. Jalen was fairly certain this was generally the part where flashes of his life were supposed to dance through his mind and ease him into the next life.

    That didn¡¯t happen. There really wasn¡¯t much of his life that he cared to remember. It hadn¡¯t been truly enjoyable in so many years that there was simply nothing but the present ¡ª and every part of him that still remained was in revolt.

    There were many deaths that Jalen had absolutely no issue with. To be struck down in a glorious battle. To be crushed between more women than he could count. To spit in the eyes of the gods themselves and be smited into the next realm. To get crushed by an inexplicable falling anvil in front of a group of orphans.

    If his death served some purpose ¡ª even if only a mildly amusing one ¡ª he¡¯d have found no issue in it whatsoever. Existence was just too much of a hassle. But after all the bullshit he¡¯d lived through, all the worthless fools groveling for his favor, all the years that had spun past as he¡¯d waited for something to become interesting again¡­

    Jalen¡¯s jaw clenched. Dying like this was a complete waste. It wasn¡¯t just worthless. It was boring.

    I refuse to accept that I, the most badass fucking mage in the entirety of this shithole kingdom, will end like this. Crushed like nothing more than a bug.

    Inconceivable.

    Jalen¡¯s fingers twitched. A second stretched into a thousand as his mind raced. If he could somehow take Father into the next life with him ¡ª but that wasn¡¯t possible. The other man completely eclipsed him in power. There was nothing that Jalen could do as he was.

    His time was running out.

    Defiance welled in Jalen¡¯s mind like a crashing ocean. His lips trembled and pulled back in a defiant snarl.

    Father had turned his back on him. Jalen was so weak that Father couldn¡¯t even be bothered to wait until he had died to continue his work. The only thing the emotionless man cared about was the stupid stick on the wall in front of him.

    A dozen voices yelled within Jalen¡¯s head. Curses. Insults. Promises. Voices, all of them his, yelled in unison. And one by one, their cries became one and the same. The years had fragmented him. Worn his psyche to the core. The only way he could have retained any fragment of his sanity was to split himself into a dozen. It was far easier to be alone when all the company he needed was within his own mind.

    But this was the end. And in the end, a soul left the world as it had arrived. Every piece of Jalen slid back together.

    His time was thinner than a hair. The cold that had been nipping at his limbs was gone now. All that remained was a building, gentle warmth. A faint pull into the realm beyond. It was welcoming. Gentle. Like the open embrace of an old friend.

    There was light, now. A gentle glowing gold that promised peace to all those who stepped into its domain.

    Jalen¡¯s chest ¡ª or at least, what remained of it ¡ª twitched as his body instinctively tried to draw in a breath. For a flicker of an instant, clarity passed through his eyes.

    Go fuck yourself.

    He shoved the metaphorical proffered hand away and plunged into the depths of his mind.

    Jalen needed more time.

    Just a little more time.

    Everything was already at the cusp of crumbling. Runes that had been with him for as long as he could remember greeted him, almost as if in acknowledgement. He¡¯d spent so long on them. So long learning how to master their powers so he could reach the peak of strength, only to find that his pursuit of power had left him without anyone worthy to fight.

    The edges of his soul started to crumble.

    Just a bit more.

    Jalen¡¯s fists tightened at his sides.

    He extended his mind to his runes, the connection between them already starting to falter. Jalen was pretty sure he shouldn¡¯t even have had the power to reach out to them. But, for some reason, power brushed across his senses. There was a faint sense of peace within their magic.

    Perhaps they were saying farewell.

    He¡¯d never been one for sentimentality.

    Jalen grabbed onto the magic.

    All I want are a few more moments.

    With a roar and every remaining scrap of will and power within his failing body, he did what he had intentionally refused to do for hundreds of years.

    He drove all his runes together into one.

    The world shattered.

    Jalen¡¯s eyes snapped open.

    His Domain roared. Power burned around his body like a churning storm. It flooded through his veins and pumped in his skull like the beat of a thousand men marching to war. His body was stronger than it had ever been¡­ but there was simply too much missing. Advancing in ranks could not fix the damage he had sustained.

    Death waited, a hand on his shoulder. Jalen could feel it now.

    This very second was his last.

    And so Jalen took that second.

    He took it ¡ª and he froze it.

    Father paused, his hand on the wooden staff. He turned back to Jalen. And for a flicker of a moment, surprise passed through his eyes.

    ¡°You still live?¡±

    Jalen¡¯s lips pulled back in a bloody snarl ¡ª but he used every ounce of willpower he had to contain the power pouring from his body. He wrapped it in his domain and prevented even a flicker of it from leaking free.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone ever tell you to finish off your opponents?¡±

    The power screaming in his body did nothing to offset the weakness waiting to swallow him whole and drag him to the next life. The moment his concentration waned, it was over.

    ¡°You were never an opponent,¡± Father replied. ¡°Merely an insect.¡±

    ¡°You know what?¡± Jalen asked. The corner of his lip twitched in amusement. ¡°This might end up being funnier than the anvil.¡±

    Father¡¯s head tilted to the side. ¡°What?¡±

    Jalen released his Domain.

    There was a flicker of an instant where nothing happened. Then Father¡¯s eyes went wide.

    The air before Jalen vibrated. A shadow passed through the room. The pressure in the room changed with a pop. Jalen staggered into the wall behind him.

    And then they were no longer alone.

    A woman clad in black stood between Father and Jalen. She wore a spiked collar around her neck and her teeth were pointed like razor-sharp blades. Power radiated her as if she were a miniature sun.

    Would you look at that? Vermil wasn¡¯t full of shit after all.

    ¡°Oops,¡± Jalen said, his lips splitting into a sardonic grin. ¡°Did I just reach Rank 7?¡±

    The woman¡¯s gaze flicked from Jalen to Father ¡ª and then to the artifact on the wall. Then her eyes went thin in fury. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    Jalen slumped back against the wall, his legs no longer able to support him. He slid to the ground. His second was wearing thin, but he planned to milk it for every last drop he could.

    There¡¯s no way I¡¯m dying before I get to see Father¡¯s shit get kicked in.

 Chapter 634: Fall

    It took every scrap of energy that Jalen had left to keep himself awake. He honestly wasn¡¯t even sure how he hadn¡¯t died yet ¡ª but spite and the sheer dumb refusal to give up until he saw Father pasted into a meat patty was certainly helping. The huge hole in his chest had stopped weeping blood, but he couldn¡¯t feel his combined rune anymore.

    They weren¡¯t the only things he couldn¡¯t feel. His fingers were numb. So were his legs. He was pretty sure his body had started to shut down and the inevitable end was knocking at the doors of the fortress he¡¯d built around his mind.

    But they hadn¡¯t fallen yet ¡ª and so long as they didn¡¯t fall, he planned to enjoy the scene before him to its fullest.

    Vermil never told me his Rank 7 friend was pretty. Rat bastard. I could have been so much more motivated.

    ¡°You,¡± Garina said, her eyes boring into Father with unrestrained fury. ¡°And here I thought you ran like the coward you are.¡±

    ¡°After all the effort I went through to get here?¡± Father asked, his lips pulling up into a faint smile. ¡°But fear not. I¡¯ll be leaving shortly. There will no longer be a reason for me to remain here. Especially now that my task had been made considerably less enjoyable.¡±

    ¡°That opportunity has long since passed. Rank 7 mages are not permitted within Arbalest. A momentary infraction is forgivable, but you¡¯ve been here¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ever since I evaded you all those years ago. That must sting, Garina. I take some pride in it. The only mage to have ever escaped you,¡± Father drawled. His words were those of a smug victor, but his tone was as flat and dead as his eyes. ¡°I admit that you are a powerful opponent. There are few other mages on this world that could force me to hide within imbued rooms for hundreds of years.¡±

    ¡°It was my greatest failing. One that will be rectified today.¡± The air around Garina trembled with sheer power, but she wasn¡¯t calling on her runes. It was the sheer magical pressure of their presence alone. Power made manifest.

    The power known only to a Rank 7.

    Rune Force.

    Rubble at Garina¡¯s feet clattered. It flattened like dough, crushed into the ground and turned to paste. Cracks sealed themselves over as her magical weight rolled out with the gravitational pull of a black hole, crushing everything in her wake.

    Incredible. I never thought I¡¯d get to see it in person.

    Garina¡¯s stance shifted. Despite the immense power she had, the mage wasn¡¯t rushing to attack Father. She was wary ¡ª which meant he was even stronger than Jalen had expected.

    ¡°You stand accused of the crime of breaking the treaty and invading the empire as a Rank 7,¡± Garina said. She shifted her stance, lowering her weight. Black energy slithered through the air around her, borne from nothing but the existence of her runes. ¡°I will carry out your sentence. The punishment is death.¡±

    ¡°I have been sentenced to death far more times than you can count. My life is not for the likes of you to claim, dog. You should realize that this fight was over before you ever arrived,¡± Father said. His eyes flicked to Jalen for an instant before returning to Garina. ¡°Even though your mutt has soured my victory¡­ I have already won.¡±

    The air snapped.

    Garina disappeared.

    Even Jalen¡¯s trained senses couldn¡¯t keep up with her speed. One moment, she¡¯d been before him. The next, she was upon Father, her foot raised high into the air and plummeting down like the crashing strike of an axe meant to fell a continent.

    The kick slammed into Father¡¯s shoulder with a resounding crash. He crumpled like a sack of potatoes, the sound of shattering bone and shearing metal echoing through the room. The pile of clothes that was Father then laid still and unmoving on the ground, crackles of black energy arcing across his body.

    Blood pooled on the ground around Father.

    Jalen blinked in surprise. For all the talk Father had put out, Jalen had fully expected the fight to be a whole lot¡­ more.

    I guess mages really just don¡¯t expect physical attacks.

    Then Father twitched. The blood seeping from his body slowed. Then it started to reverse its flow. It ran back into the pile of clothes, which bubbled like boiling liquid.

    Garina leapt back instead of pressing her advantage, landing several feet away from Jalen.

    Father rose, stepping away from nothing but a pile of shattered red shackles. There was no other sign that Garina¡¯s attack had even connected with him.

    An immense force drove into what little remained of Jalen¡¯s lungs like a physical strike. His eyes bulged and he wheezed, denied even the strength to grasp at his throat with limp fingers.

    Magic distorted the area around Father with its intensity. The air itself seemed to scream in pain as it was crushed by the rolling force of his magic, and flashing mirages tore through the center of the room as his Rune Force clashed with Garina¡¯s.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Father asked emotionlessly. ¡°An executioner does not flee the sentenced. Surely you do not take offense to me removing my bindings. There is no purpose to hide now that you have arrived, after all.¡±

    ¡°What manner of magic is that?¡± Garina asked, her lips thinning. ¡°What have you done to yourself?¡±

    Father chuckled. He lifted an arm toward Garina.

    ¡°Careful!¡± Jalen yelled.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Father¡¯s hand clenched into a fist.

    Perhaps Garina had already been aware of his powers, or perhaps she took Jalen¡¯s warning to heart, but she moved out of the way. To Jalen¡¯s eyes, she may as well have teleported.

    The air where she¡¯d been standing distorted. For an instant, Jalen could have sworn he saw shimmer of translucent fingers tightening around where Garina¡¯s heart had been an instant before.

    Garina sliced a hand down through the air.

    Father lifted his arms before himself.

    The room split apart.

    An enormous scar, running from the ceiling to the floor, appeared in the ground. It was easily three feet wide and a dozen feet deep in every direction. There was no trace of the magic she had used.

    It had simply happened.

    And, in spite of the impossibly fast attack, Father stood exactly where he had been. The scar in the ground stopped directly in front of him and re-appeared in the ceiling above the staff Father stood before.

    He hadn¡¯t been so much as scratched.

    Jalen¡¯s skin prickled. Even in his situation, he couldn¡¯t repress the awe burning within him.

    Are they at the peak of Rank 7? Is this the power that one can master at their level?

    Garina vanished.

    Father did the same.

    Jalen¡¯s eyes strained as he desperately tried to keep up with the fight. Portions of the room shattered. Magic roared, oceans of power driving into each other. He was confident that both Father and Garina possessed more than enough power to level a city ¡ª but, for some reason, they were both restraining themselves.

    At least, he was pretty sure they were.

    All he could spot were the briefest flashes of a fight. Garina swinging what seemed to be a massive weapon made of energy so black that the night seemed white in comparison. Father doing a series of hand motions that forced Garina to dodge away from invisible strikes.

    He couldn¡¯t tell who was winning or if anyone had even managed to claim the upper hand. Neither of them even paid him so much as a second glance. Jalen had been completely forgotten.

    Then there was a resounding crash. Something in the air shifted. Father slammed into the wall beside the staff with enough force to shatter the stone behind him.

    He dropped to the ground, falling to his knees as he gasped for air. Garina reappeared before him, the huge black broadsword in her hands made purely from runic power already crashing down for Father¡¯s head. Pure magic burned within the weapon. Jalen wasn¡¯t sure how, but he knew without a doubt that Father would not be getting back up if the blow connected.

    A grin pulled across Jalen¡¯s weary lips.

    She got him. What a fight. I wish I could have seen more of it.

    He felt his body relax. There was no longer a reason to hold on. There was nothing left to see. He¡¯d accomplished what he ¡ª

    Wait.

    The skin around Father¡¯s eyes was ever so slightly wrinkled. His lips were pulled up in the faintest of smiles ¡ª one that had actually reached his eyes.

    Father doesn¡¯t smile like that.

    Jalen didn¡¯t have time to call out a warning.

    All he could do was thrust a hand forward. He gathered the magic that had inexplicably stuck around even though his life should have drained it away. He took that magic and thrust it from himself. Jalen threw it forward in a desperate attempt, unaware as to what he could even accomplish with his own powers.

    The air around Garina crumpled like the many pieces of paper that Jalen had crushed up to throw in the trash.

    But, for a flicker of an instant, its collapse slowed like an underwater explosion. And in that second, Garina flicked to the side. A pulped mess splattered to the floor where she¡¯d been standing, crushed and warped beyond recognition.

    Only when Jalen looked to Garina did he realize what it was.

    Her right arm was gone. It, along with a fair portion of her shoulder, had been ripped clean off and ground to a paste. Garina didn¡¯t so much as stagger, but the blood weeping down her side definitely wasn¡¯t a good sign.

    ¡°I knew I disliked you for a reason,¡± Father said, his eyes flicking to Jalen as he rose to his feet, suddenly no longer bothered by the apparent injuries that had brought him to his knees. ¡°Time-space magic? You, of all people, managed to comprehend it?¡±

    ¡°Not in the slightest. I¡¯ve got no idea what I¡¯m doing,¡± Jalen replied through a wheeze. ¡°That look on your face is worth it, though.¡±

    Father¡¯s lips twitched.

    ¡°This is over. I win, Garina. I have spent years preparing to fight you, but you have been preparing to fight everyone. You cannot defeat me.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think a missing arm will stop me?¡± Garina asked. ¡°You cannot escape your fate.¡±

    ¡°Fate,¡± Father repeated, turning the word over in his mouth like a sour grape. ¡°There is no such thing as fate. Fate is simply an alignment of causalities. You cannot control it.¡±

    He turned to the staff on the wall behind him.

    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Garina said through a laugh. ¡°Other Apostles are already coming. You¡¯re out of time.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I sense them. You think to bait me into using what I cannot control,¡± Father said softly. ¡°But you are wrong. It is appropriate, I think. You were here at the beginning, and you will be here at the end.¡±

    Then he reached up and grasped the staff.

    Jalen half expected the room to go up in flames, but nothing happened. Father lifted the shepard¡¯s crook off the wall and brought it down to hold before himself.

    It just looked like a plain piece of wood ¡ª but the horror in Garina¡¯s features proved it was anything but.

    She didn¡¯t mince words. Garina vanished, reforming directly before Father, her sword reformed in her remaining hand. It plummeted for his neck in a streak of black.

    Father pointed the staff at Garina.

    Her magic shredded apart like confetti and her hand swung past Father harmlessly, no longer holding a weapon.

    Garina took a step back as disbelief warped her features.

    ¡°Impossible. You can use it? How?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the bullshit magic you used against me,¡± Jalen wheezed. ¡°Talk about lame.¡±

    ¡°Used? He¡¯s already used it?¡± Garina¡¯s pale features somehow went even paler.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Father said with a smile. A real smile. ¡°I have already comprehended the faintest portion of the order of the universe. The staff will simply guide me. I would normally enjoy this moment for longer, but I will admit that the combined force of the Apostles would be too much, even for me. There is much I must study before I meet them on the battlefield. I have enjoyed our game, Garina, even if you did not realize we were still playing. You lose.¡±

    Father turned. His eyes lingered on Jalen.

    ¡°Try it,¡± Garina said. ¡°You¡¯re fast, Father. But can you risk another attack? I know what you¡¯re capable of now. Will you be fast enough to avoid my blade again? One arm is all I need. Once I have the scent of yoru blood¡­¡±

    Father¡¯s lips twitched in what just might have been distaste.

    Then he folded apart like a piece of origami being pulled apart by a child.

    Garina and Jalen stared at the space where he¡¯d stood.

    ¡°Well,¡± Jalen said through a weak cough. The world spun around him as his wounds finally caught up to him. ¡°That¡¯s probably not good.¡±

    His vision went dark and his eyes fluttered. The air before him shifted as several forms suddenly appeared before him. He couldn¡¯t make out what they looked like despite his best efforts. The room was nothing but a distant haze, now.

    ¡°Garina!¡± a gruff-voiced man barked. ¡°What happened? Where is¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ready the Apostles. All of them,¡± Garina said, her voice grim. ¡°The Long Night has been stolen. We must prepare for the empire to fall.¡±