ã€ŠThe Familiar Summonerã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Tutorial

    Levi Winters woke up later than he wanted. The sun was shining on his face when he should have been up before the sun. Tapping his phone to check the time didn¡¯t work. He tapped and tapped the black screen, and nothing happened. In a small bit of panic, he mashed the side buttons until the dreaded image appeared. An empty battery with a charging cord flashed, mocking him and reminding him how he failed to do a simple task. While reaching for his phone, he got a good whiff of his armpits. Horrified by the smell, he plugged in his phone and rushed to take a shower and eliminate said smell.

    While in the shower, his phone recharged and turned on. It lit up, displaying notification after notification. It was clear Levi had missed something important. His phone kept beeping, buzzing, and lighting up until its owner returned. With a toothbrush in his mouth and the towel rubbing his head dry, Levi peered at his phone. There was a message from his boss, his friends, and his mother. They all had texted him. There was another notification he didn¡¯t recognize.

    They weren¡¯t particularly urgent messages. His mother had sent him a reply to the game they were playing together. His friend had asked him how his date went last night. He thought about his date; it was average. It was not like anything was wrong with the woman she went on a date with, but he had entered a rut. The dates all had the same format: some kind of mediocre activity, a cheap dinner, and small talk. He came home and played video games for far too long, it was clear he forgot to charge his phone and wake up to his alarm.

    The message from his boss was him trying to convince Levi to come back to work. Levi had just quit. Like dating, he felt like he was in a rut with work and wanted something new. After looking over the familiar notifications there was one that stood out the most. It was an odd symbol he had never seen before. It was blinking in and out, prompting Levi to touch it.

    Congratulations, you have been accepted into the Summoners Guild.

    Teleportation Sequence has been initiated.

    ¡°Summoner¡¯s Guild? Teleportation?¡± Levi said. ¡°What does that mean? What is-¡± Levi felt an odd sensation throughout his body. He felt like he was going through a loop d-loop on a roller coaster over and over. Tossing and turning, he blacked out.

    ¡­. Calibrating

    ¡­. Calibrating

    ¡­. Operating System has begun.

    ¡­. Teleportation completed.

    Levi Winters has successfully been teleported to the world.

    Levi woke up with a throbbing head. He had his towel in his hand and a toothbrush in his mouth. Scratching his head, he felt a massive bump. Levi tried to look around, but his eyes were so fuzzy he couldn¡¯t really see anything. He rubbed his eyes to try to clear it up. In front of him Levi saw two people standing there giggling. They were girls, presumably sisters, but Levi had no idea. They were speaking but Levi could not understand a word they were saying.

    To Levi, it sounded like gibberish. Levi sat up, holding his towel, and looked around. A terrifying fact dawned on Levi. If he was holding his towel, what was covering his private part? Standing up in a flash, he awkwardly wrapped the towel around his waist and smiled awkwardly at the two women.

    ¡°Uhh,¡± Levi said. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± The women looked him up and down. Embarrassment took over even more as he looked at his scrawny body. One of the girls handed him a weird looking stone. The stone was about the size of a fist and purely white. She had a smile on her face, but Levi wasn¡¯t sure if he should be trusting this stranger.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± Levi said, more so to himself. ¡°Am I in a foreign country? Did I get teleported to Asia? These¡­ uh girls. Are clearly Asian, but they are super tan. Uhhh...¡± Levi tried saying hello in the various Asian languages he knew. He was not well-versed in many languages, but he knew how to say hello. To his dismay, nothing worked. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I thought that would work?¡± The women looked at him with confusion.

    ¡°Why is the naked man just staring at us?¡± One of the girls said in her language. ¡°Can you understand him?¡±

    ¡°I cannot,¡± the other replied. ¡°It is strange that he doesn¡¯t know the common tongue. It appears that he is trying to communicate with us. He is so skinny,¡± she said, turning her head to stare at him. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen someone so skinny in so long.¡± She gave the milk chocolate brown man before her an assessing look.

    ¡°He¡¯s kind of cute, though,¡± the first girl responded.

    ¡°Why do you always go to looks right away, Piper?¡± the second girl asked, annoyance in her tone.

    ¡°I have eyes, Anna. Relax,¡± Piper responded. Anna rolled her eyes and pulled out a language stone. She had no idea if this man was a magic user; if he was not, it would just look like a stone.

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll be able to use this?¡± Anna asked nervously. ¡°But is he willing to trust us?¡± Holding out the stone, Anna waited patiently for the man to take it. He kept babbling in the same language and looking at the women. After a couple of minutes of the women putting on their best, ¡®we¡¯re not here to kill you smile¡¯, Levi gave in and grabbed the stone.

    Grabbing the stone, Levi looked over, turning it over in his hand. It was cool to the touch. The rock was smooth, but he felt something the longer he stared at the rock. A blue symbol started to appear. The symbol was a small pencil and piece of paper; staring deeper at the symbol, a dim light started to glow bigger and bigger. The light got so bright Levi had to shield his eyes. Shortly, the blue light had disappeared. The bright light left him seeing spots for several seconds. He rubbed his eyes and heard a voice.

    ¡°Did it work?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Piper. The glowing should indicate that it worked. But he is just staring at us¡­¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi responded. ¡°I can understand you. My freaking eyes hurt.¡± he said, rubbing his eyes. ¡°What did you do to me? Why can I understand you now? Where am I? Who are you two? WHY AM I NAKED??¡±

    One of them giggled at Levi''s panicked reaction. The other just stared at him with blazing intensity. The one who handed him the stone clearly indicated with her facial expressions that she was not happy with Levi. The two women were definitely not sisters. After getting a better look at them, they looked nothing alike.

    The woman on the left, the one who gave him the stone, had Asian features and dark skin¡ªwhat Levi thought to be a darker Sri Lankin. She had long, dark black hair slicked back into a neat bun and two little curls just above her ears. She had a button nose and dimples. Her eyes were hazel, which was prominent with her dark features. She was relatively tall, by Levi¡¯s standards, and very fit. She looked like she had been an athlete her whole life. She was very attractive, the kind of attractive where it was clear she got a lot of free stuff. Levi assumed she was hit on constantly. She had a wand at her hip and carried a book. She wore what Levi assumed to be wizard robes. The robe was midnight blue with sparkles of white throughout it. The robe was a bit more form fitting than the cliche robes he was accustomed too, it reminded him of a witch from a popular superhero series he enjoyed watching. She had a cloak on as well that had a symbol of a book on each of the cloak¡¯s clips.

    The other woman, the one on the right, who was constantly giggling, also had Asian features, but she was lighter-skinned. It looked like she was from the Pacific Islands, like Hawai¡¯i or Samoa. She had wavy brown hair that was down just past her shoulders. Her hair had two French braids that kept it from falling in her face. Her nose was a little larger, and her lips were a little fuller. Like the other women, she looked extremely fit and was stunning. Her grey eyes were captivating to look at, Levi kept getting lost in them. She had a short sword in a sheath at her waist. It looked like she also had some throwing knives attached as well. Her outfit was much more Jedi-ninja. Her outfit was form-fitting that covered her body. It looked like it was good to run in and hide in the shadows, as it was purely dark but offered little protection. She also had a cloak, but the pins were different symbols. It was a symbol of two daggers crossed against each other.

    ¡°Calm down,¡± The one with the wand said. ¡°You clearly had too much fun last night.¡±

    ¡°Last night I played video games until way too late in the night,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°What are video games?¡± the other women said.

    ¡°What are your names? I keep calling you wand woman and the other woman in my head and that is not good.¡±

    ¡°You mean to tell me, that you don¡¯t recognize her??¡± The other woman asked incredulously. ¡°I¡¯m Piper Vendular.¡±

    ¡°Uhh,¡± Levi said, scratching his head, once again feeling the lump and wincing. ¡°No,¡±

    ¡°Quiet Piper. I am Anna,¡± she looked around frantically. ¡°Sands¡­¡± she said unconvincingly.

    ¡°Anna Sands?¡± Levi asked back slowly.

    ¡°What is your name?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Levi Winters,¡± He responded.

    ¡°Winters?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°I recognize the hypocrisy in my reaction and now we move on. Seriously though do you have any extra clothes I can wear or something?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Piper said, looking Levi up and down again. ¡°Embarrassed.¡±

    ¡°Completely,¡± Levi replied. This drew a giggle from the women.

    ¡°There is a small town a few hundred meters that way,¡± Anna gestured the opposite way they had come. Piper was about to protest, but a sharp look from Anna shut that down immediately.

    ¡°Cool, appreciate it,¡± Levi said and started to walk away from the two.

    ¡°Anna,¡± Piper pleaded as the helpless man started walking away. ¡°He has no money. He cannot buy anything. Why would you send him away without helping him?¡±

    ¡°Because, Piper, I am a princess. People want to kidnap, harass, and rob princesses. We cannot just help a half-naked man on a dirt road. He is not our problem, and we cannot concern ourselves with him anymore. Come on, friend. We must return before nightfall.¡±

    ¡°Yes, M¡¯lady,¡± Piper said, frowning at the poor half-naked man. Anna frowned. Piper was never formal unless she was upset. Then, the formalities came out to show there was a clear power dynamic going on.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Levi started to wander into the small town. As he approached from a distance, he noticed some people were hanging their clothes. The houses looked older than he expected. They looked more like cottages than anything else¡ªsmall brown cottages with low cobblestone walls. Levi counted 25 buildings that he could see, buildings that were not just houses. Electing to wait until night, he decided to hide in the bushes until night fell. Looking at the sky it was clear blue, it was quite pretty.

    The sun was setting in the distance, and a few stars had already appeared for the night. Levi let his mind wander about his situation. He hugged his knees, which were under the towel and thought. The last thing he could remember was he was reading messages from people cause his phone had died. There was a weird symbol he touched. His eyes shot open wide.

    ¡°There was that voice,¡± Levi said. ¡°It said something about a summoning glide or something like that. But it also said transportation ready!¡± As the reality of the situation dawned on Levi, he was unsure what to do. He was sitting on the grass, in a towel, with a toothbrush, waiting for nightfall to steal some clothes that may or may not fit. Closing his eyes he tried to take a deep breath in to calm himself but that didn¡¯t work.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Levi said. ¡°Let¡¯s think about my options. 1) steal clothes. 2) enter the town naked and get some clothes without any money. 3) follow those girls, 4) cry. Yeah, those are all good options. I¡¯m leaning towards option number four that seems to be the most plausible. What the hell man, I wish I had some sort of help.¡±

    Help

    A textbox appeared in Levi¡¯s vision. ¡°Uhhh,¡± he gave a mental command for yes.

    Quest: Make it to the Summoner¡¯s Guild

    Objective - Go to the city of Arcross in the Onyx Kingdom

    Reward for completing Objective - 1-star token.

    ¡°That¡¯s not helpful,¡± Levi said.

    Character Log: Levi Winters

    Class: Summoner

    Star Ranking - 1-star level 1

    Ability: Ritualist

    Ritualists are able to use skill books, use ritual magic, and create their own summoning and ritual circles with minimal materials needed. Base Mana pool is significantly larger.

    Ability: Elected Stranger

    You have been accepted into a guild in a new world with new things. Elected Stranger gives you the ability to understand the world from a chosen perspective. Customize perspective? Yes/No? Allows quests and objectives.

    Ability: Locked

    Ability: Locked

    Ability: Locked

    Stats:

    Strength 10

    Speed 10

    Stamina 10

    Vitality 50

    Wisdom 100

    Levi accepted the prompt to customize his perspective to understand the world around him. There was an option to choose his language. He chose English, since this was his first and most fluent language. The next prompt was to customize his vision. This reminded Levi of the video games he used to play. In the top left corner he added a map, he was excited hoping it would be helpful¡­ it was not. Everything was grayed out except the start point where he landed and the few hundred meters he walked. Disappointed, he made the map hidden until he commanded it to show up.

    On the right side of his vision, Levi added a health bar, mana bar, and stamina bar. The health bar was not what he expected, his options were limited. It was a small man that was grey, except a small yellow portion of his head, where the bump was. The mana bar was ten times the size of the stamina bar. The bar for mana was blue and the bar for stamina was green. Below that he had a small backpack icon, when he commanded it would open up his inventory. His inventory was huge, there were thirty boxes, each box had thirty open slots. Levi wondered if the items in this world would stack and if there was a stack limit. To his surprise he had already had some items in his inventory.

    He tried giving a mental command to grab the item, but it didn¡¯t work. This time Levi elected to reach out and try to touch the inventory box in his vision. He felt like this was augmented reality and the box wouldn¡¯t be tangible, but it was. The feeling that it gave Levi was similar to touching a phone screen and somehow grabbing the item. Once he did, he looked down at his hand and he was holding clothes.

    Item: Simple Pants

    A basic pair of black pants.

    Levi slipped on the pants. A screen appeared in front of him.

    Player Customization

    You may place any clothes, accessories, or familiars directly in the customization tab. In this tab you will be able to change quickly.

    In the tab Levi saw that he also had underwear, a type of shirt, sandals, a belt, and a hat. Putting the underwear on immediately, he felt something change inside of him. For the first time in a few hours Levi was in control of something. He was no longer naked, confused, and afraid. He was just confused and afraid. Levi looked at the shirt, it was a brown tunic, it was not very comfortable or really his style. Levi¡¯s frail body was completely hidden in the large tunic, it felt like he was wearing a burlap sack. The footwear he was wearing were sandals, some of his friends would have called them Jesus¡¯ slippers. These were the most comfortable things he was wearing. The belt was black and made his sack of a shirt fit a little snugger.

    ¡°I look like a hobo from the 1600s,¡± Levi said out loud. Continuing to look at his U/I or user interface. He noticed there was a counter at the bottom. There were four types of coins. The coins varied in different sizes and colors. There was a copper piece, a silver piece, a gold piece, and another piece he couldn¡¯t tell¡­ diamond? Platinum? He assumed it was the highest value, it was the smallest of the four pieces.

    All the counters were at zero. He had no money whatsoever. Which meant that he could not get any food to eat or place to rest. It looked like he was going to be camping the night away. By now the sun was almost gone and it was almost too dark. Levi had done some camping before, and he was a big fan of those nature tv survival shows so he knew the basics to survive. He walked away from the little town and grabbed some branches. He found several of the dead branches, which was convenient.

    After some time, he was able to make a small fire and feel the warmth of the fire. Levi had cleared a small area to sleep. He couldn¡¯t believe what was happening to him. It had been over 24 hours since he had eaten, and he was starving. The little man indicated where he was getting hurt showed his stomach start to turn yellow. The cautionary color of pain. Levi felt different being wherever he was, not emotionally or mentally. But physically. Physically he felt stronger, a little less tired. He never had the best posture; he never really had the best body type.

    Only standing at six feet tall, he wasn¡¯t the tallest person either. He weighed just about 125 pounds. Not heavy for people his size. Some would call it an unhealthy weight. Levi was never into sports or working out or doing anything that required physical activity. Although for a little bit he did start doing some yoga because his hips and core were so weak from sitting at a desk most of the hours of his day. Whether it was at his 9-5 or when he was playing video games and watching TV.

    Levi sighed, ¡°What am I doing here?¡± He was laying down looking at the sky. It was littered with stars. There were constellations he had never seen; he was pretty sure the moon was two times bigger. If anything confirmed he was no longer on Earth it was the sky. The one thing that Levi or other people could consider to be any type of activity is camping. He did really enjoy camping, he happened to live in a place where it rained all the time, and he hated getting wet, so camping was a summer/fall thing exclusively.

    With his head resting on his hands, laying on his back looking at the stars. Levi wanted to do something, but he wasn¡¯t sure what. He knew he had gotten a couple of quests but wasn¡¯t sure what they were. He mentally acknowledged the screens to appear.

    Quest: Tutorial

    Complete all the necessary steps to prepare you for your next adventure.

    Reward: Varied

    4 of 5 completed.

    Objective: Check Character Log - Completed

    Reward: Star Token - Rank 0 x5

    Objective: Check Inventory - Completed

    Reward: Simple Pants

    Reward: Simple Tunic

    Reward: Simple Belt

    Reward: Simple Sandals

    Objective: UI Personalization - Completed

    Reward: Basic Waterskin

    Reward: Copper pieces x5

    Objective: Player Customization - Completed

    Reward: Star Token - Rank 0 x5

    Objective: Level Up Stats

    Levi pulled out the star token he had gotten. It was a small golden medallion that had fit nicely in his palm. It didn¡¯t feel like metal but not like rock either, he couldn¡¯t really distinguish what the material of the coin was. Not really knowing what to do, he had a feeling that he should eat the medallion. Levi had no idea what could have possibly compelled him to want to eat a token but what else was he going to do with it. Putting it in his mouth it quickly dissolved and was a tart flavor, not the worst thing he has eaten.

    Star Token - Rank 0 has been consumed.

    Where would you like to apply the small bonus to?

    Levi was caught off guard. Where did he want to apply it to? He assumed that had to do with his stats he was looking at earlier. He looked at his body and had some guesses at what each of the stats did.

    ¡°What the hell,¡± Levi said. ¡°Strength?¡±

    Strength has gained 2 points...

    Strength is now at 12.

    ¡°Okay so each of those tokens are worth two points... Got it,¡± Levi said to himself. ¡°It also took care of my hunger. I¡¯m eating tokens in the wilderness. I have lost my mind. Maybe I¡¯m dreaming or maybe this is Jumanji and I got sucked into my game?! No, that doesn¡¯t make sense, I wasn¡¯t playing Jumanji or any RPG for that matter. Well, I have nine more tokens, might as well have dinner.¡±

    Levi ate the rest of the coins he elected to put most of the tokens into strength, speed, and stamina equally. He wasn¡¯t sure what they would be good for, but Levi has played a lot of video games. It was clear whatever his class was mana dependent. His wisdom being so much higher than strength, speed and stamina.

    Strength has gained 6 points...

    Strength is now 18.

    Speed has gained 6 points...

    Speed is now 16.

    Stamina has gained 6 points...

    Stamina is now 16.

    Peering at his stamina bar, the green bar had increased slightly.

    ¡°Progress,¡± he cheered sarcastically, ¡°punching a fist in the air.¡±

    Objective: Level Up Stats - Completed

    Reward: Summoning 101

    Reward: Pouch of coal dust

    Reward: Pouch of salt

    Reward: Pouch of sand

    Quest: Tutorial - Completed

    Reward: Unlocked Ability

    Reward: Gold Piece x2

    Reward: Silver Piece x 10

    Reward: Copper Piece x 50

    Ability: Familiar Bond

    You have unlocked the ability to summon familiars. Familiars are summoned creatures that bond with the user. They only need to be summoned once unless destroyed in combat, then they will need to be resummoned. Different familiars provide different bonuses to the summoner. Current familiar limit 1. Rank up to add a familiar bond. Next rank 2-Star.

    ¡°A familiar bond?¡± Levi said sitting upright. Was this his chance to get a familiar right away?

 Chapter 2 - Anza

    Levi was standing up, looking at the notification box telling him he had unlocked the ability to have a familiar. A bond that will last him either his lifetime or the familiar¡¯s lifetime, should the familiar die early. Levi was shocked. He knew nothing about summoning, he knew nothing about familiars or if they were good or if they were evil. All he knew at this moment was he could work to not to be alone. Exhaustion left his body replaced with excitement. He opened up the skill book which was a summoners guide. Thumbing through the pages he found a section on familiars.

    Rather than reading it, the words appeared in their own text box in front of him. Like a guidebook or tips in video games. ¡°Summoner¡¯s Guide Chapter 17 - Familiar Bonds. There are various levels of familiar bonds,¡± Levi read out loud. ¡°Familiar bonds can be summoned with certain materials; they are random but extra materials added can increase the chance of the summoned familiar.¡± He mumbled read a section until he found what he was looking for. ¡°Ahh, here. Familiar bonds with salt ritual circle,¡± nothing stood out to him in that list. Consisting of normal animals, he was used to seeing on Earth, cats, dogs, pigs, cows, and a horse. ¡°I¡¯m in a land with summoning and magic, I could do better than a standard animal. Familiar bonds with sand ritual circles,¡± once again Levi found the list to be underwhelming. This list consisted of lizards, snakes, scorpions, which the last one freaked him out. ¡°Okay, not sure how a scorpion could be useful for me but whatever.¡± He kept reading. ¡°Familiar bonds with iron dust ritual circles, whoa.¡± His eyes grew wide at the options the iron dust provided. ¡°This is what I¡¯m talking about, proper magic creatures, Dragons, drakes, Wyrms, YES!¡±

    Levi¡¯s joy sank to the ground as he looked further to see that the dragons, drakes, and Wyrms all had a lengthy list of added materials, but one could get lucky to get a dragon. Very lucky. The list consisted of various summons, using iron dust didn¡¯t necessarily mean he was going to get a familiar with an affinity to earth or fire but it was guaranteed to get a magical creature. Iron had magical properties and thus was important in summoning magical familiars. Electing that was worth the risk, he looked up on how to draw a ritual circle.

    Levi felt like he knew what to do. He had never created a ritual circle before, but the skill books information entered his mind instantly. He took out his iron dust and created his own ritual circle. It was not complex, with a square inside a circle. The ritual circle lit up iron gray. Levi took a step back, trembling with excitement and anticipation. He had just successfully did his first magical thing. EVER. Wait, Levi had just done his first magical thing ever. Without even considering the negative effects that could come from having an unruly summoned monster. What if he summoned a monster? Something that could not be controlled?? It was too late, there was a shape being formed in the middle of the ritual circle.

    Panic now fully set in; Levi hid behind a tree nervously as the creature¡¯s silhouette was formed. Looking at the creature he couldn¡¯t believe what he saw. It was about four feet tall and stood on all four ¡°legs¡±, if you could even call it legs. It was completely made of metallic tentacles that allowed it a free-flowing and unique form of movement. Its center was glowing bright orange bioluminescence. Levi had seen this creature before, it was in a movie he quite enjoyed. It looked terrifying in person; it was a Mimic.

    The creature turned its alien head towards Levi.

    ¡°Uhh,¡± Levi said nervously. ¡°Hi!¡±

    The creature gave him an assessing look. It¡¯s slithered back and forth across the ground.

    ¡°Can you speak?¡± Levi asked. The creature shook its head. ¡°Okay, but you can understand me,¡± it nodded. ¡°Bet. Do you have a name?¡± It shook its head. ¡°Would you like one?¡± It nodded. ¡°Are you male?¡± it shook its head. ¡°Female,¡± shook its head. ¡°Hmmm okay,¡± Levi thought for a second. ¡°What about Tenty?¡± The creature huffed and shook its head. Levi chuckled, ¡°Yeah, didn¡¯t feel right. I¡¯m thinking a shorter name?¡± the creature nodded. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Levi by the way. Honor to meet you.¡± The creature walked up and nuzzled its head as a welcome. ¡°Oh friendly, awesome. Okay, hear me out¡­¡± he paused. ¡°Benlo?¡± The creature paused to consider. It liked this name better than the other one its new summoner had suggested. After some time, it shook its head. Hoping he would come up with a better name.

    This went on for an hour as he considered what to call his new friend. At this point, the creature had sat down and was sitting across from Levi, pacing. It was staring with amusement and assessment, uncertain what to make of the skinny human summoner. He paused.

    ¡°I think I have it; I heard this song a few years ago. It was spoken in an African language. Africa is a continent where I come from. Anyways, the song is Waloyo Yamoni.¡± Levi said. The creature looked back, dissatisfied. ¡°No, not,¡± he pleaded. ¡°Not the whole name just Yamoni, it means overcome.¡± Levi stood in anticipation, seeing if his new friend would accept the name. It looked and slowly shook its head. No luck, but he felt like he was getting closer. ¡°Damn, okay, let me keep thinking.¡±

    After some time, the creature had fallen asleep, but Levi was still up thinking. ¡°I GOT IT!¡± he said. The creature slowly lifted its head and blinked sleep out of its eyes. ¡°Anza?¡± The creature¡¯s eyes sparkled. Thinking about it for a few seconds, it nodded emphatically. With a goofy smile and a relieved whoop! ¡°Anza, it is.¡±

    Levi was so satisfied he had finally found a name that fit his familiar. He was grateful she would actively participate in the name-choosing process. Levi thought about the name. In Swahili, it meant ¡°begin¡±; it was the beginning of his journey wherever he was, doing whatever he had to do, and his new adventure. Levi wished he knew what it could do, but the summoner¡¯s guide did not provide any context, so that was not helpful. He was curious, but he let Anza sleep; she looked tired. He wondered what bonuses it provided. It was a summoned familiar according to his ability which means she should be able to provide some bonuses. Levi looked at the notifications.

    Familiar Bond established.

    You have bonded with a Mimic Drone

    You have given the name Anza to your familiar.

    ¡°A Mimic Drone,¡± Levi said. ¡°I guess that¡¯s what they call the small ones that were swarming.¡± Levi stood still, looking at the alien creature before it. It was hauntingly beautiful, and it allowed him not to feel so isolated. He had something that reminded him of home, it was familiar, and he chuckled at that.

    Familiar Anza provides the summoner to perform chaos and water magic spells.

    Character Log: Anza

    Familiar

    1 Star

    Chaos Beam

    ¡°I can now perform chaos and water magic spells?¡± Levi murmured to himself. As if it was responding to his words, a brand-new textbox appeared that had a little wizard¡¯s hat in the top left corner.

    Spell Log

    You have been given access to cast certain spells based on your familiar. The more familiars, the more spells.

    1 Star Spells -

    Orbs of Chaos

    Orbs of Water

    ¡°I have no idea how to even use mana. How am I gonna cast a spell?¡± Levi said. Levi dismissed the message box, and the small wizard¡¯s hat icon went next to his inventory icon. Levi noticed his mana had dropped half points., presumably from the summoning ritual. His mind was racing the whole time, he couldn¡¯t sleep. He kept the fire going for the rest of the night. The stars started to fade. He looked up to the sky. It was the colors of red, orange, and some bits of purple as the sun was rising.

    He had stayed up through the entire night. Waiting for Anza to wake up. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he tried to conjure an orb of chaos. Holding out his palm, he felt an instinctual feeling to use his mana. Pouring the mana into his palm, this mana felt unruly and uncontrollable. A small black orb started to appear that had red flashes of lightning swirling all around it. The orb looked like it was a storm ball from hell.

    ¡°Damn¡­ what the hell¡­ I-i-I did it! Holy crap I-I did it. I¡¯m holding a ball of chaos wow. This feels AMAZING. I¡¯ve never felt sooo exhilarated and so alive!! Wow.¡± Levi stammered, laughing at what he did. ¡°I am literally holding a ball of chaos that I created with mana inside me! HA what the hell. You¡¯re a wizard, Levi,¡± he said in his best-Hagrid voice. He looked up to see Anza was staring at him with amusement. ¡°Where I come from, this is not possible.¡± he said proudly, holding the orb of chaos up to his familiar. A low noise emerged from Anza. It sounded like a garbage disposal had caught a spoon mixed, not to sound as bad.

    ¡°I can only do this cause of you,¡± Levi said. Same noise. ¡°Are you proud?¡± Anza nodded emphatically. ¡°Thank you,¡± Levi said with a smile. ¡°Do you go into me?¡± he said slowly, not sure what the right words were. Anza nodded slowly but with hesitation. ¡°I assume you don¡¯t want to?¡± Anza nodded faster. ¡°That¡¯s fine with me,¡± Levi said. ¡°Well,¡± he stood up and stretched. Diminishing the ball of chaos. ¡°Can you put this fire out? Let¡¯s head to the town¡­ to find the Summoner¡¯s Guild.¡± Anza nodded and blasted a small stream of chaos that doused the fire. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The pair walked back to the dirt road where he had met the two women, Piper and Anna. He was hoping he would see them again, but he was likely not going to. The dirt path was clear and easy to follow; he felt like he was walking on a leisurely nature walk without great scenery. The weather was getting warmer, and they had left at first light. Walking more, he felt the temperature rise significantly. His burlap sack of a shirt did not help him in any way as it became itchy and way too hot. He was quickly uncomfortable, he regretted not going to the town to find a shop to purchase shirts.

    Levi spent a lot of time asking Anza many questions. After some time, Levi developed a strategy to learn about Anza, right now they could only communicate with each other through yes or no questions and responses.

    ¡°Are you older than 20?¡± A slow shake.

    ¡°Are you older than 10?¡± A shake.

    ¡°Are you 18?¡± A shake. ¡°Sooo, do you have an age?¡± It shook its head cautiously.

    Levi shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m 24, although I don¡¯t look it. I look younger, we call it black don¡¯t crack, where I¡¯m from,¡± he chuckled. Levi was an average man, and he had short hair, a two with a fade to zeros on the sides and back. He had no facial hair, a wide nose, or big lips. He had high cheekbones that made his face look chubby, but he was far from it. His teeth were straight and white after years of wearing corrective braces, and his smile was his best feature. His eyes were dark brown, slightly darker than his skin complexion. Levi was milk chocolate brown.

    ¡°Did you choose to be my familiar?¡± Anza nodded. ¡°Well damn, I wish I could ask you why¡­ hmmm. Was it an accident?¡± He asked. It shook its head. ¡°Oh good, so intentionally chose. Can you breathe fire?¡± It shook its head but stared at him with hesitant eyes. ¡°You can one day, maybe?¡± Anza nodded. ¡°What happens if you go inside me?¡± Anza didn¡¯t respond with a nod or shake, it demonstrated. It started to glow an off-white color and enter into Levi; he didn¡¯t feel anything different. He looked around and couldn¡¯t see anything different either.

    Anza¡¯s bonus was it provided was the ability to spell cast chaos and water spells. Which Levi assumed was not possible for summoners. It made him wonder if everyone could use magic, which he figured they could. His definition of magic will likely be expanded on, because that woman, Piper, didn¡¯t look like a wizard. Like the other one, Anna. Anna had the wand, the robes, the book. Everything about her cried out she was a spellcaster.

    Anza reappeared out of Levi and slightly bowed its head. ¡°Is it boring in there?¡± Levi asked. Anza nodded. ¡°Much more fun out here with me huh?¡± he said, partly sarcastic but also not. Anza nodded without hesitation. ¡°Aww thank you!¡± The pair had been walking for what seemed like a few kilos without seeing anything new in the distance. The only thing that changed behind them was the fact the small town was gone.

    ¡°How far is this city?¡± Levi complained. The area they were in was hard to describe with one word for Levi. There was a scattering of trees amongst plains. The grass of the plains was tall and light green, looking like it had been one or two sunny days before dying. The trees were all varied, but they were tall, ranging from willows to oaks and maples. Levi looked at the trees, which were tens of meters tall.

    He saw nothing particularly interesting about them. Levi wondered about the world he was in. Magic was real, and it existed. He still couldn¡¯t believe it to be true, but it was. Magic was real, and it was something he could do. It was a nice mixture of nature and items that were things that he had back home. Dogs, cats, salt, sand, maple trees, oak trees, the list goes on. Why had they been so similar? It''s like he was in an ancient version of earth where technology was replaced with magic if they were in the 1600s. He knew he wasn¡¯t in the past and this was a different world because his text boxes said so. But was Levi ready to believe the disembodied textbox that he has been taking free items from?

    Still unsure, he reached out to touch Anza. It worked. He felt its tentacles; they were cool to the touch. It felt like touching a smooth metal bar, which was peculiar as the tentacles had segmented parts. He went to lay his hand on its head. It nestled its head affectionately under his palm. This was clearly real. The Mimic next to him was real, the chaos orb he created was real, and the fire he made last night with the branches was all real. And yet, to Levi, that made more sense than normal animals, trees, and grass. Levi did a small hop and was brought back to the ground promptly. ¡°So, gravity was the same,¡± Levi said. ¡°I guess the laws of physics still apply here, somewhat.¡±

    The more Levi thought about it the more something became clear. He would need to learn how/why he got here and what happened to his old life? Would he be able to go back? Would he even want to? It¡¯s not like Levi left a lot of great things behind. He had a decent relationship with his mom. His dad had died several years ago. Levi had siblings, two older sisters. He did not talk to them, not since they left to college. They would show up around the holidays, but they were both married with families. They had no time for their boring little brother. Which he was fine with, it¡¯s not like he wanted a deeper relationship with them. He had cared for them, naturally, but what was he going to do? He had no romantic interest; they all had fizzled up. He had never had a serious girlfriend. A little too nerdy for the girls at his schools.

    Levi had no real friends besides Corey, the guy who had reached out to see how it went with his date. Corey and Levi had never actually met in person. They met online while playing video games. They were in a lobby together and were put on the same team. The two of them played well, so they joined up in a party and chatted. From that point forward, they exchanged usernames and were able to reach out to one another periodically. They had talked vaguely about making plans and going to a big tournament of the game they played together, but nothing substantial.

    Levi worked in the corporate world and made decent money. He didn¡¯t love his job, but he didn¡¯t hate it either. Tired of working in the corporate world, he had put in his two-week notice two weeks ago. Two days ago, was his last day. His job was unremarkable. He went to work and sat at his desk in a cubicle at a computer for hours on end. Every day. He didn¡¯t interact with anyone at the office besides his direct lead. Even then, it was cordial at best.

    Levi lived a moderately healthy lifestyle because he didn¡¯t work out or exercise. He ate healthily; it was his way of balancing everything out. Of course, now in a different dimension, he wishes he had worked out more, so he didn¡¯t get laughed at by those two beautiful women, but hindsight is always 20/20. Levi saw this opportunity as a fresh start. The chance to be something he always wanted to be. He wasn¡¯t sure what that was, though, but he could find out. Anza was a great start, as she was badass and so sweet. In part, Levi imagined if he had more of a life, he would be determined to get home as quickly as possible, but what for? There was nothing left for him there.

    ¡°Not so fast there,¡± a voice said from behind a tree. Pulling Levi out of his thoughts completely.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Give me your money,¡± a scrawny boy said. He poked his head out from behind the tree with a small dagger. His stance was wobbly, and he looked nervous.

    ¡°What are you doing lil bro?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°I said, give me all your money,¡± he replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m skinny and you¡¯re skinnier than me. You¡¯ll never rob anyone like that.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± the boy said incredulously. ¡°I have a weapon and you don¡¯t, so give me all your money.¡±

    Levi chuckled. The boy was too focused on Levi to notice Anza had not been beside him anymore. ¡°Yeah,¡± Levi said. ¡°But I have an Anza.¡±

    ¡°What is an-¡± Before the boy could finish his sentence, a deep growl came from behind him. He turned around quickly to see a creature he had never seen before behind him. Dropping his dagger in fear, the boy runs away.

    ¡°Well,¡± Levi said. ¡°I expected more fight from him on that, you didn¡¯t even have to attack him. That¡¯s lame, shall we continue?¡± Anza looked back to see the boy was coming back but this time with two older-looking men. They all looked the same but were carrying short swords.

    ¡°We hear you¡¯re messing with our younger brother,¡± one of the elder brothers said. ¡°You ain¡¯t got no right to do that.¡±

    ¡°He tried to rob me, poorly, I might add but he did try,¡± Levi responded. ¡°Look I don¡¯t want to fight. I want to keep going until I find the next city and get out these stupid clothes.¡±

    ¡°Not until you give us all your money¡­¡± the brother protested. Levi sighed getting robbed was not the move. Levi studied the body language of both of the men, they had similarly poor stances. It was clear they were not professional thieves, simply some men who were hungry and got it into their heads, albeit foolishly, to rob people. ¡°Save the trouble and hand it over.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see y¡¯all later,¡± Levi said. ¡°He looked at Anza; if you¡¯d like to knock them out, go for it.¡± Anza made another futuristic robotic sound and attacked. Levi turned around to watch what his familiar could do. Anza swept the legs of each of the men. Each man was splayed out horizontally their backs to the ground. Anza lashed out another tentacle and smashed them into the ground hard. They started coughing because they had the wind knocked out of them. The men all groaned and lay on the ground, unable to move or breathe well.

    It walked over to Levi, looked him in the eyes, and kept walking down the dirt road.

    ¡°That was certainly impressive,¡± Levi told his friend. Let me tell you a little secret. I have no idea how to fight, and this is definitely something I need to train.¡± Anza looked at Levi as if to say they would practice together. ¡°Thanks, friend, I¡¯d appreciate it.¡± Levi thought for a second if he should take the items from the would-be robbers. He decided against it, that was not how he wanted to live his life here. He walked over to the youngest robber and handed him back the dagger.

    ¡°Here,¡± Levi said. ¡°I don¡¯t need or want this. Find a better source of income.¡± Levi turned from the boy, not allowing him to say anything in return. After some time of walking Levi figured, this could be a good time to train. He started running, the running only lasted a couple hundred meters till he was doubled over gasping for air. Anza looked at him with judgmental eyes.

    ¡°Hey,¡± he said in between deep breaths. ¡°I, haven¡¯t exercised in so long!¡± He said, raising a finger toward his familiar. ¡°In fact¡­ the walking we did was already so much.¡± Plucking a waterskin from his inventory, he took a deep long gulp. Feeling slightly better, he got to his feet and walked. Slowly, after time, he felt better. He decided to run again. This time it was going to be a lot slower and not a full-out run. After setting a measured pace and Anza running beside him effortlessly, he finally hit his wall. This time, Levi was able to jog five hundred meters. Doubled over once again, coughing hoarsely. He took another water skin out and gulped it down. He took a seat and relaxed. A text box appeared.

    Status: Progress Made

    Stamina has increased one point.

    Speed has increased one point.

    Speed and Stamina are now at 17.

    ¡°Crushed it,¡± Levi said pumping a fist in the air. He was proud he had made some subtle improvements on his attributes. He honestly had no idea that would work but he figured it wouldn¡¯t actually kill him. After a few more moments he got up and began jogging again. Levi did this jogging, walking, and resting combination for three kilometers after that in the distance he saw a massive city wall surrounded by a river acting as a moat. Gasping for air once again, the very sweaty, stinky man that was Levi mouthed the words, ¡°whoa¡± as he gazed upon the giant city.

 Chapter 3 - What it Takes to be a Summoner

    The city¡¯s wall was not close. Realistically Levi had another two kilometers to run before reaching the river¡¯s edge. Levi had gotten several notifications during his time running to the kingdom, but he felt like he was down for the day. His legs were on fire, his lungs were ready to burst, and his mouth tasted like metal. Levi imagined he looked worse than he felt, his face probably a mixture of sweat stains and salty streaks down his face. He learned he could have the orbs of water refill his waterskins, which was handy. He kept downing the water, hoping there was some sort of benefit to drinking this much water.

    ¡°I think,¡± Levi said to Anza. ¡°I¡¯ve drank more water in these last couple hours than I have in several weeks. And that¡¯s a problem.¡± Anza gave him a disappointed look. ¡°For a magical beast, your expressions are crazy good. It looks like we are almost to the city gates. I think once we get to the river, I¡¯m gonna have a quick dip. I wreak and would like to not smell like hot garbage when buying new attire.¡± Anza nodded emphatically. ¡°Alright, relax. I didn¡¯t get a chance to put on deodorant before I was taken!¡±

    Levi pushed himself to his feet, dumped some of the water on his head, and started walking. His feet were throbbing; Jesus¡¯ slippers were not the best footwear for exercise. He assumed he had several blisters, if not bloodied feet. With every step, pain replaced soreness. Levi had to stop frequently, but he kept going despite how painful it was. Levi refused to actually take a look at his feet, if he saw blood he would give up. Levi was a fan of violent movies, so gore and blood never freaked him out. If it was not his own. Anytime he saw his own blood he would either pass out, throw up, or get super queasy. He was not willing to experience it right now.

    Reaching the river¡¯s edge with his feet feeling ripped raw, Levi dipped them in the water. He gritted his teeth as stinging pain was met with the bitter bite of cold water. The water quickly washed away the blood and dirt and filth that was on Levi¡¯s raw feet. Once the stinging died down moments later, it was soothing. Levi was beginning to feel rejuvenated. He got deeper into the water and his legs and calves were also beginning to feel some sort of relief. Levi was unsure why. Levi took off his shirt and belt and gave them to Anza, who was hanging out next to the water, dipping a tentacle in the water.

    Grabbing some mud, he began rubbing down the important areas that caused the most body odor. He scrubbed and scrubbed. This was not better than soap, but it was better than just water. Eventually, after several scrubs and rinses, the rank body odor diminished, and he was able to return on his journey. A quick glance at the little man figurine showed where he was dealt the most damage. His feet and legs were no longer bright red but a muted yellow.

    ¡°Did the water heal me?¡± he asked, looking at his stamina bar fully replenished. ¡°How is that possible?¡± Levi looked at his feet and saw his feet had completely healed over and callused. The skin was stronger than it was before. Not understanding how this world worked, he looked at the sky and saw it was slightly after noon. The sun had made its trek down toward the horizon. His stomach grumbled. He put a hand there and remembered the only thing he had eaten these last couple of days were those coins. He could use some real food.

    The bridge leading to the town was about 200 meters long and 50 meters wide. It was big enough for people with carts to go both ways without issue. He noticed horse-drawn carts with various vegetables in the middle. There was a lane where people were walking. These were the first people he had seen in quite some time since the wannabe robbers.

    The bridge was made of white river stone with some tan stone mixed in. It was an impressive structure; it looked like it would have taken many years to build. Levi got a good look at the outer wall that protected the city. It was a dark gray stone. Unlike the bridge, which looked like uneven pavers expertly placed, the wall was perfectly cut dark gray stone, placed one by one all the way up to the top, which was about 50 meters tall. Levi whistled at the size of the wall. It was more impressive as he got closer and entered the archway. Expecting to run into some guards he was pleasantly surprised there was no one there to stop him.

    He gazed upon the city. It reminded him of a stereotypical medieval city except colorful. Buildings of all shapes and sizes and all types of colors littered the streets. There were main roads, side alleys, and sidewalks only on rows of shops, food stalls, and more. It was incredible. Every building was made out of some kind of colorful stone with brick roofing. Once they had entered the city, Anza was walking a little closer to Levi.

    ¡°Nervous?¡± he asked. It nodded. ¡°Want to go inside me? At least until you calm down?¡± It nodded, and with a bright light, it entered back into its summoner. Levi¡¯s nose drifted to the first smell of food. It was fresh meat being cooked over an open grill. Salivating, he made his way to the food stall.

    ¡°You look hungry,¡± the vendor said with a big grin. ¡°I got two grilled steak kebabs callin your name!¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± Levi said, hunger overtaking any sense of logic.

    ¡°Two copper total, lad.¡± Levi pulled out the coins and handed them to the vendor. He took his first bite of the kebab, and almost melted. It was delicious. After eating, he could feel his logic coming back.

    ¡°This is delicious,¡± he said between mouthfuls. ¡°You mind if I ask you a question?¡±

    ¡°Sure thing, lad,¡± the vendor said with glee.

    ¡°Can you point me to the nearest clothing store?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Down the street, that way there¡¯ll be a good shop for discounted clothes,¡± the vendor said, pointing.

    ¡°Thank you. Can I have two more please?¡± Levi asked. The vendor laughed and gladly handed his customer two more kebabs. Devouring all four kebabs before he got close to the store, Levi sighed with satisfaction. He had not realized how hungry he had been.

    Levi entered the store and heard a small bell ring behind him. It was less of a store and more of a shop. A voice appeared from the back. ¡°Just a second,¡± he heard some clattering, and then a very small man with sharp ears and pointy teeth came out. ¡°Yes, may I help you?¡± The man had pale green skin and a sharp tailor-made pinstripe black suit.

    ¡°Are you a goblin?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°I am,¡± the goblin replied. ¡°The name is Hentay the Tailor. How may I help you?¡± The goblin gave Levi an assessing look, then said, ¡°Never mind. Wait right there.¡± Hentay turned away in a hurry to the back room.

    ¡°Well, that was rude.¡± Levi said to himself. Watching as the goblin rushed off to the back room to grab materials. He walked back with some measuring tape, a step stool, and lots of cloth.

    ¡°Okay okay, we have to fix this,¡± Hentay muttered to himself. Just loud enough for Levi to hear and continue to be insulted. ¡°Hmm, yep, alright. Yep,¡± Goblin continued to mutter while moving inhumanly fast around the standing human man. ¡°And done, you¡¯re in luck my friend. I have some clothes already made in your size, come come come¡­¡± he hurried Levi along.

    Toward the back of the shop, a selection of clothes was hanging on a rack. The goblin told Levi to look at it. Levi followed instructions and started looking through the clothes rack. With each touch, a small text box appeared describing the clothes and their added effects.

    Item: Simple Tunic - Black

    Item: Simple Pants - Blue

    Item: Summoner¡¯s Robes - 0 star

    The most basic form of summoner¡¯s robes

    Growth item.

    ¡°Summoner¡¯s Robe,¡± Levi mused. He grabbed it off the rack and had a look. The robe had multiple layers that looked like they could be taken apart with a zipper. He grabbed the robe and put it on. The robe was an interesting color it was a dark blue mixed with a slight lavender, it had golden trim. The sleeves were the same color and had the same trim, but they were tight around his arms, snug like a hoodie. The robe went down to his feet, covering his entire lower half. It didn¡¯t cling as tightly to his body as typical armor but hung a little looser. There was a cloak with two pins with a symbol similar to the ritual circle he had created. He put the cloak on, and it completely covered his face, obscuring it from all eyes. The cloak was also the length of his robe and covered the outside. Levi imagined this is what a trench coat without buttons and added a hood would feel like. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°That looks good on you my friend,¡± Hentay said. ¡°Very good, that is a magical item. That will grow as you grow. Are you a summoner?¡±

    ¡°I got accepted into the summoner¡¯s guild and I¡¯m making my way over, I just needed some clothes¡­ as you could tell.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ you did¡­¡± the goblin said, almost insulted Levi walked into his store with such awful pieces of cloth he had the audacity to call clothes. ¡°Summoners are rare and often ostracized. Perhaps, until you become an apprentice, you get another set of clothes¡­¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Levi said. ¡°What¡¯s the local fashion like?¡±

    ¡°Well, that depends,¡± Hentay said. ¡°Are you looking to show wealth, power, and authority?¡±

    ¡°Not really, I¡¯m looking to fit in¡­¡±

    ¡°I assume you have a familiar?¡± The goblin asked.

    ¡°I do,¡± Levi said suspiciously. At that moment, Anza came out and stood next to Levi.

    ¡°Aahh, a Mimic, a young one at that¡­ how did you manage that?¡± Hentay said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re new to this town, aren¡¯t ya?¡±

    ¡°That obvious?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°To a trained eye like mine,¡± Hentay said. ¡°You have foreigner written all over you! But worry not, the great city of Arcross welcomes all travelers! With all due respect, young man. A Mimic one as beautiful as this shows that you are not a regular man. Familiars are hard to come by only those with a special ability allow it, every class can have one but very few are lucky enough to get that ability.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Levi mused. ¡°So, what do you suggest I wear?¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± the goblin mused. ¡°The guild will give you some basic robes, but they will not be as good as the ones you have¡­ I would suggest something that can go under the robes that still provide some slight bonuses.¡± the goblin hobbled over to another rack. He was rummaging through the rack and pulled out two more pieces. The first piece was a shirt that clung tight to the body and went just past the waist. The second piece was pants that also clung tight to the body and went up to his belly button. The top was vibrant azure, and the pants were white.

    ¡°Those look nice,¡± Levi said. He walked over to it; the material was ridiculously soft. ¡°What¡¯s this made from?¡±

    ¡°Cloud-Lizard hide and a blend of lava sheep wool,¡± Hentay said with pride.

    ¡°Very good,¡± Levi said. Having no idea what either of those creatures was. Levi saw a cloak on the wall and went up to it.

    Item: Cloak of Chaos - 1-star

    A cloak made from chaos energy can only be worn by a user capable of using chaos magic.

    Growth item

    Added effects.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Hentay said with a devious tone. ¡°Is that something you fancy?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± the cloak in Levi¡¯s hand would cover one arm completely and cover the majority of the other chest and upward toward the shoulder. It had a hood attached to the back of the cloak that went behind his calves. It was a beautiful cloak that confused Levi. For it being a cloak of chaos, it was startlingly peaceful. Dusk sky blue with soft clouds would slowly move throughout the cloak. There were bits of orange from the setting sun, creating a gradient effect. The trim of the cloak was black.

    ¡°Very well, sir,¡± Hentay said. "Let me ring you up then.¡± Hentay grabbed all the gear Levi was purchasing and went to the counter. ¡°Alright, young man, the top and the bottoms will run you for two copper pieces each, the robes as a set are one silver, and the cloak of chaos is three silvers. But because I convinced you to get the top and the bottom, I¡¯ll give you a discount and make it two copper pieces total.¡±

    ¡°Wow, thanks!¡± Levi said. He plucked out four silver pieces and two copper pieces from his inventory. He handed it over to the goblin in exchange for the clothes. Levi put the clothes in his inventory, and the player customization box opened. Levi put the clothes in different outfit tabs and picked the casual wear with the cloak of chaos. Dark swirls began swirling around his body. As soon as it ended, he was wearing his new outfit.

    ¡°You¡¯re not evil are you, young man?¡± Hentay asked quietly.

    ¡°What? No, of course not,¡± Levi said shocked. ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°You have a familiar who is a being of chaos, and you can wield that cloak. You look great in it by the way.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ the familiar allowed me to practice chaos magic so it makes sense why I can do both.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± the goblin mused. ¡°No one, unless they are deep in their magical items¡¯ knowledge, should know your cloak is one of chaos. Or your familiar either for that matter, but for those who are. Be cautious young man.¡±

    ¡°Wow, thanks,¡± Levi said. With a grateful nod, he walked out the door. He made his way to find a place where he could sleep. Battling fatigue, he couldn¡¯t find anything. He asked around to see if someone could help him find the guilds. Someone pointed him towards the town center. There were steps to climb, and all the guilds would be on that level of the city.

    His body protested when he saw the stairs. About 500 stairs stood between him and his potential destination. With a groan, he made his way up, step by step. After what Levi described as his personal hell, he finally arrived at the top. Levi hated his old self.

    ¡°Come on man, why couldn¡¯t you have worked out so when you get transported to a new world full of magic and lacking in technology, like elevators, you wouldn¡¯t be so damn tired.¡± He admonished himself. Anza gave him a look. ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°How could I have predicted all the stairs.¡± He smiled a goofy smile and kept walking.

    The guild district was massive. He had no idea it would be this big. There was a large square in the middle with food stalls, drink carts, picnic tables, individual tables, and places to hang out. There were so many people of various races, classes, shapes, sizes, and colors. All hanging out and relaxing or studying. There were several giant buildings that were several stories tall, and a city block wide each. Each guild building had a wall with towers and a gate that was guarded by security to enter. Above the gate archway there was a golden symbol indicating which guild was what.

    Levi recalled seeing three of the five symbols already, the other two were easy to deduce. The first symbol that he hadn¡¯t seen before was a shield covering two spears, he assumed it was some sort of knight guild. The second symbol was a bow drawn with an arrow, rangers. The next symbol was the one on the cloak of that girl, Piper, the two small daggers crossed. Then there was the symbol of the book that the girl Anna had on her cloak. Lastly, there was the summoning circle he had seen on his summoner¡¯s robes cloak.

    Finding his destination, Levi made his way to the checkpoint. No one paid him any mind until he got close to the gate. Different groups were pointing and whispering as he got closer. Levi noticed this guild seemed to be particularly emptier than all the other guilds. As he approached, there was no guard in the stall. He looked around and found a bell.

    ¡°Hello there,¡± a woman¡¯s voice said. Scaring Levi for his troubles.

    ¡°JEEZ,¡± Levi said, jumping up. ¡°You half-scared me to death.¡±

    ¡°How may I help you,¡± she said without paying attention to Levi¡¯s fear.

    ¡°I uhhh, got summoned here. My name is Levi Winters,¡± he said unsure.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she pulled out a book and started to thumb through it. Yes, you certainly did. Right this way, Mr. Winters.¡± The gate opened, and the woman stepped out from behind the checkpoint. She was quite small, less than five feet tall. She wore robes similar to the ones he saw Anna wearing, just smaller. She walked at an extremely quick pace. Levi had to do an awkward walk or jog to keep up with her.

    ¡°Welcome to the Summoner¡¯s Guild, Mr. Winters. I am Professor Egret. We are expecting our largest class of Summoners this year, you and one other student!¡± She said with excitement. ¡°I¡¯ll show you to your dorms. At our guild, we require you to wear our standard robes. You may wear whatever cloak you desire, with shoes as well. But the robes are mandatory. Now, we won¡¯t be having any other introductions today, so lunch and dinner are provided at high point and dusk. Once you are settled, please explore the guild campus and get familiar with everything. If you need any assistance, find me at the gate. Here is your dorm room; you have a suite all to yourself. Very well Mr. Winters, I look forward to getting to know you.¡± she said, reaching out a hand to shake. Then walked away.

    ¡°That was certainly strange,¡± Levi said. Peering into his room.

    Item: Cloak of Chaos

    Allows the user to hide their aura from anyone.

    Quest: Make it to the Summoner¡¯s Guild - Completed

    Reward: 3 Gold coins

    Reward: Chaos Gem

    Objective: Go to the city of Arcross in the Onyx Kingdom - Completed

    Reward:  1-star token

    New Quest: What it Takes to be a Summoner (0/5)

    Objective 1: Basics of Magic

    Objective 2: Basics of Summoning

    Objective 3: Basics of Training

    Objective 4: Basics of Attributes

    Objective 5: Basics of Ritual Magic

 Chapter 4 - It Aint Me

    Anza appeared out of Levi. It curled up on the floor next to his bed. Levi was sound asleep after the professor had dropped him off. Exhaustion finally getting the best of him. He barely made it to his bed before his eyelids slammed shut. Snoring and drooling, Levi had a dreamless sleep. Several hours passed when he finally woke up. What woke him up was not feeling refreshed, he still felt tired. It was his stomach screaming at him for not putting any food there since the kebabs.

    Scratching his head he put on the robes that were assigned for all students and his cloak. He looked at the beautifully peaceful cloak. He wondered how this could be considered chaos. Unless everything he had known about chaos was wrong. He concluded that that was likely the correct answer. Two days ago, he thought magic was only in video games and movies. But not anymore, he had a Mimic for crying out loud, that was the most magical thing he had ever seen.

    Looking at Anza, he smiled. Even though they couldn¡¯t communicate directly, he was grateful to have a buddy. There wasn¡¯t much excitement right now for Levi, as he was alone at this guild. The campus reminded him of a small castle: stone walls with large arches that looked over the city. Little lights, if any, hung on the walls. He found his way to the kitchen, where again, there was no one there. Anza had been following him along the whole ride.

    ¡°This is weird, right?¡± Levi asked Anza, and it nodded. We saw all those people yesterday, and there is not a soul in here. Not even upstairs. It''s low-key creepy how there is no sound, no noise, no aspect of life.¡± Anza nodded slowly, keeping its alien eyes open and sharp. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll grab our food and go into the guild square.¡±

    Levi sat at a large table by himself in the square; the sun was still out and there was a crisp breeze. Levi was thankful the cloak provided some protection from the breeze. He would hand Anza some food every ten bites or so. Because there are so few students, or whatever the guild calls them, he has no one to share the portions with. It¡¯s all for him. Levi¡¯s cloak did a good job at hiding the robe for the summoner¡¯s guild. People would approach him and say hi from time to time, mostly to compliment Anza.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you,¡± Piper said. ¡°There should have been some sort of disciplinary action for how he treated me.¡± She was walking up the insane staircase, talking to some friends. They all had similar jedi-ninja combat armor that Piper was wearing. With a small pin with the symbol of the rogues. There were two guys and another girl. They all walked lightly on their feet to where no sound was coming from their steps. All four of them also walked in perfect cadence.

    ¡°What do you think is gonna happen,¡± one of the men said.

    ¡°Oh, I dunno, hopefully a dual or something. I would love to whip him in to shape,¡± she punched her fist into her palm. This got a laugh from the group. Reaching the top the group stopped to look at the new person with a familiar. They had been attending their guild for nearly six months now and they practically knew everyone, and they definitely knew everyone with a familiar. This guy was new.

    ¡°You see that?¡± the same man asked.

    ¡°I do,¡± Piper responded. ¡°What kind of creature is that?¡±

    ¡°Not a clue,¡± he said. ¡°What kind of cloak is that? Is he new?¡±

    ¡°He must be, I have never seen anyone with either a familiar or that cloak here before. Come on.¡±

    ¡°Uhh, you go on ahead, Piper,¡± the man said. With a small nod, he said, ¡°We don¡¯t really need new friends,¡± and then he walked toward his dorm.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Piper said, walking up to the table.

    ¡°Uh hello,¡± Levi said. Turning to see Piper standing there. ¡°Oh¡­¡± embarrassment coming back fully after he recognized who it was.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you!¡± Piper said with a big smile. ¡°Sad.¡±

    ¡°What is?¡± Levi asked, confused.

    ¡°You found some clothes,¡± she said with a sly smile.

    ¡°Ahh ha yeah,¡± Levi awkwardly replied. ¡°I was able to buy some stuff.¡± He looked down after a few seconds of eye contact. Piper rolled her eyes and smiled. She took a seat across from him so she could see him. She smelt like flowers, and her gray eyes were fixated on the man in front of him. Levi thanked whatever creator that was out there that he was black because he would be blushing forsure. Anza saw what was happening with its summoner and started making a low laughing, metallic sounding noise. ¡°Oh, quiet you,¡± he playfully snapped.

    ¡°You had a familiar with you?¡± Piper asked. ¡°Where did you get money to buy clothes? Why were you naked in the forest? Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa,¡± Levi said, waving his hands for her to slow down. He had eaten a good portion of his meal and was slowly sipping on water. The food he ate was fine; it was typical cafeteria food, things he had eaten most of his life. He joked at how cafeteria food being average was interdimensional. ¡°Already forgot my name,¡± he said sadly.

    ¡°Of course, not Levi Winters,¡± she said with a big smile. ¡°Just interesting enough to hold on to. Are you going to answer my questions?¡±

    ¡°Uhhh,¡± Levi hadn¡¯t thought of a good cover story yet. To be honest, he never expected to see Piper or Anna ever again. However, he was not mad at it. Piper was beautiful. She was friendly, bubbly, and something else he couldn¡¯t figure it out yet. I can¡¯t just say, oh I fell out the sky, woke up, bumped my head, and here I am. That sounds crazy. ¡°I will answer your questions eventually¡­¡± he said slowly. Perfectly, smooth and executed.

    Piper frowned slightly, ¡°Do you even remember me?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Levi said. Caught off guard by the question. ¡°Of course I do. You¡¯re Piper Vendular, how could I forget such a beau-¡± he paused, realizing his mouth had begun speaking without his permission.

    ¡°Such a what?¡± she asked with a smirk. ¡°You trailed off there, I must have missed it. You were saying something about a beauuu¡± Piper mocked with a slight giggle. Before Levi could say anything, another voice called.

    ¡°Piper,¡± Anna said, waving.

    ¡°Hi, Anna,¡± Piper said, waving back.

    ¡°How was your class?¡± Anna asked. ¡°Oh, hello there.¡±

    ¡°Hi Anna,¡± Levi said. He was not stoked to be seeing both women again at the same time.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re ummm¡­¡±

    ¡°Levi,¡± he said.

    ¡°Right, the naked man.¡± Anna said. She looked at Anza. ¡°You had a familiar?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I asked him,¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°What guild are you attending,¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a better question,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Summoner¡¯s,¡± Levi said. ¡°It¡¯s my first day here. Although, I think I am the only person.¡± He said looking around, unable to find anyone who was wearing the summoner¡¯s robes.

    Anna laughed, ¡°You¡¯re a summoner??¡±

    ¡°Well, kind of,¡± Levi said. ¡°Why are there so few students.¡±

    ¡°Because,¡± Anna said. ¡°No one wants to be a summoner. They are weak and cannot actually fight in battles. They can¡¯t kill monsters, clear dungeons, or complete raids, by themselves. They have to have a summoned creature do it. It is one of the hardest classes to rank up in.¡±

    ¡°It is unusual to see someone actually attend the guild. Guild lessons are only a year-long, and it has been nearly a decade since the last summoner was seen.¡± Piper added. ¡°Why did you choose to be a summoner?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Levi said. ¡°I didn¡¯t. It was chosen for me.¡± He looked at Anza, his familiar. ¡°But¡± he said before the women could ask him more questions. ¡°I am grateful it did happen cause I met Anza and that was the best thing to happen to me so far.¡±

    ¡°How long have you had a Mimic familiar? How did you even get one?¡± Anna asked, giving an assessing look at Anza.

    ¡°Two days, I summoned it. It is my summoned familiar bond.¡± Levi replied proudly.

    ¡°Whoa,¡± they both said at the same time. Piper giggled even more, giving him a look that Levi could not decipher as she looked him up and down once more.

    ¡°What?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Mimics are not easy to summon. Even if doing a standard summoning ritual, the Mimic would not willingly say yes to becoming a familiar if you were some weakling.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°If you¡¯re saying I¡¯m some strong and powerful summoner, it ain¡¯t me,¡± Levi said, putting his hands up once again. This time, he flexed and looked at his skinny arms. ¡°See, nothing there.¡±

    Anna gave Levi an assessing look.

    ¡°Why do you keep looking at me like that?¡± He asked. ¡°It¡¯s very off putting.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to see if you¡¯re an idiot or an exceptional liar.¡±

    ¡°Neither, but I¡¯ll lean more idiot than for you to think I¡¯m exceptional,¡± Levi said, chuckling.

    ¡°That¡¯s an odd answer,¡± Anna said. ¡°You don¡¯t deny being an idiot?¡±

    ¡°You strike me as someone with high standards, impossibly high. So, I probably am an idiot to you.¡± It was getting dark, and Levi, once again, was getting tired. He stood up and stretched lightly. ¡°Thanks for making my day, Piper,¡± he said awkwardly. He looked at Anna, ¡°Anna¡± he said with a nod and walked away.

    Thanks for making my day? Levi thought. I might be an idiot. Piper stood there smiling at the man walking away. She stared for a bit longer then turned to Anna. Levi was fun and awkward. To Piper, that was cute, he was unsure of himself and that was different. She couldn¡¯t even keep track of the amount of men who would try to assert their masculinity in their faces. She was sick of it. So much ego and testosterone that they couldn¡¯t even focus on their guilds. But not Levi. He was different, he was very different.

    ¡°What a strange man,¡± Anna said. ¡°Is he stranger today than when we first met him?¡±

    ¡°Of yes for sure,¡± Piper responded. ¡°But he seems less¡­ confused.¡±

    ¡°Anza, I¡¯m so confused,¡± Levi said to his familiar. ¡°There has to be something in here that allows us to communicate,¡± Levi said, combing through the skill book he had received. He hoped that there would be a section on language adaptation between familiars, but to his disappointment, he was unable to find anything. He took a seat on the floor and sighed. Anza took a seat next to him and rested its alien head on his lap. He petted it slowly, finding the action to be comforting to both. It had been two and a half days since waking up in this new world, apart from the overwhelming sense that came from having to learn so many new things. He was enjoying his time.

    He went to take a shower. To his surprise, there had actually been a shower. He hadn¡¯t seen anything like plumbing in the world since he had been here, but to be honest, he hadn¡¯t checked. Levi spent some time investigating. He noticed that the nobs to release the water were stones similar to what Anna had. Wait stones, stones that Anna used to allow him to speak to each other. Maybe that was it; maybe he needed to give Anza a stone. Almost as quickly as it came, his enthusiasm deflated as his mind named numerous things wrong with that line of thinking.

    Back to the stones, one had a blue symbol, and the other had a red symbol. Touching both, water started pouring out of the spout, with good water pressure. Levi appreciated good water pressure in his showers, and it was an important thing that often went unnoticed. Letting the warm water splash against his face. He sighed deeply again. Levi was reflecting on his life before here. He felt like he wasted it. Never really having anything great done, no high achievements, no standout moments, to him, it was all standard. Was there anything wrong with being fine? With being average? Most people are average, that¡¯s why it¡¯s called average. For some reason, being here, it felt like he had left something behind, but he hadn¡¯t.

    He spent a long-time scrubbing. He had run/walked the better part of six kilometers today, the most he had ever done. Surprisingly, the river wash did really well washing the smell away, but he felt disgusting. Levi¡¯s skin was caked with dried river water, sweat, and mud. It was a horrible combination. The soap that was provided was everything he could ever dream of. It smelt like warm citrus in the summer. With a satisfied sigh, he exited the shower.

    Levi closed his eyes, letting sleep once again take over.

    Levi woke up to the sunshine entering his room. The room was cool, and he had slept amazingly. Whatever this mattress was, he was happy to have it. Looking over, he saw Anza sprawled out in the sunshine. The professor said that he could and should explore the campus. That was his plan to explore. Maybe find some answers and another helpful guide. This was a summoner¡¯s school, after all. Levi wasn¡¯t thrilled that he had to wear a robe while at the guild; it felt to preppy magic wizard school for his liking. But his cloak did a good job at hiding it.

    After getting ready for the day, Anza and Levi left the room to explore the empty halls. They made their way to the dining hall and grabbed some bread and cheese. Breakfast was much lighter than what he had expected but he appreciated the free food and board.

    ¡°Does it cost anything to attend these schools?¡± Levi asked again to himself. ¡°I realized we didn¡¯t negotiate any payment.¡± Anza looked at him with a contemplative gaze. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll probably find that out.¡± As they explored the campus, Levi found all sorts of interesting rooms. There was an exercise room equipped with crude iron dumbbells, barbells, and weighted plates. He found a swimming pool, a few classrooms, a giant room full of ritual circles on the ground, what looked like an abandoned dungeon, and the library. All in all, if there were more people around this place would be pretty cool. It was still pretty cool, but the undertone of creepy was just too strong.

    Levi and Anza walked into the library to see rows and rows of books. Perusing the two went to the ¡°familiars¡± section and searched for Mimic. With excitement, Levi had pulled three books off the shelf. He started thumbing through the book and they were not very helpful. Just information on where they come from, that they are typically evil, and to never under any circumstances summon one. Levi, with a nervous eye, looked at Anza, who gave a heartwarming nuzzle. He shrugged. What¡¯s done is done. Levi thought nothing he could do about it now.

    The book talked about how Mimics are often known to be creatures of chaos, which was not new news to Levi. This book called it a ¡°World-Conquering Organism¡±. Levi looked up from reading that line to stare at his familiar. With its tentacles, Levi could have sworn that it shrugged. It said that the mimics have three classes: a drone- which is what Anza was, an alpha, and an omega. The omega was the creator and controller of mimics, they were hive-minded creatures. Once again, Levi looked at Anza who now was giving him its best, I¡¯m innocent look. Levi shrugged and said it was fine. It had plenty of time to kill him and run rampant and it hadn¡¯t yet.

    Every book had talked about how awful and scary these creatures were, it was disconcerting. All books besides one Chapter in one book. The book talked about the Mimics are extremely loyal, especially if summoned at a lower rank. Having a young Mimic is a sign of good fortune as they provide faithful companions. The Chapter even described how the summoner and its familiar can get closer and thus open lines of communication. There were two ways to do it. The first way was to bond, over time, the bond would become so great that the two would be able to communicate telepathically in their own language.

    The second way, the way that was not recommended, was much more dangerous. It was conducting a ritual with the bonded familiar in the center of the circle, replacing a potential rune marking. It described how it could do one of two things. First, it could allow that bond of internal telepathic communication to be formed instantly. Or two, it could create a bond fueled by chaos energy, which could leave both the familiar and the summoner to be combined into one being.

    Anza and Levi looked at each other, and they decided just to build their bond over time, like any healthy relationship in life. After feeling like he had gotten at least one of his looming questions answered he returned to his room. He looked over his character log.

    Character Log: Levi Winters

    Class: Summoner

    Rank: 1 Star

    Ability: Ritualist

    Ability: Elected Stranger

    Ability: Familiar Bond

    Ability: Locked

    Ability: Locked

    Stats Total 202:

    Strength 18

    Speed 17

    Stamina 17

    Vitality 50

    Wisdom 100

    Spell Log:

    Orbs of Chaos

    Orbs of Water

    Levi was curious about something. His mana bar was noticeably different from his stamina bar, which made sense; his stamina stat was much lower than his wisdom stat. He was curious if it was a direct one-to-one ratio. If that were the case, it would be very low. He couldn¡¯t see how that could possibly be useful for any user of mana. Then he remembered he could change the UI and how things are read. He changed it so instead of it being a solid bar it was now numbers. Mana now reads 1000/1000, and stamina reads 170/170. A ten times ratio. This was good to know that meant his speed was at 170, strength was at 180, and his vitality was at 500. He was still curious about vitality as he didn¡¯t have any health points. What did the numbers mean? He guessed the same for speed and strength. Since it wasn¡¯t directly how much you can use or expand but a numerical value to describe how potent it is.

    He wondered if this was common knowledge to those who had lived here their whole lives and was afraid to ask anyone. This was something he could hopefully learn as he was in a guild, after all.

    ¡°Professor Egret,¡± Levi said, approaching the small professor in her office.

    ¡°Yes, Levi,¡± she replied.

    ¡°When do classes start? I¡¯m trying to figure out what to do with my days until then.¡±

    ¡°You are a prudent man now aren¡¯t you,¡± she replied with a bright smile. ¡°I was going to give this to you today.¡± She handed him a small stone. ¡°This is your class schedule. Inject your mana into it and all the information you need will appear.¡± She explained, noting the confused look on Levi¡¯s face. ¡°Because our class size is now just you. You will have me and one other professor. We will be able to speed through the basics in order that you might become a worthy summoner yet! As you may have known,¡± she continued. ¡°Guilds are nothing more than universities. Every big city has one; they are usually only a year long, and it helps you prepare to make adventuring teams go on quests, dungeonering, raids, and fighting monsters. Due to the low numbers, we should be set to have you graduate in six months, right on time with the other guilds.¡±

    ¡°This is an awkward question,¡± Levi said. ¡°How do I pay?¡±

    ¡°Pay?¡± She said with a quizzical look. ¡°Why would you pay when you chose us?¡±

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t choose you,¡± Levi said. ¡°I was chosen.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean chosen? Where are you from?¡± Professor Egret asked.

    ¡°Uhh Rancho Cucamonga,¡± Levi replied.

    ¡°Cuca-mon-ga,¡± she replied slowly. ¡°Are you not from the Onyx kingdom?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯m not from this world.¡±

    Professor Egret froze. Levi looked at the frozen elf professor. Levi didn¡¯t really get a look at Professor Egret, but she was quite pretty. She also only looked to be 30 years old. She had delicate features with blonde hair tucked behind two tapered ears. Her skin was bronze, and her eyes were green. By all accounts, she was beautiful. She could pass as a model in Levi¡¯s old world.

    ¡°Professor,¡± Levi finally said.

    She got up and shut her door. She chanted something under her breath. The room shimmered for a couple of seconds, then returned to normal. Her tone was suddenly serious, and her gaze was sharp.

    ¡°I have placed a veil over us to protect our conversation from prying ears. What do you mean, from another world? Tell me everything.¡±

 Chapter 5 - Unnoticed

    Levi retold the story of what happened and what he saw right before was teleported here. He told Professor Egret about the weird symbol on his phone, which he now has learned was the summoner symbol. He told her about landing here naked, several kilometers from the city of Arcross. Levi was somewhat relieved that he got to tell someone. His guild was tiny, and his professors would find it sooner or later because he knew nothing about magic. He lucked his way into a familiar, but that luck would not last.

    Professor Egret sat and listened exceptionally well. She would jot notes, nod her head, and make noises occasionally. It wasn¡¯t a daring tale of triumph; it was a short story of confusion and nudity.

    ¡°I see,¡± she finally said. ¡°I have heard of this happening before. Now, Levi, tell me. Do you perceive the world differently?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± he said.

    ¡°What do you see?¡± Professor Egret leaned in closer.

    ¡°Text boxes appear with quests and information.¡±

    ¡°We all see that dear,¡± she said softly. ¡°Well, all magic users see that it comes with reaching 1-star.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Levi said, scratching his head. ¡°Do you have an inventory slot, a character customization tab- where you change your outfits and stuff, or a bar for mana and stamina?¡±

    ¡°I do not,¡± she said. ¡°But that is not a completely unheard-of ability. Hmmm,¡± she mused. ¡°By all accounts, you are normal to this world¡¯s standards. We all get little text boxes; some can have the inventory or character tab that you are describing. Your aura is very weak, though.¡±

    ¡°Auras are real?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Of course they are! It is how you tell how strong a person is; you likely don¡¯t have an ability or spell or power to perceive auras.¡±

    ¡°So, where I come from, Magic isn¡¯t real¡­¡± Levi responded. ¡°Can you teach me everything that would be seen as ¡°basic?¡±

    ¡°Gladly!¡± she said with delight. ¡°Let¡¯s start with this,¡± she grabbed the air and tossed it toward Levi. In front of Levi appeared a green text box. ¡°It should be green; this indicates the level of threat that the person poses to you. Green means none, yellow means some, and red means a lot. Blue means that they are on your team. As you can see, I am also a summoner but I¡¯m a 4-star summoner.

    Stars are how we rank. 0 stars are the lowest rank; these are for those who are unable to use magic. We don¡¯t say zero stars to their faces; that is rude, and they often do the most for us. Being a magic user is a privilege. 1 Star is for those who have a combined stat score of less than 300. 2 Star is for those who have a combined state score of less than 600. 3 Star 1900, 4-star 4000, and 5-star 6200. Do you know what stats are?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Strength, Speed, Stamina, Vitality, and Mana,¡± Levi replied.

    ¡°Very good!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry professor, do you mind¡­¡±

    ¡°Mind what?¡± she asked.

    Levi looked nervous, which was his default look as of late. ¡°My familiar wants out and I want to let her out too. She¡¯ll sit in the corner and be quiet. I just feel more comforted seeing her.¡±

    ¡°You have already have a familiar?¡± Professor Egret asked. Her tone suggested she was shocked and curious. ¡°Of course. What is it a dog, cat, a bird?¡±

    Anza began to appear as a bright white orb left Levi¡¯s body and formed next to Levi.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s a Mimic,¡± he said nervously. Levi looked at Professor Egret, expecting a violent reaction. After all, the textbooks he read essentially called all Mimics evil and deserving of death. That was not the look she gave. It was one of fascination and pride. She waited patiently as Anza formed fully.

    ¡°It is quite stunning,¡± Professor Egret said, staring at the beautiful creature before her. ¡°It is young, very young. Like 0-star rank.¡±

    ¡°Is the rank system the same for beasts, creatures, and monsters?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it is not exactly the same. A magic user who is in a star rank is much stronger one to one than a monster of the same star ranking. Mimics are harder to describe because they are hive-minded creatures, so you may see a drone, such as yours at o star with an omega being 5-star. This happens with a lot of hive minded or zombified creatures. Mimics can live to be 1000s of years old; some even say they are immortal. That is if they consume enough.¡± She looked over Anza with amazed eyes. ¡°How long have you been bonded?¡±

    ¡°Almost three days,¡± Levi said. ¡°I created an iron dust summoning circle, and it appeared. The book I had described the different summons that I could get.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. ¡°COULD. Summoning based on randomness is dangerous. We change that by adding a piece to the summon that is specific to the being we are trying to summon. You were fortunate to get a weak familiar.¡±

    ¡°My familiar wouldn¡¯t have killed me,¡± Levi protested. ¡°This wasn¡¯t a summoning ritual for anything to attack or do my biding, it was a familiar ritual, by all accounts the book said it was safe to do any familiar ritual because they would bond with the summoner.¡±

    Professor Egret mused for a couple heartbeats. ¡°I suppose that is true. Hmm well, what is done is done. Where were we... ah Yes. Auras. Each magic user has five base abilities that get unlocked randomly. There are those who are fortunate to have a sixth and seventh ability unlocked, however, they are usually 3-star or up. I have only heard of one case of a 2-star getting said rank.

    Ranking up is simple for the physical stats, especially for you. You come from a realm void of magic, yes?¡± Levi nodded. ¡°Right, to increase or level up, many people call it many things. For strength, speed, and stamina, they can be done by hard work and exercise. Have you seen our gym and swimming pool?¡±

    ¡°I have,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°Good, lucky for you, no one else attends here so you¡¯ll never have to wait,¡± Professor Egret said. ¡°You may even bring friends to join if you are able to make any. Wisdom and Vitality are harder to level up. Especially for summoners, this is why we have so little apprentices. Word got around that you could rank up in stars quicker if you were a rogue, archer, or warrior, class evolutions were easier too. To be a good summoner and sorcerer, but more so for the former, meant you had to live dangerously. Fighting monsters, summoning creatures, raiding dungeons, exploring dangerous places. Wisdom is grown by performing magic, for summoners, which means completing summons; the easier the summon, the harder it gets to level up. To the point that you won¡¯t gain anything summons if they are too low.

    For example, I am a 4-star summoner, I can no longer gain anything experience, you might say, from completing a summon minor bird ritual. It is far too simple. You as a 1-star summoner would gain some small experience.¡±

    ¡°Okay but what is the formula? How much experience goes into one level gain?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°There is none, it is just usages. It¡¯s like lifting weights, how much weight do you need to lift in order to get stronger?¡±

    ¡°It varies, I guess. Some are easier than others and help progress you more but overall, the progression is just different.¡±

    ¡°Exactly, stats grow the same exact way.¡± Professor Egret said.

    So, it¡¯s not like video games. There isn¡¯t a set amount of experience gained from each task completed. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­ how many 5-stars are there in the world?¡±

    ¡°Few¡­ 5-star summoners, even less.¡±

    ¡°Why so little?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°It took me over four centuries to get to 4-stars¡­¡±

    ¡°Four Centuries!!!¡± Levi exclaimed. ¡°That¡¯s crazy!¡±

    ¡°Be careful around women with that reaction, young man.¡±

    ¡°Oh sorry!¡± Levi said embarrassed.

    ¡°There is a caveat to the star ranking. Every class has a stat that they rely on more heavily. Warrior is strength, Ranger is speed, Rogue is stamina, Sorcerer is vitality, and Summoner is wisdom. Each of those must be 55% of the points. before you rank up.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°So, for Summoners,¡± Levi said doing the math. ¡°At 1-Star it has to be 100 wisdom. At 2-star it has to be 330. 3-star 1045, 4-star 2200, and 5-star 3410? That¡¯s insane.¡±

    ¡°It is quite hard, by 3-stars we hit a plateau,¡± Professor Egret said softly. ¡°We hope that by the time we are at 3-stars we get our class evolution which would allow our relied-on stat to advanced automatically. Making it easier to hit 4-stars. After that, most people retire and live their days out doing something else. It should be said that those days are lengthy because each star rank makes it that much harder to die. By 3-stars illness related deaths are no more, by 4-stars your age slows down drastically usually quadrupling your life span. With 5-stars you are usually immortal or as close to it. However, to be a 5-star every single stat must be 3410. AND still have wisdom at 3410.¡±

    Levi whistled, ¡°What makes it harder for Summoners then if everyone has to raise wisdom?¡±

    ¡°Because most summoners don¡¯t learn spells, most can¡¯t, the ones that are 5-stars are the ones with spells,¡± Professor Egret said. ¡°In truth, choosing a guild doesn¡¯t make that much of a difference in the long run besides choosing your class. Should a person¡¯s desire be to reach 5-star then warrior would be the apt choice. People fear what is dangerous.¡±

    ¡°How is a magic user determined?¡±

    ¡°There are two different ways you can become a magic user; the first way is being born with it. The second way is using a magic essence in a ritual. The magic essence will then infuse in the person and allow them to become a magic user.¡±

    ¡°I take it magic essences are expensive,¡± Levi said softly.

    ¡°Oh yes dear boy,¡± Egret exclaimed. ¡°One magic essence sells for 6 platinum coins!¡±

    ¡°How many coins is that?¡± Levi asked sheepishly.

    ¡°Right different realm, a platinum coin is the highest form of currency that most people don¡¯t use. It is 1000 copper coins to 1 platinum coin. A gold coin is 100 copper coins. A silver coin is 10 copper coins. Most dealings are dealt with in copper or silver coins.¡±

    ¡°So, most people can save their entire lives to get two or three platinum coins at the very most?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Are there other essences that could work in place gain magic?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°There are other essences but none that allow the person to become a magic user, unfortunately. We have tested many different things.¡± Professor Egret said.

    ¡°I see, thank you, professor,¡± Levi said. ¡°That was very helpful.¡±

    ¡°You are already advanced, being able to draw a summoning circle is not an easy accomplishment. This will help you¡¯re your development in the long run. Expect all training to be similar to what we did today, for now, it¡¯s just about noon. Off to lunch you go!¡± Professor Egret said.

    Levi nodded and stood up. With Anza in toe, the pair walked out of his professor''s office. Professor Egert didn¡¯t drop the veil quite yet. She sat staring at the man who had just left her room. She had no idea who he was, but there was something different about him.

    There is a lot of undiscovered potential in that boy, she thought. I wonder what his desires and goals are. I should keep an eye on that boy.

    Levi went to the cafeteria and grabbed a plate of food. It was some fish, rice, and a salad. Surprised by how healthy everything was, he happily enjoyed the meal. He decided to go back outside; it was sunny, and he had just spent the better part of three hours talking and learning from Professor Egert. There was a small part of Levi that was upset he didn¡¯t ask how he could have possibly been brought to this world. That part was quieted every time Levi looked at the magnificent beast standing beside him. Anza was the coolest thing that he had ever seen. It was awesome to look at, in a way, it was beautiful. Speaking of beautiful he saw Piper and Anna surrounded by a mass of men.

    Levi shook his head and laughed, taking a seat at a different table. The sun was shining bright on the dark wood table he was sitting at. The table was a backyard picnic table with benches attached. There were tables in all different colors and sizes. The one he was at was meant for four people, whereas the table that Piper and Anna were at was meant to seat 16 people.

    The rest of the courtyard was quite pleasant. There were food stalls selling various kinds of food, from rice bowls to kebabs to some magical cooking. The courtyard was in the middle of all the guilds and was presumably the place to hang out with those from other guilds. Levi wasn¡¯t sure what the social hierarchy was for guilds. If he had to guess, which he would likely be wrong, Warriors would be at the top, then Sorcerers, then Rogues, then Rangers, then Summoners. Anza was lying down asleep on the warm concrete ground next to her partner eating lunch.

    ¡°You¡¯re new,¡± a deep voice said in front of him.

    ¡°Uhh yep,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Where you from friend,¡± he took a seat in front of Levi. Effectively blocking his view of the two women.

    ¡°Ugh,¡± he complained. ¡°Man, you blocked my view, I¡¯m not from here.¡±

    ¡°That was clear by your cloak and your skin,¡± the man said. He was surrounded by two other guys. Levi looked up to see that they weren''t men at all. With a hairy yet crazy muscular upper body, Levi¡¯s eyes worked their up to the face. They all had large bull faces with red beady eyes and a big nose ring. Each of them had different colored fur; the one talking to him had amber fur, with a dark brown and black fur for the two in the back. They were minotaurs. Real-life minotaurs right in front of him.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my skin?¡± Levi asked. Realizing he had not taken a look in the mirror, he looked at his arms. ¡°Phew still black, that would have been awful.¡± he said with a chuckle.

    ¡°Not a lot of dark humans around these parts,¡± the minotaur responded. ¡°The name is Fantoar; this is Vintoar and Bentoar; we¡¯re brothers, the Wintoar brothers.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Fan, Vin, and Bentoar the Wintoars.¡± Levi said with an amused look on his face. ¡°I¡¯m Levi Winters,¡± he said holding out a hand. The Wintoars all shook it. ¡°Y¡¯all apart of the Warriors guild?¡±

    ¡°We are, what guild are you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Summoners,¡± he jabbed a thumb at the campus.

    ¡°You got balls of steel to be a summoner, good for you!¡± Fantoar said with a big laugh and a hardy slap on the table.

    ¡°You¡¯re the first person who hasn¡¯t looked down on being a summoner,¡± Levi said with raised eyebrows. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Because, friend, we¡¯re not liars to ourselves or others,¡± Fantoar said. ¡°We¡¯re off to class; we¡¯ll see you around Winters.¡± Upon leaving, a pretty girl stood behind the minotaurs, waiting for her turn.

    ¡°It seems you have some new friends,¡± Piper said. She smiled gently and took a seat. Anza lifted her head, and Piper nervously reached out a hand to pet the Mimic on the head. ¡°Oh, that is not what I was expecting. It feels soft yet cool and metallic. Very strange but also quite nice.¡±

    ¡°I guess,¡± Levi said. ¡°Apparently, so do you,¡± he laughed. Anza was graciously accepting all scratches and pets.

    ¡°You¡¯re all people can talk about you know?¡± she said, looking up. ¡°The man who is a summoner.¡± She giggled. ¡°Quite the difference from seeing you naked a few days ago, huh?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re never gonna let me forget that huh?¡± he said with a smirk.

    ¡°Nope,¡± she said cheerfully.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re a rogue?¡± Levi asked. He glanced over at the table where she had just left, Anna was still there surrounded by all the other men. Levi smiled; it did not go unnoticed that she left all of them to come sit with him.

    Piper saw that Levi was looking at Anna. ¡°Yes,¡± she said curtly.

    ¡°Whoa, are you okay?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Piper said sharply. ¡°I have to go.¡± She went to stand up, but Levi grabbed her arm.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t go,¡± Levi said softly. On Earth Levi was not the best with women but he wasn¡¯t the worst. He was able to engage in conversation, go on dates, and in general, have a good time. Never really had any serious relationships, a few one-night stands or situationships every now and again, but nothing substantial. He never knew to call it a character flaw or just simply not finding the right person. It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t desire that deeper connection with someone else, like everything else in his life, he was not motivated. He was content with where he was in life and what he wanted.

    Looking at Piper, if he was being honest with himself, that was all a facade. It was a mask to hide the fact that he was scared to be alone. His time here had exacerbated that feeling tenfold. That¡¯s why he was so grateful for Anza. Even though they couldn¡¯t communicate fully, they could at least be in each other¡¯s presence. It was nice to have someone to talk to and it was a bonus, she was sweet and beautiful.

    Piper, on the other hand, was very similar but for different reasons. She always wanted someone to look at her and notice her for who she was. Being best friends and quiet guardian to Anna, never let that happen. Either she was too attached to Anna that people thought Piper had a thing for her. Or they would instantly fall for Anna. On a number of occasions guys had used Piper to get closer to Anna. One rare occasion Piper had been dating someone for a couple months. Anna was away with her father on a trip to the Cloud-Plain Kingdom for those few months. Piper had met this boy and they hit it off, finally being seen as her own person, independent of Anna she got to date this person. She was as happy as she had been, until Anna came back.

    The three had decided to go out and have a picnic, Piper was eager for her boyfriend to meet Anna. Anna was her best friend after all. Well, it turned out that he was so bewitched by the beauty and power of Anna that he asked Anna out right on the spot, in front of Piper. To Piper¡¯s horror, Anna had said yes. Anna had since apologized profusely constantly, but Piper still had some small part of her that was littered with resentment. Seeing that Levi was looking over to Anna brought that pain spewing up to the surface.

    She touched Levi¡¯s hand softly and sat back down.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Levi said, his hand lingering on her arm.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Piper said. ¡°I¡¯m just so used to guys fawning over Anna, that it got me upset because I am here with you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that,¡± Levi said. ¡°I know you¡¯re here, that¡¯s why I was looking. You chose to sit with me, and not alllllll those guys. I thought that was super cool.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± She said perking up.

    Levi chuckled, ¡°yeah. I felt like a winner for once.¡± Piper sat staring at Levi for a few seconds. That was one of the nicer things someone had said about her in a long time. She couldn¡¯t find the words to say but heard a bell.

    ¡°Okay, but now I really do have to go,¡± she said with a sad smile. ¡°What are you up to the rest of the day?¡±

    ¡°Training,¡± Levi said. ¡°Lessons don¡¯t start for a couple days.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll come find you for dinner,¡± Piper said and then ran off toward her guild. Levi watched her run away and felt a nudge from Anza.

    ¡°That was unexpected huh?¡± Levi asked. It nodded. Levi got up and started walking back toward the guild, he was going to start training. ¡°Do you trust her?¡± Anza nodded slowly but still nodded. Levi put his hand on Anza¡¯s neck and scratched. ¡°I think I might be too.¡±

 Chapter 6 - Allies

    Stats Total 202:

    Strength 18

    Speed 17

    Stamina 17

    Vitality 50

    Wisdom 100

    Okay, Levi thought to himself. I have worked out before. It was a long time ago, but I have worked out. So, this can be done. I can set a routine for myself. I have a pool, I have a weight room, and there are stairs out there. I can do this. Levi was standing inside the weight room giving himself a pep talk. Exercise was not really his thing. Levi hated working out; he loved the feeling of feeling strong, but his workouts were so inconsistent and spread apart that any working out caused so much pain.

    Maybe in a world of magic, he thought to himself, this will be less painful. He was wrong. Levi first started with some pushups or the closest thing his frail body could manage. Levi estimated that he did three correct pushups out of 10 in his first set. He moved on to bicep curls, grabbed the 5kg dumbbells, and did some curls. His goal was ten for each arm. He got to seven until he couldn¡¯t anymore. After that, Levi tried to do some squats, and to his surprise, he was able to do a complete set of 20; this was, of course, with just the bar, which weighed just about 20kg. After he finished that set, Levi was sprawled on the floor, gasping for air.

    His arms and legs had their own heartbeats. He was unsure if he could do anymore. He had intended to do three sets of each of the exercises. Levi felt like that was now a tough task. Not wanting to give up so soon, he rolled over onto his stomach and attempted ten more pushups. This time, he was able to do three correct again and barely made it to the tenth, but he did it. Once again, grabbing the dumbbells, he did bicep curls. He struggled toward the end and had to take a break to breathe, but he did it. Lastly, he does a full set of 20 squats yet again. After placing the bar back on the rack, he collapsed again. Fully conscious but exhausted.

    His heartbeat was replaced with an intense itchy sensation that he had never experienced before. He felt like his veins were rolling around in the grass.

    ¡°I hate this,¡± Levi said desperately, trying to stop the itchy feeling. Why do people like doing this?¡± Levi knew that he had to do this in order to rank up and reach 3-stars.

    The thought of not dying from any diseases or illnesses was critical for Levi. Levi¡¯s grandfather had passed away from a number of health problems. The doctors were not sure what exactly the final blow was, as there were so many issues. This was the most challenging time for Levi¡¯s father. Levi¡¯s father was very close with Levi¡¯s grandfather; they had an amazing relationship, and they were best friends. The two of them hung with each other nearly every weekend. It took Levi¡¯s dad some time to recover after his death. Levi had seen how painful his grandfather¡¯s final days were, and he was grateful that was not something he would ever have to experience. It was an odd feeling, being grateful, with grief being present in the midst of the gratitude.

    After his dad passed, his grades in school plummeted. Thankfully, it was just late enough in the semester for him to graduate and pass his classes. His friendships and relationships all took a dive, too. He moved out from home and got his own apartment. It took him a couple of years before he got his act together. He had a lot of reconciliation to do, but he did it. Levi¡¯s life might have been extraordinarily average up until this point. The theme that he experienced over and over is that he did it. Despite the challenges and hardships, he found a way.

    Sitting on the ground, thinking about his dad. Tears streamed down his face. He pushed himself to his chest and began doing pushups. Levi¡¯s entire body was shaking as he was doing the pushups, but he did it. All ten. Next, Levi did the bicep curls; his biceps were screaming in agony and pain, but he did it. Finally, Levi went and completed his set of squats with relative ease; he hadn¡¯t struggled at all.

    Strength has gained 8 points...

    Strength is now 26.

    Stamina has gained 5 points...

    Stamina is now 22.

    Speed has gained 4 points...

    Speed is now 22.

    Levi saw the textboxes; he wasn¡¯t sure how he gained a point for speed, but he was happy. He noticed that as his points in strength increased, his muscles felt the change. It was like he leveled up, and his muscles automatically repaired themselves. His stamina did not have the same effect happened to it. It added the five points. to the already lowered stamina bar. Feeling very accomplished, he got up and walked toward the pool. It was a standard exercise-style pool; it was not too deep, only a few meters, and about 50 meters long.

    Levi had swum before; he knew how to swim and preferred it to running. He knew that swimming was an excellent way to gain stamina as it was an exercise where breathing was a bit harder. He completed three laps; Levi constituted a lap as down and back before he felt a massive headache. His UI told him that he was suffering from hunger, headache, and dehydration. That was his cue to stop. Holding out his water skin, Anza had stayed in the room. It had no interest in watching Levi struggle with training. Levi tried to use his water orb skill. Sitting, holding his palm, and concentrating just like how he did with the chaos orb. After several seconds, a small pool of water started to form in his palm. The pool of water grew and swirled into his hand, turning into an orb. It was clear, sharp blue water with bits of white spread throughout the orb.

    He placed his water skin next to the orb and watched the water skin absorb the orb. He took a drink from the water skin and was amazed at how good the water was. It was so pure in taste that Levi didn¡¯t want any other water. He walked out of the pool and dried himself off. The cafeteria wouldn¡¯t be open with any food, but there were food stalls. He called Anza in his mind, wondering if that would work. He felt a prick at his sense to let him know that it did work.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go get some food,¡± Levi said. A bright white orb shot through the walls and reconnected with Levi. Levi approached the rice bowl food stall. It was the only one open at the moment.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Good day sir,¡± The owner replied. ¡°What can I get for you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take two chicken rice bowls, and a steak one. Do you have any raw steak or chicken that I could buy from you?¡±

    ¡°I do sir, two chicken breasts are 2 coppers, the bowls will be 6 coppers,¡± the owner said.

    ¡°Great,¡± Levi said. He handed the man a silver coin and told him to keep the change. He shortly brought out two chicken breasts on a plate. ¡°Do you even need to eat?¡± Levi asked Anza. It shook its head. Should I stop feeding you?¡± It shook its head emphatically. Levi laughed. The clerk handed Levi his food, and Levi handed him the coins. Levi sat down at a table and began eating, handing food to Anza.

    ¡°Lookie there John,¡± a voice sneered. ¡°We got a newbie who bought us lunch.¡±

    ¡°Yeah Tom,¡± John replied. ¡°How kind.¡± The two men slinked over to have a seat next to Levi. John or Tom, Levi couldn¡¯t tell, put his arm around Levi¡¯s shoulder. His breath wreaked of something. Levi almost gagged and lost it. ¡°Whatdaya say friend, give us the food.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Levi said, gently removing the hand from his shoulder. ¡°Go get your own food.¡± Levi didn¡¯t make any eye contact with the man, his head down, and he was focused on his food. He could feel his hunger dissipate.

    ¡°You know what I love about Summoner¡¯s John?¡± Tom asked.

    ¡°What Tom?¡± John replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s that they can¡¯t attack quickly,¡± Tom stated. He got up and held a knife in Levi''s face. The men must not have seen Anza when they approached the man-eating. Anza got up, a deep, low growl emerging from her throat. Her presence became menacing toward the two men who had just attacked her friend. Levi didn¡¯t stay still either. Placing his hands behind his back, he began forming two orbs, one of chaos and one of water.

    Anza¡¯s orange core started to glow brighter in preparation to fight back.

    ¡°I may not be able to attack quickly,¡± Levi said. ¡°But my familiar can.¡± The two men¡¯s faces changed with many emotions. Fear, anger, annoyance, and disgust all in a moment''s notice. They looked at each other and laughed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that creature is, but it ain¡¯t a real threat. It¡¯s probably fake,¡± John sneered.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s probably just a summoned illusion,¡± Tom stated.

    ¡°Are you willing to find out?¡± Levi asked, voice calm. By now, a small crowd had joined, it was almost dinner time, so different guilds were walking out. His hands remained behind his back, but the two orbs were ready for the fight.

    ¡°What is going on here?¡± a familiar, deep voice said. Vintoar walked out with his brothers by his side.

    ¡°Nothing that concerns the likes of you!¡± Tom stated.

    ¡°Yeah scram, get outta our business,¡± John said.

    Recognizing that the conflict had now simmered to nothing, Anza sat down, staring at the two skinny men. Levi had gotten a good look at them. They were tall and skinny; to Levi, it was clear that they were Rogues. They seemed like the pair that enjoyed slinking around in the shadows undetected. Levi wondered how many stars they had with smaller bodies than his own. He diminished his orbs and sat back down to continue his meal.

    The brothers walked away, eyeing Levi up and down.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°They are always causing trouble,¡± Vintoar said. ¡°Your familiar here looks like it would have done a lot of damage.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it,¡± he said, looking at Anza. ¡°Glad it didn¡¯t get to that.¡±

    ¡°Take it easy, let¡¯s plan to eat lunch together, I¡¯d like to know our story,¡± he said. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Sounds like a good idea,¡± Levi said. The Wintoar Minotaurs walked away. Piper and Anna were the next to show up. This time, Levi had expected them and was excited to see them. Anza walked over to Piper and put her head in her lap.

    ¡°Here,¡± Levi said, sliding the two bowls to the women.

    ¡°We are more than capable of getting our own food,¡± Anna shot. Levi didn¡¯t say anything; they just took the bowl back from her and started eating from it.

    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Levi said. Piper smiled briefly and happily ate the food that was provided to her. ¡°Are you going to grab some food?¡± He asked Anna. ¡°I was only out here to wait for you, Piper. I wanted to show you the guild, since I assume you¡¯ve never been in before. It¡¯s a lot more private.¡±

    ¡°I will get some food,¡± Anna said, slightly upset that her attitude got free food taken away. ¡°Please do not leave without me,¡± she said more to Piper than to Levi.

    ¡°She is not used to not getting her way,¡± she giggled. ¡°Strong move taking the food away.¡±

    ¡°Truthfully,¡± Levi said. ¡°I only got a bowl for you, but figured I could go get some in our cafeteria if she took it. I still might get some food, I¡¯m starving!¡±

    ¡°Anna is a good person,¡± Piper said. ¡°Despite what she has displayed to you.¡±

    ¡°I know she is,¡± Levi said. ¡°She is friends with you. You give me the vibe that you don¡¯t hang around anyone.¡±

    ¡°I do not,¡± she said matter of factly. ¡°I¡¯m glad you feel that way.¡±

    ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Piper responded.

    ¡°Why are you being so nice to me?¡± Levi asked. ¡°I¡¯m not mad at it, I guess I¡¯m just curious. I¡¯m not anything special, there are plenty of guys who were fighting for you attention earlier and you have your friends from your guild, and I am sure beyond.¡±

    ¡°Why not you?¡± Piper asked. ¡°Does there need to be some groundbreaking reason? Or can I see someone who I find interesting and special, I might add, and want to get to know them more.¡±

    ¡°I guess why not is because there are better options?¡± Levi said sheepishly.

    ¡°Of course, there are better options. There are always better options,¡± she teased. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter, at least not to me.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I guess that¡¯s fair.¡±

    Piper leaned in close and whispered, ¡°I guess now is a good time to show me that my interest was either warranted or misguided.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, you got me there,¡± Levi said, putting his hands up in resignation. ¡°Good, you¡¯re back, come along.¡± Levi stood up and led the two women with him into the Summoners Guild. Levi had found a spot in the library that overlooked the city. It had been his favorite spot to study so far. Right now, with the way the sun was setting, it had to be breathtaking. They sat down at the table, looking at the sunset. Golden rays shot across the slightly hazy city. The sky was bright orange and dull gold as the sun was falling, hints of purple teased as the sky above turned into dark night.

    ¡°I never took the time to stop and be in awe of my world,¡± Levi whispered. Tears welled in his eyes. He was brought back to a time when he was younger. His dad had taken him out one day to watch airplanes land and take off. It was a warm summer night; the sunset wasn¡¯t until much later. Levi and his dad pulled up in their pickup truck and set down pillows and blankets. For a few hours, they sat in each other¡¯s presence, basking in the glorious beauty that was the setting sun and the departing planes.

    Levi took his dad¡¯s death harder than anyone else in his family. It rocked him to his core. Maybe that is why he was content with being average; he didn¡¯t know what else to do. He couldn¡¯t imagine thriving in a world without his dad. He couldn¡¯t imagine getting awards, recognition, or fame without sharing it with his dad. What good was it to win if you had no one to share it with? He took a deep, shaky breath, tears streaming down his face, being reminded of the pain he had worked so hard to push down and hide away. He felt a hand go on top of his and a feathery head on his lap.

    Shaking himself from the memory, he realized he had been crying. Piper had put her hand on his to comfort him. Anza had also done its part to comfort. He wiped his eyes but let Piper keep her hand there a little bit longer.

    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± he said softly. ¡°Not what I wanted to have happen but got lost in a memory.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Piper said softly. ¡°Never apologize for being real.¡±

    ¡°What did you see?¡± Anna asked uncharacteristically, compassionately.

    ¡°A place where I failed.¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Your home world?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi said without even registering what was said. It dawned on him, ¡°wait what no uhhh¡± he stammered. Piper¡¯s classic giggle filled his ears. When he heard it this time the hair on the back of his neck stood up.

    ¡°We know,¡± Anna said. ¡°We knew when we first met you.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°A stranger naked in the middle of the road not speaking our language and looks nothing like any of the locals around here,¡± Anna said with a straight expression. ¡°We are apprentices at the guilds we expect to see all kinds of races and beings but there were known quite like yourself. You¡¯re human but just different enough.¡±

    ¡°What does that even mean?¡± Levi said.

    ¡°It¡¯s your aura,¡± Piper said, shooting a look at Anna. ¡°Your aura is different than anyone else. It¡¯s not like elves, beastfolk, other humans, or any of the other beings.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that makes sense. I haven¡¯t any aura powers yet. How many beings are there?¡± Levi asked. ¡°There are only humans where I¡¯m from.¡±

    ¡°There are hundreds of different beings, I can even describe how many there are.¡± Anna said. ¡°So, you really are from somewhere else?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Levi said.

    Piper leaned in really close, her lips almost touching his ears. Her breath was soft on his ear, ¡°I told you; you were deserving of my attention.¡± A sweet, sweet feeling arose in Levi. He couldn¡¯t help but have a goofy smile. Anna sat on the other side of the smiling. She had never seen her friend genuinely go after someone like that. Anna loved Piper; she really did. Even if it meant doing things that were harmful to her. Anna recalled a time when she was away with her father and came back to Piper dating some dude.

    He was not a good guy, and he had deceit written all over him. So, the three of them went on a picnic, and his true colors came out. He had been using Piper to get closer to Anna and the crown. Anna of course didn¡¯t want Piper to feel like she got used so she ¡®went on a date with him¡¯, and told him to piss right off, properly. Anna never told Piper that that was what had happened; she felt like it was her duty to protect her from her naive heart. Piper was beautiful and she had the kindest heart, her being a rogue and choosing the rogues gallery was some sort of move to prove she was also a badass. Anna wished Piper knew she already was.

    ¡°What is your world like?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Well, there is no magic but technology,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Anna said. ¡°If you are not from here, how do you have a Mimic as a familiar already?¡±

    ¡°Luck,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°Luck?¡± The women asked together.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi said. ¡°Luck. I got an ability to have familiar bonds, which worked great with my ritual ability, so I made a basic, very basic summoning circle of familiars and poof out popped Anza,¡± he said with a genuine smile. Anza was staring out at the window, watching the sunset. When hearing her name, she turned her head slightly to look.

    ¡°What material did you use?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Coal dust,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°You are quite fortunate. Familiar abilities are rare to come by but are coveted by most everyone. What ability does she give you?¡±

    ¡°Should I be telling you all this?¡± Levi said skeptically. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t anything about the world and sharing abilities and powers seems personal.¡±

    ¡°If we wanted to know,¡± Piper said. ¡°We would have found out the second you arrived to the guild, we are good and have connections.¡±

    ¡°Charming,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°She is right,¡± Anna said. ¡°I could have done a number of spells on you to figure it out. Proper decorum is to only tell your friends or potential teammates about your abilities and powers, I know I have been cold and distant, for that I apologize. However, you and Piper have gotten close and would dare to say that you are friends. I would like to get there with you. You seem like a genuine guy who cares deeply. That is rare, I misjudged you when we first met.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you misjudged me,¡± Levi said with an awkward chuckle. ¡°I was naked with a towel not covering the bits that should be covered.¡± Levi took a deep breath. ¡°She gives me the ability to spell cast certain spells.¡±

    ¡°Whoa,¡± Anna and Piper said at the same time.

    ¡°Keep that to just us,¡± Piper said. ¡°Very few if any summoners can spell cast. I don¡¯t know of any. Thank you for sharing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what Professor Egret said but I didn¡¯t tell her I could spell cast, she just told me it was rare. She¡¯ll find out eventually.¡± Levi said.

    ¡°You truly are fortunate,¡± Anna whispered. ¡°Here, for trusting us with that information.¡± She looked like she was grabbing nothing in the air and threw it at Levi. Levi knew at this point it meant that she was sending him a text box. A green text box read Character Log. Piper did the same.

    Character Log: Princess Anna Onyx

    Class: Sorcerer

    Rank: 2 Star

    Ability: Spellcaster

    Ability: Magic Tool User

    Ability: Onyx Manipulator

    Ability: Locked

    Ability: Locked

    Character Log: Piper Vendular

    Class: Rogue

    Rank:  2-star

    Ability: Weapons Master

    Ability: Silent Steps

    Ability: Onyx Manipulator

    Ability: Locked

    Ability: Locked

    ¡°You¡¯re a princess?¡± Levi asked, turning to Anna. ¡°No wonder you were so protective, a princess of this kingdom too. And you?¡± he asked, looking at Piper.

    ¡°I¡¯m just her friend, we¡¯ve been friends since birth.¡± Piper responded.

    ¡°I highly doubt you are just her friend,¡± Levi said, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Y¡¯all both have the same ability, I¡¯m new but not dumb.¡±

    Piper giggled, ¡°Maybe one day you¡¯ll find out.¡± She said. Levi nodded, letting her have her secrets. He took his character log and shared it with the two of them.

    Character Log: Levi Winters

    Class: Summoner

    Rank: 1 Star

    Ability: Ritualist

    Ability: Elected Stranger

    Ability: Familiar Bond

    Ability: Locked

    Ability: Locked

    A new textbox appeared in front of all three faces. Anna and Piper¡¯s eyes went wide, and their skins paled.

    Hidden Objective: Allies - Completed

    Make contact with new people and be allies (3/3)

    Reward:  1-star token

    Reward: Shiny Dust

    Reward: Familiar Essence

    Item: Familiar Essence

    The essence of a familiar can be used to increase the bond significantly. Increasing bonds have varied effects.

    ¡°Dope,¡± Levi whispered. He was holding a small cube. The cube was cool to the touch, it had a faint glow around it, the inside was swirling red with a symbol on the inside. Levi hadn¡¯t seen the symbol before, but he knew it was a ritual rune for familiars. He had seen it when he was looking up which material to use to create his ritual circle.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Anna asked. ¡°I have never seen a rune like that before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a rune for familiars,¡± he said, transfixed by the cube. The rune looked somewhat like an anchor upside down, but instead of flat points, they were sharp like an arrowhead. Instead of the top of an anchor being flat, it was split in the middle,e going in opposite directions. There were two marks, which to Levi looked like apostrophes on both sides in the space between the middle and the two points. Levi held it in his hand and looked at Anza. ¡°It increases bonds with familiars.¡± He closed his eyes, letting the cube melt into his hand; the red swirls escaped the cube and flowed around both Levi and Anza.

    After a few seconds, the swirls faded inside Levi and Anza. They looked at each other and wondered if anything had happened. No new text box appeared, nothing. Disappointed, he looked down sadly. It was fine; at least his bond with his familiar increased. That was a win in itself.

    This is a bit awkward.

 Chapter 7 - What Are You Going To Do

    Levi was sitting in the library with his two new friends, staring at the beautiful sunset. The group had all shared character logs as a sign of trust and companionship. This had unlocked a hidden objective that Levi produced for all the group. His reward was a familiar essence, a magical cube that had the power of familiar inside it. The cube increased the bond between a familiar and its summoner. Excited Levi used the cube and heard nothing at first.

    ¡°Anza,¡± Levi said out loud. ¡°Did you just speak?¡±

    No, Anza responded. I communicated with you, however. We are telepathically linked now.

    ¡°YES!¡± Levi exclaimed. The two girls looked at each other and then back at Levi. How does this work? Levi asked. Just thinking to you?

    Yes, Anza said. As I said, awkward.

    ¡°What happened Levi?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°We can communicate with each other,¡± Levi replied happily. I know it''s only been a few days, but being able to have some sort of communication is going to be great.¡±

    ¡°How did I get this item?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Oh, you got the objective too?¡± Levi asked. ¡°I wonder how that works.¡±

    ¡°Were you only trying to be friends with us to get something?¡± Anna asked incredulously.

    ¡°What? No, it said hidden objective. What do you think hidden means? It also said 3/3. There are only two of you.¡± Levi responded. He watched as Piper put a calming hand on her friend¡¯s arm. ¡°Hey,¡± Levi said as he pulled out the star token he had gotten. It was a small medallion with a singular star in the middle. The medallion was golden, and the star was protruding out of the token. ¡°What are these? I mean, I know it¡¯s a star token but are they things I shouldn¡¯t be consuming.¡±

    ¡°You can,¡± Anna responded. ¡°There are small bonuses provided, they are rare but useful. That is the item that I got from your objective.¡± She held one up.

    ¡°Me too,¡± Piper said. ¡°Here, take mine.¡± Piper handed hers to Levi. ¡°They are no good once you are a rank higher, or two ranks in the case of 0-star tokens.¡± Anna followed her friend¡¯s lead and tossed it to Levi.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a bummer,¡± Levi said. ¡°I wonder why it didn¡¯t give you rewards that you can use?¡±

    ¡°It did,¡± Anna said. She pulled out a book. ¡°Spell Book of Chaos,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t practice chaos magic, but I am excited to learn.¡±

    ¡°I got kunai knives of water,¡± Piper said. She pulled out the kunai knives. They were small throwing knives, but instead of the classic dark black, they were clear metal with water trapped inside.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Levi said. ¡°It appears the reward was based on Anza.¡±

    ¡°How do you mean?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Anza¡¯s affinity is chaos and water, and those are the two spells I can cast. Orb of Chaos and Orb of water. I also can wield chaos items now, hence this cloak.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a cloak of chaos?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°I guess so,¡± Levi said; it doesn¡¯t really look chaotic. Anna started thinking about the rewards that were given. Getting a spell book of chaos was a great gift. Chaos spells were some of the hardest spells to master, nearly impossible with a spell book. They were mana-intensive but very powerful. The best way to cast chaos was through wands, staves, or any item that was a magical conduit. Anna had a wand, but it could not cast chaos magic.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need a new wand,¡± Anna said, peering through the book.

    ¡°Is chaos magic bad?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Not inherently no,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It takes a strong will to wield it,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna said. ¡°Chaos is a hard source of magic because it is unruly, it is unpredictable, but it can be tamed with strong convictions.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Levi said. He held out his hand and a dark orb with gray clouds and red lightning appeared in his palm. The orb levitated just above his palm and slowly moved up and down a few centimeters.

    ¡°Levi,¡± Piper said softly. ¡°How can you do that?¡±

    ¡°It was the first, well second spell I could do.¡±

    That is quite impressive, Anza said. You must have an affinity for chaos as well, deep inside your soul.

    ¡°Anza said,¡± Levi told the girls, ¡°That I might have an affinity for chaos?¡±

    ¡°Anza is right,¡± another voice said. The group screamed and jumped to see Professor Egret standing behind them. They had all been so occupied looking at the orb they hadn¡¯t even noticed her walk in. ¡°Hello Levi, I am glad to see you made friends. Apprentices, I am Professor Egret, here at the Summoners Guild.¡±

    ¡°Professor, what are you doing here?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°I was eating dinner, and to my surprise, a text box appeared saying hidden objective completed. I received spectacles of chaos as a reward. I then thought well, what other strange thing happened to me today that would warrant such a reward? You Levi. You were easy enough to track with your uncontrolled aura. So here I am.¡±

    ¡°Professor, this is Piper and Anna,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°A pleasure, young ladies. It appears you have gained the ability to communicate with your familiar. Very good. She is quite right, though. Your cloak is a cloak of chaos, and you wield it with such grace that it appears as peace. It is not, though, a simple illusory trick of the trade. Peace does not look like this; it is the opposite of chaos. Chaos has things that are disruptive.¡±

    ¡°Like clouds,¡± Levi said, the answer dawning on him. He had wondered why his cloak looked so peaceful and not chaotic. The goblin, Hentay, said it would be known as chaos to those who know magic well.

    ¡°Exactly, Levi,¡± she said proudly. ¡°Peace is whatever the person believes is peace without any disruption. Observing your cloak, it is a scene of almost peace, but the clouds disrupt the scene so therefore it is chaos.¡±

    ¡°Does the cloak change per user?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It does,¡± Professor Egret said. ¡°It is a bondable growth item. We will test all your affinities; it is a part of your training. It is useful to know, especially for summoners. It is good to know you can also cast spells. I will inform the other professor of this, and we shall adjust your training accordingly. Levi,¡± she said with sharpness in her tone. ¡°We saw your workout, and it is clear to us that you are a hard worker. We are going to push you hard, to your limits, then past those. If you fail to reach your potential, it will not be because of us. Enjoy the rest of your night.¡± With that, Professor Egret left.

    ¡°Great,¡± Levi said, watching the professor leave.

    ¡°You are fortunate,¡± Anna said. ¡°Being the only student means you will grow fast from the extra attention.¡± She stood up and stretched. ¡°Thank you for the rewards and the friendship. It was a pleasure getting to know you. Your secret is safe with me.¡±

    Piper also standing up, ¡°Yeah, thanks Levi. It was great!¡± She said with a warm smile. ¡°When do you start lessons?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Wonderful, good luck! Let¡¯s meet up tomorrow at some point.¡± She said, ¡°we¡¯ll just come to your gate. The isolation was nice.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Anna said. ¡°Shall we meet for dinner in your cafeteria?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m down,¡± Levi said. ¡°Just come through whenever; my last lesson ends a couple of hours before that, around four.¡±

    ¡°Mine as well,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not done until five thirty,¡± Piper said. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you here, though.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you,¡± Anna said to her friend. ¡°Until tomorrow,¡± the girls gave Levi a hug and walked away.

    Levi woke up the next morning excited. He took a nice warm shower, letting the bathroom fill with steam. Fully prepared for the morning, he headed down to the cafeteria to grab some breakfast. Today was the day we were going to learn about magic. He was going to learn what it took to be a summoner and to see if he was cut out for it.

    ¡°Welcome in, Mr. Winters,¡± A deep gravelly voice said. ¡°I am Professor Bertrum. I will be teaching you combat skills, training programs for your physical stats, and recovery techniques.¡± Professor Bertrum was a large being. He had the face of a falcon with the body of a man with two large eagle wings behind him. He was floating just above the ground as his wings slowly flapped, keeping him afloat. He was as muscular as you could get without looking overly big. He didn¡¯t look like a typical bodybuilder from Earth; his muscles were definitely big, but they were functional. It looked like he trained in heavy lifting and then would go run a marathon. To Levi the two should not be able to take place in the same body. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    His feathers were dark brown, matching his dark complexion. He wore a collared shirt and a nice pair of slacks. Nothing too fancy.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why Professor Egret forces students to wear that awful robe,¡± he said. ¡°In here take it off and leave it at the door.¡± Levi did as instructed. ¡°Very well, come with me.¡± Professor Bertrum flew out the door and toward the gym. He took a seat on top of the squat rack and looked at Levi. ¡°We saw you work out yesterday, so you know something. Why did you do that?¡±

    ¡°I figured if I¡¯m going to be here, I may as well strive for a high star rank. Working out was the obvious choice,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Good!¡± Professor Bertrum said. He jumped off the squat rack and landed next to Levi. Professor Bertrum instructed Levi how to use all the different weights in the room. He showed him how to bench press, deadlift, squat, different types of bicep curls, a core workout, lunge, and so much more. Levi went through everything once with minimal weight to get a feel for what proper form felt like. While doing this, Levi learned that his squats were adequate, and he was correct in his assumptions about what was a good pushup and what wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Now that you know the basics, we¡¯re going to test your maximum. This will be your goal to push past every time.¡± Professor Bertrum instructed.

    Levi started with push-ups. He had one minute to do as many as he could. He could rest as long as he wanted, but he had one minute and one minute only. Levi started strong, pushing himself up and letting himself fall in a consistent stream of rhythm. He had busted out 7 in a row with ease, then it started to get hard. By the time the 60 seconds were up, his entire upper body was shaking as he was trying to push himself up one last time.

    ¡°Time!¡± Bertrum said. ¡°15 good ones.¡± Levi was set to do squat next to give his arms some time to recover. He easily did just the bar. The professor added on twelve kilos each side. Levi did that with ease but not as easy. Next was an additional twelve kilos on each side. Levi dropped down and strained to get himself back up. The professor offered no suggestions, just let him struggle through these reps. The professor added five kilos on each side. Levi lifted the weight then went crashing to the floor. Feeling like a broken pretzel, Levi groaned.

    ¡°Maximum is 24 kilos on each side.¡± There was zero sympathy in the professor''s voice. He just watched with observant eyes as Levi crashed to the ground. Levi sat on the ground he wondered why he could understand the metric system when he was raised on the imperial system. Pushing that aside, probably related to his UI, he got up and took the weights off the bar.

    ¡°What¡¯s next,¡± Levi asked, feeling pretty drained.

    ¡°Now,¡± the professor said. ¡°We rest, active recovery. Come with me.¡± The professor floated to a back room. There was a small pool next to a greenhouse. The room was lit up with magical glass panes that gave the illusion of different weather patterns so whoever was in here could choose the type of environment to recover in. The floor was made of soft rubber, the walls were tiled. The tile was white with black grout, giving the room an appearance of being slightly bigger than what it was. Professor Bertrum adjusted the magical glass to be a snowy day.

    ¡°Grab a mat,¡± he instructed, doing so himself. Placing the mat on the ground, the professor sat down cross-legged. Have a seat in the pool. This is our recovery room. You have access to it the whole time. Use it. The water you are entering is an ice bath.¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± Levi said. ¡°I can tell¡­¡± for a split second he thought he saw a smile teasing the beak of the falcon man. ¡°Ice baths are helpful for the recovery of the body to shock the system. They are also good for helping you focus on channeling your aura.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what my aura is,¡± Levi said between shivers.

    ¡°Aura is the magical energy that surrounds your body. It¡¯s your magical perception. You¡¯re aware of the five senses think of aura as your sixth sense but all five senses combined.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

    ¡°With proper aura control you¡¯ll be able to feel, smell, taste, see, and hear just not in the way that you think.¡±

    ¡°Please, be more cryptic.¡±

    ¡°If you can properly control your aura, it will act as an extender to your senses. You¡¯ll be able to feel much further, sense things in a different often more detailed way.¡±

    ¡°Okay so how do I control my aura?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Notice how your body has adjusted to the cold?¡±

    ¡°Actually, yeah.¡±

    ¡°It takes some getting used to. I like practicing with aura control in a cold environment because our senses of feeling are effectively frozen. We cannot feel our body, so in turn, we can focus more on our aura. Here is the progression, once you have great aura control in the ice bath, then you do it here on this mat, then in the steam box. You do not progress until you pass the aura test that I have set up.

    Now, to feel your aura. Take a deep breath and close your eyes. Focus on the energy of your body. Do you feel it? Do you feel how there is something just above your skin?¡±

    Levi closed his eyes and attempted to do as instructed. He steadied his breath and closed his eyes, images of all the things he did wrong flooded his mind. It was the first time he had a moment of pure quiet. It was chaos. Chaos inside his mind took over all the concentration he had been working so hard to build. A thought, a beacon, appeared amidst the chaos. It was Anza saying he might have an affinity to chaos. In that moment Levi focused on that thought, the thought that he had some sort of connection to chaos. That maybe perhaps the chaos inside of him could give him the key to understanding and working with chaos.

    Chaos by nature could not be controlled. It was not a pet to be trained. It was a being to be bargained with and partnered with. It was a give-and-take relationship. To Levi, he would give some frustration, anger, and grief. He would feed the chaos, guilt, pain, and disgust. It craved these emotions, these emotions that were seen as negative, but Levi knew better. Emotions weren¡¯t bad or good; they were just emotions. Chaos was the same. It was neither bad nor good; it was what it was.

    Levi had a lot of frustration and anger to give in this moment. He was so angry with the world he left. The world that took his dad from him far too soon. Levi hadn¡¯t known he had been harboring such powerful feelings of anger for so long. He must have pushed them down until he had forgotten about it. In return for feeding the chaos, the chaos would give him advice. It would give him power. Levi used the power given to control the thoughts to think of his body and feel what he was meant to be feeling.

    With another round of concentration behind a deep breath, Levi discovered his aura. It felt like a small magnetic field hovering over his skin in a rather uncontrolled manner. It would fire out of each exit point before calming down. Levi imagined that if he were to see his aura for real, it would look like pistons releasing small spouts of energy over his skin in a strange, haphazard rhythm.

    Professor Bertrum watched with eager anticipation. He had been a professor for a long time and had seen many students. Those numbers had dropped significantly in the last decade or so but when he got a promising student such as Levi, he got excited. He watched as Levi¡¯s aura spiked and was thrashing around. The professor understood this to be the rush of emotions taking the forefront of an uncalm mind. Bertrum stood still and watched as his student slowly worked it out on his own.

    His comrade, Professor Egret had warned Bertrum that Levi might have an affinity for chaos magic, which is good. Chaos magic is feared by so much of the world, but it is not more harmful than air or fire magic. If Levi could learn to work with Chaos magic and not try to control it, then he would truly be a remarkable summoner. Any summoner who had any type of affinity was one who thrived. Usually, that affinity allowed the summoner to cast spells of that specific type.

    Returning to Levi he watched as the aura retracted back to its uncontrolled state. Levi had started sweating, even when in the ice bath.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Professor Bertrum said. ¡°You need to rest, come out and I¡¯ll teach you how to use your mana to recover and, in some cases, heal slightly.¡±

    Levi got out of the pool and sat next to the professor on his own mat. He mirrored the sitting position that his professor had dawned. With his legs crossed and sitting upright, he focused on breathing like had done in yoga for so many years. This was easy, he could feel his mana inside of him. It would coarse through his being. If his aura was the outside energy being poured out of his insides, then mana was the source of that energy. Mana ran through his body like blood ran through his veins. He could feel the mana pathways.

    Guiding the mana into many different places in his body where he felt like they needed the most help. His chest, his legs, and his hands all received the subtle recovery help from the mana.

    ¡°Excellent,¡± Professor Bertrum said. ¡°You got that down instantly. To recover your mana is a much similar process. Do you feel in your body somewhere a deep pool of mana?¡±

    ¡°I did yoga, a form of meditation, while doing stretches back home; this is very similar. I do, it¡¯s in-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me,¡± Professor Bertrum warned. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone. Your mana pool is more important than your heart. As you get stronger and you rank up, your heart becomes less critical. All your organs do. The mana you feel will grow more and start to take over the organs to make them more efficient and magical. At 2-star your heart will have some arteries that are completely taken over by mana pathways. At 3-star a valve, at 4-star your entire heart, and at 5-star¡­ well we¡¯re not really sure. Anyways the mana pool is like your new heart, it is the source to your life force.

    Keeping the location is important to keep close to your chest. The more you train and add to wisdom the larger your pool becomes. Here¡¯s a secret that most don¡¯t know. In order to have the biggest maximum pool of mana, you have to be able to train your wisdom first before you train the others. If wisdom comes after vitality or any of the other attributes it has a harder time creating its pathways in the newly fortified body. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°I do. Why aren¡¯t there more summoners if that¡¯s the case?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Because summoning is a slow progression of the wisdom attribute. Are you away how to train them?¡±

    ¡°Yes, by completing a summon.¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Professor Bertrum said. ¡°Summoning is a laborious class and takes some extensive materials. And often times leads you without protection, but that¡¯s why we have to train harder your physical attributes.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that mean the vitality of summoners should be high too? Because if there is no defenses, like shields or mana bubbles, there is more need to dodge and get away.¡±

    ¡°Very astute. There are rituals to summon shields and defenders. That you will learn, that will also help your vitality. The road to becoming a higher star summoner is daunting, but I can assure you, IF you make it to the peak, you¡¯ll be stronger than your counterparts from a different class.¡±

    ¡°Are people that afraid of hard work?¡± Levi asked. He frowned. ¡°Look who¡¯s talking," he said. "I spent my whole life in my other world doing the bare minimum and just being average. I never pushed myself; I just sat and accepted the fact that I was okay with being average.¡± He admonished himself.

    Professor Bertrum looked at him with assessing eyes.

    ¡°What?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never met someone who openly admits that they took the easy route. Now that you have observed it and you have the rare opportunity that most don¡¯t get, what are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°I was chosen to come here, not choose it,¡± Levi replied.

    ¡°That is not what I am talking about,¡± Professor Bertrum waved a dismissive hand. ¡°A second chance at life. Most don¡¯t get that. But you do. So, what are you going to do with it? Are you going to sit back and continue to be average? Or are you going to step up and live the life you never ever could have dreamed about.¡± Levi went to speak and answer but the professor waved another dismissive hand. ¡°Don¡¯t answer it now, think about it. Truly think about it, this is your path and one that should not be taken lightly.¡±

    The professor stood up and started floating once again. He picked and rolled up his mat. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat.¡±

 Chapter 8 - All-Consuming Entities

    ¡°I felt that I just needed to put my mana into sand nearest to me,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°Interesting.¡±

    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Not at all, you have your own unique style of summoning. Keep developing that. The connection you had with the summoned elemental was almost¡­ familiar?¡±

    ¡°It felt similar to when I summoned Anza but not as a deep because it wasn¡¯t a familiar summoning ritual,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°How¡¯s your mana?¡±

    ¡°I lost only a quarter of mana doing that, I¡¯m good for another.¡±

    ¡°Good, you are clearly advanced let¡¯s try to mix sugar and cinnamon,¡± Professor Egret.

    ¡°Are we baking?¡±

    ¡°Cute,¡± she said in a tone that indicated that it definitely was not cute. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you what you get. It depends on how you make the summoning circle. One way is dangerous, one way is peaceful. Good luck.¡±

    Levi looked at the professor with total horror. She smiled smugly and took a step back. Levi had no idea what the right path to take was. He looked at Anza, and she told him she had no idea. Unsure, Levi took a deep breath and put the sugar in the hexagon lines and the cinnamon in the circle. He put an equal amount of both in the center circle. Levi stepped out of the summoning circle and placed his hand gently on the cinnamon. The cinnamon started to glow first; it was a gentle amber brown. The cinnamon in the center ritual circle started to glow, and the sugar did as well. The sugar began glowing white.

    The summoning materials inside the rune circle began to glow and lift, just as the sand did. They formed a more complicated-looking rune. Levi instinctively felt danger. Behind his back, he started to conjure an orb of chaos. The rune started to glow, and a creature began to form inside the light. Not creature, creatures. Small little creatures surrounded Levi. Levi couldn¡¯t figure out what it was. The creatures were all small, as long as toothpicks, and wide as a stick of butter. They were powdered sugar white, speckled with some cinnamon brown. They floated harmlessly around each other.

    Levi looked at them and that feeling of danger was still deeply present in Levi. There were about 50 of them in total. They started to swirl around each other; light started to form at the top of the swirl. Before it could fire, Levi held out his orb of chaos and sent it toward the light at the top. The orb collided with the light, and the creatures stopped. A bright light started to form, and the small creatures combined to form a larger version of it. Levi now got a good look at the creature. It was a skull made of powdered sugar; it was about the size of a basketball. The eye sockets were brown and there was a white haze that formed the eyeball.

    ¡°Were you just a bunch of little skulls before?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Are you a practitioner of Chaos magic?¡± the skull asked.

    ¡°You speak?¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Only in this form, when many become one. Now, answer my question,¡± a dark brown light started to emit from the skull.

    ¡°I have one chaos spell that I can use,¡± Levi said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that I¡¯m a practitioner.¡± The skull looked at Levi with an assessing gaze. It was measuring Levi, seeing if this being that summoned it was powerful or an idiot. It was not used to being summoned into a realm as strange as this one. The magical nutrients of this world were lacking, there were undercurrents of war between peace and chaos; and peace was winning. The creature before it was a tall lengthy man. The man didn¡¯t look afraid for how weak its aura was. It looked calm, especially when the skull¡¯s smaller forms started to attack.

    ¡°I am Calekton Skeletors, but you may call me Cal,¡± Cal said.

    ¡°Nice to meet you Cal,¡± Levi said. ¡°What are you?¡±

    ¡°I am an echo entity, I am many and one all at the same time,¡± Cal said.

    ¡°An echo entity,¡± Levi said. ¡°That is awesome. What realm are you from?¡±

    ¡°I am from the desolate cosmos. A place where all-consuming entities, like me, reside.¡±

    ¡°The desolate cosmos, now that is an awesome name. So, you¡¯re an all-consuming entity? Is there another name for that?¡±

    ¡°We have been called many names, in many different realms. Apocalypse beast, Arbiters of Finality, Agents of Omega, and All-Consuming Entities. How is it that you can control chaos?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Levi said. The skull stared at him blankly, emotionless but Levi could feel the curiosity. ¡°It¡¯s a partnership, we have a deal between us.¡±

    ¡°Making pacts with chaos is dangerous.¡±

    ¡°I believe you,¡± Levi responded, chuckling, ¡°But that¡¯s why I said deal, it can be broken at any time without any hard feelings. We¡¯ll just figure something else out.¡±

    ¡°You are an interesting being,¡± Cal said.

    ¡°Appreciate it,¡± Levi said. Professor Egret cleared her throat. ¡°I guess that¡¯s my cue, nice to meet ya Cal. I¡¯ll hope to meet you again.¡±

    ¡°I have belief,¡± Cal replied. ¡°We shall.¡± The skull broke into those fifty pieces it had started as, and the bright light from the rune began to light again. The small white orbs flew into the rune, all but one. It turned around and hovered around Levi. Levi held out a hand with his palm facing up. The small echo hovered there until the ritual circle closed. The echo entity turned into a solid piece of sugar, the size of a baseball, with the same rune as the ritual glowing on an edge.

    Item: Summoning Token - Echo Entity

    An item that can be used in a summoning ritual to summon the specific being or creature that provided this token. The token will be consumed on use. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Whoa,¡± Levi said. Holding the sugar in one hand, turning it over.

    ¡°Yet again, Mr. Winters,¡± Professor Egret¡¯s face was full of delight. ¡°That was a strange summoning. At first, I thought you chose incorrectly, that was the one of danger, as I am sure you surmised. Yet, I get this sneaky suspicion that you preferred the dangerous one.¡±

    ¡°I honestly have no idea,¡± Levi said. ¡°I just picked one and wanted to see what would happen.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Winters are you aware that you had a conversation with an extremely dangerous being?¡±

    ¡°I gathered he was strong, his aura was crazy, and he judged mine, which was uncalled for.¡±

    ¡°I have so many questions, but you must be very tired,¡± Professor Egret said.

    ¡°I am,¡± Levi said. ¡°I feel a small headache and I¡¯m gassed.¡±

    ¡°Your mana must be nearly empty,¡± the professor said. ¡°What is it at?¡±

    ¡°15% left,¡± Levi reported wincing. He pulled out a water skin and had Anza fill it up. He took slower, more methodical sips. He sat on the ground, as the adrenaline with meeting Cal finally began to wear off.

    ¡°I am impressed, Levi. You showed remarkable skill. It appears you have a natural ability for ritual magic; that is great. I do not need to teach you how to do it, just understanding it from a knowledge perspective. You may use this room as much as you please.¡± Professor Egret continued to give Levi an assessment on what he did, doing her best not to ask too many questions. She noted how impressed she was that he was able to activate the ritual circle without an incantation, how he placed the materials in the rune circle and that had an added effect. Professor Egret stated that she had never seen anyone do that before or that it could even produce such results.

    ¡°You must have gained a lot of levels today,¡± Professor Egret said. The pair plus Anza were walking to the cafeteria to grab some food. ¡°Food will help you recover along with the water you are consuming.¡± The professor let him examine his notifications on the walk toward the cafeteria and even while they were eating.

    Progress Made:

    Strength has gained 15 points.

    Strength is now 41.

    Stamina has gained 8 points.

    Stamina is now 30.

    Speed has gained 6 points.

    Speed is now at 28.

    Vitality has gained 4 points.

    Vitality is now 54.

    Wisdom has gained 25 points.

    Wisdom is now at 125.

    Attributes Total: 278

    Strength 41

    Stamina 30

    Speed 28

    Vitality 54

    Wisdom 125

    ¡°When do you get your next familiar?¡± Professor Egret asked. ¡°I assume, 2-star?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± Levi said in between bites of food. He had gotten three plates of food. Rice with some very well-seasoned grilled chicken. That was one plate; he got a plate of veggies, and the last plate was full of desserts. Levi wasn¡¯t sure how much exactly, but he knew that he was burning more calories than he was consuming. That had to change, he wanted to give his muscles more rest and protein to allow growth.

    ¡°We are done with lessons for the day, Mr. Winters. You learned from Professor Burtrum how to use mana to recover. Use similar techniques but focus on your mana pool. This type of meditation will allow you to recover your mana at a much quicker rate than standard recovery and in the beginning, minimally compared to eating mana-rich food. Tomorrow, you have a day off, and I suggest you use it to train. You may be adept at summoning, but you still have a long way to go.¡±

    ¡°Should I practice more summoning?¡± Levi asked. ¡°Wait, I guess that¡¯s a dumb question of course I should. I¡¯m so close to 2-star, I can feel it. Then, I can try new higher ranked stuff.¡±

    ¡°I admire your ambition, but Levi, you have only been using magic for a few days now. Take everything in stride. Do not push yourself too hard.¡± Levi gave a pointed look. ¡°What I mean is that if you are tired when you wake up, rest. Resting is a vital part of this process, and if you refuse to rest and only work, you¡¯ll be burnt out. Unable to attack as sharply as you did today.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good point, alright, you win.¡± Levi conceded. Professor Egret had made some rather good points... Levi was excited for the first time in who knows how long the man felt like he had a purpose, he had something to strive for. It wasn¡¯t something that would come easy, although rituals did come easy enough. I think Professor Egret anticipated the summoning to be a lot harder than what it was. Levi thought about that. Why had it been so easy? Levi had said goodbye to his professor and made his way to his room. He was expecting the girls to come over soon, he would explain why he had eaten already.

    For the first time all-day Anza and Levi were alone. She lay down next to Levi on the couch. She put her eagle head on his lap, and he gave her slow, comforting pets. Anza enjoyed this moment it was a nice time to feel connected to her summoner. She could tell that Levi was thinking about something. Perhaps it was the same question that he had been asking since leaving the professor.

    You have a ritualist ability, Anza thought to Levi. That should give you an advantage in ritual magic.

    Yeah, I guess, Levi thought. I never considered that to be such a powerful ability, though. It didn¡¯t seem like it was when I first got it.

    I am young and have not met many summoners. However, I know that the few that I have met do not have such an ability. They had to say an incantation with every ritual. This was great because it often could tell what was in the rune that was being summoned based on what said. The way I do it is so random.

    Not as random as you would think, Levi. I chose you; Cal chose you, whatever you called the sand elemental chose you. There was something in your aura that was attractive for us to want to explore. That is why Cal gave you the easiest way to have him become a familiar.

    You don¡¯t mind, do you? Levi asked.

    No of course not, Anza said. The more, the merrier. The stronger you get, the harder it is for you to die. The longer I get to be your familiar. Wins all around. I also don¡¯t think he¡¯ll ever be able to be pet like me, so that¡¯s not getting taken away.

    I¡¯m always here to provide scratches. Levi responded. Hey, I got a question, how do you rank up?

    I rank up when you rank up. Familiars just grow as their summoner grows. It has to do with the bond that we have established. That is why if you see a higher ranker with a familiar, they usually have a bond and at that point an ability that link the two near permanently.

    Good to know, Levi said. We¡¯ll you¡¯re almost 2-stars. Do you get any upgrades? Also, gotta find a new way to say when you¡¯re inside me, I don¡¯t like it.

    Yes, I will get some new powers. I will not know what they are until we reach a consensus. I do not like it either, absorb or fused would work better. Anza responded.

    Ooo fused is so much better. We fuse together, you are fusing to me with that bright white light. Levi tried different combinations until he felt he found the perfect combination.

    There was a knock on the door and Levi called for them to enter. Piper walked in first wearing the same combat robes as before. Levi¡¯s heart skipped a beat seeing her walk through the doors. She had two plates full of food. Anna walked in right after her carrying two more plates of food. They, like Levi, must have had a labor-intensive day and ended up refueling with all the food to recover. Levi joined the ladies at the table.

    ¡°So how was your day?¡±

 Chapter 9 - Crystal Dust

    Levi watched the women enter his large, empty room and have a seat at the dinner table. Getting up from the couch to join them. Levi started to talk about his day and all that he had learned. He added things about his training from Professor Bertrum and Egret. He elected to leave out the conversation about how being a summoner could ultimately be better than the two classes they had chosen. Levi then discussed how he was able to complete two summons that completely drained him which is why he had eaten already.

    ¡°You were able to complete rituals on your first day?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I did summon Anza so not my first attempt,¡± Levi added. ¡°I think my professor was surprised at the connection I had with summons.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it like?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°What is it like to summon a creature?¡± Piper asked in between bites.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to describe it¡­ it¡¯s like moments of anticipation and excitement all wrapped together in one. When I first summoned Anza, I was scared and panicked because I realized there were a lot of magical creatures I could have summoned with the iron dust. I didn¡¯t even think about them. Once I saw Anza, a huge sigh of relief overtook me. When the creatures are forming, I get a feeling of good or bad. The Echo Entity I got an intense feeling of danger. So much so that I conjured my orb of chaos in preparation for an attack.¡±

    ¡°Did it attack?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It did,¡± Levi nodded. ¡°But so, did I. After that, I chatted with the creature.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of an echo entity before,¡± Anna said. ¡°Was it cool looking?¡±

    ¡°Kinda,¡± Levi said. ¡°It looked like a floating skull. When it was formed, at least, I couldn¡¯t tell what the smaller ones looked like. Professor Egret said that she sensed a deep connection with each of the summons that I did today. The first one I would agree with her, the sand elemental was adorable. It was like a little sand squid. It was friendly, unable to communicate but oh well. The second one, I could talk to him, but I didn¡¯t get the same sense. I¡¯m not sure, but I also don¡¯t know what I am supposed to feel, either.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Piper said. ¡°We know very little about summoners, you¡¯re the first one we¡¯ve met.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Really?¡± Anna said. ¡°We are eager to learn as much as you are.¡±

    ¡°Well okay then,¡± Levi said. ¡°How was y¡¯alls day?¡±

    Professor Egret and Bertrum were meeting in her office. They were discussing their peculiar student in Levi Winters. They had both experienced something that should not have happened, it was too early in his training. Yet, it happened. So rather than deliberate about how it should not have been possible, they are discussing what do they do to keep the growth at the pace of Levi.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask the obvious question first and foremost,¡± Bertrum said. ¡°Do we think he is evil?¡±

    ¡°I do not,¡± Egret said. ¡°Although, that is an important question to consider. The encounter with the echo entity was quite interesting. That was an all-consuming beast, and it treated Levi like a pal. That was likely the most shocking thing of the whole day.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Bertrum mused. ¡°I can see his class evolution coming soon and it going one of two ways.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°Either a chaos summoner or a familiar summoner. He was able to work with chaos mana very easily. Yes, his familiar adds an affinity to chaos, but the way he was able to work through that today was most interesting. He said later that it felt less about controlling and more about bartering.¡±

    ¡°He said something similar to the echo entity,¡± Egret said. ¡°He said it was not a pact that he made with chaos but a deal. A give and take.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Bertrum said.

    ¡°It is. What was also interesting was the way he could create and power up a ritual circle. It looked like he barely used any of the given material and simply used his mana to activate it. No incantation. He put some of the material in the rune circle. That then created a rune out of the materials he left; it was unusual but powerful. There is every possibility that he could be a mana summoner as well. Either way, I have a sinking feeling that he will be stronger than us.¡±

    ¡°Most definitely,¡± Bertrum said with a laugh. ¡°If he continues to work hard in his physical attributes and gets to be not so skinny, I am sure he will do great. I will begin combat training with summoning soon.¡±

    ¡°I believe that is the right call; I will help him summon more defensive summons. Hopefully, he reaches 2-stars by the end of this week. Those rituals are more complicated, and I will be able to guide him more. For the time being, I will be teaching him theory. I will assign him to practice summons on his own for the time being, simple 1-star rituals. I suggest that the two of us continue to guide him. It must be strange to be an otherworlder. He seems to be taking it in stride. Which worries me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he left anything behind. It will be interesting when he has a fight for his life and has to kill something or, worse, someone. If he comes from a realm where killing and death are immoral, he will struggle. I once met an otherworlder who came from a world where no one ever killed. They never had wars that led to deaths. Everyone died from natural causes or accidents. Well, he had a run-in with a petty thief. Nothing happened to him, but he turned the thief into the local guards. The guards then found out this was a big-time bandit. Unfortunately for the bandit, it was in one of the more barbaric cities in the east and they publicly executed him. The otherworlder lost it. He went ballistic over the undue death of another being. He was forced out of the kingdom and slipped into insanity trying to get back home.

    Now, the Onyx kingdom is not as barbaric and won¡¯t do public executions, but they will also not arrest you for killing someone, especially if you believe that they had it coming, whether it was a wanted poster, a quest, or a random fight in a tavern. I hope that he will be okay.¡±

    ¡°All that we can do, is prepare him before he leaves this guild,¡± Professor Egret said after listening to the story from Bertrum.

    Levi and the girls had hung out for a couple more hours before they decided to leave and meet up again tomorrow for dinner. Levi had enjoyed his time with them. Anna was finally starting to open up and be less judgmental. Piper was pretty much the same fun, bubbly energy he had grown used to. Levi had only been in this world for a week at this point and he could feel himself develop feelings for Piper. He couldn¡¯t quite figure out what it was about her but there was something there.

    Levi wasn¡¯t sure how dating worked in this world, but he tried not to think about it too much. There was one thing that Levi hadn¡¯t brought up, but he was constantly thinking about, especially after those jerk brothers approached him. Everyone has talked about the dangers of being a summoner and the dangers of adventuring. They mention it has to do with quests, dungeons, raids, and more. What if it has to do with other humans, other creatures? Could he handle it? What if the three brothers had been magic users and tried to kill him? Would Levi have had what it takes to kill someone, even in self-defense? He knew fighting was in one of the lessons that Professor Bertrum was going to give. Levi had no idea how to fight.

    He knew how to throw a punch and a well-timed kick but that¡¯s not enough. Of course, this could all just be speculation. Call it panic-induced uncertainty. The world could be friendly and not have any issues with killing people. Levi shook his head and admonished himself. That was very unlikely. If anything, the guilds and the giant wall leading into the city prove that there are things out there that want to kill people, including people. Right now, Levi could confidently say that he would prefer not to kill someone, but if his life were on the line, he¡¯d prefer to be the one to live.

    Of course, what is confidence now in the safety of a room? Would the convictions he holds about killing another being hold firm even if his life is on the line? Would he have the stomach for it? Would he have the heart? Would he even know what to do? How could he approach this, it¡¯s not like he could go up to Professor Bertrum and say, ¡°Hey professor, I want to kill someone. Can you teach me?¡± that would not work.

    With a deep sigh, Levi checked the notifications he had been ignoring.

    Progress made on Quest: What it Takes to be a Summoner (4/5)

    Objective 1: Basics of Magic - Completed

    Reward: Chaos Spell Book

    Reward: Copper pieces x25

    Objective 2: Basics of Summoning - Completed

    Reward: Wand of Summoning

    Reward: Crystal Dust

    Objective 3: Basics of Training - Completed

    Reward: Lesser Stamina Potion x 2

    Reward: Lesser Strength Potion x 2

    Objective 4: Basics of Attributes - Completed

    Reward: 0 Star token

    Reward: Silver Pieces x10

    Objective 5: Basics of Ritual Magic

    Levi looked at the star tokens he had: three 1-star tokens and one 0-star token. Remembering what Anna said, he had to use them now, or it would be too late. Levi¡¯s attributes were totaling 278, which means he had 23 left until he ranked up. What Levi didn¡¯t know is that the amount of points increased was higher per token rank. As such, he would be unable to use all four tokens at his current rate. What Levi didn¡¯t like about the tokens is that he could not allocate the points... It was all to one or none at all. Of course it was free points. of progression so who was he to complain? The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Levi pulled out the golden medallion and placed it on his tongue. It dissolved instantly and he felt the boost inside him sitting, waiting to be dispersed. A textbox appeared.

    Star Token - 1 Star has been consumed.

    Where would you like to apply progression points.?

    ¡°Speed,¡± Levi said.

    Speed has gained 12 points.

    Speed is now 40.

    ¡°Oh damn,¡± Levi said. ¡°I can only use one more, based on what Anna told me. Oh well, I might add them to a summoning ritual.¡± He took out another star token that had a singular star on it. He placed it in his mouth, and it tasted the odd taste. It was a tingly feeling on his tongue, like he was eating carbonation.

    Star Token - 1 Star has been consumed.

    Where would you like to apply progression points.?

    ¡°Stamina,¡± Levi said. Levi decided he wanted to be well-rounded. Plus putting these to the physical stats would only be more helpful for him than anything since he started so low.

    Stamina has gained 12 points.

    Stamina is now 42.

    Levi felt strange. Something inside him was changing. He looked at his palm, and small red streaks of lightning began to shoot all over his body. Swirls of water joined the streaks of lightning to envelope Levi. As it did, 2-stars shot out of Levi¡¯s core and promptly returned. Levi looked at his hands and saw his skinny hand grow slightly more muscular. Veins protruded out of his hands, going up his somewhat bigger arm. He grinned like an idiot. Levi felt powerful. He felt stronger. Levi¡¯s posture straightened up. He felt his hips crack as they slightly realigned. Levi didn¡¯t have too many aches in his body, but he did sit 90% of his day in a gaming chair or a desk chair. It wasn¡¯t great; that¡¯s why he did yoga because of how poor his posture and hips were¡ªfeeling how they should have been the whole time.

    Status: Levi Winters has ranked up

    Levi Winters has gained his second star.

    All abilities gain an extra effect.

    Familiar Anza has ranked up to 2-stars with Summoner.

    Familiar Anza has evolved into a Mimic Alpha. Summoners can now summon ten mimic drones. Familiar Anza will be the commander of the drones.

    Summoner Levi Winters has been designated as the Mimic Omega. Mimic Omega can now have a telepathic connection with all creatures in its hive.

    Familiar Anza has gained two new spells to use.

    Spell: Chaotic Moment

    Allows the user to increase the speed of themselves or an ally. The user''s speed is increased for 2 seconds and then quadrupled.

    Spell: Geyser

    Shoots a steaming hot geyser at their opponents, costs moderate mana,

    Ability: Ritualist

    Ritualists are able to use skill books, use ritual magic, and create their own summoning and ritual circles with minimal materials needed. Base Mana pool is significantly larger. 2-star effect: Able to use magical items to create ritual circles in the air. Able to use magical items to create runes in the air.

    Ability: Elected Stranger

    You have been accepted into a guild in a new world with new things. Elected Stranger gives you the ability to understand the world from a chosen perspective. Allows quests and objectives¡ª2-star effect: Can now view rarity of items.

    Ability: Familiar Bond

    You have unlocked the ability to summon familiars. Familiars are summoned creatures that bond with the user. They only need to be summoned once unless destroyed in combat, then, they will need to be resummoned. Different familiars provide different bonuses to the summoner. 2-star effect: capacity for familiars has increased from one to two. Additionally, bonds with all current or future familiars will be established quicker and deeper.

    After Levi finished reading his upgrades to his abilities. He was surprised he didn¡¯t get any additional bonuses to his attributes. But then again that did make sense based on what was discussed in his lessons. Levi saw that his ability to have familiars increased from one to two, this meant he could summon another familiar. He got crystal dust, which was great; he could use that to get another powerful magical creature. Or he could use sugar and cinnamon to summon Cal.

    That could wait, though. Levi had a feeling that his next class rank up would give him an additional familiarity. He wasn¡¯t sure what he should do; he liked the idea of having a random new familiar but wanted to learn more from Cal. At that rank, Cal was 1-star, and was just a skull what had he looked like now with this rank up?

    Speaking of which, he looked at Anza. Anza had grown in size, the once four-foot-tall creature was now double that. It towered over Levi. The orange bioluminescence that was at its core was now a light blue.

    ¡°You¡¯re huge!!¡± Levi said, craning his neck to look at Anza. ¡°Also did we waste that essence cause now we can communicate with each other. Since I¡¯m an Omega now? It makes me feel very evil,¡± Levi said. ¡°What do you think I should do? Use the crystal dust or summon Cal?¡±

    Cal will be a valuable familiar. I believe he is not needed yet; you are still going to be in the guild for some time. Perhaps we can wait until it is closer to graduation.

    ¡°Fair,¡± Levi mused. ¡°Thank you for the advice. Let¡¯s use the crystal dust then, any idea what it would give us?¡±

    No, Anza said. Crystals are highly magical so it will be something with magic properties. Perhaps another being from the cosmos?

    ¡°That would be dope,¡± Levi said. ¡°Well, it¡¯ll be a 2-star ritual so let¡¯s do this.¡±

    Item: Wand of Summoning

    A basic utility wand used to draw summoning and ritual circles. Can not be used to cast spells.

    Levi held the wand in his hand and started drawing the ritual circle. It was just like how he had drawn for Anza. In the air the crystal dust floated out of his pouch and formed a smaller ritual circle. It was a standard circle with a square in the middle. In the middle was a place for the rune to go. The crystal dust flowed into the spot and formed the rune of familiars. There was an additional spot for the rune where the crystal dust also flowed and formed another rune, one that looked foreign to Levi. The square started to spin rapidly and fall to the floor. It started to glow brightly and move up and down vertically like it was attempting to 3D print a figure.

    Floating in the middle of the rune was a creature that looked like a flame the size of a basketball. It was crystal blue with a faint teal hue. Two eye slits opened up; it wasn¡¯t a normal human eye. They were the same color as the teal hue. It floated up to Levi. Levi held out both hands and watched as the creature hovered over his hands.

    ¡°Hello,¡± Levi said. The creature changed its form. It was a foot long, had a rounded head, short arms and no legs. Its body went down into a jagged point, like a little lightning bolt. It had the same-colored eyes, but they were rounder and more friendly looking. The other version looked like it was ready to attack, like a wasp¡¯s eyes. ¡°Well, that¡¯s just adorable. Do you have a name?¡± It shook its head. ¡°Can you communicate?¡± It zoomed around and entered Levi¡¯s head.

    Hello, a text box appeared. This textbox was different than his notification. It was glowing teal and written in italics.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s sick! You can communicate! What are you?¡±

    I am a Crystal Wisp. I am only 1-star at the moment, but I will grow to match your rank soon enough!

    ¡°Dope,¡± Levi said. ¡°That¡¯s Anza, she is my other familiar, excited to have you around. What do you think of the name Willow?¡±

    That¡¯s great!

    Familiar Bond established.

    You have bonded with a Crystal Wisp.

    You have given the name Willow to your familiar.

    Familiar Willow allows the ability to perceive auras, fuses with the summoner¡¯s eyes. Eyes change to the color of the wisp. Crystal Wisp is Crystal Blue, summoner¡¯s eyes are now crystal blue. Familiar Willow allows the summoner to perform fire and lightning spells.

    Spell Log:

    Orbs of Chaos

    Orbs of Water

    Orbs of Fire

    Orbs of Lightning

    Character Log: Willow

    Fire Swarm

    Lightning Swarm

    Swarm

    Familiar can split its body into many smaller versions of itself. Familiar can produce doubles of the smaller version and attack with whatever element it chooses.

    ¡°Well damn,¡± Levi said. ¡°Are you an all-consuming entity?¡±

    I will be, Willow wrote. At 4-star rank. As of now I can only summon a small swarm of fifty. At 2-star rank I can summon 250, at 3-star I can summon 1250, at 4-star I change forms and can summon 5000. When I say summon, it¡¯s really creating smaller versions of myself.

    ¡°Awesome,¡± Levi responded. Levi took out the 1-star token he had leftover and told Willow to take it. The wisp defused with his eyes and held on to the token. For a quick second it shined brightly and then the token was gone. Willow twirled around in delight. Much like the summoning ritual a square started to appear around Willow from the bottom and cover the wisp. Shortly after Willow was bigger, it changed forms back and forth, in what Levi was calling battle mode, it was now the size of a beach ball. In cute mode, Levi called it, he chuckled and got an admonishing look from Anza, he would change it later. In that mode Willow was now the size of a toddler.

    Its features didn¡¯t change, it just was a bigger version of the one before. Willow flew towards Anza and did a twirl of joy. The wisp floated in front of the Mimic. Levi wondered if the two could communicate to each other simply by being magical beings. Levi looked at his two familiars. He had two now. In a matter of a weak he had some lifelong friends. Friends that would have his back as much as he would have theirs. He didn¡¯t know why he was so lucky, but he felt truly grateful to his current circumstances.

    Levi went to take a shower to look at his new magically enhanced body. Looking in the mirror he liked what he saw, he was much more sculpted with lean muscle than before. It looked like he actually worked out, not a crazy amount but a good amount. He smiled at the magic steroids. He asked his familiars if they would fuse with him so he could see what the changes looked like.

    The iris of his eyes were a light crystal blue, the really shined bouncing off his chocolate brown skin complexion. Levi laughed at the absurdity of his life right now: blue eyes and a muscular body. He must have been having the craziest dream. Allowing the familiars to defuse, he took a shower. After his shower he got into his bed, opened up his character log before falling asleep.

    Character Log: Levi Winters

    Class: Summoner

    Rank: 2-star

    Ability: Ritualist

    Ability: Elected Stranger

    Ability: Familiar Bonds

    Ability: Locked

    Ability: Locked

    Spell Log:

    Orb of Chaos

    Orb of Water

    Orb of Fire

    Orb of Lightning

    Familiars:

    Anza the Mimic familiar

    Willow the Crystal Wisp familiar

 Chapter 10 - Bandit

    ¡°Ritual magic,¡± Professor Egret said, writing on a chalkboard. ¡°Is a complex type of magic. It is a mixture between spell casting like what the sorcerers do and summoning circles like we do. Ritual magic allows the user to create an effect of a specific area. There are some rituals that allow the creation of an aura shield or one that adds or decreases the ambient magic in the direct area. The rituals are specialized. The higher ranks, congratulations on the advancement by the way, the wider area of effect is.¡± It was two days after he had summoned Willow. He spent the entirety of the day yesterday resting. He took the advice from the professors.

    Levi was glad he did. Professor Bertrum''s workout was brutal. He had done upper body today after testing his maximum a few days ago. Bicep curls, triceps extensions, forearm curls, back exercises, chest exercises, exercises for muscles that Levi didn¡¯t even know excited in the human body. He would need to go through the recovery portion that Levi did last time. He didn¡¯t have time this time because they also went for a run around the guild. All of that to say Levi was quite tired.

    That exhaustion was not enough for him to miss his next lecture. With him being the only student, it would be greatly obvious who didn¡¯t show up to class that it wasn¡¯t worth the risk.

    ¡°What material do you use to make a ritual circle?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Cheap ones,¡± Professor Egret said. ¡°Unlike summoning circles, the ritual circles effects are not dependent on the material but the incantation. I must admit, after seeing your incantation less display in the summoning room I am curious to see how you handle these.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good question, I have no idea.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s test to see if you have any affinities. That will help us pick the right path for you. Of course, you have the liberty to choose whatever path you desire.¡± Professor Egret handed Levi a stone disc with a rune etched in it. The stone disc was kind of heavy. ¡°Pour your mana into the stone.¡± As Levi began to do it, Progressor Egret continued to speak. ¡°This is an elemental rune disc. It will light up with a color that matches an element you have an affinity,¡±

    The rune glowed blue, ¡°Ahh, the color of water. You have a water affinity.¡± She took the stone back and handed Levi another rune disc. This rune disc had a different rune in the center. It was similar in shape and in size; the only difference was the rune in the middle being different. ¡°This,¡± she stated. ¡°Is unnatural rune. It tests for affinities to things not of this world, do the same as before.¡±

    Levi poured his aura into the rune, and a familiar sight appeared. Small flashes of red in a dark light showed¡ªthe colors and display of chaos. Levi truly had an affinity for chaos. He already knew it, but it was all but confirmed until now. ¡°You have a strong affinity for chaos. Your water affinity is very minor, but you have one nonetheless.¡± Professor Egret said. ¡°Come with me,¡± she led him to the library in the section of ritual magic that was focused on chaos.

    ¡°Here are all the textbooks on different rituals that focus on chaos magic. You may check out ones on water as supplementary. But your practical exams will be focusin on chaos magic.¡±

    ¡°Professor,¡± Levi asked. ¡°Is there a difference?¡±

    ¡°Not in the basics,¡± she replied. ¡°At this stage one-star and two-star rituals are all about the same in regards of what you¡¯d get. A chaos shield vs a fire shield are fundamentally no different, they are both shields from similar rituals with different incantations. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages, much like life. These books will outline the advantages of each of them. It is up to you to discover the disadvantages that are present with chaos.¡±

    ¡°Sounds, good. When will the test be?¡± Levi asked. He flinched at the glee in the eyes of his professor.

    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± she said with a sinister smile. ¡°I like your eyes; may I meet your new familiar?¡±

    Willow defused from the eyes of Levi. The wisp was in companion mode, which Anza and Willow came up with together. Willow floated around the professor in fascination, and the little being was full of energy and joy. You couldn¡¯t help but smile to see the joy it had. Professor Egret gawked at the adorableness of the little familiar.

    ¡°A Crystal Wisp,¡± she said.

    ¡°You know what it is?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°I do,¡± she narrowed her eyes at Levi. ¡°You have a proclivity to make friends with things that most people are afraid of, Mr. Winters. A Mimic and a crystal wisp as familiars is quite unusual. Do you know about Crystal Wisps?¡±

    ¡°Only what I learned from Willow here,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°Crystal Wisps live in the desolate cosmos as well. They are not exactly all-consuming entities like the echo we met the other day. They are called Apocalypse beasts. They can, with enough power and stars, destroy worlds in whatever element they are. A typical Crystal Wisp will start at 1-star then the more it consumes the more its star rank grows, until there is nothing left on the planet.¡±

    ¡°That sounds delightful,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Quite,¡± she replied. ¡°Yet here you are, standing in this library with a summoned version of one.¡±

    ¡°What can I say, I have an affinity for chaos,¡± Levi said with a nervous chuckle.

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Winters, it appears you do,¡± Professor Egret looked one more time at Willow and smiled. ¡°There is something joyful about this creature though. You have a good rest of your day Mr. Winters; I will see you tomorrow.¡±

    Professor Egret walked away, leaving Willow, Levi, and Anza alone in the library. ¡°Well, we have some time before we meet up with the girls, let¡¯s go into town.

    Both Levi¡¯s familiars decided to remain unfused and walk around the city of Arcross with Levi. There were many shops, food, restaurants, and cafes around the city. Levi had taken off the guild robes since he was no longer on the guild grounds. He was wearing a simple blue shirt and pants. He was wearing his cloak on top of the clothes. The weather was partly cloudy with a slight breeze, there were threats of winter coming soon. Levi absently wondered if it would snow here. He wasn¡¯t sure how far above sea level they were, but he had never really experienced snow.

    ¡°Oi,¡± a deep voice in an alley cried out. ¡°That¡¯s a nice cloak, I¡¯ll take it off your hands.¡± A man appeared out of the shadows. He was no taller than Levi. He had hairy arms nearly as thick as Levi himself¡ªa messy beard and messy hair.

    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯m good. See ya,¡± Levi said, walking off. The man reached out to grab Levi.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a question,¡± he demanded. I can make a pretty coin off this cloak. Levi ripped himself free from the beast¡¯s grip. The man''s eyes fumed with rage. He pulled out a sword and held it out toward Levi. ¡°I¡¯ll take it off your cold, dead corpse.¡±

    ¡°Corpse¡¯s take a while before they go cold, are you gonna kill me then wait?¡± Levi asked. He used an orb of chaos and an orb of lightning, launching them at his assailant. The assailant blocked with his sword expertly. The orbs diminished on impact. Anza used its new power chaotic moment, the man froze in front of Levi, and he acted; Levi ran to the side and threw a punch into the man¡¯s ribs. The moment ended, and the man grunted in pain.

    Willow switched to battle form and began splitting. As it was splitting small charges of lightning were seen in between each of the smaller willows. They swarmed. The man was shortly covered in small wisps the size of tennis balls, there were about 50 of them swarming and shocking the man. Levi took this moment and threw two orbs of water on the man, to amplify the eclectic effect. As he threw the orbs, Willow would create a small section by moving its bodies out of the way, allowing the orbs to hit directly. Water splashed over the man, and he began writhing in shock. In a moment, the man disappeared, and he was right behind Levi. He kicked Levi in the side, Levi barely was able to protect himself but got sent into a wall. He crashed into the wall hard.

    He fell slowly off the wall and was on the ground, holding his side. Blood started to trickle out of his mouth. This man was very strong. His vitality must have been high because he was not going down with the electric swarm. Levi went to his feet, and the man was there with a punch to the gut. Doubled over, Levi spat blood and gagged on his lunch.

    ¡°Now, you die,¡± the man said. The man went for a finishing knee but before he could do that, a metallic tentacle when through his leg. It pinned him to the ground; he screamed in pain. He looked up to see an orb filled with dark clouds and red lightning coming straight for his face. It impacted directly, and the dark clouds exploded out and entered his nostrils. The Lightning flowed all around his body. The man fell back, dead.

    Enemy Defeated: Hilbert, the Rogue bandit.

    3-Star Rogue

    Reward: Shadow Sword

    Reward: Gold Piece x5If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Reward: Silver Piece x50

    Reward: Copper Piece x500

    Reward: Bandit Badge

    Item: Bandit Badge

    Take this badge to the local adventuring guild to earn the reward for the wanted contract.

    ¡°Well,¡± Levi said, holding his stomach as he was still bleeding from the fight. ¡°That¡¯s what a 3-star feels like¡­¡± he spat the blood out. Getting queasy looking at his own blood. ¡°Thanks, y¡¯all.¡± Levi walked toward the guild grounds. He walked by the body and saw that the eyes of the man were burnt to a crisp from the lighting. ¡°Annand now I¡¯m gonna have nightmares, dope.¡±

    The stairs seemed even more daunting now that he was hurt; he felt like he had a broken rib. Every step his body ached; every step his mind wanted to give up. Anza walked up to Levi and lifted him onto its back. It slowly walked up the stairs. The way mimics move they use their tentacles as their movement, akin to how octopus slither on the bottom of the sea. It kept its body still and created more tentacles to move slowly up each stair without jostling the body. After what felt like an eternity Levi and Anza arrived at the top. His bleeding had stopped but the pain still ravished his body.

    The guild square was full of students and apprentices. Most paid no mind to the bloody, injured summoner on top of the strange terrifying beast. Some stopped and stared at the man, wondering what could have possibly caused such damage to this man. Was it a monster? Was it a summoning gone horribly wrong? Nobody knew the answer, but everyone would speculate.

    At a table in the middle of the square, two girls were surrounded by several other people. They were friends and colleagues of the two girls. One of the girls stood up in horror as she caught sight of the beat-up man. She left her group in a hurry and rushed over to the man.

    ¡°Levi, what happened? Are you okay?¡± Piper asked. Putting a hand on his bloody hand as Anza kept walking him toward the dorm.

    ¡°Peachy,¡± he muttered out.

    ¡°What the hell happened?¡± Anna said in shock.

    ¡°I got attacked,¡± Levi said, barely clinging to consciousness. Anna was assessing his wounds, there were no signs of poisons or negative effects from spells.

    ¡°He is not harmed by lingering magic,¡± Anna said to Piper. ¡°He appears to just be badly hurt from whatever attacked him.¡± Finally reaching the room, Levi was no longer conscious. The women had practically dragged him across the hallway to enter into his room. Not wanting to put him, all bloody and gross, in his bed, they laid him down in the middle of the living room floor.

    ¡°What now?¡± Piper asked. ¡°Should we get him out of these clothes?¡±

    ¡°Not chance in hells, I am doing that,¡± Anna said quickly. Piper laughed and went to the bathroom. She grabbed some hot towels and gently started to clean the blood of his face.

    ¡°I think he ranked up,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°And got a new familiar,¡± Anna said. ¡°His eyes were blue; they definitely weren¡¯t before.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t even notice,¡± Piper said. ¡°His aura is definitely stronger, and he looks a little more defined than before. Anza, did he rank up?¡± Anza looked up and nodded. She was sitting on the couch in her usual spot, nodding off to sleep. Anza knew better than anyone that Levi was okay and that he would just need to rest.

    ¡°Come on,¡± Anna said. Let¡¯s go get some food to eat. He¡¯ll be fine; he has his familiar.¡±

    Levi woke up a few hours later to the smell of cooked food. His stomach grumbled; passing out led to some intense hunger. Levi moved his body to see if there were any intense wounds that he had. He felt his rib and noticed that it was still hurting but it was set in place. Levi looked over to see three women staring back at him, he was laying on the floor still in his bloody clothes, but his face was clean. He got up and looked to see Piper, Anna, and Professor Egret.

    ¡°Well,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s awake and his aura is fine.¡± She made her way to the door. Stopping to look at Levi, ¡°You still have your exam tomorrow be prepared.¡± They exited the room. Levi groaned because he had not done any studying. He was too busy fighting for his life and then recovering from that very fight. He slumped in the dining room chair where his friends were sitting.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to study,¡± he complained. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. I somewhat remember talking to you, but not really, but I assume you are the ones who brought me here.¡± Anna pushed a plate of food towards him, prompting him to eat. He dove in.

    ¡°So, what happened?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°I was attacked by some rogue bandit,¡± Levi said in between bites. ¡°This is really good, or I¡¯m just really hungry. He wanted to steal my cloak and I told him no and then he attacked me.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just give him your cloak?¡± Anna asked skeptically.

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t want to,¡± Levi responded smugly. ¡°Truthfully, I didn¡¯t think he would try to kill me. That was crazy.¡±

    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Anna asked.

    Levi dropped his food and his face fell. These last few hours had been spent recovering, surviving, and now eating. He hadn¡¯t stopped to consider that he had killed someone. Another human being, an awful human, but that shouldn¡¯t have mattered. Levi had taken the life of someone else. Not hours after he had the internal conversation not knowing how to fight. If Levi was being honest, he still didn¡¯t know how to fight. Luck was a big reason why he won, he was outmatched, out-paced, out strengthened, on paper in every regard Levi should not have won. But he did. Levi looked to his familiar on the couch and felt the familiar in his eyes and expressed a sincere feeling of gratitude. It was the two of them that had kept him alive. Levi still struggled with the image of the rogue¡¯s face after being blasted by the chaos orb that he sent. He sent.

    ¡°I killed him,¡± Levi said slowly.

    ¡°Was that your¡­¡± Piper said so softly, almost imperceptible. Levi nodded slowly. Anna bowed her head in silence and Piper went over and gave his shoulders a compassionate squeeze. ¡°The first one is always the hardest,¡± she said. She sat back down, looking him deep in the eyes.

    ¡°Wait you both?¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna responded.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°That¡¯s how things are done here. Killing is not normal, but it happens,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I mean killing happens where I¡¯m from but most people, like the vast majority will go their entire lives without killing someone. I¡¯ve been here a little over two weeks and have done it.¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Most people in your world don¡¯t have magic,¡± Anna said. ¡°When they experience that type of power, there is this misplaced thought that they are worthy of the power and can take what they please, how they please.¡±

    ¡°That sounds about right,¡± Levi said. ¡°No, we don¡¯t have magic, but we have guns, well some places have guns, not everywhere, but that¡¯s too political.¡±

    ¡°What are guns?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Imagine taking a metal object like this big and using fire magic to send it to your enemy super-fast,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Okay, is that a gun?¡± Piper said.

    ¡°No, that is the ammo for the gun, the gun is the tool in which to send the metal object, we call a bullet, super-fast.¡±

    ¡°They sound deadly.¡±

    ¡°They are,¡± Levi said. ¡°People use them to kill other people, but it¡¯s rare. Killing is not a normal thing; it¡¯s looked down on.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t here,¡± Piper said. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Levi said. ¡°I killed someone, that is not easy to shake.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Piper said. ¡°It¡¯s not and it shouldn¡¯t be. Taking a life is a hard thing to do. But¡± Piper said sharply. Her posture changed and her expression became dark. ¡°If I, because in my version of mercy, find out that someone I let go, hurt or killed someone else. I¡¯d feel terrible and would take it much worse.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but does that make it right?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about right or wrong, Levi,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°How is it not?¡± Levi pleaded.

    ¡°What good does prescribing judgment do? Will it make you better than the next person you meet who has killed someone? Does that make you better than Piper or myself? Does saying it was right for Piper to kill but wrong for me prove anything? It¡¯s not about what is right or what is wrong. It is about surviving in this world that wants nothing but that magic inside your body back. Mercy is not set in stone. Mercy is not for one governing board to decide. There are many versions of mercy. There are many versions of ruthlessness. You must decide for yourself without judgment. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be sulking about the last life you just ended while their friend or partner is readying to finish you off.¡± Anna concluded.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to like it, Levi,¡± Piper said in a softer voice. ¡°You don¡¯t have to agree. You can choose your own path and make your own decisions. Just don¡¯t believe your decisions are better than anyone else¡¯s. That¡¯s how dictators are born, and the world does not need more of those.¡±

    Levi sat in his chair for a second. He was slightly embarrassed. Who was he to judge the lifestyle of a world he knew nothing about? Levi thought back to a hypothetical question a date asked him one time. She asked if someone had taken his child, would he kill that person to save his child¡¯s life. Levi said, without hesitation, yes, every single time. Why was that any different than here? The man was going to kill him. He even said now you die.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Levi said finally. ¡°I¡¯m shocked at how easy it was and was projecting my own thoughts and feelings on you two and that¡¯s not fair. Back home, I was posed a question. The person asked me, in more or less terms, if I would kill someone for my child. Mind you, I have no children. My response was yes, without question, every single time. I meant every single word. Call it a hero complex, but there might be a part of me that is angry with myself that I didn¡¯t do it to save someone else; I did it to save myself.¡±

    Anna and Piper shared a look.

    ¡°What?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Are you not more important than an imaginary fake child?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I mean, if you put it like that,¡± he said, chuckling.

    ¡°Being a hero doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t have blood on your hands,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°In my world it does,¡± Levi said. ¡°They call those who are good guys but kill, ¡®Anti-Heroes¡¯ I strangely always liked them more. I just never imagined that I would be one.¡±

    ¡°Anti-Hero,¡± Piper repeated slowly.

    ¡°Hate to break it to you,¡± Anna said. ¡°As soon as you got that one,¡± she pointed to Anza. ¡°You became an anti-hero. Mimics are as anti-hero of a familiar as they can get.¡±

    ¡°Well, Willow is not going to help my cause,¡± Levi said. The blue in his eyes shimmered. Then out came a friendly-looking floating entity.

    ¡°You have a crystal wisp as your familiar?¡± Anna said in disbelief.

    ¡°It¡¯s SO cute!¡± Piper said.

    ¡°A crystal wisp!?¡± Anna repeated.

    ¡°Look how adorable,¡± Piper was giggling as Willow floated all around her.

    ¡°An all-consuming entity, Crystal Wisp?¡± Anna said again.

    ¡°Yep!¡± Levi said with massive smile.

 Chapter 11 - Meditative

    ¡°Anza,¡± Professor Egret said. ¡°Please do not intervene with Mr. Winters during his examination.¡± The mimic nodded to the instructions. ¡°Now, Mr. Winters. I am going to send some 1-star attacks your way. You must successfully defend them with ritual magic. It can be any defense ritual, any questions?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Levi said, determination plastered all over his face. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± Levi pulled out his wand and felt magic surge toward him. He quickly drew out a simple ritual circle of time. The ritual circle wasn¡¯t large. After practicing, he realized that he didn¡¯t need to have a ritual circle at all. All he needs to do is think of a spell and let the wand trace out the runes. The runes will appear, and then the spell will be cast. This was a distinct advantage he had from his ritualist ability.

    Steeling his breath, he began swinging his wand in a rapid movement. The first rune that appeared was one that slowed down time except for him. Levi quickly, this time, drew three more runes. One as a trap on the ground, in case there were any hidden attacks, a shield to cover his body, and a small chaos wall. In real time the wall began to crack as it was tanking hit after hit. It didn¡¯t budge.

    More mana surged. Levi also learned that every ritual spell had a cooldown that varied based on the ability. That first rune he used had a one-hour cooldown. The spells that were more mana heavy had the longer cooldown. Levi had no idea how long he was going to have to withstand the attacks from the professor. It could be three attacks or three hours. This time he felt mana surge from behind him; he had prepared for trickery and the attack blasted into the chaos wall that manifested.

    Chaos walls were different from any other affinity walls. They would absorb attacks and then send them back with retribution. The retributive attack only came when the walls could not hold on any longer; once they were going to break, they would explode. All that energy gets returned to the sender. Levi had found that at higher ranks had a more efficient form of retribution. Rather than waiting for the explosion it would attack right away and deal more damage.

    The shied he had covered himself in was also one of chaos, as his exam was testing his affinity for chaos magic. The shield would move his body right before an attack hit. It would only last one moment and was relatively inexpensive to conjure. That was the downside of smaller ritual spells, they were simple but the process to conjure could ultimately mean your life. The first front wall exploded; shards of red chaos flew toward the direction of the sender. This left him deeply exposed until he could conjure up a new one.

    There was an explosion behind him. Both of his walls had exploded, attacking the one who had caused the damage. As he was waving his rune to conjure more walls, his shield moved him abruptly. It was like being dragged by a hook from his waist. He reappeared next to where a bolt of blue water shot past him. He quickly drew a rune for his shield. The shield shone a slight light blue hue. As the purpose of this exam was to strictly defend Levi felt frustration. He wanted to fight back, he wanted to win.

    He couldn¡¯t understand the merit of sitting in the back tanking, without his familiars or his two friends. Nevertheless, he kept pushing, working hard to defend and dodge with every second. The attacks increased every minute. Until Levi was eventually overrun, mana spent, sweat drenching his face and body, but he didn¡¯t give up. His shield yanked him to the other side and fizzled out. He had to work to conjure another one. That would take time, which was not something that he had.

    Luckily for Levi, he has been working hard on his speed and aura control. He began dodging on his own, ducking, twisting, and jumping. He avoided attack after attack while working to create his necessary defensive measures. He had one more wall in the tank before he passed out from a lack of mana. As he was getting ready to use the last bit of his mana, the room light turned on, and the incoming attacks ceased. Levi sat on the floor, gasping for air.

    ¡°Very good, Mr. Winters,¡± Professor Egret said. ¡°Here,¡± she pulled out a small vial containing blue liquid. Popping the small cork of the vial and downing the contents, he saw his mana bar increase rapidly.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said getting to his feet. Anza walked in and stood next to Levi. Due to the structural integrity of mimics, they could alter their size and shape with relative ease. Anza went back to the height of a mimic drone, its first form. It preferred fitting everywhere instead constantly having to duck or slink through doorways or rooms.

    ¡°Your ability to perform ritual magic without an incantation is quite unique,¡± she said.

    ¡°That felt an awful lot like spellcasting,¡± Levi said wiping his sweat.

    ¡°To you it would. Do you mind sharing your ability with me? I would like to see it,¡± she asked.

    Ability: Ritualist

    Ritualists are able to use skill books, cast ritual magic, and create their own summoning and ritual circles with minimal materials needed. Base Mana pool is significantly larger. 2-star effect: Able to use magical items to create ritual circles in the air. Able to use magical items to create runes in the air.

    ¡°Very interesting,¡± she mused. ¡°I wonder if you will be able to use any type of magical items. This could be helpful for you in fighting if you wanted to use a magical sword or staff.¡± At this point she was more talking to herself than anything else. She was so fascinated with learning that she would get into these moments where she would start speculating in quiet murmurs without realizing that she was even doing it. Sometimes they would last an hour, but most, if interrupted, would be only a few short minutes.

    ¡°Professor, before you go down that path, I don¡¯t want a magical sword. A staff would be helpful more than a sword. I can attack, I have attack spells, however, the purpose of this exam was defensive ritual magic.¡± Levi said.

    ¡°That is a fair boy, dear boy,¡± she said. ¡°Very well, you passed with flying colors.¡±

    ¡°Guess I¡¯m top of the class!¡± Levi said with a goofy smile. Professor Egret, Anza, and Willow who defused for this sole purpose, were not amused with Levi. He paid them no mind and walked out of the room. His lecture was over, and he had a couple hours before he met up with the girls. Levi decided to go to his room and review the notifications he had been avoiding.

    Wisdom has gained 10

    Wisdom is now at 135

    Strength has gained 5

    Strength is now at 46

    Speed has gained 5

    Speed is now at 47

    Vitality has gained 15

    Vitality is now at 69

    Stamina has gained 5

    Stamina is now at 45

    Attributes Total: 342This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    Strength 46

    Stamina 45

    Speed 47

    Vitality 69

    Wisdom 135

    Levi has been training consistently and has gotten remarkably stronger. He has run into a plateau with his progression. It seems that every rank there is a portion of the rank that is much harder. It¡¯s a considerable push to get you over those limits. Professor Bertrum explained it as the body¡¯s way of adapting to the new strength.

    ¡°It¡¯ll take a few weeks to a month to breakthrough the plateau and break the old habits of working out, to develop new ones that require you to push yourself so much,¡± he explained. ¡°For some it happens early in their new rank, which those are the lucky ones. For others it happens towards the end of that current rank, which is the most unfortunate scenario. It¡¯s cause you can taste the advancement but have hit your plateau. It seems like you are in your plateau, which is good, it¡¯s early. You have to push yourself harder in all that you do, train much much harder.¡±

    Levi was there now and although the professor said it was a good thing, he couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated. The progress he saw was from nearly a weeks¡¯ worth of training AND when he killed that bandit. Even if his attributes didn¡¯t reflect growth, he knew he was. His mile time was decreasing, he was able to swim more laps in the pool, he could stay up longer and sleep less. He was able to lift more in the weight room. Levi¡¯s aura control was coming along great too. The help from Willow was imperative to his growth in aura control. The wisp did a great job at helping Levi look at auras and see how they differed and use those examples to help further his development.

    Quest: What it Takes to be a Summoner - Completed (5/5) objectives met

    Objective Basics of Ritual Magic - Completed

    Reward: Staff of Summoning

    Reward: Ritual Spell book

    Levi pulled the staff out of his inventory. It was a rather basic staff; all black made of a material that was foreign to Levi. An odd mixture of plastic, metal, and wood. It was a meter long and had runes etched in it. Levi didn¡¯t know what all the runes meant. He had a feeling we would learn. The staff could retract to a smaller size and fit where his wand currently was.

    He liked the staff more because it could help him in close combat situations. Like with the bandit using the staff would have been helpful to keep his distance. Levi would learn how to use this and implement it into his training. Maybe he could spar and learn from Piper. She was a rogue after all.

    Levi¡¯s thoughts drifted back to the beautiful women. She was kind, goofy, loyal, and fun to be around. All major wins in Levi¡¯s eyes. Her eyes, he could swim in the cloudy gray eyes. It had been nearly over a month, and they have hung out nearly every day. His feelings for her were becoming real.

    He found himself wanting to have any excuse to be around her. Training, dinner, studying, you name it he¡¯s thought of it. He was also enjoying his friendship with Anna. Anna was a brilliant woman. She was smart and she knew it. Her confidence was something to be admired. Levi was never the most confident person. He always envied those who were. From his perspective everything always came easy to them, like being confident was a way to make life easier. Deep down he knew that was naive thinking. He just hoped that would be an outcome he could have. That his life wouldn¡¯t be so average if he was just more confident.

    Which he was, now. As he got stronger his confidence rose. His familiars being the badasses they had also helped him with his confidence. The bandit was humbling forsure. It was a great lesson in the guild. It was a safe place, and the world was dangerous. It was a message to get stronger while it¡¯s safe cause once that safety leaves if he¡¯s not prepared, he¡¯ll die.

    With that delightful image in his head, he got up and went to the gym. He wanted to practice with his new staff. Levi spent the next hour twirling and swinging his staff. He was trying to recall all the action movies with people who used a staff like this and how they fought. That surprisingly was helpful, channeling the inner movie star he was able to get a solid feel for the weapon. By no means was he at expert level but it was at a level higher than novice.

    Levi felt that he could swing the staff with some power and could feel how it was an extension of his arm. He did simple moves at first, keeping the staff close and tight to his body.

    ¡°That¡¯s very good,¡± a female voice said.

    ¡°Hi!¡± Levi said too excitedly. He cleared his throat, ¡°hey¡± he said in a fake deep voice. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I got done early and I wanted to see you,¡± Piper said leaning on the door frame. Levi tried his very best to look at her eyes and not her body perfectly positioned against the frame. Levi felt like he had a lump in his throat. It confirmed to him that he was very attracted to Piper.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± he finally responded. Butterflies flying in his stomach.

    ¡°May I?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Levi handed her his new staff.

    ¡°This is very nice,¡± she mused.

    ¡°Thank you, objective reward!¡± Levi said proudly.

    ¡°That is a handy ability.¡± Piper put her hair up into a bun to keep it out of her face. She handed the staff back to Levi. There was another staff to practice with made completely out of wood. ¡°Your staff is made up of a magical mixture. Very strong, yet flexible, and durable. It¡¯s called novakite. It¡¯s one of the rarer mixtures there is. This should last you your lifetime and all your ranks.¡± She paused and looked at her weapon. She slammed the wooden staff on her knee to give her two smaller sticks. One in each hand.

    ¡°That was super dramatic,¡± Levi said. ¡°I love it.¡± He got into his fighting stance. Piper took the time to show him different stances. First, she would demonstrate. She would then explain why this stance is important and what its function was. She then would correct his form with physical touch. Levi noticed that sometimes she would leave a lingering touch. By all accounts she was a phenomenal teacher. Levi learned so much.

    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re going to do this meditative dance that¡¯s a fighting technique as well. I¡¯ll show you the moves and the steps. I don¡¯t expect you to get it the first time but keep practicing it at the very least weekly.¡± Piper said. She started with a deep breath. She grabbed another staff that wasn¡¯t broken. Her eyes focused. She began the first move she did what looked like a side lunge having the staff at chest level parallel to her body.

    Next, she pivoted out of that and pushed the staff out with a thrust. She was holding the end of the pull. She quickly pivoted again with a chopping down motion, stopping the staff just before it hit the ground. She stood on one leg but her arm up and twirled the staff in the outstretched hand. Her next move Levi couldn¡¯t believe, she bent over, still twirling the staff with one hand, she did a front flip while twirling the staff. She did a forward lunge with the staff at her side parallel to her trailing leg. She bowed.

    ¡°It¡¯s short,¡± Piper said out of breath. ¡°But with a partner its hard finding the same rhythm.¡±

    ¡°That was incredible,¡± Levi said. ¡°What¡¯s the purpose,¡±

    ¡°To build connection,¡± she replied slowly. She took a step closer, ¡°with your weapon,¡± another step, ¡°with your aura,¡± another step closer. She was now face to face with Levi, ¡°and,¡± voice barely a whisper. ¡°Your partner,¡± Levi swallowed hard. His heart was racing.

    Levi had never really liked someone. Sure, he¡¯s had crushes and attractions. Nothing really worthwhile. Piper was different, something about her set her apart from anyone else. It was clear that she had feelings for him, or she was the biggest flirt. So much so that if that were the case, he would need to reconsider their friendship.

    ¡°Then,¡± his voice a whisper. Taking in her sweet scent. He pressed his forehead into hers. She was not much shorter than him, only tens of centimeters. ¡°We have a meditative dance to learn.¡±

    ¡°I guess we do,¡± Piper closed her eyes, feeling Levi''s sweaty forehead. ¡°Levi,¡± she said. He nodded. ¡°I really like you, and I understand if you don¡¯t like me back. I¡¯ll be hurt, but I can bounce back.¡±

    He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her forehead. ¡°Good, cause I thought I was imagining it.¡± They stayed in each other¡¯s embrace for several moments. Not saying a word, eyes closed, soaking in each other¡¯s presence.

    ¡°Ahem,¡± Anna cleared her throat. ¡°Not that I don¡¯t love love, but I¡¯m starving.¡± Anna said with a smile. Levi laughed at that, gave Piper a kiss on the cheek, and walked past Anna. She gave him a gentle nod. Giving the women some time to themselves. Anna looked at her friend, ¡°UM,¡± she said with excitement. Piper nodded her head slowly, fighting the smile that wanted to be permanently plastered on her face. She lost the battle and a huge grin exploded on her face.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Piper said. Anna walked down to her friend and hooked her arm into Piper¡¯s.

    ¡°Tell me everything!¡± Anna said in hushed tones. They started walking out to where Levi had been waiting. While walking Piper retold the story of how they were training with the new staff that Levi had gotten. She was teaching him how to use it and how it could be really useful for him. Anna soaked in every moment.

    Unlike with the last boy who fawned after Piper, Anna trusted Levi. Even if she gave him a hard time, even if he got on her nerves, Levi was a good dude and had made it clear that he only wanted to be with Piper. He made that very clear from the start.

    ¡°You realize of course, our fathers will have to meet him,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I do¡­¡± Piper said nervously.

    ¡°The cold season is almost upon us. Classes will be cancelled for a couple weeks, let¡¯s bring him with us,¡± Anna said. ¡°The easy sell will be he¡¯s a foreigner at the summoners guild, no classmates, no other friends.¡±

    ¡°I like that plan,¡± Piper said. ¡°Do you think he will?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope that he can fight monsters by the time the break comes, it is not an easy journey home.¡±

 Chapter 12 - Feelings of a Cow

    Anna Onyx was the middle daughter in the Onyx kingdom family. She had a couple brothers, but they were all much older than her. Her parents, more specifically, her mother, really wanted a daughter, and she got her way by having three. Once Anna was born, they did not coddle her. She was a step ahead of her other sisters. They trained her to be a powerful sorcerer. Hoping she had the ability to be a magic user, their hopes came true as she was. The Onyx kingdom was by far the largest kingdom in all of the world. It spanned over two continents. The city Arcross was several hundred kilometers away from where the kingdom center resided.

    Anna¡¯s father, Lord Leandro Onyx, had decided to send his daughter to a guild outside the main city to avoid any favoritism. The city of Arcross had several aristocratic houses but only one duke. The duke was aware of the daughter attending the guilds but was forewarned by the lord to keep his mouth quiet. He followed instructions well. The journey to the Arvendon City where the Onyx kingdom castle was a fast three-day journey but a typical five-day journey. It required traversing through a dangerous valley. That typically contained several 3-star monsters.

    Transport was not possible; it was a journey that had to be walked. Flying over was possible but there was a 5-star behemoth sky Wyrm that patrolled the skies over the valley. Only the bravest or stupidest magic users would dare to cross that way. The only way was through the valley. The two of them made the journey with an escort for the first time. Lord Leandro expected them to return for the cold season break and expected them to do it on their own. Most people would look at the tactics of the king and call them barbaric at how he raised his daughter. Anna didn¡¯t see it like that. She saw it as an opportunity to be strong. She was not a person who wanted to be coddled or given the easy way out. The expectations were laid on thick and she rose to the occasion every single time.

    Piper was just the same. Although not a princess she was still royalty. Her father was Duke Trey, lifelong friend to lord Leandro. The two of them had grown up together their whole lives. The families have been operating as powerhouses for a few thousand years. There would be shifts in power between who took the crown and who was the duke, in a surprisingly amicable way. It was those with the strongest heir and the biggest potential to reach the coveted 5-star ranking. There had not been a five-star magic user in either family for nearly a thousand years. The last one being Anna¡¯s great, great, great, great grandfather. He was alive still but off doing things 5-star beings do. He has never visited the kingdom, and no one expected that to change.

    Piper¡¯s last name, Vendular, was well known in the city of Arvendon but not so much in this distant city of Arcross. Arcross was a smaller city in comparison to Arvendon. Her family were well-known rogues. They were a family of elite assassins and spies. Most of the family were born magic-users, a feat that did not go unnoticed in the world. Trey Vendular was a 4-star Assassin receiving his class evolution from rogue at 3-stars. It was rare that he was called into action, now simply a strong aristocrat than magic using adventurer.

    Piper was the only girl in the current Vendular family. Her mother was pregnant with twins, which would help keep the female bloodline going. Piper had an older brother; he was an elite assassin much like his father was. It was no secret that she was going to a rogue¡¯s guild, not having nearly as much influence, she could have stayed local, but her father felt it would be best to travel with her lifelong friend to the city. They could look after each other and hopefully form a great adventuring team with friends they made at the guilds.

    Anna had hidden her last name from everyone at the guilds, including the professors. No matter where she went in the Onyx kingdom, her name would give it away. Piper could keep her name as there were several dukes in the kingdom, most people only knew the ones in the large city in which they resided. That proved to be true as no one gave her any special attention.

    The two women were not just royalty, though. They excelled in their respective guilds. Piper was at the top of her class, with excellent marks in speed, strength, and fighting style. She was a force to be reckoned with. She had successfully advanced on all her lessons, leaving room for more individualized training than the rest of the class should she choose, she often did not. When questioned, she explained that having a strong foundation is the best way to be a successful adventurer. She would gladly take all the instruction she could get in this short year-long program.

    Anna was second in her class, which infuriated her. She was just behind a human male. His name was Declan Raya. His family was a smaller aristocratic family in another big city in the Onyx kingdom. The Rayas were up and coming in their rise to fortune, having their first 3-star adventurer in Declan¡¯s brother Aaron. Aaron was a ranger, as most of the Raya¡¯s were. He had been working hard to grow to a 4-star rank but had been at it for several years. Aaron, already experiencing his class evolution, gave him a distinct advantage. His class evolution was something unusual which also helped the Raya family. He got Mana Ranger. Which meant he could use mana as his arrows, never needing to refill or carry a quiver. It also gave a strong boost to his wisdom attribute which helped push him to the next star rank.

    Declan never wanted to be a ranger; he always wanted to be a sorcerer, and with great reluctance, his parents let him be one. Declan used the allowance as his guiding motivation. He would not let his parents'' good graces be put to shame and not be the best. He was studious, gifted, and hardworking. He pushed himself day after day, with promising results, as he was top of the class.

    This is not to say Anna was not any of the qualities she was. She was still finding her way. In every way that Declan was determined to prove he could do this because he was being different. Anna was determined to prove she could do this because she wasn¡¯t different. She was grateful that Levi had given her the chaos book. That had helped her gain an understanding of a side of spells she had never dared touch. She was still reluctant to use it, but she had it the knowledge at the very least.

    ¡°Show me how you use your chaos magic,¡± Anna told Levi.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Levi said. ¡°After dinner.¡± The trio had been eating dinner in the summoner¡¯s guild cafeteria. Once again enjoying the quiet ambiance. With only one student and two professors, the place was quiet for the longest time. The cooks were excited for a few reasons, first, there were more people besides Professor Egret and Bertrum to eat the food. Second, the new student was a big eater and was very grateful for the food. Third, the new student brought friends, who were also big eaters. The cooks finally felt some drive to make some great meals for the students and the professors. This led to the trio of students enjoying not just dinner anymore, but lunch and the occasional breakfast now as well.

    ¡°No questions why?¡± Anna asked skeptically.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Levi said, stuffing his mouth with more food. Piper looked at Anna, shrugged, and smiled.

    ¡°Levi, the cold is coming, which means that we are going home for a few weeks,¡± Piper told him.

    ¡°Oh, well that¡¯s going to be so boring,¡± Levi said face dropping. He didn¡¯t have a lot of friends and he didn¡¯t want to be stuck here for the whole time.

    ¡°Unless¡± Anna said. ¡°You come with us.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you mean it? You¡¯re not messin with me?¡± Levi asked excitedly.

    ¡°No, silly,¡± Piper said, giggling. ¡°It would be fun.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Levi said narrowing his eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the princess?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna said. ¡°Which means there will be plenty of space for you. Although we will have to warn my father about Anza and Willow.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Piper said suddenly. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you. What happens to you when Anza fuses with you? Willow changes your eyes.¡±

    Levi paused, thinking of which answer to give them. ¡°Uhhh, what version do you want?¡±

    ¡°Graphic,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Less, graphic please,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Piper you are the daughter to one of the world¡¯s greatest assassins and yet you want a less graphic version of your new boy toy¡¯s familiar fusion?¡±

    ¡°Hold on now, boy toy?¡±

    ¡°Quiet you,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Fine¡­¡± Piper said. ¡°Graphic.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re gonna be revisiting the boy toy comment. Anza¡¯s tentacles cover my entire skeleton. It has attached itself over my bones, leaving gaps for all the ligaments, facia, and muscle tissue to be still attached but thicker.¡± Levi said. Laughing at the horrified faces of his friends. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Does it affect your movements?¡±

    ¡°Y¡¯all, it''s a magical being like my eyes; it just is what it is. It does make it nearly impossible to break my bones when it¡¯s fused, though.¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°That is so interesting,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Yeah, it is, I¡¯m interested so see if it actually looks like something or if it¡¯s just thicker bones, ya know?¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s cut you open and see,¡± Piper said, waving her knife.

    ¡°Charming,¡± he responded sarcastically.

    After dinner, they went back to the training room, and Levi showed them how he used chaos magic. First, he showed them the spell Orb of Chaos without the staff. He held out his hands, palms up, and two dark gray orbs with red lightning formed in his hands. The orbs were the size of a dodgeball. Anna stared at the two orbs with wide eyes. Much like Levi¡¯s cloak she had not expected to interact with chaos that was so beautiful. It had been so easy for him to do that. It''s so easy for Levi to just conjure the orbs in his hands.

    ¡°What about with your staff?¡± Piper asked.

    Levi held out his staff in front of him, and four orbs appeared around his body. The orbs were the same size as the ones he had conjured in his palm.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s pretty sick,¡± Levi said, looking at the orbs. With a mental command, the orbs started to zip around the room and around himself. Levi demonstrated how much control he had over the orbs as he was able to control all four to do something different.

    ¡°You are quite adept with that,¡± Anna said. ¡°How many times have you done that?¡±

    ¡°I conjure the orb frequently,¡± Levi said. ¡°That was the first time with the staff though. Wait, a second.¡± He diminished the four orbs of chaos. Another orb of chaos appeared, then one that looked like waves trapped inside a glass ball. And then one that looked like someone trapped a forest fire in a glass ball. Lastly, a ball that looked like a storm trapped in a glass ball appeared. This storm was different; blue skies were wrapped by a white, fluffy cloud. White lighting flashed across the outside of the orb.

    ¡°Now, that is saucy,¡± Levi said. He controlled all the orbs once again and watched as they sailed across the training room. One by one, he sent them flying into the training dummy.

    ¡°How?¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s very impressive, even for a sorcerer, let alone a summoner,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°All credit to my familiars,¡± Levi said. The two familiars defused and appeared next to the trio.

    ¡°No offense to Anza and Willow, who are extremely powerful beings. That level of control is more than just them giving you the ability to use magic. That takes practice and natural talent, give yourself some credit.¡±

    She is correct, Anza said to Levi.

    ¡°I hear y¡¯all,¡± Levi said. ¡°To answer your question, I don¡¯t know. I just do. It¡¯s hard to explain but my ability allows spell casting to be easier. I can even do summons with a summoning circle in the ground.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very impressive,¡± Anna said. ¡°Chaos feels uncontrollable, unlike the other types of spells. Water, Fire, Air, Earth, Light, and even Dark is somewhat more manageable, but I cannot seem to get chaos down.¡±

    ¡°None of them should be controlled,¡± Levi said. ¡°Especially not chaos. Maybe I approach it from a summoner''s perspective. I don¡¯t control the beings, beasts, and creatures I summon. I work with them. Could I control them? Probably but where would that get me? You think Anza would have attacked the bandit''s leg if I was a terrible summoner? Not a shot. Look,¡± he pulled out his wand and drew a basic summoning circle, sand flowed out of his pouch and filled the lines. A faint tan glow happened in the air as a small sand elemental appeared. It was Squaindle.

    ¡°Squaindle here is a good dude,¡± he held out a hand and the elemental floated over and hovered over his palm. ¡°I could easily tell him what to do and he¡¯d do it. That¡¯s the dynamic of the summoner to the summoned. But I don¡¯t, because being kind is a much more effective way to get help. Instead,¡± he looked at the little elemental, ¡°Anza hid a bag of sand somewhere in here, can you go find it and bring me the bag.¡± Squaindle jumped into action and floated all throughout the room. After several moments, the elemental barely managed to fly up to the outstretched arm to drop the sand. After it did, Levi gave it a gentle scratch with his finger.

    ¡°Thanks, bud,¡± Levi said. ¡°You can go now, take this bag with you.¡± Squaindle did a back flip full of glee and grabbed the back. The tan light returned, and he disappeared. ¡°It¡¯s a symbiotic relationship; yes, you have the power, but that''s not what makes it strong; it''s a give-and-take. For chaos, I feed it my fears, worries, waves of anger, frustrations, etc. In return, it gives me some powerful attacks.¡±

    Anna looked uncertain; this was definitely not how sorcerers worked. It was a lot different in that field of magic. Strength over the elements garnered respect and that¡¯s how they got stronger. The elements were to be controlled for no more reason than they were weaker. Power gave the sorcerer control over all things they used magic on. This is why that class was so sought after. People loved power and they wanted it for themselves. It was not about being kind or making friends. It was about getting stronger and taking control of your life and all circumstances. They didn¡¯t care for the feelings of an element; what does a king care for the feelings of the cows?

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you have to do this,¡± Levi said, sensing the tribulation. ¡°I¡¯m not even saying this is the correct or only way. I have no idea; I have been in this world what two months? You asked me, though, how I do it. That¡¯s how,¡± Levi concluded.

    Anna didn¡¯t respond for several minutes as she sat in the words that Levi had said. Symbiotic relationships, even the thought of it being any form of relationship, was foreign to her. But seeing what Levi could do and hearing his reasoning gave her some positive paths to explore. Whether or not she accepted them was ultimately her decision. Levi was not going to judge her either way.

    ¡°So,¡± Levi said to Piper. ¡°Your home, how do you communicate with them?¡±

    ¡°My family uses messenger creatures, usually shadow elementals. They have a higher sense of aura signatures. Allowing them to find me quicker,¡± Piper said. ¡°We don¡¯t do it very often, though, it''s not really the style to message family just because that¡¯s not what adventurers do.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Levi said. ¡°Is your home far?¡±

    ¡°150 kilometers,¡± Piper said. Levi¡¯s UI automatically translated that as a textbox appeared to tell him 93 miles.

    ¡°So, yes,¡± Levi said with a chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s a long walk.¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Piper said. ¡°Usually, a three-day journey if we are lucky, 5 if we are not.¡±

    ¡°When do you leave? I would like to be prepared. Will I need warmer clothes?¡±

    ¡°In a week. Yes, you will definitely need warmer clothes. We must cross a valley and it is guaranteed to be covered in snow and ice.¡± Piper said. ¡°Do you have any?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Levi said. ¡°I came to this world with a towel and a toothbrush. Plus, where I¡¯m from the region I live in, doesn¡¯t really get cold there.¡±

    ¡°Then we can go shopping,¡± Piper said with a smile.

    ¡°Oh no, please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re one of those girls who LOVES shopping?¡±

    ¡°Do I look like one?¡± she asked with slight annoyance in her tone.

    ¡°Honestly, yes. You look like a model but much better looking and in WAY better shape,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I am not sure what a model is¡­¡± Piper said.

    ¡°It¡¯s someone who looks good while wearing fancy clothes, they are our standard of beauty, which is not great but what can you do?¡±

    ¡°So, you say that I am higher than your worlds standard of beauty?¡± she said with a slight smile.

    ¡°Without question,¡± Levi said lovingly.

    The next day, the trio was out shopping. Anna¡¯s brain was back to functioning after spending the better half of the night thinking about what Levi had told her. She concluded that she would try his way on their journey back to Arvendon. That way, she could have Levi to ask any questions she might have.

    ¡°The chaos boy returns,¡± Hentay said as the bell rang to his shop. ¡°What can I do for you? Oh, he brought friends,¡± he said.

    ¡°That was creepy Hentay,¡± Levi admonished. ¡°I¡¯m looking for some clothes to keep me warm.¡±

    ¡°Apologies, sir. Yes, of course, the cold is upon us. Are you looking for armor or casual wear?¡±

    ¡°Uh both,¡± Levi said with uncertainty.

    ¡°Very good, come back in three days¡¯ time and I¡¯ll have outfits made for you. I am also going to through in some formal wear, in case you will need them over the breaks.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Levi said. ¡°Thanks, Hentay; see you then.¡±

    ¡°He was odd,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°He is indeed,¡± Levi said. ¡°Is there like an adventurer shop? I don¡¯t have any tents or sleeping sacks or anything like that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, good point,¡± Anna said. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go.¡±

    The trio had found an adventurer''s shop. Levi had purchased a tent, which was just a tarp with some rope, a thick wool blanket, and a pillow. He also bought some camp-style cooking gear, a pot on a spit, and a metal grill grate. He was shocked to see the grill gate, but it was a welcome surprise. Levi¡¯s last purchase was some wood, unsure if the Ice Valley would have branches suitable for fire making.

    Anna and Piper returned to their guilds, as they had a couple of exams they needed to pass before the break began. Levi, in the meantime, was in his room practicing his aura control. Levi had read some textbooks that explained how important it was to control your aura. They said it was the energy of the soul on display. If your energy was unruly, disruptive, and powerful, it could cause serious harm to those who were not magic users. Aura control is what makes a magic user elite. To control your aura was to control your energy, it was subtle projection of your emotions and mental state.

    To Levi it felt very similar to mindfulness he practiced while doing yoga and using the breathing and stretching to center oneself. To allow the emotions to flow through you, if he applied that same principle he would push the emotions to his aura. This was extremely helpful to think about as he quickly became adept at controlling his aura. Levi was able to draw it in as close to his skin as he could while also pushing it out a good distance. At first, he could barely get it several centimeters ahead of him. Now, after months of practice Levi could push his aura senses nearly 500 meters.

 Chapter 13 - Dangerous Confidence

    Levi walked into Hentay¡¯s tailor shop. There was another customer in there that Levi had never seen before. He waited patiently with Anza as they perused the small tailor shop. Hentay acknowledged Levi''s presence but went back to attending to the needs of the customer. Levi found a nice suit; it was all black but had streaks of red lightning that seemed to move. It was mesmerizing. It looked like his orbs of chaos but in a suit.

    ¡°You should leave stranger,¡± the other customer said to Levi.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be patient,¡± Levi said, not turning around.

    Levi felt mana surge and turned to see the customer was holding Hentay by the throat and had a fire sword at the throat of Levi.

    ¡°You should leave,¡± the customer said one more time, this time harsher. The customer was wearing a well-tailored suit, probably from the establishment. He had a demon-like head and a sharp tail, but he was stone gray.

    ¡°What are you?¡± Levi asked. ¡°A gargoyle man or something?¡±

    The fire sword got closer to Levi¡¯s throat.

    ¡°Are you dumb? Don¡¯t be a hero.¡± the creature snarled.

    Anza grabbed the sword in its mouth. Being a creature of some weird metal, the fire didn¡¯t harm it. The mimic simply ate the fire sword. It looked at the creature with vicious eyes. Levi seized that moment to hold out his staff and conjured four orbs.

    ¡°What you say, bro? Your stone against my orbs?¡± Levi said.

    ¡°What did you do with my sword??¡± It asked, panic setting in.

    ¡°Anza ate it, it says thank you, by the way,¡± Levi responded.

    The creature examined one of the orbs more closely. It quickly dropped Hentay and whirled on Levi. Fear washed over the creature¡¯s aura. It had no idea that there was a chaos warlock in this town. That was bad news. How strange, it had not heard anything about one. Was it a warlock? A deeper examination showed summoner robes.

    The creature¡¯s aura relaxed, and it started laughing out loud.

    ¡°A summoner,¡± The creature laughed. ¡°You¡¯re just a summoner, how pathetic. You couldn¡¯t damage me even if I gave you-¡± an orb went straight through its leg, blowing it up into small pieces of stone. Black liquid poured out of the wound.

    ¡°An open shot?¡± Levi asked, walking up to the creature. ¡°Was that what you were going to say? Come one my guy, never underestimate your opponents. That¡¯s thug 101.¡±

    ¡°What are you?¡± The creature asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m a summoner, 2-star and came for my outfits,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Please let me live,¡± it begged.

    ¡°Sure, like I said, I¡¯m here for something,¡± Levi responded. The creature took the hint and bolted out of the store. Levi turned and smiled at Hentay, ¡°You good?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Hentay said. ¡°Thank you, sir. You¡¯re a summoner who can use spells?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it, if you kept that lowkey.¡±

    ¡°My lips are sealed, sir,¡± Hentay said, a little weary of the man before him. He was not the unsure and awkward young man who first came into his shop all those months ago. ¡°Here are your clothes. There is something different about you¡­¡±

    ¡°Just aura control, nothing crazy, whatchu got for me?¡± Levi said with a friendly smile. ¡°While we look can I ask you a couple questions?¡±

    ¡°Of course, sir. Right this way,¡± Hentay walked Levi into the back room, where three sets of clothes were on a mannequin.

    ¡°I know that being a summoner is dangerous, which causes people to not be one, but there seems to be a lot of disrespect around those who are summoners. Why?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Sir, if I may be so bold to ask, are you not from here?¡± Hentay asked inquisitively.

    ¡°You can¡¯t tell from my aura?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Decorum, sir, I never read my customer¡¯s aura.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate you,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯m not local, very not local.¡±

    ¡°Understood sir,¡± Hentay nodded. ¡°Are you aware of the battle of the guilds?¡±

    ¡°Vaguely.¡±

    ¡°Right, before the summoners stopped getting participants, all five guilds would compete in a safe tournament. The summoners, for decades, would get last place. The warrior¡¯s guild would win a majority, then sorcerers, then rogues, and then rangers.¡±

    ¡°So, it¡¯s a popularity thing?¡±

    ¡°Quite, sir.¡± Hentay looked at the mannequin and pointed at the clothes. ¡°First, this is your armor for the cold. As you can see, it is thicker robes that have a fire affinity. This will allow any heat you produce to be trapped in the material. Under the robe, we have a white tunic with a dark belt, accompanied by some nice black combat pants. Do you have special boots?¡±

    ¡°Not yet,¡± Levi said, staring at the first outfit. The robe was black, and the tunic was white. They were a nice contrast of colors. Levi could feel the magic in the outfit. It looked quite nice. It wasn¡¯t flashy, but it looked like it would be very helpful. The robes themselves wouldn¡¯t provide a lot of damage resistance, but that wasn¡¯t his role; if he were to be in a fight, for the most part he would be in the back summoning enemies and using ritual magic.

    ¡°The guilds,¡± Hentay continued his explanation. ¡°Began to form a hierarchy. Most kingdoms were born on the backs of former warriors. Warriors became the premier guild. Knights and Paladins who are part of royal guards and armies are from the warrior¡¯s guild. Aristocrats started to send their young ladies and masters to the warrior¡¯s guild.¡±

    ¡°Let me guess, they all started to associate the warrior¡¯s guild as one of power and prestige?¡±

    ¡°Precisely,¡± Hentay said. ¡°Now, the next outfit is for every season but the cold. I took the liberty of researching the best gear a summoner could wear; since there aren¡¯t many of you folks, it took a little extra time. Here I have created some lightweight combat outfit that would match your cloak.¡± Hentay pointed at the tunic, ¡°This tunic has been imbued with magic to slowly replenish mana.¡± The tunic had a gradient of white and sky blue. Runes were glowing in the lapel of the tunic. ¡°The pants are not imbued with anything, but they are bondable to the wearer''s aura.¡± The pants had a darker gradient of sky blue at the waist and dark blue towards the ankles. ¡°Now you have the option to use your cloak or this robe. The cloak you wield is much stronger than any robes that I could provide.¡± Hentay said with sincerity. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°That¡¯s great, I¡¯ll still be with the cloak then,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Very good, sir,¡± Hentay said. ¡°With more aristocratic families flooding the warrior¡¯s guild, some wanted to try other things since the class evolutions were not that varied. Shortly, more were sent to sorcerers, being able to perform healing magic and more. The rogues, well the Vendulars happened to be a huge part of that, as they are the most popular assassin family in the world. A price started getting placed on attending the upper guilds, barring those who were poor from joining. Leaving rangers and summoners as the only affordable guilds. Shortly, summoners, at least in this city, became nothing.¡±

    ¡°No wonder it was free for me,¡± Levi said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that¡­¡±

    ¡°Yessir, lastly, the formal wear. Here, we have a classic suit in the Onyx style. It is perfect for multiple occasions as you can flip the suit inside out, swap shoes, or flip the pants inside out as well.¡± Hentay pointed to the suit on the mannequin. The shirt was a collared button-up shirt with sleeves that clung to the wrist. It looked like an odd mix of a compression shirt and a button-up. The shirt was an elegant plum color. The suit jacket to Levi looked like a normal suit jacket but if it were made to cosplay medieval royalty. The suit jacket dropped just below his hips. It was a cream-colored jacket on one side, and the other side was sage green. His pants were relaxed-fit slacks with colors that matched the jacket.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done amazing, Hentay,¡± Levi said. He was impressed with the clothing. He touched them, and they disappeared into his inventory and clothes slot. With a mental command, white swirls engulfed him, and he tried on each outfit to see how it fit and looked on him. They all were the perfect fit. Levi looked in the mirror, the combat robes gave him the feel of a Jedi who went to a wizarding school. ¡°How much do I owe you? Oh, and I want this suit,¡± he pointed at the suit that was hanging on the wall.

    ¡°Ahh, very good. All of that¡­ 1 gold should cover it all,¡± Hentay said.

    Levi plucked the gold out of his inventory and handed it to the goblin. ¡°I¡¯ll see you when I get back! Appreciate all the inside scoop.¡± Levi walked out of the shop. Hentay stood there staring at the man who just left his store. There was a new sense of danger that permeated off the aura of Levi. He shouldn¡¯t have been surprised knowing that he had that familiar and his ability to use chaos magic. This was different; there was a level of dangerous confidence that made him unnerved.

    Levi walked back to the guild with Anza in tow. The pair had gotten a lot closer, same with Willow. The three of them formed a formidable bond. Willow defused from the eyes of Levi and was flying around him with amusement. It had been a few weeks since he had checked his character log; he grabbed lunch and went to his room. The girls were having their exams right now so they couldn¡¯t join for lunch.

    Character Log: Levi Winters

    Class: Summoner

    Rank: 2-star

    Ability: Ritualist

    Ability: Elected Stranger

    Ability: Familiar Bonds

    Ability: Locked

    Ability: Locked

    Spell Log:

    Orb of Chaos

    Orb of Water

    Orb of Fire

    Orb of Lightning

    Familiars:

    Anza the Mimic familiar

    Willow the Crystal Wisp familiar

    Attributes Total: 375

    Strength 50

    Stamina 50

    Speed 50

    Vitality 80

    Wisdom 145

    New Quest: Summoners Guild (0/4)

    Objective: Finish Ritual Magic Lessons

    Objective: Finish Summoning Magic Lessons

    Objective: Finish Aura Training Lessons

    Objective: Finish Physical Training Lessons

    New Quest: Journey to Arvendon

    You and your new friends are going to their home world. Make it to the city of Arvendon alive.

    New Quest: Win the Battle of the Guilds

    Levi¡¯s progress with his attributes was slow. It took him some time to get past that plateau. He revealed the fact that he had gained Progress Points (PP) rapidly when he first started, but it had taken him so long just to round out the attributes for the next tenth. Levi was much stronger at this point, able to bench a maximum of two plates. In sixty seconds, he was now able to do fifty push-ups in a row. He could swim ten laps before getting tired. The progress from day one of training till now was noticeable, he just felt so behind.

    Levi¡¯s body had also transformed. He went from a skinny almost malnourished man to a lean man. His muscles weren¡¯t massive, but he actually had muscle to show. His shoulders were defined, his legs were a thicker than what they used to be, and his back was straighter. Levi noticed his posture had been atrocious before coming here. He now sat on the floor regularly and sits up straight; he walks with his chest proud and his back straight. The little issues that he was having with his body were quickly being corrected.

    His mile time had increased as well, overall, Levi was healthier than he ever was before. His eyesight had improved, his hearing had improved, his hair was actually growing, his teeth still as perfect as they ever were. Levi enjoyed taking the time to notice the subtle changes in his body and figure. It helped him stay present and positive with the work that he has been doing. It could be easy to get caught up in focusing solely on the numbers of progress. Then miss the actual transformation that was going on.

    The biggest thing that Levi was most proud of was the fact that he found something he liked. He was passionate about something. Levi had been spending a lot of his free time grieving and processing his old life. It had been a rough time since his dad passed, and Levi pushed most of his people away. He had given up any dreams, passions, or desires. To Levi he had felt there was no more reason to do something if life could be taken away in an instant.

    Levi¡¯s dad had been killed in a hit-and-run drunk driving accident. His dad was a big-time athlete, competing in triathlons. He had finally qualified for the big Iron Man race that he had been training for so many years. Levi¡¯s dad was five days away and was tapering down his workouts to be fully rested for the big show. Because of this, his dad took a shorter and different route. It had been after work, around five in the evening, far too early for someone to be drunk. Or so they thought. The driver was swerving and careened head on into Levi¡¯s dad. His dad flew through the air and landed on the concrete really hard.

    The ambulance came, but not until fifteen minutes of him bleeding out. By the time he had gotten to the hospital, it was too late. He had lost too much blood. There wasn¡¯t enough time to get a transfusion. He did not survive. Levi was coming home from his guitar lesson when he pulled up to his house to see police officers talking to his mom. His mom was crying, and the officers looked somber, the bearers of bad news. Levi remembered trying to run back into his car and drive to the hospital, screaming tears in his face, being held by the officers. On his knees now looking to the heavens, crying, asking why would this happen, how could this happen?

    For weeks, Levi was a shell of himself, barely getting out of his room, barely eating, barely drinking water, and barely sleeping. He had gone to a church to ask the preacher why God had to take his dad away. He went to a temple to ask the Rabbi the same question, he went to so many religious organizations to get some answers as to why whatever divine being who was controlling his life would take his best friends. Kids at school tried to comfort Levi but he had a dad-sized hole in his heart, and it would never be replaced.

    It didn¡¯t get any better; he just had to move on. Eventually, he moved out of his house because his mom had remarried. Levi was so angry with her that he didn¡¯t go to their wedding. Eventually, he apologized, noting how selfish of him it was to act like that. He attended his sisters¡¯ weddings but found it so hard when they asked the stepdad to hand them off and not his dad. Both times, he kept his cool, learning from his mistake with his mom. Slowly, though, he started to lose contact with them. He stopped showing up for holidays because it didn¡¯t want to be around family without his dad, his real dad, not the new one.

    Levi was thoroughly aware of his role in losing contact with his entire family and accepted responsibility for it. If, for whatever reason, he was able to go home, he would like to make amends. He couldn¡¯t think like that, however, unsure if going home would be possible. If he could go home but it was a one-way ticket, would he even want to? If it meant losing Anza, Willow, Piper, and Anna, it would be a resounding no. If a door were to be opened where he could do both then, maybe. One thing was for certain: Levi was going to take this second chance at a new life with new friends and do right by them.

 Chapter 14 - Didnt Leave Anything Behind

    Levi was meditating in the middle of his room. He had created a new meditative style, a mixture of Tai Chi, Yoga, and aura control. He let the movements of the Tai Chi influence where he would shift his aura.

    "Aura manipulation is an important skill to learn as a summoner. The stronger your aura, the more your summons will respect you," Professor Bertrum had told him. "You can use it to command your summons to do things without saying out loud, giving it away to your opponents."

    "Isn''t it true you need an ability to perceive auras?" Levi asked.

    "Yes, but that doesn''t mean you cannot learn how to control your own. You remember our lessons on aura control, your aura is much more refined. What is important to know as you continue to grow your skill is how to add your aura to your movements. Start slow but use your aura as a decoy or false projection. If you can master that, aura manipulation will be a very powerful tool to you and your survival."

    Ever since that conversation, Levi has been doing Tai Chi to help develop his aura and movements. It had taken many nights of practicing and failing before he got it right. Willow, when fused with Levi, allows him to see auras. This was a huge advantage, but Levi wanted aura perception powers, and when Willow was not fused, it would help him in battles. Levi didn''t know what type of dangers he would be facing in his new world. The fact that he had gotten a quest not to die was enough reason for him to train hard.

    Levi hadn''t told the girls that he had gotten that quest. He still wasn''t sure how many people got quests and if it was something he should share. Professor Egret made it sound like it was no big deal, but she was much older than she appeared, so her perception could be off. Even though he had gotten that hidden objective, and they all benefited from it, he felt like it would be different if it were an oddly specific one. Of course, that was when Anna wouldn''t trust him as far as she could throw him.

    New Familiar Ability Unlocked: Yin-Yang

    As a summoner with an affinity for chaos magic, by learning to work with chaos magic and bring calmness to your spiritual state with that same affinity, you have developed an affinity for order magic. Creating a harmonious state. Due to the creation of this harmonious state, your familiar Willow has gained a bonus ability. Yin-Yang. Aura manipulation has increased, and Aura suppression from a higher rank will be negated. Aura senses have increased. You are now able to sense & perceive auras of other things. Now, every time your familiar Willow is fused with your eyes, it will add a buff to your aura.

    "Finally," Levi said, pumping his fist in the air. He lay on the ground, tired from his meditation routine and from all the new sensations he was experiencing. He looked at his familiars and noticed how pristine their auras were. They were different in their own right, but they were amazingly well-controlled. Anza''s gave a constant sense of danger; it was like going on a hike and hearing the rattle of a rattlesnake, but I was not sure where it was coming from. Except when it was interacting with Levi, it was friendly and loving. Willow''s aura was calming yet had an undertone of danger, like there was a beast behind a sketchy barrier that could break at any moment. When Willow interacted with Levi, it gave a sense of childish joy.

    "Have your auras always been that?" Anza made a whirling metal sound in response. It did this to be sarcastic with Levi. "Alright, relax."

    He sensed his friends at the door. He told them to come in before they knocked. Anna and Piper walked in with surprised looks on their faces. They looked at the tone man shirtless on the floor, sweating. He smiled and welcomed them in.

    "You don''t have any aura powers," Anna said in a way of greeting. "How did you?"

    "What Anna means to say is," Piper said, interrupting her friend. "Hi, Levi how are you?"

    "No," Anna responded. "I meant what I said."

    Levi chuckled, "it''s fine, Piper. I just got the ability," Levi said with pride. He shared the text box with them. He watched as their eyes glazed over and started reading an invisible, to his sight, textbox depicting the description of Levi''s new ability.

    "Wow, Levi," Anna said. "That is really impressive. That''s a strong ability, how did you get that?" Levi had gotten up to get some juice, a towel, and a shirt. He was wiping the sweat off his body and put his shirt on. He took a long swig of juice before responding.

    "I was doing this new meditation technique I developed. It combines movements with aura control and pops the text box. Now, I am able to sense auras a bit better."

    "A bit is an understatement, Levi," Anna said, chuckling. "I have to say thanks by the way."

    "For what?" He gave Piper a long hug before they all went to grab dinner before their journey.

    "I got top marks because of your help with chaos magic. I realized that chaos magic in itself is without order so by forcing it to be ordered was never going to work. That helped me get a better grasp of all the other spells."

    "Congratulations, Anna!" Levi said with excitement. "I knew you could do it." He said with a beaming smile. The trio kept talking about their exams over dinner. It turned out that Piper also received top marks on three of her three exams. She had done very well and remained the number one rogue. Anna did great as well, receiving top marks for two of her three lessons. Putting her at the top spot, she was relieved as she was heading home.

    "Anna?" a voice came from the entrance. A tall, tan man stood at the door, muscular like a professional basketball player. He had buzzed black hair and a five o''clock shadow beard. It was neatly groomed. He was classically handsome. Levi had no idea who this guy was or how he even got into the guild. "The professor let me in once I told her I was looking for you," his voice did not really match his looks. Levi stifled a laugh at the deep, gravelly voice of the typical Asian features of the humans in this region. "I wanted to say congrats on getting top marks. Your control of the chaos magic was¡­ incredible."

    "Oh," Anna said in unusual nervousness. Levi raised an eyebrow and shared a look with Piper. "Thank you, Declan." She glanced at Levi, "It''s not controlling chaos, it''s working with it. That''s how I was able to do it." Levi smiled gently. That was one of the sweetest things Anna had done for him since arriving. It was a stark contrast to when she first met Levi, but that didn''t matter much anymore; Levi dared to call her friend.

    "Hmm," Declan mused. "I''m not sure that makes sense. Perhaps you can teach me one of these days." This time, Piper raised her eyebrows and had a childish grin on her face. Levi and Piper received daggers from Anna''s eyes. Declan stood there with amusement on his face.

    "I''m not sure I''m qualified to teach; Levi here was the one to teach me," Anna replied, pointing out Levi.

    "The summoner," Declan said. "If you would be willing."

    "Sure, thing bro," Levi said casually. "I''m Levi, by the way."

    "Excuse my manners, I am Declan Raya. I am honored to meet the infamous summoner who took down a bandit on his lonesome."

    "That''s crazy that someone would lie to you like that. I had familiars who did most of the work, I just got lucky," Levi said, patting Anza on the head.

    "My uncle says that the best magic user is one who relies on his allies just as much as his skills," Declan said.

    "I know that was meant to sound all philosophical and cool, but that doesn''t make sense."

    "The point is," Declan said, trying to hide his annoyance. "Your familiars helped you, yes, but you also helped them. Accepting responsibility is equally important as it is to acknowledge other''s responsibility."

    "Sheesh," Levi said. "Now that''s a truth bomb I was not ready for. Where were you several years ago with that advice, my life would have looked a lot different."

    "I''ll reach out to you," Anna said. "When we get back from cold break, okay?" Anna said softly.

    "Deal, I''m looking forward to it. Lady Vendular, Levi, it''s a pleasure to meet you," he said, respectfully bowing and leaving.

    "He seems nice," Levi said in a mocking tone.

    "Shut up," Anna said, her typical sharpness returning to her voice.

    "He looks a lot more buff that I would expect a sorcerer to be, definitely expected warrior, if I would have seen him."

    "He comes from a family of warriors," Anna said. "He was number one, until these marks came in."

    "Ahh, I see. That''s why he works so hard, to prove to his family that he made the right choice, good for him," Levi said.

    "You mentioned your home world," Piper said, changing the subject. "You rarely ever talk about it." Levi sensed trepidation in her aura. "I feel like by now you would have mentioned something: parents, siblings, girlfriend, wife, kids, something."The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Levi got sad, "there isn''t much to talk about." His voice was barely audible. "I lost someone. Someone who was really important to me¡­ then I kinda ruined my life. I didn''t leave anything behind but ruined relationships and a mountain of mediocrity." The two girls stared at Levi¡ªa rare moment of him being vulnerable. Levi didn''t really keep a wall up, but as Piper said, he had never talked about his life before getting here¡ªjust comparisons between worlds.

    The tension in the room dropped when Levi lifted his head with a beaming smile. "Anyway! We''ve got a long journey ahead of us." Piper looked at him with expectant eyes. Not wanting to push or be too nosy, she let it go and smiled. After Declan left, they went back to Levi''s room to gather some of his things before they were off on their grand journey to their home. Levi was not hiding his excitement well. Thinking about it, he wasn''t sure if he was excited to go to another city or to explore. This new world was fascinating, and he couldn''t help but feel that he was going to experience something extraordinary. After all he had been stuck in this city for the past few months, it was time to stretch his legs.

    It was getting dark, so they planned to leave first thing in the morning so they would not have to travel in the dark.

    "Are there more dangers at night?" Levi asked.

    "No," Anna responded. "There are dangers all the time. You got an aura ability yes?"

    "I did," Levi nodded.

    "We all could theoretically leave tonight and make a good amount of the journey with our aura senses alone. However, since we are not pressed for time, there is no reason to go at night. We can leave at first light." Anna said.

    "Sounds good to me," Levi responded.

    "If we take our time, it will be a five-day journey there and five day back. That will give us plenty of time to stay at home," Piper said. "I was planning on staying at least five days, but I will defer to Anna."

    "Five days is plenty and likely too long," Anna said. "We can figure out once we get there."

    "About that¡­" he said nervously.

    "What''s up?" Piper asked. "Why do you look so nervous?"

    "I-uh," Levi took a deep breath to steady himself. "I got another quest," he said.

    "Oh?" Piper said with a raised eyebrow. "That took a lot of trust to tell us that."

    "It did," Anna said. "Why tell us now?"

    "Because I have a question and there would be no real good reason as to why I would ask the question," Levi said.

    "Okay, shoot," Piper said.

    "Is the valley dangerous?" Levi asked.

    "Very," Anna said straightforwardly.

    "Oh, most definitely," Piper said with a giggle.

    "Y''all seem very casual about danger¡­"

    "We''re budding adventurers Levi," Piper said. "Of course we are going to go somewhere dangerous. We want to form a team and explore the world, conquer dungeons, complete quests, KILL monsters!" she said with excitement. "You thought we could do all of that by not running into danger??"

    "That does sound like fun," Levi admitted. "Honestly, I hadn''t thought much about what I would do when I''m done with the guild."

    "Maybe," Anna said, looking at Piper. "You join us." She smiled the most sincere smile Levi had ever seen from her. He looked back and forth between the two of them.

    "Wait y''all are for real?" Levi said.

    "Of course we are," Piper said. "Why wouldn''t we want you?"

    "I can name five reasons off the top of my head," Levi said.

    "Okay go," Piper challenged.

    "I don''t know anything about magic, I''m very weak, I don''t know about this world, I''m a summoner, and I''m sure you can find someone better."

    "Out of the three of us, you''re the only one who knows ritual magic. You killed a 3-star, you are learning and so are we, that''s an advantage cause you know how to use it, and of course we could find someone better. There is always someone better," Piper said. "But if you think that is a good reason, EHH wrong try again."

    "Okay¡­. So maybe I had one reason," Levi said. Looking at Piper, who was giving him a smug look. "I''m honored, honestly."

    "What did your quest say that made you ask us? Also, you get quests?" Anna asked.

    "I do," Levi said. "I wasn''t sure if that was normal or not, so I kept it to myself. It said don''t die."

    "Don''t die," Piper said.

    "Don''t die, your quest actually said don''t die?" Anna asked.

    "Yep," Levi responded. "Here," He pulled up the quest and shared it with the girls. He watched as their eyes focused on the air in front of them.

    Quest: Journey to Arvendon

    You and your new friends are going to their home world. Make it to the city of Arvendon alive.

    "That is certainly ominous," Anna said.

    "Yeah," Piper added.

    "Does it ever tell you rewards?" Anna asked.

    "No never. Only the quest and the objectives to complete the quest though," Levi responded.

    "Interesting. Well, I am exhausted from exams, I am going to get some rest. So should you two. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Anna got up and walked into one of the vacant rooms. The suite that Levi lived in was meant for four people; each person had their own room. There was a common space, a shared bathroom, and a shared kitchen. Because it was just him, Levi had the entire suite to himself; he took one room while leaving the others open as guest rooms.

    Piper got up and asked Levi to join her in her room for a little bit. Levi nodded and followed her into the room. In the room, Piper slowly closed the door behind him.

    "Are you going to kill me?" Levi asked.

    "Yep," Piper said with a sinister grin. Levi chuckled, watching the grin fade into a genuine smile. "No, I wanted to talk about our families. I am sure we will talk more but I wanted to make sure you were aware. My mother and father are pretty protective of me."

    "And the boys that you are around, I imagine," Levi said.

    "Yes," she nodded. "They are amazing people but super intense¡ªthat''s what happens when you have an entire family of assassins. I don''t know how they are going to react to you; we should not tell them that you are an otherworlder. Stick to being a summoner and only a summoner."

    "That''s fair," Levi conceded. "I guess I need a sufficient lie huh?"

    "Are you good at that?" Piper asked.

    "Yes," Levi said.

    "You''re good at lying?"

    "I''ve played a lot of social deduction board games, so yes when I need to."

    "What are board games? How often do you need to?" Piper asked.

    "They are type of games that you play. Not often, except in playing board games," Levi said with a grin.

    "You make my head spin sometimes," Piper said, shaking her head.

    "To be honest I thought you were going to tell me to not say anything about us," Levi said nervously.

    "There is no hiding that from my mother," Piper said. "She was never an assassin, but she is intense. She is a part of the clergy who help with pregnancies."

    "She is a part of the what that does what?"

    "How do women get pregnant in your world?"

    "Uhh sex?"

    "That''s highly ineffective," Piper said.

    "Yeah, well you''re not wrong. You can get help make it more guaranteed but that is crazy expensive," Levi said.

    "We use magic to help the process be more efficient, she is one of those sorcerers who does that."

    "But you said clergy, isn''t clergy religious folks?"

    "Yes and no; I would guess that religion is not the same as it is for you. We have a group of people who venerate different gods, hers is the goddess of fertility."

    "Interesting," Levi sat with it. He was not a religious man, but he wasn''t against it. Levi would describe himself as agnostic over anything. Over the course of his life, Levi really needed proof of existence, especially after his dad died. He hadn''t found it, but he still believed it slightly.

    "So do they perform rituals or something to help it be more guaranteed?"

    "That is exactly what they do. You come into the temple, pay for a room, with a bed that is on top of a ritual circle, do it, then leave, pregnant. You could pay for just any baby, boy, girl, or a different race."

    "I assume that''s if you''re single and really want a kiddo?"

    "Exactly," Piper said. "You seem to be taking this a lot better than I thought."

    "I mean I have a wisp that lives in my eyes and a metal world-devouring organism that is covering my bones right now; it would be a weird line to draw at paying for someone to guarantee your pregnancy. It''s all about perspective, I guess." Levi said with a chuckle.

    "Fair point," Piper said with a giggle. "What is important to know about my mother is that she has an ability to sense authentic romantic desires, she will sense it in me right away. You I would assume too but Willow might help you there."

    "They''re there," Levi said softly. "Also, that''s a helluva ability, good lord."

    "It is important for the high priestess to have such powers," Piper said.

    "Oh, so she''s a big deal, you and your dad. So, you''re a big deal too," he said, narrowing his eyes. "That''s gonna get me a lot of enemies." "Most likely," Piper said with glee. "But I believe in you," she leaned in and kissed his cheek. He felt butterflies flutter in his stomach. Levi really did like Piper. Her goofiness through her stone-cold rogue facade was amazing. He stood up, gave her a long, lingering hug, and walked to his room, where Anza was snoozing away.

    Levi chuckled. He had never wondered what a metallic world-devouring organism sounded like when it snored, but he found the answer by listening to his friend. Terrible, it was an awful sound¡ªlike metal slowly being ground in a garbage disposal. Levi thought about meeting Piper''s family, and it freaked him out. He thought to himself, "This is my second chance at life."

 Chapter 15 - Trouble in Quiet Town

    Levi''s aura sense woke him up to Anna moving around in the room outside his door. He looked over to see Anza, who had perked up and was staring at him. It made a whirling sound, and Levi shook his head. Anza and Levi had learned that Anza could make noises out loud, and Levi would be able to understand the language it was speaking. It was the same with Willow. It seemed like their connection deepened, and the two of them enjoyed the parlor trick.

    Levi got out of bed and met the women in the living room. They were decked out in their cold gear and had rucksacks on their backs.

    "Do you not have inventory?" Levi asked.

    "It''s limited," Anna said. "We''d prefer not to waste it on something that we can carry."

    "Fair enough," Levi said. Our grand adventure awaits." Levi''s goofy smile got 2-stark reactions from the girls. Piper smiled and rubbed her hand affectionately across his face, whispering how cute he was. Anna rolled her eyes, unable to keep herself from smiling. The trio walked out the door, ready for their journey home.

    Anna had set the pace; they were walking casually at a 10-minute mile pace. They were able to maintain a conversation without panting for breath, a testament to how ranking up affected the physical body. Levi was amazed at how he could walk so fast and talk so easily. A few months ago, he couldn''t even run a 10-minute pace, let alone walk one. He silently thanked whatever summoned him to this life. He was thoroughly enjoying it.

    "I know we eat every day because lunch is provided," Levi asked. But do we actually need to eat?"

    "No," Anna said. "But yes, it''s complicated."

    "We have time," Levi said.

    "True," Anna said. "We can sustain ourselves on star tokens, as we rank up the magic within us grows and takes over the need for normal food. Food can still provide the necessary energy we need but it becomes increasingly less effective as we rank. For instance, a 4-star would never need to eat normal food for calories, protein, or carbs. Eventually the protein doesn''t really do anything to help with muscle growth. It just tastes good."

    "How do you sustain yourself at those ranks? The star tokens are not easy to come by," Levi said.

    "No, they are not," Anna said. "Potions. There are various quality potions but if you are simply trying to recover quickly without meditation then potions."

    "So, potion brewers are huge I assume," Levi said.

    "For lower ranks, like us," Piper added. "The higher ranks they tend to get potions by the thousands in dungeons or in completed quests."

    "I see," Levi said. "I have a couple lesser potions that I got earlier."

    "That will be good, but we can hunt our food, if need be," Anna said.

    The trio had passed by the spot where they first met Levi. It wasn''t too far from the city walls, a lot closer to that small town where he decided not to steal their clothes. Levi was shocked that no one was even in the little town, which was buzzing with people when he first got there.

    "That''s weird," Levi said.

    "What?" Anna asked.

    "There isn''t anyone here," Levi said. He stopped to look at a track in the ground.

    Quest: Trouble in Quiet Town

    There is something suspicious about the small town you are in. Solve the mystery.

    "Well," Levi said, tossing the quest box to his friends. "Willow and Anza, go search the place," he instructed his familiars. Willow left Levi''s eyes and shot off in the opposite direction of Anza, who slinked their way through the town. "Let me know if you find anything suspicious." Piper did some parkour and jumped on top of a roof to get a different vantage point. She was jumping from roof to roof, scanning for any sign of life.

    Anna took out her wand and book. Levi pulled out his staff as well, conjuring some orbs to float around him. Anna chanted a spell: "Onyx is mine to control." Blocks of onyx flowed from her robe and around her quickly.

    "I''ll go this way," she said.

    "Bet, keep an eye on my aura," Levi said. He pulled out some coal dust and his wand, putting away his staff. With his wand, he drew a basic summoning circle. In the center, small hummingbirds with fire for wings appeared.

    "Great, see these tracks?" Levi pointed to the ground. "Find what made them, and let me know when you do. Thanks!" The hummingbirds examined the track for a long time, then shot off in different directions.

    "LEVI," Piper called from a rooftop. Levi spotted her and ran over to where she was standing. Anza was growling at something in a house. A strange aura started to emerge from inside the house. It was thick with anger, fear, and power. "A 3-star monster," she said quietly. "I''ve alerted Anna, but I doubt she''ll be able to sneak around it with this aura." The aura pushed harder, and she looked visibly strained.

    Levi sent an orb of lightning into the door to see what would happen. As he did, a serrated tongue shot out and grabbed the orb. There was a burp and satisfaction on the aura now. The creature who owned the aura started to make its way out. Willow turned into battle mode and set the house ablaze, not waiting for the creature to come out. Levi sent fire orbs to the building, too. There was a hideous sound that erupted from the burning house.

    Blasting the roof a part a creature that was a frog standing on two legs with angel wings holding a staff floated down.

    "What the hell is that?"

    Objective: Defeat the Frog Angel

    "Frog Angel," Levi said. Sharing the box with his friends. "Any idea how to kill it?"

    "By killing it," Piper said. She threw some kunai knives at the weird creature. It used its staff to conjure an aura bubble. From behind, Anna used her onyx stones to shoot directly at the creature. The rocks went faster than bullets; some of them passed through a shield. Anza lashed out a sharp tentacle; it went straight through the shield and the shoulder. Another hideous squeal. The frog lashed out its serrated tongue at Anza''s arm to yank it off and presumably poison it.

    Anza was immune to poison being metal, at that moment though, Willow sent fire onto the tongue. The tongue began to smell like burning flesh; it was not pleasant. Levi sent in two orbs of chaos and instructed the fire hummingbirds to attack the staff arm and eyes. In a short amount of time, the creature was being pelted by sharp rocks, knives, fire, chaos, and metal tentacles all at once. Before its arm was burnt off, it raised its staff high and chanted something.

    A huge rush of mana appeared around it and started to push the team back. It started to glow bright white; Levi could see its wounds were healing every passing second. Levi summoned three more mimics; his limit was five. Anza wasn''t being pushed back, its body could be segmented in different tentacles and let the wind pass through it. The three other mimics did the same thing as the Anza. The creature was impaled with four tentacles that opened at the back like a harpoon. The mimics all pulled down as it got closer. Piper and Anna went to work. Piper started attacking with a short sword, bobbing and weaving from the attacks of the frog''s staff.

    The powerful wind attack stopped, and the frog was no longer healing. The frog was a lot faster than the trio. It was stronger and had higher vitality. This was the difference between star ranks. They were stronger and had higher resistance to lower ranks. The Frog Angels were creatures with relatively low vitality and high manna. Their strength was adequate, but their speed was a lot faster. If the mimics hadn''t been there to hold down the frog angel, the fight would have likely been over.

    There were enough slashes on Piper''s skin that the hummingbirds and Willow started to get fire inside the frog angel. From the inside, the frog angel was starting to have embers burning. The smell became unbearable.

    "Anza, finish it," Levi said. Anza grew to its normal alpha size; the mimic was two times the size of the frog angel now. It shot three more tentacles and used more tentacles to stab its body. The frog had several tentacles speared into it. Eventually, it stopped moving. The monster''s body grew limp, then sizzled and dissolved into nothingness.

    "Is everyone alright?" Levi asked. "Good job, Anza. Thank you, hummingbirds! Here," he held out piles of coal, and the hummingbirds happily took some out of his palm and then faded back to where they were summoned with graceful gestures.

    "I''m fine," Anna said.

    "I''m good," Piper said. "Anza is a beast, you too Willow! You have multiple mimics?"

    "Yes, when did that happen?" Anna asked.

    "With the star rank, Anza is an alpha leaving me to create, I think it create, more drones, which was its first form." Levi responded. Anza whirled. "Anza said that I''m an Omega now after the rank up so I can create as many drones as are allowed." Anza made another sound. "At 2-star that means 50 or so."

    "Whoa," the girls said together.

    "Well, it is a swarm creature, it would make sense they could swarm." Levi said.

    Quest: Trouble in Quiet Town ¨C completed

    Reward: Gold Pieces x100 Silver Pieces x1000 Copper pieces x10000

    Reward: Lesser Recovery potion x15

    Reward: Silent boots

    Reward: Silent Essence

    Objective: Defeat Frog Angel - completed

    Reward: 0-star token x15

    Reward: Runic Staff

    Reward: Frog Legs x25

    Reward: Angelic CloakThe story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    "Did y''all get rewards?" Levi asked. Closing the windows.

    "No," Anna said. "Did you?"

    "Yes," Levi said. "You should have gotten something; check again." The girls did as follows, and this time, they noticed they had received some rewards. They were little items, a few coons, and a star token. "Lame, well, I''ll split the loot I got with y''all. I think I got some good gear for each of you.

    "Maybe because you killed it?" Piper asked.

    "I bet it''s a star rank thing," Levi said. "Here," Levi divided the money reward into three and handed it to the girls.

    "Levi," Anna said. "We don''t need money."

    "I have a feeling you will," Levi said. "If your parents really want you to make it in this world as great adventurers."

    "He''s got a point Anna," Piper said. "It''ll be nice to start saving a reserve now, this is a great amount of money." She happily took it from Levi and stored it in her inventory. The coins came in a little chest that had the summoner''s crest on it. Anna reluctantly took the box as well.

    "Then I have these for either. I haven''t looked at them yet, but," he held out a pair of black boots. They were sleek and looked remarkably like high-top basketball shoes, if basketball shoes weren''t so bulky. The black boots radiate with some magic enchantment; the magic was clear to sense. In his other hand, he held out a hooded cloak. The cloak was pure white with a golden trim around the lapel and the hood.

    Item: Silent Boots

    Rare

    2-star

    Boots that hide the footsteps of the wearer.

    Item: Angelic Cloak

    Epic

    2-star

    Bondable cloak that provides a slight boost in spell casting speed, mana reproduction, and evasiveness. The cloak can create an illusionary double to help avoid any oncoming attacks.

    "I didn''t know items had rarity here?" Levi said.

    "They do and ranking," Anna said. "Levi this is very generous, this is the highest rarity cloak, are you sure?"

    "These boots are incredible; they would be perfect for sneaking around!" Piper exclaimed.

    "That''s why I thought you should have them," Levi said. "I definitely don''t need to have my steps silenced as I am in the back." He chuckled. "You wanted to be a team, right? Well, that''s what teammates do, look out for each other," he said, looking at Anna.

    Item: Cloak of Chaos

    Legendary

    2-star

    Bondable; Growth

    A cloak created in the realm of chaos. Bonds with the wearer to hide their aura. 2-star effect: allows the wearer to deflect oncoming attacks; all attacks that get deflected get sent back to the attacker.

    Levi had pulled out his cloak to look at the description. He hadn''t gotten a great description when he first looked at it. Now that he had, he was even more impressed. He wondered about the rarity scale. If it were like video games, Epic would be in the second to highest tier, with Legendary being the highest. The trio wanted to investigate where all the townsfolk had gone, but Anna argued against saying they should try to reach the edge of the valley before nightfall.

    As the trio continued their journey, Levi started observing all his items.

    Item: Staff of Summoning

    Epic

    2-Star

    A staff made of carbon fiber and Ent wood. The staff has runes etched in it to allow summoners to direct, summon, and attack with ease. Can be used to cast spells.

    Item: Wand of Summoning

    Common

    0-star

    A basic utility wand is used to draw summoning and ritual circles. It cannot be used to cast spells.

    Progress: Levi Winters

    Plus 5 to Strength

    Plus 6 to Vitality

    Plus 15 to Wisdom

    Plus 2 to Speed

    Plus 3 to Stamina

    Attributes Total: 406

    Strength 55

    Stamina 53

    Speed 52

    Vitality 86

    Wisdom 160

    "Oh," Levi said after looking at his attributes.

    "What''s up?" Piper asked.

    "I think I just realized something huge," Levi said, eyes wide.

    "What?" Anna asked.

    "I think every attack Anza and Willow land, plus enemy they kill counts as a landed attack for wisdom," Levi explained. "My wisdom went up significantly after that fight."

    "Oh," Piper and Anna said.

    "That''s great," Piper said.

    "I''ve heard of people having familiars before," Anna said. "Never heard of it helping their attributes though."

    "Were they summoners?" Levi asked. "Cause they are summoned familiars, which means I had to summon them. If they were to die in battle, I can resummon them."

    "They were not, they were familiars that they got from a familiar trader," Anna said.

    "There''s a familiar trader?" Levi said. "How does that even work?"

    "They ask what kind of familiar you want and then they work with you to get it. It is pretty much restricted to monster and creatures on this world, or if there happens to be a summoner who can get familiars, they can do a summoning ritual that would give another person a familiar."

    "Make a career out of it," Levi said. "Nice."

    "You''re not thinking about doing that?" Piper asked.

    "Nope," Levi said. "They aren''t some pets to just sell. They''re lifelong friends."

    "Will you get more?" Anna asked.

    "Yeah, when I rank up, my capacity increases each time. I''d love to be a familiar specialist that would be so cool!" Levi said. Anza made a metal whirling sound. "Yes, I know you''ll always be my number 1." It made another sound. "You''ll be fine, you love having friends like Willow, stop being extra."

    "Do you actually understand what it is saying?" Piper said.

    "I do," Levi said. The team had been walking for several hours, keeping a mild pace while maintaining the conversation. The sun was starting to set. Levi looked around over the hill that led to a vast valley. The valley was covered in ice. The ice was glacial blue and glistened in the sunlight. Levi didn''t feel any change in the temperature as he had expected it to be below freezing to keep the ice from melting, but it wasn''t. It was an absolutely beautiful scene. As they approached the top of the hill, Levi stopped and took a deep breath.

    Growing up, Levi''s family would go camping frequently to many different places. He was always a fan of nature; he thought it was beautiful. This, however, trumped anything beautiful he had seen on Earth. Levi wished photography was real; this picture would make an awesome screen saver. Staring for a few seconds longer, soaking up all the beautiful landscape as much as possible, Piper and Anna stopped and looked at their friend. He had the biggest goofy grin on his face.

    "Do you miss that childlike amazement?" Anna whispered.

    "Sometimes," Piper said, looking at her crush. "I forget how incredible our world is after living in it for so long."

    "Yes," Anna replied. "As do I. It is a big world and there are many more beautiful sites to see. I am excited to leave the Onyx kingdom and go to other big cities. We should pick a city and explore there first after we graduate?"

    "That sounds incredible," Piper said, eyes beaming. "Do you really want Levi on our team? I mean, I do, but I am biased."

    "I do," Anna said. "He has proven me wrong, and I appreciate that. He has shown me that he is loyal to you, that he cares for his familiars greatly, that he is studious, and that he works hard. I am always weary of the boys that enter our sphere. They are either after you for the wrong reason or me. I should apologize for how I treated him." She was looking over at Levi. He had taken a seat to watch the sunset with his arm around Anza. Willow was in companion form, sitting on his lap. "Do you think he was like this on his home world?"

    "I don''t think so," Piper said. "There is something about the way he does things that is different. Remember when we were children and that boy who was always causing trouble, what was his name?"

    "Julian?"

    "Yes! Remember how he got in big trouble for the prank?"

    "Oh yeah," Anna said. "He was sent away for some discipline school, right? It worked cause he came back a lot better."

    "He told me," Piper said. "That it wasn''t the school that changed it, it was an adult there. The adult told him to not waste his second chance, cause third chances aren''t given out often in this life. The way he was after reminds me of how Levi is now. He doesn''t talk like someone who had a great time on his home world, he talks like someone who messed everything up and doesn''t want to repeat that."

    "Is that why you don''t push him to talk?"

    "Yes," Piper said. "He''ll talk when he wants to."

    "You really like him, huh?" Anna said.

    "Very much so yes," Piper responded.

    "Your father-"

    "Is the least of my concerns, my mom¡­ now that''s something entirely different." Piper said.

    "Sorry," Levi said, walking back to the girls. I got distracted; it was so breathtaking."

    "No worries," Piper said with a big smile.

    "We''ll set up camp here," Anna said.

    "Cool," Levi said. "Anza, take these two and find us some food." Two mimics appeared out of Levi. Anna looked at the three mimics. When Anza made itself smaller, it was the same size as the other two, but Anza glowed blue while the others glowed orange. "Enough to feed us and you, kay?" Anza made a noise and left.

    "That is very handy," Piper said. "Do you have a name for the other mimics?"

    "You know," Levi paused. "I don''t. Willow is team Willow when he breaks apart but for the mimics, they aren''t exactly smaller versions of Anza¡­" Levi mused for a second. "Hmm I could call them minions but that is awful. Maybe emberites?"

    "Emberites?" Piper said. "Why Emberites?"

    "One ember can cause a forest to be set ablaze, it also matches their core color, and there are a lot of them so it''s like a group of embers is an emebrites. Team Emberites!" Levi said excitedly.

    "No, just no. Levi, think of something else," Piper said, folding her arms.

    "Fine," Levi said. "I don''t know what to name them¡­"

    "Well what are they called?"

    "Mimic drones," Levi said.

    "There just call them drones, team drones, or the drones, but not emberites!"

    "Fine, that''s a better idea¡­ I guess," Levi pouted.

    "That reminds me, by the way... Is Anza a boy or a girl?" Piper asked.

    "I don''t think it has a gender but sometimes I call her, her. Haven''t received any objections as of late." Levi responded.

    Levi had finished putting up his tent. Anza and the drones returned with food in their mouths. They had grabbed some rabbits and an animal Levi had never seen before. He asked Piper if he could borrow a kunai knife. She let him use it, and he started to skin the rabbit and the other animal. Levi had taken out the cooking gear he had purchased and put it over the fire Willow had started.

    Willow''s fire was magical; it didn''t need a source to feed its energy constantly. Therefore, they could have a fire without needing any firewood, kindling, or anything of that nature. It was convenient; then Willow could absorb it when they were ready to leave. Levi had pulled out some potatoes and other vegetables and made a simple rabbit stew. After a few minutes, everyone was lounging around the fire, eating the stew that Levi had prepared. Anna looked at Levi with assessing eyes. He was oddly prepared for this trip, and the stew he made was incredible.

    "Levi," Anna finally said.

    "Yeah?" Levi asked.

    "I''m sorry," she said softly.

    "For what?" he asked.

    "I was a jerk to you when we first met. I was ultra defensive and went out of my way to make you feel bad. It was wrong of me and I''m sorry."

    Levi looked up with his signature comforting smile, "thanks for apologizing. I understand why you were defensive. It must be annoying to have to constantly look over your shoulder like that."

    "It is but that is no excuse," Anna said. "We could have helped you that first night and I didn''t."

    "Then I wouldn''t have gotten Anza," Levi said.

    "Positive outlook," Anna said.

    "Easy to have when you''re used to messing things up," his smile faded.

 Chapter 16 - The World Stood Still

    ¡°When I was younger,¡± Piper spoke up. ¡°I always used to want to be the best assassin in my family.¡± She had a sad smile on her face. ¡°It was a dream and goal to be better than my older brother; he was stronger, better looking, and just better in every way. Maybe not being a daughter but I am sure he¡¯d find a way.¡± Piper chuckled. ¡°My mom told me that I should stop this pointless pursuit to be the Assassin my brother was and carve my own path. For a while I did, I enjoyed being a swordmaster it was fun. But something about the rogue class always called my name, whether it was the danger, the thrill, the stalking around. I just loved it. When the opportunity came for us to go to the guilds, my mind was made.¡± She put her fist into her palm. ¡°I was going to be a rogue and I was going to be a better assassin than my brother.¡±

    ¡°I sense a but coming,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°But,¡± she gave him a sly smile and a look that sent the butterflies loose in his stomach again. ¡°If I am forming a team with y¡¯all, an assassin is not necessarily what I want. My class will evolve at the next tier. Right now, I might be disappointed if I do get Assassin. My mom, as usual, was right. It¡¯s annoying how she is often. I want to be something not so independent.¡±

    ¡°You have time to figure that out and change your fighting style,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Did you say evolution?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Piper responded. ¡°All classes will evolve at third star rank; there is some random specialty with it. It comes with an additional ability; it¡¯s kinda nice. The guilds are meant to get you to 3-star or as close to it as possible. Are you close?¡±

    ¡°Not even close,¡± Levi said. ¡°I need two hunnid more points., and most of those have to be for wisdom.¡±

    ¡°You are more well-rounded,¡± Anna said. ¡°That is good; that will be helpful for you in the long run.¡±

    ¡°Are y¡¯all close?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Piper said. ¡°I¡¯ll likely get it before home, if we keep fighting monsters.¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Anna nodded. ¡°Same.¡±

    ¡°Whoa, impressive.¡± Levi nodded.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been doing it longer,¡± Piper said. ¡°We were 2-star when we met you, your growth has been impressive.¡±

    ¡°Anyways what would you want to be, Piper?¡± Levi asked. She turned her piercing gray eyes to look at Levi.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Piper said. ¡°I want to use magic, especially with you two around, I can learn a lot from you.¡±

    ¡°If you want to learn magic,¡± Anna said, ¡°Then you should start soon. Where is your Speed at?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s at 330,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re at the threshold,¡± Anna responded. ¡°What¡¯s your wisdom at?¡±

    ¡°Low, only 15,¡± Pipe responded.

    ¡°Can you share your stats with me?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so?¡± Piper said. ¡°It¡¯s never worked with Anna, but I¡¯ll try.¡± She grabbed the text box and threw it at Levi.

    Attributes: Piper Vendular

    Total: 555

    Strength 55

    Speed 330

    Stamina 100

    Vitality 55

    Wisdom 15

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°That worked,¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°It did,¡± Levi said. ¡°Here,¡± he threw her his stats.

    Attributes: Levi Winters

    Total: 406

    Strength 55

    Stamina 53

    Speed 52

    Vitality 86

    Wisdom 160

    ¡°You are well balanced,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I can see your issues, Piper,¡± Levi said. ¡°We can fix it after you rank up, but honestly, for the time being, I think you should stop training speed.¡±

    ¡°What do you suggest?¡± Piper asked with total sincerity.

    ¡°Train spell casting,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°But how?¡± Piper said. She watched Levi pluck a book out of thin air. ¡°Get to studying,¡± Levi said, handing her the book.

    ¡°Ritual Magic,¡± Piper read out loud. ¡°Levi how is this going to help me?¡±

    ¡°If you can use rituals to enhance your strength and vitality, you¡¯ll be unstoppable. Capable of tanking more hits,¡± Levi said. ¡°It will be good, use it as magical enhancement.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s actually not a bad idea,¡± Anna said. ¡°It has a lot of merit to it. Think about it Pipes, you could use a strength ritual and be able to throw your knives with much stronger force.¡±

    ¡°That is a good point. So, use magic to be stronger?¡± Piper mused. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do it.¡± She turned to Levi. ¡°You¡¯re our ritualist, can you teach me?¡±

    ¡°Me as well,¡± Anna said. ¡°But only when she is at my level,¡± Anna said with a smirk. ¡°Give y¡¯all some one-on-one time.¡±

    ¡°Now?¡± Piper said.

    Levi chuckled, ¡°Now??¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°Only for a couple hours then we can get some sleep.¡± She was practically trembling with excitement.

    ¡°Alright, come on,¡± Levi said, getting up and walking away. ¡°I¡¯ll leave some drones to keep watch if you want to sleep, Anna.¡±

    ¡°That is appreciated,¡± Anna nodded. She looked tired.

    Levi and Piper had gone a decent distance from the camp to avoid any undue noise waking Anna. It was now dark out, but the light of the moon kept it manageable to see. Willow split into teams Willow to create a circle around them with light. They burned bright, providing ample light to see. Anza and an ember were walking around, constantly patrolling.

    ¡°Your familiars are great,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°They sure are,¡± Levi responded. ¡°Rituals are I guess one of the most complex versions of magic. It combines the circles that are needed in summoning magic with the incantation that is needed in spell casting. Ritual magic is drawing a circle and chanting an incantation.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Now, I¡¯m not the best example of any of this because I don¡¯t need to say incantations, and I can draw ritual circles in the air. But there is a reason why I chose this spot. You can draw a circle in the sand. Ritual spells only last for a certain amount of time, you will be able to feel it instinctively. Now to enchant yourself you¡¯re going to have to be in the ritual circle, for 1-star rituals which is the only thing you can do.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a little unnerving,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°It is,¡± Levi confirmed. ¡°It is safe though. Watch,¡± Levi pulled out his wand to begin drawing a ritual circle. He pulled out his own ritual book from his inventory¡ªdark, ethereal clouds with red lighting emitted from the book Levi was holding. Well, not holding; his hand was under the book, but it was not resting in his hand. He started drawing a circle with his wand, and it appeared on the ground around where he and Piper were standing; Piper shuffled out of the way. The circle began to glow scarlet red, as did Levi. Soon enough, the circle disappeared, and Levi was left with a scarlet red glow that covered his body.

    ¡°This,¡± Levi said. ¡°Is a health regeneration spell. I slowly will regenerate quicker than I would with normal meditation. It isn¡¯t great, but it is helpful in a long battle.¡±

    ¡°I see, what does it feel like?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Step in the circle and find out,¡± Levi said. Piper read the book and started to draw a ritual circle on the ground. It was a simple circle with a triangle on the inside. The rune circle was in the middle. Once it was done, Piper stood in the rune circle and started chanting.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°Let the damage of battle be washed away.¡± Piper¡¯s body started to glow a faint scarlet light. She started to giggle like a little kid being licked by a dog. She held out her hands and watched with amazement.

    ¡°Levi,¡± Piper said. ¡°This is incredible.¡± Levi was looking on with watchful eyes. He noticed that something was slightly off with the spell. She was regenerating health but at a much slower rate than the ritual should be doing. He found what was wrong. Jumping to his feet, he pulled out his staff and started drawing out another ritual circle.

    Piper¡¯s laugh turned to muffled screams. She started scratching her skin furiously, and the fun feeling she was experiencing was replaced with excruciating itchiness.

    ¡°Le-Levi!¡± she said, panicking. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°Stop scratching,¡± Levi instructed. His voice was calm, and his look was mellow. Piper looked at his calm mood, and she felt safe. Piper had completely trusted Levi, and the fact that he was so calm during this situation filled her with some reassurance that it was under control. ¡°Take a deep breath, Piper. I made a ritual of healing and soothing.¡±

    Relief washed over Piper¡¯s face. She stopped scratching, but not without doing some damage to her skin. Blood had been seeping out of the scratches in her forearms. Not a lot, but enough that the scratching had broken the skin. She walked over to Levi and pushed her head into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her.

    ¡°Good attempt,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°What went wrong?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Your triangle was slightly off. You created a trap ritual. It¡¯s actually impressive, that will be useful. Trap rituals are the same ritual circles but just slightly off,¡± Levi explained.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Piper said, aid looking defeated.

    ¡°Keep your head up,¡± Levi said. ¡°You still completed the ritual and that would have earned you some progress points...¡±

    ¡°But I failed to do what I was trying to do.¡±

    ¡°You failed successfully! That¡¯s a good thing. Try again.¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°What¡¯s your mana at?¡±

    ¡°It only took 5 out the 15,¡± Piper responded.

    ¡°Great do it again.¡±

    ¡°Will you have another ritual ready?¡± she asked nervously.

    ¡°Nope, you got this.¡± Levi said with a smile.

    ¡°Jerk,¡± she teased.

    ¡°I know,¡± Levi winked.

    Piper drew another circle and triangle in the sand. This time, she looked between the triangle and the circle over and over, double-checking her work. When she felt satisfied, she chanted a different incantation.

    ¡°When the well runs low, the rain from heavens refills.¡± Blue light started to glow from the circle and encapsulated her. She enjoyed the feeling once again but was trepidatious. She felt her mana grow with every passing moment; that slight headache she was feeling from mana deficiency was washing away slowly. She looked over at Levi; unsurprisingly, his face showed nothing. After several moments, Levi walked into the circle with a big smile.

    ¡°Excellent job!¡± Levi complemented.

    ¡°I did it?!¡± Piper said, jumping up and down. ¡°That is something that I can do frequently, slowly and surely.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi said. ¡°Keep doing the small ones and watch your progress grow. Did you experience growth?¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± Piper said excitedly. ¡°It went up ten points.!¡± Levi looked at the excited Piper. Levi smiled. This was a rare moment that Piper showed vulnerability about this world that he had adopted. Levi had been asking the girls questions for months since his; now, he got to teach and give back. Levi loved that; it made him feel fulfilled. The bonus was that it had actually helped Piper, not just giving her items. Giving her a technique to better her ranking up and a better life, in turn.

    She rushed over and gave him a big hug. ¡°Thank you, thank you thank you,¡± she said. ¡°I am excited to keep trying!¡± Piper let go slightly, so that she could see Levi¡¯s eyes. Her gray eyes were staring into Levi¡¯s brown. They stood, still looking into each other¡¯s eyes, and for a brief moment, the world stood still. Levi¡¯s heart raced then stopped; every issue had melted away. His dad¡¯s death, his mediocre life, poor decision after poor decisions, his estranged relationship with friends and family, all of it disappeared for a brief second. The inner turmoil and chaos that had been raging inside of him had calmed. Levi couldn¡¯t explain it, but for the first time in what seemed like forever, Levi felt peace.

    Piper had a fair share of male suitors. None were like Levi, though. Levi was not distant but not aggressive. He was consistent and reassuring in a covert way. Piper was used to men being brazen and obnoxious. Disregarding the sexy act of subtly when it comes to romance. What they lacked in subtly, they made up for in good looks and muscles. Maybe too much muscles. Piper had enjoyed looking at them; they were great eye candy, but they were terrible conversationalists. Piper craved banter, she craved humor, and deep conversations. She wanted to be challenged and taught while also being silly. She herself was a naturally silly person. She never took it too seriously and wanted to have fun as much as possible.

    Being an assassin is grim work. If one were to take it too seriously, they would have a dark and lackluster life ahead of them. Piper did not want that. She wanted joy, passion, stimulation. That was not something she got from her standard boy toys. Levi was not like that. He was smart, witty, had good banter, and, in general, a good heart. He wasn¡¯t the most attractive, but he wasn¡¯t ugly by any means. A little more handsome than some, but not one that would be drooled over by all. He had actually gotten more muscular in the month they¡¯d known each other. Not a lot, but enough to see muscle replace skin and bones.

    What really worked for Levi was the fact that he was subtle with his pursuit. He would brush her arm here, smile at her there, and keep Anna at a friendly yet respectful distance. It was no secret that Anna was the level of everyone drooling over her attractiveness, but Levi didn¡¯t seem to notice, or he was a great actor. Piper enjoyed the fact that Levi would actively ask questions, answer questions, learn, engage, and be willing to accept the craziness that was his life. That was not an easy task. Piper had suspected that should the roles get reversed; she would still be miserable, unsure, or unable to decide what the next step would be.

    She talked about all of this while she hugged Levi. Her hands were around his neck, and she pulled back to look at him. In that moment, all of her past troubles with men, dating, and romance had melted away. In that moment, Piper looked at the man in front of her and saw something that she never would have thought she would see: a future.

    The moment came to an end as they heard rustling in the bushes. Anza and Willow got in battle positions. Levi took out his staff, and Piper took out her sword. Levi pushed out his aura to see if he could sense what was coming for them. His aura slammed into a wall. Pulling his aura back, he pulled out his ritual wand and started to create summons.

    Three dirty men with curved scimitars walked out of the shadows and into the light. They had missing teeth, matted hair, and torn clothes. They emitted an awful smell.

    ¡°Barbarians,¡± Piper whispered. ¡°This is bad Levi, they are 2-star.¡±

    Levi wondered what stopped his aura from getting a reading on them when they were behind the bushes. He didn¡¯t have too much time to think about it. He conjured several orbs of lightning to swirl around him. He elected not to summon anything; his mana was still recovering from the fight with the frog angel.

    A barbarian spoke, ¡°Come with us and maybe we¡¯ll keep you alive.¡±

    ¡°Where do you want us to go?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he growled. ¡°You are outnumbered.¡± The other barbarians snarled. Anza made a sound, and Levi nodded. Three more drones appeared behind the barbarians. Willow had split into many smaller versions of itself and went behind the barbarians.

    ¡°Fighting us is suicide,¡± the barbarian said. ¡°Think of your,¡± he ran his eyes up and down Piper¡¯s body. ¡°Lady friend,¡± he said with malice and lust.

    ¡°For that,¡± Levi said, " you die.¡± He sent the orbs flying toward the lead barbarian. He slashed his sword; the orb exploded in his face. Lighting flew out of the orb and covered the barbarian¡¯s sword in sparks of electricity. He dropped it, swearing, distracted. He hadn¡¯t seen the three tentacles coming from behind. Two entered his chest, and one entered his skull. With a gurgling noise, he dropped to the floor, lifeless.

    One of the barbarians screamed in anger at Levi; it charged without any thought of what had just happened. In two steps, it had run into a magical wall. The wall was filling with coal dust. The barbarian was slamming the wall, screaming with anger. It tried slashing and stabbing, but nothing worked. The semi-transparent cylindric wall had encapsulated the barbarian completely. It looked up with eyes filled with anger. Levi was holding a glowing wand in front of the Barbarian. He had created a trap ritual circle and put some flammable dust inside. Willow sent three bodies into the wall. The crystal wisps were able to pass harmlessly through the magical wall, and they alighted gently to the bottom. The entire cylinder erupted in a bright flash of crystal blue flames. Screams eventually died out as there was nothing but ash within the magical wall.

    Levi looked up to see that Piper had finished off her barbarian with relative ease. She had a blood streak along her face and a couple of cuts, but nothing too crazy. She would heal over time. The barbarian she had killed had several knives thrown into its chest with a finishing slash to its throat.

    ¡°They were weak,¡± Piper said. ¡°I think that they are cannibals.¡±

    ¡°On the outskirts of the ice valley,¡± Levi said. ¡°Are they wanting to be starved? Wouldn¡¯t only adventures or budding adventures come this way?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I bet that they are hoping that they are 1-star or lower though. If they had killed higher levels, then they would have had higher ranked gears.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Levi said. ¡°You good?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Piper said with a smile. ¡°Are you? I recall killing not being your favorite.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Levi stated. ¡°But if you come for me and mines, I¡¯m gonna make you regret it.¡±

    ¡°That trap magic wall thing is brutal.¡± Piper said.

    ¡°I got the idea from you,¡± Levi said. The pair started to walk back to where Anna was. Levi had reported that the drones hadn¡¯t reported anything, but he still had a connection.

    ¡°From me?¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Yeah, you created a trap circle, by accident, but I guessed that I could do something similar but with deadly affect. And it worked.¡±

    ¡°You do work well with your familiars. They were able to do some significant damage.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they are good to me,¡± Levi said. Levi and Piper returned to the camp to see Anna snoozing and two drones patrolling the area, doing their due diligence. The fire was still going strong, and Piper found her sleeping sack and bundle in it. She wished Levi a goodnight. In a moment, heavy breaths emerged from her sleeping sack. Levi was still wired from the fight. He had killed two more people. He hadn¡¯t felt bad about it, likely if they went with them Levi would be killed and Piper would have been an object of lust. He was never going to let that happen. Levi decided to look at his notifications before he nodded off to sleep.

    Enemy Defeated: Barbarian Leader

    2-star

    Loot: 1-Star token (x10)

    Loot: Lesser Mana potion x5

    Loot: Barbarians Crest

    Loot: Rune of the damned

    Enemy Defeated: Barbarian

    2-star

    Loot:  1-star token x4

    Loot: Hellhound Claw

    Loot: Wolf Mane

    Loot: Smoke Ball

    Hidden Objective: Enemies Defeated

    You have successfully defeated three enemies

    Reward: Summoner¡¯s Boots

    Reward: Health potion x2

    Reward: Gold Piece x1, silver piece x10, Copper piece x100

    Status: Progression Made

    Plus 15 to Wisdom

    Plus 3 to Speed

    Plus 1 to Vitality

    Attributes Total: 426

    Strength 55

    Stamina 53

    Speed 56

    Vitality 87

    Wisdom 175

    Levi was excited to look at his new items, but sleep had finally staked its claim. Allowing it to take over, Levi closed the windows and his eyes. Drifting into sleep.

 Chapter 17 - Passing Moments

    Anna woke up to Levi and Piper snoring. She didn''t know how long the two had been away; she had fallen asleep shortly after they left. Getting up and brushing herself off, she looked at the fire. It was still going strong; two of Levi''s metallic familiars were still patrolling the area. Anza was up and had joined the ranks. Anna didn''t know what to make of the mimics; they were kind enough to her and Piper. They were world-eating organisms, though, and that was enough to make anyone honestly question true intentions. She wanted to believe that because they were with Levi, they would be good. They just were so evil-sounding, two familiars with the power to annihilate an entire planet. It was a scary thought.

    She did her best to hide it from the other two. It was not going to help anyone if she was constantly scared and worried about familiars who were not doing her any harm but the opposite, helping her. Anna pulled out some bread from her inventory and warmed it next to the fire for a little while until it was good enough to eat. She took slow bites, meditating and focusing on the journey of the day.

    It was her time to return home after leaving. She was worried. Levi wasn''t exactly the kind of person her parents wanted her around. It''s not that he was bad or wrong or anything; they just had a thing with being around those of a certain wealth threshold. She understood perfectly how awful this position was to hold, but what was she to do? She was barely 21, a 2-star rank without her class evolution. She wielded no power.

    She sighed and looked over the valley of ice. It was vast, and she couldn''t see the end in sight, but she knew it well. Anna took a long, deep, cleansing breath.

    "Anna," Levi said. "You good?"

    "Jeez, Levi," Anna said, startled. "Less now. When did you get so good at your aura control?"

    "I''m not sure, just been working on it. What''s up?"

    "I''m nervous to go home," she said nervously.

    "Cause your friend is an otherworlder with two world-ending familiars and an affinity for chaos?" Levi asked.

    "Yes," Anna said, shocked once again. "That''s exactly it, how did you?"

    "Anna, I''m not an idiot. Okay, so I''m not a complete idiot. I see how you look at my familiars. I see how you looked at me when I gave you the chaos book. I saw it when I was explaining to you how it works; everything inside of you looked like it wanted to attack me and put me down. I was lucky that you were too tired last night to put any resistance to having the drones protect you."

    "Levi, I''m sorry. Do you see it from my perspective,"

    "Of course, I do, Anna." Levi interrupted. "I''m not mad at you and I definitely don''t blame you. I''m just tryna tell you that you''re not that good at hiding how you feel. That''s a gift. It means you haven''t had the need to practice it. You ever wanna know why I am so good at lying, or those lying games?"

    "Why?"

    "Because I had to be. I had to pretend that I was okay, when I was not. Where I come from men are told to suck it up, keep your feelings to yourself, rub some dirt on it, or ''man up.'' So, I learned how to be what I needed to be. Where I knew it would be the path of least resistance. But I always knew when to put the mask on. Sometimes I think I put the mask on so well that I forgot who I was trying to fool. Don''t learn. Keep being you, keep wearing your heart on your sleeve."

    "Levi," she paused. She was not used to someone being so kind to her when she had not been reciprocating. She was at a loss for words. "I don''t know what to say¡­ Thank you. For seeing me."

    "Sure thing, Anna," he made his way to get up and head back to pack the camp.

    "Wait," she grabbed his arm. "Do you ever wonder how you got here?"

    "Sometimes, it''s more like a passing moment, nothing really too pressing, though." She got up and followed him back to the campsite to pack. She felt lighter and was ready to accept her new friend and his familiars.

    <hr>

    Ten years ago.

    Metal on metal clattered in the distance. Panic and adrenaline surged through his veins. He had to get to his tower before the evil one came. Dripping sweat and stumbling over the clutter, the man finally entered his ritual rune. He dug through a stack of paper to find what he was looking for. He had to hurry; it was no telling until his tower would be overrun. Rushing to place the diamond dust into an intricate summoning circle. Creating the complex runes in each of the circles, he started chanting.

    "Let the words of the Oracle reign true. Seek, seek, seek out the one who has the potential of the gods but the life of a jester. The one who threw away it all but simply needs a spark to reignite the soul. For unto them, a second chance shall be created. For unto them, a second life shall be given. The chance to change the past and live for the future. The chance to fight for something new in the new world it inhabits. As the Oracle said many centuries ago before the rise of the Archon of Evil to take over the world, let the one be brought here. Seek, seek, seek," He finished his chant, and the ritual started to spin, and it began emitting a powerful aura.

    There were several pounds on the door. A powerful being with a Cobra staff walked in menacingly. It strolled up to the ritualist, who had just finished casting a spell. Watching the battle unfold, the being attacked several knights. The knights were no match for his intense rank. He would cast a spell, and they would melt away like someone had just poured acid on their flesh. It continued its way across the bridge towards the tower. As it walked, it would raise its staff, and the enemies would rise off the ground and be thrown off the sides. It was making short work on any enemy that dared to defy its glorious purpose.

    Upon reaching the base of the tower, it felt the power of a ritual circle enacting. It looked up, and fury flashed across its face. It would not be undone by anyone; it entered the tower and flew up the middle of the tower to the top. At the top, it approached a door, the place where the aura was coming from. More guards were getting in its way. This time, the powerful being kicked them against the wall, and they fell splat on the ground.

    They knocked on the door. There was no answer, so they decided to let themselves in. A disappointed look crossed his face.

    "You didn''t do a summoning ritual, did you?" the creature asked. Its voice was cold and extremely raspy. The ritualist struggled to understand it. "You didn''t do a summoning ritual did you?"

    The ritualist didn''t say anything. He couldn''t say anything. The being looked and saw a paper floating. It had a prophecy, one that was shared by the other towers. The other towers were all fakes. False towers to send it on a wild chase to buy time for something. For this ritualist to do the final piece. Anger seized control of the being, and it chanted a spell, "Burn," the ritualist started screaming in pain. Acid fell from a small cloud that appeared; it did not affect the environment just to the target.

    The powerful was being watched on in pleasure as the ritualist was being burnt alive with acid. Skin and muscle were eroded entirely away. All that was left were patches of burnt flesh and a visible pathway to some of the ritualist''s skeleton. Looking at the ground, the being noticed that the summoning circle consisted of diamond dust. Probably the most important part was that all the other circles were incomplete or made with less material. This one was used with the best quality of materials you could use. In a fit of rage, it screamed, "Oracle!"

    "You..." a feeble voice said. "Loooost."

    "You celebrate the completion of part of a prophecy that is vague and ancient and often thought of as false. I have not lost; I will find this otherworlder and kill it before it can do anything."

    "You¡­. losssst. The moment you got angry, your time will come, Archon." The ritualist died as the Archon stepped on his neck, squishing it like a bug. It had a new mission: it was time to kill an otherworlder.

    <hr>

    The trio walked through the first part of the icy valley without issue. There were no monsters, no other adventures, nothing. It was suspiciously quiet. Anna was on alert but trusted the drones to give her ample warning of anything. Levi was reading the items he had gotten from their battle with the barbarians. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Item: Summoner''s Boots

    2-star

    Rare

    The stylish boots of a summoner allow the summoner to ride on the back of certain summoned mounts.

    Item: Smoke Ball

    Epic

    Summoning Stone

    A ball filled with the smoke of a being from the smoke-ethereal realm. Use in a familiar ritual to summon a familiar with the stone.

    Item: Rune of the Damned

    Epic

    Rune

    A rune that can be placed in ritual magic to have an added effect of creeping death. Rune can also be etched in a ritual staff.

    Creeping death - a curse that inflicts the target with slow-moving necrosis. Necrosis spreads slowly.

    "Does that mean you can ride on Anza?" Piper asked.

    "I''ve always been able to," Levi responded. "I''m not sure what it is for. The smoke ball is the most interesting thing for me¡ªanother summoning stone. I seem to be getting those frequently."

    "I''m not sure what the different class evolutions there are for summoners. Is there one for familiars?" Anna asked.

    "I have no idea," Levi said. "There aren''t a lot of records that describe summoner class evolutions. I only really know two, and that''s because of the professors."

    "What are theirs?" Anna asked.

    ¡°Professor Egret is a ritualist. Professor Burtrum is a body enhancer, which is interesting. I think he used enough ritual magic and guard-type summoners to get that."

    "Oh, so you can probably become a ritualist?"

    "I doubt it; I have the ability. Everything I have seen has been creating a set of powers that are harmonious, not redundant."

    "That is the hope for all of us, but it doesn''t always work out," Piper said.

    "Damn," Levi said. "Oh well, we''ll see soon enough."

    Levi was notified that a pack of monsters was ahead of them. They were on their way and moving fast. The drones described the monsters as skeleton wolves.

    "We got some enemies heading towards us," Levi informed the girls. The smile that grew on his face was intense. "I got this," Levi said, pulling out his staff and conjuring orbs of chaos. In his other hand, he held his wand and began drawing a summoning circle. He used the snow that was already on the ground. The white lines drawn in the snow began to glow bright white. Anna and Piper took a step back and watched what Levi had in store.

    All three could hear the footsteps of the oncoming monsters. The summoning circle was still glowing in the center as two creatures were being formed. Two massive ice golems with shields appeared in the two rune circles. They were each four meters tall, and their shields matched their bodies. They turned to look for instructions from their summoner.

    "We got some skeletal wolves on the way, don''t let them get past you," Levi said. The Golems slowly nodded and turned. "Willow," Willow appeared. "Ready? Go ahead and start to swarm the pack. Anza," Anza walked up and grew into her alpha height. "You and me," she nodded. The two of them went on either side of the golems.

    Skeletal wolves were about double the size of normal wolves. They had no muscles, skin, or fur; they were just bones reanimated with ice magic. With sharp bone claws and sharp bone teeth, one was never really an issue as their defenses weren''t the strongest. Very rarely did they ever travel alone. They traveled in numbers of at least twenty. This group was no different. 20 skeletal wolves had just entered view over the clearing. They ran into a wall of Willow. Flames burst as they were being swarmed with the eternal flame of the crystal wisp. One of the weaker ones fell dead right away.

    Levi had stationed some of the drones to intercept a few and draw them into a fight right after Willow. They did as instructed. The wolves and the drones were about the same size. The advantage the mimic drones had was that they could use their bodies as weapons with the various tentacles. One of the drones grabbed a leg bone from the wolf and pulled. The bone came flying out, and the wolf stumbled, losing balance. Give the drone plenty of time to finish the fight.

    The bulk of the wolves had made it through the first line of defense. It was only meant to shave off some of their numbers. The real damage dealers would be the Golems and Anza. Anza attacked three wolves at once. Her size and speed severally outmatched the skeletal wolves. The golems swung their mighty shields and shattered any wolves that contacted them. As soon as they made an impact, giant spikes of ice appeared, which would typically impale the flesh of an opponent, but they were without flesh.

    A couple of the wolves steered clear of Anza and the golems, making a B-line toward Levi. Levi sent three orbs of chaos at each of the wolves. The orbs slammed into the faces of the wolves, and the smokey red lightning orbs covered the wolves with the red sparks. Levi didn''t wait; he charged. He held his staff in hand and started twirling it. The runes on the staff lit up as they were for different elements. He slammed the staff into the skull of one of the wolves. Spider-web cracks started to form in the skull of the wolf. Levi ducked under a lashing claw and swung upward, catching the jaw of the other wolf. Willow came back and entered into the cracks of the skeletal wolves. The wolves'' bones started to smoke. The wolves were now disorientated. Levi started attacking again with his staff.

    Shortly after several attacks with his staff, the wolves fell with shattered skulls that were still burning. Levi examined the battlefield and saw the ice golems had made quick work of eleven skeletal wolves. Anza had taken care of the three in front of her and was harmlessly gnawing on the leg bone of a skeletal wolf.

    Enemy Defeated: Skeletal Wolves x20

    Reward: Wolf Bones x20

    Reward: Ice gem x5

    Reward: Snow dust

    Status: Progression Made

    Plus 60 to Wisdom

    Plus 5 to Speed

    Plus 10 to Vitality

    Plus 3 to Strength

    Attributes Total: 504

    Strength 58

    Stamina 53

    Speed 61

    Vitality 97

    Wisdom 235

    "That was a huge gain," Levi said.

    "That''s cause you did that by yourself with just your summons," Anna said.

    "That was incredible to watch," Piper said. Levi turned to the ice golems and told them they did a great job. Sent them home with some of the ice gems and a big thanks. The golems were thankful and returned to their home realm.

    Levi pulled out a lesser mana potion and consumed it. The trio continued their journey towards the girls'' home.

    "Those golems were huge," Piper said. "Did that cost a lot of mana?"

    "Oh yeah," Levi said. "75% of it. They were very powerful. The snow makes it easy to summon since it''s a summoning material."

    "How do you have so many of these summons memorized?"

    "It''s more of instincts than memorization," Levi replied. "I just kinda think what kinda summon I want then; I''m guided by that feeling." Levi was rubbing his temples as the mana potion slowly recovered his mana, getting rid of the low mana headache.

    The rest of the day, the trio had fought a few monsters. They fought a yeti who was throwing its own feces. They made short work of it as the three of them worked together. They had no interest in having a prolonged fight with a monster that threw its own poo. Piper fought on her own by creating a couple of trap rituals. The monster she fought was a slug with ice breath. The slug was slow, but it was a good chance for her to practice her ritual magic. She was fast enough to dodge any of the ice breath.

    They found out that as the slug was slithering over the snow, it was burning and melting the snow. That was shocking to them, so even more reason for her to avoid the slug. The slug''s vitality was already low, and it was a 2-star monster, so it caused little threat. It was the ideal target for the nervous Piper to practice her magic. She noticed that the trap ritual did a lot of damage as the slug died slowly. She threw a kunai knife, and the slug died immediately. It slowly dissolved into nothing.

    Anna did not have a matchup as easy as the other two, even though Levi''s matchup was not easy. He just had time. Anna had to fight a pack of ice elements. Anna didn''t have any fire magic spells that she could use at the moment. It was a long, arduous battle. Anna almost had to tap out because she was running very low on mana. Eventually, she figured out a strategy that would work best. She used earth magic to smash the ice elementals. Her skills with earth magic were not excellent, as she had an affinity for water and ice. Anna, in the end, remembered she could use chaos magic. After she had made a final attack with chaos magic, the pack of elementals all died.

    Anna said she needed to rest, so the group decided to make camp where they were and be done for the day. It was a few hours until nighttime, but all of them had pushed themselves, and they had made a good distance inside the valley. The trio decided that they would pick different matchups based on the monster to decide who should fight what. This would allow for the most gains of progress after each of the monsters was killed. They would fight together if the threat were too much.

 Chapter 18 - Better Trajectory

    Two days of exploring, walking, and training inside the valley was very fruitful. Piper was a few progress points. away from achieving 3-star. Anna had reached 3-star at the end of the day yesterday and Levi was not too far behind, only needing 20 progression points. total. The trio elected to rest for the remainder of the day as Anna was still getting used to all the newness that came with a star advancement. She had gotten her class evolution. She became a Blizard Sorceress. This was a sorceress who excelled in ice and water combat spells and environments. Her affinity for ice and water increased exponentially. As they were in a valley of ice and snow, her senses were overwhelmed; until she could get a good grasp on it, she would have to take things slower than usual.

    ¡°This is awesome,¡± she said, holding her head. ¡°But damn it hurts so much.¡±

    ¡°What does it feel like?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Do you know how when you have been in a dark room for a long time, then you walk out into the sunlight. You know how your eyes hurt?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Piper replied.

    ¡°It feels like that, but with every sense I have, including aura.¡±

    ¡°That does not sound fun,¡± Piper admitted.

    ¡°It¡¯s not especially,¡± Anna said. ¡°How are you doing with your training?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± Piper replied. ¡°I wish I had done this sooner, but I am getting a good grasp of ritual magic. Levi is a really good teacher.¡±

    ¡°He is,¡± Anna nodded. ¡°You will have plenty of time to raise wisdom up from 3-star to 4-star.¡±

    ¡°Is that our goal?¡± Piper asked. ¡°Levi asked me this the other day while you were recovering. How far do we want to go? 4-star will take up a long time to get there and 5-star double that. I never thought about where we will end.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s up to you, Piper,¡± Anna said. ¡°I want to be a 5-star, I don¡¯t care if it takes me until I am a century or older, that¡¯s my goal. What do you want?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it,¡± Piper said, looking distraught. ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t even want to join a guild or be an adventurer. I was fine being an aristocrat and living my days out that way. I had no intentions of prolonging my life, I went along with you cause I had to and cause you¡¯re my best friend.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want power? Prestige? As a 5-star you could start your own nation or your own aristocratic family, YOU could be the hierarchy!¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Piper said. ¡°I don¡¯t care about power or prestige. I care about friends and family. I don¡¯t want to found a nation or rule over one. Starting my own house would be kind of fun as long as I could pass the duties of maintaining it elsewhere. But we come from powerful houses anyway, so it''s not like we could just drop our current last names and be someone we¡¯re not.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair and you are right. I guess, figure out what your goal is? What do you want with this life? Did Levi tell you what he wanted with his?¡±

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t sure,¡± Piper said. ¡°He is holding a lot. I think he is excited to get a second chance, but he is running from something. Maybe we¡¯ll find out sometime, maybe he doesn¡¯t know that he is even running. What do you think of his progress?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s intense. He progresses really quickly, and he seemingly never takes a break. It¡¯s crazy that he has caught up to us so fast, but I guess his advantage is that he has one-on-one instruction. That probably helps a lot with his advancement.¡±

    ¡°Most likely,¡± Piper mused. ¡°I want to do as many adventures, quests and dungeons with all of us. I think that would be so much fun. Perhaps that could be my goal. It¡¯s clear that my life is already going to be different from my family. I am not a clergy, and I don¡¯t want to be an assassin.¡± She flopped to her back in exasperation. ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t know. My life used to be so simple. I used to know what I wanted.¡±

    ¡°Did you know or were you told this is how your life would be?¡± Anna asked. ¡°Pipes, Piper, your family, and I love them to death, has always carved your path. They decided that you would go to the rogue¡¯s guild, they decided that you would come with me to Arcross. They chose your path. Which is not wrong; it¡¯s how the Vendulars do things. I suspect that my father purposefully sent us to Arcross for two reasons. One so I could make a name for myself, without favoritism. And two so you could learn to carve your own path.¡±

    ¡°You really think he sent us there for me too?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°After meeting Levi and seeing him with all his familiars, it makes me want to be a summoner. He has lifelong friends who are crazy cool death monsters,¡± Piper said, sitting back up.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call them death monsters,¡± Levi said jokingly. He was walking back bloodied and cut up. Anza was carrying a rather large carcass.

    ¡°What the, are you okay?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Levi said. ¡°This is a chance for you to practice your ritual magic, heal me.¡± Piper nodded, albeit nervously; she got up and started to work.

    ¡°Levi,¡± Anna said. ¡°We were just talking about our goals and the future.¡±

    ¡°Oof, big topics,¡± Levi responded. He sat down in the snow and watched Piper draw a ritual circle around him.

    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± he responded.

    ¡°Do you want to go home?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Not really,¡± Levi said. ¡°I mean, I miss my mom and sisters. It would be nice to apologize to them for how awful I was to them. But I don¡¯t wanna stay there. That¡¯s not my path anymore. I like it here, I like the friends I¡¯ve made, and the lessons I have learned. I didn¡¯t get to explore my world before but here in this ice valley,¡± he paused, looking around. Eyes wide in awe. Piper chanted her incantation, and a dull red light began to glow in the snow. Levi took a deep breath and felt the cleansing effect of the ritual circle, heal his wounds. ¡°Aahh,¡± to Levi, it felt like he was sitting in an ice bath after a hard workout, feeling his muscles begin to relax. ¡°Great job,¡± he said to Piper. You¡¯ve really improved.¡± He got up and walked over to where the carcass was and began setting up dinner.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    ¡°I assume you¡¯ll want to rest the rest of the day?¡± He asked Anna. She nodded.

    ¡°You don¡¯t miss home?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t much left for me to miss,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Did something happen before you came here?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Not right before, no,¡± Levi responded. He was skinning the animal carcass. In between knife slashes he would pause and look up. ¡°I lost my dad some years ago. He was my best friend, the guy I talked to the most. Then poof, he was just gone.¡± Levi¡¯s eyes started to get misty, so he looked down and kept at his task. ¡°I took it harder than the rest of my family. I messed up a lot of my life. It¡¯s not like my life was going anywhere extraordinary, but it was on a better trajectory than where I took it. People always told me that the pain would go away, and it would get easier. It doesn¡¯t. They just stop hanging around to check in on you. After a year, no one really cared; everyone¡¯s life went back to normal, and that was hard for me. It wasn¡¯t as easy to just move on.

    Being here, though¡­ being here has given me a new perspective on life. I still miss my dad like crazy. He would have loved this world.¡± He paused once again and looked at the women and his familiars. ¡°He would have loved y¡¯all, magic.¡± he sadly chuckled. ¡°Magic is real, and in this world, we get magical powers. Most of all, he would be proud that I¡¯ve found something worth pursuing. After his death, I let a lot of things go.¡±

    There was a moment of complete stillness. No one said anything. Everyone sat in the words that Levi had just shared. Piper had known that Levi was holding onto something. She could have never guessed knowing that he was a man of mystery from an entire other world. Hearing his story about his dad was hard, he expertly avoided telling them what happened. She knew deep down, though, he would tell that to them eventually. She wondered if his world had magic or if he just didn¡¯t know. She also wondered what brought him here. Piper was very curious but had no idea if he cared or if he even wanted to pursue it. She let that thought rest, staring at the man before her, ripping a carcass. She felt sorry for him yet grateful that he was here.

    ¡°To answer your question,¡± Levi finally said. ¡°I want to get as strong as I can,¡± he held out his palm and conjured an orb of chaos. ¡°I want to explore this world of magic, if this,¡± he once again held out his hands to the ice valley. ¡°It is a small piece of the world; I can¡¯t wait to see all that it has to offer!¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s do it,¡± Piper said. ¡°I¡¯ll join you two, we¡¯ll explore together and get stronger!¡±

    ¡°Done deal,¡± Anna said with a big smile. Levi smiled and went back to prepping the meal for the day. He cut the animal into different cuts and started cooking some into a stew; he gave some to Anza to eat for herself and then had Willow turn some into jerky. The trio all ate and told stories for the rest of the day.

    Attributes Total: 590

    Strength 60

    Stamina 55

    Speed 61

    Vitality 99

    Wisdom 315

    It could sense them. In the distance, there were beings of immense power. Finally, something had entered into its realm with the capability of taking on its dungeon. It had been building up its power to create a new challenge dungeon in this valley of coldness that it stumbled on. It had watched creatures of various races stroll around this area with not a lot of power. Not enough to feed its desires. It was starving for a fight, starving to taste the power once again. It was able to control its hunger enough till it faced a true foe. A foe that would give it what it really wanted.

    It was not a being that would want appetizers to snack on. No, it wanted to the entree first and foremost. It didn¡¯t want to be satisfied with half-measures. How? How could it get these beings to follow into the dungeon it had created to partake in its challenge? The dungeon it created was not extensive or difficult to defeat. It was a simple five-room dungeon that could be completed in a day with a capable team.

    Dungeons in this world all operated differently. It was based on the dungeon crafter, who would create a dungeon to challenge those who entered. Dungeon crafters were cosmic entities who enjoyed the game of the world of magic. They had inhabited this world for many, many millennia and had spent many of their days creating intricate dungeons. A dungeon crafter was no actual threat to mortals, they didn¡¯t have the power to attack or impact any being on this world directly. All their powers are centered around building, creating, and moderating dungeons. Little is known how or when they came to be, but they have been known to show themselves to beings or teams who have completed a dungeon to their satisfaction. It is rare that they do this, but they have done it before.

    The next morning Anna felt well enough to begin their journey again, having spent significant time adjusting to her new rank. The group had been walking for a few hours when her magical senses picked up something. Curious, she walked over to an ice wall that shimmered slightly differently than all the others.

    Dungeon: Icey Caverns

    3-Star

    Requirements: Minimum 3 Star total to enter dungeon.

    Maximum amount of magic users - three

    Group has met the requirements. Would you like to challenge Icey Caverns Dungeon? Yes/No?

    The prompt appeared in everyone¡¯s vision. Levi had never seen a dungeon before, so he had to admit he was quite excited. Levi looked expectantly at the girls. The two of them stood with shocked expressions on their faces.

    ¡°What do you say?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°It seems right in our range and will push you and Piper over the threshold,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Will that be a problem for our senses being disoriented?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see any time limits, so we should be able to rest.¡± Anna replied. ¡°I have only been in a dungeon as an observer never as an adventurer.¡±

    ¡°What are they like?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Every dungeon is different,¡± Anna explained. ¡°Some are ascension-based dungeons, typically you¡¯ll see sky towers or castles that are like that; that is where you start at the bottom, work your way through monster rooms and climb stairs upwards. Others are dissension which is the same principle but going down. Then there are some that are end-to-end, straight rooms without any stairs to climb. The one consistent is that after each floor, there is a room to rest in, some dungeons have stipulations that require completion in a certain amount of time, others do not.¡±

    ¡°Cool,¡± Levi mused. ¡°I¡¯m game,¡± he responded eagerly.

    ¡°Sure, if he¡¯s in so am I,¡± Piper said reluctantly.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± Anna said, determined.

    The trio all acknowledged yes, and the icy door melted as they stepped through. They felt magic surround them for a brief moment before stopping. Levi felt like he had gone on several roller coaster rides and wanted to hurl. Keeping his composure and doing breathing exercises, he kept his breakfast down. Piper and Anna were not as composed. The two of them were throwing up on the side.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Teleportation magic,¡± Anna said, wiping vomit off her mouth. ¡°Strong one, very strong, we have been teleported to a place far.¡±

 Chapter 19 - Path of Most Resistance

    Levi stood up and walked to the edge of the platform they were standing on. Taking a look there was a sharp immediate fall toward the bottom of the wherever they were. Levi sent Willow down to scout and see how far down the drop was, along with what was the fate at the bottom. While Willow was doing that, he gazed in front of him. Stalagmite of icy rock rose from the hazy depths of the cavern. There was no discernable pathway that they needed to take. The air was cold and still; it was eerie. Any drop of water from melting ice would echo throughout the entire chamber.

    Quest: Icey Dungeon

    You have accepted to participate in the dungeon Ice Stone Caverns

    Complete Dungeon to gain reward

    Progress (0/5) rooms

    ¡°Well,¡± Levi said, turning away from the edge. ¡°We have five rooms to clear, and this is the first one.¡±

    Piper and Anna both looked queasy, but their faces were returning to normal. Levi handed both of them a waterskin to drink from. They did so gratefully.

    ¡°Willow is scouting out the place,¡± Levi said. ¡°It seems like we need to find the door. My guess is that the bottom will be deadly and there is a specific path we¡¯ll have to follow.¡±

    ¡°Sounds reasonable,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°How are you okay?¡± Piper asked. ¡°I still feel bad, but you look fine?¡±

    ¡°I breathed through it,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Right breathing, how could I not think of that?¡± Piper said in mock recognition. Before Levi could respond, Willow had returned with a report. There was a door at the very bottom of the cavern, directly across from them, and at the top. The three of them thought about what to do.

    ¡°Do you think it matters?¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Most likely yes,¡± Anna said. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll fail but I think they¡¯ll mean something.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go to the hardest one to reach,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°If they really do mean something then maybe starting with easy will mean your path will be harder but starting off harder means your path would be easier,¡± Levi argued.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure it would work like that,¡± Anna responded.

    The trio continued to debate what the best course of action was, unaware that they were being watched. The dungeon crafter was not one who liked to use violence for its dungeons. It preferred cunning, wit, and intelligence. It tended to create dungeons that challenged wisdom and intellect over strength and brawn. The rooms it created were all tailored to puzzle solving any wrong solution to the puzzle would have dangerous repercussions.

    It watched as the group argued which way to go. It was not sure it could feel joy being a being of cosmic power, but the male being was right. There was a correct pathway to complete this dungeon; one of its purposes was to cause discourse amongst the party that entered the dungeon. It was succeeding.

    ¡°Do you have a better idea?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Anna said reluctantly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try it,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°How do you propose we get down there?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Anza and the drones,¡± Levi said. ¡°Willow lead the way.¡± Two drones materialized out of Levi; they were smaller than Anza, but the two girls could fit just fine. The three mimics created a saddle and used some tentacles as reigns. It was a bit awkward at first, but everyone was able to get it down. Walking down the side of the platform, Willow led the group to the hardest door. Levi, being a cautious man, conjured some orbs of fire in case of any unwanted attacks. It hadn¡¯t taken them long before they reached the door.

    Levi got off Anza and examined the door. It was similar to the one that allowed them to enter into the dungeon itself. He pressed his hand against, and a prompt appeared.

    Path of Most Resistance

    This is the hardest path you can choose to complete the dungeon. Would you like to continue? Yes/No?

    ¡°What do y¡¯all think?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll follow you Levi,¡± Piper said without hesitation.

    ¡°What she said without the flirting,¡± Anna responded.

    Levi shook his head and chuckled. He acknowledged yes, and the door melted into the floor.

    Ice Stone Caverns: Progress Made

    Room One - Completed

    Reward: Added to final treasure

    The team entered the small room that was in between the next dungeon room. The group hadn¡¯t needed to rest as the first room was not that challenging. Entering through the door they appeared in a hallway. The hallway had many doors on each side. The floor was covered in ice and the doors were made of white wood. Levi pushed his senses out to each door and found nothing notable to report. One at a time they opened the doors. The first door had nothing inside, the second and third doors did as well. By the time they reached the fifth door they found a button on the ground.

    ¡°A button,¡± Anna said. ¡°What kind of dungeon is this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a puzzle dungeon,¡± Levi said. ¡°If that is a thing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it, but it doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Hmm¡± Anna mused. ¡°That would make sense. Lead the way.¡± Piper looked at Anna with raised eyebrows. ¡°What?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re giving up leadership position?¡± Piper responded. ¡°I¡¯m just surprised. I¡¯m proud but surprised.¡±

    ¡°Levi has the highest wisdom and knew it was a puzzle, it is the logical choice,¡± Anna defended.

    ¡°Not to derail the conversation,¡± Levi interrupted. ¡°What does my wisdom have to do with anything?¡±

    ¡°Surely you¡¯ve noticed by now that your attributes have been having an effect on your body?¡± Anna said. Levi frowned and shook his head. ¡°Oh brother,¡± she said shaking her head in turn. ¡°Each of the attributes increase something related to your body. Strength to your muscles, vitality to your bones and organs, stamina to your lungs, heart, and nervous system, speed to your muscles, reaction, and senses, wisdom to your brain and memory. In short, each attribute boosts something about your body. The higher the attribute the better or stronger that specific feature is. This is why being a 5-star essentially means you¡¯re immortal because your body is not beyond the reaches of normal limits.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Levi said. ¡°That makes a lot of sense. Apart from wisdom, I did these things called escape rooms back on my old world. They were these interactive rooms with a bunch of puzzles that you had to solve before time ran out.¡±

    ¡°What happens when time runs out,¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°You lose,¡± Levi said. Piper frowned.

    ¡°That¡¯s not that exciting,¡± she replied.

    ¡°It is if you hate losing,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°Can we get out focus back please,¡± Anna snapped.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± the pair said at the same time.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel smarter,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Give it time,¡± Anna said. ¡°It¡¯s less about intelligence and more about processing power, logic, and memory. When we¡¯re not in a dungeon I can explain more.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Levi said. ¡°Okay so this is door number five that we saw the button. Let¡¯s go check the others.¡± The trio all checked their own doors, no other door had a button in it. It was only door number five. Retracing their steps to the fifth door, Levi opened the door and pushed the button. Several sounds could be heard all throughout the hallway. Levi walked back into the hallway and could not see any difference.

    He went to the door the labelled as number six and noticed that it had two buttons. He left that room as it was and went to another door, he found two more buttons. Levi examined each button; they were simple one was green one was red. Every bone in Levi¡¯s body was telling him to press the green button. Green was safe, green meant go. Red was bad, red meant stop or danger. But there was something that was causing hesitation.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°What does green mean?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s the color of will, envy, and disgust,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Or life, nature, and peace.¡± Piper interjected. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°What does red mean?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Love, life force, blood,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Danger, fire, destruction,¡± Anna answered.

    ¡°You two are a match made in heaven,¡± Levi chuckled. After considering the polarizing differences in the answers he pushed the red button. More sounds of shifting gears could be heard in the hallway. Levi looked and saw that there were significantly less doors. At first there were probably 26 doors, thirteen on each side. Now there were six in total. They each examined a door. The odd doors all have three buttons, the even doors had four buttons. Levi scratched his head trying to understand the pattern. What were these doors and buttons teaching him?

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°There is no pattern to the buttons,¡± Levi responded. ¡°Why did door five only have one gray button, then room six have two colored buttons. After pushing the button in room five all doors remained but after pushing red in room six only six buttons remained. Now the colors are either green, grey, red, or green, grey, red, and blue.¡±

    The girls stopped to consider. They hadn¡¯t noticed a pattern either, but they thought that it was likely because they had no idea what was going on. Levi thought harder about what he was experiencing. Focusing on his memory, his recall, he noticed how much easier this had been now than before. Levi thought about the doors, the hallways, and the rooms, had he noticed anything about the rooms that could have tipped him off. He got an idea. The buttons in the room had been placed in a specific manner.

    ¡°I got it,¡± Levi said. Levi went to the room that had the buttons in the order of green on the left, gray on the floor in the middle, red on the right. Levi pushed the buttons in the order that he had pressed the other ones, there was a loud shift and a chime.

    Levi walked back into the hallway to see a vast cavern room. Levi¡¯s excitement that they had beaten the hallway puzzle faded quickly as they were put into a room full of monsters. The monsters were all asleep, Levi didn¡¯t even know that monsters slept.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of Lizardsaurs,¡± Anna whispered. ¡°At least 50, definitely more.¡±

    ¡°What are they?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°2-star rank,¡± Piper responded. ¡°Usually decent to fight on their own but in packs they are deadly.¡±

    Lizardsaurs looked like a mixture of a velociraptor and a common wall lizard. They walked on all fours, but each paw had the vicious velociraptor claws that they are famous for. They were just bigger than Komodo dragons, like Komodo dragons their bites were full of flesh melting acid.

    ¡°Fun,¡± Levi said. ¡°They seem to be asleep,¡± as Levi said that a group of ten eyes shot open and began growling. ¡°Or not.¡±

    Levi took out his staff and conjured orbs of chaos, without waiting he sent the orbs to attack the waking monsters. Anza followed the orbs as well to begin her assault. Piper started throwing her knives that were mixed with water magic. As the knives landed, they would create a small explosion of water. The water didn¡¯t harm the monsters, but it did provide some water for Anna¡¯s spells. Instead of having to conjure water her spells would be much more effective if she had water available.

    ¡°Vicious Tides,¡± Anna chanted. The water that was at the feet of the monsters began to rise and engulf a few at a time. The lizardsaurs were trapped in a tidal wave of water and were repeatedly getting slammed into a wall, until they fell limp, lifeless.

    The orbs of chaos that Levi had sent each made a direct impact with the monsters and killed them instantly. Levi looked on in shock as he hadn¡¯t expected anything like that to happen. The commotion of the battle, naturally, woke up the other monsters. Levi had sent out a few more of the drones to go attack with Willow and try to control the aggressive monsters. The team was fighting in sync. Piper¡¯s speed was unmatched as she would run through enemies slashing them with her swords. She would keep throwing her water knives at lizardsaurs that were further away so Anna could continue her assault with the water spells.

    Levi and his familiars were a force to be reckoned with. He never really engaged in hand-to-hand combat, but he could with his staff from the lessons of Piper. Levi gave a silent thanks to Piper that she had given him those lessons. He was able to attack and defend from the lizardsaurs with his staff. The runes of differing effects sparkled as he was attacking or defending. Anza was her own beast. Her lashing tentacles would stab multiple enemies at a time, and she would lift them, then slam them into the ground.

    There was not much to see when it came to Willow. The crystal wisp would split into many smaller versions of itself and engulf the enemies. At its current rank it could only manage enough bodies to engulf one monster at a time. The more it ranked up the bigger its body would get and the more it could split. This is how wisps would grow. The devastating thing about Willow was if one of its bodies were able to catch something on fire and it was able to burn without the entity being there it would be able to leave and attack elsewhere. That is how the wisps became all devouring beasts. Any organic flammable materials would allow the wisp to continue its destructive warpath. Unfortunately for the party, lizardsaurs were not flammable; they could burn but they wouldn¡¯t catch fire, which means that Willow was restricted to one monster at a time.

    The monsters were numerous but not very powerful. The team was able to keep them in smaller packs and not let all fifty attack at once. Once the final monster fell, a portal opened up where the last monster had been. They were exhausted. Anna¡¯s mana was nearly all gone as her spells were mana intensive and she had to use them multiple times over. Piper¡¯s stamina was running very low as she had sprinted from monster pack to monster pack at an incredible pace. Levi¡¯s mana and stamina were sapped dry as well. He had not done too many spells but some of Team Ember and team Willow were destroyed by the lizardsaurs. To reconstitute each of the destroyed familiar bodies required some mana usage.

    Levi had engaged in more physical combat than he had expected but was grateful for his staff. The runes that were on there provided significant boosts to his attacks. He could feel that he could become quite proficient in attacking with the staff as his main weapon. The party entered the portal into their rest room. All three of them lay sprawled out on the icy floor gasping for air.

    ¡°That was tough,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°That was a good battle though,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Was that the third or fourth room?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°That was the second still,¡± Levi said. ¡°It was a response to pushing the buttons. We still have three more to go.¡±

    ¡°Ugh,¡± Piper groaned as she rolled onto her side.

    Multiple Enemies Defeated - Lizardsaurs

    Loot: 10 Gold Pieces, 100 Silver Pieces, 1000 Copper Pieces

    Loot: Lizard Claws

    Loot: Lesser Mana Potion x5

    Loot: Lesser Health Potion x5

    Loot: Lesser Stamina Potion x5

    Ice Stone Caverns: Progress Made

    Room Two - Completed

    Reward: Added to final treasure

    Status: Progression Made

    Plus 35 to Wisdom

    Plus 10 to Speed

    Plus 10 to Vitality

    Plus 15 to Strength

    Attributes Total: 670

    Strength 75

    Stamina 65

    Speed 71

    Vitality 109

    Wisdom 350

    Levi looked at Piper; she had fallen asleep. Anna was also asleep, as her mana was too low for her recovery. Levi felt that familiar feeling of a rank-up. It was strange; he felt like he had been fully refreshed and fully charged. Any aches or pains were corrected and disappeared. His bones and joints felt stronger and heavier. Levi never really had to think about how his bones felt before magic. He had to admit, he was not a fan. He did enjoy the fact that he didn¡¯t have any soreness from achy hips, or knee pain anymore the more he ranked up.

    Levi felt his body once again correct itself to be a little closer to the perfection of a human body. He wondered if this made him more attractive; his hunch was gone, his spine was aligned, he stood a little bit taller, and his body was a little more filled out. Levi watched as 2-stars shot out of his core and morphed into three. Three golden stars were in front of him for a brief second before retreating back into his core. 3-star. The rank where most people stopped. The rank where life expectancy was doubled from this point forward; most people would no longer continue to be an adventurer, retire early, and live a safe and long life.

    Status: Levi Winters has ranked up

    Levi Winters has gained his third star.

    All abilities gain an extra effect.

    Class Evolution

    Summoner has evolved into Familiar Summoner

    Familiar Summoner

    Class

    Legendary

    You have shown to have the heart of friendship. Your soul has become a safe haven for all types of familiars. Your style of combat is developed in trusting your familiars to be able to fight for you. Familiar Summoners increase the amount of familiars are allowed per rank by 2. Familiar Summoners have an increased bond with their familiars automatically at maximum strength. Familiar Summoners will have an additional bonus given per summoned Familiar.

    Familiar Mimic has ranked up

    Mimic is now 3-star

    Summoner can now summon an additional 100 drones.

    Mimic Alpha Anza has gained the ability¡­ Adaptability

    Anytime a drone is killed in combat, Mimic Alpha Anza can now employ the same form of attack that caused the death of the drone.

    Familiar Summoner additional bonus: mimics now add a passive defensive effect, the more drones are fused with the summoner, the higher the summoner¡¯s vitality is. This is an artificial rank up meaning the bonus does not apply to the total attribute count.

    Familiar Crystal Wisp has ranked up

    Willow is now 3-star

    An additional Crystal Wisp can be summoned.

    Crystal Wisps additional bonus: Crystal Wisps now adds a passive mana effect. Crystal wisps have increased the mana pool of the summoner by two. The more Crystal Wisps are summoned the larger the pool becomes.

    Ability: Ritualist

    Ritualists are able to use skill books, use ritual magic, and create their own summoning and ritual circles with minimal materials needed. Base Mana pool is significantly larger. 2-star effect: Able to use magical items to create ritual circles in the air. Able to use magical items to create runes in the air. 3-Star effect: Able to create summoning circles at a fraction of the cost.

    Ability: Elected Stranger

    You have been accepted into a guild in a new world with new things. Elected Stranger gives you the ability to understand the world from a chosen perspective. Allows quests and objectives¡ª2-star effect: Can now view rarity of items. 3-Star effect: ???

    Ability: Familiar Bond

    You have unlocked the ability to summon familiars. Familiars are summoned creatures that bond with the user. They only need to be summoned once unless destroyed in combat, then, they will need to be resummoned. Different familiars provide different bonuses to the summoner. 2-star effect: capacity for familiars has increased from one to two. Additionally, bonds with all current or future familiars will be established quicker and deeper. 3-Star effect: Class Evolution, capacity for familiars has increased from two to four.

    Character Log: Levi Winters

    Class: Familiar Summoner

    Rank: 3-star

    Ability: Ritualist

    Ability: Elected Stranger

    Ability: Familiar Bonds

    Ability: Locked

    Ability: Locked

    Spell Log:

    Orb of Chaos

    Orb of Water

    Orb of Fire

    Orb of Lightning

    Familiars:

    Anza the Mimic

    Willow the Crystal Wisp

 Chapter 20 - Just Do Me a Favor

    ¡°Getting to 3-star in the short amount of time that you have been here is quite impressive,¡± Anna said. The two women woke up to the smell of food being cooked by Levi. Levi had told them that he had crossed the threshold and was now a 3-star summoner. He informed them of his class evolution as well.

    ¡°How long does it usually take?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°A couple years maybe more,¡± Anna said. ¡°Depends, you used star tokens which are very rare. How much did that help you?¡±

    ¡°Significantly,¡± Levi admitted.

    ¡°There you go,¡± Anna said. ¡°That doesn''t diminish the hard work and effort you put in to achieve the ranking. It¡¯s just not as easy as it could have seemed. 3-star is where you should expect to see much slower progress. Typical this is the hardest jump to 4-star. It also becomes hard becomes any tokens that you can use become next to impossible to find.¡±

    ¡°Right because now, I can no longer use 2-star tokens to raise my level. I never even saw a 2-star token,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t expect to,¡± Piper said. ¡°Work hard and get your attributes up by training. It was good you had the tokens so you could catch up to us,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Now that you have its time to do what the rest of us do.¡±

    ¡°Grind,¡± Levi and Piper said at the same time.

    She smiled, ¡°exactly. Your new class sounds amazing! We¡¯re going to have so many badass friends on our team!¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Levi said. ¡°I can summon two more. There is one I absolutely want to summon now and one that I will wait, to see what happens when I get this summoned familiar to see what it is.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Anna and Piper asked.

    Levi held out an orb that was swirling with light gray smoke inside. ¡°This is a smoke ball; it¡¯s used in summoning rituals. It¡¯s supposed to get me some kind of smoke entity, I think.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not evil?¡± Anna asked, narrowing her eyes.

    ¡°Jury is still out,¡± Levi shrugged. ¡°You,¡± he said looking at Piper. ¡°Need to go rank up so we can leave the room and finish this dungeon. I am going to summon this familiar. What dust should I use?¡± he mused aloud.

    ¡°But I want to see,¡± Piper complained.

    ¡°You best be quick then while I choose what dust I am going to use,¡± Levi said staring into space. Levi was combing through his inventory. He had some crystal dust left that could be useful, some iron dust, and coal dust. Those were the only magical dusts that he had. He thought about potentially mixing dusts like a coal and iron dust circle might be interesting. He was operating blindly with what combination to do. Levi knew that no matter what his summoned familiar was it would not attack him, so he had little concerns about what the beast was. Levi decided that he would do snow and coal dust to create his summoning circle.

    Usually, he could do rituals without the circle but for familiar summons it required more power and needed a full circle not just the runes. He pulled out his wand and began drawing the circle. The circle was more intricate as it was a 3-star summon. It was a circle on the outside. Inside the circle was a normal four-pointed star with a rune circle in the middle. Then there was a triangle on top of the star with the rune circles at the ends of two points. of the triangle. After Levi laid down the materials and placed the materials in the two outside rune circles, he placed the smoke ball in the middle. Then he took a step back.

    Releasing the mana from his palm he touched the materials to light the circle up. The summoning circle shone bright ice blue, the smoke ball began to swirl faster until the outer shell burst open, and smoke poured out of the item. The smoke was not as thick as Levi thought it would be, it quickly changed into what seemed like vapor. Vapor filled the room until nothing could be seen besides two bright white eyes shined brighter than the light blue vapor.

    The vapor cleared as a hooded cloak figure was standing next to Levi. It was slightly shorter than Levi but not by much. The creature wore a white hooded cloak that had what looked like blue vapor decorating the entirety of the cloak. Mysterious vapor shrouded the creature, it looked up. Levi could not see into the dense vapor swirl inside the hood. All he could see were two eyes staring back at him. The creature reached out a hooded arm, no hands emerged from the hood. Levi thought that it looked like a spawn of the grim reaper. It was creepy, the white cloak made it worse, in Levi¡¯s opinion.

    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you from horror movies,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I am Vapor,¡± Vapor responded.

    ¡°Pleasure,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯m Levi, what are you?¡±

    ¡°I am spirit of smoke,¡±

    ¡°So, a ghost?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Vapor responded. ¡°A ghost is an entity of the dead. I am an entity of the smoke. To put it plainly I was born when smoke and magic interacted.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Levi said. ¡°Your appearance does not help my ¡®I¡¯m not Evil¡¯ campaign, but you look dope. Let¡¯s have you meet the gang.¡± Levi introduced the party to the smoke entity. While everyone was becoming acquainted Levi read her description.

    Familiar Bond has been established

    Smoke Spirit- Vapor

    Familiar Vapor provides a boost to spiritual self. Vapor has given the summoner the ability to perceive souls. When fused with summoner Vapor invigorates an increase in mana and health recovery.

    ¡°Soul perception,¡± Levi muttered.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°It said that I can now perceive souls,¡± Levi said. ¡°Souls are real?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna said. ¡°Are they not on your world?¡±

    ¡°Levi,¡± Vapor said. ¡°Inhabited a world in which magic was desolate. Souls were perceived differently on that world. Such as will power, or passion.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly right,¡± Levi said. ¡°How¡¯d you know that?¡±

    ¡°We are connected, deeply,¡± Vapor replied. ¡°I understand souls due to my nature as a spirit better than you. You had the information; I was able to decode it.¡±

    ¡°Fancy,¡± Piper said. ¡°Do you provide Levi with smoke attacks?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Vapor said. ¡°I am a utility specialist.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Levi said. ¡°We have a lot to learn about each other. Where do you fuse to? Willow is my eyes, Anza my bones, I guess¡­ and you?¡±

    ¡°Your soul,¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°Spooky,¡± Levi said.

    Piper decided that it was time that she would rank up. After reading all of her prompts she watched as the stars shot out of her and re-entered. Piper read another text box and dropped to the floor. Piper hadn¡¯t told her friends but one of the reasons that she had been delaying her rank up was because she didn¡¯t want to get to the class evolution. Terrified of the prospect of being an assassin, it was enough to arrest her curiosity. Piper had originally planned to wait until after the dungeon before evolving her class. She had been quite pleased to find the first two rooms had nothing to do with combat, disappointed that the last room was only combat.

    She had stalled even more by taking a nap instead of drinking a mana potion, once again fortune was on her side as the rest of the group followed suit. Even more lucky is that Levi had woken up before her and gone through his class evolution, this gave her more time to stall. After thoroughly walking through the summoning and meeting the newest member of Team Levi Piper had no more time. They had to get a move on in this dungeon and she was the final piece.

    Reluctantly Piper went through all her textboxes. Surprisingly she had grown her wisdom significantly, it was a nice gain from before. This gave her hope that she would be able to be better with magic in the future. After the display of stars, she saw that her class had evolved there it was, the thing she had been dreading. Piper was no longer a rogue. Piper saw what she was and dropped to the floor.

    ¡°Piper,¡± Levi said walking over to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± she said. ¡°Have a look at this.¡± She tossed him a text box, and he read. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Class Evolution

    Rogue has evolved into Arcane Trickster

    Arcane Trickster

    Legendary

    The skills and training of a master assassin were not enough for you. You have dabbled deeply in the art of spell casting, giving you the added ability to use both stealth and spells to get the job done. Arcane Trickster has unlocked the ability Arcane Ritualist. Arcane Trickster has increased Wisdom significantly, bonus does not affect total attribute score, Mana pool has been increased significantly. Affinity for dark magic has been formed.

    Ability: Arcane Ritualist

    You have gained the ability to perform ritual magic. Arcane Ritualist allows the user to use spell books and cast spells.

    Spells:

    Orb of Darkness

    Shadow Hands

    Shadow Tentacles

    Shadow Blade

    ¡°Damn,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Holy shit Piper!¡± Anna exclaimed.

    ¡°Congrats girly pop,¡± Levi said. ¡°You¡¯re not an assassin, you¡¯re better than one.¡±

    ¡°PIPER!¡± Anna screamed. ¡°That¡¯s badass, all three of us are different classes and can use magic!¡±

    ¡°We can,¡± Piper said. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know what to say.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t have to say anything,¡± Levi said. ¡°Come on, we have a dungeon to clear.¡± Levi led the trio out of the room, leaving the two childhood friends to radiate excitement together in the back. Walking out of the door, Levi felt the sense of teleportation magic. He prepared himself as they stepped through. On the other side, the trio was standing on a piece of glacier that looked it was shrinking. They were surrounded by water in every direction. Levi pushed out his aura and sensed the presence of a very strong monster.

    ¡°We can¡¯t go swimming,¡± Levi said. ¡°There¡¯s something a star rank or two higher than us down there.¡±

    ¡°A star rank or two?!¡± Anna said. ¡°We would be dead in an instant. What do we do? None of us can fly.¡±

    ¡°Hello?¡± Piper said, looking at Anna. ¡°You¡¯re a Blizzard sorceress, with an affinity to water and ice magic.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, girl if you don¡¯t push us to our destination!¡± Levi added.

    ¡°Glad to,¡± Anna said. ¡°Which way is our destination genius?¡±

    Levi looked at her and pointed up. The girls followed his gaze and saw a door directly above them. ¡°It¡¯s too far for Anza or the drones but if you get us closer, we could use her then.¡± Levi explained.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Anna said, pulling out her wand. She chanted a quick spell, and water started to rise from under then. In a second, they were shot from the water on the top of a geyser, they had been going for a couple of minutes, which showed the pure height of the roof they were in. Their ascent slowed down, and they reached a point where Anza Lashed out a tentacle and it stuck to the frame of the door. The party grabbed on, and she pulled all three to safety through the door.

    As they entered the next room, the shift in perspective was unnerving. It was like they had walked out of bed without getting up.

    Ice Stone Caverns: Progress Made

    Room Three- Completed

    Reward: Added to final treasure

    The room they entered was a large ballroom. There was nobody else in the room but them. Instruments, decorations, and snacks were around. Levi looked around carefully, observing anything that he could see.

    ¡°Is this a puzzle dungeon?¡± Vapor asked.

    ¡°It is,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°Curious,¡± Vapor responded. ¡°What do you think is the puzzle?¡±

    ¡°Seems pretty straight forward,¡± Levi said. The girls turned to look at him. ¡°I think we¡¯ll have a song or two to figure out the dance, dance the dance on the floor and the door will open.¡±

    ¡°What happens if we don¡¯t?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Then, something comes out those vents and I bet it won¡¯t be good.¡±

    ¡°Can you dance?¡± Anna asked Levi.

    ¡°I can,¡± Levi said. ¡°Can either of y¡¯all?¡±

    ¡°I cannot,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°I can, but not every dance,¡± Anna responded.

    ¡°Who can follow better?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Definitely, Piper,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Not true,¡± Piper retorted. ¡°She is saying that because she wants us to dance. Anna, you know I can only sway at best, if we want to beat this dungeon go.¡±

    Levi and Anna entered the center of the dance floor. The instruments came to life with magic and began playing a song. Levi and Anna started to do a partner dance. He grabbed her hand and put her hand around her waist. Anna wanted to fight it at first, but she kept her cool for the sake of the mission. The two found the rhythm and started to dance perfectly in sync. Piper looked on in slight jealousy, not because of thinking Anna would steal Levi but because they looked good together.

    She never was taught how to dance and now she wishes she had. That could have been her out there dancing with Levi. Shaking her head from those thoughts she watched on as the two of them were lighting up the circle on the dance floor. Literally, lighting up the dance floor, every completed move had runes appear that were glowing green. After the song ended all the green runes started to glow, swirl and form into a big rune that appeared over one door.

    ¡°Switch,¡± Levi said. Anna sprinted over and pushed Piper onto the dance floor.

    ¡°What the?¡±

    While Levi and Anna were dancing, they were having a conversation.

    ¡°She¡¯s not going to be happy; you know?¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Not our concern right now,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Her feelings are not a concern?¡± Anna shot back. ¡°Watch your hand.¡±

    ¡°No, her concern should be not dying,¡± Levi responded. ¡°I¡¯ll take her being upset and alive then happy and dead.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve figured it out?¡± Anna said, realization dawning on her face.

    ¡°I have. See that door?¡± Levi twirled her to a large door with two massive circles above it. ¡°Now look at the runes on the ground, you feel that magic, right?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°We are in a ritual circle and the rhythm and moves we complete create runes, enough of the completed runes will likely form into one big one and open the door. There are two meaning we will likely need two colors. The dungeon itself wanted three people minimum and everything we have done so far had required all three of us to participate. This room would be no different. She¡¯s gonna have to dance. If we don¡¯t, we will be locked in here and die from suspicious gas or a vicious attack. Either way I don¡¯t want to find out.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then, I trust you.¡±

    ¡°Just do me a favor,¡± Levi said with a smirk.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t fall in love with me; my moves can be intoxicating.¡±

    ¡°I can promise you one thing: That is not going to happen,¡± she said, rolling her eyes. But was it? She couldn¡¯t deny that she felt something for Levi. Anna hadn¡¯t had many guy friends in her life, she had only her dad and suitors. She never needed to distinguish friendships and relationships. This was new territory. She studied the face of Levi. He had gotten remarkably comfortable with the two of them. His eyes used sharp and distant, they were now full and sad. There was a lingering sadness that always seemed to be plaguing him. She wondered if he had forgiven himself for anything wrong that happened before he came here.

    She wondered if the sadness was a mask for guilt or shame. Anna had no idea, and she wouldn¡¯t push. She wanted to understand these feelings and how to control them, if they needed to be controlled.

    ¡°You¡¯re not used to having guy friends, are you?¡± Levi said, interrupting her thoughts.

    ¡°No,¡± Anna admitted. ¡°I am not. This is all quite weird.¡±

    ¡°I imagine so,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Are you?¡±

    ¡°Am I used to having friends that are girls?¡± Levi questioned.

    ¡°Yes,¡±

    ¡°Yes. But my first one, who was gorgeous, like you, I had to sort my feelings out, much like you are. I¡¯m not gorgeous by any means, but I¡¯d bet heavy that this is your first time experiencing any feelings not romantic or familial.¡±

    ¡°So, what do I do?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Keep exploring; you¡¯ll find the reasons why it is more familial than romantic and that¡¯s good,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°What if it''s not?¡± Anna whispered.

    ¡°Then I am the luckiest dude around,¡± Levi chuckled.

    ¡°I think I found the reason,¡± Anna shook her head.

    ¡°That¡¯s foul,¡± Levi said. Their dance ended and Anna raced off to swap places with Piper.

    ¡°Switch,¡± Levi said. Piper came nervously up to Levi. She nervously waved and fixed her hair, her nervous tick.

    ¡°I, uh,¡± she began. Levi reached out his hand and grabbed her gently. He slowly took a step forward and pulled her in at the same time. They were face to face. He gently put his arm around her waist and placed it on her lower back.

    ¡°Just follow my lead,¡± Levi said. The music that was playing was much slower. The two of them sway softly taking slow purposeful steps to complete moves. ¡°So how does it feel to be 3-star?¡±

    ¡°Where did you learn how to dance?¡± Piper blurted out. She awkwardly giggled and looked away.

    ¡°My sisters,¡± Levi said. ¡°I had to older ones, and they were not going to let their little brother be a scrub and not know how to woo a woman with dance moves.¡±

    ¡°They seem very supportive,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said, frowning. ¡°They were.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, did they?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Nah, they just couldn¡¯t bear to see me throw my life away.¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯d forgive you?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°No clue,¡± Levi responded. ¡°I may never know. Honestly, the sooner I can accept that the easier it will be. I can¡¯t live in what ifs, it¡¯s dangerous and will distract me from¡­¡± he paused to look at his dance partner. Piper was already cute, but whatever imperfections she had were corrected with her most recent rank-up. Her gray eyes were looking back into Levi¡¯s eyes expectantly. ¡°This,¡± he said, taking a deep breath.

    ¡°Levi,¡± Piper said softly. ¡°If you and Anna-¡±

    ¡°Not going to happen. I like you,¡± Levi said. The two of them were lost in the moment and hadn¡¯t realized the music had stopped playing. Leaning in for a kiss, a rush of air pushed through as the large door opened to the final room. Once again, their kiss was halted, and they had to proceed with whatever events were happening.

    ¡°One more room,¡± Levi said to the trio.

    ¡°Shall we see what the boss is?¡± Anna asked. Levi and Piper nodded and made their way into the final room.

 Chapter 21 - Dungeon Crafter

    The trio entered a small room where a treasure chest was being sat on by a creature Levi had never seen before. Of course, that wasn¡¯t too surprising, there were many creatures Levi had never seen before. A cube with a crown and little tentacles dangling from the bottom was levitating over the chest. Levi thought it looked slightly like a certain fireball-shooting monster in Minecraft. The cube creature opened its eyes and looked up.

    ¡°Congratulations,¡± It spoke. ¡°I am the dungeon crafter and you have completed my dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Nice,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°All you have to do is open this chest and claim your prizes.¡±

    Anna and Piper started walking towards the chest, but Levi grabbed their arms.

    ¡°Hol up, let¡¯s not be too brash,¡± he said.

    ¡°What, why Levi we¡¯re done!¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Are we?¡± Levi asked. ¡°Think about all the rooms we¡¯ve done, they were all puzzle rooms, why would the last one be as simple as open the chest and go on your way?¡±

    ¡°You''re too skeptical,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Levi countered. ¡°Caution is good when we are so close to the end. What¡¯s the catch,¡± Levi asked the dungeon crafter.

    ¡°You must answer these riddles, each of you, with no help from the other. If you are correct, then you may pass. If you are wrong, then you all die,¡± the way it ended that sentence was full of joy, that haunted Levi.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°You,¡± it pointed at Anna. ¡°What can only be broken when you say its name?¡± Anna thought for a second then said.

    ¡°Silence.¡±

    ¡°Very good,¡± it complimented. ¡°You,¡± pointing at Piper. Tall I am young, short I am old. While with life I glow, wind is my foe. What am I?¡±

    Piper contemplated for a few heartbeats. ¡°A candle.¡±

    ¡°Very good,¡± it said. Turning to Levi, ¡°and you. What is always in front of you but cannot be seen?¡±

    ¡°The future,¡± Levi answered without hesitation. Runes appeared all throughout the room. They were of all different colors. The being in the middle disappeared¡ªthe chest along with it. The colorful rune display vaguely reminded Levi of a disco party with flashing-colored lights. He spotted the door to enter through and walked through it.

    The final room they entered had three chests. Each chest had a symbol for each of their base classes. Levi went up to the one that was for summoners, and he opened it up.

    Ice Stone Caverns: Progress Made

    Room Four- Completed

    Reward: Added to final treasure

    Ice Stone Caverns: Progress Made

    Room Five - Completed

    Reward: Added to final treasure

    Quest: Icey Dungeon

    You have accepted to participate in the dungeon Ice Stone Caverns

    Complete Dungeon to gain reward

    Progress (5/5) rooms - Completed

    Reward: 150 Silver Pieces, 1500 copper pieces

    Reward: Dungeon Core Essence

    Reward: Trap Spell Spell book

    Reward: Ice Dust, Snow, Unmelting Ice dust

    Reward: Wand of Rituals

    Item: Dungeon Core Essence

    Epic

    The essence of a dungeon. These cubes have the power of dungeons within them.

    Item: Wand of Rituals

    Uncommon

    A wand that allows the user to draw ritual circles. A slight upgrade from Wand of Summoning by reducing mana usage slightly.

    ¡°Dungeon core essence,¡± Levi said. ¡°What is that?¡± Vapor appeared out of the Levi. She stood next to him, holding the essence in his hand.

    ¡°Dungeon crafters are quite possibly the most mysterious entity in this world. Creatures of the greater cosmos but love to play games. This essence can be used to unlock an ability to help clear out dungeons.¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I am very old,¡± Vapor responded. ¡°I have seen much.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like I will be talking to you a lot with my questions,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I would be honored.¡±

    ¡°We got our spoils?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Yep,¡± the girls said. The party made their way out of the dungeon and were back where they first started.

    ¡°Our journey continues,¡± Anna said. The party continued to walk in the ice valley. With rather uneventful results. They spent their time talking to each other about their rewards from the dungeon. Anna explained how that was the first dungeon she had ever done, and she was mildly disappointed. Puzzle dungeons were known to be easier to complete and one that most people avoided.

    The trio found a spot to rest just on the outskirts of the ice valley. They had one more day of journeying before they reached the city. Resting for the night, the team had set up camp. Anna liked the rhythm the trio had created. They were growing really well as friends. She reflected on how each of them complimented the blind spots they each had. Anna was intelligent but rigid. That rigidity helped keep them safe when it came to political or official business. Piper was also intelligent, but more so when it came to street smarts; she would be able to inform if there were problems with a town or a road they were traveling easily. She was more free-spirited and trusting, allowing that to help Anna be more trusting. She took from Anna how to follow rules a bit more. Levi was the odd one of them all. Being completely new to the world he was a work horse. What Levi didn¡¯t know about the world he made up for it in his work ethic, the man was relentless when it came to training.

    He brought that intensity, but he was also fun. He was goofy, and he would laugh and joke often. Not taking himself too seriously, he learned from the two girls, and they learned from him. They were an odd group, but they seemed to work well together. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Anna wondered how her father would feel about this decision. She knew that it was her choice, but she felt his influence was heavy-handed in the decision-making process. She was nervous to go home. She wanted to be home and visit her family; she loved them. However, this time away showed her how much pressure her family had placed on her. She didn¡¯t want that pressure to continue. Taking a deep breath, she looked and saw that Levi was looking at her with a soft smile.

    What was it about Levi that had her feeling this way. It was strange. She didn¡¯t find him the most attractive. His looks had improved since ranking up. He was a good-looking man, she had to admit, not the most attractive man, not the least attractive. He was average. Magic helped him get less average but still not her level of attractiveness she usually goes for. His attitude was not what she really sought after either. He was too unserious in certain regards and used natural talent to get him where he wanted to be. She preferred someone who would challenge her intellectually on the political aspects.

    She was a woman of someone who was born and raised in a powerful house. Aristocracy was her bread and butter but was not Levi. She was okay with that. Levi was much more up to speed for Piper¡ªdefinitely her type of man. Piper had always undersold herself. For as long as Anna had known Piper, which was a long time, she had never thought herself as someone who is attractive. Anna wanted Piper to see how gorgeous she actually was. Anna believed that Levi would help her see that in herself.

    Anna¡¯s exhaustion finally took over as she thought about her longest and dearest friend. She had a smile on her face; her life was great, and it was going to continue to be that way moving forward.

    The next morning, the team resumed their journey. Levi and Vapor were talking about what to do with the dungeon essence. Piper and Anna were also engaging in their own conversations vaguely listening to the conversation of Levi and Vapor. Watching Vapor move was fascinating. As she didn¡¯t have any legs, her cloak would simply move forward and drag along the ground.

    ¡°I could smash it up and use it as a familiar summoning material,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°That would only be good if you wanted a higher chance of a monster you saw in that dungeon,¡± Vapor responded. Anza added with a loud whirling sound. ¡°Anza is correct,¡± Vapor responded. ¡°We should be looking for a defense specialist familiar.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Levi said. ¡°There wasn¡¯t any monsters in that dungeon.¡± A textbox appeared in Levi¡¯s vision; it was Willow responding. ¡°Sure,¡± Levi said. ¡°Prioritizing getting an additional wisp should be a good idea, do we know-¡±

    ¡°Looks like your special friend has bonded well with his familiars?¡± Anna said.

    ¡°They all are quite fond of him as well,¡± Piper said. ¡°Anza, I feel, is the most protective and the closest.¡±

    ¡°She does stay by his side quite often,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I do appreciate the distance she gives us though. So what are you not telling me?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Anna please, we¡¯ve been friends forever, you don¡¯t think I notice when you¡¯re not telling me something.¡±

    Anna sighed, ¡°I am trying to decipher the feelings I have for Levi.¡± She said this nervously, expecting Piper to explode in anger. That didn¡¯t happen, she giggled.

    ¡°Levi said that¡¯s what you were experiencing,¡± Piper smiled. ¡°I told him that was the sense I got as well. You¡¯ve never had a non-romantic guy friend so it must be hard.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not easy,¡± Anna said, rubbing her head. ¡°He told you too, that¡¯s impressive. He must really trust you.¡±

    ¡°I think he likes being honest,¡± Piper said. The pair stop their conversation and look back to the man who was once naked before them. They have come so far from that day. They were actually friends, and it made the world of a difference.

    ¡°We, whoa,¡± Levi said, pausing. In the distance, he could see a massive city. The city had a wall made of complete black onyx with white stone towers along the wall. There were multiple entry ports. The city had large streets with many different-sized buildings. This city was a mixture of modern and medieval, a stark difference from Arcross, which had been all medieval.

    ¡°Welcome to our home, Arvendon,¡± Piper whispered, slipping her arm into his.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was expecting but this place is huge!¡± Levi exclaimed.

    ¡°It is,¡± Anna said proudly. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we can get horses once we arrive at the stables right there.¡± She pointed to a large ranch that had many different animals, some familiar, some not. As they made their way down, Levi had noticed cows, pigs, and chickens. There was a chicken that was completely black that dropped black eggs and a chicken that was completely red that dropped red eggs. Piper had explained that they were gem chickens, their eggs contained certain gems, onyx, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and so on.

    There were these creatures that had three heads: a lion''s head, a goat''s head, and a serpent living in the tail. The beast had wings. A Chimera, this creature looked familiar to Levi. He had seen them before in classes when he was younger. Anna explained they were guard beasts to protect the livestock from magical monsters that hunted normal livestock. Levi thought they were absolutely horrifying to look at in person and was not a fan.

    Levi noticed that Anna''s demeanor shifted as she talked to the ranch hand. She stood up straighter, and her voice got a little more proper and demanding. He stifled a smile at the fact that she could be more demanding. Anna had gotten the group three horses, but Levi refused and decided he would ride Anza. Anna looked nervously at Levi.

    ¡°Your familiars should probably stay hidden once we get to the city,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not ashamed to have them,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Yes, but they are all, besides Vapor, evil,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°They¡¯re not evil!¡± Levi protested. ¡°I don¡¯t care, but I know you have an image to keep up. So I¡¯ll go ahead, and you tell me where to meet y¡¯all.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need to split up,¡± Anna said. ¡°Fine, can we compromise and only have Anza be out?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Levi said softly. Willow and Vapor fused with Levi and disappeared. ¡°Does your family have a ritual room?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna said. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I want to perform a couple rituals; we all have an open ability, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna responded.

    ¡°Good, I think we should all use the essence to get us an ability for dungeons. It could only help us and if the three of us have something different it¡¯ll be a massive advantage.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± Piper said. ¡°Anna, should Levi go with you or me first?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the fifth day of the week,¡± Anna said. ¡°Our families will be sharing supper together. Our timing was perfect.¡±

    Levi mounted Anza, and the trio all rode into town. The ride was pleasant. The weather wasn¡¯t too hot, and the breeze from the mounts cooled them down. They strode through fields and farmlands. As they got closer to the main city, the roads became more developed. Anna had taken the lead and slowed her horse. There was another smaller stable where they dropped off the horses. Levi got off Anza, and she shrank to her preferred size.

    ¡°Lady Anna, Lady Piper, welcome home,¡± the guard said. ¡°State your business, stranger,¡± he said, looking at Levi.

    ¡°Sir Henry, please,¡± Anna said. ¡°He is clearly with us; he is our guest and I expect you and the guards to treat him as such.¡±

    ¡°He looks like no human I have seen before,¡± he grunted.

    ¡°Then you need to explore more than just our kingdom,¡± Anna said firmly.

    ¡°Right,¡± the guard said, embarrassed. He bowed, ¡°Welcome home, M¡¯Ladies. Sir.¡±

    The trio entered through the gates.

    ¡°The city,¡± Anna explained. ¡°Is split into multiple districts,¡± she pointed to their left. ¡°Down this way is the merchant & trades district, that is where you can find all types of shops and stores to purchase whatever you need. That way,¡± she pointed ahead. ¡°Is the guild district, there you¡¯ll find guilds, the FA or Federation of Adventurers - they post contracts or dungeon notices, it¡¯s also where you can form teams. Over there,¡± she pointed to their right. ¡°Is the holy district, many religious type folks are there. Also the hospitals and recovery centers it¡¯s where healers and clergy go for their specific guilds. There isn¡¯t really a district for the houses, but they are all over the place in the city. Our compounds are across the towns.¡±

    ¡°What about food?¡± Levi asked. Piper giggled.

    ¡°There are carts and vendors all over,¡± she said.

    ¡°Our house chefs are quite good,¡± Anna said. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t waste your money.¡±

    ¡°I have so much,¡± Levi said. ¡°Spending it on food is NEVER a waste.¡±

    ¡°Do what you please, but come on,¡± Anna said. Piper had, for the moment, detached herself from Levi. Her family was famous in the city, and they were all assassins. They were excellent at hiding their senses. She wasn¡¯t sure how or when she wanted to tell her family about Levi, but being caught was not what she wanted.

    ¡°How is this city for you?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Pretty similar to cities back where I am from,¡± Levi said. ¡°Except much easier to walk about in than before.¡±

    ¡°We,¡± Anna whispered. ¡°Should also keep the fact that you¡¯re an Otherworlder, under wraps.¡±

    ¡°Not that common, huh?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t uncommon it¡¯s just that they have been known to have incredible abilities that people often want for themselves.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Levi nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll get enough attention as a summoner.¡± He had not been wearing his summoner robes since the stables; he had dawned his casual wear with his hooded cloak of chaos. He still hadn¡¯t met another summoner besides his professors. He did want to check out the summoner guild here and see if there was a higher attendance. Levi wanted not to feel completely alone. He instinctively put his hand on Anza. The mimic looked at him and hummed. He nodded appreciatively; Anza was really his rock.

    Levi could feel himself slipping from time to time. He had been going, going, going since he had arrived in this world, which was natural for someone who had experienced something traumatic. He was throwing himself into getting better and stronger. Now that he was better and stronger, rest and relaxation were being threatened by repressed feelings.

    ¡°Here we are,¡± Anna said. ¡°Home.¡±

 Chapter 22 - Secrets of Arvendon Part. I

    Levi looked at the dazzling gate made completely of onyx bars Levi immediately felt out of place. The gate radiated magic and elegance. Behind the gate were many different buildings that made up a small compound. Each house was made of dark onyx stone with white trim, they had several windows and a door. Levi noticed how the style was somewhat similar to southern standards. He found that interesting. Then in the middle of the compound there was a castle, not an exceptionally large castle but it was a castle, nonetheless.

    In awe of the structure before him Levi was shocked by how beautiful the architecture was. He was not one who loved to look at buildings. There was something about this that was grabbing his attention, perhaps it was magic, but he wasn¡¯t sure. The gate opened slowly as two men in black robes that glistened with every step. They wore sunglasses and had an onyx gemstone pin with golden trim on their robes.

    ¡°Lady Anna,¡± one of them said respectfully.

    ¡°Sven & Gwyn,¡± she responded. Levi noticed that they had bowed but Anna did not.

    ¡°Lady Piper,¡± the other one said respectfully, with a short bow.

    ¡°Hi, Sven, Hi, Gwyn!¡± Piper reciprocated with a bow back. Levi took note of that as well.

    ¡°Who might this be, Lady Anna,¡± the male one, Levi surmised to be Sven, asked while looking at Levi with raised eyebrows.

    ¡°This is Levi,¡± Anna said. Her tone turned sharp, ¡°he is to be treated with utmost respect and as family.¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s a-¡± Gwyn, the other person began to say. She paused as there was a sharp look from Anna. ¡°Sorry, M¡¯lady.¡±

    ¡°Sir,¡± they gave a short bow.

    Levi looked back awkwardly. He didn¡¯t reciprocate the bow. He was not sure what to do and wasn¡¯t the best of friends with confrontation. He preferred sitting in the back of the room and avoiding any additional contact with people. After that short interaction, Levi desperately wanted to escape and find some quiet time for himself.

    Levi admonished himself with all his magical powers, he was still himself inside. Levi wasn¡¯t the biggest fan of being awkward or afraid to confront his problems. Secretly he had hoped that it would just poof go away, because magic. After months of being here he still had his moments of awkwardness. The one moment of being brave was when the jerks from the rogue¡¯s guild had been threatening him, he somehow conjured a ball of chaos. Even then that took a lot of annoyance to get him that.

    Once again, feeling his turmoil, Anza placed her head on his palm. He looked down and nodded gently. He took a deep breath and steeled his nerves. The trio had been escorted through the premises while Levi was caught in his head. He hadn¡¯t paid attention to the conversation that was happening.

    ¡°Right Levi?¡± Piper said, looking over her shoulder.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°We were able to beat the dungeon,¡± Piper said with a smile.

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± he said, scratching his head nervously.

    ¡°My little daughter has returned,¡± a deep voice spoke from behind them. Levi turned around in shock. How had he not sensed someone so close to him? Levi¡¯s powers of perception had grown significantly, especially his aura senses. This man in front of him had no perceivable aura; it sent a shiver down his spine. The man was tall, almost a head taller than Levi. He looked like a professional American football player, built and athletic. He had Asian features with dark skin just like Anna. His hair was buzzed, and he had a clean-shaven face. Based on his looks alone, Levi thought he looked no older than 35 but had known better since Anna was in her early twenties. He suspected the man was likely in his late 80s or early 90s.

    ¡°Hello father,¡± Anna said with a respectful bow.

    ¡°A bow? What kind of father do you think I am?¡± he said with a huge grin. Anna rolled her eyes and gave her dad a huge hug. She smiled as she hugged him. Anna was not a small person; she was almost the same height as Levi. She looked like a little girl hugging her massive father.

    ¡°Piper,¡± he said with a big smile. ¡°How are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good uncle,¡± she said, giving him a hug as a greeting.

    ¡°You must be the infamous summoner, I¡¯ve been hearing about,¡± he said, looking at Levi.

    Levi paused, ¡°uhhh,¡± he hesitated. ¡°I guess.¡±

    The king laughed, ¡°it¡¯s alright son, I hear about a lot in all of the cities, after all this is my kingdom.¡±

    ¡°With all due respect,¡± Levi said sharply, ¡°Your kingliness I¡¯m not your son.¡±

    The king put his hands in the air in resignation and chuckled. ¡°Whoa, whoa, understood.¡± His smile never broke, but his eyes were assessing. ¡°You have a strong aura there¡­¡± he paused and stared at Levi a little longer. ¡°Piper, I have informed your folks that dinner will be a feast, so come hungry,¡± he said with a deep belly laugh.

    Anna and the king turned toward the main building talking about their time apart. Piper stayed behind and walked with Levi.

    ¡°The king is not what I expected,¡± Levi admitted.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Anna is quiet and reserved, he is not,¡± Levi said.

    Piper giggled, ¡°Uncle Leandro is definitely less stiff than Anna. That is just like Aunty Alessia, Uncle¡¯s wife. Aunty is the sweetest person you¡¯ll ever meet but she loves order.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I have an affinity for chaos then, huh?¡± Levi chuckled. Piper burst out laughing.

    ¡°Glad to see you less tense,¡± she said after she stopped laughing. ¡°Thought I had the old Levi back and missed this one,¡± she gave him a gentle nudge.

    Anna and Lord Leandro looked back at the laughing Piper. He smiled.

    ¡°Do they expect to hide their feelings from Trey?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Anna said shaking her head. ¡°He is a good guy, father.¡±

    ¡°I believe you,¡± he replied. ¡°He has a chaos affinity; your mother is not going to like that.¡±

    ¡°No, she will not,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°He is nervous and on edge,¡± Leandro said. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Not sure,¡± Anna said. ¡°He kind of is always nervous, he is not the most confident person. Well until we are in fights, then he is.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± he responded. ¡°Here¡¯s to hoping your uncle approves, otherwise we¡¯ll have an awkward dinner.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Anna nodded.

    Levi was informed that the dinner would be in four hours. Not wanting to sit in a room for those four hours, alone with his thoughts. He got up and headed towards the guild district. Anna and Piper were out cold. Leandro had given a small badge to Levi so he could enter the gates without any issue should he be travelling without Anna and Piper. He had no clue why the lord had the foresight to give him this, but he wasn¡¯t too upset by it.

    Walking through the main boulevard toward the guilds Levi got a lot of whiffs of delicious smelling food. He walked to a vendor who was selling skewers of some meat and veggies. After grabbing a couple of skewers, he and Anza kept walking toward the guilds.

    ¡°What do you expect to find?¡± Vapor asked, manifesting on the other side of him.

    ¡°Not sure,¡± Levi said. ¡°Maybe another summoner, but I find that very unlikely.¡±

    ¡°I would have to agree,¡± Vapor said. ¡°You need to confront your turmoil.¡±

    ¡°Later.¡± Vapor stared her haunting eyes upon Levi but said nothing. The three of them kept walking toward the guilds. The guild district was not any different than the one in Arcross. Somewhat disappointed, Levi climbed the mass number of stairs to reach the same peak. Looking at the few students that were walking around, the campus was mostly empty. Just like him, most had likely gone elsewhere for the breaks.

    He took off the pin given to him by the lord and walked over to the summoner¡¯s guild. The place looked like it had not seen a person in at least a decade or two. Levi wondered why he was sent to where he was. He wondered absently if this was the reason why. Was he only sent near Arcross because they had acting professors or was, he sent there by happenstance? Approaching the gate, it looked like it hadn¡¯t been open for a long time. Oddly, he felt an aura within the building. He looked around to make sure no one was watching him. And hopped the gate with the help of Anza.

    ¡°What am I doing?¡± Levi said. ¡°This is not what we do man,¡± he admonished himself. It was bizarre how similar the guilds were. Everything was nearly identical except flipped. The cafeteria in Arcross was on the right, here it was the left. Everything was run down and abandoned, yet Levi still felt something.

    ¡°Do you feel that Vapor?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°I do,¡± Vapor replied. She manifested next to Levi and Anza. Willow also joined the watching party. Levi and his familiars pushed deeper into the abandoned guild.

    ¡°What do you think it is?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I am unsure. It is a faint aura but potent,¡± she replied. Levi was starting to get a bad feeling about the aura he was sensing. The hairs on the back of his head started to stand, he pulled out his staff and conjured a few orbs. He was not going to be ambushed.

    Levi pressed on cautiously and saw a dim light in the distance. Every fiber in his body was telling him not to push forward. Yet he did. Levi swallowed his nerves and kept walking. Closer to the light he heard a faint noise. Sending out drones, Levi was fully ready to attack whatever was around this corner. As he peered around, he screamed.

    Piper woke up to see that Levi was gone. She frowned, fully aware that he was his own person and could make his own decisions, she wished he had woken her up. But Levi was probably too kind to wake her up, so she let it be. Piper knew that this dinner with her family was going to be an important one. Truthfully, she wished Levi was here so she could ask him to be official with him. She was serious about how much she liked him, and she believed he felt the same way. Before meeting her parents, it would have been good to explain that. His being gone did not help her nerves.

    She sighed and decided to go shower. In the shower she was thinking about that night with the barbarians. Levi had fought so well and had done a surprisingly great job of killing other humans. It hadn¡¯t really affected him. That worried her. Not because she wasn¡¯t someone to kill someone. If they came for her, she was going to put them in the ground. It worried her because Levi definitely did not seem like someone who would share in that same sentiment. He seemed innocent and fresh to the world. Levi likely was putting on a mask for how okay he really was.

    Piper came up with a plan to help him take the mask off and feel what he really was feeling. That would help him in the long run. Getting out of the shower she walked back into the room to see Anna standing up with a scared expression on her face.

    Anna woke up to Piper getting into the shower and Levi gone. For a brief moment she thought that the two of them were in the shower together. Then she noticed Anza was also gone and Anza loved being out and unfused. She didn¡¯t think much of it besides that he might want to explore the new city and new stores. After all, Arvendon is a massive city that has a lot to offer. She was excited for the dinner tonight; she hadn¡¯t had the chance to see her mother. Her siblings were away on quests so sadly they would not be present.

    Anna¡¯s conversation with her father helped her feel less worried about Levi. Her dad was aware of the familiar that Anza was and didn¡¯t seem to have any concern. This made her feel a lot better. Anna wanted nothing but to be wrong about her strange feelings for Levi. She had the feeling that he was evil and up to no good. Her father had pretty much killed that line of thought. Her mother was an excellent judge of character so it would be good to hear her opinion on Levi.

    She was going to go see her mother sooner when a textbox appeared in her vision.

    Quest: Secrets of Arvendon

    A member of your team has found a clue to a deep secret in the Summoner¡¯s Guild in Arvendon. Thus, unlocking this quest. Find the secrets of the massive city Arvendon.

    Objective: Secret 1

    Objective: Secret 2

    Objective: Secret 3

    Objective: Secret 4

    Objective: Secret 5

    Objective: Secret 1 - Completed

    ??? ??? ???

    ¡°What the-¡± Anna said.

    There was a shoebox sized box that was glowing. It had curved edges like a chest with intricate designs and the summoner¡¯s crest on it. There was a simple lock and latch. Levi looked at the box curiously.

    ¡°Why does this have an aura?¡± Levi asked. ¡°Since when do magical items have auras?¡±

    ¡°Do you not sense the aura?¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°I sense it,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°No, do you not sense who¡¯s aura it is?¡± Vapor pressed.

    ¡°No, who¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°Yours.¡±

    Levi whirled on Vapor in utter surprise.

    ¡°You sense my aura on this thing?!¡±

    ¡°You should too,¡± Vapor responded, ¡°focus on the aura signature and tell me what you see.¡± Levi did as he was instructed. Concentrating on the signature of the aura he did notice the familiarity of it. It was gentle yet afraid. Lost and not fully sure of itself.

    ¡°Is that what my aura feels like?¡± Levi asked frowning. ¡°It¡¯s so weak.¡±

    ¡°If you define strength as fearlessness and being found,¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°Most would, yeah,¡± Levi said chuckling.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t,¡± Vapor said. ¡°Sure, you can be strong if you are fearless and sure of yourself. Sometimes those people run into dangerous situations without caution and get themselves killed. However, if you are one who listens to his fears as instruction on what the appropriate steps are to take.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s fair,¡± Levi admitted. He turned his attention back to the box. ¡°The question then is, why would this box have my aura.¡± He reached down to pick it up. It unlocked as soon as he touched it. The top swung open. Inside was a small cube, it had a faint blue glow. Levi picked up the cube and held it in his hand.

    Item: Cube of Ascension

    ???

    A cube that was created when Levi Winters entered into this world. The cube can be used in any ritual to enhance aura or soul powers of Levi Winters.

    Quest: Secrets of Arvendon

    A member of your team has found a clue to a deep secret in the Summoner¡¯s Guild in Arvendon. Thus unlocking this quest. Find the secrets of the massive city Arvendon.

    Objective: Secret 1

    Objective: Secret 2

    Objective: Secret 3

    Objective: Secret 4

    Objective: Secret 5

    Objective - Secret 1: The Cube - Completed

    You have discovered a cube that has been created for you in preparation for a future task.

    Reward: Cryptic Key

    ¡°What the hell,¡± Levi said. Levi stored the cube away and decided that this was enough weirdness and creepiness for the day. He left the guild in a hurry, not really looking back. He brought the box in case it would also be a clue. Leaving the guild, he thought he saw someone or something but elected to leave it be and keep going. Exciting the guild the sun was getting close to setting. Once again, he hoped the fence and made a b-line back to the compound.

 Chapter 23 - Why Doesnt Matter

    ¡°What do you mean you got a cube that was meant just for you?¡± Anna asked. Levi had returned to the room with Piper and Anna, discussing the quest and objectives. Anna was unsure how they had even gotten the quest without Levi purposefully giving them the quest, but he was nowhere to be found. Presumably, he was still at the guild. That was until he burst into the room with a panicked look on his face.

    ¡°I mean it says it was made for me,¡± Levi responded. ¡°The description.¡±

    ¡°Levi,¡± Piper said. ¡°What were you even doing there?¡±

    ¡°I was looking to see if there was another summoner here or professor, something,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m alone!¡± Levi snapped. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you two, I would have absolutely lost my mind by now. It is so lonely going to a guild where no one else lives. It¡¯s also a little creepy. I was hoping that maybe, just maybe, I¡¯d have someone else who understands what it is like to be a summoner.¡±

    ¡°We had no idea,¡± Piper said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t imagine being to a new world, to a new city, and then to a new guild and doing it all by yourself. Yes, we may have attached ourselves to you, but you have been alone. I have overlooked that; that must be hard.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Levi said. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have snapped, I am just freakin out.¡± Piper smiled a gentle smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright Levi,¡± Anna said. ¡°We¡¯re here for you. What do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°I guess use the cube. Vapor, any idea?¡± Levi asked. Vapor manifested out of Levi and stood in front of him.

    ¡°I suggest you use it. All of us do,¡± Vapor replied. ¡°Being an otherworlder is not inherently unique in the scope of the world. Your soul, even for an otherworlder, is different. Usually, souls from worlds will have a unique imprint on them signifying what reality they hail from. Yours is unlike any I have seen or felt before.¡±

    ¡°Have you met someone from my world?¡±

    ¡°I have,¡± Vapor nodded. ¡°Levi, I believe you were brought here for a specific reason, and if you were given this item. I believe that reason is dangerous. You should likely take all measures you can.¡±

    ¡°But why?¡± Levi groaned.

    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Vapor responded. ¡°Not right now. What matters is what and how. What are you going to do to be prepared? How are you going to get there? Why is a filler question that will simply lead to more questions.¡±

    ¡°We did get the quest,¡± Piper added. ¡°That is likely going to answer some whys. And, Levi,¡± she stepped close to him and grabbed his hand. ¡°I¡¯m going with you, so you¡¯re not alone.¡± Anna walked up and put her hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°You¡¯re stuck with me too,¡± she said.

    ¡°I know this is overwhelming Levi,¡± Vapor said. ¡°There is no time limit on either of those, I suggest you finish your guild, and we work together to complete this quest.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, y¡¯all,¡± the scared Levi said. His nerves were starting to settle. ¡°You¡¯re right; let¡¯s focus on finishing the guild. I think the two cities are more linked than people are made to believe.¡±

    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Gut feeling,¡± Levi shrugged.

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± Anna said with assessing eyes.

    ¡°The summoner¡¯s guilds were exactly the same just mirrored,¡± Levi capitulated. ¡°It was odd; I walked in and knew where everything was instinctively just slightly off. I find it odd that it was the exact same. The tables in the cafeteria were the same, and the bricks and the layout were the same. The weight room was the same. That doesn¡¯t seem like a coincidence to me.¡±

    ¡°A lot of guilds are similar,¡± Piper suggested.

    ¡°I wondered that, but this was identical,¡± Levi pointed out.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Anna mused. ¡°Let¡¯s see what happens when you use the cube.¡±

    Levi nodded and pulled out his upgraded wand as he did, he handed the older wand to Piper. ¡°Here, I think you can use this now with your class evolution.¡± She took it and said quick thanks. He began conjuring a ritual circle in one rune slot he placed the cube of ascension in the other rune slot he stood. The glowing lines grew brighter as Levi placed a hand on one of them. The cube of ascension turned bright white and merged into Levi. For a brief second, Levi was glowing the same color as the cube before the light faded.

    Item: Cube of Ascension

    Has been consumed.

    Consumption has triggered title transfiguration

    Levi Winters has transfigured from Otherworlder to Chaotic Paragon

    Chaotic Paragon has unlocked a hidden ability

    Hidden Ability: Chaotic Harmony

    Ability: Chaotic Harmony

    Doing what seems impossible has been achieved. You have found a way to unite harmony with the disorder of chaos. Chaotic Harmony allows user to have significant control of auras and the user¡¯s soul. Anyone who attempts to read your aura or soul will be unable to do so. Your passive aura creates harmonious moment.

    Harmonious Moment

    Chaos

    Passive effect: Any ally within the aura experiences bonus regeneration to mana, stamina, and health at an increased rate. The rate increase is dependent on the star rank of the user. Current rank to regeneration percentage is 60% faster than usual.

    Chaotic Paragon

    Achieving what should not be possible has been done. The Paragon is one who can use and control chaos to be a powerful ally. Chaos has been perfected by you. All spells, summons, rituals, or effects that are chaos-oriented will have additional damage.

    ¡°That was a whole lot more than just aura or soul powers,¡± Levi said. He looked at his arms and felt no physical changes. His body wasn¡¯t glowing, he didn¡¯t feel any different. The main difference was his aura. It was much stronger; he could feel the difference, it was less raw and more contained untapped potential. Levi felt like it was nitrous oxide begging to be used in a drag race.

    ¡°Chaotic Paragon,¡± Anna repeated. She pushed out her aura and to her senses, Levi was not there. ¡°You¡¯re invisible to my aura senses, can you change that?¡±

    Levi shrugged and gave it a shot. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his aura. He could see it; he had never been able to see it. It looked just like his orb of chaos, with flashing red energy streaks surrounding his body. Something about it was beautiful though, the way the streaks swirled around his arms and legs. How it could be pushed out in a small sphere, he retracted it to just cover his skin. He opened his eyes and encouraged Anna to try again.

    This time, Anna could sense that Levi was in the room but barely.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°That is amazing control,¡± she marveled.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°What is Chaotic Paragon,¡± Piper asked. ¡°Seems like that shouldn¡¯t be a thing. How do you perfect chaos?¡±

    ¡°No clue,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Surely,¡± Anna added. ¡°There has to be some explanation.¡±

    ¡°I bet there is,¡± Levi said. ¡°We still have four more secrets to unfold.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Piper said. ¡°We¡¯ll try to help you as much as we can, Levi. I bet our parents are going to want us to hang around them as much as possible while we¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Levi said. It was almost time for dinner, but Levi was still concerned. ¡°Will your father,¡± he said looking at Anna. ¡°Notice a difference?¡±

    ¡°If you can somehow get your aura back to how it was when he met you, no,¡± she responded.

    ¡°I take it you don¡¯t want to tell Uncle?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Definitely not,¡± Levi said. ¡°No offense to either of y¡¯alls family. This is a secret I would very much like to keep close to my chest.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Piper said with a genuine smile. ¡°It¡¯s your secret.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess, it¡¯s our secret now,¡± Levi said. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Piper walked up and grabbed his hand.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t apologize for making our lives more exciting,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna added. ¡°I love that we get to learn more about the true history of our city. This is what adventuring is. Plus, it¡¯s a quest. I don¡¯t mind lying to my family!¡± Anna said with a smug smile.

    ¡°Not what I was expecting from you,¡± Levi said. ¡°But happy to hear.¡±

    ¡°Now, you two have much to discuss,¡± Anna said. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it. Don¡¯t be late. Vapor?¡±

    ¡°Yes Lady Anna,¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°Can you come with me? I have some questions,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I can, but I will not be able to fuse with you,¡± Vapor said. ¡°I will be able to transform my body into a small smokey bird, if that is okay.¡±

    ¡°That works, you¡¯re a smoke spirit, so how many forms can you take?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Many,¡± Vapor said. As smoke arose a small smokey gray bird sat on the shoulder of Anna. The pair left the room.

    ¡°What do we need to talk about?¡± Levi asked. Piper leaned and kissed him. They held the kiss for several seconds.

    ¡°That,¡± she said with their foreheads touching. Piper was on her tippy toes and Levi was bending over.

    ¡°Well,¡± Levi said. ¡°That was nice.¡±

    ¡°It was long time coming,¡± she smiled. ¡°Not exactly what I needed to talk about, but Levi, I wanted to ask what we were?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Levi said nervously. ¡°Uhh honestly, I thought that we were a couple,¡± he gave a nervous chuckle and scratched his head.

    ¡°You did??¡± she exclaimed.

    ¡°Well yeah, we tried to kiss several times, I dunno, I just thought,¡± he stammered.

    ¡°You¡¯re very awkward, Levi Winters,¡± she said. But you¡¯re my awkward, so it¡¯s fine. Honestly, I had thought we were something, but you know I am with little Miss Gorgeous, so I always want to make sure. Then, I wanted to have that information before we meet my parents.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Levi said. ¡°Any tips?¡±

    ¡°Honestly no idea, I have never brought home a guy. This is new waters for both of us. How are you with rich people?¡±

    ¡°I have never really met any to have a judgment,¡± Levi said. He untangled himself and started to change, getting ready for dinner. ¡°What¡¯s considered rich here? I have gotten a lot of money from loot and rewards.¡±

    ¡°Have you gotten gold pieces?¡±

    ¡°Yep, I have about a hunnid or so,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Then yes sir,¡± she giggled. ¡°You are rich. Quite rich.¡± She changed as well. The two of them started walking toward the dining hall. Anza, like usual, was walking on the right side of Levi. ¡°As you know, most people use copper pieces and some silver, rarely is gold used. You could buy a small house with one or two gold pieces in smaller villages and towns. High-end inns that have all amenities covered, food, drinks, and a nice room could cost you a few silvers a night.¡±

    ¡°Oh damn,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°How much do you have?¡± Piper said with raised eyebrows.

    ¡°12,530 copper, 1330 silver, 118 gold, no platinum yet, but not really expecting to find any of those anytime soon.¡±

    ¡°Damn,¡± Piper said. ¡°How did you find so many so quickly?¡±

    ¡°Like I said, the rewards and loot,¡± Levi said.

    Anna and Vapor were walking toward the dining hall.

    ¡°What is it that you wanted to discuss?¡± Vapor asked.

    ¡°Have you been on our world for long or are you from another realm?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I have been here for nearly seven centuries,¡± Vapor responded. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°Have you heard of the prophecy that is somewhat known?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I do not,¡± Vapor replied.

    ¡°It was said that there would be a magic user who is from a distant land who would be able to fight a dangerous summoned monster who is prophesized to be here.¡±

    ¡°And you believe it pertains to Levi. Do you believe him to be the fighter or the summoner?¡±

    ¡°At first, the summoner. I can¡¯t think that anymore, I¡¯ll admit his new aura doesn¡¯t fill me with the most confidence in that regard.¡±

    ¡°Then why change your mind?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s the harmony ability that unlocked. Why would someone who was truly evil help his allies that much? That doesn¡¯t make sense then how he interacts with chaos itself and with all his familiars. You are not his servants. You all are his friends, and he fully believes that. Would some truly evil have that?¡±

    ¡°If the familiars are also truly evil,¡± Vapor pointed out.

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s fair,¡± Anna conceded.

    ¡°What is it that you¡¯re concerned about?¡± Vapor asked.

    ¡°My father,¡± Anna said. ¡°I love him a lot. He rules with an iron fist, we came to power with war, so our history tells us we are the dominant force. We won and that is what our history is. If he senses even a little bit of evil or belief that Levi is the summoner in the prophecy, Levi won¡¯t be able to leave; he might not be able to leave alive.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ you care for him. It is all over your aura,¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°I do, he¡¯s definitely grown on me. It¡¯s like he is my closest guy friend ever. He challenges me intellectually and I am sure once we leave the guilds, he¡¯ll be my rival at dungeon completions and monster hunting.¡±

    ¡°Most likely,¡± Vapor agreed. ¡°From my short experience with Levi, there is something that I appreciate about him, but it could be his downfall. He pushes himself hard, but he fails to meditate and allow the turmoil within him to be freed. I request that you and Lady Piper help encourage him not to follow this path long-term and force him to rest. I am aware this is an important dinner but let us not follow the objectives tomorrow but rest.¡±

    ¡°You care about him too,¡± Anna teased.

    ¡°I do, although not in the way you do. I respect him the way a knight respects and protects its kingdom. With a deep sense of duty, loyalty, and reverence.¡±

    ¡°Is that the same as Willow and Anza?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No, Anza has a sisterly sense of care and subservience due to Mimic Alphas'' nature to their Omegas, which the two are. Willow, I believe, is like me, but it is young and still coming into its own.¡±

    ¡°So, you all have a deeper sense of connection to Levi than what we feel?¡± Anna asked,

    ¡°Just so,¡± Vapor responded.

    ¡°Oh okay,¡± Anna pondered.

    ¡°I cannot make assurances that tonight will go amazing, but I know that Levi will do his best to make things as calm as possible. If not for anything besides he is an awkward person who hates awkward situations.¡±

    Piper and Levi were walking to the dining hall, holding hands. Piper was wearing a beige sun dress with an elegant black coat over it. It was in the onyx style, which was sleeker and elegant. Levi thought it was similar to the 1920s meets fantasy¡ªpinstripe tuxedoes with sword sheaths in a belt¡ªfur coat scarves with sundresses that felt a bit more mystical. Levi wore the reversible suit that Hentay had made for him. It was not as sleek as the outfits of the rest of the Arvendon style, but it still fit in with the Onyx style. He had his plum shirt on, and the cream-colored suit and slacks; Levi never got to dress up too often back home. One look in the mirror and he was feeling himself.

    Levi didn¡¯t have a sword, being a summoner and all. He learned that his staff was retractable, so he kept the carbon fiber staff on his hip. He didn¡¯t think he would need it, but he could never be too cautious. Anza was next to him, and Willow was fused. He could feel Willow give him some confidence. He loved his familiars. They were his best friends and were constantly cheering him on.

    As they got closer, he saw a small gray bird fly and sit on top of Anza. Smoke appeared and it transformed into the mysterious hooded cloaked form of Vapor. From the same direction, Anna walked out. She, too, was wearing a sundress and an elegant coat, but the dress was onyx black with shiny stones at the bottom, and her coat was ice blue. Levi had to admit the two friends looked very good.

    ¡°How often do these kind of events happen, where we get to dress up like this?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°It depends,¡± Anna said. ¡°With us, more frequently than with other teams.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m rich and this is my life,¡± Levi mused. They walked into the main entrance of the dining hall. It was a massive room with an open chapel ceiling. There was a magnificent chandelier made of magical onyx that lit up like light bulbs. There was a large dining table made from white wood. There at the table sat several adults. Some of them looked the same, and others did not. Levi only recognized the lord Leandro. He quickly spotted the Vendulars as they all looked like Piper. They were all having a conversation, eating, and laughing. The plan was to be a surprise for Piper¡¯s family. The room went silent as they turned to see the trio plus Anza walk in.

    Piper let go of Levi¡¯s hand before they walked into the entrance. She loved Levi, but that was not how she was going to introduce him to her father. She was smarter than that. Vapor had fused with Levi once again. It was suggested that perhaps having a creepy hooded cloak entity upon the first meeting would be frowned upon. Vapor begrudgingly complied.

    ¡°Welcome home, Anna and Piper! And their friend, Levi! I hope you enjoyed our surprise, old friend,¡± Lord Leandro said to Duke Trey Vendular he had a smile that could blind the sun.

 Chapter 24 - Five Times a Day

    Levi stood in the awkwardness of the silent room. He hated the silence, it was deafening. In reality it was only silent for a couple of seconds, but there was a sharpness to all the auras in the room. Levi could tell that they were the weakest ranks in the room. He had gotten lucky getting those star tokens early. Otherwise, he would have been the weakest by a long shot. Levi watched as the families interacted with each other once the silence ended.

    There was one thing Levi liked to do, it was people-watching. Of course, he would be listening to music to hide the awkwardness of silence. He watched as the Vendulars expressed their emotions much more. They greeted each other with big smiles, big hugs, and a few tears. Piper¡¯s mom was so excited that her little girl was so big and strong now. The Onxys on the other hand were more cordial. Bows, head nods, and gentle hugs were exchanged. Even when Anna interacted with the Vendulars, that was much more emotional. They swept her up in big hugs.

    Piper¡¯s older brother was present. He was a tall man who looked like Piper, but he was much more muscular, but in a lean way¡ªmore like a marathon runner than a professional football player. He gave Levi an assessing look but said nothing to him. The way he looked at Levi up and down, it pissed Levi off. He knew he was measuring Levi for one of two reasons. First, to see if this guy would be worthy of dating his precious little sister or two, could he take him in a fight? Piper saw what he had done and scolded him quietly.

    Piper¡¯s mom was every bit as beautiful as Piper was. Her hair was long and curlier. She had that magical beauty perfection in her face. The one that was impossible to tell her age. Levi dared not ask.

    Anna¡¯s two siblings were also present. Her older sister and younger sister were much more like Anna and her mother in demeanor. They were stoic and proper, too proper that Levi could have sworn they were straight out of a Korean drama with the strict mom, who was demanding and never satisfied.

    ¡°Hello,¡± Anna¡¯s mom approached Levi. ¡°I am Queen Alessia, welcome to our home. My husband has not been able to stop speaking about you. I must confess, this is a big deal.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Levi gave a respectful bow. ¡°You have a lovely home.¡± Anna had grilled Levi the proper way to greet their parents. Piper¡¯s parents would be more casual and would likely prefer to be called uncle and aunty, but Piper instructed Levi to allow them to offer that. Otherwise, they were to be called Lady and Sir.

    ¡°These are my daughters; the eldest is Rayvin, the youngest is Karin.¡± Alessia introduced.

    ¡°Lady Rayvin, Lady Karin,¡± Levi said respectfully with a bow. Karin was a magic user, but she only had 1-star, this surprised Levi. He thought he would be the lowest star ranking of the adventurers. Levi didn¡¯t press with the auras, but his new aura perception could see people¡¯s auras and could tell the Vendulars were masterful at their control. It was beautiful to see how their auras swirled around their bodies smoothly without a hitch. This made sense since they were all assassins.

    ¡°Howzit!¡± Piper¡¯s mom said, approaching Levi; she wrapped him in a hug. ¡°I am Aunty Maddi, Piper¡¯s mom.¡±

    ¡°Lovely to meet you Aunty,¡± he said giving her a hug.

    ¡°Son,¡± Piper¡¯s dad said. ¡°I¡¯m Duke Trey.¡± Leandro stared with intensity as Trey called Levi son. Levi was not afraid to let the king know that was not something to call him.

    ¡°With all due respect sir,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯m not your son.¡± Levi held out a hand to shake Trey simply looked at it, then turned away. Levi shook his own hand and nodded his head. This gained a smile from Maddi. She knew her husband was protective of his little girl but sometimes he went too far.

    ¡°I must say, Levi,¡± Aunty Maddi said. ¡°Your aura control matches our families.¡± She linked her arm in his and escorted him to the table, whispering to him. ¡°Pay no mind to my husband and my son; they are quite protective of their little Piper. We can¡¯t read anything on your aura, but hers lights up every time she looks at you. It¡¯s quite cute.¡±

    Levi chuckled, ¡°I figured I would have been challenged before the night was done.¡±

    ¡°Then you, sir, are a smart man,¡± she winked before getting back to her seat.

    ¡°Sir,¡± Levi said to Leandro before taking a seat.

    ¡°Call me uncle, Levi!¡± Leandro said. This got a look from everyone. They all slowly turned their heads to look at the king who was being much more casual than anyone had expected. ¡°Don¡¯t mind them,¡± he said. ¡°Grab some food and eat!¡±

    ¡°What kind of creature is that?¡± the young Karin asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s a mimic, this is Anza,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°You have familiars?¡± Piper¡¯s brother asked. Piper took a seat next to Levi.

    ¡°I¡¯m Levi,¡± Levi said. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± not answering his question.

    ¡°My name does not concern you, are you not going to answer my question?¡± he replied.

    ¡°Ohhh kay, Nice to meet you,¡± Levi said with a wry smile. ¡°I have three, for now.¡±

    ¡°THREE?!¡± Multiple people said at once.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi said. ¡°I am Familiar Summoner, that was my class evolution.¡±

    ¡°Leandro,¡± Trey said. ¡°How long has it been since we have seen a summoner in this kingdom?¡±

    ¡°I was just as surprised when he walked in with our daughters. It¡¯s been many years. You see,¡± Leandro said to Levi. ¡°Ranking up as a summoner is a tough task. After people found out that it was so hard they stopped choosing it. Yet, you have. Why?¡±

    ¡°A wise friend once told me why doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Levi said. ¡°What matters is what and how. What am I going to do with my powers and how am I going to rank up? These are the better questions, and the answer is simple: I¡¯m going to work my but off and make friends along the way.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a load of crap,¡± Piper¡¯s brother snapped. ¡°Who are you and what are you doing with my sister.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Levi Winters and she¡¯s my friend I made in Arcross. We study together, although we are in different guilds. She teaches me to fight with weapons, I teach her ritual magic.¡± Levi¡¯s response was measured and calm. He understood well enough that her brother was purposefully trying to provoke Levi.

    ¡°Mom, dad,¡± Piper said, hushing her brother. ¡°I got Arcane Trickster as my class evolution. I¡¯m not an assassin, per se.¡±

    ¡°An Arcane Trickster,¡± her dad mumbled. ¡°You can spell cast?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful honey,¡± Maddi said.

    ¡°How did you do that? That¡¯s impressive!¡± Trey exclaimed.

    ¡°Levi,¡± Piper said. ¡°He¡¯s being humble; I think he will be able to single-handedly win the battle of the guilds at the end of the year.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Anna spoke up for the first time. ¡°Levi¡¯s spell casting, ritual magic, and well familiars are incredible.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Maddi said. ¡°I¡¯d like to see your other familiars.¡±

    ¡°You have a metal cat, how is that an impressive familiar.¡± Her brother retorted.

    ¡°Is that what you think a mimic is?¡± Rayvin asked. ¡°Kai, I know you like to play bruting protector but don¡¯t be dense.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of mimics, Rayvin,¡± Kai said.

    ¡°Love,¡± she responded softly. Levi¡¯s eyebrows shot up. That was not what he expected, but if the families were truly that close, it made sense. ¡°A mimic is a world-consuming organism. They are literal apocalypse beasts. Is this Anza,¡± she said slowly, ¡°is this her full size?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Levi said, not taking his eyes off Kai. Anza grew to her full alpha size, towering over the big man Kai. ¡°Come on out, y¡¯all. Aunty wants to meet you.¡± Willow manifested from his eyes, his crystal blue returning to their dark brown. It was in companion mode and looked every bit adorable. Vapor also manifested but she was behind Levi, standing like a scary guardian angel.

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Maddi said.

    ¡°You have two apocalypse beasts as familiars,¡± Rayvin said.

    ¡°I do,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Are you evil?¡± she asked. This earned a sharp look from her mother.

    Levi chuckled, ¡°it¡¯s all good, Anna asks me that five times a day.¡± This got a laugh from everyone. ¡°I¡¯m not evil I just got lucky with my familiar summons, especially with Anza. If I learned anything from familiars, they tend to attract similar types. Anza was my first friend and then Willow,¡± he pointed to the crystal wisp. ¡°Then Vapor. We form a pretty great team.¡± Tension dropped as everyone heard Levi speak so kindly of his intimidating gallery of familiars. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Well,¡± Rayvin said. ¡°I wouldn''t want to mess with you,¡± she said, giving Kai a pointed look.

    ¡°And yet people still do,¡± Levi said sarcastically. Once again, getting a collective laugh. The familiars returned to their fused states. Beside Anza, she went back to the size she preferred. Everyone went about eating dinner.

    The rest of the night went well. Stories of old adventures, dungeons, and quests were told. Levi didn¡¯t understand much of what was being said, but thankfully, Piper was sitting next to him, filling him in on everything. She did a great job at whispering the little bits of details that were not explicitly said. Levi looked on with sadness, too. Being here in this world had brought his mistakes to the front of his mind. He missed his family. He learned that he had always missed his family but was too destructive to realize it. Now, he could potentially never see them again, and that sucked.

    Piper could sense that Levi was feeling down, she was going to try and distract him when Anna motioned her not to. Anna also saw her friend look sad. This was the first time he had actually allowed the sadness to show; he needed it. For too long, Levi had been repressing his feelings and it was going to hurt him if he didn¡¯t deal with them.

    As the night ended, Anna and Levi walked back to where they were sleeping. Piper stayed to hang out with her parents a little bit longer. Levi was tired, and Anna could spend time with her parents tomorrow. For now, she wanted to help take care of her friend.

    ¡°So,¡± Anna said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Oh, what, nothing,¡± Levi lied. Anna narrowed her eyes. ¡°Okay, fine. It was so cool to meet everyone. But I miss my family. And uh being here kinda made it worse. I don¡¯t know.¡± He sighed. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen my fam in a while and it¡¯s not because I¡¯ve been playing wizard for the past five months in new world¡­ I messed up, Anna. I told them, I chose not to see them again. I chose to be mean. I made those choices, and I can¡¯t do anything about it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s crap and you know it,¡± Anna snapped.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Levi, what would you have done? Apologized to them and then what, all of a sudden you would have been good and picked up right where you left off?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah that sounds good to me,¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it does,¡± Anna chuckled. ¡°What about if they chose not to forgive you? What then?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Levi said, shoulders slumping. ¡°I guess I assumed that they would have just forgiven me.¡±

    ¡°Why should they?¡±

    ¡°Cause I¡¯m family and you don¡¯t turn your back on family,¡± Levi said softly.

    ¡°You did,¡± Anna pointed out. There was a pause as the words rang through Levi¡¯s head. ¡°Look, Levi.¡± Anna said to break the silence. ¡°You can sit here every day continue to deny you¡¯re upset. Deny your sadness, deny your role in the whole thing. By doing so you¡¯re denying Piper and Me! Please, be sad. Be angry; be something! Your default is to sit back and pretend everything is okay. You have a choice right here right now.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± Levi asked tears forming. They had stopped walking. Anna turned to look at Levi in the eyes.

    ¡°To forgive yourself,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can Anna,¡± Levi said, voice shaking.

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how¡­ I spent so much of the past few years hating myself and the decisions I made. I plunged myself into being average. With being fine. My dad would be so disappointed in me, they never asked for much but to be great. To give my all in everything I do.¡± Tears were streaming down his face. ¡°But my dad was killed before he achieved his crowning moment. Before he could be above average. All that work and fo what?? Life to be cruel and unyielding and take him away from me. I decided family was fickle, life was fickle, ain¡¯t nothin in this world that was worth living fo. So, I stopped. I stopped coming to family events, I gave up at promotions or climbing the corporate ladder. I stopped doing what it took to be great. Life was meaningless, I gave up. To spite life for taking my dad away.¡±

    ¡°Did it help?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. I still carry the same damn pain and life still is unfair.¡±

    ¡°Is your world a safe haven? A eutopia?¡± Anna asked. She spotted that Piper was not too far away from them. Waving her in she flashed her a look of caution.

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Levi said. ¡°We only have one species of intelligent beings, and we hate each other for the color of our skin. Our authorities are tyrants, our governments are in a state of total disarray, everything is too expensive and not enough money to service people, I could go on and on. But it¡¯s not all bad. I loved where I was living, there were positives and negatives.¡±

    ¡°Then where did you ever get the idea that life was fair?¡± Anna asked. Levi paused and looked at Anna and Piper.

    ¡°I guess when my dad died, all I could think about was how unfair life was,¡± he answered.

    ¡°Levi,¡± Piper said softly. ¡°You¡¯re in a world where magic is given out randomly to who is a magic user and who isn¡¯t. A world where you have status if you are blessed with that randomness. Our world may be just as unfair as your world¡­ maybe more. Until you come to grips with who you are now and reconcile with the fact that life is not fair and bad things happen to good people. Just the same as good things happen to bad people. This world will chew you up. The thing that will prevent you from getting to 5-star, which I believe you can, is this,¡± she poked his brain and then his chest. ¡°Levi, I love you, but you don¡¯t process your emotions well at all. You hold onto them and pretend they have disappeared. So tomorrow. We¡¯re locking you in the room until you start that process.¡±

    ¡°What she said!¡± Anna echoed. The two girls walked away leaving Levi alone to think about what was said.

    ¡°They are right you know,¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°I know,¡± Levi muttered. ¡°Did she just casually drop that she loved me?¡± Levi asked.

    Later that night as the trio had eventually fell into slumber. There was something happening in the summoner¡¯s guild in Arvendon. A dim white orb illuminated some of the darkness that covered the hall. The orb was being controlled by a strange creature. The creature was humanoid but levitated as their feet were no longer functional. They had a grotesque stomach and one abnormally large arm with another normal one. Flaky green scales covered the being¡¯s body. It had the face of a human with razor-sharp crocodile teeth. It was accompanied by a smaller, pretty female elf.

    ¡°He,¡± the creature said. ¡°Was here.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± The elf said. ¡°We must find what he found, Grindel.¡± The pair searched the entire guild, following the faint aura trail that Levi left by just walking in the guild. The found a corner where his aura reminisced was the strongest. They crouched down, the elf pulled out some salt and began drawing a ritual circle. As she was drawing the circle the creature Grindel walked around the rest of the room.

    ¡°Where are we?¡± Grindel asked.

    ¡°It appears to be a ritual room,¡± she replied.

    ¡°I see,¡± Grindel mused. ¡°Should we be doing that ritual?¡±

    ¡°It is a basic ritual Grindel, there should be nothing that is an issue, now please stop talking and let me concentrate.¡±

    ¡°Fine, but hurry up, Marleen,¡± the brute huffed. He left the room to give her time to finish drawing her ritual circle. Holding the orb of light in his hand, he moved it all over the room. Grindel¡¯s race was originally not from this planet, it was centuries ago before a few of them arrived as refugees from their dying planet. The world they came from, everyone was a magic user; that trend was the same. Dubbed the Croco Aliens by the members of this world. They were humanoid crocodiles who grew large bodies. Grindel was affected by chaos magic that turned him into the monstrosity he is today. The chaos magic gave him immense powers and upgraded him to a 3-star sorcerer. He was at the pinnacle of 3-star magic users.

    Croco-Aliens were born with an extraordinary aura sense. This helped them survive on a world where auras were not well controlled by most of the population. This allowed them to sense when someone was going to attack them or was too weak to make any moves. They took advantage and were able to settle in a region and run the natives away. Ever since his people have been surviving.

    Grindel sensed an aura in this place. It felt like the person they were after but different. It was like he was still there, watching their every move. But to all senses, they were alone. This made Grindel nervous. They were not told how strong this summoner would be, but if an altercation arose, they were told to flee. What kind of being warrants that kind of treatment? Why are they the ones who should run? These questions plagued his mind and kept him on edge. Grindel was not one to run away from a fight, but he was not one to disobey orders either. He did his best to clear his head from these thoughts, but they were too potent.

    ¡°Grindel,¡± Marleen¡¯s voice called. He went back to where she was. There ritual was active and there before them stood a shaky hologram image of Levi with his familiars. They were walking into this room and approaching a small box on the ground. The pair watched as he picked up the contents of the box and opened it. Levi had not stayed in the room for very long. As he was getting ready to leave, he stopped and looked directly at the hologram. Marleen flinched. That was odd. Had he known exactly where they were looking or was that a coincidence?

    ¡°Rewind,¡± Grindel said. They watched it backward until Grindel said, ¡°there. He has three familiars, two of which I have never seen or heard of before. I am unsure of the abilities of those two. That one is a smoke spirit,¡± he said, pointing out Vapor.

    ¡°What good does knowing that do?¡± Marleen asked.

    ¡°It means that he likely has a stronger aura defense with a smoke spirit, we were right to be told to flee if we encounter him.¡± Grindel said.

    ¡°It sounds to me like you are a coward, scared of a ghost,¡± Marleen probed. ¡°I wish to encounter him, so that we may finish the job and be rewarded handsomely.¡±

    ¡°You best watch your tone, elf,¡± Grindel growled. ¡°Play your luck how you want but don¡¯t call me a coward. I saw you flinch too, what spooked you?¡±

    ¡°He looked directly at us at the end,¡± Marleen said. ¡°That should not be possible, was it luck or is he that strong?¡±

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Levi¡¯s voice rang throughout the ritual room. ¡°Who are you? Where are you? What are you doing?¡±

    Levi was sound asleep and had the strangest dream. After the emotional night he had with the girls, he fell asleep quickly. Not long after, his dreams were interrupted by a hideous crocodile and an elf. They were walking in a place that was just too dark for Levi to make out. In the dream he could hear them talk clearly, the disgusting crocodile was called Grindel, and the elf was called Marleen. They were setting up a ritual, looking for something.

    Levi had never seen this ritual before; by all accounts, it looked basic. They were even using salt, one of the most basic ritual materials. There were three rune circles that showed that it was at least a 3-star ritual. The elf placed three different items in each room and chanted a lengthy incantation. Levi couldn¡¯t understand the incantation and just watched. A hazy image of himself earlier today. He was watching someone, watch him, find the box.

    The one named Grindel walked back into the room and pointed out Vapor. He told the other that Levi¡¯s familiars were dangerous and that they were right not to engage. That part froze Levi. They were told to follow him; they were told to track him. They knew who he was and what he was doing there. Who were these people? How long had they been following Levi? Who told them that he was there in the first place? All these questions plagued the mind of Levi, but he didn¡¯t have any answers. What was he to do? How could he see this?

    Was this a feature of being an Omega, they could be connected through their familiars differently. But Anza or any of team Ember were there so that didn¡¯t make sense. Was he even asleep anymore? This was possibly the most confused Levi had been since entering this world. He had never experienced dreaming like this. It was like he was lucid dreaming but also very much awake and present with them in that room.

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± He said. ¡°Who are you? Where are you? What are you doing?¡±

 Chapter 25 - Falling Into the Same Trap

    Grindel and Marleen looked at the ritual. That wasn¡¯t the one thing talking to them. They looked all around and couldn¡¯t see, let alone sense, where the voice was coming from. Grindel conjured more orbs of light to illuminate the area they were standing in completely. Nothing. Marleen pushed out her senses, and she felt nothing more than what they had already sensed and tracked.

    ¡°Is that a hologram of me?¡± Levi asked. ¡°Are y¡¯all just going to stand there or say something? Oh, you¡¯re in the ritual room at the summoner¡¯s guild. Thanks for lighting up the space for me to see.¡±

    Grindel swore and extinguished his orbs of light.

    ¡°We have to go,¡± Marleen whispered.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t see what we came for, failure is not acceptable,¡± Grindel said.

    ¡°Rather failure than death,¡± Marleen said.

    ¡°Failure is death,¡± Grindel growled.

    ¡°Perhaps, look at the recording, we got nothing. We did not fail he outsmarted us, that is acceptable, no?¡±

    ¡°Barely, but enough, let¡¯s go.¡± The voices disappeared, and Levi eyes shot open to him being in his room. Anza was snoozing next to him on the floor. Vapor appeared out of Levi.

    ¡°What happened?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I saw people in my dream,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°That is hardly unusual Levi,¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°Obviously not, but what is that I talked to them, and they reacted. They didn¡¯t say anything to me, but they did speak to each other. They were watching some ritual of us exploring the summoner¡¯s guild.¡±

    ¡°You said that you spoke to them?¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Interesting. That seems to be an ability that should only be linked to you and Anza.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought, the time kinesis or whatever,¡±

    ¡°Chrono kinesis,¡± Vapor corrected.

    ¡°Yeah that, but I also wasn¡¯t going back in time or resetting. It was like I was there through some sort of projection.¡±

    ¡°That is most unusual, never mind that for now. You need more rest,¡± Vapor instructed. ¡°Good job letting things out. Your inner turmoil is diminishing.¡±

    ¡°I can feel it, yeah, it feels nice,¡± Levi admitted. ¡°Alright, back to sleep I go.¡±

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Marleen said as they were entering into their carriage to begin their travels home.

    ¡°The hell if I know,¡± Grindel said. ¡°Was that a cosmic projection?¡±

    ¡°I have never seen one before; only heard it as a rumor. It was something that a 5-star could do. They had two class evolutions the second one was some sort of cosmic sorcerer.¡±

    ¡°His aura didn¡¯t feel strong like a 5-star,¡± Grindel said.

    ¡°No, it didn¡¯t. What freaked me out the most was the fact that his projection looked at me directly. It was as if he sensed we were going to be there, that is even more implausible.¡±

    ¡°Could he have sensed that and then blocked us from seeing what he was in there for?¡±

    ¡°It is possible; something prevented the ritual from doing its proper job. I do not know if he did it intentionally or an ability, but I am unsure of which is the correct answer. Perhaps the boss knows.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Grindel said. ¡°Whatever the reasoning is, I hope that we handle him before he gets to be too strong. He will be a problem.¡±

    ¡°Agreed but keep that between us.¡±

    ¡°Definitely,¡± Grindel agreed.

    Piper woke up and saw Anna drinking some tea. She walked up and poured herself a cup.

    ¡°Is he still sleeping?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Yes, thank goodness,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°No kidding,¡± Piper replied. She took an appreciative sip of the tea. ¡°I told my parents about us yesterday. They were not surprised at all. My brother and father were not happy, but my mom was.¡±

    ¡°Of course she was, Aunty is the one who understands love out of your family.¡±

    ¡°She also is a big fan of Levi. She talked about how he had a kind aura about him. I honestly was scared that my mother would have a worse reaction than anyone else.¡±

    ¡°You thought Kai was going to have a good reaction?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think Kai was going to be home,¡± Piper chuckled. ¡°Since when are him and Rayvin a thing?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve been off and on for a while, and I think they finally were pushed together when we made our journey for the first time to the guild. Definitely a ploy to keep our families as close as possible but it happened to work out.¡±

    ¡°That means we¡¯d be sisters,¡± Piper exclaimed.

    ¡°We already are,¡± Anna said with a smile. They clinked their mugs in silent agreement. ¡°What are you up to today?¡±

    ¡°I am going to hang out with my family, they want to know more about my class. It¡¯ll be good to see them. Levi will join us for dinner. What about you?¡±

    ¡°Same; I¡¯ll be with my sisters and mom for a bit. My dad wants to talk with Levi alone. I told him Levi needs the day to rest and he can talk to him tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d that go?¡±

    ¡°He was understanding but not happy.¡±

    ¡°Does he know that Levi is an otherworlder?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t say but I suspect he does. He knows more about auras than most people so he probably could read that on his aura.¡±

    ¡°Good morning,¡± a tired-sounding Levi said. ¡°Is that tea?¡±

    ¡°Do you like tea?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Not really, but I¡¯ll try some,¡± he said, taking a seat next to Piper, who poured him a cup. He took a sip. ¡°Oh, that is amazing.¡±

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Better, much better. Thanks, y¡¯all for last night,¡± Levi said. ¡°I did have a weird thing happen at night.¡± Levi told the girls about his odd encounter with the two people at the summoner¡¯s guild during the night.

    ¡°That is certainly interesting,¡± Anna said. ¡°I believe you had an experience called cosmic projection. Truthfully, it should not be possible at your rank.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it had something to do with chaos magic?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said. ¡°You think that his new title has something to do with this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± Vapor said. She manifested out of Levi to join the group. ¡°I have never seen someone who was not an elemental with such a high affinity to that element. Who knows what that affinity could do.¡±

    ¡°Interesting thought,¡± Levi mused. ¡°I honestly wouldn¡¯t be too surprised. Chaos magic is potent.¡±

    ¡°And you ooze it,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Ooze?¡± Levi responded, mock offended.

    ¡°Oozes all over you,¡± she replied with a smile.

    ¡°Anyways,¡± Anna interrupted. ¡°What do you think those people wanted?¡±

    ¡°To see what I was doing in the guild, they were searching for something. They were whispering at the end before they left and cut the ritual off,¡± Levi explained. ¡°It was something about failing and I prevented them from seeing what they needed.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°I think,¡± Vapor said. ¡°Perhaps we leave it alone for the time being.¡±

    ¡°That is sound,¡± Anna said. ¡°I¡¯m off to have breakfast with my sisters. Levi, please spend the day recovering and meditating we need you in tip top shape.¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Levi responded. Anna rolled her eyes and left the room. Secretly she was excited to see how diligent Levi was with following instructions that were boring. It would be vital for the team if everyone were okay with the mundane. That was the starting point to being great.

    ¡°Before you go,¡± Levi said to Piper. ¡°Can we talk about what you said last night then scurried away?¡±

    ¡°What did I say?¡± Piper said, looking everywhere but at Levi.

    ¡°Something about how incredibly handsome and awesome I am, I think.¡±

    ¡°Mm I take what I didn¡¯t say back,¡± Piper retorted rolling her eyes.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just cold,¡± Levi said. He laughed and grabbed her hands. ¡°Serious Levi moment, I-¡±

    ¡°Levi,¡± Piper said softly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it back, it¡¯s okay¡­ I know that we come from two very different worlds. I¡¯m quick to say it and I don¡¯t regret saying it cause I do.¡±

    ¡°Piper, babe, let me finish. I love you, too. I make jokes and have a lot of unserious moments. You¡¯re the first girl I¡¯ve ever said that to; shoot, you¡¯re my first girlfriend.¡± Piper sat there stunned, tears welling in her eyes. She was so happy. Piper had never expected that the naked man in front of her four months ago would be telling her that he loved her. She had been wanting someone to say it to her romantically for a long time.

    She knew that she wore her heart on her sleeve and often times is ready quicker than most people. That never stopped her, though. For a while she was ashamed until her mom told her that there was no shame in knowing what your heart wants. Her advice was to make sure that Piper took the time to assess whether the feeling as temporary or long-term. She did that with Levi. Piper had felt like this before they had reached the ice valley. It was the night where he taught her ritual magic.

    ¡°When did you know?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± Piper said, distracted by her thoughts. ¡°The night where you spent time teaching me ritual magic. Something about that night, how much you paid attention to me, cared for me, I melted. You?¡±

    ¡°Looking back, I think I knew when you were teaching me how to use the staff, honestly, for the same reasons as you. At that point, I had thought we were also dating so that shows you how much I thought of that.¡±

    Piper giggled, ¡°When did you think we started dating?¡±

    ¡°Around the fifth or sixth time you came over without Anna, we were studying together in my room, sitting next to each other. I think I leaned on you, or you leaned on me, and I knew at that moment we were forsure more than friends.¡±

    ¡°I remember that night,¡± Piper said looking distant, reminiscing on the moment. ¡°My mom approves, my dad and brother are coming around. She wants to spend more time with you before we head back. So, you¡¯re coming to dinner with us tonight. I¡¯ll have you stay and meditate like Anna said, when I come back, we get ready to go to dinner at my house. Sound good?¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Levi said once again. This time, with a bit more sultry in his tone. She got up from the table, leaned over, and kissed him.

    ¡°I love you, Winters,¡± she whispered softly. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±

    ¡°I love you, beautiful,¡± Levi whispered back. With a deep breath, she got another quick kiss and then left the room.

    ¡°So,¡± Levi said, turning to his familiars. ¡°Shall we meditate?¡±

    Anza made noise that sounded like a spoon caught in a garbage disposal.

    ¡°You want to explore the depths of the Omega growth with my soul and aura? Why?¡± Levi responded. Anza made another noise. ¡°I don¡¯t know how that would help me release or deal with the turmoil though, I understand that it is a new level of power.¡± Another noise. ¡°That¡¯s a fair point. Okay, let¡¯s give it a try.¡±

    Levi had tried many different types of meditation poses. Levi¡¯s experience in yoga helped him tremendously when attempting different poses. He found the pose that helped him the most was lying flat on his back with his heels dug into the ground and palms flat on the ground as well. Levi got into that position and began focusing on his soul and the omega imprint. Levi was able to visualize his soul; it was a vast, empty space. It reminded Levi of Minecraft superflat edition except for blocks it was a realistic world. He was essentially in a vast field.

    Levi realized he was not just visualizing. He was having another projection. He looked at his arms, and he was opaque with a gray smokey glow. He also was not walking but flying just above the ground. He flew to toward the direction where the field stopped, and he found a lake. Inside the lake was an odd structure. He flew into the water and found an alien-looking structure with a giant ball in the middle. Anza appeared next to him, and a lot of team Ember were swimming around the giant alien structure.

    ¡°This is the Omega imprint, it¡¯s the actual omega.¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anza replied.

    ¡°This is why you wanted me to start here, to see that our bond runs deeper than I had been imagining. We are literally connected.¡± The world around Levi shifted. He left the water to walk out to see the field had grown some tall grass, a mountain with some slight snow, a few trees, and a river. It was gorgeous; there was a slight breeze that rustled the grass and leaves on the trees, producing an extremely calming sound. He floated over towards this are of his soul. There he saw Willow dashing around the mountain and the rocks all around it. The mountain was made completely of crystals. The outside looked like an ordinary mountain; the inside was beautiful blue crystal caverns that were expansive.

    Willow came up to him and nuzzled into his chest.

    ¡°Hey little buddy,¡± Levi said. ¡°Your home is amazing. Are you all connected like this?¡±

    Once again, there was another shift. Levi departed the crystal caverns and found a castle that was made completely of smoke. Levi flew toward the castle and entered the gates; it was a small castle no larger than a three-story office building, but it was a castle. Levi was amazed at how the smoke was so detailed. It was a white smoke that looked like steam, almost decorated the interior. The exterior was dark gray smoke. Vapor appeared right next to Levi.

    ¡°You have created quite the domain for us,¡± Vapor said. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do any of this,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Your deep care and trust in us have had a tremendous effect on our nature. We are not your servants that are to bend at your will. We are your friends with a special place in your soul. You have literally created a special place for us in your soul.¡±

    ¡°I really cannot express how grateful I am for y¡¯all. All of y¡¯all. Given me a chance to be a better version, the best version of myself.¡±

    Anza made a screeching noise.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Levi said not being able to hold back the tears. She had told him that they were here for him no matter what and that they forgive him for his old life. She said that without those mistakes, he likely would not be here with them.

    ¡°You¡¯re right though,¡± Levi told Anza. ¡°I have to let go of the past because I¡¯m forgetting the very awesome thing that I have now. If I went back in time, changed the things I did and lost y¡¯all it would not be worth it. I would do the same things over and over if it meant I got to keep y¡¯all.¡±

    Levi was able to leave his projection to feel his three familiars all close to him. Their bond had increased significantly. Levi could feel his inner turmoil wash away as he spent time forgiving himself and accepting where he was now. Levi opened his eyes and noticed he was drenched in sweat. Meditation with magic was an intense exercise. Especially when it was going soul-deep. Levi had been concentrating and pushing his senses to their limits, especially his first time making a soul projection and exploring his soul with a successful soul projection.

    Getting up, Levi brewed himself a pot of tea; the one from this morning was so delicious he had to have more. Sitting at the table, he looked out the window in deep contemplation. Four months, it had been four months since he had been brought to this world. Levi knew that if he kept looking back to his past, to a life that he would never have again then he would be stuck there. He didn¡¯t want that. Levi loved this world sure it was dangerous being attacked many times. So was the other world.

    The other world, Levi thought. That was the first time he didn¡¯t call it his old world or his world. It was, for the first time, the other world. He wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about that. Like he said he loved this world. Levi knew what it was like to lose family. He was going to do his best not to lose the ones he¡¯s made here.

    He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Levi thought about the beautiful things he has experienced so far here. The second chance to be something more than average. He had made friends, family, and he had a girlfriend. He was sitting in that thought, letting the good feeling overtake him, when the tea kettle started whistling. He poured himself some tea and continued to sit looking out the window.

    The window overlooked the compound''s garden. Black roses, various fruits and vegetables, and beautifully placed pavers created a stunning garden landscape. Levi could feel his aura all around him, it was more controlled today than it had been in previous days. He could feel the red swirls leave his skin and swirl around his body. He continued to practice until he got tired and elected to take a nap.

    ¡°Your new friend seems quite odd,¡± Rayvin said.

    ¡°I think he¡¯s cute,¡± Karin said.

    ¡°He¡¯s 3-star Karin, of course he¡¯s cute,¡± Rayvin said. Rayvin was the oldest sister of the Onyx sisters. She was a sorcerer like Anna but was an Earth Sorcerer, that was the class evolution she had received. She was studious and stoic in her demeanor.

    ¡°You know what I meant,¡± Karin said, rolling her eyes.

    ¡°He is odd,¡± Anna said. ¡°But a good odd, I think.¡±

    ¡°I take it you were harsh to him at first,¡± Rayvin said. Don¡¯t pretend like I am not your older sister and know you, Annabella,¡± she added at her sister''s affronted look.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that ray ray,¡± Anna said back.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Rayvin said, putting her hands up.

    ¡°I was, I thought he was evil,¡± she said.

    ¡°What changed your mind, dear?¡± Anna¡¯s mother, Alessia, asked.

    ¡°How he conducts himself. I heard that a lesser demon was collecting their dues at a tailor shop and a strange man with a scary familiar stopped the lesser demon from taking the tax.¡±

    ¡°Stopping a lesser demon doesn¡¯t make him not evil, especially if he killed the lesser demon,¡± Alessia said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say kill,¡± Anna emphasized. ¡°I said, stopped. The demon didn¡¯t collect the money then it got punished for not doing its job.¡±

    ¡°So, Levi will have an enemy of a lesser demon,¡± Alessia said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna said. ¡°What evil person makes enemies with any kind of demons?¡±

    ¡°I see your point,¡± she conceded. ¡°So, what you¡¯re going to take him under your wings and tutor him?¡±

    ¡°No, I am going to be his rival. He pushes me to be better, there is only one other person to do that and it¡¯s this guy named Declan,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Rayvin said with her eyes narrowed. ¡°Is Declan handsome?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not relevant,¡± Anna said. ¡°The three of us are going to make a good team mom, we¡¯ll make great adventurers.¡±

    ¡°Dear, I want you to be alive, adventurers. I don¡¯t think that boy will be able to keep you safe if things get rough,¡± Alessia said.

    ¡°He already has,¡± Anna said. ¡°Twice. We fought a frog angel, 3-star. He was the reason we survived the lizardsaurs in the dungeon. You¡¯re falling into the same trap I did, that¡¯s looking at him and seeing a lost, confused, weakling instead of looking past that and seeing the potential that lies deep within. I am more than capable of taking care of myself, and so is Piper. The two of us would have formed a formidable team, let alone know we have Anza, Willow, Levi, and Vapor. Those are beings I will take ten out of ten times.¡±

    ¡°Look at that mom,¡± Rayvin said. ¡°Little Anna has grown out of her brooding phase and her heart grew.¡±

    ¡°It appears, unfortunately, that your father was right about letting you off your leash and to make your own path. This is not something we will speak of; he must never know,¡± Alessia winked, and the girls laughed.

 Chapter 26 - Hidden Behind These Environments

    ¡°Are you sure that he is someone you want to be dating?¡± Kai asked.

    ¡°Not that is any of your business,¡± Piper said. ¡°But yes, very much so.¡±

    ¡°Your brother is only trying to protect you,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°From what Dad? Levi?¡± Piper asked. ¡°You don¡¯t even know him and you¡¯re passing judgement.¡±

    ¡°I know he is an otherworlder. They are dangerous beings and often cause trouble no matter where they go,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°He is,¡± Piper said. ¡°He¡¯s new to magic and yet look how strong he is. When we first met him, he was naked, skinny, didn¡¯t speak our language, and completely new to this world. That was four months ago. FOUR! How many 3-stars do you know that happened in four months?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not possible,¡± Kai said. ¡°It took me much longer, how?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but he is,¡± Piper said. ¡°Look, we will have all dinner to talk to and about Levi. Right now, I want to talk about myself.¡±

    ¡°What is it you want to say?¡± Trey said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Piper said softly. ¡°That I am not an assassin. I know you trained us all hard to become one. But that was never my path and I bet you sensed it.¡±

    ¡°You are still an assassin, Piper,¡± he said. ¡°Just one who uses ritual magic instead. I should be the one apologizing to you too Kai, I pushed you both so hard to carry on our family legacy. I could have pushed you too hard. I am fortunate to have such resilient and strong kids who could bend and not break.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Piper said. ¡°I have been so nervous to tell you that I really haven¡¯t even looked into what exactly I can or cannot do. Once I got the evolution, we were already a few rooms deep into a dungeon. I was so nervous that I was avoiding even accepting the gains from the room we just beat. Levi and Anna, both convinced me to do it. I was so relieved to be an Arcane Trickster. Levi and Anna, both celebrated me and for once, I felt like I belonged. I felt like myself for the first time in a long time.¡±

    ¡°You have fought a monster, barbarians, and completed a dungeon all before 3-star. Typically, graduating from the guild is right before 3-star. You are many months ahead; I am so proud of you. I am so sorry that you have ever felt like you didn¡¯t belong in this family,¡± her dad said proudly.

    ¡°Yeah, lil sis,¡± Kai said. ¡°You¡¯re a badass and are the definition of a Vendular. I am excited to see how you grow and add to our family as an Arcane Trickster. I believe that you will do great things. I¡¯m sorry to, Pipes.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡± Piper asked, surprised.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been spending so much time protecting you when you don¡¯t need it at all. I still don¡¯t know about Levi, but you can take him if he messes with you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, both of you, truly.¡± Piper said. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know if I can. Levi is strong.¡±

    ¡°His familiars are strong,¡± Kai pointed out.

    ¡°Familiar strength is dependent on the summoner,¡± Trey said. ¡°If any of those familiars thought that Levi was weak, they would not have accepted summon, and he would have gotten something else. I have little doubt that he is a powerful summoner. I want to make sure you knew he was an otherworlder, but it appears you already did.¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± Piper said. ¡°Then the next day he popped up with Anza. His first ever magical act he did in this world was summon a mimic.¡±

    ¡°Whoa,¡± Kai said. ¡°Who is this kid?¡±

    Levi woke up from a dreamless sleep. He felt refreshed. Getting up out of his bed he stretched. Conjuring a small orb of water, he drank from the orb directly. There was something about the magic water that he loved. His familiars all walked into his room.

    ¡°I want to summon the other crystal wisp today,¡± Levi said. ¡°I don¡¯t need the ritual room to do it. I have just enough crystal dust to make the ritual.¡±

    ¡°How are you feeling,¡± Vapor asked.

    ¡°Much better, I feel lighter. The stress and emotions I was holding onto have disappeared and it¡¯s nice,¡± he responded.

    Vapor closed her eyes and reached out an arm, she touched it to Levi¡¯s core. Levi could feel something inside him deep stir. He looked down with bewilderment. ¡°Uhhh,¡± he said.

    Anza shushed him. He complied. After some time, Vapor stepped back and nodded to the other familiars.

    ¡°I have never seen anything like this,¡± she said.

    ¡°What did you do?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°I checked the harmony in your soul. You have done it, very quickly for how much turmoil you had before. What I am referring to, however, is your affinity to chaos. Your soul produces the purest form of chaos I have ever seen.¡±

    ¡°How can chaos be pure?¡± Levi asked. ¡°That really makes no logical sense.¡±

    ¡°I believe you are viewing chaos incompletely.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°From your world chaos is a concept, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Chaos is an element here. Just as substantial as water, earth, fire, and air. On your old world you can feel each of those, you can create each of them, sense them with your physical senses. It is similar to light energy and dark energy. One cannot control light like an element, they can create it with technology. Dark energy is not something that can be controlled either, but you understand darkness as an element.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m following so far,¡± Levi said. ¡°It¡¯s almost like how nature is an element, but on the old world, it is a more tangible concept.¡±

    ¡°Just so. Chaos is just like light and dark. There are those who have an affinity to light, dark, and nature. That can control it greatly. There are those who don¡¯t control it but work with it to form a deeper connection. There are beings not native to this world that can produce pure light. There are beings from a different realm that can produce pure darkness. Druids have been known to produce pure nature.

    There are some, like me, who are the purest form of that magical element. Elementals, spirits, energy beings of whatever element would be a manifested form of each of those elements.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so I can create chaos elementals?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Vapor said. ¡°You can create chaos energy that will allow you to summon stronger chaos elementals.¡±

    ¡°That I understand. What I don¡¯t get is how that has to do with my ability to create pure chaos. Let¡¯s say I create several pure chaos orbs and I don¡¯t attack but leave them here unattended, what would happen?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Vapor responded. ¡°Perhaps it would just disappear, perhaps it could create a chaos elemental, perhaps it could cause devastating damage.¡±

    ¡°Hmmmm,¡± Levi mused. ¡°Is this a good or bad thing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s neither. It just is. Try not to prescribe judgment so quickly. Chaos inherently isn¡¯t ¡®bad or evil¡¯ magic. It is disordered, often uncontrollable magic. Light isn¡¯t inherently ¡®good or pure¡¯ magic. Having a strong affinity is good, if you are good. Having a strong affinity is bad if you are bad.¡±

    ¡°I see. That¡¯s why most people associate my powers, and all of y¡¯all as evil because of the stigma of chaos being bad or evil magic.¡±

    ¡°Just so,¡± Vapor said. ¡°Is water not evil to fire? Is light not evil to darkness? Because of the antithetical nature of these elements people choose one and prescribe a judgment. This is not fair but that is how life goes.¡±

    ¡°I understand, so what do I do?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Nothing, just be aware of what is happening inside your soul, so you are not caught off guard by undue hostility.¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°I¡¯m used to that,¡± Levi chuckled. ¡°At least now I know. That might be helpful tonight, Piper¡¯s dad and brother seemed pissed to meet me.¡±

    ¡°That was likely more due to you being a boy who their daughter and sister has strong romantic feelings for. Not your affinity. That seemed to be more of Lady Rayvin and the rest of the Onyx family.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but not the king.¡±

    ¡°I suspect the king can sense auras better than everyone else.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Levi said. ¡°Alright, well I¡¯m gonna mediate until it¡¯s time to get ready.¡± Anza made a whirling sound. Levi nodded and followed his familiar into the open room. He pulled out his staff and watched Anza perform a series of movements. Her blue bioluminescent started to glow brighter and would slightly fade with like a calm heartbeat. Levi copied her movements while incorporating breath work to match the rise and fall of the blue. He would inhale when it was brighter and exhale when it faded.

    Levi could feel him getting into a trance with Anza. The two of them were moving in perfect sync. Levi could feel any trouble or hardship melt away as each movement was completed. Anza finished the movements and Levi stood staring at Anza in disbelief.

    ¡°Damn,¡± Levi said pulling up his stats. ¡°That pushed my stamina and mana past its limits. Thanks Anza. That was awesome! Okay, Willow, let¡¯s get you a partner.¡± Levi pulled out his wand and began drawing a ritual circle, he had Willow occupy one of the rune slots. The circle started to glow crystal blue. The other rune circle that was empty started to glow bright crystal blue then turned to crystal white. There in the space was another crystal wisp that looked just like Willow but instead of blue was white.

    It looked at Levi, it was in companion mode. It flew over to Levi and landed on his shoulder. Willow did the same.

    ¡°You have a name?¡± Levi asked. A textbox appeared and the writing was in crystal white like the wisp.

    My name is Crystal.

    ¡°Lovely to meet you, Crystal. I¡¯m Levi, that¡¯s Willow there. Anza is the mimic, and Vapor is the smoke spirit. Welcome to the family.¡±

    Family? Are we not just familiars?

    ¡°Nope,¡± Levi said happily. ¡°Round here, anyone who joins us is family!¡±

    I think I will like this very much! Crystal did a flip in the air as a show of excitement.

    Familiar bond established

    Crystal Wisp - Crystal

    You have bonded with another Crystal Wisp. Crystal Wisps¡¯ ability swarm has doubled in power. Orb of Fire¡¯s power has increased.

    ¡°Awesome,¡± Levi said. ¡°Excited to have you!¡±

    In the summoner¡¯s guild in the city of Arvendon two orbs of chaos started to manifest. Once the manifestation ceased there were too many items lying on the ground where the orbs used to be. As Levi was talking, he turned his head in the direction of the guild campus and stared. He didn¡¯t know what it was, but he had sensed something calling out for him in the distance. It wasn¡¯t like it called his name; it was like it pricked at his curiosity. Levi made a promise that he would not do anything strenuous and that he would rest.

    Tomorrow, he would go back to the campus with Anna and Piper. That feeling pressured him more and more, but he shook his head and stood firm in his resolve. He would not go until tomorrow with his friends. The feeling disappeared as his resolve stood strong. A new feeling emerged inside Levi, a feeling of regret. Would he regret not acting now? Would whatever was calling to him be gone by the time he checked tomorrow? He didn¡¯t know and he never would, so wondering this could be pointless. He shook his head to clear the thoughts and feelings. It didn¡¯t matter he would check tomorrow regardless.

    Just as he finished feeling better the door opened and in walked Piper.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°Hello, new wisp! I thought we said to rest?¡±

    ¡°You did,¡± Levi said. ¡°And I did, this is Crystal.¡± He gave Piper a kiss on the forehead with a big hug.

    ¡°Mmm,¡± she gave an assessing look. ¡°Are you ready for tonight? Father is excited to get to know you.¡±

    ¡°I am, I just need to change,¡± Levi said. White mist shrouded him and then he was in his formal attire. He changed the suit jacket to be sage green and kept everything else the nice plum color. All his familiars, besides Anza, fused with him.

    ¡°Well,¡± Piper said staring at his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s new.¡± Levi went to the bathroom to check the mirror. One iris was crystal blue, and the other was white.

    ¡°Oh, wow,¡± Levi said. ¡°I guess that makes sense, if there was any doubt that I had familiars my eyes definitely give it away.¡±

    ¡°I like it,¡± she said. ¡°Their mysterious and a gorgeous color for you.¡± Piper was wearing what looked like a traditional Japanese kimono, it was black with golden flowers. Her hair was slicked back into a bun held up by two chopsticks.

    ¡°Just like that is for you,¡± Levi said looking her up and down.

    ¡°Keep it up,¡± she said. ¡°I just might fall harder for you.¡± She gave him a kiss, then pulled him toward the door. ¡°Come on, we have to go to my house so it¡¯s a bit of a walk.¡±

    ¡°Cool,¡± Levi said. ¡°I wanted to see more of the city.¡±

    The couple walked out of the compound and toward her family¡¯s compound. They walked through the main boulevard and past the guild district. As they did Levi looked at the guild and could sense what was calling him earlier. It was still there but he felt like he knew what it was.

    ¡°You miss the guild that much huh?¡± Piper teased.

    ¡°Not that,¡± Levi chuckled. ¡°There is something in there for me. I have a vague idea as to what it is, but I¡¯ll need to check tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°There is something in there for you?¡± Piper questioned. ¡°What are you on about?¡±

    ¡°I just have this feeling, it¡¯s hard to explain.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± she said giving him an assessing look.

    ¡°I know it sounds crazy, but can you trust me?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Of course,¡± she replied. ¡°We¡¯ll go check tomorrow.¡±

    As they passed the guilds, they entered into a district that looked like a Middle Eastern bazaar. Merchants were shouting to get the attention of customers and selling rugs, animals, food, jewelry, magical items, nonmagical items, and so much more. Levi smiled; it reminded him of a mall during black Friday. A ton of people going crazy over prices. He would always be there not purchasing anything, just sitting and relaxing, observing. The chaos of it all was peaceful for him. It was a chance to silence all the doubts, negative thoughts, or sad feelings. They were hidden behind the loudness of the environment.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain later,¡± he yelled. It was too loud for him to speak at his normal volume. He didn¡¯t want to yell that he had an affinity for chaos openly. He saw a vendor that sold flowers.

    ¡°Hello young friend, these flowers are a sign of a healthy and prosperous womb,¡± the vendor said to Levi. Despite knowing that the vendor was talking about him and Piper, Levi bought a bouquet.

    After they walked through the bazaar with a bouquet of flowers in hand, Piper finally asked what was going on.

    ¡°What did you say? Why did you buy those flowers? Are you expecting to have children anytime soon?¡±

    ¡°Come on now, it¡¯s clear these ain¡¯t for us. It''s for your mom, she¡¯s pregnant, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. That¡¯s very sweet,¡± she said, sounding put off.

    Levi chuckled and kissed her cheek. ¡°I figured out why I have an affinity for chaos. I¡¯ve always felt calmed by being around a lot of noise. I hadn¡¯t realized until we were in that market square.¡±

    ¡°That was calming for you??¡± she asked emphatically.

    ¡°It was. Very calming.¡±

    ¡°You are a bizarre man, Levi Winters,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°That¡¯s why I love you.¡±

    ¡°I am who I am,¡± Levi shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s hard to be this awesome. Sometimes it leaks out in my sweat.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s disgusting,¡± she said, making a face. ¡°Anza, how do you deal with this all the time?¡± Anza made a whirling sound.

    ¡°That¡¯s just rude,¡± Levi said to Anza. Anza and Piper laughed at the affronted look on Levi¡¯s face.

    ¡°Hello Piper, Levi,¡± two people were at the gate of the compound waiting for them.

    ¡°Hi Lady Rayvin,¡± Levi said formally. ¡°Sir Kai.¡±

    ¡°Oh, cut that off, I¡¯m not that much older than you, no need for all the formalities,¡± Rayvin said. ¡°Just Rayvin.¡±

    ¡°Keep calling me sir,¡± Kai said sharply.

    ¡°Kai,¡± Rayvin said slowly.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright Rayvin,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°Your eyes changed,¡± Kai said. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°When you reach a certain threshold for being awesome your eyes will undergo serious cosmetic changes,¡± Levi said. ¡°So, I guess I hit that threshold, lucky me.¡±

    Kai growled, unamused. While Piper and Rayvin both giggled at how easily Kai could get frustrated.

    ¡°Are you joining us for dinner, Ray?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°I am,¡± Rayvin nodded.

    The four of them walked into the main house. The compound was indeed smaller, but smaller does not mean small. Spanning three city blocks, there were three separate buildings. The largest building was a chateau-style house. It was built with dark gray stone with a light trim and black stone roofing. They walked through a large grass field, which had a few hedges and a fountain in the middle.

    ¡°Welcome to Vendular Manor,¡± Piper said softly. ¡°It¡¯s a bit much for only two kids but it is generational.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s huge,¡± Levi said, staring in disbelief.

    They were guided into the dining room, which was about the size of Levi¡¯s apartments if all the walls were removed and it was one room. The Vendulars were sitting at the table, waiting for the four young adults to join them. Maddi and Trey were sitting at the head and foot of the table. Then, two older-looking people were sitting next to Maddi.

    ¡°My grandparents,¡± Piper whispered. ¡°On my mom¡¯s side, my dad¡¯s parents sadly passed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I never actually met them. Magic makes us live longer; you know. They lived to be about 200 years old, then were killed, and that was 30 years ago.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s crazy. On the old world, you were lucky to live to a hundred.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s alright though,¡± Piper said. ¡°I guess that¡¯s fair, you don¡¯t have magic users like we do.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the average here?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°If you¡¯re a magic user 200, if you¡¯re not a magic user 120,¡± she said.

    ¡°I see, I¡¯m interested to hear more, but we should probably have a seat,¡± Levi chuckled.

    ¡°It is good to see you again Levi,¡± Maddi said. ¡°These are my parents, Kyra and Aaron.¡±

 Chapter 27 - Thrive on Chaos

    ¡°Otherworlders are awful creatures who bring nothing but destruction,¡± Aaron said. Levi laughed. ¡°What so funny, boy?¡±

    ¡°Hey now,¡± Levi said. ¡°Can¡¯t be a boy if I¡¯m a creature,¡± Levi said, chuckling.

    ¡°This is the problem, y¡¯all think you can come to our world and takeover with your special gifts and magic. That¡¯s not right and you know it.¡±

    ¡°But what if they were brought?¡± Levi said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not possible and not how this works,¡± Aaron argued. Levi laughed again and conceded the point. ¡°You just gonna keep laughing and not defend yourself?¡±

    ¡°Defend myself from what?¡± Levi asked. He had to wipe away a tear from laughing so much.

    ¡°Coming to our world to take over,¡± he said, folding his arms.

    ¡°Sir,¡± Levi said, suppressing his laughter. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Fine, then you¡¯re just another creature! And you aren¡¯t welcome in my home.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not your decision to make, Aaron,¡± Trey said. ¡°I¡¯ve let this go on for far too long. Levi is a guest in OUR home, my family¡¯s home, which has been here for millennia. We show respect to all guest in this household.¡± Aaron didn¡¯t say anything else, he folded his arms and pouted. The rest of the night was awkward; very few made eye contact with Levi while he happily ate his dinner.

    As the night ended and everyone said their goodbyes Rayvin said she would walk back with Levi and Piper.

    ¡°Did not expect it go like that,¡± Rayvin said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Levi, that was rude as hell. I wish¡­ I should have said something,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Levi said, giving Piper a friendly nudge.

    ¡°For what it is worth,¡± Rayvin said. ¡°You handled yourself expertly, seriously, that was a masterclass. How did you do that?¡±

    ¡°I thrive on chaos,¡± Levi shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he believed everything, he was saying but I do know he was trying to get me to react in some manner. I don¡¯t know if Kai or your dad or grandmother put him up to it.¡±

    ¡°Why do you think that?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°It was outta pocket what he said. From what I saw, it was against his nature to speak so disrespectfully. My first interaction with him was full of respect. Most people don¡¯t switch up like that.¡±

    ¡°I have never heard him say anything that he did tonight,¡± Piper mused. ¡°Would Kai, do it?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Rayvin said. She refused to look at Levi. Levi¡¯s aura had significantly improved after spending time talking to Vapor, he learned that auras can also reveal our emotions. They can betray what we think, without proper aura control a person¡¯s emotions could be read. Levi would best explain it as controlling your body language. If you had bad body language, it could be seen by everyone; having a good poker face, emotional regulation, and level-headedness, these were all things that were said on Earth that were essentially aura control. Following that lesson, Levi learned how to read auras; Rayvin just lied to him.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Piper said. ¡°Then it was maybe my dad.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, possibly,¡± she lied again. Levi wasn¡¯t sure why she was lying but he knew she was.

    ¡°Why are you lying,¡± Piper asked to Levi¡¯s surprise.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Rayvin countered.

    ¡°You¡¯re lying about it not being Kai. Why? Were you part of this? Is that why you¡¯re here?¡± Piper pressed.

    ¡°Piper, how dare you?¡±

    ¡°How dare I? How dare you! You¡¯re trying to prove that Levi is evil, what are you and Kai up to?¡± she demanded.

    ¡°Just ask Kai yourself,¡± Levi said. ¡°Come on out big guy.¡±

    Kai dropped from the roof and faced the group. He was in his combat robes, holding his weapons. Levi had no illusions that he could beat Kai. They were both 3-star, but Kai was approaching 4 and was an experienced assassin who knew the city limits. Levi was a fresh 3-star who was not that experienced in anything.

    ¡°He¡¯s dangerous, Pipes,¡± Kai said. ¡°I¡¯ve come to take him away.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen,¡± Piper screamed. She was horrified. Was she blinded by Levi that her whole family sees him as a threat? What was she missing? ¡°Am I missing something?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Trey¡¯s voice appeared from the shadows behind them. Levi sighed. He definitely could not beat the duke in a fight. This would be a swift loss and the end of his life. He had no idea what to do.

    ¡°Then what?¡± Piper said, looking at her dad in his combat robes.

    ¡°Otherworlders are dangerous and there is a prophecy.¡±

    ¡°A prophecy,¡± Levi chuckled. ¡°This is proper video game nonsense.¡± He whispered to himself.

    ¡°Are you not aware how evil all of your familiars are, Mr. Winters?¡± Trey said.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t evil, so I guess not,¡± Levi responded. He conjured his battle robes. They looked like badass ninjas, while he looked like a poor wizard.

    ¡°You have two world consuming entities as familiars, apocalypse beasts. You expect me to be okay with the first summoner to roam through our little city with those beasts as familiar, with you having an affinity to chaos magic, and be, okay?¡±

    ¡°To be honest,¡± Levi said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting anything from you.¡±

    ¡°Let me fill you in¡­ I¡¯m not. I wouldn¡¯t have done or said anything if you weren¡¯t involved with my daughter, but it is clear you have her under a spell.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I am a summoner,¡± Levi said. ¡°Whatchu mean under a spell, you can¡¯t read her aura?¡±

    ¡°I can,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°You read her aura and think, this dude put her under a spell?¡±

    ¡°Enough talk,¡± he snapped. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to come with us.¡±

    He took a step toward Levi. Levi released about 50 drones to surround himself.

    ¡°Vapor, transform as something small and go with piper,¡± Levi whispered. ¡°We¡¯re going to get the boxes and we¡¯ll camp outside the city walls.¡± Smoke appeared around the entire swarm of team Ember then Levi¡¯s aura faded, and he snuck off with Anza. Levi cast a ritual spell over him as he entered the summoner¡¯s guide. It effectively eradicated any of his aura residuals. This way, no one could see what he was doing or could follow him.

    Willow and Crytal defused and acted as lights leading the way to the ritual room. It was late in the middle of the night. All of the drones had returned to Levi; he was glad because making a hundred was mana intensive. He walked back into the ritual room and found a box. It was just like the other box he had found. Levi opened it up and inside was a note.

    Letter #9

    I¡¯ve accepted my role in the creation of the greatest evil this world will ever know. I am sorry. History will paint me as the villain. I wish I could deny it, but I only wanted the world to know that being a summoner was worth pursuing. In my misguided ways I created a monster¡­ I¡¯ll do what I must to re-write my terrible legacy. Hopefully, etch it into something better.

    If you read this, surely, I have perished. Remember my other letters and I hope they vindicate me. I hope I helped. I hope my legacy isn¡¯t only blood. I will make one final sacrifice.

    Forgive Me,

    M. Veluvius

    ¡°Other letters,¡± Levi said. ¡°This is letter number nine; how many more letters are there?¡±

    Levi put the letter in his inventory and went searching again. He still felt that strange call. It now felt like something was poking his magical senses. Walking through the hallways, staff in hand, he found the workout room. In the workout room there was another box. This one was much bigger, the size of a chest. He opened it up and inside were three items. An orb, a scepter, a hilt.

    Item: Orb of AuraIf you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Legendary

    An orb with the secrets of auras locked inside. Use in a ritual to unlock an aura ability.

    Item: Scepter of the Acolyte of Dimension

    Legendary

    A scepter created by one of the acolyte to the great being of dimensions. The scepter can allow teleportation to various destination. The further the destination the more mana. Destinations can only be teleported to, if once visited.

    Item: Hilt of Veluvius

    Legendary

    The hilt of a sword that was once held by the 5-star summoner Veluvius. Find the rest of the sword pieces to complete the sword to unlock massive power.

    ¡°Damn, three magic items all at once,¡± Levi said. He held out the scepter. It was made of pure gold; the top of the scepter had a strange crystal that looked like outer space. Levi thought about the location they had before getting the horses outside of the kingdom. The world started to go look like he was spinning, he felt his stomach churn upside down and poof, he was just outside their old campsite. He kneeled on the ground taking a deep breath. ¡°That one was worse, much worse.¡± He sprawled out on the ground, ¡°Vapor,¡±

    ¡°You sound terrible,¡± Vapor said. ¡°Are you in trouble?¡±

    ¡°No, teleport magic¡­ I¡¯m outside the village clearing, where we set up our camp before heading into town.¡± Levi said, still feeling nauseous.

    ¡°Okay, Anna and Piper have packed their bags, they are ready to leave.¡±

    Piper used the smoke that Vapor provided and rushed off to her room she was sharing with Anna and Levi. Tears were streaming down her face. She was very conflicted. She had just met Levi but something about him was alluring. Her dad and brother had always been protective, but this was next level. It was like they didn¡¯t even trust her. That¡¯s what hurt the most. The fact that they looked her in the eyes earlier that day and said they trust her. Only to do the opposite of what they said.

    She noticed there was a small gray lizard following her very quickly. It was Vapor. That gave her some comfort that Levi wasn¡¯t mad at her. She also noticed. Levi was not following her. Did he stay and fight?

    ¡°He will meet with us later, keep moving, Lady Piper,¡± Vapor said.

    Piper nodded and kept running. In short order she was in her room. Her face covered with sweat and tears as she burst through the door.

    ¡°Whoa,¡± Anna shot up. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°My dad tried to take Levi. Vapor created a distraction and Levi went somewhere. I have to go.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna said without question.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Piper said. ¡°You¡¯re coming with me?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be dense,¡± Anna said. ¡°Of course, I am. Pack and explain what happened.¡±

    ¡°First Rayvin was there at the dinner, that should have cued me that something was happening. Then my grandfather was being an ass to Levi.¡±

    ¡°How did he handle that?¡±

    ¡°So, well that it shocked Rayvin,¡± Piper said. ¡°He just laughed all the horrible things my grandpa was saying.¡±

    ¡°Interesting, then what?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Then we left,¡± she left the room, then came back. ¡°To have Levi notice Kai following us. Then my dad showed up too! BOTH of them were following us. Levi looked at first like he was going to fight Kai.¡±

    ¡°That would not have been good¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it would have been awful. But then once my dad showed up, his demeanor changed to escape. Of course, we are all assassins so escaping is not the easiest. I honestly have no idea how he managed.¡±

    ¡°He performed a ritual while your dad was talking, if he had stepped any closer then there would have been a massive flash.¡± Vapor said. ¡°Then he told me to follow you and inform you of next steps.¡±

    ¡°He doesn''t think you¡¯re in on it?¡± Anna said. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Because Lady Anna. If either of you had any intentions of taking him away, you could and would have done it days ago. Not after you told him to rest up and recover. If anything, the perfect time would have been during the day today.¡± Vapor responded.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good point¡­ he may not be a complete idiot after all. Where is he?¡± Anna said.

    ¡°He is away,¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°I¡¯m almost done, are you ready, Anna?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said.

    ¡°Why are you so cool about this?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°I will explain when we are with Levi, he needs to hear this too. Come on, leave the lights on and we¡¯ll go through the underground passage. Your dad will surely come looking for you.¡±

    ¡°Done,¡± Piper said. The two girls went out through the garden and Anna pushed back the water in the garden fountain, small tile slid open. One after another they jumped into the tile. Once inside she used a spell to turn the water back on and the tile slid closed. Anna grabbed a torch that was next to her and struck it against the wall. Flames erupted from the torch and lit up the pathway.

    ¡°I remember these,¡± Piper said. As they walked through the tunnel. It was a cramped tunnel that they could only walk in a single file line.

    ¡°Yes, I remember telling my dad we found an entrance and he told me to keep it between the three of us. I never asked him why though,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Hopefully Rayvin doesn¡¯t know about it,¡± Piper mused. ¡°You don¡¯t think I am under any spell, do you?¡±

    ¡°Why would you ask that?¡± Anna said looking over her shoulder.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I mean I¡¯ve known Levi for what 4-months, and I chose him over my family! Doesn¡¯t that make me a crazy?¡±

    Anna chuckled, ¡°no Piper, that doesn¡¯t make you crazy. You¡¯re not under a spell. For as long as I have known you, you¡¯ve never liked bullies. You¡¯ve always stood up for the little guy, no matter who it was. This is you doing that again, except it¡¯s for a guy you loooove. In all honesty, I¡¯d be more concerned if you weren¡¯t upset at how your family treated Levi.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Anna, that means a lot. It just seems odd I guess; you would never do this for someone you met four months ago.¡±

    ¡°No, but I am a natural skeptic and don¡¯t trust easily. But you¡¯re not me. Thank the gods for that because I would not have a best friend who would force me to see the world differently, even when I am stuck in my ways. Look at us, Piper. We are running through a small tunnel system with a smoke spirit to help a guy with three familiars and a chaotic affinity. That¡¯s our life right now! That has to be one of the coolest things we have done. That¡¯s all because of you. I would have never given Levi another glance, but you did. This was even before you had feelings for him. You¡¯re awesome. Be awesome.

    Levi may not be the most charming, best-looking, or smoothest person I know. He¡¯s awkward, goofy, and he¡¯s better looking with magic now but he¡¯s the best thing for you. Not for any important reason, except he sees how badass you are and brings that out in you. I¡¯ve never seen you so confident before. It¡¯s sexy. Confidence looks real good on you, Piper, keep that up.¡±

    Once again, Piper was crying. This time, it was because this was the sweetest thing Anna had ever said to Piper. She was so filled with joy that it spilled out in tears.

    ¡°I love you Anna,¡± Piper whispered. ¡°Thank you being my best friend.¡±

    ¡°I love you too Pipes,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re always picking me up and helping me out, it¡¯s about time I can do the same for you.¡±

    ¡°Levi will be waiting outside the area where we set camp up prior to getting the horses,¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°Great, let¡¯s hurry.¡± Anna thought back to when she first met Piper. Anna was younger, around twelve, and being raised to run the family. The two girls met at a city leader¡¯s meeting, it was on the Onyx compound and all the families who were either of the royal family, dukes, or aristocratic were invited to this gathering. Anna had been non-stop swarmed by boys who had huge crush on the strikingly beautiful daughter of the lord. Anna was well aware of the politics of her role and her life. These boys were partly sent here to flirt and gain information, gain an advantage so the next family could grow in power.

    It was the polite thing to do to entertain and have the parents reject them at a later time. This is what happened with her older sister Rayvin, until Kai Vendular returned from his guild. The two of them hit it off a little more than most people had expected. Anna had spotted them walking very close to each other with hushed tones. She also noticed a girl she hadn¡¯t seen in a long time; she had curly hair and gray eyes. She was following around Kai from a safe distance.

    Anna rushed over to her and introduced herself to save her from having to be the awkward third wheel. Ever since Anna had been close friends with Piper and the two of them did a lot of things together. Piper had always kept some distance because of the power dynamic, Anna was set to be the next ruler of the Onyx kingdom should she choose to do it when Leandro passed, of course that wasn¡¯t for at least a century maybe more.

    Anna had always wanted to push passed those barriers of power but never had the opportunity, flash forward to meeting Levi and the craziness that was this year¡¯s break, she had found her moment. Anna had the chance to stand up for Piper, like Piper had always stood up for her. Without question Anna knew that this was the best decision for her and Piper¡¯s friendship.

    Levi was sitting in front of a fire the wisps created. It was warm and calming. He was staring at the sky he had never noticed how distant the moon was but how close other planets were. His eyes could pick out at least three other planets that were smaller than moon, denoting a further distance but not too far that it was out of reach. He wondered if interplanetary travel was a thing. The night sky was beautiful, he stared off into the cosmos and felt relaxed. All the craziness of the night took a toll on him, but he was fine now.

    He stood up to watch Piper and Anna run up the hill to meet Levi. Piper gave him a huge hug and kiss. Anna gave him a big hug and kissed his cheek.

    ¡°Where did you go?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°To the guild,¡± Levi responded. ¡°I had to figure out what it was that I felt. It was a letter and these items.¡± He held out the items and told them what they were. He read the letter out loud. Neither of them had heard of Veluvius, to Levi¡¯s disappointment.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s next?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m going back to Arcross for the rest of the break,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°So, we¡¯re going back to Arcross,¡± Anna said. ¡°Good, we have to discuss our next path forward as a team.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re going to come with me?¡±

    ¡°Are you both dense?¡± Anna said. ¡°Of course we are! Why would we stay, we¡¯re a team!¡±

    ¡°Well, then I¡¯m thinking we all ride mimics back instead of taking our time through the valley,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°I have to tell you something,¡± Anna said. ¡°Wait are there two wisps now?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Levi said. ¡°This is Crystal, Crystal this is Anna. She¡¯s also part of the fam,¡± Levi said.

    Crystal flew up to Ana and did a backflip to show joy then went back to playing with Willow.

    ¡°That was adorable,¡± Anna murmured. ¡°My dad suspected that the Vendulars were up to something. He sent me home early to warn you, Levi, but I was too late. The two of you had left early as well. My dad doesn¡¯t think you¡¯re evil Levi, he actually thinks you¡¯re as good as they get. He spent time trying to convince uncle that you¡¯re a good guy trying your best. Uncle argued that you don¡¯t have to try to be good, which of course, my dad laughed at.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± Levi said. ¡°That¡¯s crap. No one is naturally good; we all have tendencies that make us good people, but the ones that make us bad people get us in trouble. We have to ignore and fight constantly. Beware of anyone who says they are a naturally good person.¡± Anna stared at Levi in disbelief. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what my dad told me. Almost word for word, especially that last part. I think my dad sees a younger him in you Levi. I haven¡¯t seen him react so kindly to a stranger before. I also know my dad and he is definitely aware of something that the rest of us are not. He trusts you, which means that I trust you fully. I was already getting there, but he convinced me. I¡¯m sorry it took me so long.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you got there anyway,¡± Levi said with a smile.

 Chapter 28 - Dangerous Friend

    Trey was fuming in anger. He had spent much time developing that trap to take Levi for his own questioning. Kai and Rayvin did not help him succeed with his mission. They were too passive and took a little too long to act. To Trey, this is what happens when you have children help you. If he wanted something to be done right, he had to do it himself. Of course, that would not be possible with his daughter fully enamored with this strange man.

    Trey¡¯s anger then pointed him to his dear friend. Why had Lord Leandro been so kind to this otherworlder? They both knew of the prophecy; they both knew of the dangers that Otherworlders represented. How could he be so calm? In a fit of rage and emotion, Trey¡¯s logic left as he marched towards the Onyx Compound.

    Trey stormed into Leandro''s meeting hall. Following in his footsteps was Kai, who stopped just inside the door. Rayvin stood on the other side. Lord Leandro was sitting at a desk with a piece of paper and a pen in hand.

    ¡°Whoa,¡± Leandro said. ¡°Can I help you, friend?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you friend me,¡± Trey snapped. ¡°Where are they?¡±

    Leandro stood up. ¡°If you wish to drop the niceties, then let me remind you, duke. I am the lord of this kingdom, and you have stormed into my house without preamble. Then demand something of me! Be sure to know your place.¡± Leandro snapped.

    ¡°I meant no disrespect, sire,¡± Trey said, shocked and bowing.

    ¡°You failed miserably,¡± Leandro scolded. ¡°What is that you want?¡±

    ¡°Where is the otherworlder? I fear he brings big trouble to our kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Do not concern yourself with his dealings, let him be a student and enjoy his new life.¡±

    ¡°Easy for you to say when your daughter is not so in love that she betrays her own family!¡±

    Leandro peered over at Anna. She bowed her head in shame. ¡°Interesting choice of words. Do tell me duke, why is my daughter here right now?¡±

    ¡°She came to help us tonight,¡± Trey said.

    ¡°And did she seek permission from her parents to join in a shady dealing with a member of her sisters team? Or an honored guest of her father?¡±

    ¡°No, sir.¡±

    ¡°And yet you come to me, Duke Trey, and speak of betrayal in the face of romance.¡±

    ¡°Sir that¡¯s-¡± Kai tried to say.

    ¡°YOU HAVE NO PERMISSION TO SPEAK IN MY PRESENCE!¡± Leandro snapped. His words were harsh, and his tone was lethal. Kai took a step back and shrunk to hide himself. ¡°It appears,¡± Leandro said looking at Trey. ¡°Our friendship has clouded the positions of power we hold. We are not equals Trey. We are not family, yet. You do not demand of your king. You do not act on your own accord when it relates to guests that I invite to stay. That is my say and my wife¡¯s say, alone. Now, because you are here and have interrupted my bidding already. What is it that you need to say?¡±

    Trey had bowed his head in resignation. His aura control was adequate when looking at the world of the magic users as a whole. Breaking that down to the rankings, his aura control was subpar. Trey had not been able to hide his anger, resentment, and fury from the king. He said through gritted teeth. ¡°Nothing, sir. May we leave?¡±

    ¡°You may,¡± the king said. ¡°Trey,¡± he called as Trey was almost out the door. Trey paused. ¡°Be very cautious of your next move; my forbearance of insolence has diminished. I will no longer tolerate such childish outbursts. Remember how we came to power. Loyalty only protects so much.¡± The king took a deep breath and said, ¡°come back, all of you close the door.¡± With a magic spell, the room shimmered around them. A wall of secrecy was placed. The king rubbed his temples as his daughter got closer. He hugged her. He was not angry about what they had done to Levi; he was angry that they thought it would be okay to do it without asking.

    ¡°Are you mad at me?¡± Rayvin said.

    ¡°No, sweetheart,¡± he said softly. ¡°I¡¯m not mad at Uncle either. If you all would have approached me and asked, I could have steered you in a different direction. Anna and Piper are quite fond of him; if we want them to resent us, the actions taken will lead them on that path. But I love your sister, and I love Piper. Trey, you are acting to protect your family, yes?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Trey responded. ¡°I want to make sure they are safe and keep our family legacy strong. Piper is our only daughter and I worry. King, do you not trust Levi either?¡±

    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t!¡± Leandro chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s not the point, though. If Anna were to see how I reacted and it was poorly and attacked her new friend, she may never forgive me. But if she sees that I supported her and her decision and played gracious host to her new dangerous friend. When things go bad, and they will, she¡¯ll still want to ask me for help.¡±

    ¡°So, you played the long game?¡± Trey realized. Trey¡¯s anger subsided. He realized that he was not angry with Leandro or Piper but himself for failing to be a better protector for his family.

    ¡°Correct,¡± Leandro said. ¡°That boy is trouble, he matches the prophecy quite well. He will need to be killed before the world comes to an end at his hand. In due time, our daughters will deliver him right to us.¡±

    ¡°And if they don¡¯t?¡± Trey asked.

    ¡°They will. But if, for some reason, he does something evil and they forgive him, they will just as easily forgive me when I wipe him from existence.¡±

    Levi had not been able to fall asleep as easily as the girls. They were high on adrenaline, so when the crash came, they were knocked out. Sitting there at the fire, Vapor manifested next to him.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°I do not trust the Onyx family. Anna, I trust, no one else.¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°Yeah, me neither,¡± Levi said. ¡°The Vendulars had every right to want to take me in. I¡¯m a stranger in a world with powers that definitely seem evil. Back on the old world there was a saying amongst my peers, ¡®I¡¯d rather someone outright hate me, than smile and pretend we were cool.¡¯ At least I know my place with the Vendulars. The Onxys are too accommodating its suspicious.¡±

    ¡°That is a great saying. It, unfortunately says a lot about your environment.¡±

    ¡°My environment was hot garbage,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I am not familiar with that saying but with context I can definitively say that garbage that is hot is unpleasant,¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°It is not, my friend,¡± Levi said. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°Play the game,¡± Levi responded. ¡°If the king wants to go out of his way to make it seem like I am important to him, let him. They keep talking about a prophecy and I¡¯m the one to fulfill it. I don¡¯t know about all of that but if I am they are making a mighty big assumption.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps that is our next step. Figure out what the prophecy is.¡± Vapor suggested.

    ¡°That would make sense,¡± Levi said, pulling out the letter. ¡°I also want to know who this dude is. This letter is very curious, though.¡±

    ¡°How do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I felt it appear in the guild, and it was shrouded in chaos magic, why? Whatever the prophecy is speaking to had something to do with this guy. He said something about he was the cause of the greatest evil the world has ever known.¡±

    ¡°What are you getting at?¡±

    ¡°Just a whole bunch of guesses, if this dude summoned me be it on purpose or not, that means he either summoned someone else or something else. All I know is that the more letters we find the more questions get answered.¡± Vapor took some time to respond before she did. She floated next to Levi, contemplating the words that were spoken.

    ¡°I think we seek the letters and the prophecy and, for the time being keep it to ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Bet, I agree,¡± Levi nodded. He looked over at his love, her face looked filled with turmoil as she slept. The flickering light of the fire didn¡¯t do much to change the constant look of uncertainty she wore. ¡°I want to be able to tell Piper everything.¡±

    ¡°You decide what you must, Levi. I merely make suggestions.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate them regardless, so keep em coming. By the way, you turned into that giant smoke cloud earlier tonight, how do you attack?¡±

    ¡°I am a utility specialist. I do not attack per se; I distract, reduce accuracy, make it difficult to breathe, nothing that is permanent but enough to cause coughing while trying to attempt incantations.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very useful. That smoke screen thing you did was nice. It¡¯ll be good to practice with you and learn new strategies.¡±

    ¡°I agree. Once we decide how many familiars you want and when you reach that capacity, we should create a strategy for our style.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Levi said. ¡°Currently doesn¡¯t seem like any downside to getting more familiars.¡±

    ¡°With your class evolution, no there is not. Your bond will be established deeply, quickly. It is a matter of finding the right familiar for our¡­¡± Vapor paused, searching for the right word to say. ¡°Family.¡±

    Levi smiled. That was the first time that Vapor had called the group a family. Levi was still not tired. He had spent the day meditating and resting. He looked at the items once again. Holding the orb in his hand, he held it softly. An orb of aura. He wondered what this would do, if it would do anything. Then, he held out the dungeon''s core essence. These two items were legendary rarity and were to be used in a ritual. Levi didn¡¯t have an ability that helped him with his aura beside his new title, Chaotic Paragon.

    This didn¡¯t help him wield his aura better, that took a lot of practice and time. This gave his aura a passive effect, helping restore allies within his aura sphere. Currently, he could feel that his aura could create a sphere that was 3 meters in diameter. That was a decent chunk. Levi wondered if he should use the orb of aura in a familiar summoning ritual. The chances of getting a familiar that is more aura specialist was higher.

    Levi wanted to be mindful of his next familiar. He had Anza and Team Ember, the mimics, a swarm-type physical attack-dealing familiar. Then he had Willow and Crystal, the crystal wisps, another swarm-type familiar. The difference was that these were magical attackers, which was good to have two different forms of attack. Then there was Vapor, the smoke spirit. Vapor was able to transform into many different types of creatures, although she preferred the hooded cloak form. Vapor wasn¡¯t going to attack, like she had just said. She would provide different forms of defense or distraction-orientated spells. That was useful.

    Levi pulled out the letter again while he was thinking. With the letter in hand, he saw that there was a danger coming to the world. If this were related to him or meant for him, this was a warning¡ªa warning that he could not ignore. That meant two things for Levi: he had to get stronger and be ready for whatever.

    Looking at his familiars, there were two types that could be useful: a defense-style familiar and a stealth-infiltrator-type familiar. He had no idea if they existed or what he needed to do to get them. His mind went back to the orb of auras. He assumed that this item was meant to be used on himself, which he considered. Ultimately, he decided not to do that, his decision was to create a familiar ritual using the orb of auras in the rune circle. It would be a three-star summoning; this would give him another chance to add different materials to the rune circles.

    Levi was never the type to create an in-depth plan and follow it step by step. He was always more of a make an attempt and see what happens kind of man. This world, if anything, was a major enabler of that habit, be it bad or not. Levi shrugged and looked at his inventory to see what summoning materials he had available. During his meditation, he organized his inventory by type of item, so he had a summoning materials box. He thought it would be interesting to use the unmelting ice with something that is not related to the cold. That could give him an interesting familiar. He looked at Vapor, whose look gave nothing away; shrugging once again, he left some drones to guard the girls and walked away to create a summoning circle.

    Anza followed and stood next to Vapor as they watched Levi draw a circle. The two familiars were communicating with each other about what they thought would appear. Neither of them had any substantial guesses at this point.

    Levi used his wand to draw the summoning circle with the unmelting ice dust. He used it to create the whole circle; in one of the rune circles, he put the orb of auras, in another, he put the remainder of his coal dust; and in the last circle, he left open to symbolize it to be air, hoping that would get him some sort of flying familiar. Levi was hoping this would be the stealth infiltrator familiar based on the orb of auras; that would be great to have it be more utility than straight defense.

    The summoning circle started to glow brightly as soon as Levi put some of his mana into it. The dust began to float and form a rune. Once the rune was formed, it flew into the orb of aura, which was also glowing. The empty circle started to glow as an additional rune was formed from the air. Once completed, it joined the others. The runes and the orb all circled around each other, creating a bright light; inside the light, a figure was forming. A sphere the size of a basketball started to form; it looked like a black hole. Instead of the typical orange/red energy that surrounded a black hole, it was ice blue. It floated towards Levi and hovered.

    Levi tried to look into the black hole, but he felt his eyes strain as if the darkness was a void. Levi smiled; the creature grew to be a bit bigger, now the size of a beach ball.

    Familiar Bond Established

    Avatar of the Void

    ¡°An Avatar of the Void,¡± Levi said. ¡°Welcome to the family; I¡¯m Levi. Do you have a name?¡± The black hole levitated slowly left and right. ¡°Hmm,¡± Levi mused. ¡°You can understand me?¡± It moved up and down. ¡°Good,¡± Levi said. ¡°We¡¯ll figure out a way to communicate,¡±

    ¡°I can communicate with it,¡± Vapor said. ¡°Another utility power.¡±

    ¡°Dope,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°It said it does not have a name, and it is excited to have been summoned.¡±

    ¡°I can feel his excitement. You¡¯re badass; how about Dameion?¡± Levi asked. The light blue energy glowed brighter.

    ¡°Dameion, approves.¡±

    Dameion - Avatar of the Void

    Familiar Dameion provides a boost to aura control and defenses. When fused with the summoner, familiar will fortify the aura of the summoner, creating an aura fortress.

    ¡°If you¡¯re an avatar of the void,¡± Levi said. ¡°Are you able to hide your presence well?¡±

    Dameion shrank into the size of an orb and dimmed the energy around its body. The darkness of the whole became a negative space, and Levi¡¯s eyes wanted to look anywhere but where Dameion was. He knew the creature was there only because of their connection as familiar and summoner.

    ¡°That,¡± Levi said, rubbing his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s very cool. At 3-stars what are all your abilities?¡±

    Dameion grew back to its bigger form. It created three smaller black holes, the energy around which was the same ice blue. The small black holes circled around Levi, and he could feel his mana drain. At the same time, the energy around the smaller black holes grew. Dameion sent the mana back to Levi right away, but it wanted to demonstrate what it could do. The black holes went back into Dameion. It was still nighttime so there was an abundance of shadows; Dameion could fly into a shadow and melt into it, disappearing completely.

    ¡°So, a mana drain,¡± Levi said. ¡°Can you do things to auras too?¡± Dameion floated up and down to signify it could. ¡°A utility type that attacks defenses of opponents?¡± Dameion floated up and down. ¡°That, my friend, will do very nice! Let¡¯s meet everyone else, yeah. This is Anza and team Ember, Willow and Crystal, and Vapor who you know. We are a part of a team with two other magic users, but they are familiar less. We¡¯ll meet them in the morning.¡±

 Chapter 29 - The Prodigal Son

    The girls woke up to Levi sleeping. What they saw was concerning. Floating above Levi was a black entity that was hard to focus on. The black entity had an ominous aura about it, but it seemed to be calm. Piper looked at Anna, who shrugged. Knowing Levi this was probably another familiar that he had gotten. Piper got up and stretched a bit; they were going to have a long day of travel, so she wanted to make sure she was ready. Her stretching routine was a part of her meditation training. Now that she could use magic more effectively, she added some different elements to her routine. This made it more difficult but also deepened her understanding of her body.

    Anna practiced her own form of meditation. She would sit cross-legged and use some sort of magic to lift her off the ground. She would take deep breaths with her eyes closed, concentrating. Both women were in full meditation when Levi woke up. He opened his eyes to see that they were meditating and decided to join in. He sat next to where Anna was levitating and did the same type of meditation. He was not able to levitate as high, but he was off the ground.

    After some time, Anna opened her eyes and lightly landed on the ground; Levi and Piper had done the same, and Piper had joined them once she had finished stretching.

    ¡°Who¡¯s our new friend?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°This is Dameion,¡± Levi said as Dameion flew over to them. ¡°He¡¯s an avatar of the Void.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s hard to look at,¡± Anna said. ¡°My eyes want to focus on the singularity of the black hole but can¡¯t for some reason.¡±

    ¡°He is gorgeous though,¡± Piper said absently.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna said. ¡°He really is. How did you get a black hole as a familiar?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if he is actually a black hole or if he¡¯s an entity that looks is inside the black hole. I have a deep connection with him, but it doesn¡¯t tell me everything.¡±

    ¡°Avatars,¡± Vapor said. ¡°Are entities that represent something. Since Dameion is an Avatar of the Void, he is an entity that represents the Void; in this case an aspect of the Void is a black hole.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the Void?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°A cosmic being, akin to a god but on a much larger scale. It governs the gaps between realms, realities, and universes.¡± Vapor responded.

    ¡°Whoa,¡± Levi said. He turned to Dameion, ¡°Well aren¡¯t you sick.¡±

    ¡°I do not believe avatars can grow ill,¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°Not what I meant,¡± Levi said. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like walking back to Arcross, we can all ride Anza and team Ember? That¡¯ll be much faster travel.¡±

    ¡°I would like to do that,¡± Anna said. ¡°Objections?¡±

    ¡°Not from me,¡± Piper said.

    Anza grew to her normal alpha size, and two drones appeared out of Levi. The trio packed up camp and made their way back to Arcross. At the current speed they were traveling, they would reach the other side of the ice valley by the end of the day. That was, of course, if there were no monsters to fight. Levi hoped that there wasn¡¯t he was not in a fighting mood. He wanted to get back to his room, away from the bad vibes he was getting from his time in Arvendon.

    Piper looked nervously at Levi, then at Anna. Levi was uncharacteristically quiet the entire ride. They were about an hour from the edge of the ice valley, and he had not said much all day. She wondered if he had lost trust in her after what happened with her father and brother. She hoped not, but she couldn¡¯t help but wonder. They reached the edge of the ice valley and called it a good day of travel. Night was starting to fall, and they were tired.

    ¡°Are you upset with us?¡± Piper finally mustering up the courage, asked Levi.

    ¡°What? No,¡± Levi said. ¡°I was distracted there huh?¡± Levi said awkwardly.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Piper said softly. ¡°You barely spoke to us the entire ride back¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Levi said. ¡°I was caught in thought about everything that happened. I was replaying all the moments and I guess got lost in them. I¡¯m back now,¡± he said, giving a reassuring smile.

    ¡°Is there anything you¡¯d want to talk about?¡± Piper asked, hopeful.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi said. ¡°But not about your home.¡± He walked up and gave her a kiss. ¡°How are you liking your new class?¡±

    She smiled, and Anna joined after they kissed.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious about that too,¡± Anna said. She gave a friendly smile to Levi, and he smiled back with a gentle nod. Anna wasn¡¯t as concerned about how Levi acted on the ride back. He had essentially been called evil and was treated like a bad guy for three days straight. That would piss anyone off. She was worried that he wouldn¡¯t trust them as much, and she couldn¡¯t exactly blame him for that either.

    Something about the whole situation seemed off to her, though. Anna loved her dad, loved her fully, but he was acting very differently. She had never known her father to be that friendly and that accommodating. It was almost like he was putting on a show. She had been thinking a lot about that on the ride back, which, in part, is why she didn¡¯t notice Levi wasn¡¯t talking much.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been able to work on incorporating some trap rituals easier! I also learned that there are some rituals that help with stealth and hiding my breathing, heartbeat, or anything bodily noises I may make.¡± Piper said with an excited look. Her stress melted away once Levi kissed her. She had to trust him and that was what she was going to do.

    ¡°Nice, how¡¯d you learn that?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Anna showed me some magic skill books,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°It was my gift for her evolution,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I think trap rituals will only be so helpful. That takes a certain amount of preparation that most of the time I don¡¯t have.¡± Piper said. ¡°But being able to add runes to my gear will be very helpful.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Levi said. ¡°Trap rituals will be perfect for dungeons, not so much fighting. I saw a book in my library that had more enhancement rituals. I¡¯ll grab that for you.¡±

    ¡°That would be great, thank you,¡± Piper said. ¡°It¡¯ll take a lot of practice, but I truly think this will be the best class for me. I¡¯ll be much more versatile.¡±

    ¡°Versatility is great,¡± Anna said. ¡°We have three mana users now, that might be an issue.¡±

    ¡°Not anymore,¡± Levi said. ¡°Dameion can drain and redistribute mana. Plus, my aura passively increases mana regeneration.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s handy for a summoner,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°And now its handy for all of us,¡± Levi said. ¡°Oh, Piper. Dameion was very appreciative of how you asked, ¡®who our new friend was,¡¯ not just mine. It made him feel welcomed. Anna, he said he liked your aura and is excited to fight with you.¡±

    ¡°He can talk?¡± Anna asked. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Yeah, but not directly towards me, Vapor can communicate with him, though. He¡¯s pretty reserved but when he wants to speak he will.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± both women said to Dameion.

    ¡°Levi,¡± Piper said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for how my family treated you. It was wrong on so many levels. I am so angry with them. It¡¯s like they were trying to paint you more evil to make me not want to be with you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what they were doing,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°But why?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Probably because of the prophecy,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I think my dad was being dishonest with his feelings about you,¡± Anna blurted out.

    ¡°Anna?¡± Piper said. ¡°Really??¡±

    Levi didn¡¯t respond, just raised his eyebrows and listened. ¡°Yes, my dad is laid back, sure. Much more than mother. But he is not accommodating. He does not go that far out of his way for guests; that¡¯s literally what dukes and the other houses are for.¡±

    ¡°Anna, do you think?¡± Piper said slowly.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna responded.

    ¡°Wanna fill me in on the secret friend language?¡± Levi prodded.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Anna said. ¡°I think my father is trying to save face with me because he wants to keep the family close. By not doing what uncle did and instead encouraging me to pursue the friendship, I won¡¯t have any resentment toward the family.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Which means both our families think you¡¯re evil,¡± Anna said. ¡°They just didn¡¯t talk about their own plans.¡±

    ¡°That would make a lot of sense,¡± Piper said. ¡°My family was acting really strange.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being quiet what?¡± Anna said to Levi.

    ¡°I am just happy,¡± Levi said. ¡°Vapor and I were talking last night. Neither of us trust your families and especially not the king.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°He really wanted to meet me but was expecting that we would leave early, that doesn¡¯t make any sense. I¡¯ve dealt with a lot of fake people on the other world and that felt just like it.¡± Levi said.

    ¡°But you still trust us?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Why doesn''t matter,¡± Levi responded. ¡°I have my reasonings and you have yours.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Anna conceded. ¡°So, what¡¯s next?¡±

    ¡°Figure out what the hell this damned prophecy is,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Chaos and Light will fight for order. If one wins, then the world will end. If the other wins magic will be changed forever,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Who told you that?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°My father, who heard it from his father, who heard it from his father, who heard it from an unknown wizard,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Four different people, through how many years?¡±

    ¡°Several hundred,¡± Anna stated.

    ¡°Yeah, first thing we need to do is find the original prophecy,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°You think my father lied to me?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Levi said. ¡°I think that it got messed up each time someone passed it along.¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°I went to high school,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I have no idea what a high school is,¡± Piper said. ¡°Or how that s relevant to our conversation.¡±

    ¡°Imagine a guild but for learning general knowledge and you put thirteen- to eighteen-year-olds all enrolled together.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a recipe for disaster,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Levi responded. ¡°In high school, rumors form and can get diabolical quickly. There was someone at my school who said I found some gum in the bathroom stall. Well by the end of the day, our school was on lockdown because a teacher heard that they found a gun go off in the south campus hall.¡±

    ¡°What is a gun?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°What is gum?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Gum is a piece of, let¡¯s call it food for the sake of understanding, that you only chew and do not swallow. It is made of powerful mint aromatics to help make your breath smell better or help a bad habit. Very innocent, not dangerous. A gun is like a bow and arrow, except using explosion magic to send a small metal object at super-fast speeds. Very dangerous, not innocent.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Piper said. ¡°That is a very big difference.¡±

    ¡°Exactly, so it went from a cool discovery to potential death. All because people were passing it along with speaking and word of mouth messes things up. So no, I don¡¯t think your fathers or grandfathers, or people in your city are wrong to believe that prophecy, I just am not going to because I know what happens when things get spread without it being written down.¡±

    ¡°Your logic has merit especially from your perspective,¡± Anna said. ¡°I appreciate your perspective on our families as well. You manage to talk about your disdain without being insulting or rude. Thank you.¡± Anna said sincerely.

    ¡°You¡¯re very good at that,¡± Piper said. ¡°You did that very well with my grandpa, how?¡±

    ¡°I know what it is like to lose my cool on folks who did nothing wrong to me but those they cared about,¡± he looked at the fire sadly. ¡°Once you lose a friend because you were too disrespectful in one moment of misjudgment, you learn quickly to hold your tongue.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Piper said. ¡°Did that friend forgive you after you apologized?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Levi said. ¡°I never heard from them, I sent message after message, and I never heard anything again. But even if they had, forgiving someone doesn¡¯t mean that they would be letting me back in their life.¡± he paused. ¡°I had to accept my role in my mistake and that I lost a friend. An unfortunate lesson that I kept failing to learn.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like you failed,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°I did,¡± Levi said sadly. ¡°After I lost that friend, I lost my cool, I told myself that I would be better. That I wouldn¡¯t act on emotions and act like a fool. That lasted about a year, then something happened, and boom I lost my cool again. This time it wasn¡¯t one person, one friend, it was my family. My two sisters, their husbands, their kids, my relationship with my mom was messed up but fine, my cousins, aunts/uncles, all of them. I messed up a relationship with all of them. I thought I¡¯d learn my damn lesson.¡± Levi paused to rub a hand across his face. He sighed deeply. Anna and Piper waited patiently for him to continue speaking. He didn¡¯t.

    ¡°You don¡¯t really think they are that upset with you till this day?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I do. We don¡¯t live as long there¡­ Well, I guess they don¡¯t. It¡¯s easier to hold onto grudges when your life is 75% shorter than here. But ya know sometimes I wonder if people think I¡¯m dead or if I¡¯m missing? I honestly wonder if anyone would have cared. I made a major mess of things.¡±

    ¡°I can promise you,¡± Piper said. ¡°No matter how much you messed up, someone cared enough for you. We¡¯re never too far gone that people won¡¯t miss us when we¡¯re gone.¡±

    ¡°How can you make that promise?¡± Levi¡¯s voice a whisper, eyes wet with tears.

    ¡°Because family may piss us off, but they will constantly look out for us. Friends too. Especially if you had people who would check in on you regularly. I am willing to bet your family was eagerly waiting for you to see how you treated them and come home.¡±

    ¡°The prodigal son,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°The what?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s an old religious story, a father gives one of his two sons a share of his property. The younger son took the money and used it poorly, spent it all and was then living with farm animals, eating like them too. He saw the errors in his ways returned home. His father threw a big party for him, for he was happy that his son was not dead but alive and came home.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s beautiful,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°You know that story and still believe no one is waiting for you?¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi said. ¡°The father was waiting for him. My father is dead. I know they weren¡¯t waiting for me¡­ Doesn¡¯t matter how beautiful the story is; they won¡¯t be excited for my return if ever. They¡¯d probably already forgotten about my existence already.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be able to get home but I am grateful that you are here now.¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s no longer my home,¡± Levi said. ¡°I just have family there. I ain¡¯t even sure I want to go back; I¡¯m hella grateful to be here.¡±

    ¡°Well, whether you do or don¡¯t,¡± Piper said. ¡°You¡¯ll have a party there waiting for as the prodigal son returns. Until that day¡­ we figure out the real prophecy and we get stronger. Cause that letter you had warned of danger, I like to take warnings seriously. Especially one that was only seen because of your affinity to chaos magic.¡±

    ¡°Then we finish our time at the guild, get as strong as we can, and figure out what we must!¡± Anna said. ¡°And you, Levi. It¡¯s time you start recognizing the growth that you had. It seems like you finally reacted logically instead of emotionally. Might not have been the way you planned but its progress.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m with it,¡± Levi said. He paused. ¡°Thanks, y¡¯all, honestly it means a lot that you would be so kind and hear me out. I love y¡¯all.¡±

    ¡°You know I love you,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°I love you too,¡± Anna said. ¡°Now, shall we eat some dinner then get some sleep?¡±

 Chapter 30 - Grim Days

    The walk back to the campus was once again uneventful. After talking to the girls, Levi was disappointed that there were no monsters. He was much more engaged as they walked to back along the dirt pathway toward the city of Arcross. Piper was excited to have the chatty Levi back. They all told stories to each other and laughed; they bonded like a proper team. About 2 kilometers away from one of the small villages, Levi stopped walking.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°I see smoke,¡± Levi said. ¡°I think the town was attacked. Dameion,¡± the black hole manifested. ¡°Go scout and report back.¡± The void entity took off with extreme speed toward the village. Levi put on his battle gear and pulled out his staff. He conjured four orbs of chaos to orbit around him. Anna and Piper followed the lead of Levi and got battle ready. Piper nodded and took off to scout and set up potential traps.

    Dameion came back and looked at Vapor.

    ¡°Dameion said that the town has been raided by barbarians, there are 10 total barbarians, and all the village folk are alive but hostages,¡± Vapor said. Levi nodded and started sprinting. Anna right behind him.

    ¡°All right,¡± the barbarian leader said. ¡°We¡¯ve been kind to yews fer a few days naw, and not a one of yous told us what happened to our friends.¡± He was talking to the hostages all lined up, chained, naked, and bruised. ¡°I¡¯m losin my patience ya hear. So, if one of yous don¡¯t speak up, Imma have my way with one of ya¡¯s, do I make myself clear?¡±

    None of the villagers said anything because they genuinely didn¡¯t know what happened. They were all returning from the frog angel monster and then attacked by the barbarians. The next thing they knew, they were being bound, gagged, stripped, and used. A lot of them accepted their fate and were ready to die at the hands of magic users. They were a small town; they never had a magic user come from their parts, and no one ever made enough money.

    ¡°Well, is none of yews gooina talk?¡± the leader asked.

    ¡°I will,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Would ya lookie here, we got some big spooky heroes!¡± the leader mocked. ¡°Go on outta here lil boy, this don¡¯t concern yew.¡±

    ¡°I, sadly, think it does,¡± Levi said. ¡°I think you¡¯re lookin for me. You had three friends go missing about a week ago or so?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, what¡¯s it to ya?¡±

    ¡°You should take a lesson from them,¡± Levi said. ¡°Learn from their mistakes, leave these people alone. Leave us alone and we¡¯ll let you live.¡±

    ¡°Levi,¡± Anna hissed. ¡°We absolutely cannot let these monsters live.¡±

    The barbarians all laughed, ¡°Look here boy, there are ten of us and two of yew, yew think you can win?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi said without any hesitation.

    ¡°We¡¯ll gut you and have our way with your pretty little friend as we make her watch your dead corpse,¡± another barbarian said.

    ¡°One more chance, life or death?¡± Levi said rage filling his aura.

    ¡°We ain¡¯t leaving,¡± the leader said.

    Levi smirked. Twenty-five drones and Anza appeared out of Levi. Vapor released a steam cloud over their positions, and the battle began. The two crystal wisps defused from Levi¡¯s eyes. He instructed them to free use lightning only magic and swarm. They shifted into battle mode and started to split into smaller pieces.

    Out of the steam cloud a barbarian with a battle axe started swinging wildly at Levi. Levi had his staff and was adeptly dodging and avoiding. His opponent, although not a magic user, was well-trained with his axe. The barbarian swung down with full force toward Levi¡¯s head. Levi lifted his staff over his head to stop the blow. Because the barbarian was not a magic user its stats were normal; Levi was much stronger than the attacker. Another disadvantage of being normal and fighting a magic user is a drop in perception. Had the barbarian been a magic user he would have noticed the alpha mimic behind him. He had not until four tentacles plunged into his back out through his body.

    Piper had seen the terrible scenes at the village before the party had arrived. She went around setting many trap rituals, they were of various affects. She wasn¡¯t sure if the barbarians were all magic users or not. She felt it too risky to push her aura to test. She set up two rituals to reduce mana and others to explode in sticky goliath-spider webs. As Piper was setting her final ritual in place, she heard Levi talking to the barbarians. Going to check on the prisoners, there were a couple of the barbarians keeping watch. Her signal to fight was when there was a smoke screen or steam cloud from Vapor.

    Once she saw it, she acted. Creating a ritual to bolster her strength, Piper pulled out her sword and went after the two barbarians guarding the hostages. The two barbarians were 1-star, warrior class. Which meant their speed was only slightly stronger than normals, slightly. Piper¡¯s speed was that of a three-star rogue. She threw two kunai knives at one guard. It landed in the head and the heart. Before the guard could fall the other guard had been stabbed and had her neck sliced in two by Piper.

    ¡°Oops,¡± Piper said. ¡°Forgot how strong this spell is.¡± She created another ritual for the hostages to all be invisible. Once that was completed, all the villagers were hidden from everyone but Piper since it was her ritual. She guided the group out of the town to wait out the end of the battle. ¡°I wish there was a way to communicate with Levi,¡± Piper said. Dameion appeared out of thin air, half scarring Piper to death. ¡°Dameion, you scared the hell out of me.¡± It lowered slowly.

    ¡°Never mind that, go tell Levi to send some drones to protect the villagers here five will do,¡± Dameion flashed a bit brighter and took off toward Levi.

    Anna knew that keeping these barbarians alive was bad news; they had to put them down. Anna was shocked that Levi even offered to let them go. Letting them go was dangerous for everyone in this area. Thankfully, they had too much pride. She waited for the signal from Vapor to attack. She had been quietly chanting spells to get ready while waiting. Finally, the steam cloud rose as a distraction. Anna finished her incantation, ¡°Winds of the blizzard.¡±

    From behind Anna dark gray clouds formed and ice, snow, and water came shooting out of the cloud with velocity. Anna had taken out two of the barbarians right away with that attack. Their bodies were littered with holes, it was like being shot by a split shot shotgun. Blood was seeping out of the lethal wounds. She looked over to see Anza had killed one and Levi did as well with his orbs of chaos. She herself conjured a couple of orbs of ice and started adding them to her small orbit. Seeing a barbarian try to flee, she sent the ball after it and it went straight through its body, leaving an orb-shaped hole in its body.

    Piper felt that one of her traps had worked. She looked and saw the spider traps had caught two more barbarians. She went over to the webs and cut the heads off the barbarians clean and swift. Her strength was still bolstered so it didn¡¯t take too much effort. She went to find Levi so they could regroup. The leader was a three-star. As she approached Levi, she saw him standing over the 3-star leader. The leader looked like he was having a low mana attack while being hit with lightning bolts. His body was no longer moving voluntarily as Willow and Crystal had used their electric powers on the leader, shocking him to death, leaving his body to twitch occasionally.

    Levi was confronted by the leader. He was a big man, a clear magic user; Levi assumed 3-star just by the size alone. He didn¡¯t appear to have any magic spells, just good old-fashioned hard work to get him to the rank he was. The barbarian sneered and pulled out a large battle axe.

    ¡°I¡¯m goin to enjoy this,¡± the barbarian said. He charged Levi; his speed was fast but not as fast as Piper, Levi¡¯s training partner. Levi was able to dodge the attacks effectively while also getting in a few jabs with his staff, which was glowing with strength runes... The two went back and forth for some time. They were moving so fast and blocking each other¡¯s attacks it looked like a well-choreographed fight scene in a movie. Levi noticed that his attacks with his staff were not doing any damage. He conjured orbs of chaos to attack the barbarian; strangely, they bounced off harmlessly.

    ¡°Magic shield armor,¡± Levi said. ¡°Nice,¡±

    ¡°You can only kill me with a sharp weapon boy and you ain¡¯t got that.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Maybe not,¡± Levi said. ¡°But I have tricks.¡± As if appearing out of nowhere, four black holes started orbiting around the barbarian leader. The orbit was getting faster the more mana was being drained. Blue mana started to manifest into the black holes as Dameion drained the mana from the enemy. The barbarian fell to his knees, clutching his head, screaming in pain.

    ¡°Willow and Crystal, y¡¯all mind?¡± The two wisps flew over to the barbarian and began electrocuting the leader. The leader first screamed as the jolts of electricity were coursing through his body. Shortly the screaming died and all that remained was the smell of burnt flesh. As his body was scored with marks from the electric shocks.

    Levi was holding his nose, ¡°goodnight that smells terrible. Good job you two.¡±

    ¡°How are the hostages?¡± Piper asked walking up to Levi.

    ¡°Good, team Ember is patrolling right now,¡± Levi replied. ¡°Any big damage?¡±

    ¡°Nope, just low mana, that is being recovered now that I am in your aura¡­ what¡¯s the range?¡±

    ¡°Uhh, passively, 5-meter diameter, I think.¡±

    ¡°Did we kill them all,¡± Anna asked. She was holding her head as well. Her body language changed as she entered Levi¡¯s aura and felt the rejuvenating feeling of her mana restoration.

    ¡°NO!¡± Another barbarian screamed. This one was a women at least 3 meters tall. She wore bronze armor, a bronze chest plate, a bronze plate skirt, and a helmet. She had a spear that was nearly the size of Levi.

    ¡°So, I guess that was not the boss that you killed,¡± Piper whispered.

    ¡°I sense enhancement magic,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Well,¡± Piper said. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡±

    ¡°Piper, we¡¯ll have to rely on you.¡± Levi said. ¡°The boss had some sort of protection magic that only allowed stabbing to affect it.¡±

    ¡°Or your wisps,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Anna how¡¯s your mana?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Low, I won¡¯t be much help. It¡¯ll be just you two.¡±

    ¡°Go check on the rescued folks, then, we¡¯ll handle it,¡± Levi instructed.

    ¡°Will do, good luck,¡± Anna ran off to check in on the rescued villagers.

    ¡°Vapor, set create a cloud of steam to cover Piper. Dameion try to drain her mana, give what you can to Piper. Anza go with Piper and attack with her. It¡¯ll be good with stabbing.¡±

    Piper did what Levi said and waited for the cloud of steam that Vapor made. She ran around the giant barbarian, who started to charge Levi. Levi stood his ground for a while as the barbarian got closer. He drew a trap ritual circle in the ground 5 meters ahead of him. As soon as the giant barbarian stepped on the ritual circle, chaotic energy surrounded her and slowed her pace down. The ritual was meant to slow down the speed of the being who stepped on the circle.

    As the barbarian was so focused on Levi it didn¡¯t notice Piper and Anza slash at her heels. Blood started to flow from her heels. Now even more so she was unable to move. Levi saw the mana draining orbs surround but there was no effect, a white shield shimmered with every attempt. Levi called Dameion back and rethought his strategy. The wisps were ineffective as well, not even the lightning. They kept swarming around to add layers of distraction. Levi released several more drones and instructed them to attack.

    The barbarian was able to stab several of the drones killing them but there were simply too many. Before long the barbarian was grunting in pain as it had many tentacles stabbing her. They were in her shoulders, core, legs, neck, with the ritual and the heels she couldn¡¯t move, couldn¡¯t dodge, she couldn¡¯t do anything but accept her fate, which was death. Blood pouring out of the many spikes Anza, being the bigger of the mimics sent a final spike into the heart of the barbarian. With a wet squelch the barbarian shrank to normal sized and died.

    This was the first time Levi had lost drones in a battle. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could resummon or what the rules were. He walked over to Piper he was sitting down exhausted.

    ¡°How are you?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Levi said. ¡°Mana is low but I¡¯m good.¡±

    ¡°How are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t really do anything my familiars and you did,¡± Levi said. ¡°This battle heavily favored me.¡±

    ¡°If you say so,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°How are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good, help me up.¡± The two walked over to the forest line where the rest of the villagers and Anna was. They were all understandably afraid. Anna was talking to one who was presumed to be the leader of the village. Levi elected to let the girls handle the villagers. He went scouting the area for more threats or anything that could help him.

    He walked over the various dead bodies. It was a grim scene. ¡°Vapor,¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she responded.

    ¡°Is Necromancy a thing in this world?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°It is. However, the goddess of death has outlawed the practice,¡± Vapor.

    ¡°People don¡¯t always listen to gods, especially ones that they do not worship,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°Just so,¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°Willow and Crystal,¡± Levi said. ¡°Burn any dead bodies to see that are barbarians.¡± He summoned five drones. ¡°Search the houses to find any dead or injured of the villagers in the houses. If you find any let me know and I¡¯ll help them out.¡±

    ¡°I will help search too,¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°Bet, Dameion, go join. Anza, you and a couple more team members, go find some food. These folks need to eat. Gather as many waterskins as you can. I¡¯ll fill them with my magic water.¡±

    Anza nodded and took off with two drones. Levi dug a hole in the ground and started to grab some flat stones. He conjured some orbs of water to clean the stones. Laying the flat stones over the holes he added he called Crystal back and had it set the area under the stones on fire. With a fire going and the stones warming up, Levi pulled out some meat from the giant moose monster from the ice valley he had stripped a few days ago. Levi learned that his inventory neatly wrapped and preserved any form of raw meat. Placing the meat on the stones, it started to sizzle. The smell of death and rot was slowly being replaced with grilled meat.

    Levi wished he knew some healing ritual magic that would be helpful. Unfortunately, as soon as he placed the meat on the makeshift grill, he did not. He started creating a vegetable stew in case anyone didn¡¯t want to eat meat. While stirring the stew, Anza and the two embers came back with several dead animals. Levi marveled that there were animals like the ones on his old world. Pigs, cows, and sheep, but there were also pigs with wings, cows with eight legs, and sheep with three heads.

    There were various other magical creatures as well. The moose monster was a moose about 3 meters tall and long. It was a thick body, not as muscular as moose from Earth were. It had razor-sharp spikes that it walked on. It also breathed ice. The moose creatures had antlers and fur, that much was the same but much more dangerous. It was interesting that to get the meat off a creature or monster, he had to butcher it instead of getting it as loot. While he still received loot from the monster.

    Levi assumed that was because he wasn¡¯t actually in a video game; this was just how he viewed the world. Levi had shown Anza how to butcher meat, so he left that task to her. Vapor and Dameion returned to report that they had found no survivors but a few dead bodies children. Who did not survive the torture. Levi nodded sadly and told them to go inform Piper and ask the villagers what they wanted to do with the bodies.

    Levi had finished cooking the dinner and had portioned out several healthy portions of food and water. He had set aside some shots of healing potion in case anyone desperately needed healing. Piper and Anna brought back the villagers. Everyone gawked at the massive display of food, water, and potions that Levi and his familiars created.

    ¡°I know this can¡¯t replace everything that happened,¡± Levi said to the crowd. ¡°But this is for you. You¡¯ve been through a lot; having to cook your own food after a traumatic event would be tough. So, there is plenty of food and water, and there are some health potion shots for those who really need it. Enjoy.¡± Levi gave a small bow and walked away toward the back to Anna and Piper.

    ¡°That was incredibly kind, Levi,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna said. She was speechless. Piper and Anna looked at each other. Who was this man? Levi was an awkward guy, slightly weird, but they had never seen this side of him before. This was one of the most compassionate things she had ever seen. If there was any doubt that Levi was evil, they were squashed in this moment. Piper looked at Levi, who was sitting and leaning against Anza, who was happily eating a giant snow hare, and saw tears falling down his face.

    She didn¡¯t say a word. Piper sat down next to him and pulled him in close. She consoled him as he had silent sobs. Anna sat down as well¡ªone of the drones that was with her laid down and gave her a space to lean on. The team sat watching the villagers happily eat a meal together as their spirits started to rise. The leader walked over with some plates of food to offer to the group.

    ¡°You shed tears for us?¡± She asked. ¡°You have done enough; do not spare tears for our dead. Thank you, summoner.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Levi,¡± Levi said. ¡°Y¡¯all faced grim days.¡±

    ¡°Aye,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m Gertrude. You have allowed our recovery to be much quicker. As a town, we have decided to gather all our money and get a magic essence. Try to get a magic user, one like you, summoner.¡±

    ¡°You want a summoner?¡± he asked.

    ¡°If there is a chance that they can summon amazing familiars like yours, that is worth it. They could summon defenses as well. We have enough money. May I send the chosen young man to accompany you to Arcross to purchase the essence and conduct the ritual?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Levi said, his spirits lifted.

    ¡°Thank you. His name is Victor. He¡¯s only 16, but he has the most potential of all of us; he stood up to the barbarians when they first came. When do you all plan to leave?¡±

    ¡°In a few hours,¡± Anna said. ¡°We need to rest, and we¡¯ll patrol the area in case there are more.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Gertrude said. ¡°Before you depart, please find me.¡± They all agreed as the leader left the plates and went back to her villagers. The party sat looking at each other and began eating the food with groans of satisfaction at the delicious food.

 Chapter 31 - The Man Behind The Mask

    The trio had all taken a quick nap. They were still recovering from the battle. Piper was concerned about Levi. He was new to this world, and she knew that killing and death were not as natural to that world as it was here. Internally, she wondered how he¡¯d handled it.

    ¡°I remember my first kill,¡± Piper said as the group was packing up. ¡°It shook me to my core. Being from a family of assassins you would think that it would be easy.¡±

    ¡°Was it not?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Piper said. ¡°I was a teenager. My dad sent Kai and me out to retrieve some green boar¡¯s milk. They live in the forest on the eastern side of the city walls. The Ice Valley is the northern entrance. Entering the forest was incredible. It was my first time actually viewing it with magical senses, as I had finally reached the age where I was a magic user. The lush green let off a subtle mana; that¡¯s how we hunted. The green boar only ate foliage that was magical.

    Kai and I were searching for a couple of hours, when we were ambushed. A ranger and two hunters attacked us. They thought we were both non magic users because we were tracking without magic. It was a way not to scare the boar off.¡± She trailed off, thinking about the memory. ¡°It was that day that I learned I needed to be stronger in this world; people will do whatever it takes to take advantage of others. Kai and I easily killed the three; he sat back and watched me kill one of the hunters solo. When we got home, my dad was SO proud.¡±

    ¡°I had a similar experience. I was out with my magic trainer when I was about Piper¡¯s age,¡± Anna said. ¡°We were attacked by a lowly robber. He had held a sword to my throat as I walked past a tree. He must not have known that all the princesses are magic users or perhaps he thought that I was like my sister. I conjured an orb of ice, and it went straight through his torso. Like Kai, my trainer sat back and watched what I would do. My father was ecstatic, my mother was angry.¡±

    ¡°Why are you both telling me this?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°You killed some people since being here,¡± Piper said. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that they weren¡¯t deserving to die, because they were. I just know that killing on your world is not common.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Levi said. ¡°Killing is common. Getting away or being praised for killing is not. What gets me is how easy it is to kill someone. The bandit, my first kill, was 2-stars ahead of me and yet I killed him. I don¡¯t regret it one bit, he would have killed me. I don¡¯t regret killing these asshole barbarians, either. My worry is that I will let this power and ability to kill get to my head. I was so angry when my dad was killed. I wanted nothing but revenge for that damned idiot who hit him. But I couldn¡¯t. They never found him.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°What?¡± Levi asked, face twisting in anger.

    ¡°Levi, revenge will not bring your father back. Killing for revenge is a dangerous task.¡±

    ¡°But you both just told me stories of killing.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna said. ¡°As self-defense, they attacked us, so we put them in the ground. Going out of your way to kill someone is a lot different.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to be an assassin,¡± Piper added. ¡°We get contracts to be the arbiter of revenge. I don¡¯t want that life. I don¡¯t want to kill people because someone else told me to. If I decide to take the life of another being, like today, then it¡¯ll be because of my choice. These barbarians raped and killed these villagers. Then they attacked us, they had to die. That was my choice, and it¡¯s a choice I would make 10 out 10 times.¡±

    ¡°Just so,¡± Anna said. I agree with Piper. I am not passive like my sisters. I like battling, conquering dungeons, and killing monsters. My father believes that because I chose the life of adventuring, I will follow his steps to becoming a ruler. He is mistaken. What we did today this is what I want to do. Whether it''s monsters, creatures, beasts, or barbarians, I want to protect people. That means putting people or things in the ground. I will do it without question.¡±

    Levi didn¡¯t say anything for a moment. He sat silently contemplating the words that his two friends had just imparted to him. Levi didn¡¯t want revenge because he knew he was powerless before. But now, he wasn¡¯t. The stronger he grew, something inside of him was growing as well. A seed of revenge was growing in his heart, planting roots and spreading. Wanting him to find a way home, track down his dad¡¯s killer, and get revenge. Levi hadn¡¯t realized how much it had grown until now. He shook his head. That was not who Levi was. Then again, he didn¡¯t know who he was.

    He had spent so much of his adult life striving for nothing, having no goals, achieving nothing. He was just existing. He did feel good, however, doing what he did today. The killing was rough, but he was also killing by proxy. That was a lot easier to handle than the bandit.

    ¡°I did enjoy helping those people. That felt nice,¡± he finally said. ¡°I¡¯m with you, Anna. If that¡¯s what adventuring is like, then let¡¯s do it. I would love to see a dungeon that sends out proper monsters into the world, and we have to stop them.¡±

    ¡°We will soon,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Thanks, y¡¯all, I didn¡¯t realize how strong that feeling of revenge was growing internally. Seriously thanks.¡±

    Piper leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. ¡°You did a good thing here. You should be proud of how much you helped these villagers. You went above and beyond.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been good at accepting praise,¡± Levi said awkwardly.

    ¡°Well,¡± Piper said, laughing. ¡°If you provide meals like you just did, you better get used to it.¡±

    ¡°I guess,¡± he said.

    All packed they went into the village to find Gertrude. The villagers were surrounding their heroes. There was a chorus of gratitude¡¯s and unwanted touching. Levi hated this, there was too much attention on him. He wanted to run away and let Anna and Piper deal with the crowd. He didn¡¯t, he took a deep breath and kept walking through the crowd.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Gertrude¡¯s voice said over the crowd. ¡°Give em some space!¡± The villagers all listened and created a small circle around the trio. Next to Gertrude was a teenager. He was Levi¡¯s height, had dark olive skin, braided dreads that went past his shoulders and a neat short beard. His physique was slightly more built than Levi. He looked just like the rest of the villagers. He wore a simple olive tunic with a belt that brandished a sword in a scabbard. ¡°This is Victor.¡±

    Victor gave a respectful bow to the three magic users in front of him. His dark eyes were giving a respectful yet assessing look. ¡°Thank you for allowing me to join you on your journey.¡± His voice impossibly deep for a sixteen-year-old.

    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯m Levi, that¡¯s Piper and Anna.¡± Levi said pointing to each of his companions. ¡°Are you all set?¡±

    ¡°Pleasure to meet you, I am.¡± he responded.

    Levi gave a short nod to Gertrude and jumped onto Anza. There were three other drones waiting for the others to join the ride. Victor looked at the mimic and got on without hesitation. They departed from the small village and headed toward the gates of Arcross.

    ¡°So,¡± Anna said. ¡°Victor, do you have an idea which guild you would like to join?¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± he said respectfully. ¡°I would like to be a summoner like Mr. Levi.¡±

    ¡°Are you okay with being a student on your own?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am. I will do what it takes to be a great helper for my village.¡±

    ¡°Very noble.¡±

    ¡°Where do we even purchase essences?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°There is a trades hall on the other side of the guild district, we should go anyways, it¡¯ll be good for you to check it out,¡± Piper said. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Cool,¡± Levi responded. The rest of the trip the girls talked to Victor who would reply respectfully. He never asked questions, only answered and only when he was spoken too. Levi spent the time reading the many notifications he had been ignoring for some time.

    Enemies Defeated: Barbarian Warrior x4

    2 Star x4

    Loot: Barbarian Sword x2

    Loot: 1000 copper coins

    Loot: Wolf Mane

    Loot: Saber Tooth Tiger Claw

    Loot: Saber Tooth Tiger pelt

    Barbarian Commander

    3-star

    Loot: Health Potion x4

    Loot: Silver pieces x200, Copper Pieces x2000

    Loot: Abyssal Anaconda Skin

    Barbarian Leader

    3-star

    Loot: Familiar Essence

    Loot: Magic Essence

    Loot: Sword of the damned

    Status: Progression Made

    Plus 75 to Wisdom

    Plus 41 to Vitality

    Plus 25 to Stamina

    Plus 7 to Speed

    Plus 15 to Strength

    Attributes Total: 833

    Strength 90

    Stamina 90

    Speed 78

    Vitality 150

    Wisdom 425

    Objective Secret 2 - Completed

    You have discovered the letter from M. Veluvius. The letter is shrouded in mystery by discovering the letter you have learned that everything is not what it seems.

    Reward: Summoner¡¯s Robe - Triadic Kingdom

    ¡°Triadic Kingdom,¡± Levi said without noticing.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°I got robes from the Triadic Kingdom, what is that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a kingdom of sky islands on the other side of the world. I¡¯ve never been but I heard it was quite pretty.¡± Piper responded.

    ¡°Sky islands,¡± Levi said with wonderment. ¡°Let¡¯s go there!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d need a way to fly,¡± Anna said. ¡°But I would like to visit there too.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I can get a flying familiar, that would be SICK!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d need a ship, Levi,¡± Anna said, chuckling. ¡°That journey would be far too strenuous for a familiar.¡±

    ¡°A flying ship?¡± Levi said. ¡°Wow! I can¡¯t wait to see it.¡± The trio crossed the bridge, riding the drones. Once they got through the gates, they all dismounted the mimics and began walking. Anna led the party to the trades hall. The trades hall was like an indoor bazaar, lots of stalls, lots of noise and a lot of people. Pushing their way through the crowd they found someone who was selling a magic essence.

    ¡°Welcome, welcome, young adventurers! Are you interested in buy this magic essence?¡± the vendor said.

    ¡°We are,¡± Anna responded.

    ¡°Wonderful!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°I have it for a steal of 7 platinum coins.¡±

    ¡°Seven?¡± Victor said aghast. That¡¯s much more than I have. We were told a week ago it would be four platinum coins.¡±

    ¡°That was the price a week ago friend; magic users have come and purchased some so my stock is low.¡± He blatantly lied.

    ¡°How much are you buying an essence for?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°I would buy one for 3 platinum coins, a bargain of a deal.¡± the vendor said.

    ¡°That seems like a total rip off,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I cannot have someone scamming me, sir. What if you bought a magic essence from me a week ago for the four coins and I turned around and bought another for that same price what would I gain? Nothing,¡± he argued.

    ¡°That does make sense,¡± Victor conceded.

    ¡°Making sense doesn¡¯t make it okay,¡± Anna shot back. ¡°Come on, Victor let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± the vendor said. ¡°I can sell for 6 platinum coins, is that better? I cannot go much lower than that!¡±

    ¡°No,¡± this time Levi spoke up. ¡°You seem shady; I¡¯d rather pay more money to those with integrity than give discounted money to those who are shady.¡±

    ¡°That is a stance you can take,¡± the vendor said, his tone harsh. This is not your money. What do you say? Do you want to be a magic user?¡± The vendor asked Victor directly. He pulled out the magic essence to entice Victor. It was a cube that radiated mana. It was light blue and shined brightly.

    ¡°I trust these people to make the best decision for me. Thank you, sir, but no thank you,¡± Victor said before they walked out. The party had spent the better part of two hours looking for another vendor who was selling a magic essence. Desperate, Victor wanted to go back to the original vendor and see if he could strike a deal to cover the coins he had currently. Victor was desperate to be a magic user.

    ¡°How many coins do you have?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°I have 7 platinum coins,¡± Victor replied. ¡°Remember, this is the lump sum of my entire village. I would like not to have spent it all.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Levi said. ¡°Plus, you¡¯ll need to save some for the guilds. I¡¯ll tell you what,¡± Levi stopped walking. ¡°I¡¯ll sell this to you for three platinum coins because you need the money more than I do currently.¡±

    ¡°You have a magic essence?¡± Victor asked.

    ¡°You actually have one? I thought you were just talking nonsense. When did you get that?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°I got it as a loot from the barbarian leader. It¡¯s outrageous but I¡¯m not complaining,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Wow,¡± Anna said. ¡°Were you going to sell it?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Levi said. ¡°I was testing his character. What do you say Victor? One magic essence for three platinum coins?¡±

    ¡°That seems extremely generous,¡± Victor said. ¡°I am not sure I can take it¡­ you have done more than enough for me and my people.¡±

    ¡°And yet I keep offering you more. Tell me, Victor, what kind of person are you?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Are you a person who walks through life cautiously, not taking advantage of the gifts life gives you? Are you a person who steps in front of monsters to protect the one less powerful? Are you a person who takes opportunities that life gives and squanders it? Or are you a person who takes opportunities that life gives you and becomes a better person? I¡¯ve been the former, I¡¯ve been the person who squandered the opportunity. I¡¯m trying to do better. I¡¯m trying to right those wrongs. I¡¯ve been given a second chance; this is your chance to do something to BE something better. Learn from my past mistakes and take advantage.¡±

    Levi paused his rant and stopped to allow the young man to sit and think. Piper smiled. These past two days had shown something that Piper had always wondered. Who was the man behind the mask? Levi was strong, sure, but more so, his familiars were strong. Levi had to rely heavily on his companions to carry him through. That was obvious to everyone. What Piper had been wondering was who was Levi Winters? What kind of man do you have to be to warrant such a deep bond with such powerful entities? The crystal wisps, the mimic, the smoke spirit, and now an Avatar of the Void. They all had to have seen something to accept the familiar bond.

    That was hidden from Anna and Levi, but the cracks were starting to show. Levi was kind. He was hurt by his past but was coming to terms that it was his fault and he had to live with it. He could never change how things were, but he could change how he was now. To Piper Levi was compassionate. He was someone who genuinely wanted to make an impact in the world. Whether it was from helping along this young man or feeding an entire village for no more reason than because he thought it was the right thing to do. But besides the compassion, the deep meaning to his goodness was the fact that he didn¡¯t want to relive and make the same mistakes he had made previously. It was a path of vindication.

    What Levi didn¡¯t know and what Piper had learned: vindication can only happen when guilt and shame are no longer present. When the battle is inside, Levi has grown a lot, right in front of Piper¡¯s eyes, no less. But he still had a lot to grow and learn. That would come in due time she was sure of it. Moments, especially ones like today, will hopefully cause deeper reflection in understanding his past and forgiving himself for the mistakes he has made. She and Anna would do what they could, but it was largely up to Levi.

    Leaving her train of thinking, she looked at the young man deep in contemplation. She watched as he pulled three small coins that shimmered in the sunshine.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Victor said. ¡°Deal.¡± Levi took out the magic essence and handed it to Victor, who in turn, gave Levi the coins. Levi took a coin and handed one to each Piper and Anna.

    ¡°What is this for?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Your cut from the loot from the barbarian boss,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t fight in that battle,¡± Anna said. ¡°Take it back.¡±

    ¡°No take backsy sorry,¡± Levi said. ¡°I don¡¯t make the rules.¡± He shrugged and walked off towards the guild district.

    ¡°What,¡± Anna said. ¡°You most certainly do!! Get back here!¡± Levi had sprinted off laughing like a child. Victor looked after them in confusion; Piper smiled and waved him on. They started running through the city.

 Chapter 32 - If I Were You

    Levi, Piper, and Anna were standing behind a glass, talking while they waited for Victor to be ready. Because Levi had become a magic user under strange circumstances, he had not experienced what happens when the body is fused with magic. He told Victor that he would conduct the ritual, as it would be good for Levi to practice. He also said he would allow Victor to stay and teach him some very basic summoning.

    ¡°Is it painful?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Not initially,¡± Anna said. ¡°It can be quite painful as the magic opens up pathways within the soul of the person. This allows the mana core to enter into that space and craft its own pathways throughout the body.¡±

    ¡°That,¡± Levi said. ¡°Sounds horribly painful.¡±

    ¡°It is not pleasant, no,¡± Anna agreed. ¡°It often leads to the person losing their faculties, this is why we had him strip down.¡±

    ¡°Are you ready Victor?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Victor said with steely resolve. Levi nodded and walked around from the glass. He pulled out his wand and started to draw a ritual circle with chalk. The ritual circle was not the most complex. It was a circle inside a hexagon with a star. There were two rune circles, one on a point and one in the direct middle. Levi instructed Victor to stand in the middle and he placed the magic essence in the pointed rune circle.

    Levi walked out of the circle and pressed his mana into the chalk. The chalk lit up bright white. The magic essence began to float into the air and, with force entered into Victor¡¯s abdomen. Victor¡¯s skin went translucent as his skeleton became visible for all to see. The essence cube opened up a space next to the heart would be. Tendrils started to attach to the skeleton and dig into the bones. Victor''s organs became visible after the bones were thoroughly stuck with the tendrils; the same process happened to his organs.

    His organs grew a little thicker than how they once were. Thin layers of ligaments, facia, and tendons appeared more visible as the tendrils impaled them throughout all of Victor¡¯s body. After that, muscle tissue and Victor¡¯s veins appeared. The muscles were met with the same fate as everything else so far. For the veins, something different happened. Rather than impaling the veins, the tendrils mirrored every single vein in the body of Victor. Next to Levi¡¯s stomach, a void started to appear; it began filling slowly. After some time, the dark pathways that had no life or color started to glow as the void was being filled with mana. The mana would leave the void and move into mana veins, creating a blue glow.

    A layer of white membrane coated the muscle tissue and veins before the skin was visible once again. Levi was fascinated at how magic was fused with the body. He had never heard anyone really talk about it before. This was a firsthand lesson in magic and its effect on the body. He went back behind the glass with the girls as they waited. Victor had been kneeling on the ground as the process was very painful. Blood had been pouring out of his nose and seeping out of his pores. He was covered in sweat and blood. He looked at his arms and felt strange.

    ¡°That was not pleasant,¡± Victor said. ¡°I need to shower. My head is throbbing.¡±

    Levi walked over and handed him a lesser mana potion. ¡°Congrats,¡± he said. ¡°Drink this, it¡¯ll help with your headache. You¡¯re low on mana; that¡¯s what that feels like.¡±

    ¡°I know you planned on teaching me,¡± Victor said, exhausted. ¡°But I would like to go home and spend time with my family for a few months. I have my regimented workouts. I won¡¯t be able to enroll in the guild until this session is over.¡±

    ¡°Sensible,¡± Anna said. ¡°I will stop by in a week to give you proper training to help boost your attributes.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°You will have to stop calling me ma¡¯am. I¡¯m not that old,¡± Anna said with a smile. The trio saw Victor off and returned to Levi¡¯s room.

    ¡°What a nice kid,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Anna replied. ¡°Well, we have a few days before the guild starts up. What do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°Sleep,¡± Piper said, flopping onto the couch.

    Anna chuckled, ¡°I would not be opposed to sleeping for the rest of the day.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll need some time to chill,¡± Levi said.

    He hurried across the hallways in a panic. The readings were off the chart a dungeon was going to appear near a city in the Onyx kingdom. Distractedly passing by other administrators he pushed his way into his director¡¯s office, despite there being another person in there.

    ¡°Tycen,¡± the voice said. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, director, I am sorry to barge in, but this is urgent,¡± the man named Tycen said.

    ¡°Fine, what is it? You¡¯ll have to excuses us son, duty calls,¡± the director said to the other occupant in the room. He got up and walked out. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Director Kintra, there is a dungeon that will form next to the city of Arcross¡ªa big one, one that will spew out 3-star monsters regularly.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not good, how certain of this are you?¡± Director Kintra asked.

    ¡°Quite sir,¡± Tycen said. Tycen was an Avian. Avians looked like angels. Human features with massive wings attached to their backs. Tycen was from the Triad Islands, where Avians are the prevailing race. He had dark bronze skin, purple eyes, and purple hair. He had a small afro with a perfectly cut tapper and sharp lines. He had a bald face with full lips and a large nose that had a studded earring in one nostril. He had a piercing on his left eyebrow. The people from the Triad Islands were tribal folk, and he had tribal tattoos on his right arm as a full sleeve.

    An adept fighter, he had just recently graduated from the warrior guild. Finally reaching 3-stars, he gained a class evolution as an Aviator. He was happy with the evolution it combined his skill with a weapon and his ability to fly as an Aviator was a mixture between a paladin and a flying specialist. Tycen used a conjured morning star as his weapon, he was able to practice enough spellcasting to allow him to conjure weapons. In case his mana ever ran low he carried a cavalier sword with him.

    Tycen was not from any royal family, a small one that believed in doing the right thing and fighting for what they believed in. He was the third magic user in his family. The first to become a warrior. He wanted to join a team and explore the greater world. This led him to transfer to the Onyx kingdom from the Triads. He was stationed in Avult, the city a little more north of Arcross, not too far.

    He was working for the city¡¯s Adventure Federation as an analyst while working to make a name for himself. Unfortunately, he had not gotten to do many monster hunts or dungeon hunting because he was so diligent at his job working for the director.

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll need you to go to Arcross right away and warn the guilds. So that they can prepare,¡± Director Kintra. Kintra was an elf; he had alabaster skin, dirty blonde hair with blue eyes. He was tall and slender. Kintra had been a director of the Adventure Federation for nearly a decade. He was a hardworking man who did not play into any politics from the big aristocratic families. This was why he was stuck in the small town of Avult. He refused to be bribed. Kintra liked Tycen. Tycen was a hard-working avian who wanted to make a difference in the world. He trusted that Tycen would make the right calls when going to the city and handling this situation that was increasingly getting worse.

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Tycen responded with a slight bow before turning to leave.

    ¡°Wait Tycen,¡± Kintra said.

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Tycen stopped at the door.

    ¡°What is the ranking of the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°4-star sir,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°How fast can you get there?¡± Kintra asked.

    ¡°Tomorrow sir.¡±

    ¡°Very good, gods speed.¡±

    Levi walked to the cafeteria to grab some breakfast for the party before they started their day. They had spent the last couple of days resting. It was time for them to resume their intensive training regimen. He walked into the cafeteria and saw a very handsome standing there looking lost. The man had purple hair and purple eyes. He wore clothes that looked more official than standard clothes, with a small pin. He had a sword at his hip and an over-the-shoulder briefcase.

    ¡°What¡¯s up man,¡± Levi said. ¡°Can I help you?¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± the man said. ¡°I¡¯m looking for the professor of this guild.¡±

    ¡°You came to a summoners guild to look for a professor? You know there are the other guilds.¡±

    ¡°I am aware, yes sir,¡± he said again. ¡°I have already talked to the other guilds; this is the last one. To my surprise, I was told that there was a student here along with professors.¡±

    ¡°You can stop calling me sir,¡± Levi responded. ¡°I¡¯m Levi, what¡¯s your name man?¡±

    ¡°I am Tycen Washiro,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Nice to meet you, Levi. I do not mean to sound rude, but you are darker than most humans from this region, where are you from?¡±

    ¡°I noticed that too,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯m from a faraway land, far far away. Come on, I¡¯ll take you to our professors. Let me grab this food first though.¡±

    ¡°That would be much appreciated.¡±

    Levi grabbed plenty of food for him, Piper, and Anna. Levi looked at the big guy next to him, who was a head taller than Levi. He grabbed some more food. ¡°I think professor is in a meeting,¡± Levi said as they were walking through the rather empty guild halls. Tycen was looking everything over with an assessing look. ¡°You hungry?¡±

    ¡°I am, but I do have a job to complete,¡± Tycen responded.

    ¡°Nah come on, you can eat with us,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to professor after we eat, deal?¡±

    ¡°Alright, deal,¡± Tycen said, never turning down a free meal.

    ¡°What are you? You¡¯re not human,¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°I am an avian,¡± Tycen responded.

    ¡°Dope.¡±

    Levi showed Tycen to his suite and walked in. The tall avian had to duck to get through the door frame. He was surprised to see two women sitting at a dining room table wearing baggy tunics and drinking tea. He was transfixed by the darker of the two. She had dark black hair that was in a messy bun, with two small curls falling on both side of her face. She was very attractive to Tycen, quite possibly one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen.

    ¡°Oh hello,¡± said the other woman. She was attractive too, but in a different way. She sat more relaxed and causal. Her brown hair fell just past her shoulders. She smiled brightly and was friendly. The one Tycen had been caught off guard by looked up and gave an awkward smile.

    ¡°Hi,¡± Tycen said, staring at Anna.

    ¡°Levi,¡± the beautiful woman said.

    ¡°Yes, Anna?¡± Levi responded. Tycen took note of her name.

    ¡°Who is this avian?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°This is Tycen, he is here on some important business, but professor is in a meeting, and he said he was hungry,¡± Levi said. ¡°Come on don¡¯t be shy let¡¯s eat.¡±

    Tycen walked in and once again was completely thrown off by what he saw. Laying down in the sunshine was a metallic-looking creature that sent shivers down his spine. In the corner were three entities just sitting and interacting with each other. One looked like deep nothingness with a blue ring around it; the other two looked like little ghosts. AND then to top it all off there was a floating hooded cloak with two glowing eye slits inside the white-with-blue smoke-designed cloak.

    ¡°Are you a familiar summoner?¡± Tycen asked Levi.

    ¡°What gave it away?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°He is,¡± Anna said, giving him a sharp look. ¡°I am Lady Anna Onyx. This is Lady Piper Vendular, and you¡¯ve met Levi.¡± She said his name like it was a curse word.

    ¡°Pleasure to meet you, Princess,¡± Tycen said with total respect.

    ¡°Please, call me Anna,¡± she said. This got a look from Piper and Levi. The two of them remained quiet but they shared a look, stifled a smile, then ate their food in mock peace.

    ¡°The one laying down is Anza, the smoke spirt behind me is Vapor, the two cute ghost-looking ones are Willow, he¡¯s the blue one, Crystal she¡¯s the white one, and the black hole is Dameion.¡±

    ¡°I do not know much about familiars, I must admit,¡± Tycen said. ¡°I did not grow up with anyone who was fortunate enough to have one for themselves. If I recall it takes a summoner only to have them unless you find an essence.¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Where are you from, Tycen?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Originally the Triad Kingdom. I currently work and live in Avult. I recently finished my guild training and wanted to find a team to do adventuring with. Teams are not as popular in my homelands. So, I came here hoping to find someone who would have me. I am an aviator.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose there were any summoner¡¯s in your city?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°No, in fact, the building has been shut down for decades,¡± Tycen responded.

    ¡°You are looking for a team?¡± Piper said. She looked at Anna who tried her best to hide her disapproval of the next words coming out of Piper¡¯s mouth. ¡°We could always use one more, if you want?¡±

    ¡°You have not even seen me fight. You do not know if I am evil. Why would you want me on your team?¡± Tycen asked, a bit shocked.

    ¡°That¡¯s easy,¡± Piper said. ¡°Levi brought you here. And better yet, you followed the complete stranger.¡±

    ¡°I assume you wouldn¡¯t have invited me if you suspect something nefarious?¡± Tycen asked, looking at Levi.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Levi said in between bites.

    ¡°Thank you, if you do not mind,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Can we arrange a time later today, when I am done with my duties to discuss further? This is not a no, but I want to be sure that we can provide mutual benefits. After all, you just met me.¡±

    ¡°A discussion would be wise,¡± Anna said sharply to Piper. ¡°We are a very unique group obviously, since we have a summoner on our team. It would be good to share what we feel comfortable with. Join us for dinner tonight and we all can share then. Is that enough time for you to consider?¡±

    ¡°Also,¡± Levi said before Tycen could say anything. ¡°We aren¡¯t done with the guild for three more months. You have time to decide. You are more than welcome to visit on the weekends and can stay here. I can get you free food while you¡¯re here. There is no rush to decide.¡±

    ¡°Yes, what he said.¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Well, since we¡¯re done eating,¡± Levi said. ¡°Let¡¯s go meet the professor.¡± The two men left the room to head to Professor Egret¡¯s office. On the way there, Tycen asked Levi a question.

    ¡°Do you really want me on your team?¡± Tycen asked.

    ¡°You seem confused by the offer,¡± Levi said. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have offered it if we didn¡¯t mean it.¡± Levi turned and approached a small hallway with two doors on either side. Tycen had remained quiet, thinking about the request. Levi knocked on both professors¡¯ doors. Professor Egret opened her door, and inside was professor Bertrum.

    ¡°Oh, perfect,¡± Levi said. ¡°You¡¯re both here. This is Tycen he wanted to see y¡¯all. My work here is done. Professors,¡± he gave a small nod of his head and smirked. ¡°Tycen, see you at dinner tonight.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Winters. Mr. uhhh¡± Professor Egret said.

    ¡°Washiro, ma¡¯am,¡± Tycen responded.

    ¡°Mr. Washiro, very good, please do come in.¡± she instructed. Levi left them to their business and went back to his suite. It was time to train.

    While Levi was training, Tycen met with the professors.

    ¡°Thank you for your time,¡± Tycen said. ¡°I work as an adjunct for the director of the Adventure Federation in Avult. I monitor mana readings for dungeon activity. A 4-star dungeon will appear in four months. I believe that there will be an entry restriction. All the dungeons from the past that manifest so close to cities have one.¡±

    ¡°That is interesting news,¡± Bertrum said. ¡°Dungeons that close are dangerous. The dungeon is right after our graduation.¡±

    ¡°Yes, the timing is rather fortunate,¡± Egret mused. ¡°Do you believe the dungeon¡¯s restriction to be star ranked?¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Tycen replied. ¡°I believe it to be 3stars are only allowed inside.¡±

    ¡°Any other restrictions?¡± Bertrum asked.

    ¡°Maybe an entry time limit but that depends on the dungeon crafter or DC as we call it,¡± Tycen responded. ¡°They¡¯ll set additional rules.¡±

    ¡°I imagine you are here to tell us that the dungeon, until its beaten will spit out monsters?¡± Egret asked.

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Tycen replied. ¡°3-star monsters.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve no doubt talked to the other guilds. Any teams formed should go, everyone else should stay and defend Arcross. Of course, only those that pass.¡±

    ¡°Precisely ma¡¯am,¡± Tycen said. ¡°The other guilds shared your sentiment. From what they told me there are only three official teams, The Wintoars, a trio of the crown princess, and a group of rangers. The other guilds proposed that teams created after the word gets out will not be permitted to challenge the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°It would prevent less dangers that way,¡± Bertrum said.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Egret said. ¡°What do you say Bertrum?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go along with the other guilds. We will announce prior to the battle of the guilds.¡± Bertrum responded.

    ¡°Mm yes, sensible,¡± Egret responded. ¡°Do you have a team Mr. Washiro?¡±

    ¡°No ma¡¯am,¡± Tycen said, the confusion crossed his face.

    ¡°May I bother you with a dilemma I am facing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s our duty to help young folks out of their dilemmas,¡± Egret said. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just that Lady Vendular invited me to join her team, with Lady Onyx and Mr. Winters, Levi. They just met me and were eager for me to join¡­ why?¡± Tycen explained.

    ¡°What did they say when you asked them?¡± Egret asked.

    ¡°They said they trusted Levi; well Piper said it. Anna was cryptic.¡±

    ¡°You want a team, yes?¡± Bertrum asked.

    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

    ¡°How would you have gone about finding a new team?¡±

    ¡°Probably found a contract and asked the team I found to join.¡± Tycen admitted.

    ¡°Seems pretty similar to what just happened, except they beat you to the punch,¡± Bertrum said.

    ¡°I guess so,¡± Tycen mused. He knelt quietly for several moments in deep thought. After a while he looked up, knowing what he was going to do.

    ¡°If I were you,¡± Egret said. ¡°I would join. Whatever reasons Levi has, he¡¯s a hard worker and so are the other two. You seem like a diligent young man. I¡¯ve seen Mr. Winters firsthand and he is the hardest worker this guild has ever seen, and I am talking three centuries worth of students.¡±

    ¡°Levi might be full of self-doubt, but he is a hard worker and is doing his best to eliminate those thoughts. That being said, I agree with Professor Egret. Levi works hard and his familiars are an attribute to his strength. They are all bonded beyond breaking. His soul strength must be impressive because each and every one of his familiars are off the charts in all categories. Especially Anza, she is a force. You don¡¯t get that level of connection with familiars if you don¡¯t work hard to have a relationship not ownership. His familiars are a testament to the man. My recommendation is to join his team.¡±

 Chapter 33 - A Whole New World

    Piper was at the squat rack, getting ready for her final set of squats. Levi was behind her, giving her support as her spot. The trio had gone through a vigorous workout, and Piper was the last one to complete her set. After this they would swim for several hundred meters, then end the day with meditation in the ice chambers.

    ¡°Did you really have to invite him to join our team?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Why? Were you wanting Declan to join?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°You know that I wasn¡¯t, but I at least know him. He¡¯s a total stranger.¡±

    ¡°So was I,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Yes, and it took some time for us to want to form a team,¡± Anna responded.

    ¡°You,¡± Piper said, racking her weights. ¡°It took you time. I was sold the second I saw Anza. A summoner, a rogue, and a sorceress, that¡¯s the making of a great team!¡±

    ¡°Anna,¡± Levi said. ¡°He¡¯s like you. Smart, determined to make a difference in this world, stupidly attractive.¡±

    ¡°You met him what five minutes before we did, how do you know?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°He came to the summoner¡¯s guild even though on record there hasn¡¯t been a summoner in decades. Who does that?¡±

    ¡°I would,¡± Anna said. ¡°It¡¯s always good to check all avenues before leaving.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, how about that?¡± Levi said, chuckling. Piper gave her best friend a look.

    The three guild students all swam their meters; Anna, with her affinity to ice and water finished the fastest. She went longer so she could continue to train her stamina attribute. Levi was last to finish as stamina was his lowest and wasn¡¯t as high in speed as Piper. Getting out of the pool, Levi¡¯s muscles were screaming at the workout he had put them through. They all walked into the cold ice chamber and let the coldness cover their bodies.

    ¡°I was curious about the adventure federation,¡± Levi said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s that big of a deal to join.¡±

    ¡°Depends on the city and kingdom,¡± Anna replied. ¡°Here it is not. On the other side of the world, it is. It''s still relatively new; within the last few centuries, did they officially call it adventures. Most people would go out with their guild mates and form teams and do the same thing.¡±

    ¡°But,¡± Piper said, picking up the explanation. ¡°It was messy. Everyone going about doing their own thing, fighting their own monsters and conquering dungeons, it left smaller towns and cities without any real guild members. So, if a dungeon spawned near a city spewing out monsters, there was no way to get the word out to any of the teams unless they were local.¡±

    ¡°So,¡± Anna said. ¡°Some smaller city dukes and duchesses gather together to create some sort of governing body for those who are out in the world. Thus, the Adventure Federation was born. I bet if you were to ask Tycen, since he is from the Triad Kingdom, he would probably tell you he is a member of the AF. Having the federation headquarters be in Avult is even newer only last decade.¡±

    ¡°Did you rehearse that? The back-and-forth storytelling, it was cute,¡± Levi teased. ¡°Are those who are members called adventurers?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Around those areas yes,¡± Anna said, giving him a flat look for his comment. ¡°That¡¯s not to say it is widely accepted. Another federation is forming called the Legion Federation, much smaller usually in the kingdoms that aren¡¯t fully accepting of the Adventure Federation.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±

    ¡°The Legion,¡± Piper said. ¡°Is less about protecting people but more about protecting themselves and their assets. Members of the Legion Federation follow less strict guidelines regarding how quests are handed out. As of right now it¡¯s a trickle-down effect.¡±

    ¡°That seems like a recipe for disaster,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°It is,¡± Anna responded. ¡°They also have an unspoken rule that if they see adventurers to attack them, a way to assert dominance.¡±

    ¡°So hella shady,¡± Levi said. ¡°Why would they do that?¡±

    ¡°Because some people are just antagonistic.¡±

    ¡°But won¡¯t people just see that they are in it for themselves? Not to help the ones without powers?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Non-magic users don¡¯t care who it is as long as they are protected.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Levi said. ¡°So, the Legion prey on the fact that they were the ones protecting, not the adventurers. That¡¯s a dirty play.¡±

    ¡°Just so,¡± Anna said. ¡°It isn¡¯t a problem in this area because adventurers are barely recognized. However, if we want to travel the world, which we do, it can be easier if you are a member of the federation.¡±

    ¡°At least for now it won¡¯t matter,¡± Piper said. ¡°But it could in fifty, sixty, seventy years, but I think it will be more well received.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure,¡± Levi said. ¡°Unless there is a way to streamline the guilds with the federation, most folks will see being a guild graduate as a major steppingstone, which it is. From my otherworlder outside perspective, there is no reason to have both how it is currently structured. But let¡¯s say that once you pass the guild¡¯s program and then you become a member of the Adventure Federation, who has a say at dungeons, monster hunts, monster hordes, or random quests. If let¡¯s say the cities paid the federation then the federation could pay its members for completed contracts. Cause I assume that doesn''t happen now?¡±

    ¡°That,¡± a deep voice came from outside the ice chamber. ¡°Is not an idea without sound merit.¡± The timer beeped. Their time in the ice chamber finished. Waiting for the team was Tycen. ¡°I was exploring all that this campus had to offer, since I was not used to seeing a summoner guild before. I heard people talking and assumed it was you all.¡±

    ¡°All good man,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I agree with what Tycen said,¡± Anna said with much better composure this time. ¡°Levi, that could actually make the federation better and more unified. Getting rewards for quests, monster hunts, and dungeons outside of just what each of those things gives.¡±

    ¡°I would be interested to explore more depth of that and get a written proposal sent to my boss, the Director. I believe that could do some real good for this world. What?¡± Tycen said, looking at the smirk on Levi¡¯s face.

    ¡°Told you, Anna,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Shut up, Levi,¡± she chided, looking away embarrassed. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°I¡¯m missing something,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Piper said. ¡°It¡¯s best to just let it happen.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± he said hesitantly. ¡°What do you say, Levi?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m down,¡± Levi said. ¡°Anna you¡¯ll have to join, I don¡¯t know THAT much. Since Anna¡¯s joining and I refuse to be a third wheel, Piper come too,¡± he said with a beaming smile. While walking out of the room.

    ¡°What is a third wheel?¡± Tycen asked.

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Anna said.

    The girls went to go shower and Levi did as well. Leaving Tycen to sit with Vapor having a conversation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have ever met a smoke spirit before,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°It would be odd if you had,¡± Vapor responded. ¡°Dameion, the Avatar of the Void, says hello.¡± Vapor said, looking at the small black hole.

    ¡°Oh hello, Dameion,¡± Tycen said awkwardly. ¡°This is like a whole new world. I have never met a summoner or anyone who has met a summoner. Let alone someone with a single familiar and Levi has five.¡±

    ¡°For now,¡± Vapor said. ¡°Once he ranks up, he will gain another two familiars. You seemed conflicted.¡±

    ¡°This is not what I expected coming to Arcross. Although I did not expect much. The offer to join the team is looming,¡± Tycen said. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have any insights?¡±

    ¡°What are you seeking?¡± Vapor asked.

    ¡°Honestly, friends. To me, that means people I can rely on and can rely on me: people that I can push to be better and those who push to make me better. I get stuck in my own ways from time to time, and that is what I want. My family is small, and I didn¡¯t come from money or a big house. I want to be on a team where that doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°To me,¡± Vapor said. ¡°It sounds like you are scared to take the leap and join our team.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I am,¡± Tycen said. ¡°It¡¯s a big decision.¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°That was not much insight,¡± Tycen complained.

    ¡°Because young Mr. Washiro, you are looking for someone to tell you the answer, not provide insight.¡± Vapor said. ¡°The decision is ultimately yours. So let it be yours.¡±

    Tycen sat in silence for a bit. He had three different beings in some way, shape, or form let him know that this was the best choice for him. That he would fit in. Yet he was resistant. He wasn¡¯t sure why. Was it too easy, was it too natural, was it too unnatural? There seemed to be a secret amongst the three, but who doesn¡¯t have secrets? Maybe Vapor, the creepy entity sitting next to him, was right. He was letting fear stop him from a potentially amazing opportunity. Tycen steeled his nerves and made his decision.

    At dinner, Levi went to the rice bowl vendor and got one of each of the various kinds of rice bowls. The menu wasn¡¯t extensive, but he walked away with fifteen bowls. The team plus Tycen were all eating, drinking tea, and telling stories. Tycen was silent, listening intently. He noticed the chemistry between each of them.

    Piper and Anna shared a deep familiarity with each other. To Tycen, he guessed they had been friends for nearly their entire lives. Piper and Levi were dating. If it wasn¡¯t obvious in the constant looks, they gave to each other; her legs were on top of his under the table at dinner. He also saw some friendly touches in passing between the two. Based on how much they showed their infatuation, Tycen assumed it was relatively new.

    The relationship between Levi and Anna gave Tycen the most trouble. There was a connection there that was deeper than friendship but not romantic. It was like they were siblings, but they were definitely not siblings. Everything about them was different. Adoption was very normal in this world. That¡¯s what the church is for: to help foster those who want kids and help with adoptions. It would not be uncommon to have an elf grow up with a human or a human with an avian. But families had their own culture that superseded species differences. These two shared none of the same mannerisms that would normally be present in siblings. It stumped him; he couldn¡¯t figure it out, so he let it go.

    The trio itself was like three best friends. They worked out together, ate together, probably studied together, and probably more. Tycen could tell that they worked well together and truly trusted one another. He was interested to see how they fought together, although he assumed it was formidable. Adding another person could and would mess with their dynamics, but they looked like they were that firm in their relationships that it wouldn¡¯t fold.

    ¡°Well,¡± Anna said, interrupting his thoughts. ¡°What is your answer?¡±

    ¡°First,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Are you okay with it? It is clear you have a great group dynamic. If you are not okay with it, I will not join, no matter what my desires are. I will also not tell you what my answer would have been.¡± Anna smiled. Tycen looked confused yet again.

    Before dinner and after everyone showered, Tycen went to send a message back to his director that everyone had been sufficiently warned and that a strategy would be made in the next couple of days. He was asked to join that strategy meeting, but he elected to simply stay in the city to monitor where the dungeon would actually be. He had written that in a messenger bird and sent it to Director Katrin.

    While Tycen was away, Levi, Anna, and Piper were discussing the potential new teammate.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Anna said. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that you two were right and he would make a great fit.¡±

    Piper cheered.

    ¡°But,¡± Anna said, holding up a hand. ¡°I won¡¯t say yes if he doesn¡¯t somehow verify if each of us are okay with him joining.¡±

    ¡°Anna,¡± Piper admonished. ¡°That is a harsh condition, and you know it!¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Anna agreed. ¡°But to join our team, it ought to be. We¡¯re not normal and don¡¯t have a team leader. All of us make decisions that are best for the team, and that is how we operate. Like it or not.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Piper conceded. ¡°I just wish you could have thought of something not so demanding. How is he supposed to know?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll ask,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°You are that confident,¡± Anna asked skeptically.

    ¡°I am yes,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°Very well then, that is my condition.¡± Anna said sternly.

    ¡°What?¡± Tycen asked.

    ¡°You just keep proving Anna wrong, that¡¯s all,¡± Levi said with a chuckle.

    ¡°Shut up, Levi,¡± Anna snapped with a mock hurt expression. ¡°I said, that if you ask how all of the group felt, then my answer would be a yes. So, yes.¡±

    Tycen tried to hide his smile, but he was quite happy. ¡°That is great to hear, I am excited to work with you!¡±

    Anna got up and walked around the table, holding a hand to shake. Tycen shook it. " Welcome to the team, Tycen,¡± she said softly.

    Levi also went to shake his hand, and to Levi¡¯s surprise, Tycen dapped him up. Levi¡¯s grin was now reaching his ears. ¡°A brother,¡± Levi said, walking back to his food. Piper gave Levi a hug congrats and she mentioned how excited she was to have him on the team.

    ¡°There is something I would like to discuss in length now, the reason why I have come to Arcross in the first place,¡± Tycen. ¡°Since you are my teammates, this information now pertains relevant to me. There is a dungeon that is forming just outside the city on the north end. The mana in the area is thick, meaning it is a 4-star dungeon crafter.¡±

    ¡°How dense is the man?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°3-star,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± Anna said. ¡°That would mean only 3-stars could enter the dungeon, why would a 4-star crafter do that?¡±

    ¡°Because it can and is likely a DC who prefers challenges rather than a high ranker coming through and easily beating its dungeon. The city will send teams of 3-star after graduation to conquer the dungeon. The other non-team magic users will stay and fight the inevitable monsters the dungeon spits out.¡±

    ¡°So, we¡¯re going to a dungeon as soon as we graduate?¡± Anna asked. ¡°That¡¯s big.¡±

    ¡°What does dense man have to do with anything? What even is dense mana?¡±

    ¡°The density of mana shows the ranking of the magical manifestation. The denser the mana the higher ranked manifestation is. This is because it takes more mana to bring it into the world.¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly right,¡± Tycen said. The area of effect of the manifestation was large and slowly developing, which is how we determined it would be a dungeon.¡±

    ¡°How do you know it¡¯s a 4-star dungeon crafter?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°I saw it,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°You saw the dungeon crafter?¡± Anna said. ¡°Outside of a dungeon is incredibly rare.¡±

    ¡°I believe it wanted me to see it, to let me know that this was not going to be an easy dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Levi said, getting up. ¡°To the ritual room.¡±

 Chapter 34 - Randomness of Magic

    In the ritual room, Tycen stood behind the glass observational wall to watch the ritual. He was standing next to Piper and Anna as they watched Levi draw a 3-star ritual circle. The circle was not as complex as the magic essence ritual he had just performed yesterday. Rather than using chalk, he used rarer ritual material, chaotic shard dust. He had picked up some at the trades hall, it had cost a small fortune, but Levi felt like it was worth it. After he had finished the drawing the circle he placed the dungeon essence in one rune circle, he stepped into the other, and put some chaos shard in the last.

    ¡°He seems very comfortable drawing circles,¡± Tycen said. ¡°It is incredible to watch.¡±

    ¡°He is very good,¡± Piper said proudly.

    ¡°I think he has an ability that reduces the cost of materials when creating ritual circles and summoning circles,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That is an amazing ability for a summoner,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°It¡¯s an amazing ability for anyone,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Just so,¡± he nodded. ¡°What is it that you are hoping for?¡±

    ¡°Not sure,¡± Piper said. ¡°We are kind of going into this blind. Besides the fact that Levi knows a lot about ritual magic.¡±

    The group paused as they saw Levi touch the shard dust with his mana, and the entire circle lit up midnight red. The essence began glowing ice blue, and Levi was glowing slightly. The dungeon essence flew into the shard dust in the rune circle, and then the combination merged into Levi. He staggered a little as the ritual circle faded, and small smoke started to rise from some of the overused chaotic shard dust.

    Ability Unlocked: Dungeon Treasurer

    Ability: Dungeon Treasurer

    Passive Ability

    User Interface can be upgraded. Every time the user enters a dungeon, an additional map with be shown. The dungeon map will lead to secret rooms and hidden items. If the user reaches the end chest, guaranteeing one Legendary item. This is a passive ability that will activate inside a dungeon.

    ¡°Hell yeah,¡± Levi said. ¡°Treasure!¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said with a wry smile. ¡°That is very nice.¡±

    ¡°Way to go babe,¡± Piper said. ¡°Okay my turn.¡± She assisted Levi in creating her own ritual circle; she elected to do a 2-star ritual because she didn¡¯t have an affinity to any specific material. She also wanted to use basic chalk. As much as she loved Levi, chaos was his thing, and she would let it be his.

    ¡°That did not seem chaos orientated,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°Depends on how you look at chaos my friend,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Chaos is bad,¡± he replied as if it were obvious.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Levi said. ¡°You might want to check your sources.¡±

    ¡°Boys,¡± Anna said. ¡°Piper is chanting.¡± Unlike Levi who had the ability to perform rituals and summons without an incantation, Piper had to. The incantations were always natural, and the person chanting would know what it was the moment they started chanting it. This was one way to know if they did something right or wrong, depending on the incantation. Piper¡¯s was done and her experience was similar to Levi¡¯s. Although she looked more worn out from the ritual.

    Ability Unlocked: Dungeon Raider

    Dungeon Raider

    Passive Ability

    Aura strength significantly increases inside dungeons. Aura creates two bonus effects: speed boost and Strength boost to all allies within your aura. Aura strength and distance are determined by star rank. This is a passive ability; it will turn on automatically in dungeons.

    ¡°That is awesome, Piper,¡± Anna exclaimed. She was genuinely happy for her best friend. This ability was a massive aid to the team. Anna made note of the two abilities that were unlocked and how they matched their friends'' personalities, which made her slightly nervous for hers.

    ¡°Smooth as hell,¡± Levi said as he gave her a big hug.

    ¡°That is another powerful ability,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Congratulations. Back to the chaos being bad, while Anna draws her circle. How is chaos not bad,¡±

    ¡°Piper, can you go help her, I don¡¯t think she knows ritual magic,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I do not,¡± Anna replied. Piper nodded and went to help her friend.

    ¡°Why would chaos be bad?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Because it is disorderly and causes destruction,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°So does fire. Is fire bad?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Well-¡±

    ¡°What about earthquakes? Raging waves or strong currents in rivers? Windstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes? Solar flares? Who is the judge of what is good and what is bad? Those all cause destruction.¡±

    ¡°Some could argue that chaos magic is the reason that earthquakes happen, strong currents, windstorms. Chaos comes in to disrupt the peace.¡±

    ¡°But you missing one key vital fact,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± Tycen asked, voice calm as ever.

    ¡°Peace and Chaos are not opposites of each other. Order and Chaos are opposite. I can have peace in the midst of chaos. And I do. Look, I get it chaos has a nasty association with being evil, and so do all of my familiars, but they aren¡¯t. Everyone deserves a second chance, and no one deserves to be judged without intimate knowledge of them.¡±

    Tycen went to respond when Anna interrupted, ¡°We can continue this argument later, let me get on with this ritual.¡±

    Piper was getting better at her ritual magic, but she was not comfortable performing this ritual for Anna. Levi looked over the circle and approved. He touched his hand to the circle and watched it glow.

    Ability Unlocked: Dungeon Mastermind

    Dungeon Mastermind

    Passive Ability

    Dungeons are often full of ways to lead a team to failure; with the Dungeon Mastermind leading the charge, chances of failing dramatically decrease. When inside dungeons, the Dungeon Mastermind is able to spot any traps, tricks, or deceit. Allowing for a perfect run in a dungeon. This is a passive ability.

    ¡°Dope,¡± Levi said. ¡°That¡¯s so dope!¡±

    ¡°So,¡± Piper said. ¡°Not only are we going to be finding every secret room of treasure we will be finding all the traps to be faster.¡±

    ¡°Your, I mean, our team will be able to conquer dungeons quickly,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll get you one soon big guy,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I believe you,¡± Tycen said. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Did anyone notice how the abilities were exactly tailored to our personalities?¡± Anna asked. Everyone shook their head. ¡°I got one, a leadership-specific one. Levi got a loot/reward boost, and Piper¡¯s calming nature and being an encourager were also given a boost.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Piper said. ¡°How interesting. But it does make sense, abilities aren¡¯t completely random, especially not the hidden abilities.¡±

    ¡°From the research that I have seen, there has been many hypotheses,¡± Tycen said. ¡°That suggest that all hidden abilities are related to who we are as a person and the way to unlock the additional three are by essence rituals or by being so sure of who you wanted to be.¡±

    ¡°That is an interesting theory,¡± Anna said. ¡°How accurate to you believe it to be?¡±

    ¡°I cannot say,¡± Tycen said. ¡°There is so much about magic that is random, take summoning for example. You,¡± he gestured to Levi, ¡°you can choose what kind of creature you summon based on a specific ritual, right?¡± Levi nodded. ¡°Can you choose which specific creature you want?¡±

    ¡°I can,¡± Levi said. Remembering the other all-consuming entity, Calekton Skeletors, it gave him a specific item to resummon. ¡°But it seems only if I have a name or an item.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, so Anza, Vapor, Willow & Crystal, and Dameion were all random?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°That,¡± Tycen turned to Anna. ¡°Is the randomness of magic. Summoning can bring great beings into our realm, but it is hard to do precision summons, at least more costly. For other forms of magic, like unlocking abilities or class evolutions, it''s like the magic inside is constantly analyzing data points. to grow more efficiently.¡±

    ¡°Are you following?¡± Piper whispered to Levi.

    ¡°I was,¡± Levi said. ¡°Now I just don¡¯t really care. You think this¡¯ll happen a lot?¡±

    ¡°OH yes,¡± Piper chuckled. ¡°If there is one thing Anna loves, it¡¯s a rival. That¡¯s you for star rankings, Declan for guild stuff, me for something, she just won¡¯t tell me, and now Tycen for magical theory.¡±

    ¡°Deep relationships,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°What?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°She competes with you over deep relationships. You¡¯re crushing her.¡±

    ¡°What, why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°Piper, when we first had a proper conversation and I was clothed, you came over to talk to me first, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she nodded.

    ¡°You and I clearly hit off, despite how awkward I was and well am. It was obvious that we were already friendly with each other. Anna tried to do that, but it didn¡¯t work, it¡¯s harder for her. Sure, we¡¯re good now; that took what two or three months of hanging out?¡±

    ¡°She wanted to completely guarantee you weren¡¯t evil,¡± Piper defended.

    ¡°I understand her reasoning. That¡¯s the difference, if she thought I was evil, why would she be around me so much?¡±

    ¡°To protect me.¡± Levi gave her a flat look.

    ¡°Piper please, you need as much protection as I need more familiars.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s sweet of you to say,¡± Piper giggled. ¡°Then why?¡±

    ¡°Because she wanted a friend and didn¡¯t want to be left behind her best friend and her best friend¡¯s new friend.¡±

    Tycen looked at Piper and Levi, whispering to each other. He turned his gaze to Anna.

    ¡°What are they talking about?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No clue,¡± Anna said. ¡°This is an improvement from the glossed overlook of confusion whenever I discuss magical theory to them.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Tycen asked, somewhat offended. ¡°But magical theory is amazing.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re preaching to the choir,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°What does that even mean?¡± Tycen asked, confusion plastered on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure; I heard Levi say it once. I like how it sounds,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You are a fascinating person, Anna Onyx,¡± Tycen said. Anna blushed and looked away shyly. ¡°Do you think they will finish their conversation anytime soon?¡±

    ¡°It depends on us; they¡¯ll keep talking, then they might find their way back into the conversation. It¡¯s nice to have someone to talk to about it.¡±

    ¡°Do they not understand?¡±

    ¡°I think, they just don¡¯t care,¡± Anna said. ¡°Come on you two,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s go, so you can stop pretending to listen to us.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we were pretending,¡± Levi said. ¡°We were pretty obviously not listening.¡± Piper laughed and Anna rolled her eyes.

    ¡°How was your break Mr. Winters?¡± Professor Egret asked. It was the first day back from break and Levi was sitting in the lecture hall with his professor.

    ¡°It was fine,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I¡¯d call that an understatement since you are a new class, a new rank, and your eyes are two different colors. How many familiars did you get?¡±

    ¡°You can tell my class?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but I know that it happened because of your rank up and aura.¡±

    ¡°Gotchu. I¡¯m a familiar summoner now and I have five. Although I am not sure how many you have met.¡±

    ¡°Five?!¡± Professor Egret said in shock. ¡°I have only met the two, Willow and Anza. and hi Anza.¡± Anza bowed at the professor.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi said chuckling. ¡°Although I think technically it¡¯s still four. I¡¯m not clear on Willow and Crystal, the other crystal wisp.¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°The ability to summon another one was a product of 3-star rank up for Willow.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Egret mused. ¡°Who are the others?¡±

    ¡°Come on out y¡¯all,¡± Levi said. An eclectic group of familiars all appeared around Levi. Professor Egret¡¯s eyes scanned all five. Her face revealing nothing. In front of her was what looked like an orb with orbiting galaxy, a terrifying looking white cloak, two crystal wisps, and Anza, the mimic who was equally as terrifying.

    ¡°My, My,¡± she said scanning the familiars. ¡°You have gotten yourself a neat group of friends. What are they?¡±

    ¡°This,¡± Levi said pointing to Dameion. ¡°Is Dameion, he¡¯s an Avatar of the Void. The white crystal wisp is Crystal. The smoke spirit is Vapor, and you know the rest.¡±

    ¡°An Avatar of the Void,¡± she said quietly. ¡°Levi, are you aware how incredibly rare all of your familiars are?¡±

    ¡°Apart from familiars being just rare, no?¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I want to watch you perform a summoning familiar ritual. Do you have any left?¡± She asked.

    ¡°If crystal doesn¡¯t count, then yes. One more,¡± Levi said. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain after, come come,¡± she said hurrying off to the ritual room. ¡°BERTRUM!¡± She shouted. ¡°TO THE RITUAL ROOM!¡±

    Levi looked at his familiars and shrugged. He followed the professor, who practically sprinted out of the room. In the ritual room, Levi saw his two professors standing whispering to each other. Professor Egret was no doubt filling in Bertrum on all that was happening. The two looked at Levi as he walked in.

    ¡°What?¡± he asked, nervously.

    ¡°Nothing wrong dear boy,¡± Bertrum said. ¡°Come now, summon another familiar.¡±

    ¡°Uhh,¡± he said. ¡°Vapor? What material? We have two swarm and two utility even though y¡¯all are different utility.¡±

    ¡°A defense specialist would be good for our collective group although, I am unsure what type of fighter our new teammate is,¡± Vapor responded.

    ¡°He¡¯s a paladin, if I had to judge off personality it would be defensive. A healer would be nice, especially since Dameion can restore mana.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure Dameion won¡¯t be able to hear at next rank up?¡±

    ¡°No clue, but that could be in a couple of years at least.¡±

    ¡°Fair point,¡± Vapor said. The two professors looked on with amazement as Levi interacted with his familiars in a way they had never seen before. As uncommon as having a familiar was, Levi was far from the first student to have one at the guilds. Years of teaching had allowed the two to see hundreds of familiars out of the hundreds of thousands of students. Never had either of them encountered a person who treated his familiars as friends with respect. Why would the summoner care about the opinions of his summons? That was unique to see. They wondered how the relationship would develop between Levi and his familiars.

    ¡°Professors?¡± Levi asked. ¡°Do y¡¯all have any rare magic ritual materials? I have some chaotic shard dust left, but not sure if I want to use that.¡± Anza made a low whirling noise. Levi turned to look at her. ¡°Are you sure?¡± she nodded. ¡°Okay, never mind.¡±

    ¡°What did she say?¡± Egret asked.

    ¡°To use, iron fillings, coal dust, crystal dust, and chaotic shard dust,¡± Levi responded. He walked into the ritual room and started laying that down.

    ¡°What does that produce?¡± Bertrum asked, more to himself than anything. The professors both looked on puzzled at what could come from that combination. It was clearly going to be a magical beast from the dust. The combination of the crystal and chaotic would produce an interesting confluence, one that channeled chaos magic and peace magic. That would call on a beast from the pixie fairy realm. Which would not be good. However, that was not it with materials used. Bertrum thought about the combination of the iron fillings and coal dust, that would easily produce anything to do with smoke, combustion, fire, or some sort of metallic, combining that with the magical dust, who knows that would come from it.

    Professor Egret was just as confused. She was an elf, so she had a deeper understanding of beast from the pixie fairy realm. It would be nearly guaranteed that the summons would come from that region. She suspected that the other two ritual materials would cut that off. Which concerned her. What in the greater realms, hells, and dimensions would exist in chaos and peace, with fire and metal? The possibilities were endless. Unable to think of anything she stood speechless watching her student draw a complex familiar ritual, with a wand.

    Levi pulled out his wand and made a complex ritual circle. With four different ritual materials he needed it to be complex and precise. First, he drew a square, each line a different material then he etched the circle on the outside of the square with chaotic shard dust. After that he drew three petal shapes with the points. all converging in the middle. Each petal had a rune circle inside it. Levi placed an iron fillings in the iron petal, coal dust in the coal petal, and crystal dust in the crystal petal.

    He took a deep breath. Anza didn¡¯t tell him what it would summon but he trusted her. Anza was quiet but she was very wise. Levi wasn¡¯t sure how old she was, mimics are weird organisms that are only hive mind within in their own omega. Two omegas don¡¯t interact with the same hive mind. So, because Levi is the omega it made him wonder about mimics in a deeper capacity.

    He put his mana into the wand and shot a burst of mana to activate the ritual circle. The professors took a sharp breath, here it was the moment they had been waiting for. A new familiar summon. Bright light shone from the ritual circle. Each of the petals all glowed brightly of their respective colors. Blue/grey for iron, black for coal, white for crystal, midnight red for chaotic shard dust. All lines made from each material also glowed those same colors.

    The rune circles lit up and began to form runes. The runes were growing brighter and brighter as a figure was forming in the convergence of the runes.

 Chapter 35 - Magical Tribulation

    Levi was in the ritual room about to summon his final familiar of this rank. Depending on what familiar it was, Levi was likely going to not summon any more familiars. It¡¯s not like he didn¡¯t like having powerful friends; he did. It was the fact that he wanted a team, too many familiars would make a team worthless. If he could have enough familiars that could act as his teammates'' familiars that would be the best. Levi didn¡¯t want to be too much. In truth, Levi knew he would be a successful adventurer or whatever they called it, on his own.

    Levi didn¡¯t want to be on his own. Being on his own is what caused his downfall on Earth. He let anger, frustration, and sadness get the best of him. He thought that if he didn¡¯t let anyone in, he would be the best for it. Levi thought that he could do it on his own. He couldn¡¯t. His struggles were amplified without a sounding board to vent to. Complacency set in without anyone to challenge him or push him further. He became a shell of who he used to be. He had no one to help him out of it because he had pushed everyone away.

    Levi was trying his best to avoid this, to be a better person here than what he was. He had accepted the fact that he may never be able to ask for forgiveness or to reconcile. That was the harsh reality of his life and well life in general. He opted to move forward, and he has done well so far. This is why he was satisfied to be done with familiars after this one. At least for now, it would be a few years until he was 4-star, so maybe his mind would change.

    Focusing back on the ritual at hand, Levi looked at the bright light forming. He saw four paws with razor-sharp claws that led to what looked like furry legs. Upon further inspection, it was actually really small, soft feathers. There was a tail wrapped around the legs of this creature. More of its body was revealed to see too large, feathered wings that had a slight glow to them; it looked angelic. The body was covered in that same fur-like feathers, and the face was that of a dragon. It had two horns that had a few points... It turned to face Levi. It had black irises and midnight-blue pupils.

    ¡°Hello, young summoner,¡± the dragon spoke directly into Levi¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Oh, this is trippy,¡± Levi thought back. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re gorgeous. So serene yet there¡¯s a deep power inside you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± the dragon said back, bowing slowly.

    Familiar bond has been established

    Aura Dragon - Serenity

    Familiar Serenity provides the ability to improve aura strength and control. When fused with the summoner, the summoner¡¯s aura becomes capable as a weapon.

    ¡°An aura dragon,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Serenity responded.

    ¡°Welcome to the family. Let¡¯s have you meet everyone,¡± Levi said brightly. All of Levi¡¯s familiars appeared before him. Levi introduced them one by one, and they all communicated with Serenity with relative ease, making Levi feel even more connected to them.

    ¡°An Avatar of the Void,¡± Serenity said. ¡°Astro. You and I will be a great asset in boosting, Master Levi¡¯s aura.¡±

    ¡°Whoa, no no no,¡± Levi said. ¡°I am no master.¡±

    ¡°With all due respect, what would like to be called?¡±

    ¡°Levi,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°As you wish,¡± Serenity said.

    Professor Egret and Bertrum walked into look at Serenity with amazement.

    ¡°Hello, aura dragon,¡± Egret said. ¡°I am Professor Egret, and this is my partner, Bertrum. It is quite the honor to meet you. From what I heard, there are very few aura dragons in the universe.¡±

    ¡°Few is relative, while we may not be as present as finches or dogs, we are more present than Astro.¡±

    ¡°Oh, very good. Levi,¡± Egret said, turning to him. ¡°Your ability to draw accurate and complex rituals is astounding. Particularly for someone of newness to magic. It is also fascinating that you can conjure a ritual without speaking any words. Thank you for indulging my curiosity. I would like to see how you use your familiars in combat. Tomorrow we will have a sparring match.¡±

    ¡°Lovely, to meet Serenity,¡± Bertrum said. ¡°Levi, we will be drilling you with combat orientated styles with you and your familiars. This will be the best use of our time left, as far as I am concerned you passed. And are ready to graduate.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Levi said. ¡°Appreciate it, professors. For real, that means a lot. Is it alright if I bring my team to these sparring matches sometimes? I want to have the familiars help each of the team members.¡±

    ¡°A wise choice,¡± Egret said. ¡°Certainly, but not every session just some.¡±

    ¡°Yes, understood,¡± Levi said. The professors left Levi there with his familiars. They had decided to forgo any extra activities for the rest of the day. They wanted to discuss what they had just seen and what that could mean for them moving forward. They had just seen incredible power.

    ¡°What happens when you fuse with me?¡± Levi asked Serenity.

    ¡°My feathers become a tattoo on your leg,¡± she responded.

    ¡°Dope a leg sleeve, nice!¡± He looked down at his now-toned leg. ¡°I used to have zero leg muscles, but I¡¯ve been working hard, and they are starting to show some actual definition and bulk. Anyways, what do you prefer, fusing or not? Anza is not a fan, so she walks about.¡±

    ¡°People do not fear her?¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t know what she is,¡± Levi said. ¡°Can¡¯t fear what you don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°I can shrink and become intangible, invisible, and hide my aura. Astro and I will instruct you on this. We are both aura-focused beings, and we can guide you to your aura mastery. I would prefer if I could stay defused, if possible.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Levi looked at the dragon in front of him. It was no bigger than a moose right now. ¡°How big can you get?¡±

    ¡°My full form is 1 meter wide, 3 meters long, and have a 5-meter wingspan.¡±

    ¡°Bet, how small can you get?¡± Levi asked. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°The size of a house cat,¡± Serenity said. As she was speaking the aura dragon transformed into a cat-sized version of herself. She flapped her wings and landed on Levi¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Not to sound rude, but you¡¯re not that heavy, why?¡±

    ¡°Magic, Levi,¡± Serenity said wryly.

    ¡°Yeah alright,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± Levi¡¯s familiars all fused back into Levi except Anza and now Serenity. Serenity sat perfectly on Levi¡¯s shoulder as he walked, not even swaying to the cadence of his steps.

    Back in his room, Levi was sitting cross-legged, sweating. Vapor, Serenity, and Astro were all training Levi to use his aura.

    ¡°Why do I need to train my aura?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Magic users typically cannot do anything with auras except use them to sense other beings or hide themselves,¡± Serenity explained. ¡°Astro can teach you how to hide your aura senses. This will be helpful because you¡¯re a summoner; you need to be able to hide your presence. I can teach you how to attack aura-focused monsters.¡±

    ¡°How many aura focused monsters are there?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Many,¡± Vapor said. ¡°Not here, in this kingdom. Typically, creatures or monsters made from order magic are more aura-focused.¡±

    ¡°Great, order magic,¡± Levi said. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, monsters with order magic are more likely to attack me for having a chaos affinity.¡±

    ¡°It is not just your affinity they would attack, Levi,¡± Vapor said. ¡°You are a chaotic paragon; your aura is chaos.¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Serenity nodded. Levi flopped to the ground.

    ¡°This is so damn confusing,¡± Levi said. ¡°Auras, souls, magic, summoning, peace, chaos, order, there are so many damn things that I have to know!¡±

    ¡°Take it in stride,¡± Serenity said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to know all things right now.¡±

    ¡°Then there is this stupid prophecy looming over my head and this random ass letter that just pops up,¡± Levi said, getting increasingly agitated. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing. What if I mess it up like I have with so many other things in my life.¡±

    ¡°Levi,¡± Serenity said. ¡°Take a deep breath.¡±

    ¡°This is all way too much, man,¡± Levi said, not paying attention to Serenity. Putting his palms to his face, he shook his head. ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± he said behind his hands.

    Anza made a loud noise. It sounded like a spoon was caught in a garbage disposal. Levi sat up and looked at Anza with a sad face. The 2-stared at each other for a long time.

    ¡°Levi,¡± Serenity finally broke the silence. Levi looked at her. ¡°Right now, you¡¯re learning a lot in a short amount of time.¡±

    ¡°How do you know all this we just met?¡±

    ¡°You are a familiar summoner; that means our bonds are deep upon it being established. I got a good look at your mind, soul, and body. In that I learned something about you, that made me glad to say yes.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Levi said.

    ¡°You work hard and adapt fast. These are all admirable skill; you fall short in two categories-¡±

    ¡°I doubt myself and I don¡¯t give myself time to process.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Serenity nodded. ¡°You will not make it in this world if you do not give your emotional, mental, and spiritual states a chance to process everything.¡±

    ¡°But how do I do that?¡±

    ¡°By trusting us,¡± Vapor spoke up. ¡°Anza is the one who has been with you the longest, all things considered, we have all joined relatively early in your magic life. That puts a strain on anyone. We are all powerful on our own. Trust that we will do what he can to help you through whatever you need to do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing these meditations are supposed to help?¡±

    ¡°They are,¡± Serenity nodded.

    Levi took a deep breath and sighed, ¡°Okay. I¡¯m sorry. Thank you for calming me down. I have never been good at processing my emotions, at least in a healthy way. I wary of what that will look like now that I have all this power. Well technically, y¡¯all have all this power. But still. I destroyed my old life without magic, what can I do with it?¡±

    Anza¡¯s noise caused Levi to roll his eyes. ¡°Yes, I know at some point I¡¯m going to have to get over that. I know I can¡¯t change how my old life was, but it was still a huge mistake that I¡¯d prefer not to repeat.¡± he said¡ªanother noise.

    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Serenity said. ¡°Levi, you have all of us.¡± All of Levi¡¯s familiars defused from him and wrapped around him, giving him the weirdest hug he had ever been a part of. At the same time, he had never had a better hug in his life. Levi did a good job of keeping himself calm in front other people. It was only when things got overwhelming did that mask break. It was then that all the things that Levi had been hiding and pushing down bubbled up and exploded out.

    Levi¡¯s time in the new world was a whirlwind of activity. In six hours of being exposed to magic he had already run into two beautiful girls naked, ate tokens, summoned a creature from a movie he had watched before, and conjured a literal orb of chaos. That all happened in six hours and Levi did not spend any time processing the sheer amount of chaos that had been.

    The hours, days, weeks, and months following had not been much better. He had learned six months of material at school in three which in itself was overwhelming. Yes, Levi loved his new life, his new friends, and his new powers. He just hadn¡¯t spent time processing the craziness that has been his life. His brain was constantly and consistently learning something new every day, this was not normal.

    As a 25-year-old it would make sense not to have to learn something new every day, maybe a random fun fact would appear on his social media platform. That was different than learning how magic affects your body. That level of learning and intensity of learning without any sort of break would be mind breaking for any normal person. Levi wasn¡¯t normal, he was an otherworlder, he was trying to solve so many mysteries. Mysteries like; how did he get here, is he going to be attacked, why did he get that letter, who is that summoner, what was his mistake, what the hell is the prophecy and so much more.

    He was so pent up he couldn¡¯t even think about how he was dating Piper. Piper! A woman who he thought looked like she was a mixture between a beauty pageant girl, the next Miss Samoa, and a professional athlete, tone, athletic, fastest person he¡¯s ever met. He had been so overwhelmed that Levi missed that part. He took another deep breath in his familiar cocoon. They were all still embracing Levi.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know I was carrying all of that,¡± Levi said, voice a whisper. ¡°I honestly thought I was okay, then all of sudden I wasn¡¯t.¡± His familiars all released him from the hug. Standing at the door was Piper, looking concerned at Levi. She walked down and kissed him on the cheek. She didn¡¯t ask him what was wrong; she just sat with him. He rested his head on her shoulder.

    ¡°Hello there,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re new and beautiful, what¡¯s your name and what kind of dragon are you?¡±

    ¡°I am Serenity,¡± Serenity replied. ¡°I am an aura dragon; you must be Piper. It is wonderful to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Likewise,¡± Piper said. Piper sat with Levi in silence for a bit until his stomach growled and he chuckled.

    ¡°Thanks for sitting with me Piper,¡± Levi said. He got up and helped her up. ¡°I¡¯d like to go on an actual date, even though I don¡¯t know if y¡¯all do dates here.¡±

    ¡°Of course we do dates, silly,¡± she teased. ¡°I¡¯d like that. Maybe then you can tell me what happened?¡±

    ¡°I suck at managing my emotions,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Well, we knew that¡± Piper said, winking. ¡°You really have to work on that.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Levi said. ¡°How does anyone do it here? I haven¡¯t even freaked out about killing people.¡±

    ¡°We take everything in strides,¡± Piper said. ¡°You¡¯ve been taking in everything all at once. I can guarantee how you feel, most have felt.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Piper said. ¡°Overwhelmed, worried about what power, prestige, and influence will do to you and your principals. Constantly navigating between full freak out and loving every second of your now very magical life. Concerned that you are becoming a monster because killing is a lot easier than you¡¯d ever hope for. Any of this ring a bell?¡±

    ¡°All of it,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Exactly, love,¡± Piper said. ¡°All magic users experience what you¡¯re experiencing; we just go through maybe one or two of them at a time, not all of them. We call it Magical Tribulation. Meditation, rest, working, and talking are all things that will help you. You especially though, need to be better at processing your emotions. You were awful with them before, and you are awful with them now. I know it¡¯s easier to say it than actually to do it. That¡¯s how you are going to make it to 4-star and beyond. Now come on,¡± she said, holding out her hand. ¡°It¡¯s time for our date.¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Levi said with a soft grin. All his familiars fused with him, and the couple left the room holding hands.

 Chapter 36 - Definite Course

    Piper and Levi went to a small bakery and bought some items for a picnic. This was the first time the two of them were able to have some alone time. Levi wasn¡¯t sure how this would be, knowing that he had six familiars roaming around his soul. Not trying to think about that in too much detail he pushed that thought aside.

    ¡°You know,¡± Piper said. ¡°You¡¯re pretty charismatic when you have confidence.¡±

    Levi gave a nervous chuckle, ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Why is your confidence so low?¡±

    ¡°Piper,¡± Levi said. ¡°Look at me,¡± he gestured over himself. ¡°I¡¯m tall and lengthy, well now I have muscle but that¡¯s new. My voice is not the most attractive, I¡¯m a total nerd, I didn¡¯t take care of my body too much, but I ate well. Not a lot of women were lining up for me.¡±

    ¡°Nothing you told me was about who you are. Just physical things,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Levi mused.

    ¡°Did no one try to talk to you despite your physical attributes?¡±

    ¡°A couple of people, but we had fundamental differences in what we believed.¡±

    ¡°And what was that?¡±

    ¡°One of them didn¡¯t want kids and I really did, I wanted to be the father to others like my dad was to me,¡± Levi said sadly.

    ¡°You say that in the past tense. Do you not want kids?¡±

    ¡°Right now, I want to figure out how I got here first,¡± Levi chuckled.

    ¡°That¡¯s not an answer Levi,¡± Piper said folding her arms.

    ¡°You¡¯re very persistent you know that?¡±

    ¡°I do. Its apart of my charm.¡±

    ¡°I guess, I still do, raising them in this world will be much different.¡±

    The couple had found a seat under a tree overlooking the sunset and the river. They set out their food and continued their conversation.

    ¡°In what ways?¡± Piper asked. ¡°By all accounts you have mentioned that your world is dangerous and unpredictable. That doesn¡¯t sound much different than here.¡±

    ¡°It is and you¡¯re right. Here, no matter who I have kids with trying to magic them up and depending on who I am with, let¡¯s say you¡­¡± Levi gave an awkward look at Piper who¡¯s perpetual genuine smile showed no shift. ¡°Then there is a matter of etiquette that I have never learned in some aspects our kids,¡± he said slowly again. ¡°Would be better suited than me.¡±

    ¡°That is a fair point,¡± Piper said, still providing no reaction to his hypothetical scenario. ¡°Is there anything here that you wouldn¡¯t have to teach that you would on your old world?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯m black which means all my kids would have some black in them. That would have been a lot of teaching and guiding, a lifetimes worth.¡±

    ¡°What does your skin color have to do with anything? You are all human.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the question, it''s not always bad. But there are moments where it is harder. I won¡¯t discount that. That is not something I¡¯d have to really worry about here. But if I¡¯m being honest, I¡¯d rather form my own legacy outside of your family, if we do get to that point.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure we¡¯ll have much of a say when we do,¡± Piper added. Levi noticed her word choice and smiled.

    ¡°I guess if it¡¯s when we¡¯re still 3-star, but I plan to reach 5-star,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°You know that most 5-stars operate alone, right?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°I do,¡± Levi nodded.

    ¡°So, you think that you, me, and Anna will all reach 5-star together? Why?¡±

    ¡°Remember when we were first talking, and I asked why me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What was your response?¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°There you go. Why not us? What¡¯s stopping us from being the first or rare 5-star team?¡±

    ¡°That could take centuries,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll live to be centuries then and, in the meantime, form our own legacy.¡±

    ¡°You have ambitious dreams Levi Winters, what happen to the awkward guy who didn¡¯t believe in himself?¡± Piper teased.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m still here, but I am trying this new thing. It¡¯s called striving for a goal. Ever heard of it?¡± Levi said, smirking.

    ¡°No, never,¡± Piper said sarcastically. ¡°It definitely suits you more than brooding and having no goals. It¡¯s quite attractive. Is it crazy that we are talking about kids, and legacy and we met what five months ago?¡±

    ¡°Only if it scares you. I have goals and I¡¯d be a fool if I let you out of my life. Last time I checked I ain¡¯t no fool,¡± Levi said, giving her a soft kiss.

    ¡°I don¡¯t plan on letting you go either,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Now as long as I can survive your dad and Anna¡¯s dad, we¡¯re good!¡± Levi cheered.

    ¡°Only a 3-star and 4-star in your way!¡± Piper exclaimed. ¡°Look out world,¡± the two shared a long laugh. Levi looked at Piper as she was laughing. The world slowed to a halt; he had not been this happy in a long time. If he had to be honest with himself even before his dad¡¯s untimely death, he truly wasn¡¯t that happy. Not now that he had experienced a different level of happiness; nothing in his old world had even compared. Levi wondered if it was only because of love he felt this way.

    There could be an argument that that was the case. However, an argument could be made that this was one of many factors that could have led to his emotional state. Levi chose to believe it was not only out of love but also fun and aspirations. He couldn¡¯t remember setting a goal for himself that was longer than what to eat that day. He took a deep breath, watching the sunset as Piper lay in his arms.

    A pillar of fire erupted toward Levi; Willow and Crystal were able to siphon off the majority of the fire. Only little embers reached Levi, which he could easily handle. He moved out of the way as two spears of ice landed next to him. Levi looked up and swore. He was covered in blood and sweat and had been on the back foot this entire fight.

    ¡°Serenity and Dameion, mask my aura,¡± he commanded. ¡°Vapor smoke cloud over this area, Anza take a few embers and knock out that stupid golem.¡± His familiars did as instructed. Anza led several drones across the battlefield. They had ice columns that were once ice spears from the golem to act as protection. ¡°Willow and Crystal go with them.¡±

    Levi¡¯s aura was now nearly impossible to sense. That would be if he was only fighting someone of his rank or lower. His opponent was not. Thinking he got away another ice spear made his way directly to his new hiding location. Serenity defused and blasted fire to melt the ice spear. She refused to provide extra aura cover.

    Anza and team Ember arrived at the massive ice golem. It could conjure spears of ice and was standing 4 meters tall. It wielded a shield of spikey ice. It looked down at the little pests at its feet. Lifting its leg, it went to attack as it¡¯s leg came crashing down to the earth tentacles pulled its other leg. The golem lost its balance and fell right on its back. As it lay on the ground, mouth aghast from the impact, two wisps entered its maw. The wisps started spreading their fire inside the golem. Normal fire would not spread on ice, it would need something burnable. The golem was completely made of ice; it had no organs or skin to catch fire. This was not normal fire; this was crystal wisp fire which could and did destroy everything in its path.

    Anza got on top of the fallen golem and started clawing its torso to destroy it from the outside as well as the inside. Team Ember did the same. Shortly, the ice golem looked like it was covered in ants and glowing from the inside. The fire inside was spreading, and rather than melt, it would burn like it had caught fire to the skin. The yellow orbs inside the golem¡¯s eyes flickered and went dim. They had defeated the ice golem. Stolen story; please report.

    Unfortunately, that was not the only golem. There was a fire golem also baring down. The fire golem was a giant creature the same size as the other golem that was not made of fire. It was a coal golem that would catch itself on fire and use mana to maintain the fire around its body. Levi relayed a message to the party that had just taken down the ice golem to turn its attention to the fire golem. Anza and team Ember would be ineffective as the extreme heat would likely melt their metallic exterior. The Crystal Wisps could try to siphon off the excess flames where Anza could do any type of damage.

    Levi had already commanded Dameion to siphon the mana of the fire golem. Three mini black holes were taking away the mana from the golem while a swarm of wisps took away its fire. The golem swung its hands to see if it could catch its assailants. That was ineffective. Soon the golem¡¯s coal body was exposed, and Anza and Team Ember pounced. Shortly after the battle had ended as the final golem fell as its body was ravaged by the mimics.

    ¡°Well done,¡± Professor Egret''s voice came through the smoke. Levi walked over to her from across the battlefield. ¡°I recognize that you just met Serenity, but you must use her in a more effective way. Along with Vapor, the three of you need to discuss different strategies in which you will be effective. No surprise your connection with Anza was formidable. That was a brilliant way to utilize the fire swarm ability of your wisps. Siphoning the fire is very clever. I believe Dameion was used adequately if not fully used but he is also new. All in all, I am not surprised but satisfied with your combat skill.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, professor,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°Tomorrow, you will partake in another round of sparring, but it will be a focus on your utility familiars. You are allowed to use spells and attack with weapons. Your familiars are not allowed to attack.¡±

    ¡°Oh boy,¡± Levi said. The rules for this battle were simple: he could not use his own magic spells, nor could he attack with a weapon. All damage had to come from his familiars. At first Levi thought that his would be easier because he felt like his familiars always did the attacking. He was wrong; this was a lot harder than the barbarians. The fact that he couldn¡¯t interact meant that he couldn¡¯t get close to the enemies because he was not allowed to use any of his spells. They would surely have killed him.

    ¡°I would wish you good luck, but I wish it upon myself.¡± Egret said with a smile. ¡°See you tomorrow, Mr. Winters.¡±

    Levi went back to his room and took a shower. He flopped onto his bed and sprawled out, exhausted. Even though he hadn¡¯t used any direct spells, running, dodging, and avoiding attacks was hard work. He sat up to look at Serenity sitting in the corner with her eyes closed.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Levi said, not out loud through dragon speak.

    ¡°How about you, myself, Vapor, and Dameion describe what abilities we have and how they can be useful?¡±

    ¡°Sure, everyone,¡± Levi said. He walked out into the main common area in his suite and began strategizing with his familiar. ¡°Vapor, I know I am under using you. What else can you do?¡±

    ¡°I can become a small cloud that you can ride. I can set up clones of myself, and any that get destroyed create a small mushroom cloud of scalding steam. I can raise the temperature of moisture in the air. I believe each of those would be useful in the coming battles.¡± Vapor explained.

    ¡°Nice,¡± Levi said. ¡°Serenity.¡±

    ¡°I can breathe fire, as you saw. I can also use aura against enemies; it cannot kill them, but it can be used to intimidate them.¡±

    ¡°How does that work?¡±

    ¡°Do you know how when someone or something makes you feel uneasy?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°That feeling could be related to a lot of things: their demeanor, their power, the type of clothing or weapons they possess. You see that, and you get a sense. To those who are not magic user, they call it instincts or their gut feeling. To us, we call it aura. If properly trained that aura can be utilized to illicit whatever feeling you want.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so basically, it¡¯s a projection of our feelings?¡±

    ¡°That is quite the undersell, but yes,¡± Serenity said. ¡°Dragons have a natural ability to use our auras as weapons. Especially being that I am an aura dragon. My aura powers are much stronger than most. I will teach you eventually. For the purpose of the sparring session tomorrow I believe we can use this to our advantage.¡±

    ¡°I think so too,¡± Levi said. ¡°What about you Dameion?¡±

    Dameion floated up to Levi and then stopped right in front of its face. Although he couldn¡¯t directly communicate with the void avatar, he could understand inherently what was being said. Dameion had the ability to transfer mana from one object to another. It was also capable of hiding the aura of anything it wanted to. One thing that Levi didn¡¯t know that Dameion could do was absorb any magical attacks that hit itself or the orbs. Levi thought that was a bit of a cheat code but elected not to say anything.

    ¡°How do you get damaged?¡± Levi finally gave in.

    ¡°Intangible creatures like me and Dameion,¡± Vapor said. ¡°Can get damaged with a specific form of magic: Definite Course. There are many spells and most good spell casters will have some sort of Definite Course spells in their repertoire.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°It is relatively weak to normal shields and harmless to physical beings... It is really only used as a counter to intangible or incorporeal beings or shields.¡±

    ¡°I might need learn some of those spells,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°No,¡± Serenity said. ¡°I am able to produce such attacks.¡±

    ¡°Still might be good in case y¡¯all are occupied, I¡¯ll look into it in a couple days,¡± Levi shrugged.

    Levi and his familiars all walked into the battle training ground. Unlike yesterday, there were members in the audience. Anna, Tycen, Declan, Piper, and Professor Bertrum were all in the audience watching this battle. Professor Egret had told Bertrum about how her last fight with Levi went and that she was pleasantly surprised at the tactics. She was worried that he relied too much on his familiars, and that would get him killed if they were unable to be used.

    The bell rang, and the battle had begun. Professor Egret summoned ten air elementals, five water elementals, and one creature that Levi had never seen before. Vapor created a wide array of steam to mask the sight of Levi. Serenity used her aura masking technique on him, and he was effectively hidden from the monsters.

    ¡°Whoa,¡± Piper said. ¡°I can¡¯t even sense Levi anymore.¡± This was the case for all the 3-star guild members. Professor Bertrum, however, could sense Levi and was impressed by the ability to retract and contain the aura that Levi had displayed. Professor Egret was equally impressed, but her summoned creature was not. It was a humanoid lion woman with a large staff. She had the body of a lion with the features of a woman. She also had six wings attached to her back. It summoned several orbs that looked like floating eyes. The eyes started to glow pale tan as they searched the premises for Levi.

    ¡°Levi,¡± Serenity said. ¡°That is a Lion Sage, they have excellent perception abilities. We will not be able to hide your presence.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Levi said. ¡°Dameion, go take drain some mana. It¡¯s time to make my move.¡± With a deep breath he created seven orbs of chaos. He sent them each to attack their floating spy eyes. Each of the attacks landed and destroyed the eyes. Then Levi was bitten by an alligator made of water; if it wasn¡¯t for Anza, the bite would have gone straight through his leg. The bite stopped short just above the bone where Anza had placed skeletal protection.

    Levi attacked the elemental with a lightning attack, and the water elemental exploded into nothingness. Vapor created a small cloud of smoke that he could control and ride. They spent a few hours last night working on the awkwardness of flying on a cloud with no handles. The Lion Sage was taller than Levi but only by a head or two. Levi conjured more orbs of chaos and sent them flying at the creature. Just as he did, several air elementals came swarming down on him.

    Swatting the pesty elementals away, he raised his arms and used a new spell that he had gotten from Dameion.

    Spell: Void Storm

    Summon several orbs of the void from familiar Dameion. These voids will swirl around and create an astrological storm.

    Eight orbs that were very similar to Dameion¡¯s, smaller black holes formed and orbited around Levi. They flew above his head and began spinning rapidly. As they were spinning there was a fissure forming inside the circle of orbs. The fissure looked like northern lights inside. The northern lights started shooting beams down at the Lion Sage. The image of the northern lights was beautiful, the Lion Sage was not distracted, completely. It was struck by a couple of the beams of light that did some damage.

    It conjured a bubble shield around itself and began chanting a spell in a language that made no sense to Levi¡¯s brain. It was a mixture of ancient words, lion¡¯s roar, and clicking. A ball of Definite Force began forming, it was swirling gray. She sent the ball into the Void Storm. The ball impacted and created a bright flash.

    Levi was prepared for this as they had discussed the effect that would happen if the storm was destroyed. The wisps had shielded his eyes from bright fiery explosions. Flying up to the face of the Lion Sage, he swung his staff and struck it in the face. The attack was backed with chaos. Her head snapped backward quickly. She fell to the ground unconscious and unable to fight anymore.

    Levi conjured orbs of lightning and sent them after the remaining elementals. In short order, all enemies were either dead or incapacitated. Levi had won in an amazing fashion. Piper looked on with amazement at her boyfriend. She knew Levi could fight but this was different, this was synergy with his familiars to a much higher level. Piper knew that Levi really valued her relationship and his friendship with them, otherwise he would be able to do this fighting thing on his own and be great at it.

    ¡°That was quite impressive,¡± Declan said. ¡°Thank you, Anna, for inviting me to watch.¡± He leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. Tycen shot a look of anger but remained calm.

    ¡°It was,¡± Anna said. ¡°I have never seen a spell like that.¡±

    ¡°I assume he got it from Dameion,¡± Tycen said. ¡°That was a void storm that he just used.¡±

    ¡°Have you seen anything like that before?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Only in textbooks,¡± he responded. ¡°That was beautiful to watch in person.¡± Piper looked at the professor, who was sitting very stoically. He hadn¡¯t reacted much during the entire fight. He was looking at Levi with assessing eyes. She wondered what he was thinking. Was he impressed, was he not? Did Levi do something wrong? She had no idea, but she was concerned.

    ¡°What do you think professor,¡± Piper asked in her best innocent voice.

    ¡°Your aura control is good, Lady Vendular, but not great.¡± He responded. ¡°Levi did well, he will need to improve his efficiency with the staff as a weapon, but he did an adequate job with it. I am impressed with his ability to cast spells without the need to chant anything, that is a good ability and will survive him well in the future. I am proud of him. It is time to make my sparring session more difficult, he can handle it.¡± Professor Bertrum stood up, ¡°It was great to see you again, Lady Vendular, and thank you for asking my opinion.¡±

 Chapter 37 - Dangerous and Daunting

    It was the night before Levi¡¯s first sparring session with Professor Bertrum. He was nervous. Levi personally excelled at using summons and spells to be adept at magic. Bertrum specifically mentioned that he would not be allowed to use combat spells or any of his familiars. They would have to be defused and watching. Levi knew the benefit of this would be worthwhile in the long run he just wasn¡¯t sure of why he had to do it now¡ªlaying in his bed at midnight not able to sleep as the negative thoughts were swirling in his head.

    Then, something pricked at his senses. The same feeling he got at the summoner¡¯s guild in Arvendon. Getting out of bed, he followed his senses to where it was. Anza and Serenity were following him as extra protection. This time his senses led him to a lecture hall he had never been in. Clearly people hadn¡¯t been in here for a long time as spider webs had taken over the entire hall. Levi looked closely at the webs and noticed that there were small strands of mana in each of the webs, he wondered if the spiders were magical here too. He chuckled as he thought of purposefully getting bitten so he could get spider powers, after all magic was real so why couldn¡¯t superheroes be?

    In the corner, he saw chaos magic manifest before him. Dark gray storm clouds with red lighting swirled in place. Something was glowing midnight red in the eye of the storm. Levi watched patiently as it was forming in place. He was not as scared as he was before, but the room did not help his nerves. There was something about the space that was creepy, the hair on the back of his neck had been slowly rising the longer he stayed in the room.

    It felt like there was someone or something watching him. He turned around and there was nothing there. He conjured an orb of fire to provide some additional light in the room. Levi instantly regretted doing that. All around him were incorporeal figures staring at him. They were all human-shaped and wore hooded versions of the summoner¡¯s robes he had been told to wear here.

    ¡°What the hell man,¡± Levi exclaimed. Holding his fist up in a fight position. ¡°Hell nah.¡±

    ¡°Levi Winters,¡± the figures all said at once, stretching one arm towards him.

    ¡°Of course, you know my name,¡± Levi said softly.

    ¡°Levi Winters,¡± they repeated.

    ¡°Man, what?¡± he said.

    ¡°You must learn.¡±

    ¡°Learn what?¡±

    ¡°The truth.¡±

    ¡°Do tell,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Mistakes of the past do not always lead to right moves in the future.¡±

    ¡°Ooo kay¡­¡±

    ¡°Chaos and order will fight. One wins, and one falls. One is from afar. One is from near. If not stopped, one will raise the power to wipe all from existence. One will rise to change the way magic is viewed.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a prophecy if I¡¯ve ever heard of one.¡±

    ¡°Do not share what you have learned. You must return to Arvendon to understand the mistakes that you have been tasked to fix.¡±

    ¡°Mistakes? Like from the letter from Veluvius dude?¡±

    ¡°Just as you say.¡±

    ¡°What even are you?¡±

    ¡°We are the ghosts of the failure of M. Veluvius, the ones who were victim to his mistakes. Be warned Levi Winters, the road ahead is one that is dangerous and daunting. Failure is likely but you must overcome.¡±

    ¡°Nope, that¡¯s not creepy or a lot of pressure at all¡­ not one bit. What about my team? Am I just to disappear or ask them to follow me blindly.¡±

    ¡°Lady Vendular, Lady Onyx, and Mr. Washiro cannot find out until after graduation.¡±

    ¡°Fine, is my danger soon?¡±

    ¡°Extremely,¡± they all said. Just like that, something from behind Levi gagged him, and everything went black.

    ¡°Professor Bertrum,¡± Piper said. ¡°How can I help you?¡±

    ¡°Have you seen or heard from Levi?¡± the professor asked, slight panic in his voice.

    ¡°Not for a couple of days. I have been studying for exams. Why?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s missing, didn¡¯t show up for the sparring match and hasn¡¯t been seen around the guild and that is very unlike him.¡±

    ¡°A couple of days?¡± Piper repeated slowly. She had found it odd that he made no attempt to reach out to her. She knew she was busy but even some dinner time was something that he loved to push. She had been so busy that she didn¡¯t even stop to think. That was strange that there was no trace of him whatsoever.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he responded. ¡°There is no aura residuals of him either, it''s like his existence was wiped clear.¡±

    ¡°What about Anza or Serenity? They weren¡¯t big on fusing.¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Bertrum said. ¡°If you do not know I will go report back to Professor Egret, she is asking Anna right now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Your exams, Lady Vendular.¡±

    ¡°Can wait,¡± Piper cut in. ¡°My boyfriend is missing.¡±

    ¡°Professor Egret,¡± Anna said. ¡°What do I owe the pleasure?¡±

    ¡°We believe Levi is missing,¡± Egret said by way of greeting. ¡°Do you have any clue where he could be or if you have heard from him?¡±

    ¡°That is not good, very not good.¡± Anna said. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Very well. I will report to professor Bertrum on what you said. Hopefully Piper knows something,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming with you,¡± Anna said. ¡°That¡¯s my friend.¡±

    Levi woke up blurry eyed with two elves in front of him. They were pale skinned with blonde hair and blue eyes. They were wearing leather armor and had short swords on each of their hips. They looked at Levi coming to.

    ¡°Wake up,¡± one of them snapped. Levi shook his head and tried to focus on the elves in front of him. He was hanging by his arms, and his legs were spread out. He was inside a ritual circle that had forced his familiars to fuse with them. Levi¡¯s senses were dulled as the ritual circle hummed with a dim white light.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± Levi''s gravelly voice said.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what is going on,¡± the other elf said. ¡°You are captured.¡±

    ¡°I can tell that much,¡± Levi said. ¡°Why did you sneak up on me?¡±

    ¡°It was not that hard, you were talking to yourself, staring at a corner. It was creepy, especially how creepy that room you were in was.¡±

    ¡°What do you want with me? I¡¯m no threat.¡±

    ¡°On the contrary,¡± a familiar voice said. ¡°You are a threat to the entire kingdom.¡±

    ¡°I know you from somewhere,¡± Levi said. ¡°But not sure where.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Piper¡¯s brother you idiot,¡± Kai said.

    ¡°Daddy send you to try again?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°My father has nothing to do with this,¡± Kai lied. ¡°I am doing this on my own.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Dude, you¡¯re a garbage liar.¡± Levi said. He could barely keep his eyes open, let alone to look at the brother of his girlfriend. Kai walked up and punched him in the gut. Levi coughed up some blood as Kai stepped back, laughing.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter; you¡¯re never going to see the sunlight again,¡± Kai said, laughing and walking away. ¡°I¡¯ll be back to check on you later. You two, make sure he doesn¡¯t leave.¡±

    ¡°How is he?¡± Trey asked Kai.

    ¡°Still alive, surprisingly, and holding on. He looks weak, though.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Trey said. ¡°The King mustn¡¯t know we took matters into our own hands.¡±

    ¡°That means we¡¯ll have to kill him or keep him trapped forever,¡± Kai said.

    ¡°A necessary risk to save our world from the evil he brings,¡± Trey said. ¡°Now, we must wait for Piper to reach out to inform us that he is missing. I will send you to go search for him.¡±

    ¡°Understood father,¡± Kai said. ¡°Father, if I may ask, why are we going against Uncle? Didn¡¯t he say he wanted the same thing?¡±

    ¡°He did. When two ambitious men want the same thing for different goals, one will end up with nothing. We have been behind the Onyx house for far too long. I love your uncle, I do, but it is time for the Vendulars to run the kingdom a kingdom. Killing the man who was responsible for the ultimate demise of the world would shoot up above the Onyx family.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Kai said, looking at his father with admiration. Kai had always wanted to be just like his dad. His whole life, he did everything he could to gain his approval. He went to the local guild, had a similar fighting style as his dad, got the same class evolution, and even got the same tattoo as his dad. So, when Kai heard that his dad wanted him for a special mission, he absolutely jumped at the chance.

    What bothered Kai the most was Piper. She had always won the approval of their without even trying. She was the poster child. There was never anything that he could have done that would rival Piper. This led to jealousy and a deep-seated hatred for her. He hadn¡¯t known it was there until she left for the guild in a different city. Her father raved on and on how proud of her he was that she was making the right decision. He never did that for him.

    Kai loved that Piper brought home a guy who was so obviously evil. It was made all the better when she openly defended him in front of their grandparents and her dad. His father was not happy the day they left. Kai thought back to that day.

    After Lord Leandro scolded him, Trey stormed home and began planning to kidnap and kill Levi. Trey called Kai together, and they began forming a classic Vendular assassination plan. This time, it would require outside help.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to get a ritualist to create a trap ritual that suppress any of his magical abilities,¡± Leandro said.

    ¡°At the guild, there were a couple of elves who were good at ritual magic and stealth,¡± Kai responded.

    ¡°Check how much they would cost if we required their services.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Piper would side with him and go against her own family. He is not even that good-looking; is she that blinded by lust? Leandro is wrong, we cannot let our daughters make the decision we must grab them and bring them home after we show the world that we have captured the most dangerous being alive.¡±

    ¡°Piper has always gone after any men who gave her attention,¡± Kai said. ¡°This is not surprising.¡±

    ¡°But to go after men and to go against your own family is a much different thing. I am extremely disappointed in her and I wish that she would see the light soon enough. I am also disappointed that she is not an assassin. Pointlessly learning magic spells. That is not our way. She showed such potential, but now she has squandered all of it, such a shame. Go find out about the two elves and report back.¡± Kai did as he was instructed and left.

    Trey sat in his office space. It was the place where he had a small token of all of his assassinations and where he plotted the next ones. He poured himself a glass of amber liquor. He sighed. Where had he gone wrong? What had caused Piper to be so different than when she left only nine months prior? The change shouldn¡¯t have been that much different. With a shake of his head, he wanted to be sure that Piper would come back to the family and learn her lesson never to choose someone over the family again.

    Levi was horribly uncomfortable standing with his arms extended above his head. By the time a magic user reached 3-stars, their bloodstream was mostly filled with mana streams. For this reason, his arms were not numb or tingly. He could likely stand in this position for days before needing to adjust. He was just tired and could tell his mana was slowly draining just faster than he could replenish.

    Levi looked around the ritual circle. After doing so many rituals and summons he had become quite the knowledgeable ritualist. The ritual circle was poorly made, and it was a miracle that it even worked. Levi suspected that it didn¡¯t really work to the full ability since he was able to replenish his mana. He looked around to see what the room looked like. It was a larger-than-standard ritual room. There was a ritual circle etched into the stone that someone had used chalk to craft this ritual. He hung on the ceiling by magically reinforced chains. There was the protective glass room that was standard with all ritual rooms.

    Levi saw some movement and assumed that it was the elves keeping guard in the back room. Levi had no idea how long he had been taken or in this position, but he knew it was not just a few hours. Levi tried to communicate with his familiars. He could feel that they were still fused with him in all their realms. He closed his eyes and began meditating. His image changed and it was his soul projection into his soul realm. He flew to where all the familiars had their habitats.

    Vapor appeared next to him.

    ¡°Are you alright, Levi?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I am now,¡± Levi said. ¡°Glad that we can still communicate.¡±

    ¡°We can,¡± Serenity said flying over. Anza was in toe. The rest of the familiars all appeared around Levi.

    ¡°What the hell happened?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°When the ghosts were talking to you, they were using a significant amount of mana and had a powerful aura sense. It was essentially blocking us from sensing anything else,¡± Serenity explained.

    ¡°Were they a trap?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Vapor said. ¡°They were genuinely surprised that you were kidnapped.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Levi said. ¡°You¡¯re like them.¡±

    ¡°Call it cousins,¡± Vapor said. ¡°I was able to communicate with them after you were taken until they put you in this ritual circle. I was then forcibly fused and sealed inside your soul. Thankfully you have created lovely habitats.¡±

    ¡°How do we get out of here?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°We cannot see what you see,¡± Serenity said. ¡°What is out there?¡±

    ¡°A poorly made ritual circle, two elf guards 3-star but different classes. A rogue and a sorcerer? I¡¯m not sure, but they aren¡¯t ritualist, that¡¯s for sure. I definitely can¡¯t take them by myself. Fighting 3 or 4-star monsters is one thing. Fighting two 3-star magic users is another.¡±

    ¡°Just so,¡± Serenity said.

    ¡°I believe,¡± Levi said. ¡°Dameion is our best bet. Since he is a stealth specialist and nearly undetectable. If I can somehow diminish the ritual circle low enough that he can defuse. He should be able to drain the mana in the circle much more and slowly drain and transfer the mana to me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Vapor said. ¡°Look who is thinking like a proper magic user.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Levi said proudly.

    ¡°How do you know the circle is poorly constructed,¡± Serenity asked.

    ¡°I can feel my mana replenish slowly. I have a feeling that it¡¯s not supposed to do that, but completely cut off all the magic in my body.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Serenity said. ¡°Not having to chant spells could also work to you advantage.¡±

    ¡°Forsure,¡± Levi said. ¡°Any idea how long I¡¯ve been trapped?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± they all said.

    ¡°Damnit,¡± Levi swore. ¡°I¡¯ll run some subtle tests, but we¡¯ll have one shot at this and will have to make it count.¡±

    Levi opened his eyes again to see the elves were still hanging out in that room. He conjured a small orb of chaos to see if it could affect the ritual circle just enough. They were going to have to re-do the circle anyway; rituals didn¡¯t last forever. To his delight, he was able to conjure different orbs. Staring at the circle, he saw no physical evidence of change. He did see that one of the elves had left and one stood up to watch Levi intently. When they returned, they walked slowly up to Levi and put another hood over his head. Levi felt all of his power get restored. He decided to hold his breath in case the hood was laced with something. To his surprise, it worked he was, that was until he took several elbows to the face that forced him to breathe, and he passed out.

    It had been several days since Piper and Anna found Levi had gone missing. They were told to sit and wait for others to help. They had sent multiple letters home and were getting ready to journey back when Kai arrived in Arcross. He gave his sister a big hug and Anna a smaller, awkward half hug.

    ¡°How are you holding up sister?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not great but okay,¡± Piper responded.

    ¡°Losing a teammate is never easy,¡± Kai nodded. ¡°And how about you Lady Anna?¡±

    ¡°We lost a friend,¡± Anna said. ¡°I am pissed.¡±

    ¡°Right, of course, I apologize. Show me where they think he was taken.¡± Piper nodded and started her way to the summoner¡¯s guild. Anna was walking at the same pace as Piper and glanced over. Piper and Anna shared a look of common understanding. Something was going on with Kai and they were not sure what, but he was acting differently.

    In the guild Kai had pulled out a wand used for tracking. This was a specific tool used by assassins to help understand the patterns of their targets. He traced all over Levi¡¯s apartment and found some slight traces that normal ritual magic wouldn¡¯t pick up. Playing along, he led the team into a lecture hall that had not been used for many, many years.

    ¡°This place is creepy as hell,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°It is,¡± Anna agreed. Kai silently nodded as he continued deeper into the creepy lecture hall. His wand stopped right at the spot where Levi was taken. It was no longer sensing anything else. The trio all looked around the room to see if there were any clues left behind. Piper saw a small chest hidden behind the podium on the stage. She walked over and picked it up; she was unable to open it. Piper was a smart woman she knew a lot of things; in this moment, she knew one thing for certain she could not tell Kai she found this chest. She put it in her inventory immediately and pulled something else out.

    ¡°Find something?¡± Kai asked.

    ¡°I thought I did,¡± Piper responded. She held up her wand over the webs. ¡°These webs have mana running through them, but I think that¡¯s just a magic spider.¡±

    ¡°Good eye,¡± Kai complimented.

    ¡°Uh, thanks,¡± Piper said. ¡°Well, this was worthless. I¡¯m going to go back to my dorm and think about something, Kai will you be staying at an Inn in town?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Kai said.

    ¡°Meet for breakfast?¡±

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Kai said. ¡°I¡¯m going to stick around and see if I can trace more.¡±

    ¡°Thanks brother,¡± Piper said. Anna and Piper walked out of the creepy lecture hall leaving Kai by himself.

 Chapter 38 - Finding Levi

    Anna and Piper went back to Piper¡¯s room to talk after setting a time to meet with Kai in the morning.

    ¡°He is definitely up to something,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°He never talks that formally for anything,¡± Anna added. ¡°What is he hiding?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Piper responded. ¡°Do you think he had something to do with Levi?¡±

    ¡°He forsure wouldn¡¯t be acting alone,¡± Anna said. ¡°You think our families are making their moves to get him?¡±

    ¡°I hope not,¡± Piper said. ¡°Why would they even do that?¡±

    ¡°Control and power are the only reasons why they do anything,¡± Anna said. ¡°Do you think our parents are right?¡±

    ¡°I doubt our mother¡¯s agree with the antics. But I don¡¯t know, Anna. Every part of me is telling me know but there is another voice that is questioning, why would our fathers go through so much effort to show that Levi is not good?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the question that keeps playing in my head as well. This seems like a lot of effort for one 3-star summoner. Maybe we are wrong¡­ I don¡¯t think we are, but they are much older than us.¡±

    ¡°It is possible that we have overlooked that. But why would Levi be so kind to us? Give us a platinum coin from selling the magic essence to that kid? Cook for those village people? Those aren¡¯t things an evil person does?¡±

    ¡°It could be,¡± Anna said. ¡°It could be a huge ruse¡­¡± the pair looked at each other and shook their head. ¡°Yeah, not a chance.¡± Anna had met a lot of people in her lifetime. She has travelled to many different cities and kingdoms. She has met her fair share of awful people. They were all the same, it didn¡¯t matter if they were outright awful or covertly awful there were signs. Anna met an aristocrat that smiled wide and was generous to the general public. The second he introduced himself to Anna, she saw the true menace behind his eyes. She didn¡¯t trust him for a second.

    Later, that guy asked Anna to come to a social gathering that night as his guest of honor. She respectfully declined and told her father that they should go. Leandro trusted his daughter and they left early, unannounced but Leandro did leave a trap in case they were followed, or someone entered their room. Later that night both signals went off. Guards of that aristocrats house came and tried to escort the pair back, insisting that Anna be the guest of honor. Leandro¡¯s patience had gone, and he killed three and left one severally injured to tell the story of what happened.

    Anna never found out the true nature of the social gathering, but she knew it was bad news, especially after guards were sent after her. That look, that malice behind the eyes, is what Kai just showed tonight, and it was not something Levi ever showed. This whole situation seemed strange and had the undertone of politics. Anna knew her father was not a perfect man by any stretch of the imagination. He was a ruthless leader who cared deeply for his family. She never knew him to be brash and make moves like this.

    ¡°Does this smell like some political games to you too?¡± Piper asked, interrupting Anna¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°I think so¡­ but who?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°My father,¡± Piper said flatly.

    Levi had figured out that their ritual only lasted for six hours at a time. Every six hours they would put this mask on that had something in it that caused a person to pass out from smell. Then he would wake up, mask off, and be hanging in a different ritual room. There was a rotation of three rooms. Levi noticed the ritual circles were not improving with each one, some of their strengths greatly varied and the elf was not getting faster at setting them up. Levi calculated that he had about five minutes with their only being one 3-star magic user.

    This was the day when he would make his escape. His plan was to release Dameion first and Anza and drones after, if he could. If not, just Dameion. Then Dameion would release all the mana from the elf that was standing guard, knocking him out, and give the mana to Levi, who would be able to push harder to release the mimics. The mimics could all provide a wall of protection and release his chains.

    Finally, the time came, Levi steeled his breath and nerves. The elf walked to the back and disappeared. Levi conjured a chaos orb, and it exploded on the ground behind him cutting off the ritual circle. Dameion and Anza and team Ember flooded out of Levi in an instant. Anza cut Levi loose, and he jumped out of the ritual circle. Before the elf could react to the loud boom from the chaos orb exploding the ritual circle, his mana was being quickly drained. Levi felt the mana from Dameion enter his mana pool, and he felt infinitely better.

    He had his full range of powers. He closed his eyes and quickly created a trap ritual while the other elf was drawing the circle out.

    ¡°What the fu-¡± the other elf screamed as he was stuck in chaos bars. Serenity and Vapor came out and began masking Levi¡¯s aura and creating a cloud to sneak out of the rooms. Levi had no idea where he was, but thankfully, he had a map. Looking at the map it showed that he was in the basement of the Vendular complex. Levi could now access his inventory and used his scepter that he had gotten and teleported out into the city. He appeared in the middle of the bazaar, naked, and bruised.

    Levi quickly put some clothes on and had Serenity hide his aura. The scepter was great, it gave him the option to teleport. He couldn¡¯t teleport very far, and it was a fifteen-minute cooldown before it could be used again. Levi guessed that the maximum distance of teleportation was 5 kilometers. The fact that he had teleported not 600 meters from the entrance of the Vendular complex told him everything he needed to know about how deep he was.

    Levi suspected that he would have maybe 5 minutes before the elf¡¯s mana was restored and he woke. Rather than sit and wait, Levi walked slowly and casually out of the city gates. He had to be extra cautious because if Lord Leandro was around, he would be sensed immediately. The revelation that he was under the Vendular complex was not lost on him. He decided he would put that piece of information in his pocket for later.

    ¡°We should move with haste,¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°Bet,¡± Levi said. Dameion and Serenity fused with Levi to provide the best aura defense they could. Levi hoped on the cloud Vapor created and they took off. Vapor could reach fast speeds, faster than Levi could sprint but not faster than Anza could travel. Once they left the city gates Anza would gladly take over. Levi had to control his breath because his nerves about running into the Onyx or Vendulars were looming over him until he left the city. They finally reached the city gates and Anza formed under Levi and she took off running. Anza could run 5 kilometers in 15 minutes. By the time they had reached the edge of the ice valley, Levi could use his travel scepter again.

    Knowing it would not clear the Ice Valley, but it would give him more distance, Levi was fine physically, if not a little hungry. But he didn¡¯t need to eat; he just loved eating. Levi remembered he had some stored stew that he had made for the village. He took some of the stew and ate it, feeling a full belly and much better. Then a bright light appeared over him. Like a comet, two elves appeared in front of Levi.

    ¡°Not so fast, human.¡±

    ¡°Boys,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°We are men and elves. Boy is a term for human filth,¡± the elf on the right spat. ¡°That was a cute trick, but that will not work again. Our orders are to capture you, and as you can see, there is no escaping us.¡± He held out his hands and laughed.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Tycen should be joining us for dinner today, it¡¯s his week here. We gather up and leave.¡±

    ¡°There seems to be a lot of tension on your auras,¡± Tycen said entering in through the window of Piper¡¯s apartment. ¡°What is happening?¡±

    ¡°We have to leave.¡± Piper said.

    ¡°For what?¡± Tycen asked.

    ¡°For finding Levi.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, where is Levi?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know, someone took him nearly two weeks ago and we have been told to sit on our hands and do nothing!¡± Piper said, anger filling her voice. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°I see,¡± Tycen said. Anna gave him a look to be the voice of reason. ¡°Piper,¡± he said softly. ¡°You don¡¯t know where he is, who took him, or¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡± She interrupted. ¡°Get to your point.¡±

    ¡°My point, Piper, is that we don¡¯t know anything about what happened to Levi-¡±

    ¡°We think my father took him,¡± Piper shot back.

    ¡°So, what your plan is to go home and accuse your father of kidnapping? I want Levi back too but there isn¡¯t much we can do.¡±

    Piper screamed and threw knives into the ceiling in rage. She knew Tycen was right. She had to be sensible and right now she was not. She missed Levi and she felt like she was letting him down every second she wasn¡¯t actively doing something to find him.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t want him to think that we aren¡¯t looking for him,¡± Piper said softly.

    ¡°We are and we have,¡± Anna said softly. She walked over and held her friend. ¡°He¡¯s going to be okay; I have a feeling.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to be okay,¡± Levi said, standing in front of the elf twins.

    ¡°You are not,¡± the one on the left sneered. He moved with quickness and went to attack Levi. This elf was fast but not as fast as Piper. Levi called him elf 1. Levi easily dodged the attacks of elf 1; they were quick but not that quick. Levi pulled out his staff, and elf 1 pulled out two short swords. The other elf, elf 2, pulled out a bow and arrow and waited for an opening to shoot Levi.

    The first time Levi had been taken from these two they had used the distraction of the ghosts to take him. Levi was not distracted this time. Levi was pissed that he got taken. Even more so that the stupid duke Trey won¡¯t leave him alone. Levi conjured a chaos orb, and it exploded in the torso of elf 1. He flew back mostly unaffected, besides being cleared. Levi had no time to admire his work as arrows started flying towards him.

    Anza intercepted all of the arrows with ease. Willow and Crystal started to fire swarm around elf 2. Vapor created a cloud of smoke so that Levi could ride on it around the battlefield. While she did that, she also covered the battle in scalding steam. The elves started to scream in pain. Serenity used her aura powers to locate elf 1 in the midst of the steam and Dameion followed the spot. He went down and started draining the mana once again from elf 1. Levi above the steam, used the spell, Void Storm.

    Eight small black holes swirled around Levi and then shot in the air. The black holes kept swirling until northern lights appeared inside the fissure in the middle of the circled black holes¡ªbeams of the northern lights shot down over the steamy battlefield. Elf 1 looked up to see the display and tried to run a beam, hitting half of his body. All that remained was the half didn¡¯t get hit. Elf 1 staggered slightly, then fell dead.

    Elf 2 screamed at his brother¡¯s demise. Staring at the dead body was enough distraction. Tentacles pierced the elf in many locations. He was unable to move as three beams from the void storm blasted him. He looked like Swiss cheese as Anza let go, and the elf dropped.

    Enemy Defeated: Elf Rogue

    3-Star

    Loot: Elven Short Swords x2

    Loot: Elven Clothe Armor

    Loot: Elven Clothe Boots

    Loot: Platinum coin, 10 Gold coins, 100 Silver Coins, 1000 copper coins

    Enemy Defeated: Elf Ranger

    3-star

    Loot: Elven Long Bow

    Loot: Elven Quiver

    Loot: Elven Ranger Bracers

    Loot: Platinum Coin, 10 Gold coins, 100 Silver Coins, 1000 copper coins

    Status: Progress Made

    Plus 1 to Strength

    Plus 1 to Stamina

    Plus 1 to Speed

    Plus 6 to Vitality

    Plus 7 to Wisdom

    Attributes Total: 1007

    Strength 106

    Stamina 116

    Speed 97

    Vitality 206

    Wisdom 482

    Levi wanted to keep moving, so he rode Anza and looked at all the notifications he had after looking at his progress. He sighed at the much slower progression he¡¯d experienced after fighting the barbarians. All the training he had done had barely made an impact on his progress points...

    Objective: Secrets of Arvendon 3- part 1 of 2 completed

    You have escaped the city after being captured. The Vendulars have an underground bunker where they keep prisoners. What else could that be for?

    Reward: Mana potion x1

    Reward: Letter #6

    New Quest: Escape

    You have been captured and escaped from your capacitors.

    Status: Quest: Escape - Completed

    Reward: Magic Essence

    Reward: Chaos Essence

    Reward: Pure Essence

    Warning!

    Your magical senses have been cut off. All familiars have been fused with the summoner. Once your magical senses are reinstated, your familiars can defuse.

    Warning!

    Your magical senses have been cut off. All familiars have been fused with the summoner. Once your magical senses are reinstated, your familiars can defuse.

    Warning!

    Your magical senses have been cut off. All familiars have been fused with the summoner. Once your magical senses are reinstated, your familiars can defuse.

    Character Log: Levi Winters

    Class: Familiar Summoner

    Rank: 3-star

    Ability: Ritualist

    Ability: Elected Stranger

    Ability: Familiar Bonds

    Ability: Chaotic Harmony

    Ability: Dungeon Treasurer

    Spell Log:

    Orb of Chaos

    Orb of Water

    Orb of Fire

    Orb of Lightning

    Void Storm

    Familiars:

    Anza - the Mimic

    Willow & Crystal - the Crystal Wisps

    Vapor - the Steam Spirit

    Dameion- Avatar of the Void

    Serenity - Aura Dragon

    ¡°That was a lot,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°What was the best item?¡± Serenity asked. She was gently flying next to Anza, who was running at full speed once again.

    ¡°Magic essence,¡± Levi said. ¡°Another one, why do I keep getting these? I also got another letter.¡±

    ¡°Better to have them now then need one later,¡± Serenity said. ¡°What does the letter say?¡±

    Letter #6

    It¡¯s been a year since my last letter. A lot has happened. None of it is good. There is a threat of war between the Onyx kingdom and the Arbors. They want control of Arvendon and Arcross, the final two cities in Arbors kingdom. War is a greedy man''s tax that causes the poor to pay in blood.

    They are forming a federation to help organize all magic users. If you wish to be a part of this federation, you can sign up for free; they check your powers and abilities then allow you to join. They are called Adventurers. My advice, join the federation. Find some friends form a team and rank up. Grow your adventure status. Show the world that summoners matter. They can be vital in a team aspect. I haven¡¯t had a student since my last apprentice. The world must see the value of summoners.

    As Always,

    M. Veluvius

    ¡°Well,¡± Levi said. ¡°Now that is an interesting letter. The Onyx¡¯s took over this land from the Arbors whoever they are. Damn, I wish these were dated.¡±

    ¡°It is always good to know history; that could be helpful in the future.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Levi sighed. ¡°I¡¯m excited to be home,¡± Levi paused. ¡°Home¡­¡±

    ¡°This is your first time calling Arcross home?¡± Serenity asked.

    ¡°It is, yeah¡­¡± Levi sat in silence, thinking about that for most of the ride back. Anza made it back to the river by the stroke of midnight. It was late, all the shops were closed, and the town was asleep. Levi used Vapor¡¯s cloud to fly to his room. In his room, he sent Vapor to inform Piper that he was home and safe. He went to take a hot shower; he had been hanging for who knows how long, and he needed to get clean once again.

 Chapter 39 - True Power

    Piper was tossing and turning in her bed all night. Typically, she had been able to sleep eventually, but tonight, she couldn¡¯t. With the arrival of Kai, her suspicions skyrocketed, which was unsettling. She pulled out the small chest that she saw in the creepy lecture hall. Trying to open it she saw the symbol of the summoner¡¯s guild; this was meant for Levi. Levi.

    Piper had never thought she would be so in love with a guy ever. Of course, she had dreamed, wished, and hoped for it to happen. But her 28 years of life had slowly executed those dreams, wishes, and hopes. Then she met Levi, and he changed her mind. It was like every day he treated her well it brought them back to life. Levi was not someone she would have normally pursued. But there was something about him on that first day that really caught her attention. Piper started to cry as she thought about how devastating it would be if she never got to see him again.

    ¡°Lady Piper,¡± a familiar voice said. Piper looked up to see Vapor standing before her.

    ¡°Vapor!¡± Piper exclaimed. ¡°You¡¯re here so is Levi?¡±

    ¡°He is in his room right now,¡± Vapor said. Piper didn¡¯t even say anything, she sprinted to Levi¡¯s room without looking back. Tears and a huge smile covered her face as she would almost be reunited with Levi.

    Levi got out of the shower feeling fully refreshed. Levi was grateful that he still had access to showers; it was nice to have that small pleasure he enjoyed. Levi was tired mentally but not physically. His inventory still had some stew leftover and juice; he pulled both of them out and set them on the table. He walked back into his room to pull on some clothes. Levi heard the door squeak.

    ¡°Not again,¡± Levi said. He conjured orbs of chaos as the person who entered his suite barreled into his room, wrapping him up in a bear hug. ¡°Piper!¡±

    ¡°Hello, love,¡± she said softly. ¡°You¡¯re naked, familiar.¡±

    ¡°Just got out of the shower.¡± He changed and gave his girlfriend a big kiss.

    ¡°What the hell happened to you? You were gone for two weeks!¡±

    ¡°Damn,¡± Levi said. ¡°I had no idea how long I was gone for. To be honest, I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be awake. Thought I¡¯d get more time to prepare my thoughts¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t sleep cause Kai came and that was very suspicious. Why is your face like that?¡± Piper asked. Levi¡¯s face paled at the thought of Kai being here. ¡°Levi where were you?¡±

    ¡°Your basement.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Piper said. ¡°Kai being here makes things much worse.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d say so yep,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Piper asked. ¡°Are you going to kill my brother?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Levi said. ¡°The ones who actually took me are dead, your brother is likely a pawn and I can¡¯t take out the king.¡±

    ¡°That would be preferred, even if I am pissed at him,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Even if I could, I wouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate that. So, what next?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯m sure your dad or Kai will learn that I¡¯ve escaped sooner or later. They¡¯d be weary of doing it again because I knew where I was. They won¡¯t find the bodies of the elves they hired.¡±

    ¡°You were attacked by elves?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, two of them, terrible ritualists; that¡¯s how I was able to escape. Then they followed me and so I put them down all the way down.¡± Levi said without remorse.

    ¡°Are you tired?¡± Piper said sensing fatigue as Levi was telling her that story.

    ¡°Mentally, yeah,¡± Levi said. He was eating his stew and drinking his juice. Piper was attached to his side.

    ¡°We can talk about it more later,¡± she said and kissed his cheek. ¡°I¡¯m just happy you¡¯ve come home. I missed you. I love you.¡±

    ¡°I missed you too. I love you back,¡± Levi said, kissing her forehead. The two didn¡¯t talk much the rest of the night. They just bathed in each other¡¯s presence until sleep overtook them for the rest of the night.

    Duke Trey snuck out of bed and went to check on Levi like he had every three days. He didn¡¯t want to make it a habit of sneaking out of bed. His wife would get suspicious. He had sent Kai to go appease the minds of Anna and Piper; that mission should be over soon. Trey immediately noticed something was wrong as he didn¡¯t sense any magic, mana, or auras coming from the basement. He panicked and rushed down to the bottom floor. In the empty ritual room, he saw nothing but an exploded ritual circle.

    ¡°Shit,¡± Trey murmured. In anger, Trey punched the wall, and it completely shattered. There were a number of things that could have caused this mission to fail. The first was trusting the two twin elves to do their jobs properly. The second was not getting a proper ritualist. It seemed like the ritual circle had exploded, which could mean improper rituals. The third was not leaving more guards down here to guard the prisoner, that one, though Trey didn¡¯t measure it as a failure, too many guards missing would have been suspicious.

    There is one scenario that could work in his favor. The elves were missing, so maybe they went to retrieve Levi before he could make it too far. The duke was not impressed by the power of the boy when he last encountered him. Taking down two 3-star magic users would be nearly impossible to kill. He was confident that would be what was happening. For now, he elected to go back to sleep and check at some point tomorrow. Kai was meant to return so the two of them disappearing would be less strange.

    Duke Trey went back upstairs to get some sleep. Nothing he wanted to do tonight would maintain the level of secrecy he desired with this plan. He hoped silently as he ascended the stairs that he was wrong, that something terrible had happened and the elves lived up to their wages. It was expensive to pay two platinum coins for silence and results.

    ¡°Where have you been dear?¡± Maddi asked her husband, attempting to sneak back into bed.

    ¡°Had to run to the bathroom,¡± he lied.

    ¡°Trey, for all the wonderful things you do in this life, you are an awful liar,¡± she chided.

    ¡°I went to check on something,¡± Trey admitted. Maddi stared at him for a second.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you kidnapped Levi! Honey what in the all-consuming realms has gotten into you??¡±

    ¡°What?! How did you? What?¡±

    ¡°Trey, we have been married for nearly a century; you seriously don¡¯t think I wouldn¡¯t know when you¡¯re lying and how badly you¡¯re hiding something from me. If kidnapped someone you would tell me, you¡¯re an assassin but you didn¡¯t which meant that it was someone important and someone that is close to our family. The only person you have issues with as of late would-be Levi, soo you kidnapped Levi.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very impressive, Mads,¡± Trey admitted. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter because he escaped.¡± Maddi laughed a full belly laugh.

    ¡°Good, you deserve it to blow up in your face!¡±

    ¡°But Maddi the prophecy!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t give a damn about the prophecy, you care about overthrowing Leandro, tired of being in his shadow, and Levi was your opportunity. Leandro has been good to us, Trey; let him rule; let Kai be the married in King. Trust my plan.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Trey said and got back into bed.

    ¡°Piper is not going to be happy with you, when she finds out.¡± Maddi said.

    ¡°If she finds out,¡± he pointed out.

    ¡°She¡¯s my daughter she will find out. Hopefully, your actions won¡¯t push her to disown the family. She and Levi are inevitable. The only way that doesn¡¯t work is if Levi rejects her and that is not going to happen. You¡¯ve seen them.¡±

    ¡°I have,¡± Trey said solemnly. ¡°Best thing I can do is to apologize huh?¡±

    ¡°First thing in the morning, take a portal there, and bring Kai home to. Honestly, did you forget that I have a mind for strategy, and this was your plan? What am I going to do with you!¡±

    Trey said nothing. His wife was right, he had jumped at the opportunity too quickly and because of this the aftermath could be disastrous. He would portal there in the morning as soon as he woke up and hopefully Levi and more importantly Piper would forgive him.

    Anna woke up to a small black orb in her face. Once she blinked the sleep out of her eyes, she realized it was Dameion.

    ¡°Dameion!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°You¡¯re back, that must mean Levi is back!¡± She shot out of bed and rushed over to the summoner¡¯s guild to find her lost friend. Anna assumed that Piper would already be there, if she wasn¡¯t there last night. Piper was pretty upset, and Anna was grateful that Tycen could act as the voice of reason. Tycen was able to calm Piper down enough to not just walk off into the world searching for Levi with any idea where he could have been. After that they all sat and drank tea to plan how their team would operate. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    This was Tycen¡¯s plan. Anna thought about Tycen he was smart and strategic like she was. The idea to discuss the team dynamic that included Levi was brilliant. It had provided hope that he was still alive and helped negate all negative thoughts of having to reform or reshape their team. It had worked where the three of them felt tired enough that they would actually be able to sleep that night.

    Anna and Declan had been getting closer and had been going on a few dates. It was fun, Declan was a nice enough guy. She had seen the way Tycen looked at Declan whenever the three of them were together. She couldn¡¯t tell if it was jealousy or annoyance. Anna started to notice that Declan¡¯s marks in the guild were dropping far behind her. She was no longer competing for top spot; it was hers to win. She wanted to talk to him about that until Professor Egret came and told her Levi was missing.

    Now that Levi was back, she would be able to talk to Declan about what had happened. It was such a close competition and now it¡¯s nothing. Anna approached the room and knocked on the door then walked in. As expected, Levi and Piper were sitting at the table holding hands drinking tea. Anna rushed over to Levi and wrapped him up in a huge hug.

    ¡°Thank the gods you are alive,¡± Anna whispered. Feeling tears swell in her eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost like you care about me,¡± Levi teased.

    ¡°Who else was I going to make fun of if you weren¡¯t here?¡± she shot back.

    ¡°You got me there,¡± Levi chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s good to be back, Anna. Tycen should be here soon too.¡±

    ¡°When did you find out?¡± Anna asked Piper, finally letting go of Levi.

    ¡°Vapor told me last night,¡± Piper said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep, and she was there.¡±

    ¡°Kai?¡± Anna asked. Piper nodded. ¡°Tell us everything!¡± Anna said to Levi.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s wait for Tycen,¡± Levi said. ¡°I really don¡¯t like repeating myself.¡± About five seconds later there was a knock on the door and Tycen¡¯s head poked in. A big smile was plastered on his face.

    ¡°It is good to see you¡¯re alive!¡± Tycen said with a gleeful tone.

    ¡°Thanks, man,¡± Levi said. ¡°Have a seat, drink some tea, its story time.¡±

    Kai was walking back to the guild district when a portal appeared right next to him. This was not surprising as he had a portal anchor that was given to him by his father for the purpose of this mission.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Kai said.

    ¡°Levi escaped and the elves are missing, its done.¡± Trey said by way of greeting. ¡°We must go to your sister and apologize.¡±

    ¡°But father.¡±

    ¡°But nothing. Son, we failed, it¡¯s best to cut our losses here and save face. If we act now, then we can hopefully prevent bigger family conflict. This way you and Rayvin can still be together.¡±

    ¡°Wait that is an option of happening,¡± Kai said with slight fear in his tone.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Trey said. ¡°You two fell in love but it is largely a political marriage.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Kai said sadly. Kai loved Rayvin a lot. When his parents told him that they were going to get married he was ecstatic. The girl next door. They had spent their whole lives together and she was absolutely stunning, sweet, and smart. Rayvin never wanted to leave the city to do adventures, but she was a magic user. She wanted to be a part of the magic users who helped the normal citizens, this was rare for a low rank, but she had no desire to kill monsters.

    Kai loved that about her. Rayvin knew who she was and what she wanted. That was something that Kai looked for in himself but often fell short. She had slowly been changing him for the better. Rayvin wasn¡¯t always head over heels for the brash young boy who was a family friend. She learned to love him anyways. Her sense of love came from a different place a sense of duty and honor. She eventually fell in love with Kai, but it took a lot longer than he had. Rayvin was okay with this. It was odd to have two large aristocratic families with so little children, but this was the case of the Onyx and Vendulars.

    If they had more children arranged political marriages would not have been so likely. Especially if there were that many princesses. However, there were only three and they were in some way expected to produce three of their own, each. Rayvin knew this and felt that being a non-adventuring magic user would be best to complete the wishes of her family. She was aware that Anna was never going to be like that but that was okay. Anna was a powerfully strong sorceress she belong out there killing monsters, raiding dungeons, and whatever adventurers do. That was not Rayvin¡¯s path and she had accepted that. Rayvin would help guide the Onyx Dynasty from behind the castle gates with her husband Kai.

    Kai had been thinking about this as they walked through the city of Arcross and into the guild district. They arrived to the guild square but had no idea where they would be. If Levi had returned, would he have gone back to his room or to Piper¡¯s. Trey pushed out his senses and found Piper¡¯s aura and started to head that way.

    ¡°What are you going to do to Uncle?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Why is that the question you two keep asking?¡± Levi chuckled. ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°You should do something,¡± Anna said. ¡°You could tell my father-¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Levi said firmly. ¡°I have no idea what to do or say to him. Frankly I don¡¯t care, I want to finish the studies here and go take on that dungeon that is forming. I don¡¯t care for politics, and I learned something before those stupid elves took me.¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after,¡± Levi said. He looked at the door. ¡°We have guests.¡± Ever since Levi was taken, he realized he was not utilizing Dameion to his fullest abilities. The avatar could have a lot of orbs that act as sensors to warn Levi of any aura that enters the sensors. Levi had created a complex network of sensor orbs around him. The further the orbs that were tripped the less he could understand the aura. The closer they were tripped the more he could sense. The orbs had been going off for a few minutes as the beings walked through the halls of the summoner¡¯s guild.

    Levi sensed it was Kai pretty early on but knew there was another, stronger person with him. He assumed it was Duke Trey tagging along to apologize or something. Levi chuckled; this was going to be quite interesting.

    Levi¡¯s aura interacted with the duke¡¯s. Levi felt a small bit of nervousness on it and the duke walked in. Trey walked into a very hostile environment. Levi¡¯s group of familiars all were facing him with hostile looks. His mimic familiar was snarling and to his surprise there was a dragon there also snarling and baring its teeth.

    ¡°May we come in,¡± Trey asked.

    ¡°Father?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°This will be good,¡± Tycen said softly and walked to the couch. Anna nodded in agreement and sat next to him.

    ¡°Good morning, Uncle,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Oh good,¡± Trey said. ¡°Anna is here too. Come on Kai.¡±

    ¡°First let me say, your elves are dead,¡± Levi said by way of greeting.

    ¡°Let me guess,¡± Trey said. ¡°They followed you after you escaped, and you put them in the ground.¡±

    ¡°Kind of. Not really, I obliterated their bodies.¡± Levi said. ¡°That¡¯s definitely more accurate than put them in the ground. Serenity how would you describe their death?¡±

    ¡°Like when an insect eats leaves until there are various holes and a little bit of the stem left,¡± the dragon said. Trey looked nervously at the dragon. He had never seen a dragon quite so beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

    ¡°Colorful,¡± Levi chuckled. ¡°She has a way with words.¡±

    ¡°Why are you here father?¡± Piper shot.

    ¡°To apologize,¡± Trey said. ¡°I never expected¡­¡±

    ¡°To get caught,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Yes and no. Piper I¡¯m sorry. I never expected that your connection with this otherworlder would be this strong, but I was wrong.¡±

    ¡°Chaotic Paragon,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°What?¡± Trey asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not an otherworlder anymore, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Chaotic Paragon¡­¡± Trey said slowly. ¡°I am not sure what that means.¡±

    ¡°Essentially, I have perfected the use of chaos magic. Call it an ally,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°I have never heard of such a thing,¡± Trey narrowed his eyes. ¡°You really aren¡¯t evil; otherwise, why would you tell me that?¡±

    ¡°You were here to apologize Sir Trey,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I was misguided, and I shouldn¡¯t have organized your kidnapping, I am sorry.¡±

    ¡°All good,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°What?¡± everyone in the room said.

    ¡°It was a garbage plan, but you were doing what you thought was best for your family. Can¡¯t fault you there. I¡¯m alive and now more aware of how good at am at rituals. Don¡¯t get me wrong, we¡¯re definitely not cool.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t forgive you,¡± Piper said. ¡°Nor do I accept your apology.¡± Trey looked at Levi.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me bro,¡± Levi said. ¡°She makes her own decisions.¡±

    ¡°Piper, I,¡± Trey stuttered.

    ¡°Save it,¡± she interrupted. ¡°This is not just about Levi. You openly tried to take Levi away when we visited you. I never heard an apology once, just words about how I chose him over my family. Then you successfully, albeit briefly, kidnap him. Then come here with sad eyes and a soft tone, expecting me to be alright? You probably still think I am choosing Levi over the family. When in reality the family chose Levi over me. You chose to view Levi as a threat. You chose to not TRUST me! You chose to not listen to my words. YOU CHOSE. SO no, I don¡¯t forgive you and no I don¡¯t know when I will be able to. If you really cared about me and you really were concerned about keeping the family together you would have talked to me like a damn adult.¡±

    ¡°Piper Vendular,¡± his voice was stern. ¡°Be reminded that I am still your father. Mind your words.¡±

    ¡°Annnd that¡¯s where I step in,¡± Levi said, standing up. ¡°Look, man, take this as a win. The person who has every right to get revenge is letting you go¡ªyou and your son there.¡±

    ¡°This is none of your concern, Mr. Winters,¡± Trey said. His demeanor was extremely different. He had a look of fury in his eyes.

    ¡°It is,¡± Levi said calmly. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re outnumbered by a lot. You may be an assassin, but that requires planning and time. You don¡¯t have time. Look around you. You said it yourself when we first met, I have evil-looking familiars. And that was three familiars ago. You think that they will be as accepting and forgiving of you for kidnapping me as I am? Think again.¡± Levi¡¯s voice was cold and measured. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you because I like your wife and love your daughter. But if you keep actin a fool, you won¡¯t make it to that door.¡±

    ¡°You dare threaten me!¡± Trey snapped.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Listen here boy,¡± Trey said sharply. ¡°I¡¯ve lived a life four times your age. I have fought in countless wars and fought many summoners. They all fell to my hands. You think I am scared of a newborn to this world who learned magic for the first time just about a year ago? You think that I am afraid of that? That your insolence will go unchecked. Is that what you believe because I can change that in an instant and show you what true power looks like.¡±

    ¡°True power?¡± Levi said slowly. ¡°I¡¯m not here to see who has the bigger stick, Trey. I¡¯m telling you to either leave free or leave injured. The choice is yours.¡± Five orbs of chaos formed around Levi as he said the last words. They started swirling and humming. A swarm of drones and wisps started to appear to crowd the suite space. Trey looked at each of the forms of attack and bowed his head.

    ¡°I truly am sorry, Piper,¡± Trey said with a tremor in his voice. ¡°I hope one day you can forgive me.¡± A portal opened behind him, he and Kai entered it and left without another word.

    ¡°Thanks Levi,¡± Piper said softly.

 Chapter 40 - Dangerous Observer

    After the Vendular men left, all of Levi¡¯s familiars except Serenity and Anza fused back with him. Tycen, Anna, and Piper sat down around the table while Levi brewed some more tea. They gathered awkwardly, staring at each other as the exchange between the duke and Levi was largely unexpected.

    ¡°So, before I was taken, I was following another chaos magical manifestation in this creepy lecture hall,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°We¡¯re well aware of that hall,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Kai tracked you to that location,¡± Piper said. ¡°Here,¡± she pulled out a small chest and handed it to Levi.

    ¡°Oh, so this is what was forming.¡± Levi pushed his mana into it and opened the box. Inside the box he pulled out a few items. There was another letter, a cube, and a pyramid.

    Loot: Letter #3

    Loot: Cube of Redemption

    Loot: Triadic Smith

    ¡°Any ideas what they are?¡± Tycen asked.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Levi said. ¡°Let¡¯s read.¡±

    Letter #3

    Aura control is essential for all those who use magic. Not everyone seeks to control their auras, however. I learned my techniques from magical beasts of the world and beyond. From dragons, I learned how to control my aura like a weapon. From the kitsune, I learned to control my aura as a disguise. From golems, I learned how to control my aura like a fortress.

    For summoners we can learn this easier as our mana control is already much higher. Let this be a lesson: not all summons need to be for battle. Some can be to learn from. So, learn from your summons. On the back side of this letter are the ritual diagrams and a list of materials to summon dragons, kitsunes, and golems. Learn well.

    Your Obedient Servant,

    M. Veluvius

    ¡°Well,¡± Piper said. ¡°Good thing you summoned Serenity. Did you know that you would get an aura dragon with that ritual?¡±

    ¡°Nope, had zero clue what I was going to get. I just knew that I was using powerful ritual materials,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°That is very useful knowledge if you want to summon them, but not for a familiar just to summon and learn,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll add that to our training regimen when we get ready for the dungeon,¡± Levi said.

    Item: Cube of Redemption

    Epic

    A cube that must be used in a ritual to unlock a redemption spell. Spell varies based on the person who unlocked the cube¡¯s power.

    Item: Triadic Smith

    Epic

    A pyramid with the power of a forge. Use a ritual with three other items that you would want to be forged.

    Levi looked at the description of the triadic smith. It was an impressive item, but it likely required 4-star ritual magic, which he was not capable of doing yet. It said three other items along with the pyramid, which would need four ritual circles. Levi then thought about the hilt he received in the past. Perhaps the two could be used together.

    Before Levi could say anything, Professor Egret opened the door with Bertrum right behind her.

    ¡°Mr. Winters,¡± Egret said. ¡°It is good to see you have returned. What happened?¡±

    ¡°I was snatched up,¡± Levi said. ¡°They kept me captive till I escaped.¡±

    ¡°You escaped?¡± Egret said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°That is most impressive, well. I won¡¯t berate you with questions today. I will see you in a couple of days. Recover, an event like this is not easy on anyone.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, professor, I will,¡± Levi said.

    A few weeks had passed since Levi had been taken. He was fully recovered and in a good routine. The instructions from his professors were beneficial, he learned a lot about fighting, summoning, aura, and more. Levi felt like a proper summoner as the year was ending. It was less than a week away from the big battle of the guilds. Levi had never been told exactly what it was besides a big city guild-wide competition.

    ¡°You will be fighting alone,¡± Bertrum said. ¡°Usually, it is the top three students fighting against the top three students. It is tournament style with the last year¡¯s champion getting a bye.¡±

    ¡°Who won last year?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°The same winners that it has been for a long time. Warriors.¡±

    ¡°I see, so it¡¯s just combat until one team falls?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the dual arena is set inside a massive ritual circle that prevents death for the most part. It has happened once in a far-off land where a student went too far and killed an opponent. You should actually go check out the circle; it is amazing to look at from a ritualist perspective.¡±

    ¡°Then how do you survive?¡±

    ¡°The circle will be constantly reading your health and when it determines a critical hit or too much damage it will create a person teleport out of the arena instantly.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty cool,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°It is,¡± Bertrum agreed. ¡°Levi, I am saying this because I think it¡¯s true. You have a shot at winning this thing. It will take some luck with scheduling, but I think you can win it all.¡±

    ¡°If I fight the sorcerers, I¡¯ll be fighting Declan and Anna,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Yes, friendships get tricky in the arena, don¡¯t kill them.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Levi said. Levi had been feeling confident about his fighting abilities over the weeks of training. He had developed a good battle strategy with all of his familiars. They were very helpful; Levi had his own personal army with two swarm familiars. Levi, a man who used to not set goals, set himself a high one. He wanted to win the whole damn thing.

    Later that night he and Piper had a double date with Anna and Declan. The two hadn''t been official yet but were close to an actual relationship. Anna felt secure with Declan. He came from a good, powerful family, he was a top-marked sorcerer, and he was good friends with Piper. That made him a good and reliable partner. Levi felt that Declan was fine, he was sweet to Anna and Piper, which showed that he was a gentleman, but that was it. Levi felt like Anna was settling because Declan was the safe choice.

    The group went to a nice restaurant and did what every normal couple does on dates: They hunted down some monsters. There was a pack of hellhounds that spawned west of the city walls. The monster was a simple monster with no insane magical powers. They were creatures of one of the hell realms, big ugly dogs with a vicious bite. They would ravage through farmer livestock. The pack was about 15 of the hounds. It hadn¡¯t taken long for the team to effectively wipe them all out and still have time for dessert.

    ¡°You were quite impressive, Levi,¡± Declan said. ¡°I hope you know that I will be looking out for those moves in the battle in a couple days.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Levi chuckled, ¡°that¡¯s if I didn¡¯t purposefully use a strategy I just developed tonight? Or not one at all.¡± Piper laughed and Anna shook her head with a smile. Declan looked at Levi with a confused look.

    ¡°Wait really?¡± He asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ll never know,¡± Levi said.

    The group walked back to their respective guilds. Declan said goodnight to the group and Anna with a soft kiss. Anna, Piper, and Levi all went to his suite. There Tycen had been reading a book. They all walked in.

    ¡°How was the hunt?¡± Tycen asked.

    ¡°Easy,¡± Levi said. ¡°I could have done that by myself.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s cause you have a small army,¡± Piper teased. ¡°But it was easy, yeah.¡±

    ¡°I thought it went well, Declan did a great job at adapting to our team,¡± Anna said. ¡°I think it would be a good idea to add him to our team.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Tycen asked without even realizing he had said it. Tycen looked down awkwardly as Anna shot him a challenging gaze. Tycen had always thought Anna was a great woman since the day that he met her. There had just been conversations about this Declan character, Tycen didn¡¯t hate the man, but he was one note and boring. Sure, he was good-looking and reliable but was that enough? Tycen didn¡¯t think so. It had been almost two months since joining the team and his attraction to Anna had only grown stronger, but he was not someone who would interfere with another person¡¯s relationship.

    ¡°Because Tycen, he is a good spellcaster,¡± Anna said back.

    ¡°So, are you?¡± he responded.

    ¡°Yeah but,¡± Anna said, thinking of a comeback that never came. ¡°Levi what do you think?¡± Anna knew that Tycen was attracted to her. She knew that he was slightly jealous and not a fan of Declan. Anna liked Tycen as a teammate but not much more than that. She definitely thought he was attractive; she had eyes. She just wasn¡¯t sure if that was the guy she wanted or needed in her life. Anna wouldn¡¯t describe herself as picky. Everyone else would but Anna wouldn¡¯t.

    At this stage in her life, Anna needed someone reliable and safe. That was Declan. He treated her well, was always there whenever she needed him, and she had many classes with him, which made it easy for her to be casually around him more. Anna wasn¡¯t sure what she would do when/if she went back home. The mistrust of her father and the Vendulars still loomed over her head frequently. That made her feel uneasy, that is what pushed her to be around Declan more.

    ¡°For Declan to join the team?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°If we¡¯re voting, no,¡± he said.

    ¡°Wait really, why? He worked well with us today.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but not our real us. I used one familiar barely. Piper didn¡¯t set up any rituals or spell cast, and you barely did either. What would be his role when the rest of our gang, it wouldn¡¯t work and take too long to figure out what we could do with an additional member.¡±

    ¡°I agree with Levi,¡± Piper said. ¡°Anna, I know you like him cause he¡¯s safe, but he would not help our team.¡±

    ¡°I disagree,¡± Anna stomped. ¡°Let¡¯s make a wager; if we win the battle, then he joins. If we lose, to any team, then he is out.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Deal,¡± Piper said. Levi sighed and shook his head.

    ¡°Why are you so adamant to have him on our team?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°He is a great sorcerer and would help us in tough battles?¡± Anna defended.

    ¡°How would he help us?¡± Levi pushed.

    ¡°With his spells.¡±

    ¡°What spells, what ritual, what can he do that would help us be a better team?¡±

    ¡°He has a lot of healing spells and that could help Levi! I also LIKE him a lot and going away on trips without him sounds terrible. Besides, you don¡¯t get a vote. It¡¯s between the original team.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Levi said. ¡°It¡¯s like that huh.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Fine, he can take my spot on the team. Anna you¡¯re forgetting one single important thing about our team.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not leaving this team, Levi,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± Anna asked, ignoring Piper¡¯s comment.

    ¡°I have the biggest secret and the most to lose by having someone who I don¡¯t know well and don¡¯t really trust join us. You don¡¯t. Someone says your last name, and they know who you are instantly. That¡¯s what you¡¯re giving up. I was kidnapped for being an otherworlder and some stupid prophecy. You think that I don¡¯t get a say in the team? You think that I don¡¯t have the most to lose? Then I¡¯m glad you told me now because I can go find a new team or go solo.¡± Levi got up from his seat and walked out of the room in a big ball of frustration.

    ¡°Wait Levi,¡± Anna said. ¡°Damnit.¡±

    ¡°That was smooth,¡± Tycen said, getting up to follow Levi. ¡°I especially loved the part where you made this team a dictatorship, and we¡¯re just your lackeys.¡±

    ¡°Tycen that¡¯s not what I- you¡¯re not my lackeys, please come back.¡± Anna pleaded as Tycen walked out of the room.

    ¡°What the hell,¡± Anna said putting her head in her hands. ¡°Piper, what do we do?¡±

    Piper¡¯s body language shifted to be straighter and rigid. She was in the presence of royalty not her friend. The comments that Anna just made made it clear to Piper that it was the princess¡¯ way or leave.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure my lady,¡± Piper said not looking at her. ¡°It is your call.¡±

    ¡°Piper stop,¡± Anna said. ¡°Don¡¯t go into this guard mode, please.¡±

    ¡°Permission to speak freely, my lady?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Piper, you know you can, stop,¡± Anna said anger and panic filling her tone.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t treating us like friends, you are treating us like servants. Which is a great reminder of our dynamic. Levi and Tycen are not servants of the Onyx Kingdom, but my family and I are. If I may be so bold, I hope this man was worth your friendships and teams, my lady.¡± Piper gave a respectful bow and marched out of the room. Leaving Anna standing in the room sad, angry, and full of remorse, alone.

    ¡°You alright, Levi?¡± Tycen asked, catching up to him.

    ¡°Huh, yeah, I¡¯m good. You?¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°I do not appreciate being talked at, but yeah I am alright.¡±

    Levi chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m right there with you bro.¡± Levi and Tycen went to the cafeteria to eat some food while they talked next steps.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± Tycen asked.

    ¡°Graduate. Then we talk,¡± Levi said. ¡°The four of us.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to allow Declan on the team?¡± Tycen asked.

    ¡°If I had it my way, no absolutely not,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I am afraid to ask but why me?¡±

    ¡°Piper trusted you and you are not a class that we have. As of right now we have three magic users, two spell casters, two ritualist, and one melee. I can also spell cast, although rituals are my specialty, in case you were counting.¡± Tycen nodded his acknowledgement. ¡°I can perform pretty complex and rich healing rituals along with summon healing beings. Adding an additional sorcerer is asking for trouble. You weren¡¯t with us yet and we haven¡¯t talked about it around you, either. We were coming back from Arvendon and there was a small village that had been overran by barbarians. Some of them had a magical protection against any spells or rituals that attacked them.¡±

    ¡°That made you and Anna worthless in the battle,¡± Tycen said realizing where Levi was going with this story.

    ¡°Yessir,¡± Levi said. ¡°Except I have skill with a staff and an Anza, so I was not worthless. Anna couldn¡¯t help us at all, so she was on crowd control while Piper and I, mostly Piper, attacked the leader. That was incredibly hard on Piper and could have costed her big time. I understand that Declan is a capable spellcaster, that¡¯s great. But not something we need on our team. You¡¯ll be able to provide sufficient melee attacks with Piper, so we¡¯ll have two in the front and two in the back.¡±

    ¡°Why not more?¡± Tycen said. ¡°To just play the devil¡¯s advocate.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a summoner Ty,¡± Levi said. ¡°Any additional need we might need; I can summon. I honestly would have said no to you, if you weren¡¯t a warrior class.¡±

    ¡°And anybody who directly takes away from your ability to summoner, slows down your progress.¡±

    ¡°Yep, nailed it.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Tycen mused. ¡°Having a summoner on a team could be a great advantage to clearing dungeons.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi responded. ¡°I will have to go buy a lot of materials, but I have plenty of money. A small team that is mobile and quick with the ability to summon anything we may need will ultimately be the best strategy.¡±

    ¡°You put your name into the battle of the guilds?¡± Tycen asked.

    ¡°I did,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to win it aren¡¯t you?¡± Tycen said looking at Levi.

    ¡°Damn straight,¡± Levi said. Tycen chuckled. This was the first time he had seen ultimate confidence in Levi. It was somewhat scary. There was a determination in his eyes that screamed test my resolve and you will lose. Tycen smiled to himself, he could see Levi and himself becoming very close friends.

    ¡°Not to entirely change the topic,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea,¡± Levi responded without letting Tycen finish his statement.

    ¡°What?¡± Tycen asked.

    ¡°You were gonna ask me about Anna?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, not a good idea.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Well, you just saw why,¡± Levi chuckled. ¡°Anna is great, she smart, she¡¯s beautiful, and strong. All great qualities. She is also stuck on principles of royalty. It¡¯s her default when things don¡¯t go her way. Which is fine, everyone has their own thing. You don¡¯t come from royalty. Dating someone in royalty is a big deal, no less the king of a rather large kingdom. Be her friend, be her best friend, she needs it.¡±

    ¡°She has Piper,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°Not all the time,¡± Levi said. ¡°Piper¡¯s family works for Anna¡¯s this leaves an awkward power dynamic when those principles come up. Once the royalty Anna comes out so does servant Piper. Eventually, Piper can and will be her equal but that¡¯s not the case right now. Their friendship may falter before then. Anna needs a great guy friend who can keep her levelheaded, I¡¯ll help for sure, but my morals and principles are shaky on the best of days. I love Anna, I really do. I am that supportive friend who is more like a brother.¡±

    ¡°I do not have many friends,¡± Tycen said just audible enough, he was moreso talking to himself than anything.

    ¡°That¡¯s something you two have in common.¡±

    ¡°I will consider your advice, it is sound,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Perhaps I should go talk to her before you.¡±

    ¡°Smart avian,¡± Levi said. Tycen stood and turned. He stopped and looked at Levi.

    ¡°You¡¯re just as smart as anyone I have ever met, the dangerous observer.¡± Levi looked back and gave a smirk while wiggling his eyebrows. Tycen laughed and turned to go speak with Anna.

 Chapter 41 - They Are That Gap

    Tycen walked back into the room where Anna was still sitting looking distraught. She looked up to see the tall, avian man looking back at her with intense purple eyes.

    ¡°Here to give me more grief?¡± Anna said.

    ¡°No,¡± Tycen said in a soft voice. ¡°I¡¯m here to listen and to respond. But mostly listen.¡±

    ¡°You talk to Levi then?¡± she asked voice soft.

    ¡°I did.¡±

    ¡°I know I need to apologize, and I will. I felt like he did not want Declan on the team because he was pushing for us to be a thing. No offense, but I don¡¯t want that.¡±

    ¡°None taken,¡± Tycen said. ¡°He actually advocated for the opposite.¡± Anna raised her head.

    ¡°He did?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Tycen said. ¡°He said I should be friends with you, close friends. He said you needed a friend and if I am being honest with myself. I need a friend too.¡±

    ¡°Are you really willing to be my friend? My experience with rejecting men has not gone well.¡±

    ¡°I must admit, I was saddened to hear what Levi had to say. But what he said after did sound amazing. I am willing to, if you are willing to be mine?¡±

    ¡°That does sound quite nice,¡± Anna said. ¡°I¡¯m in!¡± Tycen smiled. Perhaps Levi was correct, this would be the best for both of them. To be the thing that both of them needed authentic friends.

    ¡°Great,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Now, do you know why Levi was saying no?¡±

    ¡°Well definitely not now,¡± Anna admitted.

    ¡°He¡¯s a summoner,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Summoners do not need more people on the team to fill in the gaps that we have. They can summon that gap; they are that gap.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Anna said. Her face felt hot. ¡°It would make him redundant to have another spell caster on the team who would focus on healing.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Why do you think he and Piper agreed for me to join?¡±

    ¡°I am not sure,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Use your smarts.¡±

    ¡°Umm,¡± Anna mused. ¡°Because of your class?¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Tycen said. ¡°They are giving Piper someone else to attack with melee in battles. Now it''s two in the front and two in the back. That is what Levi was thinking. I hope you know that Levi is looking towards dungeons, dangerous monster hunts, and more. His focus is much more future-oriented than expected.¡±

    ¡°That makes a lot of sense, actually. I never considered how hard the battle with the barbarians must have been on Piper since she was the only one who could do any lasting damage until the mana was drained. That must have been very hard.¡±

    ¡°I am not sure, I imagine so.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I should apologize?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Tycen said. ¡°They don¡¯t care for apologies; they don¡¯t even want their way. They want to be heard, that is it. You did not hear them out or ask their reasons. Just do that and communicate, you¡¯re not a princess with the team. You¡¯re our teammate.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I understand. Tycen,¡± she said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he responded.

    ¡°Thank you. I was expecting you to be angry with me and tell me off. You didn¡¯t you were very gentle with me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Anna.¡±

    ¡°I have to go get some materials, there is a big sale for ritual materials,¡± Levi said to Piper, who had just joined him. ¡°Would you like to join me?¡±

    ¡°Is the sky blue?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°I think so,¡± Levi said with a smirk.

    The couple walked out hand in hand, Anza and Serenity walking beside them. They walked into a shop with a sign that claimed there was a sale. It was a ritual store with several guides and different materials on display.

    ¡°How may I assist you?¡± the store clerk said.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯m honestly just looking. I will likely need a lot of materials, so I¡¯ll be buying a lot.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± the clerk said. ¡°I¡¯m Arleen, if you need any assistance, please let me know.¡± Arleen was an older woman with saggy wrinkly skin. She had sharpness in her eyes that told a warning to not be deceived. She turned to walk away and paused. Turned back around looking at Levi and his familiars. ¡°Are you a summoner by chance?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Levi nodded.

    ¡°Wait here,¡± she responded. She walked over to a shelf and grabbed a large chest. Levi was impressed by the strength of the clerk. The chest was nearly her body size. ¡°This is a chest containing some extremely powerful summoning materials. It¡¯s highly valuable. I can sell you the whole chest if you¡¯d want?¡±

    ¡°May I look inside?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Arleen said. Levi peered inside the chest and found some chaotic shard dust, crystal dust, rainbow stone dust, obsidian dust, and more. There were about 200 kilos worth of summoning materials. It was extensive and had more than enough materials that Levi would need for a very long time.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take three-quarters of all materials,¡± Levi said. ¡°There is potentially a new summoner that will come through after me; I¡¯ll pay for his materials should he stumble upon your lovely shop.¡±

    ¡°That is very kind,¡± Arleen said. ¡°It¡¯ll cost 100 copper pieces.¡±

    ¡°Done. I¡¯m going to keep shopping I¡¯ll pay when I collect at the end,¡± Levi said. Arleen nodded.

    Piper went to look for her own materials for her trap rituals. She saw some flint fillings, river stone dust, and pixie dust. Piper was getting better at creating trap rituals, but she didn¡¯t know exactly what materials she needed for what.

    ¡°Hey babe,¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Do you know what materials I¡¯d need for grounding flying monsters?¡±

    ¡°Anything that has an earth affinity; mud, sand, obsidian, lava rock.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°Thank you. We¡¯ll need to study a lot more huh?¡±

    Levi chuckled, ¡°Yes absolutely.¡± He had a few books in his hand and some other small bags of ritual materials. Levi turned toward the wand section of the shop. There was a clear glass box that contained tops to staves. Serenity was the size of a cat and had been perked on his shoulders.

    ¡°The various staff tops will add different bonuses,¡± Serenity said.

    ¡°Nice,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°What one should I look for?¡±

    ¡°That one,¡± Serenity pointed out with her aura. Levi looked down. It was a small staff top that had a four pieces of metal that were twisted. The twisted metal were split in two halves. On the left and on the right, it was clear that there was space in the middle of the staff top for a reason. ¡°This one looks like you can bond an orb of Dameion and have it sit inside open space. I don¡¯t know what would come from it but that seems useful.¡±

    ¡°I trust you. Let¡¯s do it. I wonder if this is the final piece where I can use that pyramid?¡±

    ¡°Yes, just have to get to four-star rituals.¡±

    ¡°Right, that part. Damn! Hey Arleen?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take this staff top as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that is a powerful top for familiars, or at least I am told that. I don¡¯t have a familiar, but you have two.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi said. ¡°That was the sense that I got from the top.¡± She took it out of the glass and put it up with the other items. Arleen gathered all the materials and totaled the price. Levi paid for Piper¡¯s stuff too. In total they spent 250 copper pieces, which under normal sensibilities would be extremely expensive but that was not a lot for Levi. Arleen allowed Levi to keep the chest, so he stored it immediately in his storage. He got a system notification as soon as he did it.

    System Upgrade

    A new tab has been added to User Interface

    Ritual Material tab has been added. View the amount of materials you have in an organized fashion.

    Item: Staff Top of Familiars

    Legendary

    Choose a familiar you would like to bond the item with. This will increase the connection allowing a new effect between you and your familiar.

    Levi considered that item and realized how powerful it was. It could help create an additional layer of complexity to his eclectic group of familiars. This would be helpful, but it would be quite some time before he could use it.

    ¡°Thanks for buying all of that,¡± Piper said interrupting his thoughts.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Will that item be helpful for you?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes it definitely will, it supposed to enhance and add an effect to one of my familiars.¡±

    ¡°Dang, that¡¯s powerful.¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯m thinking Dameion, I¡¯ll be interested to see what comes from it. But I can¡¯t use it until next rank up.¡±

    ¡°Something to look forward to. We have two days until the battle¡­ are you ready?¡± Piper asked. The couple was walking back to the guild slowly. They were taking their time in no rush. Preparations were being made around the guild campus for the big event. Vendors were pushing their carts up the massive stairway, friends and families were checking in to local inns and hanging with the students competing.

    Levi looked around at the big set up that was happening. ¡°This is a big deal huh?¡±

    ¡°It really is,¡± Piper said. ¡°Every city has a big battle of the guilds showing. It¡¯s a rite of passage for those who want to prove who the best guild is. It¡¯s a chance for us to display all the lessons and training we just went through for the past year! I¡¯m so excited.¡±

    ¡°You, me, and Anna will all be competing against each other,¡± Levi said. We all made top marks in our guilds. Mine is quite clearly the most impressive, don¡¯t wanna brag or anything,¡± Levi said with a smirk. Piper rolled her eyes and kept walking.

    ¡°Promise me,¡± Piper said. ¡°That you won¡¯t go easy on me or on Anna.¡±

    ¡°Was that even an option?¡± Levi blinked.

    Piper laughed. ¡°Are you competitive Levi?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about all that, but I do know that I haven¡¯t been working my ass off to just go easy on you because you¡¯re my girlfriend. If anything, I¡¯m going to go harder against you.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Piper gave him an assessing look. ¡°I¡¯d thought you¡¯d be sweet on me.¡±

    ¡°I am but not when it comes to combat and competition. We enter that arena; I¡¯m playing to win.¡±

    Piper gave Levi a predatory look, ¡°good.¡± She said softly with a smile like a predator who found where its next meal was coming from.

    Levi looked at her and shook his head. ¡°That was creepy as all get out. This is going to be fun.¡± The matchups were about to be announced as there was a small crowd gathering around a bulletin board. A professor wearing the robes and symbol of the ranger guild placed the tournament-style brackets up.

    First round: Rangers v Summoners; Rogues v Sorcerers

    Second Round: W1 v Warriors

    Third Place Round: L1 v L2

    Championship Round: W1 v W2

    Levi looked at the matchups and scoffed. These matchups were clearly biased. IF he made it to the final championship round, he would have to fight one more battle than the first set of victors. Besides the first round Levi would be fighting a rested refreshed opponent. As Levi was looking at the board, his aura was perfectly controlled and so was his face. Everyone who was around the bulletin board looked at the lone summoner.

    A group of six rangers walked up to Levi and Piper as they were turning away from the board.

    ¡°You are our opponent,¡± the leader said. It was an elf with black hair and pale skin. He had one of his tapered ears exposed, the other behind his black hair that fell past his shoulders. He had blue eyes and carried an elven longbow.

    ¡°That¡¯s what the board said,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Do us a favor,¡± the elf said. ¡°Back out and save us the mana.¡±

    ¡°Scared?¡± Levi asked. The elf looked at him with raised eyebrows. He was giving Levi an assessing look. The elf took a long, deep breath before speaking again.

    ¡°No, we don¡¯t fear you. The very opposite, we pity you. This is your chance to save yourself from ultimate defeat and embarrassment.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m cool with defeat. I doubt I¡¯ll be embarrassed. As long as I gave a good effort.¡± The elf looked at Levi and then snapped his head back in a piercing laughter.

    ¡°I take back my offer. It will be awesome to shoot an arrow and cut your ego down a bit.¡± The leader turned away from Levi and walked toward their guild, leaving Levi alone.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to them,¡± another voice said.

    ¡°Fantoar, nice to see you again buddy,¡± Levi said to the minotaur. He also greeted the other two brothers. ¡°Are you three on the warriors guild¡¯s roster?¡±

    ¡°We are.¡± The minotaur nodded. ¡°We look forward to our fight in the second round.¡±

    Levi smirked and nodded. He shook their hands and walked back to his guild with Piper in hand. He had thought about the rangers, he counted six. They would be the easiest opponent he would face. They needed their space and wouldn¡¯t make any unnecessary moves. Levi had a day to develop a strategy for all three fights he had the chance to battle in. His greatest advantage would be his ability to adapt and plan. Levi was determined to win the who damn thing.

    Levi and Piper walked back into his suite to see Tycen, Declan, and Anna all eating dinner at his table. Levi was shocked to see the three of them for a few reasons. First, this was his apartment, not theirs. Second, Tycen took Levi¡¯s advice and decided to be friends with Anna instead of trying to pursue her romantically. Anna looked over at Levi with remorseful eyes. She gave a slight smile and a small nod. Levi smiled and nodded back. As he told Tycen he was never really angry with Anna. Frustrated but that melted away quickly.

    Piper on the other hand was pissed. She still was pissed. She and Levi had talked a lot about how hurtful it was that Anna did that. Piper explained that it was like being bossed around by the royal family. She absolutely hated that was her job, to protect Anna, when Anna was great at causing her own problems and bossing people around. Piper still loved her and was still angry with her.

    ¡°Piper,¡± Anna said softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Honestly, I hate when we fight because you keep me grounded. I don¡¯t mean to sound like the mean bossy queen. I¡¯m trying to be better.¡± Piper didn¡¯t say anything, just looked back at her friend.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try,¡± Piper said. ¡°Do. Be better, Anna. I¡¯m not asking or expecting you to be perfect. I want you to be better. What would have happened if I listened to you about Levi when we first met? We would have never met him, never had these amazing adventures we been a part of already. I understand why you did what you did but you didn¡¯t listen and that¡¯s that royalty crap I won¡¯t put up with anymore, got it?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna said, smiling. ¡°I will do better. I have to.¡±

    ¡°Good, now everyone get out!¡± Levi said while pointing at the door. ¡°Besides Tycen, he can stay. I have to prep for the battle of the guilds. Piper you can stay too, I like your presence.¡±

    ¡°I should go,¡± Piper chuckled. ¡°I should meet with my team and practice. We¡¯ll see you in two days love.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you in two days.¡±

 Chapter 42 - For The First Time in Several Decades

    Levi woke up feeling excited. This was a new feeling. He had never been excited about any competition in his life before. Sure, he played sports growing up, but in his hometown of Rancho Cucamonga, California, everyone played some sort of youth sport. Whether it was pee-wee football, soccer, youth basketball, or kids'' track, it was really a time for parents to get energy out of their kids. But that stopped once he reached high school.

    Levi would not have considered himself athletic before magic; now, he was as athletic as an Olympic athlete. Because of his lack of athleticism, he never tried to play any high school sports. He had no desire. His sisters were professional volleyball players, which put a lot of unwanted pressure on him to be another great athlete of the Winters family. Levi imagined how he was feeling was similar to a big sports competition. Nerves, excitement, and expectations all coursed through his body like electricity. He was ready.

    He smiled sadly; he had been here for almost a year. Levi, thinking about competition, remembered watching his sisters¡¯ games and how much fun it was to watch them compete. They were excellent athletes but even better people. They had married great men and were raising their own wonderful kids. He lamented how things ended with them, and now they likely thought he was dead. It was hard to imagine that they wouldn¡¯t have reached out to him, especially on his birthday, which surely had already passed. Levi had decided that if, for whatever reason, he made it back home, he would make a better effort to be a better son and brother. He didn¡¯t want to go back if it meant losing what he had here. But if this world, this new life, were temporary, he would be better.

    There was a knock on his door that startled him out of his thoughts. Pushing his senses he noticed it was Tycen and Professor Bertrum. They walked in once they felt Levi¡¯s aura.

    ¡°We¡¯ve come to see you off,¡± Tycen said. ¡°And your professor has a gift for you.¡±

    ¡°Combat robes,¡± Bertrum said. ¡°If you need them.¡± Levi put on his other outfit that he used in battles. The sky-blue gradient robes covered by the hooded chaos cloak gave Levi the feel of a Jedi who fancied blue instead of beige.

    ¡°I think this will do just fine,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I agree,¡± Bertrum said. ¡°Take these as a backup then.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, I appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°You have the first battle in an hour, it¡¯s time to move. I¡¯ll explain the rules on our way there.¡±

    The battle of the guilds had been a long-standing tradition throughout the world for thousands of years. It was a nice way for the different guilds to put their training to the test. It was also a way for guilds to recruit new members. Typically, the guild that won would see the highest number of new members join. This was because families saw two things: first - the power that was displayed in the matches; second - the survivability of the winning guild. All guild masters and professors knew that this had nothing to do with whatever guild won that year, but it was fun and brought the cities together.

    All the battles took place in one day. Since most places didn¡¯t have a summoner¡¯s guild, there were only four battles in total to determine the first, second, third, and fourth rankings amongst the four participating guilds. The rules were relatively simple: win and don¡¯t kill your opponent.

    Potions were not allowed in the fight but could be used to replenish while waiting for the next battle. Magical items were allowed to be used in the battles. Familiars were also allowed. Although most people did not have a familiar. A team could consist of no more than six members and had to have as little as one. Familiars do not count towards those numbers.

    Each battle lasted until the other team yielded, was knocked out by the life-saving orb, or was unable to continue fighting. At any point, a competitor could yield or quit; during this tournament, quitting was not seen poorly as it could indicate a sign of sound judgment. Levi understood the rules fully: don¡¯t die. Each city''s arena was different, it tended to mirror the environment. A large glass dome about the size of a stadium was sitting just outside the city''s walls. There was a large battleground, it looked like it was a 150 meters long and 40 meters wide. The battleground had a lightly populated forest with hills, crevices and a river that split the ground in half.

    There was stadium seating all around the battleground. They were packed full with spectators. Levi¡¯s heart was racing. He had not expected there to be this many beings to watch these battles. It became very clear in this moment these battles were a big part of the culture of this world and it was an honor to participate in them. Levi would be facing the rangers in the first round; these were the group of elves that approached him a few nights back. Looking at the forest landscape, they had a distinct advantage over Levi. Being that they were distance fighters.

    He stood at the edge of his entrance and waited for the announcement that was to come.

    ¡°Ladies, Gentlemen, and Beings of all kinds! Welcome to the Arcross City Battle of the Guilds!¡± The announcer said. His voice rang throughout the stadium. ¡°This year we have a very special treat. For the first time in several decades, there is a summoner team. Representing the summoner¡¯s guild LEVI WINTERS!¡± The cheers were muted as not many people thought highly of summoners¡¯ most people chuckled or snickered as the unimpressive man walked out with a staff. Anza and Serenity had fused to allow his first opponents to underestimate him.

    Piper was in the locker room that had a projection ritual to watch the matches. She was with her team, and they were scouting out the competition while also getting ready for their own match next. She was unaware that her family had traveled to watch her compete. Anna was also unaware. Both the king and the duke were in the same private viewing box in the stadium. Maddi, Trey¡¯s wife, was cheering when Levi walked out. She was quite fond of the boy and wanted him to succeed.

    Anna, like Piper, was in her locker room doing the same thing. She sat and cheered as Levi walked out onto the battleground, ready for his first-ever Battle of the Guilds. She sat there nervously. She was more nervous about Levi¡¯s battle than her own. Anna wanted Levi to prove to everyone that there were benefits to being a summoner.

    ¡°Please welcome the representation,¡± the announcer said. ¡°Of the Ranger¡¯s Guild, Team Sharpshooter!!¡± The crowd erupted in roars as the six elves gracefully walked out of their entrance, waving to the crowds. The crowd was eating it up.

    ¡°Six against one,¡± Karin Onyx said, Anna¡¯s younger sibling. ¡°That hardly seems fair.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± Rayvin said. ¡°But there is no one else to join Levi¡¯s team because there are no other summoners.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not underestimate Levi,¡± Leandro said. ¡°If you noticed, his familiar Anza, is missing. I suspect he did that intentionally.¡± Karin and Rayvin nodded at the point their father made. Their eyes returned back to the ritual projection.

    Levi stood on the edge of his territory; there were no shaking hands or good lucks. As soon as the fire spell exploded, the battle would begin. Levi¡¯s mind was calm, and his thoughts were relaxed. He took a deep, centering breath and released it. This was it. He had fought monsters, barbarians, and cleared a dungeon. All that training and this was the moment. The bright orange spell flew into the sky and exploded like a firework. The battle had begun.

    Levi looked up and saw hundreds of arrows covering the sky as they were flying down toward him. He was relaxed. Levi sent out Crystal and Willow who were able to create a small tornado of fire. The tornado sucked in all the arrows and burnt them to ashes before they touched the ground. Serenity and Dameion masked Levi¡¯s aura to the point where he became invisible. Levi released Anza and five of team ember to head into the forest. Levi pulled out his wand and began drawing a summoning circle. After the circle was done two creatures that looked like a Komodo dragon and shark had an unholy baby stood. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Go scout under the ground,¡± he told them. ¡°Any ritual traps you can dismantle and eat the mana.¡± The two beasts shared a look and then did as commanded. Levi for the first time during this battle took a few steps. ¡°Willow/Crystal, do these trees burn?¡± Levi asked. A textbox appeared in his vision that said yes. ¡°Burn it down, full swarm.¡± The wisps did backflips of excitement and began separating into their swarm form. Soon, two hundred tiny wisps formed a line, then rushed to burn the forest down.

    The elf leader who had interrogated Levi two nights before saw the fire spell explode. With a commanding gesture, the archers all aimed their bows at the sky and fired. Each arrow started to multiply on its way to the sky. After reaching its peak, the multiplying effect ended, and what was six arrows was now 600 hundred. After looking around and not seeing any sign that the battle was over, each elf took their battle stations.

    The leader elf conjured a war unicorn. The unicorn was black with a white horn and clad in iron horse armor. Getting on top of the unicorn, he rode toward Levi boy taught. The other elves got into trees and waited. A couple of them were able to perform ritual magic, if not basic, it was still ritual magic. They had set up a line of trap rituals that all glowed green and then faded into nothing after they were set. They figured that Levi would rush them since they were long-range attackers. After their stations were in effect, the elves waited, still.

    ¡°Well,¡± Trey said. ¡°They are just going to wait there, that¡¯s incredibly boring.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Leandro said. ¡°It¡¯s like they are scared of Levi.¡±

    ¡°I bet,¡± Rayvin said. ¡°They didn¡¯t do any research on what a summoner actually is and think that Levi will run to them.¡±

    ¡°That is likely true,¡± Leandro said. Leandro was watching Levi intently. He needed to learn everything he could about the upstart summoner. The king was still convinced that he was the one evil from the prophecy and wanted to cement his name in history by slaying him. But first, he had to learn about everything. That¡¯s when he looked harder. Levi was no longer present in the king¡¯s senses, but he was looking right at Levi. ¡°that¡¯s new,¡± Leandro mused.

    ¡°It is,¡± Trey said, understanding what his friend was mentioning. ¡°Where did he learn to do that?¡±

    ¡°Not sure,¡± Leandro said. ¡°It¡¯s very good for anyone especially a 3-star.¡±

    ¡°Am I missing something,¡± Kai asked.

    ¡°Levi has hidden his aura,¡± Leandro said.

    ¡°What, how?¡± Kai asked in surprise.

    ¡°We are unsure.¡±

    The elf leader looked up and saw smoke rising from Levi¡¯s side. He laughed. How obvious could this human be with all of his dumb moves? The smoke after Levi dodged the arrows to give away his location was terrible. Not wanting to push further he retreated back to the rest of his team when he heard some rustling in the distance. Turning to look, he saw a beast head never seen before. It looked like a big cat made completely out of metal, it was snarling, and it was coming towards him. He wheeled his mount around and went back toward his hiding spot as fast as he could. He turned around. The one monster that glowed blue had stopped chasing him, but the smaller ones still followed.

    Getting closer to the site, the hiding elves sent arrows flying past their leader and lodging into the heads of the beasts, effectively killing them.

    ¡°Good shots; there is some kind of smoke in the distance,¡± the leader said. ¡°Do we have enough mana to send another swarm of arrows? The smoke will act as a decoy?¡± The team all agreed that they do. ¡°Good, after that Maurice and Monika go scout and report what the smoke it.¡± The elves all readied their bows, shot them into the sky and watched as they multiplied once again. As soon as that happened two smaller elves shot off with great speed into the forest.

    Levi had walked into the forest fire slowly and carefully. Vapor had created a nice solid sphere of mist to protect him from any smoke or heat. Levi was now unable to be seen or felt by the viewing rituals. All they saw was that he calmly walked into the fire. Levi got a report from Anza informing him that the drones have been killed by arrows. She can now morph her head to avoid shots from arrows. All drones that he releases would have the same effect.

    Levi¡¯s senses picked up two figures approaching fast. He pulled out his staff and conjured two orbs of chaos and sent them flying toward the figures. Levi didn¡¯t see what had happened directly, but he saw two elves in shield spheres get lifted into the air and flown toward their entrance. They were eliminated from the battle. Levi suspected that is what would happen if there was a direct kill.

    ¡°Anza are you aware of where they are?¡± Levi asked. Anza replied with an affirmation. ¡°Don¡¯t want to linger too long and show all of my abilities, now do I?¡± Anza agreed. Levi conjured a drone and rushed toward Anza on its back. When it reached where Anza was, she was standing alert in her full size. Several tentacles pointed in the direction of the rest of the elves who were hiding. Levi saw trap rituals get eaten by his two creatures he summoned. Held out his hands and conjured the void swarm. Five small black holes formed around Levi.

    The swirling grew faster and faster and took off into the air. A rift appeared in the middle of the orbiting black holes and beams from what looked like the northern lights rained down on the area where the elves were. In short order Levi saw three more spheres with elves in them rise to the sky and fly toward their entrance. Levi sent Anza to find and eliminate the last one. While she did that, Levi drew a ritual circle to restore his mana. He called his other familiars who were out back to fuse.

    The elves were on guard when they saw their teammates fly past them in the spheres, knowing that they were knocked out to the competition.

    ¡°Cindred,¡± an elf said to the leader. ¡°Did it look like they had any damage?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Cindred responded. ¡°It did not.¡±

    ¡°We are 2-star how can that happen so quickly?¡± the elf asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Cindred said. ¡°Perhaps we underestimated our- what the hell is that?¡± Cindred said looking up in the sky.

    ¡°Boss,¡± another elf said. ¡°My traps have been disabled.¡±

    ¡°Is that even possible?¡± Cindred asked.

    ¡°Mine too,¡± another elf added.

    ¡°What the hell is this guy,¡± Cindred muttered under his breath. Cindred felt the mana rising in whatever thing was in the sky. It looked like someone had opened a rift in the side of the universe and let in a beam from the cosmos. He didn¡¯t wait for it to rain down on him and he bolted toward the smoke once again. He turned around to see the rest of his team fly into spheres and get taken out of the arena.

    Cindred felt like he was being chased. He didn¡¯t look back but saw that Levi was just standing in a ritual circle. He drew his bow and fired an arrow. The second that he did his unicorn was destroyed by something. The arrow went flying straight into the sky as his aim was thrown off. Tumbling on the ground, Cindred got up and looked around at what hit his conjured mount. He couldn¡¯t see anything, finally he sensed some movement. It was another one of those metal freaks. He spat and sent arrow after arrow in rapid-fire towards the metal beast.

    Cindred¡¯s eyes grew wide as the beast''s body morphed around every arrow that came close to its body. It was almost as if it had adapted from the time the other smaller versions were killed. Cindred screamed in fury. He was getting outclassed by a lonely summoner, just one. Cindred went to take a step forward, when a tentacle came flying straight for his heart, the second it touched his body a magical sphere formed around him. The tentacle was stopped short then expelled from the bubble sphere.

    Cindred breathed a sigh of relief then frustration took over. He had just lost. Not only did he lose, but he was also embarrassed. Cindred only saw Levi once during the entire fight and it was when Levi was recharging his mana in a ritual circle. Cindred put his head down in recognition, they didn¡¯t even stand a chance against this one man, it was extremely lopsided from the start. He was just too arrogant to see it until it was too late.

    ¡°Ladies, Gentlemen, and Beings,¡± the announcer said with slight shock in his voice ¡°the winner by complete team knockout is Levi Winters of the Summoner¡¯s guild! Levi will face against the warrior guild in two battles. Don¡¯t go anywhere you don¡¯t want to miss it!¡± The crowd had a few cheers but for the most part, everyone was shocked at the total dominance that Levi had just displayed.

    ¡°You were right, Karin,¡± Leandro said. ¡°It was very unfair. They stood zero chance against Levi.¡±

    ¡°How did he do that?¡± Kai said in shock. He shared a look with his father. Kai was now feeling very fortunate not to have been around when Levi escaped. He thought about what Levi said about the two elves and saw that spell. Kai would have died and died fast.

    King Leandro stared at the image of Levi walking slowly back into the locker room with Anza right by his side. This was a different battle; it gave Leandro a new perspective on Levi. The fear of Levi was growing, if not for any other reason than that Levi was a very powerful man who had been horribly mistreated by the Onyx kingdom.

 Chapter 43 - Battle of Childhood Friends

    Back in the locker room, Levi sat looking at the viewing ritual. The battleground was changing. Beings that Levi had never seen before were magically destroying and rebuilding the forest that Levi had set on fire. He imagined that this was a normal occurrence with how efficient they were. Levi was proud of his performance, but he had the advantage. Having the time to set up and perform summons and rituals was always going to give him a leg ahead. Levi tried to keep a lot of his powers up his sleeve because most people were unaware of how summoners work. That advantage would swiftly disappear the more he showed.

    Only those with strong aura senses would have detected that Levi was able to hide his aura completely. That was an impressive, albeit common, practice. The fact that Levi could do it so well was what would garner any extra attention. Even though, it was Levi¡¯s familiars who do a lot of the masking. He thanked his companions for a good fight and all the support. The two other creatures he summoned were satisfied with all the traps that they ate.

    ¡°Good battle,¡± Bertrum said as he walked in with Professor Egret.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Levi said. ¡°It helped that they underestimated me.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Egret said. ¡°The next group will not.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Levi said. ¡°I know the Wintoars, they¡¯re good dudes but diligent and work hard.¡±

    ¡°Warriors and Rogues will be your toughest match-up,¡± Bertrum said. ¡°Any opponent you fight that will keep their distance is an advantage to you.¡±

    ¡°The environment will change in the next round,¡± Egret said. ¡°Be wary of that; they like to favor one side over the other; it''s somewhat political. So, expect a large clearing where your opponents can see you.¡±

    Levi nodded. ¡°I have plans if we get an environment like that. I was expecting it at some point.¡± There was a commission outside the locker room door. In burst an average-height man with long blonde hair and alabaster skin. He wore more official robes and leather armor. He looked like Robin Hood if Robin Hood worked for GQ on the side.

    ¡°You,¡± He pointed a finger at Levi. ¡°You insolent little pest.¡±

    Levi raised his arms in an act of innocence. Anza started to take a defensive posture. She relaxed at Professor Egret''s gesture.

    ¡°Guildmaster Rob,¡± Egret said. ¡°What are you doing in the Summoner¡¯s locker room?¡±

    ¡°Your little pest completely humiliated my apprentices. He must pay.¡±

    ¡°For beating your rangers in a fight designed for a winner or loser?¡±

    ¡°He cheated!¡±

    ¡°That,¡± another voice said. ¡°Is a bold accusation. Are you willing to substantiate that claim with evidence, Guildmaster Rob?¡±

    ¡°Your highness,¡± Guildmaster Rob bowed. King Leonardo was standing at the entrance with another man that Levi hadn¡¯t met before. There was a different vibe about Leonardo than usual at this moment. It was powerful, the jovial king that Levi had met a few months ago was gone. This guy meant business.

    ¡°Well?¡± Leonardo pressed.

    ¡°No, sir,¡± Rob said in resignation.

    ¡°So, you enter into this locker room with no evidence yet, claim cheating? That is unbecoming of a Guildmaster in this fine kingdom don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Rob could not look the king in his eyes.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m curious. How do you think Mr. Winters cheated?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t summon his familiars; he used them without actually summoning them.¡± Levi stifled a snort. He glanced at his professors, who were also holding their tongues. The King looked at the Guildmaster with raised eyebrows.

    ¡°Mr. Winters, Levi,¡± the king said. ¡°How did you get your familiars?¡±

    ¡°Through a summoning ritual,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Any bonded familiars?¡± the king asked.

    ¡°Nope, all summoned familiars,¡± Levi responded. When Levi was learning about what it meant to be a familiar summoner, he learned that people could have familiars through a bonding ritual. There were familiar ritualists in every few major cities per kingdom. They would have a large selection of creatures that people could pay to have a bonded familiar. It was an expensive endeavor but not an uncommon practice.

    ¡°Guildmaster Rob,¡± the king looked at him. ¡°Does that exclude his use of familiars if he had already summoned them?¡±

    ¡°No, sir,¡± Rob said slowly.

    ¡°Mr. Winters,¡± the king said.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Would you like to inform the kind guildmaster of your class?¡± The King asked.

    ¡°Not really,¡± Levi said. Leandro gave him a flat look. ¡°Fine,¡± Levi chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m a Familiar Summoner, that¡¯s my class.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that,¡± Rob said.

    ¡°Have you heard of many summoner class evolutions?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Rob admitted.

    ¡°Every class evolution is rare,¡± Levi said. ¡°There are so few summoners left. I didn¡¯t embarrass your rangers, guildmaster. They embarrassed themselves by not thinking I was a threat. They came to me a few nights before to taunt me; they didn¡¯t know what star rank I was, they didn¡¯t know what kind of summoner I was, and they didn¡¯t even know that I could summon creatures to eat traps. I¡¯m a three-star summoner, guildmaster. I¡¯m not a bum who the professors picked up off the street. I¡¯ve worked my ass off to be competent in what I do.¡±

    The guildmaster glared at the young summoner. No matter what he said, there was still a mark on him and his guild. The ranger guild was just publicly embarrassed by a summoner, no less, one that no one had heard of. He said nothing, bowed to the king and then stormed out of the locker room. Levi snorted and turned back to the viewing ritual. The battle was almost getting ready. Levi still had uneasy feelings with the king, but he was not going to voice those concerns right now.

    Leandro looked at Levi for several seconds, then turned to return to his viewing box. Egret and Bertrum watched as the king left.

    ¡°What is your relationship with the king?¡± Egret asked.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°He¡¯s my friends dad,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°Why do I feel tension between you two?¡±

    ¡°He thinks I¡¯m evil and I don¡¯t trust him.¡±

    ¡°He thinks you are evil?¡± Egret said slowly. ¡°Why would he think you are evil?¡±

    ¡°Cause I have an affinity to chaos magic and have ¡®evil looking¡¯¡± he put in air quotes, ¡°familiars.¡±

    ¡°That is just silly,¡± Egret said.

    ¡°I agree,¡± Levi nodded.

    ¡°Chaos magic is not inherently evil nor are familiars.¡±

    ¡°Yep. Oh, the battle is about to start,¡± Levi said, watching the screen.

    ¡°Ladies, Gentlemen, and Beings alike, the second battle of the battle of the guilds is underway. We have a classic matchup between the sorcerer guild and the rogue guild! The two teams both have four members. The Sorcerers are led by Princess Anna Onyx!¡± the announcer boomed. Cheers erupted at the name of Anna. ¡°The Rogues are led by Lady Piper Vendular! Two childhood best friends fighting for their respective guilds, who will be victorious?? ARE YOU READY for the battle of best friends?¡± Cheers erupted again. ¡°I Said ARE YOU READY?¡± The stadium shook from the cheers in the crowd. ¡°BEGIN!¡±

    Piper was sitting on a bench in her team¡¯s locker room, watching Levi utterly destroy the Rangers. A smile teased on her lips; she was very proud of that man. She was wary of the backlash. The guildmaster for the Rangers was a hothead and would likely be pissed that they didn¡¯t even get a shot off at Levi.

    ¡°Do you think he is that good? Or did he get lucky?¡± one of Piper¡¯s teammates said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be dense, Raphael,¡± another teammate shot back. ¡°Did that look like luck to you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that¡¯s why I asked,¡± Raphael replied.

    ¡°Can we focus on our battle?¡± Piper said. ¡°We win we¡¯re in the championship game, if we lose, we are in the third place. I¡¯d prefer the former.¡±

    ¡°Sorry boss,¡± Raphael said.

    The doors opened; it was time for their battle. Piper and Anna made a promise to not go easy on each other. This was a chance to showcase their skills. Anna was the only 3-star sorcerer on her team. Piper was the only 3-star rogue on her team. The two of them would likely clash at some point being the powerhouses on her team. What this also meant is that they were the only ones with a class evolution. That would play a vital factor in how this battle would sway.

    Piper took a calming breath and waited for the fire spell. An explosion rang, and the battle began. Piper quickly pulled out her wand and drew ritual circles for her teammates. They were speed and strength enhancement rituals. She had been practicing a lot, and it would help her teammates. After they were done, all of the rogues sprinted into the forest with insane speed. Piper pulled out her kunai knives as she was running in case, she needed to throw them anywhere.

    She saw Ralphael hoping from tree branch to tree branch with relative ease. He had a small dagger in his hand and was getting ready for any engagement. Piper approached the river that split the battleground in half. She drew a ritual circle in the water, this was a trap ritual, it would create a wall of water that would engulf any opponent that steps on it. Piper set the ritual up quickly and kept going. She thought to herself how cool it would be if she could use some spells as well but that was not in her repertoire at the moment, perhaps at the next star rank.

    Piper and Levi worked on a lot of trap rituals since she gained her new class evolution, she had become quite adept at drawing them and chanting in order to activate it. She heard some noise in the distance, there was a clash. She rushed over to help her teammates, Sally - the rogue who called out Ralphael in the locker room - was engaged in a battle with a spellcaster. Piper charged, she threw her knives at the spell caster, who was unable to dodge because of the power of the throw.

    The spell caster was not used to fighting multiple opponents at once, but the rogues fought together in team skirmishes. Piper and Sally moved in on the space of the spell caster who was unable to get any other spells as she was being overwhelmed. Piper went to stab, and sally went to slash as both of their swords hit the spellcaster, they were pushed back, and a bubble shield formed around the sorcerer and sent her back to the locker room.

    Sally and Piper nodded at each other. Piper noticed something flying towards them, she pushed Sally to the side as they dodged several spikes of fire. Another spellcaster jumped into the battle with the two girls.

    Anna watched as the fire spell exploded and the battle began. She was wary about Piper; Piper was able to set up trap rituals which she informed her team about. Piper was also a 3-star Arcane Trickster making her the biggest threat. Anna¡¯s teammates were much more brazen than she was. She was strategic and wanted to make sure she understood everything that was going to happen. Two of her teammates took in a dead sprint immediately.

    Anna and Declan looked at each other and nodded. They would work together in this battle; it was the best way to win. Rogues were ones who usually fought in pairs. Having a spellcaster have to fight two against one would not turn out well. Anna had her wand out and her spell book floating in front of her. Declan had his staff in his hand. Shuriken went flying toward them but missed.

    ¡°Shroud of the morning mist,¡± Anna chanted. Icy haze surrounded Anna and Declan. Declan moved quickly in the haze to avoid his presence. Anna heard him chant a spell as well. The spell was to illuminate any aura that was present. Anna now could see Declan¡¯s aura which was green, and the rogue¡¯s aura which was red.

    ¡°Ice Spears,¡± she said. Four spears of ice floated next to her. She started sending them one by one in the direction of the red glow. Two of them hit their target in the leg. The rogue screamed in pain.

    ¡°Orb of fire,¡± Declan chanted. An orb of fire appeared next to staff and he sent it flying the same direction a bubble shield had formed around the rogue Ralphael and he was sent back to his locker room. ¡°There might be one-¡± Declan started to say as his legs were slashed and then a bubble shield formed around him and sent him to the locker room.

    Anna still had two ice spears, she sent them flying the second Declan¡¯s bubble went into the air. The rogue was hit with one but blocked the other. A meter long spear was sticking out the rogue male, blood was pouring out of the shoulder where the spear had landed. He went to pull it out, when Anna chanted, ¡°boil¡±. The ice spear began to boil in the shoulder of the rogue. Pain seared through the wound that the rogue became incapacitated and fell to his knees.

    ¡°Water trident,¡± a trident made of water was conjured before her and she sent it right at the head of the rogue. The bubble appeared and he was sent back to his locker room. Anna turned to locate her other teammate. She knew that she hadn¡¯t gone too far in the opposite direction. As she was making her move, she saw a bubble shield rise into the air and head toward her locker room. She cursed and moved in that direction cautiously.

    Piper had dealt the final blow on the fire spell caster. She wasn¡¯t sure who was left but she had to assume that it was Anna. Sally would likely not last the fight with Anna, but if she could help do some lasting damage, the two of them could take her out. Piper did another ritual to refresh their speed and strength enhancement. They were ready for this round of fights.

    A massive storm cloud was forming overhead and heading their way.

    ¡°Uh oh,¡± Piper said. We have to move NOW!¡± She took off toward the direction the storm was being made. Piper knew this power and knew that it would take a long time. Hopefully, she could get to Anna before it was finished. Sally was right behind Piper, but she was just not fast enough. Her 2-star speed, even enhanced, did not reach the levels that Piper had reached. Hail the size of softballs started to fall from the storm clouds. Leaving mini craters with each lasting impact.

    Piper was able to dodge effectively as her speed was much faster than the hail. Sally was not so fortunate. Barely dodging hail after hail, she was finally about to be struck when her bubble shield lifted her up and towards her locker room. She was out. Piper kept running, understanding that she just lost her advantage; she would have to fight her best friend. Winner makes it to the championship battle.

    A tidal wave of snow rose before Piper. She looked and saw Anna standing on the crown with her wand in hand. A surfboard made of solid ice formed under Anna, and she started surfing as the tidal wave came crashing down. Piper was agile, as all rogues were. She was a nice mixture of a gymnast and a parkour athlete. She ran up some trees and stood on the tallest branch. Bolts of ice were being shot her way by the surfing Anna.

    Piper smirked and kept pushing to close the gap. As Anna got closer and the tidal wave almost crashed, she felt her body seize up. She was trapped in a yellow barrier and her mana was being drained. The tidal wave kept going but her ice surfboard fell as she was suspended in the air as the snow tidal wave kept pushing. Piper burst through the snow and threw several kunai knives. The knives all impacted Anna with direct hits. The last knife bounced off Anna¡¯s bubble shield

    ¡°The WINNER is,¡± the announcer''s voice boomed. ¡°Lady Piper Vendular and the Rogues Guild!!!!¡± Cheers erupted as the crown princess was beaten by her childhood friend. Trey and Maddi were screaming and cheering loudly in their box. Even the king was standing and applauding at the amazing battle that just unfolded.

    ¡°Your daughter,¡± Leandro said. ¡°Is one hell of a fighter! That was an awesome trap to use when Anna had hidden it. I¡¯m very impressed.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± Trey said. ¡°I am too. She has shown me the error in my ways!¡±

    ¡°You should be proud Trey! She¡¯s making a name for herself.¡±

    ¡°I am sir, I am!¡±

 Chapter 44 - Return to Sender

    Levi was impressed at how quickly Piper had picked up using ritual magic. She had gotten really good at hiding her presence while she was setting up her traps. A trait she adopted well from training to be an assassin. If Levi won, he would have to face her and her team in the final. They would not be an easy opponent. Levi wasn¡¯t much of a trap ritualist, but he was an exceptional ritualist. He knew that he would have to use some in this fight. The Wintoars are a tough group of three adventurers. One advantage that Levi had was that he was a star rank above them.

    Only three students in all of the guilds were 3-star. That was Levi, Piper, and Anna. This came from their time-fighting monsters and clearing out the dungeon. Most guild members would reach 3-star shortly after graduation if they were diligent in their work ethic. It was rare to reach it before graduation, it took extenuating circumstances.

    Levi¡¯s strategy would have to be much different this round. He would have to be stealthier and be willing to take some hits. Being rushed was not the best for summoners and that¡¯s what these three excelled at. Yes, there was a disparity in rank, but it was not that much different. Levi watched as the battleground changed. It was a large grassy field with a river that separated each half. There was no shelter, nowhere to be stealthy, he was going to be out in the open.

    ¡°Sheesh,¡± Levi muttered. It seemed like they were giving every advantage to the warrior guild. Shaking his head from following that line of thought Levi stood in front of the doors right as they opened.

    ¡°A completely grassy field,¡± Anna complained. She was watching the match with Piper in the rogues locker room. She had made her way over after the fight. To say congrats to Piper and compliment her on that move.

    ¡°I heard that the guildmaster Rob of the rangers guild had a fit. Your dad had to step in,¡± Piper whispered. ¡°I bet he¡¯s up to something.¡±

    ¡°Always about politics,¡± Anna murmured. Piper nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen and Beings alike, it is time for the second round. Returning to the battlegrounds representing the summoner¡¯s guild, Levi Winterrrrsss.¡± The cheers this time were louder than before but not nearly as much as Piper¡¯s introduction, but Levi didn¡¯t mind. He wanted to win, not grow a fan base.

    ¡°How do you think he is going to do?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°He¡¯ll win,¡± Piper said. ¡°He barely used his powers last match; I suspect to hide his abilities. He has to win fast, or it¡¯ll be a long battle.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Anna said looking at the viewing ritual. She nervously grabbed Piper¡¯s hand and the two of them held on for comfort as the battle began.

    ¡°Annd¡± the announcer¡¯s voice rang. ¡°In the other corner, the reigning guild champions the Warrior Guild!!¡± Cheers erupted. And chants of warriors spread throughout the stadium. ¡°They are led by the three Wintoar brothers. Do they have what it takes to take down the newcomer? Let¡¯s find out!¡±

    When the fire spell was shot into the air, Levi wasted no time as it exploded. He could see the three brothers charging him from across the field. The vapor defused and created a cloud of steam. The steam was just dense enough that shadows could be seen in the midst of it. Levi drew out a summoning circle and summoned shadow spirits. These were spirits that could mimic the form of whatever the summoner wanted.

    ¡°Copy me,¡± Levi said. ¡°Vapor three more sets of steam clouds, please.¡± Vapor did as instructed and there were three huge clouds of steam all throughout the grassy fields. In the steam cloud three figures were standing, two took off in different directions with one standing still waiting for the attack.

    ¡°He split up,¡± Fantoar said. ¡°Each of us takes out a cloud. If you notice that it isn¡¯t him, go to the center cloud. Got it?¡± The brothers huffed their acknowledgment, and they went running. Levi had sent three mimics and two orbs from Dameion with each shadow. Levi went to the steam cloud to his right. He guessed that the eldest brother, Fantoar, would attack the middle one; he wanted to save him for last.

    As the minotaur approached Levi orbs of chaos flew out of the steam cloud. The minotaur was yielding a battle axe and was able to block it effectively with each strike. He pulled out his horn and the other two turned immediately and charged Levi.

    Levi didn¡¯t panic. He took a deep breath and called the shadows back to him. He created several more orbs of chaos and sent them in the direction of the other two minotaur¡¯s, who were enclosed in his location. Not a single Orb hit. Levi cursed that they were stronger with magical defenses than he thought. He had Vapor create a cloud under his feet, so he levitated, the other shadows did the same.

    Still in the dense steam cloud the three minotaurs approached. As the entered the cloud Serenity released an aura attack. It was a stronger aura attack than the three brothers had ever faced. They staggered but that was enough time as Anza was able to attack the closest brother. Levi joined in as well. The two of them looked like they were performing a dancing choreography as each of them jumped, twirled, and sent out attacks at the minotaur who was holding his own in the fight.

    The brother, Vintoar, was able to get a couple of glancing blows on Levi as a counterattack. Levi had some blood seep out of some minor cuts. Nothing too damaging but enough to draw blood. Eventually, Levi was able to get a strike on the head of Vin. The moment Levi made a connection so did Anza. Dameion began swirling around Vin, draining his mana and giving it to Levi. Levi started conjuring chaos orb after chaos orb. They would form around Levi and then fire into Vin.

    He expertly dodged most of the attacks. Bentoar arrived first and went to tag out his brother. That moment of distraction was all that was needed as an orb of chaos slammed into Vin¡¯s side causing a slight explosion. Before the explosion Vin¡¯s bubble shield activated and sent him to the locker rooms.

    Levi had no time to relax as Ben was attacking him. Ben used two double-edged swords as his weapon, which gave him much more speed than Vin. He was on the front foot, so he was able to attack Levi with much more ferocity. Levi was being pushed back when his senses told him Fan was close. Levi came up with a new strategy on the fly. He jumped high in the air and had the small flying cloud of Vapor fly him out of the steam. He dismissed the shadow spirits.

    ¡°Vapor,¡± Levi said. ¡°Steam them.¡± Vapor¡¯s eyes glowed in her cloak and the steam became piping hot steam that caused burns. Ben was screaming in pain as his skin was getting burnt as he was in boiling hot steam. Through the steam a small axe was thrown directly at Levi, he protected himself as it was too fast to dodge. The axe was lodged in Levi¡¯s arms. He screamed in pain. The drones started to wrap their tentacles around the wound to prevent any excess bleeding. This helped limbs from being severed but not from the pain. The axe fell to the ground. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    Serenity came out of Levi and blasted the whole cloud with dragon fire. Suddenly a bubble shield appeared, and Ben was inside thrashing in anger, his fight was over. While Fan was distracted Levi flew to the water and drew a ritual circle in the water. The water began rise and form a shape a water elemental formed and used the water as whips. It started lashing out at Fantoar. For each whip he would protect, he pulled out a shield and protected himself.

    ¡°Winds of the valley, cool the land,¡± Fan chanted. A small tornado began to form, which protected him. Levi was surprised that the minotaur knew spells. He nodded in admiration. Levi knew the tornado would absolutely destroy the water elemental, so he released it.

    Fan charged Levi; his speed was at a new level. Fantoar was pissed off. He hadn¡¯t even come close to landing a hit on Levi. Levi was bleeding which means he got hit this battle, that was a small victory, but it wasn¡¯t enough. He wanted to win no, he needed to win. This was his chance to be the best and he had to take out the best. Fantoar knew deep down that Levi was the best the city of Arcross had to offer. He was waiting for the rest of the city to catch on. It wasn¡¯t because of anything amazing that Levi did. He was very good at the little things. Levi planned well, Levi was friendly with his familiars which always meant a deeper and stronger bond. Levi had displayed care for the creatures he summoned and most of all Levi was a hard worker.

    ¡°Blades of Wind,¡± Fantoar changed. He wielded a large two-handed sword. The blade was 1 meter long and half a meter thick. He sliced at the air and massive wind blades came flying toward Levi. Levi couldn¡¯t dodge the first, so he did his best to tank it. This was not a good plan. Levi felt like he fell off a motorcycle going at high speeds. His skin under his cloak got torn up.

    The small cuts were now large wounds. He would not be able to take another direct hit like that again. Levi conjured orbs of chaos and sent them at the wind blade each contact caused a small explosion. Levi took the explosion as a moment to jump on Anza¡¯s back. This was a strategy that they had been practicing. Levi¡¯s mana was too low to perform his big void attack. He had enough to conjure orbs and that was it.

    On Anza¡¯s back, she started running around in circles around Fan. Dameion was now orbiting Fan, draining his mana. Levi sent different orbs at the minotaur, fire, lightning, and chaos all exploded onto the minotaur who would just not fall. Fan was able to block some of the orbs with his blades. Determination filled his eyes, and his final stand was near.

    ¡°Fill my cup as I empty it with a final charge,¡± Fan chanted. A beam of golden light appeared and blasted Fan from the heavens. The blast was so strong it sent Levi and Anza back, tumbling like a plastic bag in a windstorm. Levi shook the dust off his face and looked to see Fan had grown to be 8 feet tall, and his sword doubled in size.

    ¡°That¡¯s not great,¡± Levi said. The blast had destroyed the black holes that Dameion had sent to absorb mana. It would take some time before they could be reconjured. Fantoar was a distance away, so Levi had time to conjure a small ritual circle to restore mana with him standing in it. As he did he watched his mana bar tic up slowly. He knew what he needed to get to, his finishing move the void swarm. Fan had closed the gap forcing Levi to leave the ritual circle.

    Fan swung his giant sword down where Levi was. Levi was easily able to dodge the attack as it was quite slow now that the minotaur was so large. Each attack Levi was able to see and move out of the way. Levi didn¡¯t regain enough mana to perform the void storm. He did have an idea. Levi started drawing three ritual circles at a time. The first two were summoning rituals for Frost Giants, these were defensive specialists that used giant shields of ice to protect the summoner. The last was an explosive ritual that would explode and send all the damage to the one who destroyed it.

    That put Levi¡¯s mana very low, so this had to work, or he was out of the battle. The two frost giants conjured their massive ice shields and protected Levi with each of Fan¡¯s swinging swords. The sword of Fan bounced harmlessly off the shields, and he regained balance. The giants weren¡¯t there to fight they were there to force Fan to avoid focusing too much on the ritual Levi had created. Anza, who was still able to attack would send tentacles to spear the legs of the giant Fan.

    ¡°Okay, giants,¡± Levi said. ¡°Let his next attack land on the ritual circle.¡± The giants nodded slowly in acknowledgment. The massive, enhanced Fan swiped his sword down toward the frost giants who dodged at the last second. The two-hand sword crashed into the ground, the ritual circle, that was made of chaos energy, exploded in clouds of dark gray with red lightning bolts shooting up the blade of the sword. Eventually reaching Fan a giant bubble shield engulfed the overgrown minotaur and flew off to the locker room.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Levi said weakly. ¡°Hit the showers.¡± He fell flat on his back taking long deep breaths in. The crowd erupted in cheers. They started to chant his name.

    ¡°What a battle folks!¡± the announcer boomed. ¡°We were in for a treat!! Winner is Levi Winters of the summoners guild! He moves on to fight the rogues guild! A match you surely will not want to miss!¡±

    Levi eventually got to his feet and slowly walked to the locker room. His body was cut up from the wind blades and weapons, and his mana was nearly spent. After reaching the locker room, he plopped himself down on the bench and closed his eyes. He was absolutely exhausted and admittedly in a lot of pain.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Serenity asked.

    ¡°Just drained, that was a hard battle,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°That was the best you have fought,¡± Serenity complimented. ¡°You fought with confidence, you led us all very well, congratulations.¡±

    ¡°I feel like I could use all of you better,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°You can,¡± Serenity said. ¡°But this is not the time to test that out, this is the time to fight with what you know and what you are good at. Training is the time to test things out, to make mistakes, not here, not now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah alright, that¡¯s fair,¡± Levi conceded.

    ¡°Summoning the frost giants was a great call. What was that trap ritual?¡±

    ¡°It was one made of complete chaos magic,¡± Vapor said. ¡°I have never seen it applied in such a way, clever.¡±

    ¡°Return to Sender,¡± Levi said. ¡°That¡¯s what I call it. It doubles the amount of damage that was used to destroy the ritual and sends it back to the one that broke the ritual. Very hard to execute cause most people don¡¯t go around breaking rituals, well unless you¡¯re me of course.¡± Levi frowned. ¡°I really need to learn how to utilize my utility familiars more. But that will be a later task.¡±

    ¡°That was well done,¡± Tycen said, entering the locker room. He had two potions in his hand, a mana, and a health potion. ¡°Here, you¡¯re on your own for stamina recovery.¡±

    ¡°I think I have some food I can eat to help with that. I appreciate it!¡± Levi said. He downed the mana potion. It was sweet, tasting like melted icee. He could instantly feel his mana pool begin to refill. It was a strange feeling¡ªit felt like his stomach was full from drinking sparkling water. But rather than feeling bloated and icky, it felt soothing and calming. He drank the health potion that had the same flavor and texture as the mana potion. He could feel the potion course through his body and instantly heal any lingering wounds.

    Levi took a slow breath and pulled out a rice bowl out of thin air. He pulled a second one out and offered it to Tycen, who gladly took it. Levi thought about how he was about to eat a heavy meal an hour or so before his next big fight. There was a slight break to allow the minotaur team to recover before being forced into another battle. The magical pathways that grow after each rank up help devour and consume food in a much more efficient way. Everything that Levi consumes is used and beneficial. Some work better than others, like all food. He marveled at how he definitely would not get a stomachache; that was new territory for him¡ªbefore digging in, Levi pulled out a couple of raw fish for Serenity and Anza to eat. They did so with great happiness. For the crystal wisps, he pulled out two open flame grills. For Dameion, he wasn¡¯t sure what he liked to eat or even if he could, so he talked to him and reassured him. Lastly, for Vapor, he gave her some leftover star tokens.

    With every bite, Levi could see his stamina bar start to increase. Satisfied with the meal and being fully refreshed. Levi felt like he was now ready for the battle against his girlfriend. But in the time being, he turned his attention to the viewing ritual with Tycen. It was time for Anna to fight the Wintoars.

 Chapter 45 - Rendered Ineffective

    The battle between Anna and Fantoar was close. The Minotaur brothers were able to close the gap and prevent many long incantations, which were the spellcasters'' more powerful attacks. That was not to say that the Wintoars were having a successful battle; they were not. They were being beaten badly by the sorcerers. What the warriors'' guild had in strength, they lacked in speed, ultimately the defining factor in the battle with the sorcerers and the rogues.

    Even so both teams had lost vital members as the battle was nearing the end. It was Anna and Declan who once again teamed up. Something that did not go unnoticed by the Onyx family. The two of them were fighting Vin. Fan had just been eliminated by a blast of fire from Declan. Declan was a fire and earth specialist when it came to magic. He had both affinities making it likely that he would become a lava wizard, as his class evolution. This, in many ways, is what made him and Anna such a powerful couple.

    The pair complemented each other¡¯s weaknesses as Anna was a Blizzard Witch. As her affinity to Ice and Water was so strong. Anna had been hiding her true power however, as she had lied about what her last name was when attending Arcross. That ruse fell the second the announcer called her name and of course, he dad came to watch this match. Anna started using onyx stones more in her fighting style. She could conjure hailstorms and rather than hail falling it would be frozen chunks of onyx, making the damage much deadlier.

    She could make snowballs where the center of the snowball was an onyx stone frozen over. Anna began doing this in this particular battle, she couldn¡¯t do the same thing with Piper because Piper had the same ability to manipulate onyx. Definitely not to the spell-casting way that Anna could. Anna had eliminated Fan with the onyx hailstorm. Believing that Fan likely thought the hail would not do too much damage to him with his enhanced strength and vitality. If it were normal hail and Anna was 2-star that would be the case but neither of that were true.

    The battle showed that the end was near when Vintoar slipped in mud and lost his footing. He was now stumbling on the back foot as Declan shot fire ball after fire ball. Vin could block on so many as his stamina quickly drained. An ice ball from Anna created the small bubble shield and sent Vin back to the locker rooms. They did it.

    ¡°What an excellent battle!! Team Sorcerer are this year¡¯s Third place finishers!!¡± The announcer boomed. The crowd cheered loudly as they had just watched another extraordinary battle. Many spectators were discussing how this was the best set of battles that they had seen in many years. They could not remember powerful individuals such as Anna, Piper, Levi, and Fan before all-in-one tournament. It was truly a treat to be watching this year''s battle of the guilds.

    That buzz kept growing as the battleground began to change once more. Preparations for the final battle of this wonderful tournament were underway, and shortly, it would be underway.

    Anna and Declan were freshly showered and were on their way to the press box that the Onyx and Vendular families were present when they were stopped by Fantoar.

    ¡°That was a great battle,¡± Fan said, shaking Declan¡¯s hand. ¡°I had no idea you could manipulate onyx like that.¡± Fan¡¯s expression or tone showed no hard feelings. He genuinely was happy with how the battle went.

    ¡°Thanks Fan,¡± Anna said. ¡°It was a great battle.¡±

    ¡°Who do you think will win? Piper or Levi?¡± Fan asked.

    ¡°Honestly,¡± Anna said. ¡°Levi.¡± Declan turned in surprise at that response. He thought for sure that Anna would have said Piper. He thought Piper would win. Fantoar was close and they were the slower opponent. ¡°Do you not agree?¡± Anna asked Declan looking at his face.

    ¡°No,¡± Declan said. ¡°I think Piper would win. The same reason we lost to the Rogues. They are faster than you all.¡± Declan said, gesturing to the minotaurs. ¡°Not as powerful sure, but all they need to do is close the gap, and Levi is screwed. His staff is strong, but it deals no damage besides blunt force.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Anna said. ¡°But I have learned to never underestimate Levi. I am quite sure he will find a way to make up for that difference. I am also positive he can see trap rituals, so Piper won¡¯t be able to set too many.¡±

    ¡°Does Piper know that?¡± Fan asked.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Anna said. ¡°But he did use those weird creatures to fight destroy the other rituals. Come, we can continue this discussion in the viewing box my family has.¡± Anna gestured for the brothers to follow. Understanding who they would be encountering in the room was nerve-wracking, but they knew better than to reject the offer of a princess. The three of them shared a look and did as they were told.

    ¡°Anna,¡± Leandro said. ¡°You fought brilliantly! Ahh as did you young master Raya.¡± The king gave his daughter a warm hug and Declan a firm handshake. He looked at the three minotaurs standing awkwardly at the door. ¡°Come in come in, you three fought valiantly! In both battles!¡± The king shook each of the minotaur''s hands and introduced them to the rest of the people in the family. Karin, the youngest sister, looked at Fan with a big smile. She noticed how uncomfortable the big minotaur was. She patted the seat next to him and leaned over once he sat down.

    ¡°We have a silent bet going around on the victor,¡± she said. ¡°Would you want in on the action? I totally think Piper is going to kick Levi¡¯s¡­¡± she paused and saw her mother shooting daggers at her. ¡°Butt,¡± Karin said rather unconvincingly. Fan chuckled and began to relax.

    ¡°I think so too,¡± Fan said. ¡°Levi is an excellent combatant, but Piper is much better, and she is faster.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll have to do it quick,¡± Trey said. ¡°Once Levi gets going, he¡¯s hard to stop.¡±

    ¡°That is true!¡± Leandro agreed. ¡°She¡¯ll have to be smart. This environment gives Levi the advantage.¡± The battleground was a snowy mountain scape. Shin-high snow covered the battleground. There were a few very tall trees and an ice-cold river splitting the halves again. There weren¡¯t many places to hide but Levi could definitely find a way to make use of the snowy landscape. The rogues would have a harder time navigating through the snow and it would slow down their movement.

    ¡°Interesting choice,¡± Trey said. ¡°It almost seems as compensation for Levi¡¯s other fight.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Leandro nodded.

    ¡°And here we are! The final battle of this year¡¯s Battle of the guilds!!! You know the teams, you know the rules, you know the stakes! SO, without further ado! LETS BATTLE!¡± the announcer boomed. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Good luck, Piper,¡± Levi said. Knowing that no one but his familiars could hear him. ¡°Alright, gang, let¡¯s do this. Dameion, go scout and let us know what you find. Crystal and Willow set up lighting traps in the snow.¡± The three entities left to go do their instructed jobs. The wisps would split into their swarm form and then send lightning currents between their bodies. They took off and hid deep in the snow and began their current.

    Levi spent the next few moments waiting for his scout to come back with information on how to best use Serenity. The plan they came up with would likely be vital but would require a lot of coordination. For this battle, Anza would stay fused with Levi; her added bonus of protection against physical attacks would be vital. Vapor used the white snow to her advantage and created a deep fog that spread throughout most of the battle ground giving the illusion that Levi was stalking through the forest.

    Piper set up her rituals to enhance her teammates. Everyone was ready for their fight and was eager to take down the lowly summoner. Raphael had been talking nonstop about how they were going to beat down Levi and show how real magic users do it. Piper knew getting him to be humble was not going to work with words, that was not who he was. He was a cocky man who never took losing well.

    After they were all set with their rituals, they all took off into the snow forest. The trees were too far apart for them to jump from tree to tree. They had to trek slowly through the snow. Thankfully, the ritual Piper had used had allowed them to step on snow without sinking as deep; it was now akin to running in sand. As they approached the ice-cold river, a dense fog took over the other side.

    ¡°He thinks that the fog will help him,¡± Raphael said. ¡°He is a bigger idiot than I thought, we are Rogues, hiding is what we do.¡±

    The rest of the rogue team did not share that same level of confidence that he did about being an idiot in the fog. As they continued to step forward Piper heard something whistling in the air.

    ¡°Watch out,¡± Piper called. Fire orbs were being sent out of the fog. The were sizzling past the rogues overhead. They were larger than Levi could conjure so this had to be a summon. Levi had summoned five fire elementals and lined them up; they all launched their fire balls at the same time repeatedly.

    Levi was on the back of Serenity in the air. Dameion was orbiting around them in a much larger black hole. Usually, Dameion was the size of a basketball; now, he was the size of a truck tire. The black singularity was big and could now absorb attacks. The light blue accretion disk was orbiting faster than usual as Dameion had prepared to absorb any attack while Levi was flying above.

    Summoning the five elementals didn¡¯t take too much of his mana, which was good. He spotted where the rest of Rogues were and sent orbs of chaos raining down from above them. The orbs were fired with force, and every impact on the ground was enough to cause a small crater and explosion. The rogues moved quickly as they were being attacked; they started dodging fireballs and chaos orbs, but they were too distracted to see the wisps in the ground.

    Sally screamed and seized up as she was electrocuted. The bubble shield appeared around her in a moment as she fell to the ground. It sent her back to the locker room. This happened to two of the other Rogue members. Raphael and Piper were all that remained. Raphael had spotted Levi flying in the sky. He climbed a tree and flung several ninja stars at the dragon. As the stars got close, they rerouted their course and were absorbed by the strange familiar that Levi had.

    Raphael cursed throwing objects would be ineffective, or so he thought. He remembered he had an item. He pulled out a special ninja star. It had a tag attached to it, Raphael threw the ninja star and like the others it was absorbed by the familiar. A small explosion happened inside Dameion. Raphael smiled at what he had just done. The tag was a magically activated bomb that dealt definite force damage. This would be able to harm entities such as Dameion. The smile quickly faded from his face as he saw nothing happen to the familiar. It simply absorbed the damage, and nothing changed.

    ¡°Dameion,¡± Serenity said. ¡°Will be unable to absorb anything else. This strategy has been rendered ineffective.¡±

    ¡°Heard,¡± Levi said. ¡°Next phase.¡± Serenity fused with Levi as did Dameion. Levi was free falling down to the ground a cloud formed under Levi and he stood up right and floated slowly to the ground. Piper saw his decent and began conjuring several trap rituals, all with different effects. She needed to drain his mana, that would be the only way they could win.

    Raphael charged Levi, still enhanced with speed and strength he ran over the snow with ease taking care to avoid the lightning. As he got closer, he threw his ninja stars, some of them landed, most of them missed. Levi grimaced as the sharp objects dug into his flesh. Raphael pulled out two daggers and activated an ability he had, his speed increased, and his eyes turned solid blue. Running full speed with a predatory grin he launched himself at Levi. They were engaging in a one-on-one battle, while Piper was trying to draw ritual circles under Levi.

    Levi pulled out his staff and expertly dodged every attack that Raphael sent at him despite being slower. Raphael would slash, stab, and lunge with different feints and counters. He was unable to find an opening, but he was patient. He constantly waited for the right moment before he could attack, he saw it as Levi looked at his feet and saw a ritual circle being formed. Raphael stabbed Levi in the side with the dagger.

    Levi grunted in pain as he looked at the dagger pulsating in his side. It exploded. Levi¡¯s flesh was gone, but under was a metallic looking flesh protecting his bones and insides. For a second Levi looked like a cyborg and it caught Raphael off guard. Levi smiled at the look and used that moment to conjure and fire two orbs of chaos. The orbs were direct hits as Raphael was too distracted that he hadn¡¯t killed Levi to dodge. The bubble shield appeared, and Raphael was out of the fight.

    Piper threw her kunai knives as Levi was dodging each ritual circle she attempted to draw. Crystal and Willow got out of the ground and now did the same thing above ground. Piper looked at where they were going and expertly dodged every current of lightning. It looked like she was a professional thief dodging lasers in an action movie. Piper was too busy dodging to notice that the wisps were forming a ritual circle, which Piper didn¡¯t even notice that was possible.

    There was a bright light in the center of the circle that Piper saw in disbelief. This was a complex ritual circle, not only a 3-star complex but there were five different shapes. The bright center kept growing and it was clear now that a massive wisps the size of a human had been summoned. It was plasma yellow, it looked at Piper created a massive bolt of lightning and threw it at her. Piper¡¯s bubble shield prevented the attack from landing; she slumped as the bubble shield took her away.

    ¡°What was it you said about beating him?¡± Sally asked as they watched Piper get sent back to the locker room.

    ¡°He¡¯s some kind of metal beast; how was I supposed to know?¡± Raphael defended himself.

    ¡°He¡¯s human,¡± Piper said. ¡°That was his familiar.¡±

    ¡°We have a winner,¡± the announcer boomed. Levi Winters from the summoners guild!!!¡± Levi didn¡¯t stay and wave at anyone, as most people were silent. No one actually wanted him to win. Back in the locker room, he looked at his missing skin and muscles.

    ¡°This is disgusting,¡± Levi said. ¡°How did this even happen?¡± Levi¡¯s ability to not pass out from seeing blood had increased since reaching higher ranks. It still was awful to look at, but he wasn¡¯t going to faint. The pain that Levi was experiencing was unlike anything he had ever experienced. He wasn¡¯t even sure how he hadn¡¯t fainted from that pain. He drew a small ritual circle of healing in the shower area. He did it there because the ritual was not neat. It would leave a very bloody mess.

    Red beams of light shot out of the ritual circle, the lights scanned his whole body and found the wounds. A small laser-like light appeared and started regrowing the lost skin and muscles that Levi had blown up. Blood and red substances sprayed all over the place like pressure washing a driveway. Levi gritted his teeth at the stingy pain in his side. Eventually the pain died down as the skin had regrown and the bleeding stopped. Levi sighed a sigh of relief and his breathing returned to normal.

    Now, all the feelings of pride could wash over him. He sat on the ground, excited for what he had just accomplished. He tried to hide his smile, but it was too strong to stop. Levi had just done what people thought was impossible. He won the battle of the guilds solo.

 Chapter 46 - Something Magical

    Levi was sitting on the floor of the shower, watching his wound heal. It was a weird thing to observe and actively watch muscles reform, tendons attach, and skin heal. Usually, a slow process that could only be seen with a timelapse or not at all. It was beautiful to watch. Levi was transfixed by the healing that when it finished his mind went back to the realization that he had just won. The world was silent as he sat on the floor. His mind was empty, he expected this to feel great, but instead, he felt. He wasn¡¯t sure what he felt.

    Lonely. Upstairs Anna and Piper could celebrate with their families as they had made the journey here. Guild members could celebrate or mourn together or fans in the crowd. Everyone had someone that they could spend genuine time with. Levi, finally, cared about something and won a tournament but didn¡¯t have his family to celebrate with.

    He remembered when his older sister Hallee won her first volleyball tournament and was MVP. The family was so ecstatic they went out to eat and celebrate. They went and got pizza at a restaurant that had an arcade attached to it. Levi had so much fun and Hallee was so grateful and felt loved. Levi remembered sitting down with Hallee eating pizza and she talked about how cool it was to be loved and celebrated like this. She told him these would be the moments that she would remember and cherish the most.

    Tears fell down Levi¡¯s face, he never got that opportunity to be celebrated and loved like that. Until now, he finally won something and there he was sitting alone in a magical locker room, after a magical battle, where no one expected him to win, and he did. Inside his soul he could feel his familiars give him some encouragement and love. He smiled. It will never be the same as it was for Hallee, but it can still be something here. He needed to remember that as he prepared for the future.

    This was his moment to get what he wanted, he had Piper and Anna, now Tycen. He could ask them to celebrate with him, he could form new traditions and new memories. He can fill that void that is in his heart, a family sized void. Pushing back a feeling of love and gratitude towards his familiars, Levi finally stood up. He dried himself off and changed into his casual clothes. It was a much nicer tunic with his cloak and some pants. Serenity and Anza defused to appear next to Levi. Serenity shrunk to the size of a cat and perched herself on Levi¡¯s shoulder. Anza shrunk to the size of a tiger. The trio walked out of the locker room.

    Levi almost ran into Piper.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Levi said awkwardly. Piper giggled and gave him a kiss.

    ¡°Great job, babe,¡± she said. Piper linked her fingers in his. ¡°What was that ritual magic to summon that crazy big wisp?¡±

    ¡°It was a very specific summoning ritual,¡± Levi explained. The pair had been walking hand in hand towards Piper¡¯s family. ¡°Each familiar has their own but it¡¯s not easy to draw or learn how to do it.¡±

    ¡°Oh wow, that¡¯s crazy. Who can you do it with?¡±

    ¡°Willow & Crystal, obviously, and then Dameion. Anza and I are close,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know you could do that,¡± Piper said. She looked at Levi, she noticed that the usual joy was absent from his face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Levi stopped walking.

    ¡°I had a moment after winning, I felt really lonely that I didn¡¯t have any of my folks to celebrate with. This was like my first major win of anything in my life and I didn¡¯t have my fam here to celebrate it with me. I know you and yours are here which is great¡­¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s not the same,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°I bet seeing my family would not be the most helpful especially after what happen last time you were around them.¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be ideal, no. But I want to celebrate you too. You fought really well and shocked a lot of people to reach this point.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Levi,¡± she said softly with sad eyes. Piper could not understand what Levi was going through. Sure, she was at this school, which was a few days away from her family but that was it for a few days. Levi had no way of knowing if he could go back, let alone how long of a journey that would be. Piper understood that Levi was strong, and Levi also pushed down his emotions. Even though he had been solemn it was nice to know that Levi had experienced some sort of emotions following the battle.

    Piper didn¡¯t know exactly what Levi needed but she knew that she was going to do what it took to have Levi feel loved and celebrated. She loved him a whole lot, a lot more than she had expected. To a degree that she would have to ask her mom what was going on.

    ¡°I love you Levi,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°I love you, back Piper. A lot,¡± Levi said. The two shared a passionate kiss, then continued on to the room.

    ¡°Congratulations Levi,¡± Leandro said. ¡°That was a great display of fighting! Very impressed, very impressed.¡± The king shook the hand of Levi and went to hug Piper, booming his congrats to her as well. Anna was next and wrapped Levi up in a hug.

    ¡°Good job,¡± she whispered. The next few minutes were spent shaking hands, giving hugs, and accepting congratulations from various people in the viewing box. Eventually everything died down and Levi got to grab some food and sit in a seat overlooking the battleground. The scene hadn¡¯t changed yet but Levi could see the places where his wisps had set their traps up.

    ¡°I know my family thinks you¡¯re evil,¡± Karin said coming up to him. ¡°I think you¡¯re pretty cool.¡±

    Levi chuckled at the young girl. Karin was a teenager, fifteen or sixteen years old, Levi wasn¡¯t sure. She had long black hair, that was wavy and fell down to her midback. She had dark bronze skin like the rest of her family and the same Asian features. The thing that shocked Levi the most was she wore glasses. Levi assumed that magic made eyesight just better, Karin was a magic user. Maybe at higher ranks? She reached out a hand to pet Serenity, Serenity went and sat on the young girls lap.

    ¡°Thanks, Karin,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I¡¯m a magic user and my guild is still up for me to choose. I want to be a summoner, like you,¡± Karin said with a big smile. ¡°Piper said you taught her ritual magic to help with her class evolution.¡± Levi stared at the youngest Onyx princess with teary eyes and a happy expression. ¡°Do you think you could teach me summoning rituals?¡±

    ¡°I can, yeah,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯m curious. Why a summoner?¡±

    ¡°You have these super cool familiars, and you can summon some really cool creatures too. I get lonely sometimes and I feel like they would make my life a little less lonely,¡± Karin said sadly looking down. ¡°I just thought that if I can summon some creatures or even a familiar then¡­ never mind, I probably sound crazy.¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Levi said with a genuine smile. ¡°I gettchu. There¡¯s somethin deep inside your soul that is yearning for companionship. Not romantic, not family, but something different?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Karin said with her eyes beaming. ¡°That¡¯s exactly how I feel!¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Levi nodded. ¡°I felt that way too a lot before Anza.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so cool, like I want that, I want to be able to feel a deep connection with something that feels it back fully. You feel that right?¡±

    ¡°I do and I understand. I¡¯m super lucky to have the ones I do. WITH your parents¡¯ permission, I can teach you a basic familiar summoning ritual and we can summon your first familiar.¡± Karin¡¯s eyes shot up and she looked at him with those wide eyes.

    ¡°Really?¡± Karin asked, almost yelling. By this point, everyone could hear her excitement and had turned to see what was happening. ¡°Mom, Dad, can I do a familiar summoning ritual with Levi?¡± Leandro chuckled. He was still nervous about Levi and would still like to learn more about the young man.

    However, the look on his daughters face was priceless. King Leandro was a lot of things which included doing what he could to make his children feel loved, seen, and heard.

    ¡°You¡¯d need a familiar essence, sweetheart and that is not easy to find,¡± Alessia said.

    ¡°I have one,¡± Levi said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± Alessia and Leandro shared a look then nodded with a small smile.

    ¡°Under one condition,¡± Leandro said.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°You do it where all of us can see it,¡± Leandro said with a smirk.

    ¡°Deal,¡± Karin said excitedly. ¡°Can we do it now?¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Alessia shook her head at the lack of decorum she had painstakingly taught into her daughter. Karin was not like Anna and Rayvin. The two were like Alessia, calm, stoic, and measured. She was like Leandro, loud, charismatic, and spontaneous.

    ¡°There¡¯s plenty of room here to do it, sweetheart. Let¡¯s get it over with so we can go back to displaying our manners,¡± Alessia said.

    ¡°Mom if you think that will happen after she gets a familiar you are sorely mistaken,¡± Rayvin chuckled. The rest of the Onyx family nodded in agreement.

    ¡°What kind of familiar can you give her Levi?¡± Alessia said, ignoring her daughter.

    ¡°Nothing, evil,¡± Leandro teased.

    ¡°Something magical,¡± Karin said.

    ¡°There would be no point if you didn¡¯t have something magical,¡± Levi said to her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to uncle, Levi.¡± Piper said. ¡°Give her something that can protect her and be her best friend like you and Anza.¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± Leandro said mock hurt. Everyone laughed.

    ¡°I have an idea,¡± Levi said. ¡°First lesson, Karin.¡± She snapped into attention eyes glued on Levi. ¡°Summoning is a delicate art. Mixing materials can be dangerous but also quite useful. If using multiple materials,¡± Levi pulled out his wand and began drawing a familiar ritual circle. ¡°Be sure to know which material goes where. Now, unfortunately I am going to have to do a 2-star ritual which means I¡¯ll have to do it. I have to do that because I am adding an item and you¡¯re technically for the purposes of the ritual will be filling in a rune circle, meaning we¡¯d need at least two rune circles.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m following,¡± Karin said excitement full in her voice.

    ¡°The materials I¡¯m using are magical ones, I just so happen to buy a crap ton of materials so I¡¯ not short on any. The circle that I¡¯m drawing will be made of three different materials,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Why three?¡± Leandro asked. He was fully paying attention as he had never seen a summoner work before.

    ¡°It¡¯ll create the highest chance of the creature I am thinking of,¡± Levi said. ¡°Next rule of summoning, unless you have specific runes and the exact materials, getting a specific creature is very hard to do.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to give her the exact creature?¡± Alessia asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Levi said. ¡°The potential beings that can be summoned with the materials I selected are all great. I¡¯m using prismarine shard dust, onyx dust, and gold dust.¡±

    ¡°Those are expensive,¡± Anna mused. ¡°Levi that is very generous.¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Alessia said. ¡°Thank you, we will pay you back in full.¡±

    ¡°Nah,¡± Levi said. ¡°You¡¯re my best friend¡¯s family, we¡¯re good. Karin, you see that middle circle?¡± she nodded. ¡°Go stand in that circle, these are called rune circles.¡± She did as she was told. Levi walked over and pulled out a stone that was shaped like an anatomically correct heart. He placed it in the other rune circle. ¡°As soon as I say, come out, come out,¡± Levi instructed. ¡°I apologize to everyone else; I don¡¯t need to use an incantation, so I don¡¯t, you miss the fun sayings, I¡¯m told happen with familiar summons.¡±

    Levi touched his hand on the ritual circle, and it began glowing, ¡°Come on out, Karin.¡± Karin left the circle to come stand next to Levi. The familiar essence started to glow the same colors as the summoning circle, it flew into Karin. Inside the circle where Karin was standing a bright aqua-teal sphere began forming.

    A creature formed. It had four legs, webbed paws and scales going halfway up its legs. Fur covered the rest of the legs and the body and half of its face and none of its tail. It had a long mermaid-like tail that had spikes along the spine of the tail and its body. It¡¯s face was more pointed like a lizard, it had a rounded snout and fins behind its ears. Two long curly whiskers on each side of its snout went towards the ears. The creature had black scales that glimmered gold, it¡¯s fur was the same color. Rather than glimmering gold it had golden stipes that went horizontal across its body.

    It had golden eyes that looked back at Karin with compassion and curiosity. ¡°Nailed it,¡± Levi whispered under his breath.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Alessia asked. ¡°I have never seen this creature before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a Depths Newt,¡± Levi explained. ¡°They aren¡¯t native to this world, but to a world made of mostly water. These little fellas stay near the depths of the one region of the sea and protect the rocks and minerals at the bottom from various things. They are powerful and loyal creatures.¡±

    ¡°Is that what you were wanting?¡± Leandro asked. ¡°It has the color of onyx.¡±

    ¡°It was,¡± Levi said. Karin latched herself in a vice grip hug on Levi, she was trembling with how much excitement she had.

    ¡°Thank you, it¡¯s perfect,¡± Karin said. The newt was staring at everyone cautiously waiting for Karin to do something. Karin turned its attention to her new familiar. ¡°Hey, can you speak?¡± It made a gurgling noise. ¡°I can understand you, wow.¡± Karin mused. To Levi¡¯s surprise, he could also understand what the familiar said. Levi looked around in surprise to see if anyone else could understand what was said but it appears he and Karin were the only ones. Piper noticed the look of confusion on Levi¡¯s face and saved that into the ¡°what did you find out this time?¡± list of questions she had already.

    ¡°Are you a boy or a girl? Do you have a name?¡± Karin asked. More gurgles. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to name you Blitz,¡± Karin said. Karin walked up and gave her familiar a big hug. Blitz was about the size of an average medium sized dog. Absolutely massive compared to the newts on Levi¡¯s home world.

    Levi smiled wide at the excitement in Karin. She was so happy to have a friend and it was a quite cool familiar to have. Levi felt good that he was able to help yet another person see the benefits of summoning magic. He felt like he was genuinely making a difference in the world. Piper walked over and stood next to Levi as the Onyx parents approached Levi.

    ¡°We cannot thank you enough for the kindness you have displayed to our family today,¡± Alessia said. ¡°Your insights into a magic that we had long thought ineffective and pointless has brought such joy to our family. I would be less scared now to send my daughter to the summoner¡¯s guild here in Arcross. That is because of you and your generosity. So, thank you, once again Levi Winters.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Levi,¡± the king said. ¡°I have not treated you with any respect or dignity since we met. For that I truly apologized. Today you proved to me that you are a better man than I have been and that was humbling.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Queen,¡± Levi said. ¡°No worries, man. One of us was bound to be right and the other wrong. I¡¯m just glad that it didn¡¯t turn more violent than you were planning. I don¡¯t know what your plans to have me taken out were, but I know they were going to happen soon.¡± The king looked away sheepishly but nodded slightly.

    ¡°They were but not anymore,¡± Leandro said. ¡°You have become a royal ally to the Onyx family. Now I¡¯ll let your parents, Piper, spend time interrogating Levi. Congrats again Levi, you deserved that win, and I am happy I was here to watch it.¡±

    ¡°My mom really needs to talk to us,¡± Piper whispered to Levi.

    ¡°Should I be scared?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Piper said with a grin.

    While Levi and Karin were talking about familiars and summoning. Piper had sought out her mom for some help and perspective. Maddi Vendular was a clergy for the church of fertility. This church was in charge of all things related to pregnancies, child-rearing, and birthing. Levi had learned that they pay for insemination of babies with the blessing from the goddess of fertility. Giving a strong, and easy pregnancy. To Levi¡¯s surprise pregnancies here last two months. The first month the baby grows rapidly, the second month the mother is given magic coins to help with delivery and help develop the immune system of the baby immediately.

    He thought about how wonderful that would be if that magic was present on the world he was from. He also wondered how many less babies there would be in the world. Magic was a crazy thing.

    ¡°What is it dear?¡± Maddi asked Piper.

    ¡°I think I want to marry Levi,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°So soon?¡± Maddi asked.

    ¡°Yes. I just, I have dated plenty of people that you have set me up with and they were all fine. Some of them I had fun with. But this is different. Something with Levi is different. It¡¯s like I only want to be with him and today cemented that line of thinking.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Maddi asked.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t go easy on me because we were dating. Which is something I told him to do. So many of the guys that I dated or interacted with treated me like I wasn¡¯t capable of fighting or holding my own. But that¡¯s crap cause you and dad raised me to be this badass rogue and I am. Only Levi treats me like that.¡±

    ¡°I see. Tell me, what do you think of people claiming that he is evil? Does that not concern you?¡±

    ¡°Mom,¡± Piper complained. ¡°No, he¡¯s not evil at all.¡±

    ¡°But the prophecy-¡±

    ¡°Is crap mom!¡± Piper interrupted. ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting what 600 years and now we think its Levi?¡±

    ¡°Piper, honey, I don¡¯t want you to have a split in the family because of Levi. Right now, tell me who would you choose, Levi or us?¡±

    Piper paused for a moment. She took a deep breath knowing that this question was unfair, and her mom was testing her. She looked her mother in her eyes. ¡°Levi.¡± she said. Maddi¡¯s face paled and she went to open her mouth to speak, but Piper continued. ¡°If our family is okay with treating someone who is lost, alone, and in need of help like how I have seen this past year that¡¯s not a family I want to be a part of. Grandpa was rude as hells to him at dinner, Kai has been an ass since he met Levi, and dad arranged his kidnapping. KIDNAPPING! And you stand here asking about Levi being evil?

    I have seen Levi cook meals for an entire village after they were attacked by barbarians. I have seen him give a magic essence to a young man for extremely discounted price, then give me and Anna the proceeds. I have seen him forgive our family, the royal family, again and again, when we don¡¯t deserve it! Levi has shown me nothing but kindness and love in his actions. He doesn¡¯t speak about it, he is it. You can look at his familiars and see world eaters, all-consuming entities, and scary creatures, and be afraid. Or you can ask yourself, why are all these powerful, powerful beasts wanting to be a familiar to this man? If I had to choose between Levi and you all, it would be Levi because he¡¯s not the one splitting the family. It¡¯s you.¡±

    Maddi didn¡¯t respond for several moments after Piper had finished speaking. She was shocked by what he daughter had just said. She turned her head as if someone was calling her name.

    ¡°Your daughter is correct, Maddi Vendular,¡± a divine voice said.

    ¡°Is Levi evil, my lady?¡±

    ¡°That is not for me to share. Ask yourself this, if a man sees a village being pillaged, abused, and overran by barbarians stops and saves the town after a long journey, is he evil?¡±

    ¡°Depends on why he did it,¡± Maddi responded.

    ¡°Does it? If a man saves a child because he wants a reward or because he wanted to save the child. Do the parents of the child who got saved care what the reasoning is?¡±

    ¡°No, they would just call him a hero.¡±

    ¡°Just so. Last question.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lady?¡±

    ¡°When a mother is giving birth, is the birthing room in order or chaos?¡±

    ¡°Chaos, but it¡¯s not bad chaos, there is just a lot happening.¡± Maddi felt the presence of her goddess leave without an answer. Maddi looked back at Piper who was staring at her used to the look when her mom was talking to her goddess. Maddi wasn¡¯t sure what the goddess meant by that last question, but something pricked her mind about it.

 Chapter 47 - Move Forward

    A couple of days after the battle of the guilds, things started to return to normal. Piper and Anna¡¯s family returned home to Arvendon. There was a buzz around the city of Arcross as the dungeon was now visible to magical senses and would be spawning monsters very soon. The teams were already chosen by the guildmasters of the city. There have only been three official teams created by the guilds so far. It was the Wintoar brothers, the Rangers that Levi battled, and Levi¡¯s team. Levi¡¯s team was given priority as it had the highest average star rank, being 3-star.

    Levi¡¯s time at the summoner¡¯s guild was coming to an end. He had surpassed any potential that the professors had thought he would have being a student here. Not only was Levi a great summoner, but he was also one of the best students the professors ever had. Levi was sadden by the prospect of leaving; they had taught him so much, and this place was all he had ever known on this world.

    He spent time with the professors as they were preparing for their final goodbyes.

    ¡°For the time you are always welcome to come and stay in your room, I hope we get more students, but it is not likely.¡± Egret said.

    ¡°Thank you, but I will rent if we need one,¡± Levi said. ¡°I know at least two new summoners will be coming next year.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Bertrum asked.

    ¡°Karin Onyx and Victor- I don¡¯t know his last name,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°The princess Onyx? She¡¯s young.¡±

    ¡°So is Victor; they are both sixteen,¡± Levi said. ¡°Why is there such a wide age gap? I¡¯m 25, Piper and Anna are also in their early twenties, but you accept 16-year-olds?¡±

    ¡°We do. It¡¯s not about age. Parents pick and choose when they want their children to come to the guilds. Most parents wait until their children are 2-star but that¡¯s not always the case.¡±

    ¡°I see. That makes sense so a personal preference?¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Egret responded. ¡°Are you ready for the dungeon? You depart next week, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we do, and I think so,¡± Levi responded. ¡°At the very least Piper and I are ready,¡± Levi chuckled.

    ¡°Did things calm down with you and her family?¡± Bertrum asked.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Levi said. ¡°The goddess of fertility speaking to Aunty Maddi was helpful. It took a bit but before they left, she figured out what the goddess meant by her last question. After that she found me and apologized.¡±

    ¡°What did she mean?¡± Egret asked.

    ¡°Not all chaos is bad chaos,¡± Levi said. ¡°A message I have been saying for a while and not all order is good.¡±

    ¡°And she works in the birthing unit,¡± Egret mused. ¡°That must have been an easy question to answer but a hard one to figure out the meaning.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Levi said. ¡°I think we¡¯re fine, Piper is still super upset and doesn¡¯t want anything to do with them for a bit. We¡¯ll see after the dungeon how she feels. I ain¡¯t going to push either way.¡±

    ¡°But you should,¡± Bertrum said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°You have experience with missing family because of one moment that led to a ton of other distancing moments. You have told me, and I have seen how hard it is for you. Don¡¯t let her go down that path.¡±

    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Do you care what they think of you?¡±

    ¡°At this point no.¡±

    ¡°Even more reason for you to steer her in the right direction. Levi, you want them to think you¡¯re a good guy, be that good guy and bring their daughter home to them.¡±

    Levi sat for a moment, thinking about the words his professor told him. He appreciated both Professor Egret and Bertrum. They had taught him well in the ways of magic. Now, he was being taught in the ways of family. He wouldn¡¯t push away the advice by any means; he would take it into deep consideration.

    ¡°Yeah alright, fine,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Piper.¡±

    ¡°This might be forward Mr. Winters,¡± Professor Egret. ¡°Are you planning on marrying young Lady Piper?¡±

    ¡°Uhh,¡± Levi thought. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Haven¡¯t really thought that far but it¡¯s not something that I wouldn¡¯t hate. I mean, we¡¯ve talked about aristocracy and how I want no parts of it or to start my own.¡±

    ¡°Very good,¡± Egret said. ¡°I imagine love on this world is very different than yours. Here, it is more duty than heart. Marriages are arranged, babies are planned, and houses are formed; this is how things go. I suspect the fissure between young Lady Piper and her mother was due to the fact that Piper is planning on marrying you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I bet that¡¯s right,¡± Levi nodded.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t scare you?¡± Egret asked.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Levi said. ¡°We¡¯re trending in the right direction. But I guess I don¡¯t know the traditions. Do I ask permission? Do I propose? No one wears wedding rings here so is that even a thing?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Bertrum said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do any of that. There isn¡¯t some large ceremony or procession; it just happens.¡±

    ¡°Damn,¡± Levi said. ¡°Marriages are a lot bigger deal where I¡¯m from. At least the performance of is.¡±

    ¡°Do people get married?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, it''s a huge deal. Proposals are big; there are different celebrations, the actual wedding, and after-parties, which cost an exorbitant amount of money.¡±

    ¡°People must be married for a long time,¡± Egret mused.

    ¡°Well, no¡­ divorce rate is 51%¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Divorce?¡± Egret asked.

    ¡°They legally get unmarried,¡± Levi explained.

    ¡°So more than 1 out of 2 marriages end in divorce?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Our way is better,¡± Bertrum concluded.

    ¡°I take it by the confusion of the word divorce that is not a thing?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Egret said. ¡°If you choose to marry, you marry for life, for no more reason than duty if love is not present.¡±

    ¡°I imagine that they¡¯ll fall in love eventually, folks live longer here,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°That is typically the case yes,¡± Egret nodded.

    ¡°Are you two married?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Egret said.

    ¡°Nice, to who?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°To,¡± Egret said slowly in confusion. ¡°Each other.¡±

    ¡°What the?!¡± Levi said. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Bertrum laughed.

    ¡°What did you think?¡±

    ¡°That you were work friends?¡±

    ¡°We are,¡± Egret said. ¡°We also got married as a political peace offering between our two families. We¡¯ve been married for nearly a century. We have several kids who are all professors now, much older than you, Levi.¡±

    ¡°What happens when you two make a baby?¡± Levi asked. ¡°Sorry if that¡¯s rude but I let the intrusive thoughts win.¡±

    Bertrum chuckled. ¡°We have magic using half elf, half falconine. They are adorable and all magic users.¡±

    ¡°This is blowing my mind,¡± Levi whispered. ¡°Are they summoners?¡±

    ¡°They are,¡± Bertrum nodded. ¡°Quite good but you are better.¡± Egret nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Okay okay okay,¡± Levi said, shaking his head, trying to understand the situation before him. ¡°What is your last name then?¡±

    ¡°Arbor,¡± Bertrum said slowly.

    ¡°Arbor,¡± Levi said. ¡°Why does that sound familiar¡­ Arbor¡­?¡± Levi kept thinking, placing his chin in his palm and absently tapped his chin. The professors sat there patiently waiting for him to figure it out. Levi¡¯s eyes shot open, and he pulled out a piece of old-looking paper. He held it up and was mumble reading. Levi¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°ARBOR ARBOR??¡± He practically yelled.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Egret said. ¡°That Arbor. What is that paper?¡±

    ¡°Wow, so where is your family now? It¡¯s a letter from some dude named M. Veluvius. This was the second letter I got from him.¡±

    ¡°We are around and still have many members spread throughout the world. I¡¯m surprised you never asked us about it,¡± Bertrum said. ¡°Veluvius was one of the world''s best summoners. He and the counsel of summoners all disappeared, and no one knows what happened.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Levi mused. ¡°So, I take it you aren¡¯t fans of the Onyx¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not fans of the king, we have no quarrel with the children,¡± Egret said. ¡°How are you getting these letters?¡±

    ¡°Randomly, I''ll get this feeling of chaos energy, and I follow that energy. There is a chest there waiting for me. This letter about the Arbors was letter #6, and right before I was taken.¡±

    ¡°You randomly feel chaos energy?¡± Egret asked. ¡°How strong is your affinity?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a chaotic paragon now instead of otherworlder, so very?¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I think the thing that is important is recognizing that you are getting specific gifts, how?¡± Bertrum asked.

    ¡°Beats me, man.¡±

    ¡°It was the will of Veluvius. He allowed the letters to be sent randomly with chaos magic in hopes that his mistake couldn¡¯t find them,¡± a chorus of creepy voices said.

    ¡°Y¡¯all gotta stop doing that, man,¡± Levi said to the ghosts.

    ¡°Uhh Levi,¡± Egret said. ¡°Do you know these ghosts?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve met once, Professor Egret. We are guides, if you will, to help Levi,¡± they said.

    ¡°Okay. So Veluvius uses chaos magic to have his letters haphazardly appear?¡±

    ¡°You accepted our presence quickly,¡± they observed.

    ¡°I¡¯m a professor of summoning this is hardly the strangest thing I have encountered, now my question.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but they are to appear with the one who has the strong affinity to chaos and only them. Their locations are varied on the location of the destined being.¡±

    ¡°Imma bet that I¡¯m the destined being?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Just so,¡± the ghosts said. ¡°You are the one who was summoned, not by random.¡±

    ¡°Wait a min,¡± Levi said, narrowing his eyes. ¡°If I was summoned¡­ Does that mean when things are done, I¡¯ll get sent back?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± they said. ¡°Think of your situation like a familiar summoning. Your soul was the one to accept the summon creating a bond with the summoner.¡±

    ¡°But Veluvius is dead,¡± Levi countered.

    ¡°He is,¡± they responded. ¡°The situation is like a familiar summoning. Not A familiar summoning. You are not a familiar. You are a being who is not tethered like a regular summon is tethered.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha,¡± Levi said. ¡°Hey, I can share the prophecy now?¡±

    ¡°You may, but we advise against it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Levi said softly. ¡°Piper is not in the right mindset to tell her; she¡¯s been lied to her whole life¡­ I¡¯ll wait.¡±

    ¡°Sensible,¡± the ghosts said. This will likely be one of the last times we interact, Levi Winters. Take this as a gift.¡± Chaos energy formed at Levi''s feet, and a medium-sized chest manifested. Levi opened the chest and found three items. There was a pair of bracers, a necklace, and an orb. Levi picked up the orb.

    Item: Orb of the Void

    Legendary

    Familiar Item

    Use this item with a familiar who is related to the void. This will provide an additional effect to the familiar.

    Levi hadn¡¯t reacted quite yet to the orb, but that was helpful for sure, as he loved additional effects on his familiars. He felt like he was able to repay them slowly for all that they did for him. He held the bracers next.

    Item: Chaotic Bracers

    Legendary

    Magical Item

    A set of bracers infused with chaos energy. All chaos spells have their mana cost reduced in half.

    Levi whistled. This was a great help. The void storm spell was a chaos spell, and it was a massive mana drain. He would be able to use it more frequently with the bracers. Levi held the bracers, and it looked like a dark sky with gray clouds and red lighting. Each bracer went up half his forearms and held tight. The last item was a necklace.

    Item: Necklace of Veluvius

    Unknown

    Magical Item

    A necklace with the infused mana of M. Veluvius. Mana pool will double whenever the summoner is wearing this necklace.

    The necklace was a simple gold chain with the round symbol of the summoner¡¯s guild on it. There was another pendant on it, one that Levi didn¡¯t recognize. He figured it was Veluvius¡¯ personal crest. The bonus effect of this item was insane. Doubling the mana pool while also halving the mana usage would be a deadly combination. Levi frowned at the items he was now wearing. The sheer power of the gifts troubled him.

    ¡°What is wrong?¡± the ghosts asked. ¡°Do you not like the gifts?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± Levi said. ¡°You warned me of dangers ahead; these items are insane. This tells me that you¡¯re underselling the danger I¡¯m in or I suck and need more help. I¡¯m willin to bet it¡¯s not the latter. I¡¯m in for a damn near impossible task huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Levi Winters, you are.¡±

    ¡°Well, balls,¡± Levi said. ¡°I guess I have to get stronger.¡±

    ¡°And you will,¡± Professor Egret said. ¡°You all will in that dungeon, it will not be easy. Expect every monster in there to be 3-star with 4-star boss monsters.¡±

    ¡°Fantastic,¡± Levi said sarcastically. ¡°Ppreciate the gifts though. If anything, I¡¯ve been thoroughly warned and that¡¯s what¡¯s important.¡±

    Objective: Secrets of Arvendon #3 - Completed

    You have learned that not all the Arbors are dead and have the Onyx family is not as loved. What will you do with this secret?

    Reward: Familiar Essence

    Reward: Magic Essence

    Objective: Secrets of Arvendon #4 - Completed

    You have learned that you are destined to receive the letters from Veluvius. You have learned why and unlocked a key clue to the prophecy.

    Reward: Magic Essence

    Reward: Trinket of Glimmers

    Reward: History of Order Magic

    ¡°We will see you later Levi Winters,¡± the ghosts all said. ¡°Good luck with your journey and stay safe.¡± With that the ghosts all disappeared and left the room they had occupied.

    ¡°If I was back home,¡± Levi said. ¡°I would be having nightmares and locked up in an insane asylum telling people that I had a conversation with ghosts.¡±

    ¡°Are ghosts not real?¡± Egret asked.

    ¡°Like gods, it depends on who you ask and what they believe.¡±

    ¡°It seems your world has a lot of understanding they need to do as a collective unit.¡±

    Levi chuckled, ¡°I don¡¯t think that is ever going to happen. If there is one reliable thing about my world is that people will argue no matter what.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound productive.¡±

    ¡°It often is not,¡± Levi said. ¡°So, I guess I will see you all when we get out of the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we will be plenty busy here,¡± Bertrum said. ¡°If Tycen is right, there will be a mass amount of monsters coming from the dungeon. So don¡¯t dilly on conquering the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t,¡± Levi said. He said his final goodbyes and packed up his stuff. It was time for him to go grab his teammates and head to the dungeon. Excitement sparked through Levi as he was getting ready for his first big adventure. He was a freshly graduated summoner and had seemingly gotten two more to join the guild in the next year. He had won the battle of the guilds, he had fallen in love, and he had gained many new friends. All in all, Levi was proud of how this near year in his new home had gone.

    There was a great, big world for Levi to explore, and he was ready to explore it. This was the day that he would be able to prove to the world that he wasn¡¯t evil and that he was going to be the one to help the world be better. It would be a tough journey, but he had decided it was high time he got off his self-destructive path and moved forward. Move on from the pain and suffering he had experienced. Move forward from the time when he decided to sit and be still rather than push through the muck of life.

    Levi was determined that he and his new gaggle of friends would be the best versions of himself¡ªnot the perfect versions, but the best versions. That was what Levi wanted, and that was what this dungeon represented. That was what he was chasing.

 Chapter 48 - Death By A Thousand Cuts

    Inside the castle walls several groups of monsters were spawning in waiting for orders. There were several different groups of monsters. They weren¡¯t interacting because they were friendly, and they weren¡¯t friendly. They didn¡¯t care. The reason they were not going at each other¡¯s throats was because the Dungeon Crafter had complete control of her dungeon. Her control was less of dictatorship but more of demanding peace between the different monsters.

    There was one four-star monster that was standing next to the DC. It was a human-sized lizard standing on two legs with a scorpion tail. It had razor-sharp claws dripping with toxins. It had a snarl on its face in a perpetual state of disdain.

    ¡°What¡¯s the plan leader,¡± the Scorzard said.

    ¡°Patience child,¡± DC said.

    The rest of the monsters stopped stirring as they looked toward the two leaders. They were separated by group and ranking. The smaller monsters who fought in packs were huddled together; they weren¡¯t particularly strong when fighting in isolation they were deadly. They were a group of small metallic birds that charged lightning energy and connected to each other, increasing power after each bird was added to the connection.

    The 2-star monsters varied there were several of many kinds that were in smaller packs. The level of difficult jumps when killing a two-star monster versus a three-star monster. Three-star monsters typically use their auras and have much higher vitality. They are more intelligent than their lesser ranked companions. Monsters in this world were all the same level. The scorzard, the four-star monster by the side of the DC, would never be below four-star ranking. A one-star metal crow would never be a two-star, it had something to do with their magic and mana.

    The only creatures in the world that were able to grow their rankings were Dungeon Crafters, magic-users, and magical beasts. Magical beasts varied from monsters in the sense that they are native creatures to this world. These are creatures such as Akhekh, griffins, dragons, and kitsunes. They are born and they die like most animals in this world. The stronger the magical beast the higher the ranking.

    This particular dungeon crafter has been crafting dungeons for nearly 1000 years. She has a love of creating brawl type dungeons. These are dungeons that are centered around defeating a lot of monsters or surviving traps and tricks that dealt with massive amounts of damage. Her dungeons were simple but difficult to defeat. The monster by her side was the final boss monster of the cave. She would allow the teams to attempt for one month to defeat her dungeon and her boss. If they do not, she will release the monster from the dungeon to wreak havoc on anything in its path.

    She looked up, there was shimmer surrounding the dungeon walls. Their time of manifestation had finished. The dungeon was complete. As soon as the first team enters into her dungeon the monsters in the area will begin manifestations, as the dungeon raises the thickness of the magic, allowing for more monster manifestations.

    Levi and his companions were walking to the dungeon entrance. Anna had said a long goodbye to Declan before heading out with her team. The team ultimately decided that Declan was not going to join the team, at least for this dungeon. The reason came down to two things, first, Declan was not a three-star sorcerer. He had not had his class evolution. Declan was close to three-stars, but they needed to leave as soon as possible. Not having his class evolution meant that he was not at his leap in strength, there was a high possibility that he would have reached three-star rank in the dungeon but that was not an ideal scenario.

    The dungeon would be crawling with monsters and Declan would have new abilities, powers, and skills that he would have to learn right away. That was too risky in a three-star dungeon. Anna still didn¡¯t like the decision, but she couldn¡¯t argue with that reasoning. The second reason Declan was not chosen was simply what he brought to the table as a new team member. Levi brought a lot, especially fire powers. Tycen was new but he was a tank, heavy hitter, big defender. His Arch-Angel class evolution is a mix of Paladin and Tank. Paladins were known for powerful divine attacks, with some healing spells. Tanks were known for heavy defensive properties and shields. An arch angel was a perfect synergy of both classes.

    Piper was the fast quick physical attacker. Her damage dealing was not strong, but she could do it many times. If Tycen was one-punch man, Piper would be death by 1000 cuts, a speedster. Anna was a heavy damage dealing witch. Her spells were powerful and heavy mana consumption, thus having two heavy hitters on the team. Declan was the same as Anna, that was not a good fit. It left Piper a bit more exposed than the team felt comfortable.

    Levi was the odd one of the team. He was mostly staying back summoning monsters. However, with his ability to spell cast he adds complexity to the group. Anza could be the physical attacker with Piper. Levi had three utility familiars in: Vapor, Dameion, and Serenity. They all served various purposes, but they were not the damage dealers. His crystal wisps were a good source of damage dealing but they were special attackers, whereas Anza was the physical providing Levi with a good grab bag of familiars. If Levi could have any other familiars, which he was still undecided on, it would be a fighting healer. Levi elected to wait until his next rank up before making the decision on another familiar. He was satisfied with what he got and was curious if one of his familiars would get some healing abilities.

    He talked in length with Anna and Tycen about the possibilities and they concluded that if any of the familiars were to have it, it would be Serenity. Levi disagreed and said it would be Dameion but the two scholars were not to be out argued.

    The team approached the dungeon entrance. The dungeon looked like a small medieval barrack sitting in the middle of the field. It did not fit with any of the surrounding land, which Levi suspected that was the point. The team approached the gate and looked around. The other two teams had arrived just after them as they were waiting for the gate to open. It was decided that Levi¡¯s team would enter first since they were the strongest team, and now that they were outside of the guild, rank mattered.

    Dungeons would typically be operating for a set amount of time. During this time as many teams as possible could enter and challenge the dungeon. They could do this as many times as they wanted. This was allowed because the Dungeon Crafter was a live being who could and did change the floor layout per team that entered. They would hand out rewards based on how they judged the teams did. The more a team enters the less impressive the reward, this was a way to disincentives the teams from repeating. This only worked for those looking for fame and fortune. For those who used dungeons as a way to grind progress points., they didn¡¯t care about the rewards.

    The gates shimmered and lowered for the team to enter into the dungeon. Levi was in the lead and walked into the first building he saw. Once he entered, he was perplexed. It was a simple room; the walls were made up of brick and the floor was made up of darker brick. There was nothing on the walls, it was a small empty room. Once everyone had filed into the room, the door slammed shut and a small light appeared in each corner of the room.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°That was creepy as hell,¡± Levi said. ¡°Wait are we moving?¡± The platform shimmered just like the gates outside and they started to descend. They were on an elevating platform that took them down.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Tycen mused. As the platform reached the end, they were standing in the middle of a room that was about the size of two soccer fields side by side. There was a shimmer on the walls surrounding the area.

    ¡°Don¡¯t step off the platform,¡± Levi said. ¡°That¡¯ll start whatever our first task is. I want to look at my stats before we go to see if any bonuses happen.¡± Levi had looked and there were a couple notifications already waiting for him.

    Quest: Clear the Brawlers Dungeon (0/5)

    Attributes Total: 1300

    Strength 125

    Stamina 150

    Speed 125

    Vitality 225

    Wisdom 625

    Levi¡¯s attributes saw a big boost from the battle of the guilds; he had taken out all those magic-users with various means. Mostly with his familiars. That is what gave his wisdom such a high boost. Levi didn¡¯t like how lopsided he was becoming. He knew that if he wanted to be a 5-star he would have to even out his stats. That would have to wait, he had a dungeon to beat.

    The team all finished looking at their attributes and nodded to each other. They took their step out of the square platform they were standing on. Rune circles began to appear on the ground all around the team, they lit up and there were fifty monsters waiting for them. The monsters were quadrupeds with no eyes, sharp buck teeth, fish scales and a serrated tail. They were about the size of otters.

    ¡°Blind glivals,¡± Anna said. ¡°Their tails are vicious, and their teeth are worse. They are known to bite an arm completely off.¡±

    ¡°Hell yeah,¡± Levi said with a grin. He pulled out his staff, Dameion, Willow, Crystal, and Anza all manifested around him.

    ¡°They are two-star monsters but in a pack like this they are a three-star threat,¡± Anna explained. She looked over and saw that everyone was already fighting. She sighed and began casting spells.

    ¡°Sphere of stone,¡± Anna chanted. A black stone was encased in ice and sent toward a group of blind glivals. It smashed one like a bug, the other two dodged, but not without damage. One had it¡¯s leg ripped off completely while the other¡¯s tail was smashed to bits. Five of the monsters charged Anna at once. They were halted as a blizzard froze them over completely. She then conjured orbs of onyx to smash the froze monsters into pieces.

    Levi sent the crystal wisps to do what they do best, swarm. The two spread their bodies out far and wide and covered a large group of the monsters. The wisps used their lightning attack, and it left the enemies paralyzed. This is where Anza came in, she was in full alpha form standing 9 feet tall with many more tentacles. Anza stood over the paralyzed monsters and started ripping them to shreds with her tentacles. Each lash of her tentacles were slicing a blind glival into bits and pieces. The ends were serrated much like the tails of the monsters. Causing significant damage.

    Tycen pulled out his morning star and flew over the monsters. He chanted a spell that bolstered his morning star¡¯s power. The morning star ball began to glow the same color purple as Tycen¡¯s hair. With each smash a small burst of purple energy would flare out. Tycen had an easy task as he could fly over the monsters and smash them with his weapon. They couldn¡¯t climb, they couldn¡¯t come up with any strategy to take out a weapon in the air. He made short work of his task and the group of monsters had fallen.

    Piper had just an easy time with the monster as Tycen did. She was able to run on top of the monsters with insane speed. In her hands she held her short sword. With every slash an enemies head would be cut off. Piper was a blur of speed, elegance, and savagery. With each slice she would speed off before the head would even fall off the monster. Levi looked over and saw nothing but a blur and blood splatter. Piper¡¯s speed had improved but Levi had never seen it on display now.

    After the last foe finally died the room glimmered, more runes appeared on the ground, this time few runes appeared but they were large circles.

    ¡°This is a wave monster fight,¡± Levi said. ¡°So cool,¡± Levi was loving this as he knew he would. In a dungeon with his friends, fighting monsters, watching his badass lover effortlessly kill a bunch of weird looking creatures. He was having fun, and he was not afraid to show it.

    ¡°Any idea how many waves?¡± Anna asked. ¡°That used a good chunk of my mana.¡± As she said that a ritual circle appeared under her feet. It glowed blue and Anna¡¯s mana was being replenished. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said to Levi. Levi nodded.

    ¡°No clue, but I assume each wave will get progressively harder,¡± Levi said. Levi was right this next wave of monsters were these bird-like creatures that were huge for birds and spewed toxic sludge on the team. The sludge wasn¡¯t harmful on the skin, it became an issue if it got into any open wounds, sores, or openings in the body. The party had made quick work of that wave of monsters. The third wave they had trouble with the most.

    A pack of wolves with wings, the size of a moose appeared. There were twelve unholy wolf moose. They were hard to pin down as they would fly around with the speed of a hawk. They had sharp claws that they would use to rake at the team. Tycen was an adept flyer, so he was able to take out the more dangerous wolves in the pack. Anna and Levi both called on their spells that reigned down terror from the sky. Anna¡¯s hailstorm took out five of the wolf monstrosity. And Levi¡¯s void storm took out another three.

    One wolf had dived bombed toward Piper. The wolves were fast, but Piper was faster. The second the wolf got close, Piper jumped on its back and stabbed two kunai knives into its throat. With a soft adorable whimper, the wolf fell into the ground harshly. The fall would have killed the wolf, it were still alive, as it¡¯s body was all twisted and misaligned. As Piper was falling to the ground another would grab her by the shoulders and dugs its claws into her shoulders. Piper grimaced in pain. She struggled to get any movement from her body.

    Anza shot out several tentacles to not only secure Piper but also pierce and destroy the body of the wolf monster. This was successful but not without significant damage being done to Piper. She was protected by Anza as Anna was slashed in the back by the final wolf. This monster looked slightly different than the others. It was all black and looked like it was a dark streak in the night. This one was much faster than the others. The void storm and hailstorm were easily dodged by this one wolf.

    Levi thought about it hard and decided to use an aura attack as soon as it got close. The wolf made a dive bombing move toward Levi. He was ready as soon as the wolf got close, Levi pushed out his aura and grabbed the wolf¡¯s aura by the side. Levi had full control of the wolf stuck in Levi¡¯s aura. Anza came and turned the wolf monster into Swiss cheese with all the holes that it now amassed. The room shimmered like it had done after every wave. Piper and Anna needed some assistance and fast. That is when Tycen stepped up and spoke an incantation.

    ¡°Heal all that is damaged.¡± A white like that looked like a ray of sunshine appeared out of manifested clouds over each of the ladies. The ray of sunshine covered each of the women and Levi watched as their wounds completely heal over. Levi had never seen or felt healing magic besides positions which were on a smaller scale than to what Tycen just performed. Levi knew that was a specific spell that Tycen had in his repertoire. The healing ritual he had were not nearly as potent in their magical healing. Levi nodded and was grateful to have Tycen on his team.

    ¡°Thanks, Ty,¡± Piper said getting up moving her shoulders once again. ¡°I¡¯m ready for another long battle.¡±

 Chapter 49 - Creation and Destruction

    Anna sat on the floor, frustrated. She was excited for her new ability to kick in being in a dungeon for the first time since unlocking the ability.

    Ability: Dungeon Mastermind

    Dungeon Mastermind

    Passive Ability

    Dungeons are often full of ways to lead a team to failure; with the Dungeon Mastermind leading the charge, chances of failing dramatically decrease. When inside dungeons, the Dungeon Mastermind is able to spot any traps, tricks, or deceit. Allowing for a perfect run in a dungeon. This is a passive ability.

    Their very first room is a monster wave. Her ability is too spot traps or anything of that nature. It appears that their first dungeon as a team was less about traps and more about fighting monsters. This was upsetting. She could recognize that Piper¡¯s ability was going to be and had already proved to be a powerful boon. Levi too, was experiencing a lack of use with his new ability. For whatever reason Anna could not shake the frustration she was experiencing. It was as if the fact that she couldn¡¯t do it made her purpose of being a part of the team worthless. She didn¡¯t want anyone to know that, understanding that they would view it as silly.

    So, she pushed herself to her feet as the next set of monsters began to form. The team hadn¡¯t really communicated since entering into the monster waves. There hadn¡¯t been much need to strategize as each monster, so far, had been so numerous that they all could take on their own pack of monsters. That was until this wave. Three rune circles appeared on the ground and three creatures emerged. They were seven feet tall, with different affinities to an element. There was what looked like leaves that flowed in a way that was reminiscent of a person. There was fire that also looked like a person and water that flowed that mimicked the general form of a humanoid. Each of them had different weapons.

    ¡°These are elemental knights,¡± Anna said. ¡°They are extremely hard to kill.¡±

    ¡°Yet, we must,¡± Levi said. ¡°Let¡¯s get after it.¡±

    ¡°We should team up,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°We can¡¯t it¡¯s three on four,¡± Levi said. ¡°Piper, you have the most mobility; help whoever is in a pinch. The rest of us do your thang. Anna, which one do you want?¡±

    ¡°Fire,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I will take the water,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°I guess I got forest,¡± Levi said. ¡°You good with that Piper?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I got all of your covers,¡± Piper said. Without further questioning the group sprang into attack. Levi conjured five orbs of fire and sent them at the elemental knight that he was fighting. The knight raised its hand, and a wall of vines snaked up and blocked the attack. Smoke formed as the fire orbs exploded into the wall. Levi jumped through the smoke with his staff and struck the knight. The knight didn¡¯t see the attack coming. Levi¡¯s staff was glowing with red runes. Each impact would add a small burst of fire bonus.

    As soon as Levi¡¯s staff made contact with the knights torso fire appeared where the staff had landed. The knight got sent back several feet sliding on the ground. Vines from the ground wrapped around its legs as it slid back, preventing it from going further backward. Levi continued the onslaught, as the knight stood up two more orbs of fire were sent its way. The forest knight blocked one and the other got through. Vines and branches surrounded the area that was affected by fire and doused the flames. The knight was so focused on Levi it hadn¡¯t noticed several wisps swarm it.

    Tycen flew straight for the water knight. He twirled his morning star and swung it hard at the knight. The knight held up a shield made of water, it turned it to ice and blocked some of the attack. The ice shield was heavily damaged with an imprint of Tycen¡¯s weapon. The shield melted and reformed back into its full shield. The water knight got on a hippocampus made of water and pulled out a lance. It charged around chasing Tycen. Tycen flew higher, but that didn¡¯t matter as the knight was able to control how much water it would have under its mount.

    Tycen turned on the knight and flew head-on. At the last second, He tucked his wings, dove through the water, opened his wings, and landed a vicious blow to the knight''s back. The hippocampus disappeared as the knight went tumbling to the ground, Tycen didn¡¯t stop. He chanted a quick enhancement spell, and his morning star began to glow red like a sun, he flew down with speed. The knight was flailing free, falling toward the ground; it was about fifteen feet from impact when it felt a red-hot object slam into its back.

    The impact from Tycen to the knight¡¯s back caused the fall to be casual to deadly. The knight hit the ground in half a second, impacting the ground and creating a small crater; the water from the knight splattered everywhere.

    Anna was having trouble with her knight. Her ice attacks would melt as soon as they got close, and her water attacks would evaporate into steam. She elected to leave the elemental spells alone and just use the onyx stone. The knight was effective at closing the distance; it had a rapier made of fire and a shield made of obsidian. It was quick and precise with its strikes. Anna had taken a couple hits, and she was on the back foot. Her pride was preventing her from calling out for help, but Piper was surveying the battlefield and saw who needed what help.

    Piper threw her water kunai knives at the knight. The fire elemental knight, having good sense turned and slashed at the knives. Water exploded in its face, covering its body. Anna, seeing the knives get thrown and knowing what would happen when they were blocked, chanted a spell. Spears of onyx that were covered in ice were formed and thrown at the knight. The knight was staggered by some of its flame being doused it couldn¡¯t react in time to the first spear. The spear lodged itself into the shoulder of the knight.

    Two more kunai knives impacted the knight¡¯s back, and more water exploded over it, dousing more flames. Anna didn¡¯t stop her attack either, and she kept pushing. Launching two more spears at her enemy, they each made an impact. The knight had three spears sticking out of its body. It could no longer move. Piper came from behind with the short sword and cut the head off the elemental. The rest of the remaining fire all dimmed, and the knight slumped.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Anna said out of breath.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Piper responded. Piper turned to see that Tycen had killed his knight and Levi was waiting it out. Crystal and Willow were in swarm form and had completely engulfed the forest elemental knight. At the same time, Levi was sending in a fire orb at a time. Each time the orbs impacted the knight there was a small explosion soon. The knight''s movements stopped the battle was over.

    ¡°How is everyone doing?¡± Tycen asked. Walking back into the main platform

    ¡°I took some hits, but I¡¯m alright,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Same,¡± Piper responded. ¡°You?¡±

    ¡°I took no damage,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°It appears that I have underestimated our team,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Nah,¡± Levi said. ¡°Preferable matchups did the trick. I bet we have the boss next; they were tough.¡±

    ¡°Levi, you didn¡¯t get damaged,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I rarely do,¡± Levi said. ¡°I measure it on how many spells, how much strategy, and familiars I use to determine difficulty. Different fighting styles.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Anna said.

    As the group was chatting, one solitary rune appeared. The rune was larger than the other ones. The surge of mana that was present while the rune was forming was much stronger than any other.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°I believe you¡¯re right, Levi,¡± Tycen said. ¡°This is the boss.¡±

    The rune glowed bright, once the bright light died down a being that was just hovering above the ground could be seen. It was a humanoid monster, that was terrifyingly handsome to look at. It had a monster face that was perfectly symmetrical with sharp teeth popping out on both the top and bottom lips. It had sharp white eyes, pointed teeth, and flowing white hair. The monster wore what looked like priest robes and held a staff with a symbol Levi had never seen before. The monster had gargoyle-like wings that kept it afloat, jutting out of its back. It wore sandals. The aura it presented was arrogant and gave the feeling that it knew how things ought to go.

    ¡°This guy looks fun and not like a monster,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°That¡¯s cause it¡¯s not a monster, per say,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°Then what the hell is it?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a creature that fancies itself a superior being. This one is clearly an affinity to whatever element that is on that staff,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°Any name?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°Me neither,¡± Anna responded.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s kill it an find out,¡± Levi said.

    The boss looked at them and released its full aura attack on the group. Levi felt the attack and blocked it from affecting his team. The boss sneered as it interacted with Levi¡¯s aura. Levi felt the aura of the boss and felt something inside him revolt at the interaction.

    ¡°Order Magic,¡± Serenity said.

    The boss lunged straight for Levi, its staff transforming into a javelin. The sharp point neared Levi when he dodged at the last second. He rolled under the attack and used his staff, which was glowing dark red with chaos magic flowing through it. He attacked the belly of the beast. The attack did minimal damage. Levi noted what happened and stored it in his brain. One of the perks of having a high wisdom attribute is that his memory and brain power had increased significantly.

    Tycen took the opportunity to attack. The boss was not much bigger than Tycen in height but was skinner than the muscular avian. Tycen used his morning star and swung at the torso of the boss. The boss dropped its staff to block the attack. The chain of Tycen¡¯s weapon looped around the staff of the enemy. Tycen yanked hard and the staff went flying out of the hand of the monster. While the boss was looking in disgust at Tycen several knives landed in the loose robes of the enemy. It turned its sharp white eyes on Piper who was running around the enemy with speed, throwing knives as quickly as she could.

    Distracted looking at Piper, the boss was hit with a hailstorm of onyx hail. Several of them impacted before it managed to raise an arm and have all the hail bounce harmlessly off the robe. The hail that missed the robe and hit the boss had left gray blood pouring out of the marks. The boss monster screamed, and a wave of powerful aura sent the team flying backwards. They all acrobatically landed without damage, but the enemy had reclaimed its staff.

    ¡°The robes deflect all damage,¡± Levi said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to attack its head, nothing else is showing on its body that is exposed. But if you see it, attack it.¡±

    The boss monster wasn¡¯t allowing the team to have a long pow-wow in the middle of the fight. It raised its staff and began launching several small orbs of white order magic at the team. A barrage of orbs of order was peppering the team. Levi looked on in awe. That was a pretty cool spell, and he hoped that he could do it with his orbs of chaos. Several drones were manifested and were actively deflecting the orbs from Levi. Anza was helping the rest of the team.

    Levi conjured five orbs of chaos that started orbiting around his body. As soon as he did, the gaze of the boss locked onto him. The boss tried to apply an aura pressure down on Levi. Levi¡¯s aura defenses were too strong to be affected. It was clear that this boss hated chaos magic and was having a visceral reaction to Levi whenever he used chaos energy. As the boss locked in on Levi Tycen, Anna, and Piper took this moment to carry out their own attacks. Piper drew a ritual circle directly under the boss. Tendrils of white light grabbed the ankles and wrists of the boss and attempted to hold it still.

    Tycen flew straight toward the face of the boss and went to strike. With the restricted movement on its wrists, it was unable to block. Tycen¡¯s morning star landed with a loud crack as it connected with the skull of the boss. As soon as Tycen had made his attack Anna conjured her blizzard. Behind her, a roaring blizzard of ice, chunks of frozen onyx, and pellets of snow were launched at the boss. The boss was pelted, although most of the damage hit the robe of the monster and not the head. Some of it landed and caused more cuts to appear. The boss flapped its wings powerfully to try to escape.

    Levi followed Piper¡¯s lead and drew a more complex trap ritual circle. Tendrils of chaos magic grabbed the boss. The boss shrieked as its skin was being burnt by chaos magic. Levi smirked and sprinted towards the boss, still having the chaos orbs orbiting him. A small cloud appeared under Levi¡¯s feet it launched him over the head of the boss. He fired his chaos orbs while over him. Every single orb impacted Levi. Just before he was going to land, the boss used his staff to backhand Levi in the core and sent him flying into the wall of the dungeon. Levi crashed into it with a loud boom, he spat out blood.

    The boss monster broke free of the ritual and held out its staff again to try the barrage one last time, this time directly at Levi. Levi looked up and saw the monster hold its staff and have a sinister grin. It didn¡¯t care if it were to die, all that mattered was the vile creature using chaos magic was extinguished from this world. Levi pushed out his aura in a form of attack. The aura held the power of his title, Chaotic Paragon, his power was on full display. The boss trembled for half a second, that was all Levi needed. A rift above the boss opened and down shot bright northern light-like beams from the void.

    With each beam landing a successful hit, the boss was being ravaged. In a few short seconds, there was nothing left of the boss but empty robes and the staff lying on the ground. Levi peeled himself off the wall, kneeling and spitting out blood.

    ¡°Okay,¡± he groaned out. ¡°That one hurt a lot¡­ I definitely broke a rib or three.¡± Piper was the first one who ran over to him. She wrapped her arm around him and helped him to his feet. They awkwardly walked to the platform, Levi grimacing from the amount of pain he was experiencing. Anza went and picked up the robes and staff, as it could be important later. The walls shimmered, and they all received system notifications. Levi ignored his as he lay on the platform, drawing in slow, painful breaths.

    The platform glimmered and began to descend further down into the dungeon. The platform descended into a room that looked like an Inn, there were beds, some potions, and a shower. On the walls it read, rest room one of four. Piper sighed a sigh of relief as they walked off the platform. There was a swoosh of magic and a timer appeared on one of the walls. It was counting down four hours.

    ¡°We have four hours to rest,¡± Piper said. ¡°Rest, Levi, you took a beating.¡± She helped him to his bed and performed a healing ritual on his bed. She drank some potions himself. ¡°We¡¯ll wake you in two and half hours.¡± Levi didn¡¯t say anything as the pain to breathe was overwhelming he couldn¡¯t imagine trying to exert that breath. He simply nodded and fell asleep in bed.

    Levi opened his eyes, and he was no longer in his bed. He was floating in what seemed like space. Next to him was a serpent with scales that hurt his eyes to look at, a light blue glow that emitted from all around it. Levi blinked and saw that the serpent was looking back at Levi with two galaxy reptilian eyes.

    ¡°Dameion?¡± Levi asked. The serpent looked at Levi with thoughtful eyes then approached Levi and wrapped around him playfully. ¡°Hey bud,¡± Levi said with a smile. ¡°Where are we?¡±

    ¡°You,¡± a voice echoed all around him. ¡°Have treated my child with much care, Levi Winters.¡± Levi looked around and saw nothing that was speaking to him. He couldn¡¯t even sense it.

    ¡°Of course, Dameion is awesome,¡± Levi responded. He gave up looking around, if whatever was speaking wanted to be seen it would do so.

    ¡°Not many treat beings from the void with love and care, only as tools,¡± the being said. A blue nebula shimmered into being right in front of Levi. A silhouette of a human stood before Levi, surrounded by a green nebula and small asteroids. Levi felt like he was looking into the creation and destruction of galaxies. This type of power was intimidating. ¡°I am the Void.¡±

    ¡°Whoa,¡± Levi whispered. Unable to make out any words. The being in front of Levi chuckled.

    ¡°There are many great celestial beings in the greater cosmos. I am one of them. I wanted to convey my gratitude to you, Levi Winters. The world where you inhabit currently has never encountered an avatar of mine. The greater cosmos has, many times, very few treat them like family. Dameion,¡± the Void said slowly. ¡°Has taken a big liking to you. He has asked me to allow his evolution to be early. Use this item, along with the other item, the Orb of me.¡± Levi snorted at the word choice of the Celestial being.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Levi said. ¡°For real, this is huge, I greatly appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± the Void said. ¡°Levi Winters, I hope you and Dameion continue to grow and work hard.¡± The image faded, and Levi was in his soul. Dameion was back to his black hole form and orbiting Levi with joy. Levi looked in his inventory, and he saw the gift item.

    Item: Void Stone

    Cosmic

    Evolution Item

    A stone used to evolve any being that belongs or is affiliated with the Void. Evolution is not what it seems; the familiar will undergo a change based on its connection to the void and its summoner. The familiar will still be the same star rank. Would you like to use? Yes/No?

    Levi opened his eyes and saw that everyone else had fallen asleep. The clock read that they had two hours left before the platform would move. He pulled out his wand, and Dameion manifested. Levi began drawing a three-star summoning circle. Dameion occupied one rune, the Orb of the Void took another, and the Void stone took the last. The void stone was a circle geode that had a swirling galaxy crystalized.

    The surge of magic was strong, stronger than Levi had expected, particularly with the magic he usually uses. The magical surge woke up the rest of the team as they thought they had slept through the platform leaving. They all look up to see Levi performing a ritual with Dameion in one of the rune circles.

 Chapter 50 - Very Hard To Kill

    Tycen, Anna, and Piper were all woken up from their sleep to see Levi performing a ritual with his familiar Dameion. They had all seen and felt Levi¡¯s rituals before, but this was much different. There was a new level of power in this ritual. They gave each other bleary-eyed looks and watched as Levi was doing something with his familiar. At first, Anna thought Levi had reached 4-star already. But that wouldn¡¯t be possible. Levi was nowhere near the progress of that.

    Typically, when rituals were done, all the materials in the rune circles would glow with an external light. That did not happen this time. In fact, it seemed like any light that went near the rune circles was consumed. Dameion got darker and darker along with the orb and the stone until they were no longer visible. For several heartbeats, Levi stood and watched patiently as Dameion was altering its form¡ªfinally, a flicker. A small light blue light appeared. The light grew to a long veil; additional maroon lights swirled around the blue light. Dameion was no longer a black hole, or what looked like one, but now a veil nebula. Fuchsia streams of cosmic energy swirled around formless; it moved like a serpent without a distinct head.

    ¡°Dameion,¡± Levi said. The veil nebula turned toward Levi. A thinly outlined head of a serpent could barely be seen while looking directly at Dameion. ¡°Dude, you look sick as hell!¡±

    Familiar Dameion Evolution

    Familiar Dameion has entered the veil nebula form.

    Dameion is now much stronger as it has developed a deeper connection to the Void and to its summoner. Dameion is now in the veil nebula form. This form has the power of creation and destruction. Dameion has allowed summoner to use nebula healing.

    Dameion can now alter its state in this new form.

    Fuchsia - Definite Force

    Midnight Red/Dark Gray - Chaotic Energy

    Light Blue & Maroon - Healing Energy

    ¡°Dameion, you¡¯re a beast!!¡± Levi said.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Dameion got a new form,¡± Levi said. Dameion was orbiting around Levi, slithering like a cosmic serpent. Levi was smiling like a little kid. Anza and Serenity were sitting watching Dameion interact with Levi.

    ¡°How?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I met the Void, his mom or dad or creator?¡± Levi said. ¡°It gave me an item along with the void orb I got.¡± Levi explained all that happened, how he was sleeping, and then woke up to a serpent, Dameion, and the Void. The team listened carefully as Levi retold the story. By the time he was done, there was an hour and a half left before the platform moved. Levi pulled out his cooking gear and started creating a meal. While it was cooking, Levi went over his system notifications.

    Objective: Floor One - Monster Waves - Completed

    Reward: 10 Gold pieces, 100 Silver Pieces, 1000 Copper Pieces

    Reward: Summoners Salt 10mg

    Monster Defeated: Blind Glivals x20

    Loot: Venom Shard Dust 50mg

    Loot: Venom Glands

    Loot: Glival teeth x3

    Monster Defeated: Lycan Moose x10

    Loot: Summoner¡¯s Snow 10mg

    Loot: Coal Dust 10mg

    Loot: Gold Dust 10mg

    Monster Defeated: Forest Elemental Knight

    Loot: Elemental Shield

    Loot: Crushed Leaves 25mg

    Loot: 10 Gold Pieces, 100 Silver Pieces, 1000 Copper Pieces

    Boss Monster Defeated: Preferred Clergy

    Loot: Staff of Order

    Loot: 1 Platinum Piece, 10 Gold Pieces, 100 Silver Pieces, 1000 Copper Pieces

    Loot: Spell book of Order Magic

    Loot: Purified Summoners Salt 1kg

    Progress: Levi Winters

    Plus 10 to Strength

    Plus 10 to Stamina

    Plus 5 to Speed

    Plus 10 to Vitality

    Plus 15 to Wisdom

    Attributes Total: 1350

    Strength 135

    Stamina 160

    Speed 130

    Vitality 235

    Wisdom 640

    Levi marveled at the items he had received. This was the first time that he had received summoning materials as loot. He wondered if this was a feature of the dungeon or because he now has that extra tab in his UI. Levi brought his attention back to his group. They were stoically ready for the next room, unsure of what they would find. Dameion in his new form was slowly playfully slithering around Levi. Levi thought about his three familiars who now all like being present instead of fused. Anza, the drone who was in her alpha size. Serenity the aura dragon who was in her smaller size. And now Dameion who was a veil nebula with a translucent serpent¡¯s head. They all were amazing creatures in their own right.

    Levi looked at Piper who had a concerned face. He grabbed her hand. She turned and gave him an uneasy smile. The last battle was hard, the boss had taken significant damage out of Levi who was now fully recovered. It was clear that she nor anyone for that matter was prepared for the difficulty of this dungeon. The platform approached the next room. It was a large ballroom with what looked like thousands of chest.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    The platform stopped completely, and the team looked around nervously.

    ¡°Thank the gods,¡± Anna said, with relief in her voice.

    ¡°What?¡± Piper said.

    ¡°I can see which one are traps, which one summons a monster, and which one gives us loot,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Dope,¡± Levi said. ¡°So, this should be an easy-ish room.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna said. ¡°But it will take some time. I bet we will have to unlock that gate over there that doesn¡¯t look like it is friendly.¡± Anna pointed. Across the expansive room was a large gate with thick magically reinforced bars. Levi pushed his senses out and his aura interacted with another one.

    ¡°Oh, damn,¡± Levi said. ¡°That¡¯s a four-star monster.¡±

    ¡°We cannot beat a four-star monster,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°No,¡± Anna said. ¡°We definitely cannot.¡± A clock appeared over the comically large keyhole on the fence. It had 300 instead of 12 hands. It started clicking down. ¡°We have 5 hours.¡±

    ¡°You direct,¡± Levi said. ¡°The rest of us search!¡±

    ¡°What are we looking for?¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll find out when we open the first loot chest,¡± Levi called. All three ran off in different directions as Anna started directing where everyone should go. Levi was the first to arrive at the first loot chest, it had a symbol of fire, he used an orb of fire and the chest opened. Inside was a key with the fire symbol.

    ¡°Change of plans,¡± Levi called. The team all gathered around Anna. ¡°It appears each chest will require a specific spell to open up or some type of damage. This key should open all fire chests. We should seek the ones that are loot and have symbols for what we can attack with.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Piper said. ¡°We have ice, water, fire, lightning, chaos, and onyx. Am I missing any?¡±

    ¡°Cosmic,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Right,¡± Piper responded. ¡°We should split up after we have keys for each of the elements, then go off in groups.¡±

    ¡°Willow & Crystal,¡± Levi said. ¡°Can you go swarm mode, Anna can you direct the two where each of the loot chests are? Then you two leave your wisps at that chest, that will save us time on searching through the chest.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Come on, Willow and Crystal,¡± Anna instructed. The two wisps split into their many bodies and followed Anna as she instructed where each of them would go. The rest of the team strategized what to do next. While waiting for Anna, they decided who would be doing what and going where.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Anna said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The group made their way to the next loot chest. It had the symbol for water on it. Anna opened the chest. Inside was a scroll. Anna put the scroll in her inventory. The next few dozen chests did not show any keys, not helping the group with efficiency. Levi gave the key to Anna, and she and Tycen left to the other side of the ballroom to open all water and fire chests. Any other chest that they couldn¡¯t open they would tell Piper and Levi. Each chest that was opened had some kind of loot, from scrolls to money to bad armor and the occasional decent item.

    Levi and Piper were able to open fifteen more chests, but they did not gain any big-ticket items or keys. They managed to find some wands and staves; they were lower ranked items but could sell well when they needed to sell some items. Anna and Tycen were finding much of the same rewards. One hour of their five was gone. Anna was starting to panic as she still didn¡¯t understand what exactly they were doing.

    Levi, having played a lot of video games that had strange puzzles that didn¡¯t explain the rules tried something different. He and Piper went back to Anna and Tycen and met in the middle.

    ¡°Give me the key back,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Have you used it yet?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Yes, we get the same crappy loot.¡±

    ¡°Which one of these is a trap chest Anna?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Uhh,¡± Anna said looking around. She pointed at one, ¡°that one. Why?¡± Levi walked up to the chest, which had a fire symbol. Levi took the key and inserted it into the chest. ¡°Levi, what are you doing? It¡¯s a trap??¡± The chest clicked open, and inside was another key. This one had a different symbol that Levi hadn¡¯t recognized, but he knew he had seen them.

    ¡°I was thinking the keys disabled the trap chests and the other keys would be in there,¡± Levi said. ¡°Judging by how the last floor went. We¡¯re gonna have to fight.¡±

    ¡°But what¡¯s our objective?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Behind that picture is a door with holes in it, each a different shape,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything,¡± Tycen said. Dameion flew over to the wall and projected his aura. A large painting on the wall shifted over and there was a large metal door with six holes forming a rune.

    ¡°How did you know that was there?¡± Tycen asked.

    Ability: Dungeon Treasurer

    Passive Ability

    User Interface can be upgraded. Every time the user enters a dungeon, an additional map with be shown. The dungeon map will lead to secret rooms and hidden items. If the user reaches the end chest, guaranteeing one Legendary item. This is a passive ability that will activate inside a dungeon.

    ¡°Never mind,¡± he said. ¡°Anyone find any of those shapes?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Piper said. She held up a diamond-shaped crystal stone, walked over to the door, and placed the stone inside the appropriate slot. The stone glowed brighter, and lines slightly emerged from its positioning to partially fill the rune.

    ¡°That¡¯s our objective,¡± Levi said. ¡°We have four hours, let¡¯s get to it.¡± With the new strategy, the team was able to find two more shapes in relatively quick succession. Levi knew that they would have to fight; he was hoping it wouldn¡¯t be for a while, but he assumed either the chest would have loot inside the monster''s chest, or the monsters would drop what was needed. They opened their first one and a salamander that was on fire crawled out of the chest. Anna used her water spell, and the lizard died. Inside was another shape that they needed.

    The fighting took much longer than opening the other chests. Some monsters they fought were solo and weak like the first lizard they fought. Others were not, not at all. They would fight very large and very hard-to-kill insect variants. They had tough outer shells with dangerous spikes. After another two and a half, they found the next piece they needed. There was one piece left in the door to be unlocked. They had about ninety minutes left. The team at this point had opened about 75% of all the chests in the room. They had killed all the monster chests.

    Levi suggested that they open some of the trap chests normally. He reasoned that they found something by opening the normal chest; they found something from the monster''s chest, so the next logical solution was that something would be in a trap chest. The party, not having any other better ideas, opened the first trap chest. There was a loud boom, and their time was shaved in half. There were 45 minutes left until the monstrous creature was released from the gate.

    ¡°We just lost half our minutes,¡± Anna complained. ¡°No more trap chest!¡±

    ¡°I believe Levi was correct,¡± Tycen argued.

    ¡°Are you willing to risk another half or our timing?¡± Anna confronted.

    ¡°It¡¯s better than my next thought,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Do I even want to know?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably behind the monster in that final gate,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Levi confirmed. ¡°Can you sense a chest back there?¡± Anna closed her eyes, and she began pushing her senses toward the gate where the monster lay. She felt a large chest just behind the behemoth of a monster lurking.

    ¡°There is,¡± Anna said putting her head down.

    ¡°Anna,¡± Tycen said. ¡°You stay closest to the door. Piper you are our fastest, you stay right next to the gate. I¡¯ll be straight ahead. Levi, you got to unlock the chest, you¡¯re the only one who can mask his aura the best out of all of us.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good, bro,¡± Levi said. ¡°We should get the rest of the loot chests and then get into position with 5 minutes left.¡± The team followed Levi and Tycen¡¯s direction and got the rest of the loot. Levi, in one of the final boxes, finally got himself an item worth keeping: a Chaotic Link Staff. He would have to read the description once they got out of the dungeon floor.

    Levi masked his aura with a ritual and his familiars. Levi¡¯s teammates could no longer sense him besides seeing him; even then, that was a tricky thing to do. One of Dameion¡¯s new effects is that he could allow the same visual effect he had on people, where it makes it feel like their eyesight is failing. This made seeing him physically but not magically made things exceptionally unnerving.

    The clock had a 60-second countdown. Each team member was in position ready for the four-star monster that was going to be their opponent to run. As the time ticked down, Levi closed his eyes. He could feel his heart attempting to break out of his chest with thunderous beats. With another deep breath, the clock¡¯s time ran out, and there was a still, eerie moment of silence before the gears on the lock began to turn. Steps that shook the entire room slowly walked out from behind the freshly opened gate.

    There out walked a creature that stood on all four legs. The monster walked like a gorilla despite having all legs and no front arms or hands. It was red with leathery skin and beady black eyes. It was about fifteen feet tall, three feet wide, and five feet long. This was a massive creature. Levi sneaked into the area behind the gate to find the final chest. He unlocked the chest with all the keys he had gathered, and the chest opened. The final stone piece was found.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Levi shouted as he grabbed the stone and ran towards the door. The big monster turned at the noise coming from behind its cave. The monster was not fast, it was a big lumbering creature that was destroying every chest in its pathway. It was making a B-line right for Levi, with his aura still masked. Vapor created a massive cloud of smoke. Levi reached the door and placed the final stone in place. The rune was now completely lit. There were more clicking sounds, that were slowly clicking, to the point Levi thought they were fooled, and he was wrong. The giant monster turned and waved its feet in the air; giant arrows began falling from the heavens.

    Piper was the last one to get to and through the door, as she had the furthest to travel. She was unable to dodge every arrow and had taken quite a few to her body. Littered with arrows and bloodstained, Piper pushed on. Entering into the door, Tycen chanted a healing spell and Levi pulled the arrows out. Through the door was an expansive downward staircase that led the team to their next floor. Rather than walking all of them down, Levi jumped off the edge and began freefalling.

    Levi did a superhero landing once he reached the bottom. Levi had Vapor use her clouds to soften the fall, not to do too much damage. He told her to do the same for the others in case they decided to jump. Tycen jumped, but he had wings and gently landed next to Levi. The girls found their own form of transportation down to the bottom. There was another door with the number three on it. They walked in, and it was another rest room. Once they all piled in, the time on the wall began. Once again, they had four hours to rest before the next challenge.

    Progress Made: Brawler¡¯s Dungeon

    Room 2 - Completed

    Reward: Void Cloak

    Reward: Summoner¡¯s Armor

 Chapter 51 - Sleep With a Lullaby

    The team was resting as they waited for the door to open to their next challenge. Levi had pulled out some food and began making a stew. Levi was starting to get sick of stews. However, it was the best and easiest meal to make with this small camping cast iron pot and fire. Doing everything in one pot and adding various vegetables and meats made it the best. On top of being convenient, it was also quite filling, often resulting in leftovers and full bellies.

    Levi walked over to Piper, who was lying on the bed, recovering from the several arrows that hit her as she was leaving the room.

    ¡°How you feeling?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± she said. ¡°Tycen¡¯s healing spell and your ritual are really doing a great job, but it is still taking longer than expected. I hope I¡¯m ready in time.¡± Dameion flew over to Piper, his nebula changed color, and he began slithering around her. Small bits that looked like stars in the heavens landed on her wounds and began glowing. Instantly the wounds started to close, and Piper¡¯s face became more relaxed as the pain faded away. Piper slumped back into her bed; eyes closed asleep. Levi gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead and left her to recover.

    ¡°Does it always force you to sleep?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Serenity said for Dameion. ¡°It is powerful healing magic; the side effect is forced rest. It is not like being unconscious; it is more akin to being put to sleep with a lullaby.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Levi said. ¡°Good to know now and not in a battle.¡±

    ¡°Just so,¡± Serenity said. Levi nodded and took this time to stretch and do some meditation. It was a wild thing, being a magical being. His muscles rarely got sore or tight. He often wondered how superheroes never had to stretch before they fought. It made sense now. Stretching was more of a meditation for his mind and soul than for his body. Even though he still did enjoy the feeling a nicely stretched body felt like.

    After a couple of hours of rest, sleep, or meditation, the team all were now sitting on the ground eating stew. They were all very satisfied with the meal, and everyone looked completely refreshed. Anna was amazed at how well the team recovered. She loved being on a three-star team with members who worked hard but also saw the importance of recovery and rest. At this point in the dungeon, Levi and Piper have taken serious damage; each had fully recovered but serious damage none the less.

    The door swung open, and the team made their way through the tunnel. They entered a small clearing where there were several small houses with villagers. They were satyrs, half goats, half humans. Some had large horns, and some had none at all. They all had various colored furs and were all different sizes. Levi pushed out his senses and calculated that there were likely 50 villagers or so.

    ¡°This is weird,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Are they real?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°They are real, but I don¡¯t know how sentient.¡±

    A bell in the center of the town rang and every villager started sprinting around in a mad panic.

    ¡°What the hells,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°That¡¯s our cue,¡± Levi said and started sprinting toward the town center. As they approached there was a horde of monsters approaching from all angles of the village. Giant spiders, zombies, and lesser demons were approaching.

    ¡°That is trouble,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Each of us take a cardinal direction and win your battle.¡±

    ¡°Bet,¡± Levi said. He took off to the south of the village.

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Piper said as she took off north.

    ¡°Be safe, Tycen,¡± Anna said sincerely and ran east. Tycen went in the opposite direction going west. Tycen loved these types of battles. Large open areas for him to fly and do damage. He was a heavy hitter, and being able to hit hard and evade through the sky was exactly how he got his class evolution as arch angel. Tycen chanted a spell and his morning star started to glow red. He dived bomb down into the center of the horde, locking in on one massive spider. He smashed the spider down and an explosion happened the second he contacted the spider. The explosion radius cleared out a small circle inside the hordes number.

    Not looking to see the aftermath of the attack, he did that over and over again. All that could be heard were small explosions as Tycen flew from group to group, utterly destroying all the monsters. Tycen¡¯s speed was slower than Piper''s, but not by much. He was fast, powerful, and agile. His skills were impressive as well. Being able to see and react to how enemies were moving was impressive.

    Tycen was grinning at how free he felt in this combat situation. He grabbed a zombie by the head and threw it into another zombie. A lesser demon approached, and he swung his morning star into the head, taking it clean off. Lesser demons were small demons about the size of humans with red leathery skin, red leathery wings, and a long pitchfork tail. They were called lesser because they were smaller and weaker. They were required to attack in packs or hordes, while greater demons were a much bigger threat. They attacked with sharp claws and with biting. In contrast, greater demons could use spells.

    Tycen had no problem killing lesser demons, the speed of his weapon cutting through all the monsters like room-temperature butter. The issue that Tycen would face is stamina. The sheer number of monsters was what was keeping the archangel from being overly confident. Tycen imagined that everyone would be facing the same problem. The monsters were easy enough to kill; there were just thousands of them. Could they have the stamina to last the whole fight?

    Levi pushed out his senses and found that the horde was immense. He shook his head; this was going to be a long battle. He sent out fifteen drones, and Anza loose. The mimics were able to set up a solid line of destruction as the monsters got close. After that, he let his crystal wisps familiars enter swarm mode and attack every monster in their way. Dameion couldn¡¯t attack still. He could release chaotic energy, which Levi suspected that he could use to do substantial damage.

    Dameion changed colors to midnight red and dark gray, a sign of chaotic energy, and released it over a small section of enemies. Dark clouds with red streaks fell on the group of enemies. Levi held out a hand and focused on activating the chaotic energy, and the energy exploded. Levi looked on with wide eyes and laughed. Levi pulled out his wand and began drawing out a summoning circle.

    From the center of the summoning circle were large insect-like creatures the size of large dogs. They had the abdomen of a wasp, with the face of and pincers of a bullet ant. They had eight eyes that went all over their body.

    ¡°Alright flesh-eating mites,¡± Levi said. ¡°There are zombies and lesser demons out there for you to devour¡­ go crazy.¡± The insects took off. As one left the summoning circle, another would follow; shortly after, fifty of the flesh-eating mites were pouring over the battlefield. Levi used Vapor to fly high above the battlefield to watch the battle going on.

    Anza, in her alpha form, was eight feet tall, double the height of the drones. Anza had double the tentacles and double the power. In terms of solo action, she was the one who was the most lethal. This caused the enemies to focus on attacking her, and unfortunately for the monsters that only made things worse for them. Anza would whip out her tentacles and sharpen them to be mini spears. Each easily cut, penetrating, or slashing down monsters with one single strike. The drones followed her example, although not as strong or big they were very effective. Levi looked to his right and saw fire rising and an awful stench of burning leather, rotten flesh, and whatever smell the burning spider gave off. As his crystal wisps were setting that section of enemies on fire. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Piper was having a tough time. She was not a wide-area attack specialist but a close one-on-one combat specialist. She had managed to kill many monsters, but her stamina was dropping really low. Sweat pouring down her face she looked up after killing a couple hundred monsters in thirty seconds. She sighed as there were still many more coming.

    ¡°Can I get some help,¡± she said breathlessly. In a moment, a summoning circle was drawn in the air above her. ¡°Please don¡¯t give me those horrifying bugs, I will pass out¡­¡± Levi chuckled.

    ¡°Then don¡¯t come watch my battle,¡± he said. ¡°I got a swarm monster coming to help you. I¡¯ll do a void storm as well.¡±

    Before the summoning circle was completed, Piper looked up and saw Dameion slither over a large area in the sky, which created a rip in the physical realm. Down poured beams of cosmic light obliterated a few hundred monsters, Giving Piper a much-needed reprieve. She drew herself a stamina recovery ritual and felt its effect. Then, the summoning circle was completed, and spectral creatures landed next to Piper. They all had bows and arrows. They looked at Piper for direction.

    ¡°Fire at all enemies,¡± she instructed. ¡°When you need to conjure arrows, let me know and I will go and attack while you reconjure.¡± The archers nodded, then turned to the battlefield. They knocked an arrow, and all fired at once. Arrows rained down on the monsters killing several as they made their slow movement to the town.

    Anna was having no trouble with the monsters, but her mana was running low. Her blizzard spell and her hailstorm spell were highly effective against the seemingly unending threat of monsters. She had easily mowed down a few hundred monsters. Anna was a hard-hitting sorceress, which was great in wide-area battles like this. What was not great was that she dealt heavy wide area damage at the cost of most of her mana. She had down a couple of mana potions already but was still feeling the fatigue set in. She looked down and saw that a ritual circle was being drawn under her.

    The blue light of mana started to pour out of the ritual circle and into Anna''s mana stream. Anna felt refreshed and was able to continue her onslaught of attacks. She mentally thanked Levi because she knew he was the only one to draw a ritual circle from wherever he was. She felt her mana stream begin to fill to full; it was now recharging faster than she could cast spells.

    After what seemed like an hour of fighting, there was a loud ding, and the monsters stopped and then vanished. The group slowly walked to the center of the village where the bell was and found that it had lifted out of the ground to form a small portal. The team stepped through, exhausted. They entered into the expected resting room. On the wall, there was a clock that read six hours. They were given more time to rest.

    ¡°Thank you, Levi, for all the rituals,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna said. ¡°That was most helpful.¡± Levi nodded, his stamina and mana were very low. He had used the void storm a couple of times on top of the rituals and summoning he had done. Levi estimated that he had killed close to 2000 enemies.

    Piper walked over to him and kissed him. Levi smiled, and the team all crashed without much discussion, the beds feeling extra comfortable. Levi was the first to wake up with his headache gone, and most of his stamina recovered. He walked over to the table and drank a stamina position. It tasted like a lemon-lime sports drink he used to drink back home. He enjoyed the flavor. Levi hadn¡¯t checked his stats yet, but he knew that the battle had given him some progress. He wasn¡¯t sure how much because the monsters were all one-star. Killing hundreds of one-star monsters was not nearly as helpful as killing one three-star. Levi wasn¡¯t sure exactly why it was that way, but he didn¡¯t really question it.

    Progress Made: Levi Winters

    Plus 30 to stamina

    Plus 15 to Wisdom

    Attributes Total: 1395

    Strength 135

    Stamina 190

    Speed 130

    Vitality 235

    Wisdom 655

    Objective: Floor #3 - Protect the Village - Completed

    Reward: Villagers Cloak

    Reward: Villager¡¯s Tunic

    Reward: Pan Flute

    Monsters Defeated: Zombies x750

    Loot: Blood 5kg

    Loot: 10,000 Copper pieces

    Loot: Amulet of the Undead

    Monster Defeated: Giant Creeping Spiders x750

    Loot: Spider webs 10kg

    Loot: Spider Venom 10kg

    Loot: Arachnoid Wand

    Monster Defeated: Lesser Demons x500

    Loot: Chaotic Shard Dust 5kg

    Loot: 7,000 Silver Pieces

    Loot: Demon Dagger

    Loot: Demon Wings

    After reading the reward and loot from the battle, Levi was weirded out that he had a bag of blood. He knew it was for summoning, but that seemed like a weird thing to have, no less the sheer amount of it. Levi was curious to check out all the items he had received from each dungeon floor once he got out. He had definitely received items that could help him, but he was nervous to try anything new that could mess up his strategy. Levi pushed those thoughts to the side and began meditating.

    The team woke up feeling refreshed and made their way into the next room. It was a large room but mostly empty. Not what they had expected after seeing the last two rooms full of random things. Inside the room was a large statue of a being with a tri-blade spear that looked like it was made of bone. It was sitting on a throne that also looked like it was made out of bone. As soon as the team walked in, the door behind them slammed closed. The eyes in the statue glowed green.

    The statute came to life, emitting a spooky green glow. It narrowed its eyes at the team of four. The statue was of a man who was 10 feet tall and made completely of bone. He had a bone crown on top of his skeleton head that was now flaming with green flames, his chest was covered in an extravagant bone chest plate, his legs were covered in the same style of bone leg plates. A small cape made of green flames fell behind the monster.

    ¡°Any ideas what this is?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Anna whispered.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Tycen responded.

    ¡°I think this was the assassin leader of the ancient clan, McNarrow,¡± Piper said. ¡°My dad used to tell me legends of the once glorious assassin, who didn¡¯t use shadows to do his killings but cunning and power. What gave it away is the spear. That is the classic weapon that all tales have told about the leader. Large tri-bladed spear infused with death magic. It¡¯s toxic and causes necrosis upon every hit, doesn¡¯t matter if its large or small. The cuts will deal deadly damage.¡±

    ¡°Lovely,¡± Levi said. ¡°So how do we beat something that is already dead?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Piper said. ¡°I know one thing is forsure.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that,¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Magic spells won¡¯t work on it. The green flame it emits is a magic blocker and its life force. Simple water magic won¡¯t be able to do much damage. The longer it fights, the more damage it takes, the weaker its attacks get.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Levi said. ¡°The green flames are what holds it together; we have to do some physical damage while also getting it to expend the flames.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Piper said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the best way to do that is, however.¡±

    ¡°There are no traps in the room, so that¡¯s good,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°My weapon will be effective against it,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°Yes, any weapon that bludgeons will have the advantage as it will be able to break the bones. Since it has no skin, my swords will be useless¡­¡± Piper said.

    ¡°I can summon some golems,¡± Levi said. ¡°They always have maces.¡±

    ¡°I have an idea,¡± Anna said. Then Anna conjured some onyx stones and handed one to Piper. Piper used her powers to turn it into a mace. Anna did the same.

    ¡°This¡¯ll do,¡± Piper said. ¡°This¡¯ll do nicely.¡±

 Chapter 52 - Summoned Otherworlder

    The monsters poured out of the dungeon hole and made their way toward the city wall of Arcross. Professor Egret and Bertrum had summoned large stone cyclopes who could shoot beams of fire from their eyes. The stone cyclopes did a good job of defending the wall from too much intrusion. Several warrior guild students were on the ground fighting the monsters who were more on their level. Declan had been standing with his team of sorcerers firing a consistent and constant barrage of spells from the walls.

    The Rangers guild had all lined up on the top of the outer wall with their bows ready and arrows knocked. They waited for Professor Rob to give the command to fire. The first group of stone crawlers reached the outer wall. At that moment, the professor ordered the fire. Hundreds of arrows rained down on the heads of all the stone crawlers. The crawlers all fell off the wall, dead from the impact of all the arrows.

    For the most part, the defenders were doing their job, and there had been no serious threat from the monsters. They were able to hold the line still from getting too close to the city¡¯s walls. That was until the four-star monster appeared. The Scorzard had the tail of a scorpion and the body of a lizard. It looked like a scorpion and velociraptor mixed together. It was slowly walking through the battlefield, killing the defenders with ease. Most defenders avoided it as it was a four-star monster, but some felt that it was a chance to prove they could handle this challenge.

    They could not. They would be dead before they would get within twenty feet. There were a few four-star defenders in the city of Arcross, two of them were summoners. The other was a hand-to-hand combatant from the Warriors guild and wizard from the Sorcerer¡¯s guild. The four of them gathered together to discuss how they were going to defeat this monster.

    ¡°We cannot get close to it,¡± Bertrum said.

    ¡°This is true,¡± the wizard said. ¡°It¡¯s radius of attack is twenty feet.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± the fighter said.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Egret said. ¡°If you are faster than its tail, which I don¡¯t think you are Roy.¡±

    Roy scoffed and leapt off the wall to the ground. Upon landing, he crushed several monsters. He looked up and smirked. Roy was a mountain of a man. He wasn¡¯t human, he was a werewolf. Because of this his class evolution was a martial art specialist. He wore shorts that were loose fit that went to his knees. He never wore a shirt to show off his hairy, albeit very muscular chest.

    Roy was both fast and powerful, not making much progress in wisdom. He reached the enemy in no time, a bullet through the monsters. He grinned as he approached the scorzard.

    ¡°A challenger,¡± the Scorzard said.

    ¡°What do they call you?¡± Roy responded.

    ¡°Warrior,¡± Warrior said. ¡°You?¡±

    ¡°Roy,¡± Roy grumbled. ¡°It seems your life must come to an end now.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure, I-¡± Roy didn¡¯t let the monster finish as he lunged forward with astounding speed, grabbed his head, and smashed it into the ground. Leaving a huge crater. A move that would have surely killed anyone or anything. The lizard got up shortly after and brushed dirt off his shoulders.

    ¡°Cute tricks are not going to help you,¡± Warrior said. This time, Warrior made the first move. Using his speed, he went to attack, but it was blocked. The two engaged in a fight that was imperceptible to anyone below three-star. The two combatants were exchanging blows to no avail. Both were effectively blocking and guarding against all attacks. Roy feinted a punch; Warrior went to block but realized it was a feint too late. Roy landed a kick across the torso of Warrior. Warrior at the last second was able to protect some but not all. The kick sent shock waves throughout his body.

    Roy smiled at the hit he landed. Warrior spat blue blood and wiped his mouth. A predatory grin grew on his face. Warrior went to attack when a fire bolt landed in his shoulder, then burst into bigger flames. Warrior stumbled back glaring at the who could have done that. A wizard with a wand floated down on a cloud. The wizard was chanting something and the bolt in Warrior¡¯s shoulder dug deeper, and the flames grew bigger.

    In that short moment that Warrior had taken his eyes off of Roy, Roy had completed a combination of punches to the torso of the scorzard. The scorzard went flying with most of its torso beaten in. It smacked into something rock solid. It looked up and saw a red eyebeam being shot from a stone cyclops. The warrior tried to move out of way, way but it was too late. The lizard was incinerated by the beam of the cyclops. Roy and Wendle the Wizard both walked over to the ashen remains of the four-star monster.

    ¡°That was a strong beast,¡± Roy said.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Wendle agreed. ¡°It surviving your first attack was quite an impressive feat.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Roy said. ¡°That usually doesn¡¯t happen.¡±

    ¡°How many casualties from it?¡± Wendle asked.

    ¡°Three two-star and five one-star,¡± Roy reported.

    ¡°And that was without even purposefully trying to attack them,¡± Wendle said, shaking his head.

    ¡°They made quick work of the four-star monster,¡± Professor Egret said.

    ¡°They did, indeed,¡± Bertrum responded. ¡°Let¡¯s hope the teams are doing okay in the dungeon and can plug that hole.¡±

    Inside the dungeon, Levi and his team were fighting the Assassin Leader. The first stage of the battle was brutal, as most of the group sustained major injuries. The healing magic of rituals, spells, and potions kept them alive and in the fight. The turn of the battle came when Anza was killed by the monster''s spear. Levi noticed that she had died, and he was given a prompt to reset the time. He activated it. Time froze, and everything around Levi went backward a few minutes before Anza was stabbed.

    Anza looked at Levi, and she nodded. Levi looked around, disoriented to see if the other¡¯s time stream was affected. It wasn¡¯t. Piper had given Levi an odd look, but she had to focus on her task at hand. Levi now knew a specific way the boss fought, it feinted, then it would do a backhand stab. Anza was aware of this as well. The boss did that exact movement, the feint and it twirled it¡¯s long spear and went for the backhand stab; Anza wasn¡¯t there this time. Anza didn¡¯t fall for the feint; she threw her tentacles at the arm before it stopped.

    A few other drones also held on, the assassin¡¯s arm was now being held tightly by Anza and the drones. Tycen saw this and came through with his enhanced morning star, and he swung down. The monster¡¯s arm shattered into a million pieces of skeleton. The spear clattered to the ground, and fire shot out of the now-empty socket.

    Piper ran quickly and grabbed the spear. The second she touched it; it shrank to a size appropriate for her. She twirled around and nodded to herself.

    ¡°This is an excellent weapon,¡± she stated. ¡°I¡¯ll gladly keep it, thanks!¡± The majority of the green flame was petering out of the boss monster. It was not able to hold onto any of the flames that it had lost already. The attacks from its enemies were relentless. Every time it felt like it had the upper edge, there would be some sort of countermeasure. The leader¡¯s weapon was taken, and he could no longer afford to use any fire spells; it became abundantly clear that it was going to die.

    In a last-ditch effort, it would take these vile creatures to the grave with it. It gathered all of its remaining green flames. A green glow began rising in the assassin leader''s chest. Hearing the chatter from all of the creatures, it grinned. This would be well worth the sacrifice.

    ¡°It¡¯s gonna blow,¡± Levi said. ¡°A kamikaze is crazy!¡± Dameion had created five large orbs that were the size of each team member. They were just like his old form, the black hole. The boss exploded. Skeleton bones flew in every direction as the blast pushed out in green flames. Everything that got near each of the voids was sucked in completely harmlessly.

    Piper walked around the void shield that Dameion provided, holding her new weapon. She looked where the leader had exploded, and there was a chest for each of them, one for each of their guild symbols. She opened her chest and found another weapon¡ªit wasn¡¯t a spear, but it was the tri-blade spearhead. Anna found a bone wand, Tycen a bone morning star, and Levi got a staff along with a vial of the green flame.

    A door appeared in the throne, and the team walked through it. To their surprise, it wasn¡¯t a restroom but a library. There was a timer on the wall that was counting down from thirty minutes. The group looked at each other, confused. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Well done, mortals,¡± a mysterious female voice came from a bookshelf. ¡°You have completed my dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Because you were the first, you gain access to this room, as a reward for finishing the dungeon. You may,¡± the dungeon crafter said slowly. ¡°Take anything you see in here with you. This is your reward.¡±

    ¡°Our reward is books?¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Your reward is knowledge,¡± the dungeon crafter said pointedly.

    ¡°How long do we have?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°The clock has already started you have what time remains.¡± Anna and Tycen, the two magical nerds on the team, took off running throughout the library, looking for specific texts related to their type of magical study. Levi went searching for the dungeon crafter. Once he found her, the crafter looked at him with curiosity. ¡°What is it mortal?¡±

    ¡°You said that we can take anything we see here?¡± Levi asked. The dungeon crafter was an elderly spectral warrior. She was well-defined and wore a plate skirt and chest plate, with a sword sheathed on her hip.

    ¡°Yes,¡± the DC said.

    ¡°What can you tell me about the summoner M. Veluvius?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Why do you think I will answer your question mortal?¡±

    ¡°You said I can take what I want in this room. You¡¯re in this room, and I want answers.¡±

    ¡°Mmm,¡± DC mused. ¡°Very well. Veluvius was perhaps the most powerful summoner this world had ever seen. It is an ancient name, not one that has been spoken by many since his disappearance. His specialty of summoning was summoning creatures and developing bonds for knowledge, exploring the greater cosmos. He became a Cosmic Summoner, constantly summoning cosmic beings. M. Veluvius had discovered that there is a rank past five-star. That became his life¡¯s mission, he had an apprentice who he trained to seek that next rank up. The apprentice became skilled in order magic. He became obsessed with order magic; everything had to be ordered or it was not worth keeping around. The apprentice soon found this to be true in his dear mentor and the other summoner leaders. He began slowly killing them all. Veluvius went into hiding after hearing the monster he had created.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Levi said. ¡°Is the apprentice an otherworlder?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± DC said. ¡°He was the crown prince of the Arbor family.¡± Levi paled. He went extremely still as his mind started racing. This was not good. The Arbor family were the last known rulers of this continent before the Onyx family came and conquered and took over. Levi wasn¡¯t sure how far the Arbor family¡¯s influence spread, but he was certain that the Triadic Islands were a part of that kingdom. If the apprentice, who Levi believed is the bad guy in the prophecy, is truly an Arbor and a crowned prince, getting revenge on the Onyx family would be guaranteed, amongst other things. Levi had to warn the king. He had to do something to save Anna¡¯s family. Piper¡¯s family!

    ¡°You look troubled human,¡± the DC said. ¡°Are you starting to figure out your purpose of being sent here?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Levi said, being pulled out of his thoughts. ¡°I wasn¡¯t, until you just said that ominously.¡±

    ¡°Here,¡± the DC held out a letter rolled tightly. ¡°This is for your summoned otherworlder.¡±

    Levi took note at the word choice from the dungeon crafter. He grabbed the letter and began reading it.

    Letter #10

    To the one who was Summoned,

    I hope you were able to find your way. I apologize if you were summoned into a hostile environment. This letter, if you find it. Is not going to provide you with any hope. I¡¯m sorry.

    I am running out of time to write this. You are in danger. There is a being of immense power rising up to summon a world-ending engineer. I put every effort into summoning the perfect being to come to this world and stop it before it happened.

    The ritual is intact; unfortunately, I will have to sacrifice my life to bring you here. I am sorry I cannot be more of a guide to you. The prophecy of old is true, as I was the one to write it. It was my mistakes that brought this evil to the world. The amount of materials and rituals it will take to summon a world-ending engineer is extensive, and there are specific materials needed that are nearly impossible to find. Unfortunately, the summoner is resourceful and evil. I fear that there will only be five more years until it is ready. I summon you now so you may build up the power and allies.

    I hope you get this letter and can do what needs to be done. I have written many letters about my history spread throughout the world. Seek them, and you will soon understand what you are up against. Be discrete, be cautious, and be brave. You were summoned for a reason. Good luck,

    You can do this,

    M. Veluvius

    Levi fell to the floor, holding the letter. He hugged his knees and rocked slightly. This letter was not good news. He was meant to save the world in five years from a thing called a world-engineer? Levi wondered what that even meant. Why had been the one to be chosen? What was the reason to summon him here, now? Why couldn¡¯t Levi have been summoned ten years ago, five years ago? Levi had already been here for a year; did that mean he only had four years left? Overall, Levi felt like that was a long time, but his instincts were screaming it was not enough.

    All the doubts, all the insecurities, all the self-esteem issues came back with a vengeance to Levi in that moment. He felt like all the progress he made in being more confident was shattered to pieces. Levi didn¡¯t want to save the world. Levi didn¡¯t know how he was going to save the world. Something about knowing that the apprentice was an Arbor made things all the worse for it. Could he even trust his professors from the guild? Who could he trust outside of his small team and familiars?

    The dungeon crafter looked down at Levi with no expression. She stood over the now scared chaotic paragon. She thought to the message Veluvius had told her all those years ago.

    ¡°I believe I am going to have to summon an otherworlder who has the purest form of chaos affinity possible. There are none on this planet,¡± Veluvius said. ¡°I have narrowed it down to one guy, a human on a world that is magically desolate. It will take substantial magic to complete it and will be my last task before I complete my ascension to the cosmic rank. Will you build a dungeon near his landing point, and if/when he beats the room. Give him this as his reward, this specific letter. Letter #10.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± the dungeon crafter said. ¡°What do you expect his reaction to be?¡±

    ¡°Poor,¡± Veluvius said. ¡°I think he will feel the weight of the entire world on his shoulders in that moment.¡±

    ¡°I will help him.¡±

    ¡°You mustn¡¯t. Watch his resolve, feel his soul and aura; if he has a team -he will need one to beat your dungeon. Watch how they rally around him. Then, once he has picked himself back up, you may help him. I have no idea what kind of summoner he will be, but he will be a summoner.¡±

    ¡°I understand. After all, summoners are the most powerful magic-users in this world.¡±

    ¡°If trained properly. Which, sadly, most are not. I will send him to a place where strong summoners reside that could help him as guides.¡±

    ¡°How will I know when to summon and where he is?¡±

    ¡°Use this,¡± Veluvius handed the dungeon crafter a small stone. ¡°It is a chaos affinity tracker. Very common, but he will have the strongest chaos affinity on the planet from any magic-user.¡±

    ¡°I will get it done,¡± the dungeon crafter said.

    ¡°Thank you, old friend. I cannot wait till we meet again,¡± Veluvius said with mournful eyes.

    After reliving that memory, the dungeon crafter refocused her gaze on Levi. There is so much pressure, she thought. This one man has so much pressure. I do not belong to this world, so the end does not affect me. Nor does he, yet here he is feeling that pressure.

    ¡°Levi,¡± Piper rushed over to him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do it,¡± Levi said. ¡°I can¡¯t be the one. This has to be a mistake.¡±

    ¡°What has to be? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Piper was shouting loudly. Anna and Tycen ran over to see him on the ground with tears in his eyes. Vapor manifested next to Anza and Serenity.

    ¡°Levi has just learned the purpose of him being brought to your world, Lady Piper,¡± Vapor said. ¡°His task is to save it from the evil.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Anna said. ¡°The prophecy was real?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi said. ¡°But you hadn¡¯t heard the real one.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Anna and Piper said at the same time.

    ¡°Levi,¡± Vapor said, interrupting the girls. ¡°We have four years. You are not alone. We are here to fight with you and fight for you.¡±

    ¡°Vapor is right,¡± Piper said. ¡°No matter what is going on, or what is being said. We can do this. You¡¯re quite possibly the strongest summoner on this continent and that¡¯s a big deal.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out together, brother,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Anna said. ¡°I believe in you fully.¡± Levi wiped the tears from his eyes. He took a long, calming breath. He nodded his head slowly with his eyes shut firmly.

    ¡°Alright,¡± voice barely a whisper. ¡°Okay. I can do this; I can do this. Y¡¯all are right. I¡¯m not alone, and we have some time.¡±

    ¡°He was right,¡± the dungeon crafter said in a whisper. ¡°Chaotic Paragon,¡± she said to Levi.

    Levi looked up, ¡°yes?¡±

    ¡°Take this item,¡± she held out a token with a rune on it. ¡°Summon me when the time comes to fight your enemy. I was able to provide aid if your resolve was worthy. It is. I will fight alongside you.¡± Levi held the token in his hand. Unable to say anything. ¡°Now, your time is up. The monsters will stop attacking the city of Arcross as I am leaving. Step through this portal and leave my dungeon. We will meet again, Levi Winters.¡± A portal opened; Levi went to respond but instead nodded respectfully and stepped through the portal last.

    ¡°Levi,¡± Anna said. ¡°We have a problem.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Levi said, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the bright light.

    ¡°We are not in the Onyx kingdom.¡±

 Prolouge: Previously On.... START OF BOOK 2

    Hey everyone, Levi here, glad you¡¯re back to read book two of my adventures. It¡¯s been some time, so let¡¯s do a quick recap of what happened previously. So without further ado, Previously on¡­ The Familiar Summoner.

    It all started when I, Levi Winters, ended up being teleported into a whole new world¡ªyes, another isekai story. I did spend most of that first day learning about the new world and figuring out that magic was real. It was the first night that I met my first pal, Anza. Anza is a mimic, a being of pure chaos, and she became great friends with him.

    I eventually made my way to the first new city in the new world called Arcross. I had been given a quest that told me I needed to join a guild. Well, Arcross had a guild district, thankfully. Otherwise, I would have been wandering in the wilderness for a long time. Anyway, I learned that there are many guilds, and I was chosen for the summoner¡¯s guild, which was odd because nobody was chosen by guilds. They chose guilds. Nevertheless, I enrolled in the year-long guild and found it lonely as I was the only student. Apprentice? Attendee? Honestly, I''m not even sure what they call me, but I was one of them, nevertheless.

    Enter the cliche love interest and her friend. Piper and Anna both enter the scene as they interact with me early on and then at the guilds. Side note: how awesome is Piper, beautiful, silly, smart, strong, the whole package. Piper had a thing for me; for whatever reason, it seemed she was very into scrawny black boys. Anna took some time to warm up to me, but we got there. The three of us continued to get close as we all progressed swimmingly in each of our respective guilds. Piper and I get all official and stuff, super cute, my body changes, and I actually become a pretty damn good summoner.

    Eventually I reached the point where I could have a class evolution, and low and behold, I evolved into a Familiar Summoner, which meant I got a lot of friends. After many different rituals, system rewards, and dungeon rewards, I created several familiar rituals, which included a couple of wisps, an entity from the void, a steam spirit, and lastly, an aura dragon. You¡¯ll definitely get to know them more in this book, I promise¡­ shh don¡¯t tell C.D. I told you this... But yeah, I am getting pretty overpowered. But that¡¯s fine. Who doesn¡¯t love an excellent progression story?The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    I ended up meeting Piper and Anna¡¯s families, and spoiler alert, they sucked. They were not welcoming and, in general, made me feel like crap. They sucked so bad that they ended up kidnapping me to prevent me from interacting with the family at all. Total dick move if you ask me. It wasn¡¯t all bad though, because I¡¯m great. While kidnapped, I managed to discover these mysterious letters from a man named M. Velusvius. The letters I had found had been out of order, so I had been slowly trying to piece together what this nonsense was. There was some prophecy surrounding these letters at first; they were vague and not helpful, but the last one left me in a weird headspace. But more of that later.

    After I got kidnapped and eventually made my way home, Piper was pissed at her family, which was exactly what I expected; we all focused on finishing the final month at the guilds well, which ended with what they called the ¡°battle of the guilds¡±, which was basically a team-based deathmatch. Well, of course, because I was by myself, I had no team; it''s a good thing I¡¯m a summoner; otherwise, I would have been destroyed. But I won it all, yay! I proved to a lot of people that being a summoner wasn¡¯t half bad. Might have even convinced one of Anna¡¯s sisters to join the summoner¡¯s guild.

    Oh yeah, somewhere along the way, we met this dude named Tycen. Great guy, an avian, I think, is what they¡¯re called. Big, tall, black, with wings, super cool, like an angel. Anyways, the four of us, Myself, Piper, Anna, and Tycen, all make our way to a random dungeon that spawned just outside the city of Arcross. Inside the dungeon, we all made huge gains, and I made a couple of my familiars progress to the next star rank.

    If I was being honest, the dungeon was cool, but we got it done well as a team. The strange thing is we exited the dungeon in a completely different place. That¡¯s where we¡¯re all caught up, where the writer here decided to leave you awesome folks with a cliffhanger. Totally lame. Well, if you¡¯re wondering, wow, Levi sounds a whole lot more confident than I do in the books. That¡¯s cause this is me after the books are finished. Keep reading and find out my progression. Anyways, thanks for reading this previously on¡­. I do hope that it was a helpful reminder. See you soon as we figure out where the hell we are.

 Chapter 53 - League of Order

    In a room with an opulent oval table, many people gathered together to discuss various topics. They were all wearing the same outfit¡ªan all-white robe with a golden trim and a golden symbol on the back. Many of them were wearing sandals and had a wand or staff in hand or near their person. The beings gathered were all of different races, including gnomes, dwarves, humans, elves, and some half-elemental creatures. The conversations continued until a man walked into the room. The room went silent as everyone rushed to their seats.

    He strode in, wearing some magical scaled armor with a golden cloak. The armor was all-white with gold trim, matching the rest of the members in the room. He had beautiful golden hair, striking golden eyes, and tan skin. His smile was dazzling. He was a beautiful man. Atop his head was a small golden crown. He held a staff that looked like a golden-white cobra. He strolled past everyone, soaking up their adoration, fear, and reverence until he sat at the edge of the long table. He held his head high, there was an air of condesencion about his movements, his steps, everything. He thought he was the strongest thing to ever exist in this room. He was right.

    ¡°Well,¡± his raspy voice echoed. ¡°I¡¯m glad we all could gather; it has been too long since the League of Order has assembled. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re noticing some new faces and are curious about the old faces.¡± Others started to murmur as they looked around to see who was new and who was missing. ¡°Yes yes, my friends, we had to remove some weeds from our garden. Worry not as that is order. It is keeping things aligned. As you may know my dear dear mentor has been sneaky. The old bastard before his death somehow found a way to create a ritual to summon an otherworlder. There have been no reports in the last few years of the otherworlder.¡±

    Someone cleared their throat. ¡°Speak your mind, Travulos.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, my lord,¡± the orc named Travulos said with a slight bow. He stood up to address what was going on. ¡°We have heard rumblings of a being of unusual potential rising out of the Onyx kingdom. A summoner.¡±

    ¡°A summoner,¡± the man said, leaning forward. ¡°How intriguing, I¡¯m assuming the first summoner in awhile¡­ do you know which city?¡±

    ¡°N-no, my lord, my apologies.¡±

    ¡°It is not your fault, Travulos,¡± the man said with a smile that definitely made it seem like it was, indeed, Travulos¡¯ fault. He got up and walked over to the orc. The contrast in the skin tone was striking. ¡°Right now we are facing a crisis in information. Our spies have been snuffed out in various places.¡± He placed his hands on Travulos'' shoulders and kept speaking. ¡°It is quite annoying but not unexpected. Keep on the search,¡± he slowly made his hands down the neck of the orc, ¡°if you find whoever the otherworlder is¡­ kill them.¡± He snapped the neck of Travulos, killing him right then and there. As he let go of the now limp body, he strode back to his seat and smiled. ¡°Then report back to me. Any other matters that much be discussed before the meeting is adjourned?¡±

    ¡°Uh yes Lord Axel, should we send a group to check out the city in which the summoner was enrolled?¡± Asked a rather nervous-looking elf.

    ¡°Not a bad idea,¡± Axel said, peering at the elf. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

    ¡°My lord,¡± an avian creature said. ¡°I do believe I have a cousin who is working in the Onyx kingdom at a summoner¡¯s guild. I can reach out to see if they know anything about it.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Axel said with a large smile, although his gaze never went off the elf. ¡°What is your name?¡± He asked the elf.

    ¡°I am Asloria, sire,¡± she said with a bow. ¡°Fourth sister of the Anira lineage.¡±

    ¡°I see, I¡¯d like to speak with you¡­ in private.. After the meeting is adjourned,¡± he said in a way that was a little too creepy for everyone in the room as they all attempted to hide their shudder. Asloria slowly nodded while trying not to hide her face of fear and shame. ¡°Now, back to you. Yes, reach out to your cousin and gather as much intel as possible. That is all. Until next time, I shall summon you when the time grows closer.¡± He stood up, ¡°need I not remind you what happens when you fail to do your tasks,¡± he said, looking at the body of the orc. He then walked over to Asloria, placed a hand on her shoulder, then walked out of the room. Slowly, everyone breathed out a sigh of relief.

    Asloria stood up and made her way to her lord¡¯s chambers as she walked through the castle hallways. Asloria reflected on how her life had turned so poor. She used to hang with kings and queens. With people who had real power, not ones who sought it like an angry toddler. Asloria was nearly 700 years old. She saw the rise and fall of the Arbor kingdom from a distance, yet she was never that strong as she still remained a two-star rogue. As she entered the chambers, she saw the man lying on the bed.

    ¡°Well,¡± he said in an attempted seductive voice. ¡°You¡¯re mine.¡± The door to the chambers shut as Asloria reluctantly walked in. A few short hours later, the doors to the chamber swung open, and Axel strode out alone. He called for his maids to clean up his room and have it spotless before he returned in half a day. The maids more or less appeared out of thin air and entered into the prince¡¯s chambers. To none of their surprise, they see that lying on the bed was the head of Asloria, the fourth sister of the Anira lineage.

    Axel had set up a ritual that forced people to tell the truth. He had spent the next few hours intimidating her to get any information on the otherworlder; when she couldn¡¯t provide him with any additional details, Axel killed her. As the maids cleaned up the blood and removed the head and the dead body, they were reminded of how truly evil their master was. There wasn¡¯t much to clean up but dispose of the head and the body.

    Axel was a practitioner of order magic. Studying under the tutelage of M. Velusvius, he became obsessed with summoning beings of order magic. He became an expert in order ritual magic. Axel walked in the hallway in his completely white outfit towards his office. He was frustrated. His damn mentor was a tricky bastard who kept trying to prevent absolute progress.

    Axel had learned that order magic was an easy form of magic to control. It wanted to be controlled, it wanted to be used. Axel felt like he was doing a disservice to this specific form of magic by not giving it what it wanted; that is why he became a practitioner of order. He held out his hand as he was walking, a white orb, with golden swirls on the inside, formed. It slowly rotated in his hand. Axel looked down at the orb in his hand, he took a deep breath, then smiled wide. Seeing the beauty of order always calmed him down. It always brought a smile to his face.

    ¡°Sire,¡± a man in a mage robe said with a hand symbol. His index finger and thumb formed a circle, the rest of his fingers were straight out. He touched the tips of his fingers together, forming two circles above a triangle.

    ¡°Trove,¡± Axel said. ¡°What do you have for me?¡±

    ¡°The members of the Greavent Kingdom are still not willing to join the League. The crown prince is vehemently rejecting your claims that there is a threat coming to the world.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s most unfortunate,¡± Axel said. The two of them walked into his office. The room was made of completely white marble, there was a large table made from white wood, that had the same symbol, the man named Trove, made. The table was trimmed with gold. There was an extravegent chair that sat right behind the desk. It was all white with a golden trim and intriciate golden designs.

    ¡°What are your orders sire?¡± Trove asked.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± Axel said. He was tapping a finger to his chin, his lips were pursed. Then his golden eyes looked up to Trove. Trove was a medium built elf, he wore an all white mage¡¯s robe and had a white wand sheathed at his hip. Trove¡¯s eyes were bright blue, white made his pale skin appear paler. His hood was up covering his head and ears. ¡°What do you suggest general?¡±

    ¡°Do what you usually do,¡± Trove said with a sinister smile.

    ¡°Kill the massess until they capitulate?¡± Axel said, still playing with the orb of order. ¡°A not that bad of an idea. Perhaps I shall talk to them personally, first. After all, I am quite convincing.¡±

    ¡°As you command, sire,¡± Trove said making the hand gesture again. He then turned around abruptly and walked out of the room, leaving Axel alone.

    Axel looked at the map infront of him on his desk. It was the map of the world. Axel looked at all the places that had a white flat marble. These were the marks of order, the places in the world that his influence reigned supreme. There were many white marbles on the map. He smiled, but his smile turned into a scowl as he looked at the places that he had failed to conquer.

    Axel took a deep breath as there was a knock on the door. He used his magic to open the door. In walked a maid with a golden kettle and white mugs. She came and sat it down without a word or eye contact. Axel didn¡¯t say anything to the servant either. He poured himself a cup of tea. He took a sip, then lounged in his throne like chair. He closed his eyes and began to dream.

    ***

    ¡°What do you mean they¡¯re gone?¡± Professor Bertrum, the birdman summoner¡¯s guild professor, asked one of the officials who was watching the dungeon. Professor Bertrum was a large being. He had the head of a falcon, two large wings that protruded out of his back, he was a muscular olive skinned bird man.

    ¡°I mean sir,¡± the officials said. ¡°The dungeon was completed but the team that entered in first, never arrived out. All the monsters inside the dungeon, as predicted have been released. Arcross is in danger of an outbreak.¡±

    Where could they have gone, Bertrum thought. He nodded at the guard. ¡°Thank you, I will inform the others.¡± The guard saluted then walked off in the opposite direction.

    ¡°What did he say?¡± Professor Egret, a female elf, who also happened to be his wife, asked. She had blonde hair, bronze skin, and green eyes. Her hair was up in a bun that revealed her tapered ears fully.

    ¡°They¡¯re gone,¡± Bertrum said through gritted beak.

    ¡°Oh boy,¡± Egret said. ¡°Lord Onyx will not be pleased.¡±

    ¡°Pleased about what?¡± a voice said from behind them. Lord Onyx said. Lord Leandro Onyx was the current head of the Onyx kingdom. He was recently visiting Arcross as his daughter, Anna Onyx was competing in the Battle of the Guilds. It was quite clear for him that he would be watching the fabled event on at the guilds. He had previously watched Anna¡¯s elder sister, Rayvin, participate in it a few years ago.

    Leandro was seen as a complex man, this couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. He was quite simple, he wanted to protect his family, his daughters, his legacy, and his kingdom. If Leandro had done all of that up until his death he would die a heroes death. This was important to know to understand why the two professors were not thrilled to inform the king that his daughter was missing.

    ¡°Well,¡± Leandro demanded, not happy with the time it took for the two to spill the beans.

    ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± Bertrum began. ¡°Your daughter¡¯s team has gone missing, sir.¡± His usual tough demeanor was long gone, in its place was a meek demeanor. He refused to make eye contact with the obvious growing fury of the king of the Onyx kingdom.

    ¡°Now,¡± he said, biting off each word. ¡°I am going to ask you this again. I want you to answer my questions very well. Or else there will be hells to pay. What. happened. To. my. Daugther?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Bertrum said. ¡°It was reported by the guards stationed outside the dungeon that there was a strong sense of teleportation magic that could be felt through the entrance of the dungeon. The dungeon began to destabilize informing us that it was successfully completed. Shortly after the other teams we had tasked to enter the dungeon emerged, except one. The one team we believed conquered the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°If that otherworlder did this on purpose to my daughter¡­ I will have him strung up on every tower in Arvendron¡­ every tower.¡± Leandro promised. Leandro was understandably pissed. He had to let loose his anger. Thankfully for him, there was a monster outbreak threatening to destroy one of his cities. Unfortunately for the monsters, the 4-star king was present.

    The monsters coming out of the dungeon were all rankings, with the majority being 3-stars, which meant they were significantly weaker than the king. The wizard and the warrior, Wendel and Roy, respectively, had killed the last 4-star-ranked monster. It would take time before another one spawned. This didn¡¯t mean they were without trouble; plenty of 3-star-ranked monsters was more than enough problems.

    Leandro was wearing a dark black regal tunic with a well-designed elegant clock over his clothes. He moved his cloak to the side, revealing a belt full of onyx rocks. His eyes began to glow, and his cloak began to levitate as if someone were blowing wind under it. The rocks were glowing the same color as his eyes, a black hue.

    Leandro held out his hands and the onyx floated in front of him. He held his hands wide as he walked towards the edge of the wall where the monsters were approaching. He took a deep, calming breath.

    Shard Storm, he chanted. The onyx took off into the sky at an insanely fast speed. After a second, there was a loud boom, and a dark black light exploded in the sky. Suddenly, shards of razor-sharp onyx began showering down the horde of monsters. In seconds, the shards littered the monsters below, which were full of sharp onyx.

    Lava Glass, he chanted again. Most of the monsters didn¡¯t survive that initial attack, which made sense since they weren¡¯t very strong in comparison to the king. To be fair, very few in the current region were. King Leandro was not some puppet figurehead for the kingdom. He was active in battles and wars. When there was a problem that needed to be solved, he would be the one leading them to victory.

    Leandro¡¯s power had grown signficantly, but he had entered what was called the plateau. The aptly named plateau was something some magic users hit. It was when they would reach the edge of their potential, and all progress would stall and come to a screeching halt. It was possible to get out of the plateau however, it was not that simple. It took years of dedication and determination to leave the plateau. It was something that required undivided attention.

    Some people were able to go into seclusion and find that missing piece to break the plateau. Most people weren¡¯t able to. The plateau has been known to completely break the spirits of a magic user, completely stalling all progress and forcing them to stay at whatever star rank they were. Lord Leandro had no such worries, as it would be unbecoming for a king to think such negative thoughts.

    No, Lord Leandro recognized that he was experiencing a plateau, and he knew the reason why: his family. Leandro wanted nothing more than his daughters to fight by his side. However, the world turned a bit nastier, and he became a bit more protective. Lord Leandro had seen the danger and understood that the time of the ancient prophecy had come. Perhaps his breakthrough would come soon, and he would reach the pinnacle of power.

    Grinning he looked back at the damage he had caused. The battle field was a sight of molten lava, burning alive all monsters that were present. The lava seemed like it would be there for a long time, meaning that the monsters would not get close to the wall at all. He nodded, his work was done. In a moment the king had effectively wiped out 250 monsters of various rankings all at once.

    The guards all looked at the king with new eyes of respect and fear. They recognized that he was not a king or person to mess with. If this was what he could do to entire hoards of monsters, what could he do to one focused target? The guards shuddered at the thought as they watched him as he strode off, still angry at the absence of his daughter.

    ¡°I do feel better,¡± Leandro muttered under his breath. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re alive still, Anna, but I know you can handle all that this life is going to throw at you. Be strong, be brave, be you. I love you.¡± Leandro made his way back to his city, Arvendron, after giving Arcross an insane boon to win this battle. ¡°Alessia is going to be sooo upset with me.¡±

    Professor Bertrum and Egret shared a look as they looked at the devastation the battle, no, not battle, that was a massacre, a single attack. They looked at it and both shuddered, that was a lot of power displayed by a four-star mage. They still weren¡¯t sure what his class evolution was, but whatever it was, it was surely powerful.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that he didn¡¯t take it out on me,¡± Bertrum said. ¡°That would have been painful. Did you know he was that strong?¡±

    ¡°I did not,¡± Egret said. ¡°It is a good thing there was a monster horde. I do understand his frustration though. That cannot be easy losing a daughter like that. This world is massive and we have no idea where they could have gone.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Bertrum nodded. ¡°We shall not concern ourselves with it, though. We have to prepare. This year, nearly ten people registered for the one and only summoner guild.¡±

    ¡°TEN?!¡± Egret said excitedly.

    ¡°Yes, ten,¡± Bertrum nodded. ¡°Levi¡¯s performance inspired a lot of families to invest in getting a summoner in their ranks, even for extended jobs in secruity.¡±

    ¡°Incredile,¡± Egret said. ¡°Then yes, let¡¯s prepare for next year.¡± The two strode off toward the guild district.

 Chapter 54 - Here For a Reason

    Letter #10

    To the one who was Summoned,

    I hope you were able to find your way. I apologize if you were summoned into a hostile environment. This letter, if you find it. It is not going to provide you with any hope. I''m sorry.

    I am running out of time to write this. You are in danger. There is a being of immense power rising to summon a world-ending engineer. I put every effort into summoning the perfect being to come to this world and stop it before it happened.

    The ritual is intact; unfortunately, I will have to sacrifice my life to bring you here. I am sorry I cannot be more of a guide to you. The prophecy of old is true, as I was the one to write it. It was my mistakes that brought this evil to the world. The amount of materials and rituals it will take to summon a world-ending engineer is extensive, and there are specific materials needed that are nearly impossible to find. Unfortunately, the summoner is resourceful and evil. I fear that there will only be five more years until it is ready. I summon you now so you may build up the power and allies.

    I hope you get this letter and can do what needs to be done. I have written many letters about my history spread throughout the world. Seek them, and you will soon understand what you are up against. Be discrete, be cautious, and be brave. You were summoned for a reason. Good luck,

    You can do this,

    M. Veluvius

    Levi had read the letter over and over again after they left the dungeon. It hadn''t taken the team long to figure out where they were. Well, it hadn''t taken Tycen and Anna long, the resident smarty pants. Upon exiting the dungeon, the team expected to see the forest bordering the city of Arcross. Yet, to their surprise, they saw rolling hills of clouds. They had entered the Cloud Plaine Kingdom.

    Levi looked over the vast¡­ eh plains that were made of clouds instead of grass. Levi questioned if that would have changed the word "plains." Putting that question to the side, his eyes were drawn to the sky above. It was a starry sky.

    "Wait where is this kingdom?" Levi asked.

    "It''s up," Tycen said. "We''re 500km in the sky. The word kingdom is also a misnomer. There aren''t actually any established cities or rulers here. It is a vast open area that are full of mosnters, dungeons, random outposts, and some treasures."

    "Sooooo how do we get down?" Levi asked.

    "We have to find a teleportation outpost," Tycen said. "We have to pick a direction and walk." Levi scratched his head. He wasn''t too fond of that plan, but there wasn''t anything else for him to do. He called out Anza, his first familiar, a mimic. A mimic was a creature that was made of metallic tentacles that formed into legs of some sort. It was about eight feet tall and had a vicious-looking face, similar to a canine that was wrapped in metal, had sharp teeth, and had blue alien eyes. Levi jumped up and landed on her back.

    Anna Onyx, princess of the Onyx kingdom, stood and looked at Levi. She had dark black hair that was up in a bun with two mini wands holding the bun in place. Her dark skin and features reminded Levi of an earthly Sri Lankin woman with a bit more Asian features. She was absolutely stunning, and well, she knew it. Levi looked at her and summoned a smaller version of Anza, which was called drones. The drone was about half the size of Anza and burned with an orange glow in its cores rather than the blue that Anza produced.

    Tycen, the purple-haired, dark-skin avian, waved off Levi''s gaze and began flying. He didn''t need the drones to ride. Lastly, Lady Piper Vendular of the Vendulars was looking at Levi. To Levi, he would have described her as a Pacific islander, an Olympian. She was also beautiful. She had wavy brown hair that was tied into a practical ponytail with two little curlies falling and shaping her face. She smiled her beautiful smile at Levi and jumped up onto Anza''s back.

    She wrapped her arms around him, and the group set off. While they were wandering, Levi pulled out the last letter from Veluvius. He read it over and over, nervously chewing on his lower lip. Each time he read it, he focused on a different section.

    To the one who was Summoned,

    I hope you were able to find your way. I apologize if you were summoned into a hostile environment. This letter, if you find it. It is not going to provide you with any hope. I''m sorry.

    What did he mean he was sorry? Levi thought. He was right; this letter did not provide me with hope. Why was he sorry? Was he the one who summoned me here? Is it his fault I got brought here? Frankly, I don''t care that he brought me here; this has been the best thing that has happened to me¡­ but why did he?

    That question had been the one replaying in Levi''s head a lot of as late. It had caused him to reflect on his life before and his life now. Here he was, a young adult black male living in a world of magic. He entered into this world a year or so ago, scrawny, unfit, and completely lost. Now, he was a little more fit, less scrawny, and not so completely lost. He had some confidence in his actions.

    He was certainly not angry that he was brought here. A small part of him was grateful that the letter confirmed he had been summoned here. It was proof that he had not been dreaming, in fact. That was all Levi needed. It had given him some hope that he could indeed live a better life. Learn from the mistakes of his past and be a better person. But being a better person and saving the world were two very different things.

    I am running out of time to write this. You are in danger. There is a being of immense power rising to summon a world-ending engineer. I put every effort into summoning the perfect being to come to this world and stop it before it happened.

    The ritual is intact; unfortunately, I will have to sacrifice my life to bring you here. I am sorry I cannot be more of a guide to you. The prophecy of old is true, as I was the one to write it. It was my mistakes that brought this evil to the world. The amount of materials and rituals it will take to summon a world-ending engineer is extensive, and there are specific materials needed that are nearly impossible to find. Unfortunately, the summoner is resourceful and evil. I fear that there will only be five more years until it is ready. I summon you now so you may build up the power and allies.

    The man had sacrificed his life to bring Levi. Not specifically Levi, but he had no idea who Levi was. But apparently, Levi fit the criteria for being brought here. Was the potential that Levi showed truly enough to sacrifice his life? Levi didn''t believe it was, in fact he thought Veluvius or whoever he was should have tried a different summoning ritual. Levi had no idea what made him so special, apart from the chaos affinity, but surely that couldn''t have been the only reason. Right? There had to be more that would have caused the ritual that picked Levi.

    "What''s troubling you," Piper''s sweet voice interrupted his thoughts.

    Levi chewed his lips some more before answering, "I uh, am curious what criteria it was for me to be chosen to come here¡­ the letter says, ''perfect being''. Why would a 25 year old from Rancho Cucamonga, California be the perfect choice? I''m human apart of a race that is younger than some people on this planet. Seems odd."

    "Still lacking self-confidence I see," Anna said.

    "Hush," Piper scolded. Anna chuckled, and Tycen cracked a smile.

    "I don''t know if this is a self-esteem thing or just something that doesn''t make sense. In my short year, I have met many many facinsating beings. Races, that were only told in myths. Yet they are alive and kicking here, they are plentiful, powerful, and strong."

    "Apart from plentiful," Piper said. "That does sound like you."

    "Powerful and strong?"

    "You threatened my father," Piper said. "That''s not something someone who isn''t powerful and strong would do."

    "I agree," Anna said. She had pulled a book out of her bag and was reading it. Or she at least grabbed the book to look like she wasn''t eavesdropping on the conversation.

    "Want to just be apart of the conversation?" Levi asked.

    "What are you talking about, I am reading my book?" Anna said with faux calmness. She was clearly hiding a chuckle.

    "Glad to see you''re in a light mood," Levi said quietly.

    "Levi," Anna said, putting her book away. "We just beat a dungeon, the second one I have completed with you. Both times you did exceptionally well. You have a posse of quite possibly the most impressive, if not terrifying group of familiars. Perhaps against my better judgment, I am ready to follow you. So when are you going to be ready to lead us you big dummy?"

    "You might be the worst at giving compliments," Levi said. "So many insults. With a dash of praise."

    "I can admit, that is a shortcoming of my upbringing, but my sentiment remains true," Anna admitted.

    Levi paused and considered her words. It was true he had grown in confidence since they had formed their little team. He returned my gaze back to the letter.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    I hope you get this letter and can do what needs to be done. I have written many letters about my history spread throughout the world. Seek them, and you will soon understand what you are up against. Be discrete, be cautious, and be brave. You were summoned for a reason. Good luck,

    You can do this,

    M. Veluvius

    He was summoned for a reason, which made Levi think back to a moment he had with his mom. When Levi was mourning his dad''s death at home, his mom walked into his room. Levi was playing a sad song on his guitar¡ªa song about following his dad into the dark so they could be together. Levi''s mom entered the room and sat beside him as he played the somber yet beautiful song.

    "That''s a beautiful song, son," she said.

    "It still hurts, Mom," Levi responded. "When will the pain stop?" His mom gave a soft chuckle; it was sad. Levi looked up at his mom. Her eyes were puffy and red. She had dark circles around her eyes, and it was clear she hadn''t slept in a long time.

    "I''m not sure it will," she said. "I know you''re in pain, son; I am too. Levi, I knew your father for most of my life. I know it seems unfair. It is unfair. You have to push to get out of this room and do something."

    "What is there for me to do? Life is meaningless now, I can''t do anything without seeing him, everywhere? How can you tell me that I have to push through?"

    "I can''t sit here, Levi, and watch you throw your life away."

    "I don''t even know why I''m here," Levi said. "It''s not like I was loved by many people¡­ I''d trade places with dad in a second. Then you''d be happy you still had your life long best friend."

    "Levi Winters," his mom snapped. "I don''t want to hear you say such things again. Do you understand? I loved your father¡ªwe all did¡ªand we love you! Son, I know you are lost, and I know you did so much with your father. You are here for a reason, not just someone to trade your life for another."

    Levi had a small tear run down his cheek at the memory. He hadn''t been the kindest to his mom. Of course, hindsight was always 20/20, and he recognized that now. Add another thing to the list called, "Damn, I messed up big time, I''m sorry list." Wiping the tear from his eyes, he took a steadying, deep breath. He closed his eyes and focused on the mana that was coursing through his body. The chaos mana that was flowing freely in his body.

    He felt the warmth from his two Wisps, Willow and Crystal, encouraging him to keep going, that they believed in and trusted him. The warmth was comforting. Levi imagined it to be a fireplace after playing in the snow all day. It melted away the coldness and replaced it with comfort. He felt his core stir as Serenity, his aura dragon familiar, encouraged him as well. She pushed waves of peace over him, the calmness of a still peaceful night.

    Levi felt Vapor, the steam spirit, echo feelings of steadfastness. She was an ancient being who had seen many people rise and fall; through it all, she remained steady. He smiled at her projected feelings; they filled him with a sense of pride. Dameion, his avatar of the void, perhaps had the strangest projected feelings. It was alien, unknown to Levi; the avatar was essentially a sapient veil nebula. Although Levi couldn''t identify the exact feelings that Dameion was projecting, he understood their meaning.

    By his side, he felt Piper squeeze his waist. She gently kissed his cheek.

    "Thanks y''all," Levi said. He took a long, calming breath. "I can do this." He clenched his fist. "I can do this." Levi put the letter away. He was done looking at it. Done obsessing over it, done feeling like it was too much of a tall task. He was ready. "We''ve been walking for a bit, have we seen anything?"

    "No," Tycen said. "Which is strange."

    "Strange?" Piper asked. "Why strange?"

    "The cloud plains are not an empty void. It should be crawling with life," Tycen said. "We should have at the very least felt the auras of some other beings. But we haven''t."

    Levi frowned; Anza felt his troubles and stopped walking. Levi pulled out his ritual wand and began drawing ritual circles under each of his team members'' feet. Piper, understanding what he was doing, did the same thing. Tycen and Anna shared a look, then slowly started to pull out their weapons. Red and blue wisps of energy started to envelop each of the members of the team.

    "Levi," Anna said. "Did you sense something?"

    "No," Levi replied. "That''s what troubles me¡­ if we should have seen something, that means the weaker things are hiding from something-"

    "BOAROROR," a massive sound bellowed. The clouds shook. In the distance, a cloudy hill began to shift slowly. The ground started to tremble; the clouds looked like they were moving and shifting. To Levi, it looked as if a hill was moving toward them quickly. Very quickly.

    "Holy shi," the words died in his mouth as he felt the power of the creature¡­ "f-f-five star!" he shouted. Another drone appeared instantly for Tycen. With empowered movements, Anza and her drones took off in the opposite direction. With amazing speed, Anza traveled a reasonable distance, but the moving hill still followed.

    "BOAROROROR," the creature bellowed again.

    Anza looked at Levi. She would not be able to outrun this monster, so they had to set traps.

    "Piper," Levi said. "We have to set traps. It''s gaining and gaining fast, and we will not be able to outrun it."

    "We sure as hells cannot kill it!" Anna said.

    Anza stopped, and Piper and Levi both jumped off. "Then you run, find help, be quick because we don''t have that much time," Levi said. Anna and Tycen looked at each other. They shook their heads, told their drones to stop, and walked back to where Piper and Levi were standing.

    "We will not leave you behind," Anna said with power in her voice.

    "Say less," Levi said. He began conjuring various trap rituals, and so did Piper. The two of them, on their own mounted mimic, covered several hundred kilometers in traps. Some traps stole health, some traps froze movements, took away mana, and took away stamina. They would all be relatively worthless. Levi suspected that the monster''s regeneration was far superior to their basic traps, but any second gained was enough time that someone or something might save them.

    Dameion appeared in its chaotic energy form. Dark grey nebula clouds were surrounded by midnight red lightning that flowed in a stream. Any astronomer would see it as a veil nebula that was alive. The lightning strikes grew bigger as Dameion charged power. Serenity, the aura dragon, appeared next to Levi''s side. The light blue feathered dragon sat peacefully as the hill monster approached. As it got closer, its power radiated down. Levi felt the strain but had the protection of Serenity to keep his bearings. She pushed her power to protect the others.

    Slowly, the monster got closer. The clouds disappeared as they broke through the surface. It set off all the traps with little consequence; nothing happened. They just shattered under the immense pressure. The sound of broken glass echoed through the plains as each trap ritual was destroyed. Levi finally got a good look at the monster. It was a behemoth snake. Its scales were cloud white, and it had sky-blue reptilian eyes.

    There was no telling how giant this snake was. Its head was roughly the size of a cottage. Its forked tongue kept sticking out. It would look at each of the team members, sticking its tongue out like it was tasting their aura. Slowly, it turned back to Levi. His familiars took a defensive position. Levi stood staring at the creature, wondering what was going to happen. There was no way this creature was going to lose any battle to this group.

    It opened its mouth; four fangs about the size of Levi flashed a brilliant white. There was a power building inside its opened maw. Levi thought this was the moment that he would die. They did all that work to beat the dungeon and get sent to his new place, and it would be the end as they found the first five-star monster. Man, did it put into perspective for Levi? He thought he was strong; his traps were higher quality and strength than Piper''s, but his broke just as fast as hers.

    "You wield a marking of a former friend," the snake finally said.

    "Uhhh," Levi said, fully confused it spoke. "Who is your friend?"

    "An ancient ssssssummoner, one I haven''t ssssseen in many years. He ussssed to call on me when I was a mere 4-star cloud sssssserpent. Asked for guidance for a number of things."

    "Did it happen to be M. Veluvius?" Levi asked.

    "That is correct, young one. I ssssssensed the marking and made my way to investigate. The last time one who had a marking of his came bearing trouble."

    "The crown prince?" I asked.

    "Precisssssely," the snake nodded. "However, you don''t ssstrike me as ssssomone, who comesss bearing trouble. What markings do you bear? You are too young to be his apprentice, he had been gone for longer than you''ve been alive."

    "He uh, left me these letters," Levi said. "His aura is all over them, that''s probably what you sensed. Do you have a name?"

    "They call me Rivoloa," Rivoloa said. "Ahh so you are the one his prophecy spoke of, the otherworlder?"

    "That''s me," Levi said.

    "The being who wields chaos," Rivola said, the snake phrased it like a question but Levi knew it wasn''t.

    "Yep," he nodded.

    "Hmm," Rivola mused. The snake looked like it was in deep thought. Tycen, Anna, and Piper had all taken a step back when the snake first spoke. The three of them were sharing looks with each other. They had no idea what was going on and how Levi was able to stand strong in the presence of a 5-star being. Not only that, he seemed to be composing himself quite well. Tycen nodded his head, a slight smile teasing his lips. Anna was amazed. Piper was not surprised. She had seen Levi''s potential from the jump. She knew that he always had the potential to stand firm.

    "Allow me to provide you aid. As I missed being summoned from Veluvius in his times of need," the snake bowed her head? His head? Levi couldn''t tell, especially not with the name. It, sure, its head. It opened its mouth, and something appeared; there was a small chest. "Veluvius would contact me for help with vital manipulation." Levi walked over to the chest as the snake explained. He opened it to see many vials of light blue liquid. There were at least 25 vials. "My venom has healing properties. Inside the box contains three different types of venom. The first is an elixir that will give a permeant growth to Vitality, with a chance of granting resistance to poisons. The second is vialsss of poissson to use in your rituals, since they desperately need work. The last is to be used to sssssummon me." The snake said that last part somewhat sadly.

    Levi looked up, "you''d want to be summoned again?"

    "Very much ssso," Rivola said. "I have no kin. I rarely leave this domain, I am isssolated. Which I do not mind but it was nice to have a friend that could call on me from time to time. It was nice to feel needed. Pleasssse usssse that or come visssit.¡±

    "Thank you," Levi said. "Seriously, I appreciate the gifts; this is incredible. Can you point us to the nearest teleportation outpost?" Rivoloa nodded, pointing its nose behind us. "200 kilometers that way is the closest one."

    "Damn," Levi said. "Alright, thanks! We''ll see you around." The snake bowed and returned back the way it came.

 Chapter 55 - Power Made me the Judge

    Axel Arbor was dreaming. His dream sent him back to when he was a child. Axel was the youngest of his family. He had three siblings: one older brother and two sisters. Axel¡¯s brother Alray was set to be next in line for the kingdom. The family never allowed the women to be rulers, which meant that Axel would be next in line if, for whatever reason, his brother died. Axel and Alray were out playing in the forest; they had found some sticks and were sword-fighting with them.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be the best warrior this world has ever seen,¡± Alray said, swinging his stick like it was a mighty sword. ¡°Kingdoms will bow to the mighty reign of the Arbors.¡±

    Axel would dodge, parry, and block his brother''s attacks with no small amount of effort. Alray was five years older than Axel, which meant Alray was stronger, faster, and smarter than Axel. This did not perturb Axel; however, he wanted to fight; he wanted to beat his brother.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a warrior,¡± Axel said. ¡°I want to be a summoner!¡± He jumped back and pretended his stick was now a wand. ¡°A summoner who will summon the greatest beasts this world has ever recorded.¡± He laughed with his arms stretched out wide. Alray poked him with the stick.

    ¡°And you¡¯ll be dead when your summons are non-responsive,¡± Alray said. ¡°But a sword. A sword will always be trusty and reliant.¡± There was a snapping of a twig in the distance. Both the boys looked at each other. They nodded and made their way towards the noise. As they approached, they saw a creature that had fallen from a tree. It was a baby forest owl; these magical variants of owls typically were brown, green, or tan. This was a green forest owl. It was about the size of a cat; it must have fallen while trying to fly.

    ¡°Poor thing,¡± Alray said. ¡°We should bring it back to the castle and Binroy look at it.¡±

    ¡°Why would we do that?¡± Axel asked. ¡°It failed to fly, it deserves to die. It¡¯s a disgrace.¡±

    ¡°What? Have you never made a mistake?¡± Alray asked incredulously. ¡°A simple mistake does not mean that one should die.¡±

    ¡°It does if that mistake is costly,¡± Axel said. He walked over to the bird and stepped on its head. Smashing it into the ground, blood spurted everywhere as the owl''s head exploded under the pressure of the boot.

    ¡°What the hells is wrong with you?!¡± Alray screamed¡ªtears flowing from his eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be weak brother,¡± Axel said, wiping the blood of the dead bird off of his shoes. ¡°As I said it deserved to die, now if any other owl sees this seen it will know to be better.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a monster!¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re a coward,¡± Axel replied. ¡°What of it? Come now, older brother. Let¡¯s go home.¡±

    As the boys arrived home, Alray walked in silence. The only noise coming from him was his sobbing. Axel scoffed every time he heard his brother¡¯s sobs. It was pathetic. How weak did he have to be to cry over an owl that was already doomed for death? What kind of leader would he be if he shed tears so easily? A weak one. The nations would laugh at the new leader of the Arbor Kingdom, Alray Arbor, the boy who always cried when an owl was killed.

    Axel saw no issues with his actions; he felt like he did the right thing. This was the way the world worked. It was the order of things. The strong survived, and the weak died. If the weak didn¡¯t want to die, it had to grow stronger; once it became strong, it wouldn¡¯t die. That was how things worked. As they approached the outer wall that protected the city, the guards rushed out to meet the young princes.

    ¡°Young master Alray,¡± one of the guards said. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± Axel said, waving the guards off. ¡°Just being a coward, that¡¯s all.¡± Axel pushed past the guards and made his way to his chambers. On his way to the chambers, he grabbed a pastry from the kitchen. It was a flaky, savory pastry, Axel had to admit it was pretty dang good. He had been eating his pastry and reading a book on summoning magic when there was a knock on his door.

    ¡°Enter,¡± he said, not looking up from his book. His mother entered the room with a distraught Alray behind him. ¡°What is this?¡± Axel asked.

    ¡°Your brother has informed me that you killed a baby forest owl?¡± his mother replied. Her eyebrows furrowed. She had golden eyes and fair skin. Her golden blonde hair was tied in a long, regal braid.

    ¡°I did,¡± Axel said without an ounce of remorse in his voice.

    ¡°Why did you do it?¡± she asked, her tone a bit more harsh.

    ¡°It was weak and deserved to die,¡± Axel said as if it were the most obvious thing. ¡°What else was I supposed to do? Bring it back and let it be nursed to health. Then what? Release back into the wild, it deserves no such mercy.¡±

    ¡°What makes you think you are the judge of what is deserved and what is not?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I had the power that made me the judge,¡± Axel said, his eyes sparked with defiance. His mother sighed. She knew that this would be a losing battle. Axel was the only one of her children who lorded the power of the family name over the others. She thanked the gods that he wasn¡¯t the heir to the throne. Otherwise, there would be some hard times for the world while he reigned.

    ¡°Axel Arbor, in this family, we show mercy and kindness. You will soon learn that you¡¯ll need more than power to be strong. Strength comes in many different forms.¡± Before she could give him the chance to respond, she stood up and walked out of his room, leaving him alone.

    Axel woke up from that dream. He smiled. It was a good power play by his mother to leave with the last word. That was the time when he could start to see the weakness in his entire family. They were not fit to rule; they were concerned about the feelings of those who mattered not. Axel knew that he was the black sheep in the family from the beginning, especially since he wanted to be a summoner, not a warrior or mage.

    Axel sought power. He was relentless in his pursuit. He didn¡¯t care who he shoved, stepped on, or killed in this pursuit. That was what led him to become the leader of a world-feared organization. The League of Order derived from his own power and affinity. He wanted the whole world to bow at the waist as he rose to the top. No one was able to touch him.

    ***

    Levi and company had a decent journey ahead of them before they arrived at the first outpost that could teleport them. It had been some time since Levi checked his character log, and he figured this would be a good time to do so. Piper had fallen asleep, and Tycen and Anna were both reading books from the collection of the last dungeon crafter.

    Character Log: Levi Winters

    Class: Familiar Summoner

    Rank: 3-star

    Ability: Ritualist

    Ritualists are able to use skill books, use ritual magic, and create their own summoning and ritual circles with minimal materials needed. Base Mana pool is significantly larger. 2-star effect: Able to use magical items to create ritual circles in the air. Able to use magical items to create runes in the air. 3-Star effect: Able to create summoning circles at a fraction of the cost.

    Ability: Elected Stranger

    You have been accepted into a guild in a new world with new things. Elected Stranger gives you the ability to understand the world from a chosen perspective. Allows quests and objectives¡ª2-star effect: Can now view the rarity of items. 3-Star effect: ???

    Ability: Familiar Bond

    You have unlocked the ability to summon familiars. Familiars are summoned creatures that bond with the user. They only need to be summoned once unless destroyed in combat, and then they will need to be resummoned. Different familiars provide different bonuses to the summoner. 2-star effect: capacity for familiars has increased from one to two. Additionally, bonds with all current or future familiars will be established quicker and deeper. 3-Star effect: Class Evolution, capacity for familiars has increased from two to four.

    Ability: Chaotic Harmony

    Doing what seems impossible has been achieved. You have found a way to unite harmony with the disorder of chaos. Chaotic Harmony allows user to have significant control of auras and the user¡¯s soul. Anyone who attempts to read your aura or soul will be unable to do so. Your passive aura creates a harmonious moment.

    Ability: Dungeon Treasurer

    User Interface can be upgraded. Every time the user enters a dungeon, an additional map will be shown. The dungeon map will lead to secret rooms and hidden items. If the user reaches the end chest, guaranteeing one Legendary item. This is a passive ability that will activate inside a dungeon.

    Spell Log:

    Orb of Chaos

    Orb of Water

    Orb of FireDid you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    Orb of Lightning

    Void Storm

    Familiars:

    Anza - the Mimic

    Willow & Crystal - the Crystal Wisps

    Vapor - the Steam Spirit

    Dameion- Avatar of the Void

    Serenity - Aura Dragon

    Attributes Total: 1395

    Strength 135

    Stamina 190

    Speed 130

    Vitality 235

    Wisdom 655

    Levi was quite pleased with his progress thus far. He had grown very high; his threshold for being a 3-star rank was quite significant since he had a class evolution. His attribute total had to reach 4000 before he could rank up. That was a lot of battling and things he had to work on, but something he¡¯d want to do anyway; perhaps leaving the plains would not be the best idea. Levi understood he had a lot of pressure, but he also had years. Four years to be exact. That meant he could take time to develop, grow, and learn more about his enemy.

    After all, before entering the dungeon, he did get a book on the history of Order magic. That would be something that he would need to study in length. Levi considered allowing the resident nerds to take a crack at it for a time, but he decided not to. He would read it first, then get their opinions after.

    ¡°What troubles you?¡± Serenity asked.

    ¡°There is a lot to do,¡± Levi responded. ¡°A lot of pressures and responsibilities. I feel bad for the team. They should be out doing adventures and exploring dungeons. Do I leave them and go by myself or do I take them with me?¡±

    ¡°I do not believe that is your decision to make,¡± Serenity said. ¡°They are not summoned beasts. Where we willing accepted the bond that tied us to your path. They have not. They are sapient beings capable of making their own decisions. So let them.¡± Levi let the words of Serenity sink in.

    ¡°In four years you might be close to low four star,¡± Vapor suddenly said.

    ¡°Depending on how hard you train,¡± Serenity added.

    ¡°It is possible,¡± Vapor agreed. ¡°The elixir given to you by the serpant will definitely help.¡±

    ¡°What is an elixir?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°A magical drink that provides permanent change to a person¡¯s attributes,¡± Anna said, not looking up from her book. ¡°Your familiars are correct,¡± she continued. ¡°It is not your choice, and you¡¯re an idiot if you think we are going to abandon you during this grand adventure. When we reach the outpost, we will discuss our strategy.¡±

    ¡°We will come back to Cloud Plaine Kingdom, eventually,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Right now we are not strong enough and are still recovering from the dungeon. The best thing is to find an inn, which there are none here, discuss our plans and then move from there.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to go home?¡± Levi asked Anna.

    ¡°I do not believe it to be necessary,¡± Anna said. ¡°Arcross is currently under attack from the monster hordes. Arvendron is no place for you. It will be in the best interest of our team if we do not return to the Onyx kingdom for sometime.¡±

    ¡°Well alright,¡± Levi said. ¡°Then where to next?¡±

    ¡°My home,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Triadic Kingdom, the sky islands.¡±

    ¡°Hell yeah,¡± Levi said, pumping a fist in the air. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to visit. I¡¯m pumped.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± Tycen said. ¡°At least, not yet. It¡¯ll likely be a month or two before we get there. Depending where this teleportation takes us. Because we all can¡¯t fly, we¡¯ll have to travel by land to the sky boats, then take that journey. Which are typically dreadfully slow.¡±

    Levi nodded along as Tycen spoke. It didn¡¯t damper his mood at all. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me we¡¯ll get to fight monsters and potentially do some dungeons on our way to the sky islands? Sign me up.¡± Anna chuckled; she forgot how refreshing Levi¡¯s sense of adventure was. He tended to have a positive outlook on how long journeys would take. It was like it excited him the longer they had to travel. She smiled at her friend.

    Anna and Tycen went back to reading and discussing their strategy while I pulled out the elixir Rivoloa had given me.

    Item: Elixir of Vitality

    Epic

    An elixir filled with vital energy, made from the venom of a strong cloud serpent. When consumed, the vital pool of the consumer increases significantly.

    Levi held the glowing red bottle. The liquid on the inside seemed to have the same viscosity as honey. He pulled the cork stopper off with a satisfying pop. He tipped the ball down his throat. The warm liquid had a spicy flavor. It warmed his inside as it went down to his core. As it reached his core, he felt the liquid completely warm his abdomen. Levi looked down at his core and saw the red glow.

    Status: Attributes Gained

    Vitality has increased by +100

    Attributes Total: 1495

    Strength 135

    Stamina 190

    Speed 130

    Vitality 335

    Wisdom 655

    As was typical of all progress, Levi felt a difference in his body. He felt his skin harden, which he found to be an odd sensation. The rest of his body felt¡­ more efficient. Levi wasn¡¯t sure how he knew his body was working more efficiently, but he did. Shrugging, he felt a warm sense of gratitude toward Rivoloa, which was a generous gift, and it helped him a lot. Levi knew that a gain of a hundred was a big boon.

    ¡°Damn,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°What?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°That was a gain of 100 to vitality,¡± Levi replied.

    ¡°That is a powerful exlixir,¡± Tycen said. ¡°How many did the snake give us?¡±

    ¡°Four¡­ those seem very overpowered. Is there a limit?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Anna said. ¡°One per rank.¡±

    ¡°So one for one-star, two for two-star, three for three-star, and so on?¡±

    ¡°Precisely,¡± Anna said. ¡°If you do not use one during your rank, then it was a wasted opportunity.¡±

    ¡°My family doesn¡¯t allow elixirs,¡± Piper said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. ¡°My father says it breeds poor habits.¡±

    ¡°I can see that,¡± Levi said. It is a good way to shore up any differences, as long as you keep working. I can see it being very helpful.¡±

    ¡°That is assuming you find an elixir as powerful as this one. Most aren¡¯t,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°So I see we have a divided camp on taking them,¡± Levi said with a cheeky smile. Piper playfully rolled her eyes, but she could not keep a smile off her face.

    ¡°Do as you please,¡± she said. ¡°I will take one of these. I see no issue in gaining a free 100 vitality. What I don¡¯t want is to use an elixir for 20, which is the common elixir out there.¡±

    ¡°I agree with Piper,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Unless it¡¯s this strong, it¡¯s not worth the usage. Or if you get it as a dungeon reward. They are so expensive, so most people would rather save their money for better gear than a small booster.¡±

    Levi nodded as the conversation came to a comfortable silence. Levi looked up in the distance; he had sensed something. There were small buildings made of clouds. Each of them had little holes in it that he assumed to be windows. There weren¡¯t a lot of buildings, but the way they were arranged made the town seem larger. They weren¡¯t close to each other; there was a good distance between each of the buildings. The closer the group approached, the more auras Levi sensed.

    ¡°There are a good amount of auras in this area,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Understood,¡± Tycen said. Piper stretched and stood up on the back of Anza. She gracefully jumped off.

    ¡°I feel much better,¡± she said. I''m still tired, so I will need to meditate, but I can walk the rest of the way.¡±

    ¡°We all should,¡± Levi said. ¡°Anza, come rest.¡± The mimic alpha nodded, and with a blue flash, she disappeared, being subsumed into Levi. They all dismounted, beginning their short walk into the town. As they approached, they were stopped by a group of four beings. They were all of the same race; Levi knew that for sure. He had never seen this race before. Each being had no legs but a small tornado below them; they had buff upper bodies, and there was one female-looking one, she was in the front. She wore a breastplate with some type of metal bracers. Her body was absolutely ripped; to Levi, she put Crossfit women to shame.

    Like the others, her skin was alabaster with blue symbols that looked like a symbol for air. She had blue, inhuman eyes that stared at the team. She sneered. Sharp white fangs were shown as they approached. As they moved to intercept Levi and his party, he got the sense that they were only 2-star rank. Once they stopped moving, their small tornadoes diminished, and they stood on two feet.

    ¡°I see that we have some fresh blood amongst us,¡± the leader said. ¡°In order to enter this outpost you must pay a fee.¡±

    ¡°And what happens if we don¡¯t pay said fee?¡±

    ¡°Then you leave or die,¡± she said. The goons behind her started to chuckle.

    ¡°How much is the fee?¡± Anna, ever the politician asked.

    ¡°For you, 2 gold, each,¡± she said with a devious smile. ¡°You reek of royalty. I know you have money.¡± The leader turned an eye at Tycen. ¡°You¡­ can pay in other ways.¡±

    Tycen dry heaved, ¡°I¡¯d rather not pay at all.¡±

    Levi chuckled at the affronted look on the lady beings face.

    ¡°You dare insult Helvesa? Do you have any idea who she is?¡± one of her lackeys said.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Where are my manners, you are blessed to be in the presence of Helveesa Bivallow, princess of the Tornadians race! Bow in her presence,¡± the same lackey said.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Levi said. ¡°Princess of the entire race? That¡¯s a big deal,¡± obvious sarcasm in his voice. Well, at least it is apparent to Levi and his party. The body language of the guards seemed to relax at the words.

    ¡°At last, someone recongizes the true power of the Tornadians and their princess!¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Levi said. ¡°Anyways, you¡¯re wasting our time¡­ thanks for the chat.¡± He went to push past them. The lackeys all summoned swords made of wind and blocked his path.

    ¡°Not so fast, you owe us money.¡±

 Chapter 56 - Death is Better Than Bondage

    Many millennia ago, an anomaly occurred in the vast region of the Cloud Plaine Kingdom. A man and a woman who were pregnant with twins were traveling to an outpost that would teleport them back to the world below. They were part of a large expedition, a grand exodus from the land they once occupied. Their kingdom was being invaded, so they broke off. Some stayed, and others left.

    One of the features that the Cloud Plaine Kingdom wielded was easy travel, as it was a straight shot, with little obstructions. Besides the monsters that spawned. This rather large expedition were making great time. As they rested for the night, the entire expedition was sound asleep, beside a few guards. Unfortunately the guards were not enough for the trouble that was near.

    A figure slowly rose out of the clouds. In an instant, the guards were killed by spears made entirely of clouds. The monster was some mutated elemental; it was humanoid, without a mouth or nose. It stared with blank, pure white, inhuman eyes. Weapons made completely from clouds formed all around it. A guard saw one of his comrades fall. He shouted loud, blowing a horn right before he was cut down.

    The camp stirred as they heard the blast of the horn. Swords, wands, and battle staves all were drawn. Power rose from the camp as the warriors and mages prepared for battle. In a moment, flashes of various spells were fired toward the cloud being. It dodged most of the attacks easily, barely gesturing controlling the cloud weapons. The members of the expedition were being struck down with various weapons. This fight was utterly unequal. This being was too fierce, too fast, too strong, too much for this expedition.

    The warning turned from fight to flee. It was not uncommon that large expeditions were attacked, but that was not the anomaly that occurred. It was the event that followed. A man with his very pregnant wife fled. They left immediately and swiftly. They ran without ever taking a break. When his wife grew tired, he would put her on her back and carry her. This was how they travelled for what felt like days.

    They knew they needed to return to the ground, and they could be refugees in whatever big city they were above. Following the path of the expedition, they continued walking. The man was feeling confident; he felt like they put a good amount of distance between the monster who killed everyone and themselves. As he was walking, his wife shrieked. She grabbed her belly as the unmistakable pain ran through her body. She had entered labor.

    The man faced a mixture of emotions - jubilation and fear. It was too early. She wasn¡¯t due for another two weeks. Unfortunately, the combination of adrenaline, fear, and stress were the key emotions to induce labor. The twins wanted out, and they wanted out right then and there. What made matters even worse was a being rose up out of the clouds they were standing on. With swiftness, the monster stabbed the man in the stomach, killing him.

    It walked over to the woman who was screaming in labor. Her voice words were panicked as she mourned the death of her lover and the fear of being killed while giving birth. The being tilted its head at the woman. It was curious. It looked at the woman once again, reaching out a hand. Its cloud hand began glowing bright white; it touched the womb.

    Her womb began glowing brightly as the pain within her subsided. With a final scream, more so for the pressure to push two babies out at the same time. That scream was her final as the babies were born. The monster¡¯s body began to dissolve and meld with the two babies. Their alabaster skin grew some strange markings; blue swirls appeared all over their body. The clouds around them surrounded and nourished the babies for the following months.

    The babies grew very quickly, ingesting the mana from the clouds. They grew big and strong. There was one male and one female baby. Over the years, the clouds took their mana and allowed them to reproduce. Both of the beings were able to have their own offspring, giving them individuality. Over the millennia, the Tornadians grew and became synonymous with the Cloud Plaine Kingdom. There were many different factions within the growing race. They were all led under one king, the original family, Torndaious. That¡¯s right; the supposed princess Helveesa was not a part of the more prominent, more critical family but a more minor faction.

    This was why she had to resort to the foolish tactics of stealing money from those who were seeking to leave or rest in the Cloud Plaine Kingdoms. Did this matter to her? Of course not; why would it matter? She was still a princess, and this was her family¡¯s kingdom. They had been here for as long as the elementals have been around. She would not stand for such insolence.

    She unsheathed her sword and took an offensive position against the man who brazenly walked past her. Whether it was ignorance or boldness, she didn¡¯t know, and it mattered not. What mattered was that he was disrespectful, and disrespect would not be tolerated.

    ¡°You have chosen death,¡± Helveesa said. ¡°A poor choice.¡± A small tornado appeared in place of her legs, she and her lackeys started to create a formation around the team. All four had surrounded the four in the middle.

    ¡°One each?¡± Tycen asked. He pulled out his morning star; it started to glow with purple power.

    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Piper said as she pulled out a kunai knife in each hand.

    ¡°Who wants the boss?¡± Anna said. She took out her spell book and wand. Her robes started to flow with power as she began chanting some words. ¡°The princess?¡±

    ¡°Not I,¡± Levi said. ¡°You got it Anna, do your thing.¡±

    Her eyes narrowed, and her face was full of determination, ¡°with pleasure.¡± Helveesa scoffed. She moved right for Anna. The speed at which these cloud beings moved was incredible; it rivaled Piper¡¯s speed, which was, to say, much faster than Anna''s. But it was also to say, not nearly fast enough. The cloud princess swung her sword but was blocked by an onyx orb. She dodged as Anna cast shards of ice at her foe. Helveesa held up her arms in a protective manner; her bracers glowed with power. The attack bounced harmlessly off the armor.

    Helveesa scoffed again, ¡°Such a pitiful attack.¡± she mocked. Anna, not one to talk and fight, attacked with more spells.

    Tycen was fighting a large tornadian who used heavy claymore. The weapon was too slow to cause any actual harm to Tycen. The advantage the tornadians had with speed was not helpful for one who could fly. Tycen soared high above the ground, circling the enemy. He dove down and swung his morning star and chanted words of power. The morning star began to glow, and purple sparks of energy would fly off with every swing.

    The male tornadian stood no chance. It was soon on the back¡­ foot¡­ well, it was retreating with every swing that Tycen swung. It would try to lift the claymore in time to parry, but it was too slow. A few minutes went by without any reprieve. The male tornadian was covered in cuts that glowed with a purple hue. White blood was pouring out of each of the cuts, and the speed of the man was diminished. His tornado was gone; on staggered two feet, he fell down and bled to death.

    Piper threw her knives, and they exploded with blasts of water. The tornadian she was fighting was a female about double the size of Piper. The female warrior covered her face as the water exploded. Piper used this time to create a quick ritual in front of her. Once the water cleared, the warrior made a b-line for Piper, right into Piper¡¯s trap. Red light exploded out of the ritual circle, encasing the tornadian, who started bashing the red barrier. Spiderweb cracks started to form with each strike.

    ¡°Damn,¡± Piper breathed. ¡°You¡¯re pretty strong.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll gut you the moment I am free,¡± she threatened.

    ¡°That¡¯s not very nice,¡± Piper frowned. ¡°Oh well.¡± She chanted a spell, and red bolts of power began shooting out of the ritual circle. Every time it connected with the tornadian, a gentle stream of red energy would make its way toward Piper. Eventually, the power of the ritual circle died down, and the tornadian resumed her pursuit. She flew toward Piper with great speed. Piper was faster. She dodged easily, put away her knives, and pulled out her short sword. She jumped over the tornadian, slashing against the exposed part of the warrior''s torso.

    She quickly threw two knives before the warrior could turn around. With each explosion, she made her way over quickly, covering the distance. By the time the water cleared, Piper had arrived; she was right in front of the tornadian who screamed defiance before cold steel slit her throat. White blood exploded out, the tornado diminished, and the warrior fell dead on the cloudy floor.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Levi was tired. It was not that long ago they had completed the dungeon. Although he had used some recovery rituals when they thought they were getting attacked. It was still no substitute for a good night¡¯s rest. This led Levi to want to finish this battle as quickly as possible. So he let Anza loose.

    ¡°Finish it,¡± he ordered. Anza and ten drones appeared from a blue and orange glow, respectively. The foe tasked with facing Levi froze. It dropped its weapon and diminished its tornado.

    ¡°Take me as a slave,¡± he said, kneeling. ¡°I knew not that you were a summoner.¡± Levi¡¯s right eyebrow almost shot off of his face.

    ¡°I don¡¯t do slaves,¡± Levi said. The whole concept made him very uncomfortable. If Levi was honest, he wasn¡¯t the most comfortable with killing, yet he did it out well, not getting killed himself.

    ¡°Have mercy,¡± the tornadian begged. As soon as Levi went to open his mouth, a sword came lashing through, severing the head at the neck. The tornadian¡¯s body fell as white blood oozed from the neck. Levi¡¯s eyes went wide as he froze. He looked to see the crown princess. In front of him, her blade over the dead body. She spat.

    ¡°Weak,¡± she growled. ¡°He was undeserving of death; torture for years would have been better. But he held too many secrets.¡± She turned her villainous gaze on Levi.

    Anna¡¯s battle was not going as smoothly as she¡¯d like. She had managed to keep her foe at bay for the most part, but she was unable to land any worthwhile hits. It was infuriating. It was clear that this being was on the edge of advancement and focused on vitality. With such high defense and her armor, which wielded high magical defense properties, almost all of Anna¡¯s attacks were ineffective. She pushed her opponent back and looked at the other battles taking place.

    Tycen had the front foot; he would be fine. Piper also looked like she was controlling the battle. She glanced over at Levi and did a double take. Why was the person in front of him kneeling? Anna quickly realized she was still in her own battle. After returning her attention, she noticed that the princess was also observing the odd behavior. Her aura flared, and she darted with speed Anna had never seen before toward the battle.

    Freaked out that she was going to attack Levi, Anna began summoning her most significant spell. It would leave her wholly spent and force her recovery to be much longer. She didn¡¯t care. The clouds rose all around her and began layering, turning dark gray. Thunder roared inside the clouds as ice chunks began to form inside the gathering storm.

    Levi looked at the princess, his face confused.

    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± he asked. ¡°That was your own team member?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯d rather surrender than die, I granted his wish,¡± she spat once again.

    ¡°What? That makes no sense, you¡¯d rather throw your life away than try to live and escape for another day?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather die then become a slave. Death is better than bondage.¡±

    Levi shrugged, ¡°I can¡¯t really argue that point¡­¡± he said. Would that have been the choice he made? No. He wasn¡¯t going to fault someone for not wanting to endure slavery, torture, or whatever horrible things that could happen. Levi would just rather fight than give up. Well, okay, Levi, now, after being in this world for a year, I would rather fight than give up. He did have to admit the irony of his stance. Anyone who knew him no more than a year and a half ago would have said he gave up. Which, in fairness, he had. He had given up; he had thrown his life away, sure it wasn¡¯t physical death. However, letting your social, relational, mental, and emotional life all perish was not much better.

    Levi was just one of the lucky ones who was offered, or forced, an opportunity to be something better. Sure, there was a lot of pressure, saving the world and all. But it was a form of stress he had not felt in so many years. These were emotions he had not experienced in far too long. It was a sense of challenge; was it scary? Absol freaking lutely, but Levi was also excited. He was excited to -

    ¡°You DARE ignore me,¡± the princess interrupted his inner monologue. ¡°DIE!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, was having an internal breakthrough,¡± Levi apologized. As Helveesa made her move toward Levi, a massive blizzard rolled over Helveesa. Hail the size of softballs, shards of onyx stones, icicles, snow, and heavy wind blasted Helveesa. Once the blizzard died down, there was a frozen Swiss cheese version of the crown princess. Holding her sword. The hail and onyx stones went straight through her with winds exceeding 60 miles per hour.

    Levi looked over at Anna, who had collapsed. He rushed over and picked her up. She was alive, just very spent. She had fainted from over-exertion. Levi carried Anna over to where the rest of the group was.

    ¡°Y¡¯all good?¡± He said. Feeling impressed that he was able to carry Anna on theme with his introspection, he would have never been able to do this before.

    ¡°I am unharmed,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°All good,¡± Piper said with a smile. ¡°You? What happened?¡±

    ¡°The blizzard happened,¡± Levi replied. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good. Come on.¡±

    ¡°Did you get loot?¡± Tycen asked. ¡°I know that¡¯s a thing for you.¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± Levi said. ¡°I haven¡¯t looked yet; let¡¯s head check out an Inn first before I do.¡± Tycen nodded. Levi placed Anna on Anza¡¯s back as they walked into the outpost. As they walked in, they saw that there weren¡¯t a lot of people around. A cloud elemental that had gained sapients approached.

    ¡°Goodday, welcome to outpost 19, how may I be of assistance?¡± it asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re looking to teleport down,¡± Tycen said. ¡°How much does it cost?¡±

    ¡°Of course, sir,¡± he said with a bow. ¡°That would be four silver in total, one per each being.¡± Tycen nodded and pulled out the needed coins. ¡°Right, follow me if you would.¡± The cloud elemental led us through the small outpost, where different creatures resided, and gave us assessing looks. None of them were that strong that would have posed a threat, so Levi wasn¡¯t concerned. ¡°Might I ask, did you happen to run into some lower members of the royal family?¡±

    ¡°We did,¡± Tycen said. ¡°They were quite rude.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, I apologize for any inconvineance they might have caused. We are prepared to reimburse you for whatever coin they took from you.¡±

    ¡°Not necessary,¡± Tycen replied with a devious smile. ¡°They were taken care of.¡± The cloud elemental froze. Levi looked at him curiously. It was hard to tell on an elemental, but it almost looked like there was a smile that crossed the not really face of the monster.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s too bad,¡± it said. Not really sounding like it was bad at all. ¡°Oh well, I will miss them.¡± It definitely would not miss them. Levi smirked at Piper; she hid a giggle. She had slipped her hand into his as they were being led by the elemental. ¡°Here we are,¡± he said. He held out his¡­ hand? It was a cloudy stub. Tycen put his hand under it, and the four silver pieces fell. ¡°That¡¯s for helping us with our pest problem.¡±

    ¡°Uhhh,¡± Levi said. ¡°You¡¯re welcome?¡±

    ¡°The portal is ready for you whenever you are,¡± it replied, definitely smiling. ¡°Take care and safe travels. Good luck adventurers.¡±

    The portal began to glow, and they all stepped through the glimmering gate. Levi stepped through and felt his stomach doing backflips. It was unsettling, to say the least. He knelt to the ground, trying to keep his faculties together. After a few calming breaths, he was able to stabilize himself. He looked at the grass that he was kneeling on. It was brown, not brown like it was dead, brown like it was spray painted brown.

    ¡°Uhh, any idea where we are?¡± Levi asked. In the distance was a large city. The only issue was a massive body of water separated them from the city. They had appeared on an island somewhere in the world.

    ¡°No,¡± Tycen said, furrowing his brows.

    ¡°I don¡¯t either,¡± Piper said. ¡°That city looks familiar though¡­ like I had seen a painting of it somewhere but I cannot place my finger on it.¡±

    ¡°Well, it looks like there is a town on the coast; maybe a ferry goes to that city every once in a while. Let¡¯s head there and get some food and rest,¡± Levi said. Everyone nodded in agreement. They made their way down the hill they were standing on toward the coastal town.

    Back in the Cloud Plaine Kingdom, the cloud elemental looked at the portal.

    ¡°Was the location you requested the correct one, my lady?¡±

    ¡°Yessss, it wassss.¡±

 Chapter 57 - Cant Give Up Now

    The coastal village was small. It had maybe fifteen houses, all made of what looked like hardened clay. They had colorful tiles placed all around the outside of the houses. There was a large building that Levi and the gang assumed it was the Inn. The village folk were all humans, all under six feet tall, pretty skinny, and with olive skin. The group walked into the Inn with a chime from a bell.

    "One second," a voice came from the back. Tycen now carried the still-unconscious Anna. A young woman arrived out the back, holding a sheet of paper. She was staring at the sheet of paper when she looked up, startled at Tycen holding Anna. "Is she alive?" she asked.

    A chuckle rose from Levi''s throat, "yes she is, just passed out." As if on cue, Anna yawned and slowly opened her eyes. She jolted awake when she realized who was holding her.

    "You can put me down!" she said, half shocked and embarrassed, clearly in her tone. Tycen did as instructed as Anna began flailing; her face was flushed red. Levi and Piper tried to hide their laughter, but they failed miserably when Anna glared at them. They had a full-blown laughing fit. The innkeeper raised an eyebrow at the two of us.

    "Pay them no mind," Anna said to the young woman. "How many rooms do you have available?"

    "Gladly," she said. "We have two suites available. Unfortunately, our adventurer''s cabin has been booked for awhile."

    "We''ll take those two suites," Anna said.

    "Stop that," Levi replied, wiping a tear from his eye. "We''ll take one suite. What time does your kitchen close?"

    "Our chef leaves in one hour," the woman said. "So one suite? If you want food included that would be 1 silver a day." Levi nodded.

    "Yep sounds, good thanks!" Levi said.

    "Very well, while I make sure your room is sorted, you should rush to get food before Nigel leaves."

    "One last thing," he said, stopping her in her tracks. A wave of fear washed over her. Levi realized why: " That sounded way more serious than I intended." He waved his hands apologetically. "Do you have a map for sale?" Her face visibly calmed down, and she reached under the front counter.

    "That''ll be 4 copper," she said. Levi handed her the coins, and she gave him the rolled-up parchment. The team ordered their food and enjoyed a nice, warm meal. Each of them had ordered something different. Levi had gotten a hearty stew. Anna had gotten a salad. Tycen had ordered a meaty sandwich of some kind, and Piper had ordered a fish dish. They all ate in silence, their focus being on the food in front of them.

    "How are you feeling?" Levi asked Anna, who was sitting across from him.

    "I am fine," she replied. "Thank you for making sure I was okay," she said, looking at Tycen.

    "Don''t look at me," he said, putting his hands up. "Levi was the one who brought to us after you fainted. Then Anza was carrying you, but we figured showing her in this town would not be a good idea."

    "Sensible," she replied. She looked at Levi, "thank you."

    "Sure thing," Levi said with a smile. He opened the map and spread it across the table. He peered down at it and then slid it to Piper, the person who knew a bit more about world geography.

    "We are just outside Qu''ant. A large nation that spans across the continent. Its northernmost point connects with my kingdom''s southern point," Anna explained.

    "So we''re far as hell?" Levi asked.

    "Just so," Anna said. "It would likely take us a month, maybe two, on foot to get back to Arcross."

    "Perfect," Levi said.

    "Why is that perfect?" Anna asked.

    "Cause, we wanted to have some damn adventures. If it''s gonna take us that long with the goal to be getting there as fast as possible, by the time we''re done doing some adventuring we will be ready to return."

    "That is not a bad idea, Anna," Piper said. "A few months away could be great. We can send a letter to our family to let them know we are safe."

    "I''m going wherever, y''all are going," Tycen shrugged, eating a root vegetable. Anna paused for a moment.

    "Aren''t you worried about your time specific task?" Anna asked in a whisper.

    "Sure but its simple. I need to get stronger. As I am, I''m not ready to take on no damn final boss, let alone do I have the power to summon a beast stronger than whatever hell he''s gonna summon."

    "You sound like you have a plan," Piper said, squeezing his leg.

    "I do," Levi nodded. "We have four years. Four years to gather as much information as we possibly can, get as many allies as we can, grow to be as strong as possible, and save the world. Simple." he shrugged.

    "Oh that is all the plan, four easy steps and poof world saved?" Anna asked seriously, with a hint of humor poking through her otherwise tough demeanor.

    "The more intricate stuff you and big guy can work through," Levi said.

    "You expect us to-"

    "Anna you''re gonna look me in the face and tell me you didn''t already have those four steps as a main point with additional steps?"

    "Okay I did but-"

    "It''s settle then," Levi said with a chuckle. Anna gave Levi a flat look. He beamed a smile at her. "Uh-oh, looks like Levi knows his friend."

    "You are insufferable," Anna rolled her eyes, unable to hold in her smile. Piper smiled at the two of them. It was about damn time they started trusting each other.

    "I do my best," Levi said with a wide grin. "Not that I wouldn''t love to talk about the deeper details of your plan, but I''m gassed and would love to call it a night."

    "Rest sounds good," Tycen agreed. "I assume it will be men sharing together and women sharing?"

    "Correct," Anna said immediately. Levi chuckled.

    The group made their way back to the suite, following the young woman from before. She led them upstairs and down a hallway. Unlocking the door, she said, "I hope you enjoy your stay." Piper, Anna, and Tycen made their way in. Levi stopped and turned, looking the young woman in the eyes. She had olive skin, was terribly skinny, and had hazel brown eyes. Her black hair was short and straight, falling to her shoulders.

    "This is our bad," Levi said. "What''s your name?"

    "Oh," she said, shocked. "It''s um Natalie," she said with a bow.

    "Thanks again, Natalie," Levi said. "I''m Levi, and they''re¡­ gone. Man, some people''s teammates'' manners are the worst, right?" Levi said with a big grin. Natalie hid a slight giggle behind her hand. She bowed and then walked off back to her desk.

    "What a sweet girl," Levi said. He walked into the room and closed the door. The suite was absolutely massive. There was a large, expansive living room with a deck that had an ocean view. There was a couch, a small wood-burning stove with a kettle, some cabinets, a medium-sized table, and more. Levi couldn''t believe how big this room was. To the right was one door that Anna and Piper were in. To the left was the other door that Tycen was in.

    Levi walked into the room with Tycen. It was a little bit smaller than the main room, but not that much. Each bedroom had a bathroom attached. Two beds were separated, and there was a decent-sized couch in the room. Levi was indeed impressed. This place seemed like it should have cost way more than one silver a night.

    "Alright, gang come on out," he said. The room was packed with all of his familiars. The void nebula, Dameion, went straight for the couch and curled up into a strange nebula ball. Serenity, the aura dragon, was shrunk to be the size of a house cat. She laid herself across Levi''s shoulders. Vapor, the steam spirit, simply floated around, looking creepy as all get out. The two wisps - Crystal and Willow were buzzing around the lights around the room. Then Anza, who was in her small size, which was the size of a lioness, walked out to the main room. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Levi smiled at all his familiars. They were a great group; it was fantastic to see them all out and about. He walked out into the main room, walked to the stove, then started boiling water for some tea. He went to the deck and leaned on the rail, looking at the dark ocean and the starry sky. It was breathtaking. He could hear the waves as they slightly crashed on the shore. He took a deep breath; the salty sea air filled his lungs. He breathed out with a large smile. I''m excited to do some damn adventures. He thought. He felt a presence approach. She wrapped her arms around his waist.

    "Anna, I know we had a moment but please, Piper could see," Levi joked. Piper snorted a laugh. She kissed him on the cheek and stood beside him. She cuddled up next to him, and the two of them gazed out into the dark scene before them.

    "You look a lot better," Piper said. "I was worried about you, when we were in the clouds."

    "Why do you say that?" Levi said.

    "Cause it''s been one fecal storm after another. We''ve barely had time to rest, first my family, then the dungeon, then that terrifying snake, and then those beings we killed. All while having the pressure of saving the world," Piper said. "That''s a lot to handle. It looked like it was going to crush you."

    "I wanted it to," Levi admitted. "It would be much easier to give up." He shook his head. "I can''t blow this chance at a second life. A chance to be better than how I was before. This is my chance to actually give a damn about something again. I can''t give up now." Piper smiled and kissed Levi''s cheek again.

    "That''s good to hear," she said. "I''m with you everystep of the way."

    "I know you are," Levi said, placing his forehead on hers. "I''m grateful for that. Alright, I need to shower before I pass out."

    "Yes, you do," she said, holding her nose. Levi chuckled, then kissed her goodnight. In the shower, Levi finally let his notifications from the battle come forth.

    Enemy Defeated: Tornadian Warrior

    Loot: Wind Sword

    Loot: 100 gold pieces, 1000 silver pieces, 10000 copper pieces

    Enemy Defeated: Tornadian rogue

    Loot: Tornadian blood 100mg

    Loot: Tornadian salt 45mg

    Loot: Cloud Spellbook

    Enemy Defeated: Tornadian Warrior

    Loot: Wind Sword

    Loot: Cloud Gem

    Loot: Clouds 1kg

    Enemy Defeated: Tornadian Princess

    Loot: Tornadian Bracers

    Loot: Tornadian Breastplate

    Loot: Tornado in a bottle

    Loot: Sword of Tarthesus

    Progress Made: Brawler''s Dungeon Completed

    Reward: Arggan''s Spear

    Reward: Blade of Veluvius

    Reward: Chaotic Summoning Staff

    Reward: Spellbook of the Artix

    Status: Progress Made

    Plus 20 to Strength

    Plus 25 to Stamina

    Plus 15 to Speed

    Plus 26 to Vitality

    Plus 40 to Wisdom

    New Attribute Totals:1571

    Strength 155

    Stamina 215

    Speed 145

    Vitality 361

    Wisdom 695

    ***

    Axel Arbor dismissed his summon as he approached the city where he had his appointment. He walked alone, wearing his usual all-white armor. The armor made him look more like rogue class and not a summoner, which was his intention. Most of the world doesn''t know the true power of summoners; they only mock them. Axel was dealing with people who judged heavily on character and class.

    As he walked along the cobblestone street just off the main avenue, he made a right turn toward an alley. In the alley, a tall building sat at the end. He approached. He didn''t knock. Axel Arbor never knocked. He was never late; he was always on time. The person he was meeting with was never on time. Axel used to get frustrated, but if one was punctual, it made sense that there was one who was tardy; such is the order of the world.

    He waited for a few minutes and stood. The door swung open as soon as he stood.

    "Master Axel," the man who opened the door said.

    "Dravro," Axel replied.

    "Come in come in," Dravro ushered the former prince into his home. "I have heard whispers of the item''s, you requested, location. Well, that''s a lie, that''s a lie. I have found it''s general location, general location."

    "I see," Axel said. "What information can you provide?"

    "The piece is located in the depths of the Galunam Sea, in some sunken ship wreckage."

    "Aren''t there thousands of sunken ships?"

    "That there are, that there are!"

    Axel rubbed his temples, "that is all the information you were able to provide me?"

    "Yes, Yes," he said. "It is unfortunate, but you are looking for an ancient artifact, an ancient artifact. Those haven''t been seen in millennia or more."

    "Why did you call me Dravro for worthless information? This could have been sent in a letter."

    "Because you impatient master, I have more to show you," Dravro said. Axel''s eyes flashed in rage. No one dared to talk that way to him, no one except Dravro. Dravro was an eccentric man who was possibly the scariest being in the world. Dravro was no ordinary man, and he held a secret, one that would cause kingdoms to go to war in order to control him. But Dravro was not one to be controlled but partnered with. So it was in Axel''s best interest to let the strange man be happy and speak to him in whatever way he pleased, much to his chagrin.

    Dravro scooted past the tall, angry human and walked toward the back closet. "As I was searching for your location, I stumbled upon a library with the weirdest thing." He was rummaging through boxes, with papers falling all over the place. "Ahh, here it is," he held out a small parchment that was wrapped and sealed. It is sealed with a seal that can only be unlocked by using chaos magic, which I do not possess. Do not possess."

    Dravro handed Axel the scroll. It was a letter; when he saw the seal, his aura flared.

    "What''s the matter, Master Axel? Do you know the seal?"

    "I do," he said, regaining his composure. "I apologize for my unorderly outburst. Return this letter to where you found it. Never speak of this. I fear that if we do not open it, it will simply teleport to a new location."

    "As you wish, Master Axel," Dravro said. That is not the only thing; there is one more."

    "Do tell," Axel said. Dravro said a word of power, and a chest appeared in his hands. It was no bigger than a jewelry box. Dravro opened the box and presented a signet ring. It was solid gold with a symbol of an X and two curved lines that connected the ends. A symbol of an organization that was once forgotten.

    "Where did you find this?" Axel said with reverence.

    "I am quite connected, Master Axel," Dravro said. "Does this interest you?"

    "It does, if anything it will be a boost to help me find the rest of these difficult ingredients to find for my summoning ritual."

    "That is not all it does," Dravro said. "What do you know about the Legion?"

    "Nothing more than legends," Axel said. Dravro gestured to a back room, where tea was sitting on a table. Axel nodded, walked over, and took a seat.

    "Thank you," he said. Dravro nodded.

    After a long sip of his tea, he began to tell a story. "The Legion were a group of specters who left the abyssal realm to make an additional appearance in our realm. They were all apart of a specific guild cohort. They all evolved with the same class, a class that has since been outlawed. The Abyssal Paladin. They were full of death energy and decided that they wanted to become rulers of the world. They took over a small continent, that has since been destroyed. Creepy characters, but extremely powerful. All of them died before reaching 5-star, but not by much."

    "So the Legion, they are back in the abyss?"

    "They are," Dravro nodded. "Be warned, Master Axel. These specters are not ones to summon. Their death affinity is corrupted. It changes any form of magic into a corrupted form. I understand that they will provide significant power. You must decide if the cost they ask is worth it."

    "I understand," Axel said. "Thank you for letting me know and for the warning. I will take your words into consideration. I will gladly take your advice." Axel put the ring into a storage bag that he carried around under his cloak. Dravro gave Axel an assessing look. As Axel left, the Dravro shook his head. He wasn''t sure what the troubled man was up to, but he knew it wasn''t good. Like Axel, Dravro had a mutual level of respect. It was garnered around; he was not someone to be trifled with. Although Dravro was far superior in power, Axel was wise and a summoner.

    Dravro knew one thing: having a summoner as your enemy was bad news. Especially if there wasn''t any idea what affinity the summoner had. The natural elements, water, fire, and earth, were not the strongest of affinities, and those summons were generally predictable. The worst affinities to deal with, yep, that''s right, Order. Beings of order were typically insanely powerful and would focus on one thing. Continuing to bring order to whatever realm they happened upon. What was essential to recognize was that order magic itself wasn''t deadly in general if in the hands of a good person.

    Axel Arbors was not a good person. At all. He was born a monster and had always been a monster. For as long as Dravro knew Axel Arbors, he knew that he was a monster. That''s why, when it was reported that Axel had an affinity to Order Magic, Dravro was immediately interested in not pissing this person off. Dravro''s understanding of order magic was among the best on the entire planet, which made sense considering what Dravro was.

    He was an Order Seraph. These were magical beings who were seen as divine messengers of holy ones. Well, most of them were. The issue with Dravro was he didn''t like his employer, so he left. Something most seraphs would never dream of. With his affinity and knowledge of order magic, he was able to create a disguise and live peacefully on this planet. He had subtly influenced the world around him in ways that would produce the ultimate harmony. His last biggest influence was ultimately his biggest mistake because he wasn''t a god. He couldn''t predict anything.

    Dravro and Veluvius had one thing in common: They both had a direct connection to the rise of Axel Arbors.

 Chapter 58 - I Believe in You

    Levi woke up to the smell of tea and coffee. He had a restful night, not experiencing anything that was not worthy. He got out of bed, stretched the sleep out of his body, and walked to the common living area. Anza also stretched, walking next to him. Levi walked into the room and spotted his team all eating pastries and drinking their morning drink of choice. Piper beamed a smile at him, tapping the seat next to her.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± she said, kissing him on the cheek.

    ¡°Morning, y¡¯all,¡± Levi responded. ¡°Y¡¯all up early or am I waking up late?¡±

    ¡°Both,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Although it is not terribly late.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me?¡± Levi asked; he took a bite of a flaky pastry. ¡°This is bomb.¡±

    ¡°Because you needed rest,¡± Anna responded. ¡°You had the most things to process in one day, so we discussed letting you rest as long as you needed before we traveled.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate that,¡± Levi said. ¡°I am good to go, whenever y¡¯all are.¡± Anna nodded.

    ¡°Very well, it would be beneficial to go to the capital city to get some supplies before we embark on our journey,¡± Anna said. ¡°I think we should stay here for a few days. Focus on getting fully recovered before we go on a potentially two month journey.¡±

    ¡°That plan is sound,¡± Tycen agreed. He looked at Levi directly. ¡°Taking more than one night will be good for rest. I¡¯ve known you long enough that you don¡¯t like to rest or sit still. I understand there is time pressure, but you will not make any progress if you are not properly recovering.¡± Levi simply nodded. Tycen nodded in agreement.

    ¡°What kind of supplies do we need to get?¡±

    ¡°Camping gear like; tents, cots, sleeping bags, blankets, campfire cooking gears, etc. We may be too far from a village to rely on an inn. We¡¯ll need to get potions, food supplies, standard adventuring things,¡± Anna said. ¡°For four of us, the price can get expensive but overall we should be fine.¡±

    ¡°We should be fine because we have two princesses and a guy who gets his own loot,¡± Tycen joked.

    ¡°For your information, I do not have any money. That is not how my father operates,¡± Anna shot back.

    ¡°Same,¡± Piper said. ¡°We have to earn every thing.¡±

    ¡°Besides the gear, spell books, items, potions-¡± Tycen interrupted.

    ¡°Yes Tycen besides those things. Why are you so insistent on belittling our accomplishments?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not belittling; I¡¯m attributing your status as a princess to helping your progress,¡± Tycen said with a straight face. Piper looked at Levi, stifling a smile. Levi looked back at her, smirked, and took a sip of his tea, trying to be nonchalant. They watched as the two continued to bicker.

    ¡°Yet it seems like you are invalidating those things,¡± Anna shot back.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Levi said. ¡°That¡¯s enough of that. Tycen, tell me, what would you consider a lot of coins?¡±

    Tycen paused for a moment, thinking, ¡°I don¡¯t know, 50 gold or so would be considered wealthy, I¡¯d say. There are some houses or land that you could purchase for half of that amount; you would be able to get nearly any gear for our rank; the higher rank, the more expensive, obviously. Yeah, I¡¯d say 50 gold.¡±

    ¡°Bet,¡± Levi said. Levi pushed his plate and tea away to clear space. A pile of golden coins appeared in his hand; he placed them on the table. Levi did this with silver and copper coins. There were three even piles of coins sitting on the table. ¡°25 gold, 250 silver, 2500 copper each,¡± Levi said. He pushed each pile of coins to their new rightful owners. ¡°What? You were saying something about 25 gold can purchase something?¡± Levi had a self-righteous smirk on his face as he looked at his teammates. They all had shocked looks on their faces.

    ¡°What is this from?¡± Anna asked, her voice shaky

    ¡°From killing one of those dickheads,¡± Levi said. ¡°Sucks that only one of them gave coins but oh well.¡±

    ¡°This¡­ this..¡± Tycen stammered.

    ¡°But wait, there¡¯s more,¡± Levi said, unable to contain his joy. Levi pulled out two of the identical swords, a spellbook, a fancy-looking sword, and some armor. Realizing that he needed more space, he looked around the room and nodded to himself. He picked up the items he had just put down, then walked over to where the couches were. He pushed the couches against the wall and placed the items down.

    He put the loot from the warriors that they had killed. Then, to the side, he put the truly valuable items¡ªthe reward for completing a quest.

    ¡°And these are?¡± Tycen asked.

    ¡°Gear, loot, or rewards, that Levi gets from various things,¡± Piper said. ¡°I just found it best to accept the gifts Levi wants to hand us.¡± She tapped the big avian on the shoulder as she walked over to the loot on the ground. ¡°Anything interesting?¡± she asked Levi. She looped her arm in his.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi nodded. He gestured to the valuable items. ¡°These are rewards from completing the dungeon quest. There are four, and it seems like each one is tailored to one of us. There¡¯s a spellbook, a summoning staff, a blade, and a spear. They all have names that mean nothing to me.¡±

    Anna looked over the spellbook. She looked up at Levi. ¡°Did you read the item description for any of these items?¡±

    ¡°Nope, I just saw that I got them then passed out,¡± Levi said. Levi picked up the chaotic summoner staff. It was just barely shorter than Levi. It had a dark red chaos gem attached to an all-black staff. The second he touched it, dark red lightning formed inside the chaos gem. It lit the room up.

    Item: Chaotic Summoner¡¯s Staff

    Legendary

    3 - Star

    A staff made of materials that have been seeped in chaos magic. The chaos emitting from this staff reduces any ritual materials that involve chaos magic. The staff has runes etched in it to allow summoners to direct, summon, and attack with ease. It can be used to cast spells.

    Item: Spellbook of the Artix

    Legendary 3 - star

    A spellbook from the frost goddess Artix. This spellbook contains spells that are heavy hitters while using less mana. Spellbook is bondable to those with a water or ice affinity.

    Item: Blade of Veluvius

    Legendary

    The blade of a sword that was once held by the 5-star summoner Veluvius. Find the rest of the sword pieces to complete the sword and unlock massive power.

    Item: Arggan¡¯s Spear

    Legendary

    3 - Star

    A spear that was once wielded by the great avian god Arggan. The material that was used in crafting this spear was hand-selected by the god himself for aerial combat. Allows users to channel mana through it.

    ¡°These are all legendary items,¡± Anna said. ¡°Thank you, Levi.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Seriously,¡± Tycen said. ¡°This means a lot.¡± He was holding the spear in his hands reverentially. It was taller than Levi by nearly half a foot. The spear shaft was golden with what looked like feathers etched into it. The spearhead was a split tip, and one half was serrated, while the other was double-edged. It looked like a truly deadly weapon. Piper held the blade with a disappointed look.

    ¡°Well¡­ what am I supposed to do with just the blade?¡± Piper said. ¡°I have to find the damn hilt.¡±

    ¡°Not quite,¡± Levi said. He pulled out a hilt from his storage. The hilt was black with a red leather grip. The black metal had a sheen to it. The edges of the guard were pointed; the pommel was a symbol that Levi had never seen before. He grabbed the blade from Piper. The blade itself was double-edged and looked like it was made from some sharp black metal. A metal that Levi definitely didn¡¯t recognize. He touched the pieces together and pushed his mana into both.

    An intense glow permeated the room. Levi and Piper shielded their eyes. Soon, the light faded. In Levi¡¯s hand was a sword glowing with power. Levi looked at the blade to see what it was now.

    Item: Sword of Veluvius

    Legendary

    Unranked

    A sword that was crafted by the legendary summoner M Veluvius. This sword has the power of a summoning staff. It can create rituals, use spells, and summon beings. The sharpness of the blade makes even the greatest of swordsmasters envious. If bonded, the weapon can transform into any weapon that the user of the weapon desires.

    ¡°Holy hells,¡± Piper cursed. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want this?¡±

    ¡°Positive,¡± Levi said. ¡°I don¡¯t need a sword. You do and you also use rituals and spells.¡± Piper shook her head. She pushed the sword into his hands. She grabbed the staff from his. She held the staff in her hands.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Piper said. ¡°That¡¯s yours, I¡¯ll buy a sword or something. In the meantime, I will use this staff, instead of that wand.¡± Levi stood there speechless as he just got one-upped. Piper turned and flashed him a smile. His heart fluttered at how cute that look was.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he muttered. ¡°That¡¯s really kind of you.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Piper said with a wink.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need the rest of the items here or have any real uses for them. I am sure we could sell them,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I was curious about the sword,¡± Tycen said. ¡°It looked like it was important the way she wielded it.¡± He picked up the sword and held it in the light. He examined it thoroughly for a few moments. During that time, Levi went and prepared for the day he was about to have. Piper walked into the room and gently closed the door behind him.

    ¡°I feel like we haven¡¯t had a moment for just ourselves,¡± she said. She walked over and wrapped him in a huge bear hug. Levi held her tight, feeling shaky. He hadn¡¯t realized how much he was holding on to until Piper hugged him. ¡°We¡¯ll get you strong enough,¡± she whispered. ¡°I believe in you.¡± That was it¡ªfour small words. Levi felt something inside of him strengthen. A bond around his core became fortified. Levi, for the first time in who knows how many years, felt secure. He hadn¡¯t had someone tell him they believed him. Four simple words that gave him a level of confidence that he didn¡¯t know he could possess.

    Levi held the hug long as all the stress melted away. As it did. He felt his breath steady and weight lift off his chest. A burden that he hadn¡¯t even known was there. He nodded. ¡°Thank you¡­ I needed to hear that¡­¡± his voice was shaky, his mouth was dry. ¡°I¡¯ll need constant reminders¡­ I suck at remembering good things about me,¡± he said with an awkward smile. Piper kissed him on the lips.

    ¡°I have no problem reminding you of the good things about you,¡± she said with a genuine smile. She placed her head on his chest, and they stood in that moment for a few heartbeats, just being together. ¡°I love you, you stranger.¡±

    Levi chuckled, ¡°I love you back, babe.¡± They separated and then walked back out. Tycen and Anna were talking at the table, and Tycen was finally done with his sword experimentation. They looked up.

    ¡°Are you two lovebirds ready?¡± Tycen asked with a smirk.

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Levi said. ¡°But yes¡­¡± Tycen chuckled. They all gathered outside the suite, making their way toward the ferry. The weather was overcast with a slight breeze. They approached the ferryman, a younger man who, by all the earth¡¯s stereotypes, would not be a sailor. He was classically handsome, with a trim beard and a topknot. He had a weathered smile.

    ¡°Good day,¡± he said. ¡°Off to the capital city?¡±

    ¡°Yessir,¡± Anna answered.

    ¡°Very well,¡± he said. ¡°The waters are rough, it will be about a half-day journey across the sea.¡±

    ¡°The land is that far?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± he said. ¡°With folks at the star rank you are, we must travel a bit slower during weather like this.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Because of the sea monsters that be lurking for fishermen who want to take advantage of casting with no shadows. Don¡¯t worry mate, they won¡¯t eat ya.¡±

    ¡°Well I wasn¡¯t worried until you said that, how big are these monsters?¡± Levi asked. He laughed and ignored his question.

    ¡°All aboard, departing for the capital city!¡± the captain boomed. They got aboard the impressively sizeable wooden boat. Runes were etched on the sides of the boat, which Levi assumed were magical protections and potentially speed boosts. They were not the only people on the ferry, either. At least 20 other people, the majority of them humans, got onto the boat.

    ¡°The kingdom is ran by humans and are pretty¡­¡± Anna began to explain but paused. ¡°Exclusionary to other beings or races.¡±

    Levi shared a look with their angel paladin, who was showing off his wings. Tycen saw his gaze and shrugged. ¡°They tolerate avians.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t bother you though? The discrimination?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°No, because the ones who do discriminate have the politcal power, the common folks won¡¯t because money is money,¡± Tycen said. ¡°If people want to judge me for my looks that¡¯s their problem. If people want to enslave me or my people, they are more than welcome to try and many have tried.¡±

    ¡°I take it slavery is a thing here, too?¡± Levi asked. They felt a slight tug as the boat began heading toward the capital city.

    Tycen thought about it a bit deeper: " Yes and no. Indentured servitude is a thing. People will offer services to pay debts or settle disputes. But they are under strict contracts, and if there is any mistreatment, it is seen as disrespect of the highest variety.¡±

    ¡°Most nations veer far away from it,¡± Anna said. ¡°It becomes too sticky to deal with. Especially because of the well, tasteful individuals, who wanted indentured servants for extra tasks.¡± Levi nodded in understanding with a grimace on his face. It seemed that creepy people transcended all worlds. What a fun revelation.

    ¡°That being said don¡¯t think that we will make any allies in the city,¡± Anna said. ¡°We are there for a reason, get in, get out.¡± The group nodded.

    ¡°There is one more thing we should discuss,¡± Piper said. We might run into it, and I want us, mostly you, babe, to be prepared.¡± Anna looked at Piper with questioning eyes, and then her eyes went wide in understanding. ¡°Yes. Anna will be treated like a princess of an important kingdom if she gets recognized.¡±

    ¡°Well she is one,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Yes she is and that¡¯s not something that we want,¡± Piper said. ¡°We don¡¯t want any extra attention, especially not throwing around political clout. So, Anna and I discussed how we would manage this¡­¡±

    ¡°Vapor, if you will,¡± Anna said. Levi¡¯s smoke spirit appeared. ¡°Something we learned that she can do is become a cloak.¡± Vapor¡¯s form shimmered and glowed. She floated over to Anna and merged with her. A pure white hooded cloak draped over Anna¡¯s shoulders. She put the hood on, and her face was hidden in the hood, all but blue eyes. It basically looked like a human version of Vapor.

    ¡°Vapor what the hell?¡± Levi said. ¡°Since when?¡±

    ¡°I advanced to 3-star at the end of the dungeon,¡± she explained. ¡°We have not yet discussed the details of my advancement. However, while you were sleeping in this morning, the princess approached me with this plan. I can disguise Lady Onyx¡¯s soul enough to avoid any trackers.¡± The small dragon that loved to hang out on Levi¡¯s shoulders flew over Anna¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°I will hide her aura,¡± Serenity said. Levi frowned. He loved having Serenity on his shoulders, even when he forgot about her. It was an excellent little comfort.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Silvy,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Well okay,¡± Levi said. ¡°Anything else, we need to know.¡±

    ¡°Yes, they are not a kingdom but an aristocracy. There a bunch of rich families that help keep the Qu¡¯ant from falling apart,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Lovely,¡± Levi said. ¡°Lemme guess, most of them suck.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Piper said with a beaming smile. ¡°I¡¯ve had a run-in with a few members every now and then, mostly in the background as my father did the talking.¡±

    ¡°Right family of assassins,¡± Levi nodded.

    ¡°Yep,¡± she said in her usual cheerful voice. ¡°The odds we run into any aristocrats is very low however.¡±

    ¡°You definitely just jinxed us,¡± Levi said, shaking his head.

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Tycen agreed.

    Piper looked between the two men and wiggled her finger, ¡°You two becoming friends and acting the same was not something I had anticipated.¡± The two of them shared a look shrugged, and chuckled. Which received a solid eye roll from Piper. Levi laughed harder. He wanted to look at the water, so he made his way over to the railing on the boat. The water was peaceful, for the most part. He wouldn¡¯t pull a Piper and actually say it out loud; that would just be asking for fate to screw him over.

    ¡°Man, that dumb ferryman had no reason to be so nervous; there is hardly anything wrong with the waters,¡± a male voice said.

    ¡°I know right,¡± a female voice replied. ¡°It¡¯s like he doesn¡¯t know who our family is. He should be paying US to use his stupid boat to get to the city. The audacity.¡±

    ¡°Master Mateo and Lady Lyla, where are your manners,¡± an elderly woman¡¯s voice called out. ¡°That is no way to treat people who are doing you a service. Have some respect or did you forget that was why your father sent you away?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Ms. Holmes,¡± the two presumably aristocratic children said. Levi shook his head at the interaction. He wasn¡¯t sure if this exactly counted toward finding an aristocrat, but he was willing to bet that they would be attacked by a sea monster soon. Levi did not want to be caught off guard.

    ¡°Hey, Dameion,¡± he said. The veil nebula serpent appeared in front of him. It glowed brightly in response. ¡°Is swimming a thing you can do?¡± it nodded its head. Okay, to say it looked like a serpent was a bit of a misnomer. Imagine someone was doing shadow art of a snake, but one was several feet away; there would be a vague outline of the snake. That¡¯s what Dameion looked like, except instead of shadows, it was a cosmic phenomenon.

    ¡°Great,¡± Levi said. ¡°Can you do a quick scan for monsters? Be discrete?¡± It looked at Levi, and Levi was shocked. ¡°Did you just give me a flat look?¡± Dameion nodded with some attitude. ¡°I know you¡¯re a sneaky entity. I was just reminding you sheesh.¡± Levi said. ¡°When did everyone get there own sassy personality,¡± Levi chuckled. Before Dameion could move, there was a massive surge of mana. Dameion flashed different colors, getting Levi¡¯s attention. The second Levi looked at Dameion, the void entity pointed to where the mana was coming from.

    ¡°You are so helpful,¡± Levi said with a flat look.

 Chapter 59 - Squishy

    Levi ran to the front of the boat, where he felt the mana surge. He saw Piper, Anna, and Tycen all readied for battle. They all watched him as he returned from the side of the boat. Before them poking its head out of the water, was a titanic jellyfish. It was about 15 meters tall, with long arms. The jellyfish slowly bobbed up and down in the air as if it were still in the water. Levi felt the aura of the beast and knew that it was a 4-star monster; this would not be an easy fight.

    "Anza send some drones to protect people," Levi said. "Serenity, let''s fly. Crystal and Willow, can you set up a field to try to shock this beast?" The two crystal wisps appeared out of his eyes and switched to battle mode. In battle mode, they began splitting into their many smaller bodies. Once they formed a small swarm of wisps, they attacked. Lighting sparked from some of the bodies. The lightning began jumping from body to body.

    Levi pulled out his sword, holding it high. He could feel the power calling to his chaos mana. He let the feeling go, summoning orbs of chaos. The tiny orbs of chaotic energy went flying toward the massive jellyfish, which was entirely too slow to dodge any attacks. It took the brunt of the attack as the orbs exploded over its body. The jellyfish hissed in pain as the orbs exploded; it made a move right toward Levi. It was swinging one of its massive tentacles at Levi and Serenity. Serenity narrowly dodged the attack.

    Tycen took to the air, wielding his new spear. Purple power flowed out of the spear; he swung at another tentacle, completely severing the limb. Blue goo burst out of the severed limb all over the boat. The boat sizzled as the goo was eating away the wood-like material.

    "The goo is acidic," Tycen said. "Don''t let that stuff touch you." Tycen and Levi worked in tandem, fighting the monster. When Tycen stabbed one side of the giant beast, Levi would blast it with various orbs. He cycled between chaos, fire, and water. With the jellyfish''s full attention on the pair of them, Anna and Piper spent the rest of the time making sure the other attendants on the ship were safe.

    Piper, with her insane speed, gathered everyone around into a single area. She cursed internally; Levi was right; she had jinxed their trip. She saw the mannerisms of the three separate groups. The first group was a group of teenagers who were clearly acting stronger than they thought. The way they stood around each other, she could tell who was the most important person in the group. He was decently tall, with pale skin and dark black hair. He had dark brown eyes and wore a clearly expensive robe.

    The next group included an elderly lady with two children. Piper wasn¡¯t sure if the woman was a grandmother or a nanny, and it was hard to tell the difference. The two young kids were preteens, by her estimation. They were well dressed in the Qu¡¯ant style, which was fancy tunics with golden buttons for the men. The woman would wear dresses with different designs, or they would wear a fancy tunic that was shorter and had some darker fitted pants. They all ranged in various pastel colors.

    It was a different style than the Onyx kingdom, where they wore more medieval regal clothing. The tunics were more form-fitting but fancier with darker tones, mostly black, gray, or white; a dark onyx gemstone was always present. If Piper was being honest, she preferred the colorful tunics over the dark ones of her home. The last group was two women her age. They were non-magic users, so she assumed that they were just ordinary people. Piper focused on them the most because they would be the most vulnerable to any attacks from the monster.

    "What is the meaning of this?" the same older woman asked.

    "There is a four-star monster out there," Piper said. She noticed a group of teenagers stand up, conjuring various weapons. "Sit down," she said. "It is being handled. You would only get in the way."

    "By that skinny guy?" one of them scoffed, the one Piper deemed the leader.

    "He could barely hold that sword," another one mocked.

    "If you wish to challenge him in a dual, we can arrange such a thing after," Piper said. "Until then, stay put until they have finished killing the monster."

    "You mean until the avian killed the monster," they laughed.

    ¡°Are we supposed to sit here and let an avian do our own biddings?¡± the leader spoke. ¡°We are humans, the best race in the world, and we let that feather wannabe angel fight our fights?¡±

    Piper¡¯s eyebrow twitched, ¡°you¡¯re a 2-star team? And you expect to beat this four-star monster? Have you ever fought a 3-star monster?¡±

    The leader sneered, ¡°Of course I have; who hasn¡¯t as a 2-star.¡± Piper narrowed her eyes at him, not believing a word he said. Suddenly, she felt her head go fuzzy. There was a voice in her head that told her to attack the others. She took a deep breath and pushed her aura out to protect her mind. As she finally regained control of her faculties, there was a loud slap, followed by the scream of a child.

    Anna was with the ship''s captain. She had made her way over the instant she felt the aura. She wanted to see if the captain had any plans if they were attacked on the way.

    "Nothing," the captain shrugged. "The monster is being dealt with right?"

    "Yes, but," Anna started.

    "But nothing. Do you have little faith in your companions?"

    "No I know that they will succeed," Anna said.

    "Then we change nothing," the captain said. "Look, missy. I''ve been making this trip back and forth for nearly a decade. The capital city is great, but these waters are teaming with monsters who want a quick and easy snack. They usually leave after failing to do any lasting damage or engage in a fight. Don''t get me wrong; I appreciate you all handling it; it saves me some money in the end."

    "Very well," Anna said. "I will have the two report back after they have slain the beast."

    "Aye," the captain said. Anna left the captain, making her way to Piper. As she was walking along the deck, she felt a massive aura attack pulse from the monster. Her head started to feel fuzzy, and a foreign voice entered her head.

    "Kill the summoner," it spat. Her body started to lose control as she unwillingly drew her wand and book. Anna''s wand was firmly pointed at Levi when another blast of aura was sent out. She felt relief cover enter her head. She looked up into the air to see Serenity looking directly at her. Serenity had used her aura to shield Anna. Anna shook her head, getting the weird voice out of it. She shivered at how easily the monster got in her head.

    She found Piper still feeling the brain fog from the attack. There was the aftermath of what looked like a fight that had broken out. One of the young men, a teenager by Anna''s estimation, was holding a broken arm. A little girl was sitting in an older woman''s arms; she was balling her eyes out.

    "What the hell was that voice?" Piper asked.

    "I think it was the monster," Anna said. "What the hell happened here?"

    "The voice told us to start fighting," Piper explained. "I had to push back the group by the time I turned, that idiot there, had slapped the little girl."

    "We were under a spell," he complained.

    "As if that is an excuse," Piper said. "You''re a magic user. You''re supposed to have defense against auras. That is magic user 101! The fact that you don''t have any aura abilities, shows me the caliber of magic user you are." Her words were laced with venom. She was not happy with the response at the current moment. One of the teens opened their mouth. "Oh a coward going to speak next?" she said. The teenager closed his mouth promptly. "Thought so. How do you think they are doing out there?"

    <i>Monster Defeated: Titan Aura Jellyfish</i>

    <i>4-star</i>

    <i>	</i>"Good," Anna said. Ever since joining a team, they would get kill notifications from monsters, even if they didn''t take part. Only Levi was the one who got loot or rewards. Thankfully for the team, they had a person who got loot as a kind and sharing person.

    "The monster has been dealt with," Piper said pointedly. Anna raised an eyebrow at Piper''s tone. Do you still wish to challenge the skinny summoner?" Anna hid a smile behind one of her hands. Piper had her arms crossed and was impatiently tapping a finger. When no response came, she scoffed, "I thought so."The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    They heard footsteps and conversation just outside the door. Levi and Tycen were having some kind of debate as they found everyone else.

    "See, here they are," Levi said. "Everything okay?" He put his hand on Piper''s lower back. She leaned into the touch. She smiled and nodded.

    "Yeah," Piper said. "How was the monster?"

    "Squishy," Levi said.

    "He keeps saying that," Tycen said. "He tried to explain to me what it meant and I feel like the way he described it is incorrect."

    "Okay," Anna said. "What is your definition?" She asked Levi.

    "Low defense, easy to attack, not a big threat," Levi explained.

    "And you feel the monster was not that?" Anna asked.

    "No, I definitely agree with that. It was a pathetic excuse for a 4-star. It''s really only decent attack was the aura attack but that was pitiful. I don''t agree with the word choice. Why squishy? Why not burstable or simple?"

    "Hey man," Levi said. "I didn''t make the term, I just was saying that monster sucked." Anna and Piper giggled at the two arguing semantics after just fighting and killing a 4-star monster. The two of them walked out of the room, still debating the word choice.

    "Still thinking about dualing someone who casually converses about a 4-star monster?" Piper asked. The teenage boys shook their heads, staring at the ground. "So maybe next time, don''t judge someone by their class or looks, yeah?" they sheepishly nodded their heads. Anna tapped Piper on the shoulder, which led her out of the room. The moment they left, the other passengers all breathed a sigh of relief.

    "Who were those monsters?" one of the teenagers asked.

    "Wait till I tell my older brother and sister. They slap some sense into her," the one with the broken arm said.

    "Simon, are you sure you want to mess with them?" one of them asked.

    "Of course I do," Simon spat. "They were disrespectful to the Calder house, an act that shall not go unpunished!"

    <i>Monster Defeated: Titan Aura Jellyfish</i>

    <i>4-star</i>

    <i>Loot: Jellyfish slime 150mg</i>

    <i>Loot: 1 gold piece, 10 silver pieces, 100 copper pieces</i>

    <i>Progress Made</i>

    <i>Plus 10 Strength</i>

    <i>Plus 6 Stamina</i>

    <i>Plus 2 Vitality</i>

    <i>Plus 15 Wisdom</i>

    <i>New Attribute Total: 1504</i>

    <i>	</i>"Anything good?" Tycen asked.

    "Besides general progression? No, sadly," Levi said. "I''ve gotten a lot of ritual materials, I should try to see what they do."

    "There should be a good library somewhere in the city," Anna said. "It could be worth the time to look into what certain materials do what with rituals."

    "That''s not a bad idea," Levi said. "I don''t want to take more time there then we have to."

    "Fair enough," Anna said. "If we stumble across one, then check it out."

    "Sounds good to me," Levi said. The rest of the trip was relatively uneventful. Levi and Piper spent some alone time together at the back of the boat. Anna and Tycen both found a quiet place to read one of the many books they had received in the Brawler''s Dungeon. Anna was reading about the goddess Artix, and she didn''t find it a coincidence that she had picked out a book, and then Levi got it as a reward. It had done nothing but confirm her suspicions about his power or ability to get loot and rewards.

    A quest system, he had called it. She had never heard anybody report having such a system before. Reading this history book and then receiving the spellbook was all too suspicious for Anna.

    "Hey," she said. Tycen looked up from the book he was reading.

    "Yes?" he asked.

    "What do you think about Levi''s quest system power?"

    "It''s overpowered," Tycen said with little hesitation.

    "That was a quick answer," Anna said with her eyebrows raised.

    He shrugged, "hardly the only overpowered thing he has going for him. All of his familiars are overpowered. You have one disguising your looks and another one disguising your aura."

    "Sure," Anna said. "But that does not explain the quest system. Having familiars seems to be a massive loophole that people overlook. Where did he get it?"

    "According to him," Tycen said. "He''s had it since he got brought to this world, so forever? What are you getting at Anna?"

    "Nothing, I am simply expressing my curiosity."

    "Perhaps I can help alleviate some confusion," Vapor said, appearing in front of the two of them. "Lady Anna, if you had possessed such an ability, with whom would you share that information with?"

    "Hardly anyone," Anna replied.

    "Just so," Vapor nodded. "The ability is linked with the ability that he had received as an otherworlder. I have heard that otherworlders get strange abilities that help them understand the world better, particularly if they are older, like my summoner."

    "It is basically a way to even the lack of resources?" Tycen asked.

    "Correct. I am sure the ability to do so is not new to this world. However, I have a difficult time believing that anyone would willingly divulge such an¡­ overpowered ability."

    Anna paused to consider Vapor''s words. She did make a good point. Why would anyone just blatantly expose such a powerful secret? With how greedy the world was, there was no telling what any kingdom, house, or small-time ruler would do for their own personal money bag. Shoot, people tried to take advantage of dungeons for the rewards; why would they treat someone any differently? The answer was they wouldn''t.

    "I guess I should be grateful that he shares with us then?" Anna finally said.

    "Should or should not, mean nothing," Vapor said. "Levi does not share because of your gratitude. Does it make him feel better? Marginally. Levi shares because you are his team, more importantly you are his friends. Lady Anna if I may speak with candor?"

    "Have you not been doing so already?" Anna asked. Tycen stifled a laugh.

    "I have not," Vapor said coldly. "For as intelligent as you are. As observant and critical as you are. You have failed to recognize your importance in Levi Winter''s life. Sir Tycen here has recognized it; that is why the two of them have been bickering more and more. It is obvious that Lady Piper understands her importance. Out of all of you, you are the one who fails to see. Why is that? That is a rhetorical question, once again, it matters not to me, only to you. If I may be so bold to suggest something to the princess, I would suggest you figure that out as soon as possible."

    ***

    Qu''ant was a massive nation run by four human houses. Not one house wanted control over the other. They all existed in harmony, and it was easy to do so as they had one rule. No other race could become a prominent house in the nation. Each house occupied a different part of the nation, while the prominent leaders of the house were located in the capital city. The capital city was the southeastern portion of the continent, purposefully placed for its ease of trade routes.

    The four houses were Calder, Avington, Godfrey, and Qu''ant. Each was one of the original families that had founded the nation. Under normal circumstances, one would assume that the house named Qu''ant, the namesake of the nation, would be in charge. In most cases, one would be correct, but this was not the case. Qu''ants were the first to settle on the land; therefore, they were the ones to name the nation. Also, at the time of settling, they had a 4-star rank and were the strongest of all the other houses.

    This settled the debate in an instant because power always won. The nation was at first run by the Qu''ants, but over time, the leader, Ernest Qu''ant, wanted to pursue a 5-star rank. He didn''t want to leave the nation unguarded and unprotected, so he enlisted those who held found the nation. The three others agreed under one condition: they would have a say in the state of the nation. He agreed. Ernest Qu''ant never returned; no one knew if he had made it to 5-star or if he died; most assumed he perished because why hide the fact he rose to the top?

    The state of Qu''ant has not been as peaceful since Ernest''s mysterious disappearance. Each of the other houses attempted to completely overtake the Qu''ant house and place their house firmly on top. This wasn''t done in a way that would harm any citizens; it was simply politicians harming influence and clout. Suppose the history of the nation has proved anything. In that case, it is that too many politicians in the seat of power can lead to corruption.

    Each house initially had specific jobs around the nation, which is why they had risen to power. The Qu''ants, for obvious reasons, were the head. They were the house that raised the young leaders. They had the techniques and the money to guide their young to the best class evolution for whatever class they pursued. Typically, a Qu''ant would be a fantastic leader with a good set of skills and traditions. The house of Avington was the least concerned about ruling the nation, which, of course, made them the most qualified. This family were the advisors and researchers. They sought ways to create magical items, formations, runes, and more that would increase the quality of life for people in the world, especially those who were unable to use magic. Their mission was to promote a gentle integration of magic to the non-magic-using world. They were the most respected house in all of Qu''ant.

    The house Godfrey was marginally interested in ruling the nation. This stemmed from one branch of the family who has become quite ambitious. This branch had settled in the western part of the continent. The Godfreys were master traders. They were the ones who would help set prices for magical items, host and conduct auctions, own and run the currency of the nation, and things of that nature. The branch that was on the western side was run by a man who was tired of seeing his family name be pushed to the side like they were nothing. However, the rest of the family was not eager to indulge in the rantings of one man.

    Then there was the house that wanted all the power; this, of course, would be the Calders. Greed is their vice. Initially, the house Calder was created for their defensive tactics. They had the best adventuring guild in the world. In fact, they still did. Attending a Calder Adventuring Guild and passing meant that this young adventurer was amongst the elites. This created an air of elitism with each passing generation. To the point where they have been subtly using their clout and influence to scare, harass, and bully their way into the seat at the national table.

    Unknowingly, Levi had just made an enemy with the brightest talent of the Calder''s up-and-coming adventurers, Simon Calder. He is the youngest son and the head of the Calder house. His parents, Bethany and Princeton, had three children: Bradley, Monika, and Simon. Each of them was a great talent in their own right. Bradley was a talented Ranger, Monika was a talented Rogue, and Simon was a talented Sorcerer. Simon was at the top of his guild class when he completed his guild in the capital city; he had left to celebrate his graduation and victory in the Battle of the Guilds.

    He was on his way back, riding the high of victory and celebration, when he had the misfortune of running into a 4-star monster. Simon was eager to show the peasants on the boat what a top 2-star, almost 3-star Calder could do. Only to be upstaged by some scrawny stranger and his punk girlfriend. He would not stand for such disrespect; he would have to handle it like a man. The second they made landfall, Simon was going to tell his siblings.

 Chapter 60 - The Ties That Bind Us

    Levi looked at the massive city fade into view as they got closer. Spiral towers, tall terracotta buildings with different colored pastel rooves, and some much larger buildings that were not castles but were definitely castle-like. Levi thought that Arvendon was big, which it was. This city was ten times the size. The Capital City had to be at least the size of Los Angeles. He couldn''t help but whistle at the size of the city. It was large but definitely not the largest city he had ever seen; the benefits of living in densely populated places his whole life.

    As they got closer, he saw that the city was pretty flat, which would be nice for walking around; hilly cities sucked. Especially since they had no idea where they were going, having to walk in a city this big would have been a nightmare. Another thing he noticed as they got closer were different vehicles. This world did have different modes of transportation, which was nice. It would make traveling a lot easier, even though he did have Anza, which is something to consider at the very least.

    Once the boat docked, they were met by a group of people Levi assumed to be guards. They were dressed in orange rogues'' armor, which was simple orange leather armor draped over a black tunic, with black pants and boots that looked like they took hours to tie up. Levi wondered why they looked a bit more modern.

    One of them said, "Inspection before entering the Capital City. " Levi nodded; it made sense; he was prepared for something like this. Levi patiently waited his turn while a group of teenagers pushed their way to the front.

    One of them was wearing a fancy cloak that matched the color of the guards. He had dark black hair, pale skin in direct contrast to it, and dark brown eyes. Levi wondered if he was just that white or if his whole family was that white.

    "Master Simon," the guard said with a bow. "I hope your trip was well."

    "It was," the leader said. "Until we had an unfortunate incident with peasants. " He gave Piper a pointed look, who simply smiled.

    "Did he just call you a peasant?" Levi whispered.

    "He did," Piper said. "He''s unaware of who I am, which is perfect."

    "Are we going to get in trouble the second we step foot in the city?" he asked.

    "Very likely, yep," Piper responded.

    "So much for not meeting any aristocrats," Levi teased.

    "Yes, yes, I jinxed us¡­" Piper said, rolling her eyes. Levi smirked and nudged her shoulder. It was quickly their turn before they reached the guards.

    "Name and business coming into Capital City?" guard one said.

    "Levi Winters, shopping for supplies before a long journey," he told the truth. The guard looked him over.

    "Are these are your companions?" he asked.

    "Yessir," Levi said with a smile. The guard paused, his eyes lingered on Tycen, and then nodded. Levi narrowed his eyes while the guard was looking. Then plastered a smile the moment the guard looked back.

    "Welcome to Capital City," he said. Letting Levi through, the team made their way into the massive city. It was busy. The dock was full of different people doing many different tasks: fishermen selling their catches, ferrymen calling out for final boarding, guards, travelers, and so many other people. It was somewhat overwhelming.

    They kept walking past the docks onto one of the main streets. Levi was hungry and wanted to get some food. They walked over to this restaurant that wasn''t very full.

    "Good evening," the waitress said. "I am Suni, I will be serving you today. Four?"

    "Yes, please," Levi said. She nodded, then showed them to their table. Sitting down, she brought them a kettle with tea inside and the menu. After perusing the menu for a bit, Suni returned.

    "All ready to order?" she asked. The team nodded and ordered their various dishes. The restaurant was a noodle house that served noodles in many different forms: soups, fried, boiled, pan-fried, and curries. Tycen ordered a boiled noodle dish with some kind of protein that Levi didn''t recognize. Anna ordered a pan-fried noodle dish with extra veggies. Piper ordered a noodle dish with fish and curry. Levi ordered the fried noodle dish with extra veggies and fish.

    The food came out quickly, causing Levi''s mouth to salivate at the intense aroma wafting from it. It looked delicious and smelled enticing, and he was ready to dive in. Just as he was about to eat, he felt an aggressive aura enter the building. He turned to see two people walk in. Levi frowned.

    "For the record," Levi said. "If I don''t get to enjoy my meal, it''s definitely you''re fault." He gestured to the two people at the door.

    "Who are they?" Anna asked.

    "My guess is that they are related to the person who called miss Piper here peasant."

    There was a male and a female, both with dark black hair, pale skin, and dark brown eyes. They looked over where Levi and his team were sitting and made a b-line towards them.

    "This is a Calder family restaurant only," the male said. "Beat it."

    "I¡¯m good thanks though," Levi said. "We¡¯ve had a long journey and I''m starving and my food is right here." He went to take a bite of the food. With a swiftness rivaling Piper, his plate of food went flying into the wall. Levi frowned. "That was rude. I was really looking forward to that."

    "I don''t care, newcomer," he said. "This is our family restaurant and we didn''t give you permission to eat here. And his kind is not welcome." He pointed at Tycen, who was not paying attention at all, simply eating his meal happily. Levi''s frown deepened. It wasn''t fair that Tycen got to keep eating. Why didn''t his food get thrown into the wall? How lame. Oh, and the racism, that was lame too, but his food.

    "What''s your name?" Levi said, pretty calmly.

    "Bradley Calder," Bradley said. "You clearly are new here since you don''t know my face."

    "Sure, dude," Levi said. "And yours?" Levi said, peering at the woman who hadn''t said a word.

    "It matters not what my name is," she said. "You are unworthy of it."

    "Okay," Levi said with a chuckle. "Girl with long black hair it is. You mind ordering me another one of that fried noodle dish, it looked great and now mine is on the wall?"

    "You dare ask for a favor?"

    "I wasn''t really asking but sounding polite. Seems like a foreign concept to you." Levi looked as his friends finished their meals. He gave a fake cry to his friends as they all looked at him with satisfied looks. "Y''all suck."

    "It''s time to go," Bradley said through gritted teeth. His aura began to spike; Levi could see the sword on his hip was starting to glow. He raised an eyebrow.

    "Look, dude, you''re more than welcome to leave; you don''t need my permission. Also, I don''t know what trick you two are tryna play with the auras, but you''re not 4-star. You''re nowhere near it."

    "You know nothing about us," the girl snapped.

    "We''ve established that already," Levi said. "Anyway, it was nice chatting with you, Bronson was it? and the girl with long black hair." The four of them pushed their way past the two siblings. He paid Suni for the meal. She smiled apologetically, and he smiled back. It wasn''t her fault.

    "It¡¯s BRADLEY,¡± He roared. ¡°Where do you think you''re going?" Bradley called from the restaurant. Levi rolled his eyes at the call. By the time Calder made it out of the restaurant, they were gone without a trace.

    "So," Levi said, looking at Piper. "Do you think he was there because of Simon or because we really did go to the wrong restaurant?"

    "He seemed to be more upset about the restaurant than me. Considering he didn¡¯t throw my delicious food against the wall," Piper said teasingly sticking her tongue playfully out at Levi. Levi pushed her shoulder gently and frowned. He was genuinely upset that he didn¡¯t get a chance to eat that food. "It also would have been entirely too quick for them to appear." She said thoughtfully. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    "This city sucks," Tycen said.

    "At least that one house does," Levi mused. "The Calders, interesting. It matters not," Levi said in his best mocking voice. "We have shopping to do." The group had been standing on the roof of the restaurant, while having their aura hidden. They had gotten quite skilled at it through the teachings of Piper. The benefits of having a team member from a family of assassins. Once they saw the two Calders walk away in a bout of frustration, they jumped off the rough.

    Levi walked back into the restaurant. "Hey Suni, could you tell me where a good place to shop for adventuring gear would be?"

    She bowed, "yes. In the Adventure Guild district, there will be many shops there. It is straight down this street, then a sharp right at the fountain. The district looks like a big park with grass, trees, and benches. There all around the central area will be shops, you''ll be able to tell it is the adventure district because people will look like adventurers."

    Levi mentally took down the instructions. He nodded, "that''s great thanks so much." Levi led the group down the bustling street. They passed by different food carts, cheap potions, and dealers; it reminded Levi of a big city. He shook his head and chuckled to himself. Big cities are the same everywhere. He thought. Levi was never a fan of big cities. He had been to quite a few when he was younger as family vacations. His dad, bless his soul, loved big cities. Levi did not share the same sentiment.

    They were all too crowded, noisy, and filled with people doing their own thing at a fast pace. Yes, he understood that everywhere, people did their own thing, but it was just different in big cities. He had some iota of hope that magical big cities would be different; they were not. Various humans of all different ethnic backgrounds moved along the busy street; they bumped, rubbed shoulders, pushed past, and some occasionally said, "Excuse me."

    "We''re being followed," Piper said. Levi frowned and pushed out his senses behind him. He found two people that were staring at them and tracing their every move. They were using the chaos of the crowds to mask their tracking.

    "How did you¡­ nevermind," Levi said. "Let them follow, for the time being."

    "Any idea who could be following us?" Anna asked.

    "Anyone," Tycen said. "I think you undersold how much they don''t like other races."

    "If they have a problem, then they better know how to fight," Levi said.

    "Maybe," Anna replied. "We do not start a fight in the city where we are clearly guests. Maybe we approach it diplomatically." She gave Levi a sharp look that showed she meant business and was serious about what she suggested. Levi''s jaw tensed as he looked back. With a great deal of reluctance, he nodded. "Thank you. They have kept a relative distance. We shall keep going to our destination and see if they make a move."

    "Understood," Levi said. Piper looped her arm in his and rested her head on his shoulder.

    "It''ll be okay, love," Piper whispered, her breath tickling his ear. He smiled, and the tension washed away. They approached the large fountain. Levi looked at the fountain and felt like Suni undersold the massive structure. It was about fifty yards long and had many statues made of gold, copper, iron, and steel. Each statue was expertly done, and the details were unmatched. Levi looked in amazement at each of the statues; there were four main statues among the twelve in total. The four main statues all were made of golden metal.

    They all struck hero poses, with water shooting out of their palms, feet, or chests, respectively. It was some of the best sculpture work he had ever seen in this world or the other.

    "Just brilliant," Levi said.

    "It is a remarkable piece of art," Anna said.

    "The history of the statues is even more remarkable," an elderly voice said to the right of the group. They all turned their heads to see an older woman. She had beautiful tan skin and brown hair with streaks of gray running through it. She stood tall, exuding confidence. She wore an elegant blue dress with a light scarf draped around her neck.

    "Are the four statues the four houses?" Anna asked.

    "It is," she responded with a nod. "They all fought together to bring this place into a haven. It was not easy. The battle lasted decades, and they lost many territories and friends. The statue is meant to remind people of the struggle that built this nation and this city. The fountain is called "the Ties that Binds," meaning we are to continue to be tied together.

    "That''s beautiful name," Piper said. "Such rich history."

    "Indeed," the older woman said. "You four are a lovely team. I hope that you find major success in this city and whatever city you serve."

    "Thank you, ma''am," Tycen said. "Those are kind words."

    "Grandma!" another voice shouted.

    "Oh, my handler, also known as my granddaughter, beckons," she said with a soft smile. "All the best," she nodded. She turned as a woman Levi''s age approached. She had short, light brown hair, tan skin, and blue eyes. She wore fitted clothes that showed off her body. It was the typical Qu¡¯ant style. Levi looked at her clothes and felt the bits of mana coming off of it. These clothes were not just for looking good, they were for combat as well. The woman was pretty tall and definitely was a magic user. Her body was toned in a way that magic did upon ranking up. Her aura control was phenomenal; it was clear that she was well-trained.

    "I apologize if my grandma here bored you with a history lesson," she said with a soft smile. "She may seem fragile but she is sneaky."

    "Oh hush child, no one was bored," her grandma said with a soft whack.

    "It''s all good," Levi said. "The lesson was great, I am grateful to learn."

    "Well, aren''t you a charmer?" the young woman said smoothly. Hold on to him tight, missy. A lot of women in this city would snatch him up in a second, " she said with a friendly wink to Piper.

    "Are you one of those woman?" Piper asked. The woman held up her hands with a small chuckle.

    "No no no," she said. "I''m engaged, sadly, don''t look at me like that grandma, you hate it just as much as I do."

    "Yes, but I am not as open with my disdain, young lady," the grandma said.

    The woman turned her gaze to Tycen. " You''re an avian, right? I love your wings; they''re beautiful."

    "Uh, thank you," Tycen said. He flustered his words. Levi slowly turned his head and smirked at Tycen. To Tycen''s credit, he hid his utter disdain for Levi very well at that moment. "Have you seen many avian?"

    "Not in person, sadly," she replied. "People love their backwater traditions here. You''re my first, congratulations." Tycen got very still. He was already a rather still man, but this time, it was a new level of skill. Enough for Levi to notice, not for the new pretty girl to notice.

    He gave an awkward chuckle, "thanks, I guess¡­ not sure what to say to that."

    "Fair enough," she replied. "I''m Izzy," she said, holding out a hand to shake. She started with Piper. "Izzy Avington."

    "Piper Vendular," Piper said.

    "Levi Winters," Levi said.

    "Tycen," Tycen said.

    "I''m Silvy," Anna said, shaking Izzy''s hand.

    "It''s a Pleasure to meet you all," Izzy said. I hope to see you all around." She said this before turning to her grandma. "Are you ready to go, grandma?"

    "Sure," her grandma said. "Thank you for indulging this old woman in her stories, it was great."

    "Thanks for the lesson," Levi said. They waved as they made their way through the crowd and out of sight. Levi paused to look at Tycen. "Sooooooo."

    "Shut it," Tycen said. "Shut it." The group burst into laughter. Izzy looked back to see Tycen standing above the crowd. She pushed one strand of hair behind her ear as she looked at the very handsome avian man.

    "He was very handsome," her grandma said.

    "He was taken remember grandma, I don''t do that. I leave that business for Jenna."

    "Not him, you silly girl. The avian, Tycen, was his name," her grandma chided. He clearly was flustered by your looks, which is only natural; you are stunning."

    "Thanks grandma," Izzy said with a gentle smile.

    "I would know, you get your looks from me," she said with a laugh.

    "There it is," Izzy said, rolling her eyes. "It doesn''t matter, he''s not human AND I''m engaged."

    "Pishposh about that bogus engagement," her grandma said. "Bradley is a tool, and he wouldn''t be able to lead anyways. Just brawn no brains. You need someone who will be able to challenge you intellectually."

    "And you think Tycen will be able to? How did you come to that conclusion?"

    "He and the other one, Silvy? They were the smart ones of that team. The girl attached the boy have different roles. I think the boy would be the leader and probably the strongest on the team. The girl¡­ I am not sure but they all play big roles on the team. They are a well balanced team."

    "You got all of that from telling them the history of the statues?" Izzy asked in disbelief.

    "Yes child, did I teach you nothing about how adventure teams stand, respond to random people, act in different company, etc? These are ways to tell even the simplest of things." Her grandma said. Izzy gave her a blank stare, and Grandma rolled her eyes.

    "So you telling me the skinny boy is the strongest?" Izzy said.

    "Did you not sense any of their auras?" her grandmother asked.

    "No," Izzy said. "I tried but they were well protected."

    "Exactly," Grandma said. "Where was the source of the protection coming from? Levi, was that his name?"

    "Yes that was his name."

    "That boy has more tricks up his sleeve than he lets others believe. I will say this, when you pursue Tycen, that team will be a great team to have as allies. I am concerned that they have deep secrets."

    "Can we take a sip of tea and calm down," Izzy said. "Who said anything about me pursuing Tycen? Apart from the fact that I am meant to be getting married, he''s an avian. I cannot pursue a race outside of human. Not with the entire nation always looking, assessing, and judging my every move. The nation would fall apart."

    "You say that as if it is a bad thing if this broken nation falls more."

    "It would be grandma," Izzy said. It''s not happening. Besides, I''ll never see them again, so it doesn''t matter. We''re almost home. Can we drop this, please? I do not need to give my father another reason to put pressure on me."

    "It will be our secret, the ties that bind us."

 Chapter 61 - You Dont Know What It is Like

    Levi was relentless in his picking on Tycen. The jokes were nonstop for several minutes. There was a wide selection to choose from, from making fun of Tycen¡¯s rigidity to making fun of Tycen¡¯s onset stuttering or Tycen¡¯s overall lack of composure. Levi was seizing every opportunity to get on the big man''s case.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Anna said. ¡°That is enough teasing for now; leave him be.¡± Her tone was serious, but the smirk betrayed her sincerity.

    ¡°Fine fine fine,¡± Levi said, holding back tears. ¡°I¡¯ll be merciful.¡±

    ¡°She was pretty cute though,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Can we please stop talking about this,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Let¡¯s just go to the square and get our damn gear. And yes Piper, she was beautiful, kind, and had an amazing smile.¡±

    ¡°All I said was she was cute,¡± Piper whispered to Levi. He nodded and stifled a chuckle.

    ¡°All jokes aside,¡± Levi said. ¡°It was nice to see you get flustered for once. I¡¯ve seen you go toe to toe with a 4-star monster and hold more composure than what we just experienced.¡±

    ¡°Not my best showing,¡± Tycen admitted. Levi dropped it there. They made their way through the streets until they found the very obvious oddball of this area. There was a huge park that was surrounded by smaller buildings and a large castle-like building in the middle. There was a symbol that didn¡¯t look familiar at all.

    It was a fist holding a sword in the air. Based on the instructions that Suni gave them, this was the Adventure Federation HQ of the Capital City. The HQ would likely have the adventurer¡¯s guild, amongst other adventurer amenities. Back to the park, luscious green grass covered multiple large resting areas, with some more giant trees. Loose gravel pathways intersected each patch of grass. Some of the pathways had benches for those to sit on. They remained on the gravel paths. Some even had an excellent little cover over them. Various birds chirped, insects buzzed by, and there was a gentleness to the whole area.

    Levi looked around and smiled. It was beautiful. The sun¡¯s golden rays shone through the trees, creating a picturesque scene. He wondered, not for the first time if photography was a thing. He had to imagine magical pictures would be incredible. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and breathing in the cool, gentle breeze. Levi opened his eyes quickly and shut them just as quickly. In his mind¡¯s eye, he held the picture internally.

    The picture was golden rays shining through tall green trees, with an orange sky, the ground with slightly hazy ground. The team paused and watched Levi enjoy the scenery. Piper smiled; she loved it when he had such awe for her world. She walked up and held his hand; the two stayed in that moment for a few heartbeats.

    After the group allowed Levi¡¯s moment of peace, they continued on their mission to shop. They followed one of the paths to a store that looked promising. It was called Adventurers Welcome, a genuinely clever name. They walked into the aptly named store and began grabbing all that they needed. In total, they spent about one gold coin on each.

    They had grabbed a tent, a tarp for the tent, a cot, some blankets, a couple of lanterns, and a tablet with two runes on it for each of them. One would glow red to emit a comfortable heat, and the other would glow blue to emit a cooler breeze. Levi appreciated all the items he got. It would be crucial to have, especially as they traveled north.

    As soon as they left the store, the golden rays were replaced with utter darkness. Small lanterns lit the paths within the park.

    ¡°It got dark quickly,¡± Levi said. He looked around and could barely see anything around him. ¡°Dameion,¡± his void entity familiar appeared in response. ¡°Scout the area, something feels off.¡± The creature nodded, then slowly disappeared into the darkness. ¡°You want to look to huh?¡± Levi said to Piper.

    ¡°Desperately,¡± she said. Levi chuckled as Piper ran into the darkness also to scout the area. The rest of the group made their way toward the fountain and back to the dock.

    ¡°What do you feel is wrong?¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been followed since we got here,¡± Levi said. ¡°They aren¡¯t very good at hiding the fact that they are following us or maybe that¡¯s the point. Honestly, not sure.¡±

    ¡°How many people have been following us?¡± Anna said. ¡°That seems odd that such a big city would pay attention to us.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve counted three people,¡± Levi said. ¡°But notice how there is no more noise.¡± Tycen and Anna both looked around and focused on their surroundings.

    ¡°It¡¯s empty,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°Yep, which doesn¡¯t make sense; there would be some people walking around, I refuse to believe a city this large has no night life,¡± Levi said. Damieon and Piper appeared together from one of the rooftops.

    ¡°We¡¯re definitely surrounded,¡± she said. ¡°Dameion found me and we did some scouting together. There¡¯s at least fifteen people around, all wearing the same colored outfit as the guards from the docks.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Levi said. ¡°We¡¯re not that important. Well at least I¡¯m not.¡±

    ¡°Levi, your eyes are different colors,¡± Anna said. ¡°Anyone who knows anything about magic understands that it is because of a familiar. Familiars are rare, if it¡¯s not city officials, then it¡¯s poachers.¡±

    ¡°Poachers wouldn¡¯t clear out an area like this,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Then our peaceful stay at the island will be worthless, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯m sure we could figure out a way to escape.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just do we want to do that?¡± Piper added.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Tycen said. ¡°The flight back to the island wouldn¡¯t take me that long a couple of hours or so.¡±

    ¡°The journey would be the same for me as well,¡± Serenity said.

    ¡°Alright big guy,¡± Levi said, clasping a hand on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m with you, on your mark.¡±

    ¡°The auras are coming in, we have to make a move now. Vapor if you would be so kind,¡± Levi said. Vapor appeared from Anna¡¯s cloak and released a thick layer of steam. The steam grew to the height of the buildings and a little more. In the confusion, the team slipped out and began flying back to the small island.

    Lord Finley Calder had gotten a report from his guards earlier that day that a new team of adventurers had entered the town. The adventurers were led by someone who had familiars. Perhaps it was a summoner, but more likely, he was someone important in disguise. Why else would someone with two different-colored eyes enter his city through the docks? It had to be someone important.

    ¡°Fred and Gilt,¡± Lord Finley said. ¡°Track the newcomers and see if they have any importance. Report back anything you find.¡± The two men nodded. In no time at all they had found the newcomers and began tailing them. Recording everything they saw. Each of them wore a broach that had a scrying rune. In the large office chambers of the Calder estate, lord Finely sat and watched the recording live.

    ¡°What is that idiot boy doing? Threatening such an important dignitary like that!¡± Finely cursed. After the group had escaped his son, the two spies had lost track of the group for a few minutes. Lord Finely was not pleased with this performance, but fortunately for the guards, they found the team again soon. As they walked through the busy streets of the Capital City, Finely constantly told them to mind their distance. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Finely¡¯s curiosity was growing until one pivotal moment.

    ¡°My lord,¡± one of them said. ¡°They are observing the fountain.¡±

    ¡°The fountain,¡± Finely replied. ¡°No mere adventuring team would spend time looking at history like that! Stand back and observe¡­ wait a minute, is that?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir, that is lady Gertrude Avington with lady Izzy,¡± the spy said.

    ¡°A secret meeting?¡± Finely asked himself. He watched the interaction with intense eyes. It was clear at this very moment that these people were important. It was well known that Gertrude Avington hated strangers. She hated interacting and talking to people, in general she was a grouch. The fact that she willingly went up to this team had to mean only one thing: this was a secret meeting. The Avingtons were plotting to overthrow the nation.

    ¡°We must set a trap for them, retreat, and we shall discuss the details.¡± The guards did as instructed. Inside his office, Lord Finely was discussing the merits of the capture plan. They were to clear the area of any civilians completely; there would be no causalities on his watch. He had no idea if the team was volatile, but he wanted not to risk it. After the area was cleared, he would send some of his best warriors to surround and apprehend the group.

    The warriors were to explain that they weren¡¯t there for any violence but that the lord wanted to speak to them. No harm would befall them if they were to go to the Calder estate without any issues. That was to be the message sent. Unfortunately, what Finely saw next wholly blew his mind. A strange fog rolled into the area out of nowhere. The fog was so thick that they were all blind inside of the fog. All senses were dulled, trackers were annulled, and the scry rune was worthless.

    Finally, after several minutes, the fog cleared, and the team was gone. They had vanished. This was the second time that day his guards had let them slip through their fingers. He couldn¡¯t explain how it happened, but he knew one thing was for sure: this team was not one to be messed with.

    The night sky was crisp as they flew over the sea. The overcast sky had cleared throughout the initial ferry ride. The moon was now crescent and shining down, reflecting off the water. Levi looked up at the stars in the sky and the moon just before them. It was relaxing. He felt the grip of Piper¡¯s arms around his waist, and his heart fluttered. Levi had to admit it, and this was a fun day. He was excited that they were able to get everything they needed for the trip.

    He was looking forward to the journey back to the Onyx kingdom. It would be a good chance to gain experience and progress to the next star rank. Levi was excited about the possibility of getting another familiar as well. He believed he had another slot. All in all, Levi knew that this journey back to the Onyx kingdom would be great for his progression and his mental/emotional health. It would be a good time to reset as he prepared for the hardships that were ahead.

    Levi hadn¡¯t forgotten that he still had business to conduct in Arvendon. He had to find more letters, he had to finish the quest ¡°Secrets of Arvendon¡±, and he needed to learn about the Arbor family. All those reasons were why he knew that his time in the Onyx kingdom was far from over. For the time being, he would make sure he went back as strong as he could be before unlocking more secrets.

    Quest: Secrets of Arvendon

    A member of your team has found a clue to a deep secret in the Summoner¡¯s Guild in Arvendon. Thus, unlocking this quest. Find the secrets of the massive city Arvendon.

    Objective: Secret 1

    Objective - Secret 1: The Cube - Completed

    You have discovered a cube that has been created for you in preparation for a future task.

    Reward: Cryptic Key

    Objective: Secret 2

    Objective: Secret 3

    Objective: Secrets of Arvendon 3- part 1 of 2 completed

    You have escaped the city after being captured. The Vendulars have an underground bunker where they keep prisoners. What else could that be for?

    Reward: Mana potion x1

    Reward: Letter #6

    Objective: Secrets of Arvendon #3 - Completed

    You have learned that not all the Arbors are dead and have the Onyx family is not as loved. What will you do with this secret?

    Reward: Familiar Essence

    Objective: Secret 4

    Objective: Secrets of Arvendon #4 - Completed

    You have learned that you are destined to receive the letters from Veluvius. You have learned why and unlocked a key clue to the prophecy.

    Reward: Magic Essence

    Reward: Trinket of Glimmers

    Reward: History of Order Magic

    Objective: Secret 5

    Three of the five secrets were completed. Levi did find it very strange that the secrets were in a different order. Why had he found 3 and 4 but not 2 yet? That didn¡¯t make sense to Levi. He honestly had the same question for the letters from this M. Veluvius guy. Levi had found Letter #9, Letter #6, Letter #3, and Letter #10 in that exact order. Levi had seriously broken down Letter #10 since it was the one that held the most weight.

    Levi had been so busy with everything else that had been going on that he had forgotten he had received the history of order magic. He would have to look at the book in more detail. That could prove ultimately helpful in the future. Levi took a deep breath and sighed it out. At that moment, Piper squeezed him tightly. This information was important but nothing could be done about it now. They were a couple of months away from the Onyx kingdom so this would be a priority later. For now, he had to focus on getting stronger and getting his familiars stronger and becoming the best damn summoner the world had ever seen.

    ¡°Hey Tycen,¡± Anna asked. She was on his back as he flew her across the sea. Her warm breath was a stark contrast to the cool air.

    ¡°Yes, princess,¡± Tycen said. Anna rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Did you really think that Izzy girl was attractive?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I did,¡± Tycen said. ¡°But my thoughts mean little. It is clear that we are not welcomed in that city¡­ that I am not welcomed in that city. Trying to develop connections with her is futile. We have a mission at hand and that is what I must focus on.¡±

    ¡°You are allowed to do something for yourself you know?¡± Anna said. ¡°Levi wants the best for you.¡±

    ¡°I do understand this,¡± Tycen said. ¡°However, it is not his decision. It is mine. You don¡¯t know what it is like Anna.¡±

    ¡°I do not know what what is like?¡± she asked kindly.

    ¡°What it is liked to be judged for the way I was born. I cannot change the fact that I have wings yet these humans look at me like I am an abomination. It¡¯s not just humans either. Dwarves, elves, whatever large population that race runs they all view me as the same.¡±

    ¡°I always thought avians were revered?¡±

    ¡°We are by the ones who want to use us. We are some of the best fighters in the world, swift, fast, strong, and dangerous. But when the uses are up, we are tossed to the side. This is not something that can simply be overlooked. This team is different. You all are different. Piper and you look at me as a member of the team. Levi looks at me like a brother who has struggled along side me his whole life. I will not throw that way for a beautiful face.¡±

    Anna wanted to comment on the fact that Tycen said beautiful this time, but she held her tongue. ¡°You are correct, Tycen. I have no idea what that is like. I would offer an apology but I understand those to be hollow words. I will offer you this, I am here for you. I am ready to fight with you, beside you, and even strapped to your back like a bag,¡± she giggled. She felt Tycen¡¯s chest rumble with a low chuckle. ¡°If you want to pursue this woman even if its an extra day and we have to deal with political nonsense, then that is what we will do. If you want to punch every single person who looks at you funny, then that is what we will do. You are not just a teammate, Tycen, you are a dear friend. I hope you know that.¡±

    Tycen was quiet for a moment, considering her words. He did appreciate the sentiment, it was kind and genuine, he could tell that. ¡°Thank you, Anna. Genuinely, I appreciate the words. I do not believe staying in the city for one person would be wise. Punching people in the face is a definite option,¡± he said with a smirk. He nodded his head and hummed, ¡°Yeah that sounds like a great plan.¡± The two of them shared a good laugh as they approached the island.

    Serenity was a much faster flyer than Tycen, so they went straight for the inn. Upon entering the room, Piper and Levi had grabbed and prepared food for the team. Food was ready on the table, and tea was being brewed. All the familiars were sitting in various places throughout the suite. Tycen walked into the room, and he paused to look at all the beings in the room. This was his family too, he had to remember that they had his back like he had theirs. He smiled, walked over to the table, and dove into the food.

    As they were eating their food, Anna said, ¡°I think we should stay a couple of other days.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Levi said, with a mouth full of food.

    ¡°You disgust me,¡± Anna said with a grimace. ¡°You were learning about my city, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he said after swallowing his food.

    ¡°Think about the fountain,¡± Anna said. ¡°The history that old lady told us about. What if there is more history in this city? Afterall, it is one of the oldest nations and I am pretty sure it was around during the time of the Arbor/Onyx war.¡±

    ¡°She does make a fair point,¡± Piper said. ¡°They could even have information on summoners or the Veluvius guy.¡±

    ¡°I see your point,¡± Levi said. He nodded. ¡°Yeah, okay. That does mean, that we will likely have to deal with whoever was following us. Tycen?¡± Levi asked, looking at the avian. ¡°You get the most heat, if you don¡¯t want to be there, we¡¯re further.¡±

    ¡°They need to see that there are more races than humans in the world that they can interact with. Besides, if the world ends because the information was in the Capital City, that¡¯d be a dick move.¡±

    Levi chuckled, ¡°fair enough, bro.¡± He paused and looked at Tycen. The avian man looked back. They shared a look. A look that spoke volumes for Tycen. At that moment, he knew that Levi was looking out for his best intentions; he was serious. He would not go to the city if Tycen weren¡¯t comfortable. For Tycen, that was all he needed to know: his team had his back, and they would do a lot to make him feel okay.

    ¡°Very good,¡± Anna said. ¡°We¡¯re going to run into one or several of the houses of the nation, I have a plan¡­¡±

 Chapter 62 - Did You Break Her?

    Levi woke up first. He looked at Anza, who put her head up the second he looked at her. He smiled and nodded for her to follow. It was a pointless gesture, as she was going to follow regardless. The rest of the familiars kept sleeping, noticing their departure. They would move if they needed to, but Anza and her drones were plenty. At the current level, Levi could summon 100 additional drones.

    Drones could be made again if they were destroyed. The cooldown varies depending on the amount of mana Levi puts in. It took him some time to figure this out, but he eventually learned it. Drones would be passively recreated inside his soul, then automatically fuse with his being, bolstering his vitality every 5 minutes. This meant that if he somehow lost all 100, it would take 500 minutes for him to fully restore the drones. That was passively, however. If Levi wanted to use some mana, it could decrease the time by a few minutes. It was mana intensive process to summon that many with mana.

    With his mana pool being completely full, he could not summon all 100 without needing at least one mana potion, maybe two. It was not ideal if he lost them all. If Anza happened to be destroyed in battle, he would have to use all of his mana and redo a ritual to resummon her. She could not be passively resummoned. However, because she is linked to his soul, she would not be lost upon death. Levi sat on the hill that overlooked the village with Anza curled up next to him.

    <i>¡°How are you doing Anza?¡±</i> Levi asked. He knew it had been a long time since the two of them chatted. They communicated telepathically, making the conversation private.

    ¡°<i>I am doing alright. I can sense your nerves, they are effecting me. We have a difficult road ahead partner</i>,¡± Anza said.

    <i> ¡°Yeah, I am that nervous too," </i>Levi replied.

    <i>¡°I believe we will be fine, Levi. You work hard and have proven time and time again that you can do things, even when you think you cannot.¡±</i>

    Levi chuckled, <i>¡°I guess I could look to improve my self-confidence, but you¡¯re right I think we¡¯ll be fine too, five years is a long time. By then we should be well into the beginning stages of 4-star. Any idea how many drones we get at 4-stars?¡± </i>

    <i>¡°By 4-star we should be able to create around 10,000 drones,¡± </i>Anza replied.

    ¡°<i>Holy Hell¡­ 10,000¡­ damn that¡¯s alot. Yes I know you¡¯re a world ending organism what is it at 5-star? Endless?¡±</i>

    Anza looked her sharp alien eyes into Levi¡¯s; "<i>not endless, but pretty close. I believe you will be able to create another alpha, at least one. Every alpha will be able to control whatever the amount of drones you can create. I am not sure, but I believe that you will be able to create another alpha at 4-star, giving you 20,000 drones to control. After that, you should be able to create several alphas, growing your control exponentially. </i>

    Levi whistled and nodded, <i>¡°duly noted.¡±</i> he chuckled. Levi was delighted that he got Anza as his first familiar. She was pretty awesome but very reliable. Levi hadn¡¯t ever considered if he would be here without her because the answer was a resounding no. Despite her being a beast in combat, the passive vitality boost is insane. Each drone provides three bonus vitality¡­ three! That meant that, currently, with all of them in there, his vitality was nearly 600. That meant Levi¡¯s stats were close to a sorcerer who recently advanced to 3-star.

    <i>¡°I have to imagine the vitality boost gets capped at somepoint,¡± </i>Levi said. <i>¡°30,000 extra vitality bonus seems stupidly unfair.¡± </i>

    <i>¡°It does get capped,¡±</i> Anza said. <i>"It has something to do with your soul. I am unsure. Perhaps we can ask Vapor or Serenity; they might know.¡±</i><i>¡°Yeah, I thought so, even so, it does make me want not to train vitality so much. That is a good idea, I should ask them.¡±</i> She gave Levi a flat look. <i>¡°I¡¯m kidding, I¡¯ll stay on it, I swear.¡±</i> He chuckled. A lot of his familiars had gotten really sassy with him lately, and Levi loved every second of it. To him, it made him feel like he was being treated with love and respect. As if they were finally comfortable enough with him, they could call him out on his BS.

    <i>¡°Thanks for spending this time with me, Anza,¡±</i> Levi said. <i>¡°It was good to catch up, ya know?¡±</i> She nudged her head under his arm. He chuckled, the two of them sat on the hill for an hour longer in a comfortable silence.

    Piper walked out of her room after waking up. She saw Vapor and Serenity sitting together, conversing. She walked over to the two of them and said, " Good morning. Is Levi still asleep?¡±

    ¡°Levi left with Anza earlier this morning,¡± Serenity said.

    ¡°We all were asleep but I can feel their connection, they will be returning soon,¡± Vapor replied.

    ¡°Do you need sleep?¡± Piper asked Vapor.

    ¡°No. But I simply enter a sleep-like state in order to feel a connection with my summoner,¡± Vapor responded.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Piper said. Shortly after, the door clicked, and Levi walked in with Anza in tow. Piper smiled at Levi as she saw his face. Levi and Anza were carrying breakfast food for everyone. ¡°Good morning, Levi,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Good morning, love,¡± Levi responded. He walked over and kissed her cheek. ¡°Sleep alright?¡±

    ¡°I sleep better with you,¡± she pouted. ¡°I miss your cuddles.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you do; who wouldn¡¯t miss cuddling with all this,¡± he flexed his muscles. It was true Levi had put some muscle on since arriving in this new world. He went from being skin and bones to somewhat muscular and skinny. Piper tossed her head back in laughter. It was a sweet song to Levi¡¯s ears. He loved her smile. Whenever Piper laughed, her eyes would look like they were closed shut and arched into their own smile. It was the cutest thing.

    Levi couldn¡¯t help but stare at Piper¡¯s gray eyes. She smiled back. Her hair was up in a ponytail, and her constant French braids kept her dark brown hair nice and tidy. Levi walked over and put his arms around her waist, pulling her in for a gentle yet firm hug. He kissed her neck and held her longer. They stayed in this embrace for several heartbeats until they heard someone clear their throat.

    ¡°We get it you two are cute,¡± Tycen said, floating out of the room. Anna followed in short order. ¡°I don¡¯t know about the rest of y¡¯all, but I would rather fly than take the ferry back to the city.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Piper said. ¡°So much quicker.¡±

    ¡°I see no issue doing that,¡± Anna replied with a nod.

    ¡°Works for me,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯m flying on a dragon, its a childhood dream.¡± Dameion woke up after all the commotion and made his way over to the group. He curled around Levi¡¯s upper body like a snake would. Levi patted the void avatar¡¯s head, which felt like petting sand that made one''s hand slightly tingle.

    The team took their time eating breakfast and talking to each other. They had grown close over the last few months precisely because of this routine. Every meal, they discussed each other¡¯s lives growing up before magic, guilds, or team formation. None of them really knew how it began, but it was something that they didn¡¯t want to leave without. It helped them all become more than teammates; they were friends, best friends, and the chemistry showed whenever they were out in the world.

    They arrived in the Captial City around the same area that they left the night prior. Unlike yesterday, when they were trying to be inconspicuous, Levi let Anza roam with them. She wasn¡¯t in her towering alpha form but the normal-sized drone form, much to her chagrin. Levi had insisted that she wouldn¡¯t scare the good people of the city. She obliged with some level of unhappiness.

    They hadn¡¯t left the central city district on their first day, but they decided to branch out today. They followed different pathways, exploring the large city. They approached a district that had what looked like a laboratory or a library. The shops around this area were coffee and tea shops, with some bookstores. Bookstores in this world were interesting. Levi discovered that each store sold a specific thing, from standard fiction or non-fiction work to spell books and tomes.

    Levi was, in general, surprised that there were normal books for entertainment, but it also made sense. What else was there to do for entertainment? There were no movies, television, or sports, at least to his knowledge. Anyways, they didn¡¯t really need any books, especially after the Brawler¡¯s Dungeon, but it was a quaint little district. Lush vines were growing over all the buildings, providing a more humid environment. It was extremely peaceful, and many people were reading books in the various shops.

    The library was their target. Perhaps they could find information on Arvendon or Veluvius there. As soon as they walked in, a familiar aura worked at the counter. All eyes turned to Tycen as the woman turned around. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Tycen,¡± Izzy said. ¡°How great that you are here? Oh, hi everyone.¡± She quickly corrected. Her eyes then quickly focused on Anza. ¡°Wait¡­ is that?¡± Levi frowned in anticipation of the impending outburst. ¡°I actually have no idea what that is¡­¡±

    ¡°Hi, Izzy,¡± Tycen said, breaking her from her thoughts. "It is good to see you again. Do you work here?¡±

    Izzy smiled brightly at Tycen, ¡°My family owns the library and the laboratory. Technically, we own the whole district. Sorry, that sounded very braggy.¡±

    Tycen chuckled, ¡°no need to apologize. This is Anza, she¡¯s one of Levi¡¯s familiars.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s beautiful,¡± Izzy breathed out.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Levi said. ¡°You aren¡¯t freaked out?¡±

    ¡°Freaked out? Levi do you know about my family?¡±

    ¡°I think, Izzy, it is safe to say, I absolutely do not,¡± Levi said with a hint of sarcasm. Izzy gave him a flat look, but the corner of her mouth deceived her serious facial expression.

    ¡°We are researchers; that is our whole thing. We love inventing, researching, learning, anything of that nature.¡± Izzy¡¯s excitement grew as she talked about her family. You have a creature that I don¡¯t believe has been cataloged, and you asked if I am freaked out?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Levi said. ¡°She has been cataloged, you just have never seen or heard of it.¡±

    ¡°She is a world-ending organism,¡± Anna said. Anza looked at Anna, and Anna turned and winked.

    ¡°That¡¯s not true, Anna,¡± Levi said. ¡°She¡¯s a world-conquering or consuming entity not ending. Conquering.¡±

    Izzy¡¯s body was completely still as the two of them had a debate over semantics.

    ¡°Did we break her?¡± Levi asked. ¡°Sorry Tycen, she¡¯s broken.¡±

    ¡°Better not tell her about your other familiars,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°Bummer they are all very excited to meet her. Also, good thing she is broken because I definitely just goofed on your name Silvy,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Yes, yes you did.¡±

    ¡°Are you evil?¡± Izzy asked, finally returning to the present.

    ¡°No but I get that question a lot,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°That is something someone who is evil would say,¡± she countered.

    Levi chuckled, ¡°you¡¯re not wrong there. Not evil though. Here.¡± Levi pulled out the book he used to summon Anza and handed it to Izzy.

    ¡°Summoning 101,¡± Izzy read the title out loud.

    ¡°Chapter 17,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°You¡¯re a summoner?¡± Izzy asked, realizing what she just read.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi replied.

    ¡°What guild did you attend?¡±

    ¡°The Onyx kingdom.¡±

    ¡°They actually have a summoner¡¯s guild there?¡± Izzy said, sounding hopeful.

    ¡°They do, that¡¯s why I went there. What¡¯s your class?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have one,¡± Izzy replied. ¡°I wanted to be a ritualist, so attending a summoner¡¯s guild would be the best bet for me to learn that, but we don¡¯t have one here.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re a 2-star with no class?¡± Levi asked. ¡°How is that possible?¡±

    ¡°I am. I got training in the basics of all the attributes. My family is one of the founding houses, after all, which gives me certain advantages. This does change a lot. I should go attend the summoner¡¯s guild in the Onyx kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Why ritualist?¡± Tycen asked. ¡°Why not be a sorcerer who learns ritual magic?¡±

    ¡°They are not the same,¡± Anna said. ¡°In fact the fields are very different. She was correct to want to be a summoner, as you cannot summon without rituals.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Izzy said. ¡°As I said before, I love research, learning, and inventing. Ritual magic could help defenses, preservation, secrecy, and so much more. Imagine a rural town that has decent ritual formations that protect them from random monsters that would spawn and usually harm them.¡±

    ¡°That is a noble stance,¡± Tycen responded. ¡°Does this massive city not have any summoners?¡±

    ¡°No, none, the last summoner disappeared many years ago. A summoner by the name of M. Veluvius,¡± Izzy said. ¡°He had a student, his last student came from the former Arbor kingdom and studied here.¡±

    ¡°Veluvius was from here?¡± Levi said in disbelief. Izzy nodded.

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± she looked around. ¡°In fact, come with me.¡± She led the team up to the fourth floor of the universe¡¯s largest library. On the fourth floor, they went down several rows of books until they reached a section that had dust piled; clearly, no one had been in this section for a long time.

    ¡°We found this letter at his house,¡± Izzy said. ¡°We were able to place some stabilizing runes on it; it kept trying to teleport away whenever it was opened. So it¡¯s been in this glass case for a long, long time.¡±

    ¡°Should you be showing us this?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s public information,¡± Izzy said. ¡°This is the library after all. I do have to get going; I have a meeting soon. You¡¯re more than welcome to view anything in here.¡± Before she turned to leave, she stopped at Tycen, placing a hand on his shoulder. ¡°It was good to see you, Tycen. I hope we can meet again.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we can grab dinner,¡± Tycen said. "We will be in town for a few more days before beginning our journey.¡± Izzy paused and pushed her hair behind her ears; a slight blush grew on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m free tonight,¡± Izzy said. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to my favorite spot in town. Where should I meet you?¡±

    ¡°I will meet you here then,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°I am looking forward to it,¡± Izzy said. She gave a lingering smile, then waved goodbye, rushing down the hall.

    ¡°There¡¯s the confident Tycen I know,¡± Levi said. ¡°Attaboy.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to open the letter?¡± Tycen said, ignoring the joy that Levi was showing.

    ¡°Sure sure, Dear Izzy, you¡¯re beautiful, and you- ouch,¡± Piper punched Levi on the arm. ¡°Yeah, I deserved that.¡± Tycen gave Piper a high-five. It was so loud that some of the dust on the books was shaken off. Levi shook his head at that absurd thought. He walked up to the case, and the envelope reacted to his presence. It disappeared and then reappeared in Levi¡¯s hands. He opened the letter. ¡°Letter number one, finally!¡± Levi said. He read the letter out loud to everyone.

    ¡°Well,¡± Anna said. ¡°6-stars¡­ that is a big revelation. Do you think he was right?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Levi said. ¡°He seemed pretty confident in it. It also was the first letter, I wonder if this was what caused him to start writing these letters?¡±

    ¡°One thing that I¡¯m not clear on,¡± Piper said. ¡°The timing between the letters.¡±

    ¡°How many do you have?¡± Tycen asked.

    ¡°This is my fifth of ten. I have sixth, third, ninth, ten, and now first,¡± Levi said. ¡°I have no diea what the distance is between this letter and the last letter. Somewhere in between his apprentice turned evil or was always evil and turned on him. The strangest part of all of this is his death. When I was in Arvendon after I was taken, I speaked to some creepy kid ghosts. They told me that Veluvius was dead.¡±

    ¡°Do you think they lied?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they did, but I don¡¯t think he is dead,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°But didn¡¯t the last letter said he had to sacrifice himself to perform the ritual?¡± Piper said.

    ¡°It did,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯ve done summoning rituals before, not once have I ever had to be in a ritual circle. Nor has any book or lessons I learned ever say anything about using yourself as an ingredient in a ritual.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying happened then?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°My best guess and this is a massive guess,¡± Levi sighed. ¡°It was some ritual to reach the sixth star. Some evolution or something. I don¡¯t know but he talked about needing more than attributes, using yourself as an ingredient would constitute that as more than attributes.¡±

    ¡°That is a rather large speculation,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I agree,¡± Levi said. ¡°I have no idea, my brain is firing a million miles an hour thinking of so many scenarios. But coming back to Piper¡¯s question, my guess would be at least 100 years.¡±

    ¡°Well when was the war between the Arbors and the Onyx?¡±

    ¡°About 75 years ago,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That is not that long ago,¡± Levi frowned.

    ¡°It is not,¡± Anna said. "It was a short war, and the Arbors gave up relatively quickly. They were not good rulers, and they let things fall into chaos and disarray. The people didn¡¯t fight, and the guards didn¡¯t protect them. The Arbors gave up quickly.¡±

    ¡°So what happened to all of them?¡±

    ¡°They fled and lived their days out as peasants, at least that is the story I was told.¡±

    ¡°I see, maybe not,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Probably not,¡± Anna said. ¡°I was a child during these stories, I am sure my father would tell me differently now as an adult.¡±

    Levi nodded, ¡°Anything back here about Veluvius? I feel like this isn¡¯t all the things we can find on him. Let¡¯s search this section and see if we can find anything.¡±

    ¡°Hello, Levi Winters,¡± a familiar chorus of creepiness spoke from the corner of the dark room.

 Chapter 63 - Judgmental

    Levi hated horror movies. He wasn¡¯t a fan of gore, but he could tolerate it. Levi wasn¡¯t a fan of psychological thrillers, but he could tolerate them. He wasn¡¯t a fan of dystopian/apocalyptic nightmares, but he could tolerate them. What Levi could not tolerate was ghosts, or spirits, or creepy. Vapor looked spooky, but he had gotten over that fear rather quickly. What he hadn¡¯t gotten over was the creepy children who spoke in a chorus. He hated it and nothing about them was something that he never wanted to experience again. That was why when he heard the creepy chorus, he cursed.

    In the dark corner, because of course it had to be dark, stood¡­ floated¡­ existed, the ghosts from before. Kind of. They were not the same exact ghosts but more ghosts that were children.

    ¡°You guys again?¡± Levi said. He looked to see if his team could see them; thankfully, they could.

    ¡°You almost seem disappointed,¡± they said as one. ¡°Why are you disappointed?¡±

    ¡°Cause it¡¯s creepy, why do you have to be in the dark corner?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s creepy,¡± they replied.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°We wanted to tell you more since you happened upon the Capital City, a city we had not expected you to show up to anytime soon.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t get much choice from the dungeon crafter,¡± Levi replied.

    ¡°Sure, you could have chosen a different outpost in the Cloud Plaine Kingdom. Either way, let us not waste time. The history of this city and the Arbors¡¯ downfall are not mutually exclusive. A large nation such as Qu¡¯ant cannot simply ignore a war that could change political and financial ties. The rest of the world saw now suspicious activity, but there was. Perhaps the most suspicious of them all was the betrayal of the Arbor family.¡±

    ¡°Whoa,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°The youngest,¡± the ghost continued. ¡°Axel Arbor left the city a few years before the war. A few years before any tension had risen. He had come to the Capital City to learn about summoning from Veluvius, specifically. It appeared that the young prince was aware of his affinity to order magic, he wanted to summon more creatures with the order affinity. There was a problem.¡±

    ¡°Summons aren¡¯t permanent,¡± Levi said, piecing together the information.

    ¡°Just so, summons are not permanent.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t familiars permanent summons?¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Technically no,¡± Levi responded. ¡°A familiar summon is not a summon. It¡¯s technically considered a bond. It¡¯s an active choice by both parties to create a bond through a familiar ritual. A summon is a temporary joining of a world, summons are supposed to return after the task is completed or a certain amount of time, depending on the provided information.¡±

    ¡°Just so,¡± the ghost said.

    ¡°So he wanted to create a work around familiars?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°That was exactly what he wanted,¡± the ghosts replied. ¡°Axel was obsessed with being able to get a summon to join on and stay forever despite no bond being established a partnership.¡±

    ¡°Okay, what does this have to do with betrayal?¡± Levi asked. ¡°He wanted a partnership but was unable to summon one. So what?¡±

    ¡°So he sought other beings that didn¡¯t need a summon but could still be partners.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Levi said, realization dawning on him. ¡°Switching topics but this is kind of on topic, what do you know about order magic?¡±

    ¡°It is a form of magic that is just as complex as chaos. It is focused and intense. Order magic cares little about what it is trying to balance as long as it is balanced. The most important factor about order magic is who uses it the most.¡±

    ¡°Very powerful magic users,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°While magic user is not an incorrect term, it is insufficient to explain the power. The beings of order magic are not simply elementals. Take your familiars for example. What is unique about each of your familiars?¡±

    ¡°They are all attuned to chaos in some way, shape, or form.¡±

    ¡°What else?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­ oh.¡± Levi paused as he understood what the creepy children were trying to get him to understand.

    ¡°Mind sharing with the rest of the class?¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Each of my familiars are very specific and unique beings, not just a species but being. There are very few aura dragons, avatars of the void, wisps, and mimics. Vapor might be the most basic of them all, but she is far from it. She has a complex history that supersedes her race,¡± Levi paused to see their reaction, but they still weren¡¯t getting it. ¡°Let¡¯s say I would have used a different set of ingredients centered around another affinity, a less complex one, like fire. There would be a good chance that I would get a fire elemental or a fire-specific being, which is not too uncommon.

    The only uniqueness would be their personalities. In general, though, elementals come in all shapes and sizes. Each of my familiars does not come in all shapes and sizes. They come precisely how they are. If someone else were to have summoned Crystal and Willow, they would have gotten them exactly.¡±

    ¡°But why did you?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Chaos,¡± the ghosts answered.

    ¡°Each of them have an affinity for chaos, which meant a larger pool would be much smaller because of my affinity,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Okay, what does this have to do with order magic?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Because, that means any summons Axel or whatever makes will be strong and unique. All because of the nature of order magic. It is only used by those who are well beyond normal scope. This means any summons with an affinity to order magic could be a crazy, crazy scary monster.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± the ghost praised.

    Levi sighed, ¡°do the two cancel each other out when they clash?¡±

    ¡°In a way. If chaos is too chaotic, then it will beat order. If order is too orderly, then it will beat chaos. Not many have created perfect harmony with either of the elements, but you have with chaos; this will make order magic extraordinarily difficult to beat you.¡±

    ¡°In summary,¡± Levi said. ¡°Axel somehow betrayed his family and became obsessed with Order Magic summons, which I have some thoughts on. Then he learned the history of Order Magic and learned that the summoned beings are immensely powerful. This leaves me with two questions that I know you will not answer,¡± Levi said to the ghosts. ¡°First question; was he ever trying to form a familiar bond or trying to find the right ritual for a specific summon. Second question; did he use an order summon to dethrone his parents?¡±

    ¡°We have shared more than enough information,¡± the ghosts said as their light started to flicker. "When you return to Arvendon, come see us in the same place. We will have a gift prepared for you there once again. Goodbye, Levi Winters, until next time.¡± With a swirl and a cold breeze, the ghosts were gone.

    ¡°Well,¡± Tycen said. ¡°That was a lot¡­ Good luck. I have a date to prepare for it. Let me know what you find.¡±

    Levi scoffed, ¡°If we find anything. Have fun on your date, Tycen, seriously. Don¡¯t worry about us, and we¡¯ll figure things out and fill you in.¡± Tycen gave a small smile. He nodded and then left the area they were standing in.

    ***

    Izzy Avington was working at her family¡¯s library like every other day. The Avingtons, much like the other big four houses, were far and widespread. The ones who owned the library in which she worked were distant cousins. Regardless, it was still her family. Izzy wanted to earn her money so that she could attend a proper guild. She was still undecided, which was highly unusual. Izzy was late with everything, she wasn¡¯t born with inherent magic so she had to have a magic ritual done with an essence.

    This set her back a couple of years as her parents wanted to wait and see. Well, waiting and seeing had her gotten her a big pile of wasted time. It was two years after the usual beginning time for magic users. Which, of course, was a big delay. She was 20 when she had the ritual done. At twenty-two, Izzy was still deciding what route to take. Well, that technically wasn¡¯t true. Izzy knew precisely what she wanted, and the issue was the state of the world.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Izzy wanted to do nothing but be a ritualist. Someone who could create magic formations as either traps, monsters, large complex spells, or anything of that nature. That was something that had fascinated the young lady. However, summoners were few and far between. Summoners were the best at ritual magic due to the magic (rituals) needed to summon creatures. She was reading a book about ritual magic when she noticed a few people that she had not been able to keep her mind from wandering back to.

    There in the doorway to her library, standing tall and mighty, was Tycen. The straight-up handsome avian was with his team. She looked at his arms, observing the tribal tattoos on his arm. She wondered what they meant or what tribe she should ask him about it. However, now wasn¡¯t the time to do so.

    Izzy recalled the conversation she had with her sisters after her encounter with Tycen.

    ¡°An avian?¡± Jenna, the eldest sister, asked. ¡°Is he sexy?¡±

    ¡°Jenna, gross,¡± Bekka, the youngest sister, replied.

    ¡°Oh grow up Bekka you¡¯re almost 20 yourself,¡± Jenna said, rolling her eyes.

    ¡°He is very attractive,¡± Izzy responded. ¡°He also seemed like a smart man.¡±

    ¡°How does one seem smart?¡± Bekka asked.

    ¡°The way he carried himself, how he was dressed, and how his team interacted with him. It¡¯s not an exact science but I just had a feeling that he was smart.¡±

    ¡°How do you plan on proving your theory correct?¡± Bekka asked.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t in the lab anymore. Can we stop talking like that?¡± Jenna said. ¡°Proving theory, exact science, girl, it''s not that hard. Do you think he¡¯s cute? Yes or no?¡±

    ¡°Yes I do,¡± Izzy said. ¡°Very much so.¡±

    ¡°Then why not gather the courage and ask him out on a date.¡±

    ¡°You know why,¡± Izzy said. ¡°You¡¯re just now getting back on his good side after dating that elf.¡±

    ¡°Oh I know,¡± Jenna said. ¡°You date one being that¡¯s not a human and suddenly you¡¯re a a disgrace to the entire family. Our family is huge, how is that even possible?¡± She took an exaggerated deep breath. ¡°Anyway who cares?¡±

    ¡°I care,¡± Izzy said. "I love Dad, but I do not want him to go after me or Tycen if we end up going on a date. I don¡¯t want to have to choose between one or the other.¡±

    ¡°Are they all Avians?¡± Bekka asked.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Izzy said. ¡°Three humans and Tycen, he¡¯s the odd one out at least in terms of race.¡±

    ¡°Just join their team,¡± Bekka suggested.

    ¡°What?¡± Izzy asked.

    ¡°Do you know what guild all of them are?¡±

    ¡°No, actually, I didn¡¯t. If I ever seem them again, I¡¯ll be sure to pay more attention. But we both know there is no way that is going to happen.¡±

    ¡°Not with that attitude,¡± Jenna said. Bekka pointed empathically at Jenna in agreement.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see him again,¡± Bekka said. ¡°I have a hard time believing that fate is that cruel it would only introduce you once.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Jenna said. ¡°She¡¯ll probably see her today.¡±

    ¡°Ooo let¡¯s make a bet,¡± Bekka responded.

    ¡°Deal,¡± Jenna said, thoughtfully looking down at the floor. If you see him today, then I will do my chores for a week. If you don¡¯t see him, then I will do your chores for a week.¡±

    ¡°I hope you like doing assessments, because after I win you¡¯re only chair will be to do my research assistant notes,¡± Bekah said.

    Jenna laughed, and her other two sisters joined in shortly afterward. The Avington sisters were daughters of the head of the Avington Capital City branch, Lloris Avington. Each of them had a specific job tailored to their dreams, goals, and skills. Bekka, the youngest, was attending the sorcerer¡¯s guild along with being a research assistant at the guild she attended. Her skills were to be a healer, in research this was important as it was helpful for cleaning up any failed experiments. She loved cleaning and knew that magic could help her clean better along with providing a healthy working environment.

    Jenna was also a sorcerer, although she was focused on inventions. Jenna worked in the laboratory that their mother ran and operated. Jenna focused on creating runes to do specific tasks to help the day-to-day non-magic user have a better quality of life. The current project that she was engaged in was a new form of transportation. Currently, they only use animal-drawn carriages or normal coal ferries. Which is not efficient for the day to day travel; it is also much slower. She and her research team had been at it for several months, and they could not seem to find a material that could act as a good fuel source. It had caused her many sleepless nights.

    That left Izzy, of course. Izzy was a fighter, but through the complexity of magic, not just simple attacking spells but bigger spells that require a complex ritual with a lot of materials. She loved how something could be so simple and then it could also be so complicated, it brought her joy to figure out the pattern of ritual magic. At least, she hoped it would, but of course, she had to find a teacher. Izzy returned to the present when the dark-skinned human walked up to her.

    Izzy was thinking back on all the events that led her to where she was right now¡ªin her room with her sisters, preparing for a date.

    ¡°How did you even get to the date? You still haven''t told us that yet,¡± Jenna asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you,¡± she said. ¡°The creature was something of nightmares. I froze for a second, it was the most terrifying yet beautiful creature I had ever seen.¡±

    ¡°What was it?¡± Bekka asked, interested as ever.

    ¡°It was called a mimic,¡± Izzy said. Bekka and Jenna both frowned.

    ¡°I have never heard of it,¡± Bekka said. ¡°Is it strong?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Izzy said. ¡°It did have a strong presence. I think the stupidly beautiful girl called it a World-Conquering Organism or something like that. That girl also looked very familiar, but I honestly couldn¡¯t place the face.¡±

    ¡°According to this book,¡± Bekka said. She had gone to the bookshelf in their room to find more information. She had pulled a book that discussed apocalypse monsters. ¡°There are three different stages of mimics. The first is a drone. These are the soldiers of a mimic army. They are smaller and have an orange glow. The second is called an Alpha. These are the officers of the mimic drones, they are larger and have a blue glow. The alphas are said to have a power called chronokenisis¡­ some kind of temporal magic. If a drone in its command is killed it can learn about how that drone was killed. The final stage is the omega. Omegas are the birthing center of alphas and drones. It¡¯s form of chronokenisis is that it can restart a day if an alpha is killed. They are beings of chaos.¡±

    ¡°Huh,¡± Izzy said. ¡°A being of chaos. No wonder it looked scary.¡±

    ¡°Wait so which kind did the guy have?¡± Jenna asked. The three of them were all genuinely curious and not at all afraid.

    ¡°An alpha, it had a blue glow,¡± Izzy said. She furrowed her eyebrows and tapped her chin. After some time, she put her hair up in a ponytail with the same expression. Her sisters did the same thing. For those who had interacted with the Avingtons sisters, they would recognize this was their deep-thinking posture. It was when there was a problem they weren¡¯t sure how to solve; they would assume this posture and figure out how to solve it.

    As they were all thinking in silence, a knock sounded on their door. In walked a tall, athletic woman with long dark brown hair, tan skin, and blue eyes¡ªthe spitting image of the three girls in the room.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°Are we trying to solve a problem?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Bekka said. ¡°It appears that the guy Izzy is going on a date with, his teammate has a world-conquering organism that has a heavy chaos affinity.¡± The woman stared at the comment and raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Oh?¡± she asked Izzy.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have said all of that information at once like that,¡± Izzy said. ¡°But what she said was true.¡±

    ¡°Of course it was accurate, I don¡¯t lie,¡± Bekka said.

    ¡°A date¡­¡± the woman said.

    ¡°Yes mom a date,¡± Izzy replied.

    ¡°Why so hostile Iz? Have I ever been judgmental of your previous suitors?¡± her mom asked. Jenna and Izzy both scoffed.

    ¡°Yes you are very judgmental with anyone who wants to court us, mother,¡± Bekka said.

    ¡°Very?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Very,¡± Jenna said.

    She chuckled, ¡°Perhaps but I believe no man or woman is good enough for my precious daughters. You all are exceptional.¡± She walked over and started brushing Izzy¡¯s hair. ¡°You¡¯re all intelligent, driven, and of course beautiful. Only the best should have the opportunity to be with you three. What else could you expect from mothers?¡±

    ¡°Letting us see for ourselves,¡± Jenna said.

    ¡°Oh Jenna please,¡± their mother responded. ¡°Your version of seeing for yourself is seeing taken or married men. Hardly appropriate.¡±

    ¡°They all told me they weren¡¯t, I just have bad luck.¡±

    ¡°Or bad taste,¡± Bekka said. She dodged a brush that was thrown her way. Their mother, Teresa Avington, laughed at the exchange. She adored her daughters and wanted nothing but the best for them. She was intentionally judgmental for the reasons stated. Teresa wanted the world to know that if they wanted to date her daughters, they had to come correct and act with respect. She looked at her middle daughter, Izzy, and smiled. She kissed the top of her head.

    ¡°This man is lucky to be going on a date with you. I didn¡¯t even know you were talking to someone.¡±

    ¡°I met him yesterday with grandma. He and his team showed up to the library today, then he asked me out. I said yes.¡±

    ¡°What is his name?¡± Teresa asked.

    ¡°Tycen,¡± Izzy said. ¡°I didn¡¯t catch his last name.¡±

    ¡°The avian?¡± Teresa asked. Bekka laughed. Jenna¡¯s mouth fell agape.

    ¡°How in the world did you know that?¡± Izzy asked, shocked.

    ¡°A mother always knows,¡± Teresa said with pride. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. There have been many people talking about the new strange team that has come to the city. Especially Suni, remember her? She works at that restaurant that the Calders are obsessed over. Apparently she had a run in with your old flame and the team was kind to her. Suni told me and her mother that they had an avian, who was very attractive, along with two princesses and some random dark-skin guy.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s who she is!¡± Izzy said, her realization dawning. It¡¯s Princess Anna Onyx and her best friend, Piper Vendular.¡±

    ¡°Two Princesses of the Onyx kingdom¡­ in the Capital City. why?¡± Teresa asked. ¡°What business does the Onyx kingdom have with us?¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t here for the city, as far as I know they were just passing through,¡± Izzy explained.

    ¡°We shall see about that.¡±

 Chapter 64 - I Can Handle Spice

    Tycen walked out of the library and went to a coffee shop. He ordered some delicious tea and took a seat. He took a moment for himself. Slowly sipping on the tea and reflecting on the date that was about to happen. Tycen hadn¡¯t been on a proper date in a while. His last relationship ended many years ago. It wasn¡¯t even that serious by his standards. If Tycen were being honest with himself, he didn¡¯t even know what serious was. The idea of meeting and interacting with a new person was equally exciting and scary. Asking Izzy out was a total spur-of-the-moment action, something that was quite unlike his usual demeanor.

    That¡¯s why he wanted to be alone. Tycen wasn¡¯t sure if he had made the wrong decision or if he even had some regret. He didn¡¯t. Tycen felt like that was why he had become complacent with his past relationships. He overthought every step, every moment, every action. If he weren¡¯t 100% sure about it, he wouldn¡¯t move forward until he knew for sure. That was why he enjoyed being on the team. Piper and Levi were nothing like him. They took calculated risks, they were bold, and they were okay with not knowing, planning, and thinking every step.

    For a brief moment, Tycen thought he would be a good match for Anna. That notion was quickly squashed. Tycen and Anna were too similar. They both were deep thinkers, planners, and pragmatic. Neither of them would push the other to get out of their shell and get out of their comfort zone. They would be the same. Tycen wasn¡¯t sure about some things in life, but he was sure about this¡­ getting stagnant was not an option. He refused to be stuck. He refused to be that person who never left their city to explore the world. It was why he had backed off Anna rather quickly.

    This was not to say that Tycen didn¡¯t love Anna. He did, just not in a romantic way. Tycen was happy with how things were going with his current relationship, but he was starting to feel lonely romantically. That hole in his chest was growing ever so slightly. Perhaps that was why he brazenly asked the young Avington woman on a date. Or perhaps it was the fact that she saw him for him and not some freak. Perhaps it was both. Tycen wasn¡¯t sure , but he wanted to figure it out.

    As he took another sip of tea, someone spoke to him.

    ¡°I take it tea was not on the menu for our date,¡± Izzy said teasingly. Tycen chuckled and got out of his seat. Izzy was wearing a tight dress with a half cloak covering just her chest and shoulders. Her blue eyes popped in contrast to the beige cloak and green dress. Tycen¡¯s eyes lingered on her athletic body; she was fit. She was about as tall as Levi, which meant that Tycen was a whole head taller than her. They gave each other a slightly awkward hug.

    Tycen chuckled, ¡°No, but dinner is. Maybe a walk on the shore?¡±

    ¡°That sounds delightful,¡± Izzy said. ¡°Did you have a spot for dinner in mind or would you like some suggestions?¡±

    ¡°Please, take me somewhere,¡± Tycen said. ¡°It¡¯s your city.¡± Izzy paused, somewhat shocked at the response. ¡°Surprised?¡±

    ¡°A little bit, yeah,¡± Izzy said. ¡°I guess I am not used to guys allowing me to have a say in a date.¡±

    ¡°Those guys suck,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you have a say? You look nice by the way, very nice.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± she did a small cutesy move. ¡°Thank you, I am glad you like it. You look handsome as always.¡± She looped her arm in his, ¡°sorry if I am a little awkward. First dates are hard.¡±

    Tycen chuckled again, ¡°trust me you will not be the only awkward one. First dates are allowed to be awkward. I am excited to get to know you though.¡± Tycen could see her blush under the golden rays of the setting sun. She turned her head slightly to hide her blush.

    Izzy was nervous to go on the date, especially after her mother found out. Izzy loved her mom, but there was no way that she wanted to tell her about this date. Especially not since Bekka decided to blurt out that Tycen was an Avian. Izzy walked over to the meeting location with a frantic mind. It had been so long since she had been on a date, let alone a good one. All the guys she had dated were royals. She hated dating royals. They were all stuck up or talked about themselves, or their siblings, or a rival, or blah blah blah.

    They were all dim and stuck up. Izzy had yet to meet a royal that was intellectually stimulating. This wasn¡¯t to say that she only had royal suitors; no, that would be too simple. Izzy also had older men from her workplace hit on her. Men nearly double her age would flirt with her, cat-call her, or just in general talk about her in ways that were definitely not appropriate. Izzy, under normal circumstances, would have never said yes to anyone, just randomly asking her out on a date.

    However, something about Tycen, besides his look, was intriguing. So Izzy said yes. Whether it was her brain short-circuiting or newfound bravery, she wasn¡¯t sure. Regardless, she had already said yes; therefore, she was going to do her best to enjoy this date. At the very least, she got to dress pretty. She approached the district where they said they would meet, but Izzy couldn¡¯t see Tycen at first. She frowned, saddened that he stood her up.

    Izzy then looked over to her left and saw him sitting at a coffee shop. Her heart skipped a beat, and a smile crept onto her face. Butterflies went mad in her stomach. She shook her hands, took a deep breath, and made her way over to Tycen. She was so nervous, but she was doing everything she could to keep her cool.

    ¡°I take it tea was not on the menu for our date?¡± Izzy asked. She had a soft smile and felt proud of her joke. She watched him stand up. Her heart fluttered, looking at his purple eyes. They were so pretty. Tycen smiled and chuckled at her joke. He was wearing a style of clothing she had never seen before. It was a tight black tunic with some of his chest exposed and tight, long sleeves that showed off his impressive arms. He had looser, cream-colored pants that got tighter as they got closer to his ankles. He had an open brown coat over his tunic. She thought he looked absolutely handsome.

    Izzy caught his eyes staring at her body, and pride welled in her chest. She did not care for her looks that much, but it was always nice to have a compliment like that, especially from someone who looked like Tycen. She started to warm up with some light banter, and she could tell he was doing the same thing. After a couple of back-and-forths, she decided to test the waters. Would the date sink or swim?

    ¡°Did you have a spot in mind for dinner or would you like a suggestion?¡± Izzy asked. She was already prepared to let him take her to some expensive restaurant that charged more for the ambiance than good food, all because he wouldn¡¯t take a suggestion. She waited for that response, but it never came. The one that did stopped her in her tracks.

    ¡°Please, take me somewhere,¡± Tycen said. It¡¯s your city.¡± Her face must have shown total shock as he chuckled and commented, ¡°Surprised?¡± She gave him bonus points in her head and knew exactly where they should go. Before they moved on, Tycen complimented her. She was filled with so much excitement that she had to move. She did a weird movement with her body and smiled.

    Izzy had no idea what she was doing or what was going on, but she was here. He complimented her, and she loved every second of it. Izzy looped her arm in his, deciding she was going to try to get this man to like her, as she was already feeling some type of way. She led them through the bustling streets toward a section of the city Tycen had never been. They engaged in small talk the whole time; it was light, and the conversation flowed smoothly.

    Izzy led Tycen to a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant that had a few other patrons.

    ¡°Izzy,¡± a voice from the kitchen called. Out from the back walked an elven woman. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, and she had a huge smile plastered on her face. ¡°Welcome back, oh you brought a...¡± she paused, giving Izzy an approving look. ¡°Friend.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Date,¡± Izzy corrected. ¡°Can we have the table in the back, Francene?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Francene said. ¡°You know the way, I¡¯ll bring the menus in a second.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Tycen said. ¡°I¡¯m Tycen, nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Francene Deluve,¡± she replied. ¡°Pleasure is all mine.¡±

    ¡°Come on,¡± Izzy said, pulling Tycen into the back room.

    ¡°She seems nice,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°She¡¯s a big flirt,¡± Izzy said, shaking her head. ¡°But she makes the best-steamed fish dish in the city, without question.¡±

    ¡°I love steamed fish,¡± Tycen said. ¡°How long have you been coming here?¡±

    ¡°Since I was a little kid. My grandma, the one you met, used to come here with my family so often. Francene doesn¡¯t get a lot of decent people to visit her restaurant.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s an elf, that makes sense.¡±

    ¡°A beautiful elf at that,¡± Izzy pointed out.

    ¡°OH was she beautiful, I hadn¡¯t noticed,¡± Tycen said with a smirk. Izzy tried to give him a flat look, but she couldn¡¯t hold in her smile. Francene walked back with two pieces of paper. ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Whatever your best dish is, I¡¯ll take that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an elven spicy monkfish eel,¡± Francene said. ¡°Are you sure you can handle such spice?¡±

    ¡°I thought you elves like things sweet? I can handle spice,¡± Tycen said with a smirk.

    ¡°Very well, you lady Izzy?¡± Francene said.

    ¡°Same,¡± Izzy said confidently.

    ¡°You¡¯re both crazy, but suit yourself. Your bodies, not mine.¡± Francene walked out after about 10 minutes she walked back in with two massive plates that were steaming, red steam. Tycen had never seen red steam before but if that wasn¡¯t indication that he messed up, the next thing certainly was. The aroma from the dish was so spicy that his eyes started to water right away. Francene had a face full of pride as she sat the plate down and watched their reactions.

    ¡°I tried to tell you, spicy,¡± she said. Tycen nodded in appreciation. Francene smiled and chuckled as she left the food, fully expecting there to be a lot left over. Tycen and Izzy looked at the food in front of them. The dish itself looked delicious: perfectly cooked, flaky white meat eel dripping with butter and that spicy sauce. Tycen took a bite of the eel with just the butter. It melted in his mouth.

    A groan of satisfaction left his throat involuntarily. Across from him, Izzy did the same as she ate the fish. Tycen got bolder as he took a bite of the red sauce. Once he did, his taste buds erupted in a heat he had not experienced in a while. It was delicious, and the spice was not nearly as spicy as his grandma''s spicy sky snake stew. This was a distant second, but still second, that was not bad. The Triadic Kingdom was known for its spicy food. Francene had a long way to go to be close to the level of the kingdom, but she was definitely the hottest for an elf. They ate in silence, both entirely too focused on their meals.

    ***

    ¡°Do you think Tycen will have a good time with that Izzy girl?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine,¡± Levi said as he pulled a book off the shelf.

    ¡°I hope so,¡± Anna whispered.

    ¡°I do too,¡± Levi said. ¡°I totally forgot I got this book. The history of order magic.¡±

    ¡°Why does there need to be a history?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Because order and chaos are not natural to this world. Some being had to have brought it or introduced the concept to someone here at first,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Oh interesting,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Levi said. He started flipping through the pages of the book. The girls looked at him as he read and decided to search the library for anything else. Levi had a lot to learn, and hopefully, he would find some answers. As Levi opened page one, the strangest thing happened to him. His vision went black, and a solo textbox appeared.

    <i>Hello¡­</i>

    <i>Thank you for reading an account of Order Magic¡­ </i>

    <i>I am Tranquility, the goddess of Order Magic. I discovered this planet several thousand years ago as I was traveling through the universe. I found that the world had no Order, and a world without Order is doomed. I decided to stay and make my presence known to teach the world Order magic¡­.</i>

    <i>Order magic is as simple as this harmonization of the fabric of reality. In other words, Order magic is the stability that keeps things flowing. It is all-powerful, and it is something that is used for the greater good¡­</i>

    <i>Order magic is not easily learned, however¡­</i>

    <i>It takes someone with a complete and total commitment to the greater reality that they desire. True order requires a person¡¯s inner thoughts to be harmonized. Proper order requires a person¡¯s soul, mind, and body to work together as one. If a person has done such a thing, they will be deemed worthy to control Order magic. If they are not, they will not be able to control order¡­</i>

    <i>This was the main rule I established in this world for Order magic¡­.</i>

    <i>There are many forms of Order magic: Order Energy Manipulation, Stabilization Manipulation, Destiny Magic, Serenity Manipulation, and Magical Warping. The one that I specialize in and provide this orderless world is Order Energy Manipulation¡­</i>

    <i>Order Energy Manipulation is the ability to harness the power of the ambient Order of the world to create order spells, ritual ingredients, and summon ingredients. One must be at minimum 4-star to completely harness the ambient Order of any world. If one attempts to manipulate the order energy too early without their body being properly prepared, it will destroy them. The energy will be too much for the young, ill-prepared body to harness¡­.</i>

    <i>I offer this warning to all who are willing to pursue Order Energy Manipulation: Get stronger. Once you have reached the baseline of strength, head to the temple of Order. At the temple, my disciples will guide you on the path of enlightenment. Enlightenment is the process I mentioned earlier: harmonization of mind, soul, and body¡­.</i>

    <i>The back of this book contains instructions on how to get to the temple. Please follow them and approach them with pride. We shall work hard to bring order to this orderless world¡­</i>

    Just as Levi was about to close the book and have his vision return to normal, he felt a pulse of aura that was stronger than anything he had ever felt. His vision grew bright gold. In the midst of the golden light, he saw a figure. It was a woman with a flowing robe and golden hair. She turned impossibly blue eyes on Levi.

    ¡°You are not a being of Order magic,¡± the woman said. Her voice was strained and distant.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Levi replied. ¡°I thought gods and goddesses couldn¡¯t die?¡±

    ¡°Gods and goddesses are immortal but not free from death.¡±

    ¡°You were killed,¡± Levi said as he realized what had happened.

    ¡°Partially,¡± Tranquility said. ¡°My physical body was destroyed but my soul remains spread across many different realms. Once they are reunited then I can return.¡±

    ¡°I see, why did you stop me from leaving your book?¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I wanted to see the man who opposes my form of magic. I wanted to talk to the Chaotic Paragon. That is quite the title you have. Not one that is easily achieved, how did you achieve it?¡±

    Levi paused to consider her words: ¡°Pretty similar to the way you described enlightenment, honestly. Except the main difference is that I don¡¯t control chaos, like you control order. We work together; it''s a partnership.¡±

    ¡°A partnership¡­¡± Tranquility said, her voice uncertain. ¡°Why would you willingly make a deal with the devil?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see it that way, but I can understand why you would think that. I won¡¯t explain myself more¡­ I got the feeling that it¡¯s worthless to even try to do that.¡±

    ¡°It seems that chaos has already taken your mind; there is no hope for you,¡± Tranquility held out her finger. A golden beam shot from her finger and pierced Levi¡¯s mind. Well, it at least tried to. Something stopped the beam from reaching Levi¡¯s skull. A metal tentacle was wrapped around his skull. ¡°Oh my,¡± Tranquility said. She narrowed her eyes. The impossibly blue started to glow brightly as she stared deep into Levi¡¯s eyes. ¡°I have seen one of those before.¡± She tapped her chin. ¡°A yes, a mimic. That completely conquered one of the worlds I had tried to conquer myself. Chaotic Paragon, you are much stronger than I expected. A mistake I shall not make twice.¡±

    Her eyes glowed again as she continued to look at Levi. ¡°You also have familiars from the depths of chaos. That is fascinating. For now, I shall leave you be. I hope we meet again, Paragon, I do think we will have some interesting interactions. Take care of your familiars. They have formed a deep bond, no wonder you have gained such a prestigious title.¡± With that, the brightness grew much brighter, and Levi had to cover his eyes. After a few seconds, his world vision returned, albeit with spots everywhere. He blinked and rubbed his eyes.

    The book he had been older turned to golden ash. Levi could feel the faintness of the aura of Tranquility, almost as if she was laughing as the book turned to ash.

    ¡°I hate it when villains monologue and then get the last word,¡± Levi said. "That''s stupid as hell.¡±

    ¡°There you are!¡± Piper exclaimed. ¡°We¡¯ve been looking all over for you, where did you go?¡±

    Levi looked up with confusion. Where did he go? He had been here the whole time. ¡°I have been sitting here for the whole time.¡±

    ¡°No, Levi, you weren¡¯t,¡± Piper said. ¡°We found a section in the library that we believed would be interesting to you, so Anna sent me back to get you. I have been looking for you for about an hour. I thought you were taken.¡±

    ¡°What the hell,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Why are there ashes in your hand?¡± Piper asked.

    Levi stood up, ¡°Boy, do I have a wild story to tell you. But I¡¯ll wait to tell Anna as well. Lead the way, babe.¡± Piper nodded, grabbed Levi by the hand, and took him to where Anna was in the library.

 Chapter 65 - Achieve Tranquility

    Inside a throne room in a deep underground cavern, a teapot was whistling. It had been going on for several minutes as it was waiting for someone to remove the boiling water from the heat source. But that never happened. It whistled until there was no more water left in the kettle. Outside of that room the only noise was the whistling kettle and a faint pounding that could be heard in the distance.

    Traveling down a winding path, the source of the pounding was clear. A being in white armor and a sword at its waist was beating a cave troll with its now bloody gauntlet. With each strike, the cavern shook, and blood splattered until there was nothing left to punch but bloody ground. The being stood up straight. Its eyes were all white with tiny singular dots as pupils. It looked over to the entrance of this tunnel to see the being who summoned it.

    ¡°Well done,¡± Axel Arbor said. ¡°You work efficiently.¡± The being pounded its metal chest armor with its gauntlet across its heart twice. Or a place where the heart should have been. This was a Paladin Specter - a ghostly being that died a noble death in battle. The Paladins that this specter hailed from was one of the larger Order planets in known history. They were excellent fighters, always fought on balance. They were never too ambitious with their punches and never too cowardly for stronger foes. The specter looked at Axel with cold eyes.

    ¡°I imagine you could have done better,¡± it replied. ¡°I do not appreciate being tested, young one.¡±

    Axel waved a hand, ¡°bah, I couldn¡¯t care less about your appreciation. You got the job done. It is unfortunate that they refused to listen.¡±

    ¡°Violence does not clear the world of misguidance,¡± the paladin said. ¡°I am sure with enough time and effort, you could have persuaded them to join the noble cause.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Axel said. ¡°Perhaps not. It is impossible to tell now, only thing we can do is move forward.¡± The paladin bowed slightly. Axel couldn¡¯t see the paladin¡¯s face, but he knew it was sneering. That brought a smile to Axel¡¯s face. Axel went to the Loress Caverns to convince the troll community to join his cause for bringing world order.

    Axel divulged many of his secrets in the meeting, hoping that the cave troll leader would see that joining his cause was the only correct path. To Axel¡¯s surprise, the leader continued to reject the proposal. Axel had come prepared to the meeting. He had summoned a warrior spirit to do his slaughtering if that was what it had to come to.

    ¡°This seems like a plan that would do more harm than good to our planet, Axel,¡± the cave troll said.

    ¡°It may seem like that but I assure you it is not. The plan is fool proof and will only lead the world into tranquility,¡± Axel responded.

    ¡°If you really wanted to achieve tranquility, then help aid wars, help others grow in power, be a helper, summon creatures to help others, do something,¡± the cave troll leader said. There were benefits to chaos, just as there were benefits to order. It was clear that the troll leader believed in balance. He didn¡¯t believe in all of one way or all of the other.

    Axel found this foolish. The self-righteous man grew enraged at the troll''s passivity. He wanted them to pick a side: chaos or order. Abstaining from choice indicated choosing the former, chaos. He would not stand for this.

    ¡°Aiding those who are unworthy and unwilling to accept the truth of our doctrine is not something that we do,¡± Axel said. ¡°Our path is clear, join the League of Order fully or be our enemy.¡±

    ¡°You tongue is sharp, young one, be wise not to let it cut you. Be reminded where you stand, in the court of MY throne room, in MY cavern, in MY Kingdom. Do not be so bold to forget where you stand.¡±

    ¡°Where I stand is in the presence of a coward. One who is too cowardly to pick a side of history, one or the other.¡±

    ¡°Do not confuse my lack of telling you a decision as an act of cowardice. I look out for the trolls in this cavern, not the people up above. Just like your precious league, they take priority over everything.¡±

    ¡°Then you shall die a fool protecting a kingdom that was doomed to fail from the start,¡± Axel threatened.

    The cave troll leader¡¯s body started to glow a deep purple. He pulled out a halberd the size of Axel. The room began to fill with many trolls, all bearing arms. Axel was by himself. He held up his hands, ¡°Perhaps I misspoke. I will take my leave.¡±

    ¡°That is the wisest thing you have said today, young prince Arbor. Do not make this mistake again.¡± Axel nodded and made his way out of the cavern, escorted by two troll guards. Once he was outside the entrance, the trolls shoved him out and closed the entrance. Axel scoffed, ¡°Damn idiots. All this good life, a pity they all have to die.¡± Axel pulled out a small leather pouch.

    He began dumping the pouch''s contents into a complex ritual circle. There were four places for him to put extra ingredients or runes for a specific summon. The pouch contained marble and gold dust mixed together. The combination of the two created a beautiful balance of light that was the ideal dust for creating a ritual circle. He placed a brand new sword, helmet, shield, and gauntlet in each rune circle.

    ¡°Let the one who knows order, be called from your realm,¡± Axel chanted. The words of power interacted with the ritual circle. The dust began to light up, glowing brightly. The armor pieces began levitating and trembling with power. The empty spaces inside the armor were lit up with a golden white light. The light swirled into form. A spectral arm entered the gauntlet, and it clinched its now armored fist. The other arm grabbed the sword. The rest of the armor was filled with a ghostly golden light. A skull appeared under the helm, it had no eyes, but empty sockets.

    ¡°You summoned me,¡± the creature said in a ghostly whisper.

    ¡°I need you to do some slaying for me,¡± Axel said.

    ¡°You are so bold to call upon the services of a Paladin Specter?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Axel said calmly. ¡°I know you will do the task.¡±

    ¡°What makes you so sure?¡±

    ¡°I know you can feel the magic, I know you understand the severity of my situation is.¡±

    ¡°A practitioner of Order magic,¡± the specter said. ¡°One that walks the path of Tranquility. Fine. But your compensation will be hefty.¡±

    ¡°You would still charge a fellow walker of Tranquility¡¯s path?¡± Axel asked.

    ¡°Without question,¡± the paladin responded.

    ¡°Fair enough. You will be compensated handsomely if your work is adequate enough.¡± The Paladin put his arm across his chest and tapped his hear twice.

    ¡°It shall be done.¡± The paladin walked to the cavern entrance and punch the stone. It shattered into a million pieces. Axel pulled out his cobra staff; the staff¡¯s eyes glowed gold, and the dust from the explosion was lifted off his pristine white armor. He conjured several golden orbs of order energy, they floated around him as he followed the paladin back into the cavern.

    With the work of the Paladin and Axel, they quickly slaughtered their way through the cavern, returning to the throne room. Axel approached where the paladin was standing waiting.

    ¡°What is the problem?¡± Axel asked.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± the paladin said. ¡°I was waiting for you in case you wanted to kill the leader yourself.¡± Axel bowed his head slightly, which was quite considerate. He nodded and entered the chamber first.

    ¡°Ahh I knew you had too much hubris to walk away young Arbor. What is this creature you have brought with you?¡±

    ¡°I summoned it and as I said earlier, your death was inevitable.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a summoner? Those still exist? What?¡± As the cave troll leader floundered, four orbs of golden order magic slammed in and through the massive cave troll. Blood exploded out of the back as the orbs went straight through the beast. As soon as the battle started, it was over. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    Axel walked over to the disfigured body. He lifted the head of the leader.

    ¡°I am a summoner, one of the final summoners to be trained by the great Veluvius,¡± Axel whispered. ¡°But, that matters not. Good riddance.¡± One more orb of order smashed into the skull of the cave troll, turning it into nothing but paste.

    ***

    Tycen and Izzy were walking toward the beach shore. Izzy had her arm looped in his; she held him tight. The date so far was a massive success in her eyes. They had easy, seamless conversations, were able to be comfortably in silence with each other, and they had learned a lot about each other. Izzy was happy, even if nothing came from the night she knew that this would be considered her best date yet. That alone was enough data for her to be satisfied with the date, even if there was a small part of her that wanted more.

    ¡°What is on your mind?¡± Tycen asked. Izzy looked up with a bit of surprise. ¡°I have noticed that you, chew the inside of your lip when you are thinking about something important. What is it?¡±

    ¡°You noticed that in one day?¡± Izzy asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Tycen replied deadpan.

    Izzy shook her head and chuckled, ¡°Oh of course you noticed that. I was thinking about you,¡± Izzy said.

    ¡°So not that important,¡± Tycen teased.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Izzy continued. ¡°I was thinking about how great this date was. How even if nothing came from the date it was still good.¡±

    ¡°Is that what you want?¡± Tycen asked. Izzy smiled her response, then un-looped her arm. They had arrived at the beach. There was a log that was near the water. She sat in the sand, leaning against the log. Tycen joined her in the sand. Izzy played with a stick she found on the ground.

    ¡°No,¡± Izzy finally said. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you more. This was the best date I have ever been on.¡± Izzy¡¯s smile was so bright she leaned against Tycen¡¯s broad shoulders. He couldn¡¯t help but smile, too, as he felt her head rest on the shoulder.

    ¡°I agree. It was the best date I have ever had. I would like to see you again, Izzy, but I don¡¯t want to drive a wedge between you and your family. If dating an avian is an issue then we will need to end it hear before either of us are too invested.¡±

    ¡°Sensible,¡± Izzy said. ¡°I will handle my family, I would love to see you again, Tycen.¡± Izzy looked up at Tycen, her blue eyes glowing in the moonlit night. Tycen¡¯s purple eyes were also glowing in the light. Izzy¡¯s heart skipped a beat the second their eyes met. They stared at each other for what felt like hours to Izzy.

    She stopped gazing and rested her head on his shoulder once again.

    ¡°What do you like about your team?¡± Izzy said.

    ¡°They¡¯re all great people. They are all unique in their own way too, that makes things exciting.¡±

    ¡°Unique huh? In what ways?¡±

    ¡°Piper is a firecracker. She is loyal as all get out. She is a protector and the voice of reason. She is intentional and just so kind until you get on her bad side. Anna. Anna is like me, too smart for her good. She sees the world differently from most people, but sometimes, she struggles to stay grounded. She is also a great planner, and she likes good tactics. Levi,¡± he paused and chuckled. ¡°Levi is great. Probably the best person on our team. If he cares for you, he cares deeply for you.

    Levi is probably the one on our team with the most troubled past, but he does an excellent job of staying positive. He is a good man. I really appreciate him¡ªsomething our team does, which I absolutely love. We sit down and eat together at every feasible meal. We just talk about life outside of the adventures of the team setting. It was his idea. I had mentioned how I missed having intentional moments with people. I was a researcher for a small town in the Onyx kingdom. My boss assigned me to Arcross, where a dungeon was forming.

    In Arcross, I met a particularly interesting human, one a little too dark for the natives. But it had been a long journey, and I was hungry. Levi offered to pay for my food. Anyway, growing up, we used to always do family check-ins. It would be so great to have time to talk to each other. I mentioned to Levi in passing that I missed that about my house.

    The very next day, he told me that we would start having family meals. At first, I thought he was messing with me, but then we really did it for every meal ever since that day. That¡¯s the kind of guy Levi is¡ªa guy who would change the team¡¯s entire dynamic for one person out of the goodness of his heart. He just wanted to see me happy; that was it.¡± Tycen looked at Izzy, who had tears welling.

    ¡°That was so beautiful, thank you for sharing.¡± Izzy said. ¡°You believe he is a good man?¡±

    ¡°I trust him with my life,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°That is admirable,¡± Izzy said.

    ¡°So no team,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Why do you want to join a team?¡±

    ¡°I think I could be a great support role ritualist. Providing boosts, some smaller damage rituals, healing spells, all of it. A part from what I could provide for the team, I want to explore. I know that my city doesn¡¯t have a good summoner, but maybe I could find one elsewhere. The idea of being an adventurer is also exciting. I don¡¯t know, I have spent my whole life in amazement. The world is so beautiful and I have been trapped in Capital City for far too many years. I want my freedom, even though I¡¯m not trapped. Then with all the things magic has done for the world. I believe that summoning is the best way to reach my goals.¡± Izzy¡¯s eyes were practically burning with passion.

    ¡°The hardest part was finding a team,¡± Izzy said. ¡°There are a lot of teams but most of them suck and the teammates are what is most important to me at the moment not just strength. If I could find teammates like yours, that would be ideal.¡±

    ¡°I understand you,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Thank you for sharing. But, why a summoner and not a sorcerer? I understand that you want to adventure, but why would summoners be your ticket to reaching your goals.¡±

    ¡°Sorcerers understand ritual magic to a basic level,¡± Izzy explained. ¡°Not that there is anything wrong with that. I want to do complex rituals. Summoning rituals are complex, they are the best ritualists. I also like the fact that I can summon others to help me. Think of all the things I can learn from beings from different realms! How incredible would that be? Imagine discovering a new way to use a spell because of how a summon used it, that would be awesome.¡±

    Tycen chuckled at her excitement, ¡°You sound like Levi, he said that there are a lot of ways we can learn how to harness magic better from other creatures. I think some of his familiars have taught him a lot. He has seriously progressed a lot in his magic in such a short amount of time.¡±

    ¡°What have they helped him with? Which ones?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could tell you. That would have to be something you asked him on your own.¡±

    ¡°I just might have to,¡± Izzy said.

    ¡°You could join us for breakfast tomorrow,¡± Tycen said. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be down to answer. We¡¯re staying at the inn across the sea.¡±

    ¡°I just might do that¡­¡± she slowly said. She looked down awkwardly and started to blush. "Would he be the only one who¡¯d be down to talk to me tomorrow at breakfast?¡±

    ¡°No I¡¯m sure Piper and Silvy would too,¡± she looked up and saw him smiling. ¡°Of course I¡¯d want you there.¡± Izzy nodded slowly. They returned, gazing into each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°I had a lot of fun tonight. I should get you back home.¡±

    Izzy nodded slowly, ¡°It¡¯s sad, but you¡¯re right.¡± The two of them were there for a moment. Then Tycen took a deep breath and leaned in. Izzy smiled as her heart pounded in her chest. She leaned in. Slowly, their lips met, and they shared a kiss. The well-contained butterflies broke loose of the containment inside Tycen¡¯s stomach. His heart was racing, but the smile on his face was not going anywhere.

    Tycen walked Izzy home. Well, it would be more accurate to say that Izzy led Tycen back to her house. Her home was located in the same location as the library, behind the building they called the laboratory. Her house was a mansion¡ªa massive, multiple-floor medieval-style mansion. Izzy led Tycen to the gate that had a few 2-star guards. They recognized one of the ladies of the house and kept their distance.

    ¡°Thanks for the wonderful date, Tycen,¡± Izzy said. ¡°I will see you in the morning?¡±

    ¡°Thanks for saying yes,¡± Tycen said. ¡°I had a great time. Yes please, it would be great to see you again.¡± She rushed in for a hug. She wrapped her arms around his muscular torso and squeezed. Izzy felt his heartbeat and heard his breath. She smiled at the comfort they brought. Izzy knew logically that she had only known Tycen for a day, but she felt like they had known each other forever. The hug lasted a while as she refused to let go.

    ¡°Mmm-mm,¡± someone cleared their throat from the other side of the gate. ¡°That¡¯s quite enough of that, now. Isabella, let go of the avian and come home.¡±

    ¡°Oh hi, dad,¡± Izzy said. ¡°This is Tycen.¡±

    ¡°I know who he is,¡± he interrupted. ¡°Your mother informed me of your happenings. Because I love your mother and she would not leave my side, I let you have your little date. Against my better judgment. Good night Tycen.¡±

    ¡°Dad please don¡¯t be rude,¡± Izzy looked up with harsh eyes. ¡°I¡¯m plenty old enough to make my own decisions and see who I want to see.¡±

    ¡°You are still my daughter, perhaps we should discuss this later, when you¡¯re not in the presence of your date.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Izzy said. She turned to Tycen and gave him an apologetic smile. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, then,¡± she winked, then brushed past her father. Her father stared at him for several seconds.

    ¡°What is your name?¡± Tycen asked. ¡°Since you already know mine?¡±

    ¡°Tiberius Avington,¡± Tiberius said. ¡°Thank you for keeping my daughter safe.¡± He reached out a hand for Tycen to shake. ¡°Have a good night, sir.¡±

    ¡°It was my pleasure,¡± Tycen said with a gentle wave. ¡°Have a good night.¡± Tycen spread his wings wide and flapped them for good measure. He took off high into the night sky. He felt a familiar presence, in front of him Dameion manifested slowly. ¡°Hey Dameion,¡± Tycen said. ¡°I am guessing that they haven¡¯t left to the island yet?¡±

    The void avatar shook its head and nodded for Tycen to follow it. Tycen nodded, and the two of them flew off in the direction of the docks. Izzy and Tiberius watched as Tycen looked like he was talking to nobody, then saw a creature appear, and then they flew off.

    ¡°Well,¡± Tiberius said. ¡°Did you know he had an Avatar of the Void as a familiar?¡±

    ¡°I do not believe he has any but his teammates,¡± Izzy said.

    ¡°Come on, we have much to discuss.¡±

 Chapter 66 - Are You Willing to Take the RIsks

    Tycen followed Dameion to the library. He landed in front of his team, who were all drinking a warm beverage. They smiled at him as he landed. Levi handed him a cup of warm tea.

    ¡°How was your date?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It was quite nice, thanks for the tea,¡± Tycen said, taking a sip.

    ¡°Figured you¡¯d want some, come on,¡± Levi said. They all started walking toward the ferry docks.

    ¡°We¡¯re taking the ferry home?¡± Tycen asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Anna said. ¡°We have learned a lot, and there is much to discuss.¡±

    ¡°I take it you found something interesting?¡± Tycen asked.

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not important right now though,¡± Levi said. Anna looked at him questioningly. ¡°Tell us more about your date, bro.¡± Tycen smiled and retold the entire date. He described how he felt, how he walked her home and met her dad, and how he invited her to breakfast tomorrow morning. ¡°Sounds like a great first date. Happy for you Tycen,¡± Levi said with a genuine smile.

    ¡°Thanks, it was awkward at first but it definitely got better.¡±

    ¡°How do you feel about someone else wanting to be a summoner?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°I think its sick. The more the merrier, she seems genuine too, that¡¯s a bonus in my eyes,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯d gladly help her.¡±

    ¡°Have you thought about being a professor?¡± Piper asked. ¡°You¡¯d be really good at it.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t, mainly cause fate of the world and all,¡± Levi said with a chuckle.

    ¡°Right, that small thing, sorry,¡± she said softly.

    ¡°Nah it¡¯s all good,¡± Levi said. ¡°It is something to think about, what the hell am I going to do when its all over?¡±

    ¡°Assuming we win,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°Yeah that is a big assumption,¡± Levi nodded.

    ¡°I was joking,¡± Tycen said with a half chuckle. ¡°But your response makes me think you learned something really bad¡­ what happened when I left?¡±

    ¡°Remember that book the dungeon crafter gave me?¡±

    ¡°The history of Order magic or whatever?¡±

    ¡°Yep, well I read it and met a goddess.¡±

    ¡°You met a goddess?¡± Tycen asked in disbelief. They paused as they found the last sailor who had taken them to Capital City. He was excited to see them, and they set sail right away. There were no other people on the ship, which meant that they could be anywhere and talk.

    ¡°Yes I met a goddess,¡± Levi said; they were all sitting in one of the seating areas within the ferry. ¡°Her name was Tranquility and she brought Order magic to this world, somehow. Honestly wasn¡¯t clear on that part. She told me that her souls are scattered across many realms but they are still strong enough to be summoned. Which made me think that the guy, Axel or whatever his face is named, will likely be attempting to summon her or at least her spirit.¡±

    ¡°Whoa,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± Piper said. ¡°Anna and I found something, too, while Levi was talking to a goddess.¡±

    ¡°And what was that?¡±

    ¡°We found a section of the library that was related to chaos magic solely. There is a lot of history surrounding it. Both good and bad,¡± Anna explained. ¡°I told Levi I would wait to tell you the main thing that I discovered until the four of us were reunited. Chaos magic has never been quote-unquote good. It has always had some negative action that has followed any beings of chaos. In the early years of civilization, there was a creature called an Agrava. It was a woodland creature that had eaten a berry that was full of chaotic mana. Once it was consumed, the woodland creature was transformed. It became a nightmare. The creature grew to be 5 meters long and 2 meters wide. It had rows of lamprey teeth in one jaw and the other jaw had flat teeth like human teeth, meant for crushing.¡±

    ¡°It had two jaws?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Two heads,¡± Anna corrected.

    ¡°That¡¯s fun,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°It was not. The creature went on a rampage, killing everything in the jungle. The Agrava ended up reaching 5-star rank and then disappeared. Poof, out of existence leaving carnage behind. The books said that there was a group of summoners who were trying to bring back the Agrava, to attempt to control it and take over their enemies kingdom.¡±

    ¡°They wanted to use this beast of pure chaos for war?¡± Tycen asked.

    ¡°Exactly. As you can imagine, it did not go well. The collective of summoners, I believe the text said there were seven, were all 3-star and worked together to creature a ritual circle complex enough to summon the beast, bringing back the world¡¯s first apocalypse beast. As one who has read any fairytales could expect, the beast rampaged and killed all seven summoners the moment it was summoned. What the Agrava was not aware of was that it needed at least one of the summoners alive. Because the final link to the circle was killed, it was taken back to the realm it was brought from.¡±

    ¡°So why is this important?¡± Tycen asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s history why kingdoms stopped going to summoner¡¯s guilds,¡± Piper said. ¡°If there were many people who were killed by their summons, that would definitely prevent families, especially royals, from sending their young talents to be a summoner. The risk of death would be much higher. It also tells us why Uncle Leandro is not a fan of Levi.¡±

    ¡°Because of other people,¡± Levi said. ¡°That is not surprising. I mean, none of that story is surprising; it is odd that I have such a high affinity for chaos. I¡¯m not gonna pretend like it is normal. What I am curious about is the Agrava itself.¡± Anna and Piper shared a look. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Piper guessed that you would say that,¡± Anna said with a chuckle. ¡°The beast cannot be controlled.¡±

    ¡°Of course, it can¡¯t,¡± Levi responded after winking at Piper. ¡°Anna, what was the first thing I told you when I gave you the chaos spell guide?¡±

    ¡°Umm,¡± she said, furrowing her brows.

    ¡°Chaos is not an element that is controllable. It is an element that is partnered. You work with chaos and chaos will work with you. You try to control chaos and it will control you. That¡¯s where the summoners went wrong, and I bet that one of them practiced order magic.¡± Piper started laughing. ¡°Who guessed I would say that?¡± Piper raised her hand. ¡°Of course you did, love.¡±

    Serenity, who had been sitting on Levi¡¯s shoulders, opened her eyes and said, ¡°The Agrava was not a completely destructive being. Yes, it is an apocalypse beast, and yes, it would rampage. However, as it grew in ranking so did its intelligence.¡±

    ¡°I have heard whispers of the beast as well,¡± Vapor spoke. She manifested next to the table that the team was sitting at. ¡°The story that I heard about the summoners that Lady Anna just told us about is facts. The missing piece of the story was the final summoner. Levi¡¯s intuition was accurate, and the final summoner was a practitioner of Order magic and a disciple of the goddess. Agrava felt the power of the order magic trying to take over its being. Agrava was not a fan of being taken over and it wasn¡¯t sure which of the summoners attacked. So it killed them all.¡±

    ¡°That is¡­ understandable,¡± Anna said. ¡°So why is history written like this?¡±

    ¡°Because Agrava is gone and the summoners, ¡®won¡¯. History smiles on those who claim victory and paints a skewed picture of the claimed losers. This world or mine,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°That is most interesting,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°If you were thinking about summoning Agrava, Levi, do not,¡± Serenity said. The rest of the group looked shocked. ¡°I do not trust the beast to be one to be reliable when needed.¡±

    ¡°I concur,¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°By the time you reach 4-star you will have at least two more slots for two more familiars. We have been talking about what you should go after next.¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    ¡°We?¡± Piper and Levi asked.

    ¡°Us familiars,¡± Serenity said. ¡°The first one we think you should seek is a Djinn.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t those very bad beings?¡± Tycen asked.

    ¡°Not exclusively,¡± Serenity responded. ¡°Djinn are interesting creatures. They are neither fully physical nor are they fully spiritual. They operate in the middle of the two walks of life.¡±

    ¡°Why do you want me to get one as a familiar?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Djinn are known for a specific form of magic that allows them to transform their body into various different things. They are also good fighters when it comes to spiritual battles,¡± Serenity said.

    ¡°Their state of being gives them an advantage as they can thread the line between spiritual and physical quite easily, easier than most,¡± Vapor added.

    Levi nodded slowly as each of his familiars explained their reasoning. Then, a text box appeared in his vision.

    Djinn are also ancient¡­

    They would be able to provide a good account of history¡­ should we find a Djinn that wants to joining our family¡­

    Crystal and Willow, the crystal wisps manifested from Levi¡¯s eyes to join the conversation. They communicated by writing text boxes. Levi wasn¡¯t sure who could see them, but he guessed that it was just him.

    ¡°They said that the age of the djinn could prove useful,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°That is a good point,¡± Anna said. ¡°Just like how you two,¡± she gestured to Vapor and Serenity. ¡°Are able to tell us a bit about the world that we are unaware of. The djinn¡¯s knowledge could be a very beneficial portion.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Even if the abilities weren¡¯t helpful, which I will assume that they are, the knowledge a djinn could have is more than beneficial. I vote yes to the djinn.¡±

    ¡°Same,¡± Piper said. ¡°I think it would just be cool to have another familiar, I don¡¯t really care what it is as long as it is happy with our team.¡±

    ¡°I believe that is a wise choice as well,¡± Anna said.

    Levi looked at his familiars. " You didn¡¯t have to explain yourself. I know, I asked. I was going to say yes anyway. I trust you all and your judgment fully. I am not sure how to summon one, but I¡¯m sure we can figure it out.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Are you aware that they had an unfortunate run-in with two of the Calder young men?¡± Tiberius asked.

    ¡°No, I was not,¡± Izzy responded. The two of them were sitting in one of the family living rooms. There was a fire going on in the fireplace. They both had cookies and tea as refreshments. Izzy was sitting in an oversized, comfortable, plush loveseat. At the same time, her father sat in a standard but comfortable dining chair.

    ¡°I see, apparently they had faced a monster on the journey over from the island. The youngest one¡­¡±

    ¡°Simon,¡± Izzy said.

    ¡°Yes, thank you. Apparently, Simon, was on that ferry. He said that they were hogging the kill for the gains themselves.¡±

    ¡°Well Simon is a known liar so of course he said that,¡± Izzy retorted.

    ¡°I agree,¡± Tiberius said, nodding. ¡°That''s why I was curious if it was brought up; I would love to hear their perspective. Finely is not happy¡­ at all.¡±

    ¡°Well Lord Finely is a known grouch so of course he isn¡¯t happy.¡±

    Tiberius chuckled, ¡°that he is. The next story that I have heard is about the Calder restaurant.¡±

    ¡°Ahh yes mother told me about this briefly,¡± Izzy said. ¡°Something about Bradley getting angry over them going to the restaurant?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Tiberius nodded. ¡°No one would know that the Calders frequent that restaurant especially if they are outsiders, it seemed like an odd reaction from Bradley. Which makes me wonder why? Have you interacted with Tycen¡¯s team at all?¡±

    ¡°I have,¡± Izzy nodded. ¡°Twice actually. The first time they met grandma and well she really likes them.¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t like anyone,¡± Tiberius said, raising his eyebrows. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s high praise.¡±

    ¡°I know, I thought the same thing. They had let her tell the history of the fountain and asked her good questions, typical grandma things. Then they came to the library the next day. I had gotten a proper look at their personalities that day, which was today, I guess.¡± Her father looked at her to continue speaking. ¡°Levi, who I think is the leader hard to tell, had a mimic familiar walking beside him, along with a dragon slung around his shoulders. I didn¡¯t see them the first day but perhaps they were subsumed. He is a genuinely kind person, if not a little strange. His mannerism and language is unlike any that I have heard or seen here.¡±

    ¡°Intersting,¡± Tiberius mused.

    ¡°What else is interesting is that I couldn¡¯t get a read on any of their auras. The scanner wasn¡¯t working for some reason,¡± Izzy said. ¡°Anyways, Levi is dating Piper, the Vendular girl. She is loyal and smart but I bet a lot of her prowess comes in combat or scouting. She walked like an assassin, it was awesome. Thirdly is Silvy, who has been confirmed to be Princess Anna Onyx, and I guess technically Piper is a princess, but not really.¡±

    ¡°How was it confirmed?¡±

    ¡°Piper was said to be teamed up with a summoner and Princess Anna. Levi is the summoner, obviously. There were no other girls present and she wasn¡¯t showing up on any scannings or readings, meaning she had some disguise.¡± Tiberius nodded along. ¡°Then lastly, Tycen. He¡¯s an avian from a small tribe, loyal, strong, and smart. Anna and Tycen are the brains of the team.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Tiberius said. ¡°That¡¯s why you like him?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything about liking him? I went on one date, Dad,¡± Izzy said, throwing her hands up. Tiberius softly chuckled. He had a particular joy when it came to embarrassing his daughters, especially when it came to their romantic life.

    ¡°I assume you want to join their team,¡± Tiberius said after a few seconds. Izzy looked up with wide eyes.

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°There is a summoner on that team. An actual summoner, it¡¯s no secret that you want to be a summoner, Iz. I¡¯m your father, I notice these things.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Izzy said. ¡°I think this would be the best opportunity for me but is it too risky?¡±

    ¡°Of course, its risky, darling,¡± Tiberius said, getting up to sit next to her. ¡°Anything you do is going to be risky. The question is are you willing to face the risks? That¡¯s what you should be asking yourself.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the question then yes,¡± Izzy said. ¡°I would miss home.¡±

    ¡°Sure, but you¡¯ve always been the one who has had her eyes set on the horizon. Capital City was never going to contain you. You have been and always will be my adventurous daughter. Bekka is a home body, she will be here for her life, probably marry some yes man. Jenny, well she¡¯ll go wherever her future spouse takes her. Wherever that place is, she will be staying. Neither of them are fighters, they are researchers. You are a fighter disguised as a researcher. This is your adventure, not ours.¡±

    ¡°What if something happens to you all,¡± Izzy said.

    ¡°Something will happen to us,¡± Tiberius said. ¡°That¡¯s the nature of life. Things happen unexpectedly or things happen expectedly, who knows. It¡¯s okay to miss us, we will miss you. I¡¯d rather you miss me than hate me because I forced you to stay.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll maybe talk to them tomorrow about it,¡± Izzy said. ¡°Tycen invited me to join their team for breakfast. As a way to talk to Levi about summoning.¡±

    ¡°Tha¡¯s a good plan.¡±

    ¡°Are you not concerned about his familiar?¡± Izzy said as the thought just popped into her head.

    ¡°I am not,¡± Tiberius said. ¡°We have been monitoring them since they have arrived. They noticed us immediately and did nothing. At least, Levi did nothing. That showed me a lot about his character.¡±

    ¡°It did?¡±

    ¡°Yes, a man who notices that he is being spied on and chooses to not react is one who understands consequences. He is in a foreign land, with foreign rules, and foreign patterns, attacking or confronting would have been futile. This showed me that he is someone who is reliable and considerate. If that is how he is, his familiar must be the same. Are they terrifying? Absolutely but I have seen enough to know that they are no threat to us as long as we let them do what they please.¡±

    ¡°I see. I am not trying to change your mind, I believe he has an affinity to chaos.¡±

    ¡°Yes he does,¡± Tiberius nodded. ¡°But again, the chaos is not controlling him. Which is atypical for those who have chaos affinity. There is something deep and powerful about Levi, which leads me to trust that he will be a great summoner and an even better person for this world.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Izzy said. In all her years of life, she had never heard her father talk about another man with such high praise. It was complement after complement that Izzy thought was antithetical to her father¡¯s lifestyle. Apparently, she was wrong. Her father laughed at her confusion.

    ¡°I approve of Tycen as well,¡± he said. Izzy nearly fainted at the words. Tiberius rolled his eyes. ¡°Is it that suprirsing?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Izzy said. ¡°I bet, Jenna and Bekka both faint when they hear you say that.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s good for you,¡± Tiberius said. ¡°He has pushed you already out of your comfort zone, he¡¯s smart, handsome, and strong. I would love to meet him and Levi.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not concerned with the fact that he is an avian?¡±

    ¡°I am not,¡± Tiberius said. ¡°I hate the only human rule, however I can only say that outloud. If he is a good being and treats you right, then I am happy. Tomorrow hand them this,¡± Tiberius went to his desk and sealed an envelope.

    ¡°An invitation to our annual gala?¡± Izzy said.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Tiberius said. ¡°It would be a great way to get to know them and see how they fair politically.¡±

    ¡°I imagine quite well,¡± Izzy said.

    ¡°I imagine so as well,¡± Tiberius said. "Nevertheless, please extend my personal invitation to them. As for you, get some rest; you¡¯ve had a long day.¡± Izzy sighed, yawned, and then stretched her body. Getting out of her seat, she walked to give her dad a hug¡ªa longer hug than usual. She walked off and got ready for bed.

    Tiberius sat back down in the chair and drank some tea.

    ¡°I told you being the nice and supportive dad was the way to get her to open up,¡± Teresa said. She walked in from the other door.

    ¡°You were right as always dear,¡± Tiberius said. ¡°Although, I did mean everything I said.¡±

    ¡°I know you did, dear,¡± Teresa responded. ¡°I just wanted you to have a calm mind as you interacted with her. I know you have a lot of weight on your shoulders, your daughters just want your support.¡± She walked over and kissed his neck while giving him a message. ¡°They love you, show that you love them too.¡±

    Tiberius nodded, ¡°thank you. I will do better, I feel like I made a good step forward with Isabella tonight.¡±

    ¡°It was a huge step and she loves you more for it, I could feel it on her aura.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± Tiberius said. "Tell the scouts to return. We¡¯ll have them present during the gala, keeping an eye on them. I want to continue my assessment of them.¡±

    ¡°I will inform them, then you and I are off to bed.¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Tiberius said before downing his tea and heading to his bedroom.

 Chapter 67 - Shut Them Up

    Izzy soared across the ocean water that split Capital City from the island. She was riding in a smaller speed boat-type vehicle - a water skimmer. The water skimmer looked like an Everglades airboat. The place where the massive fans were supposed to be had a metal circle with runes etched along the side. With a bit of mana, the runes would glow, and the power of wind would propel the skimmer over the water. The boat was experimental, and she had been tasked with doing a lot of test runs. Okay, Izzy definitely volunteered to be a test dummy for this boat.

    It only took a couple of hours to cross the distance, which was significantly faster than the ferry line. It was also devoid of people. Izzy spent time thinking through how she was going to approach this meeting. Was she going to be casual? Was she going to be assertive? What if they asked her tough questions? How would Izzy react to it? She honestly wasn¡¯t sure, which was why she was excited to go.

    Levi woke up to an empty bedroom. No familiars, no Tycen, just Levi by himself. He stood up and stretched the sleep out of his body. He wasn¡¯t used to not having anyone in the room with him since he had gotten familiars. He walked out of the bedroom and into the main living room to see Anna and Piper with the rest of his familiars. As he took a seat at the table, Serenity wrapped herself around his shoulders.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± Piper and Anna said.

    ¡°Hey good morning,¡± Levi said. ¡°Y¡¯all sleep alright?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± Piper said with a beaming smile. ¡°Did you?¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± Levi nodded. ¡°Tycen¡¯s turn for breakfast?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he should be heading back soon,¡± Anna said. ¡°Are you excited to meet the date?¡±

    Levi chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m not sure excited is the right word. I think a lot of it will be her asking me a bunch of questions, which I am not sure how I feel about.¡±

    ¡°Stop it,¡± Piper said. ¡°You love getting to teach about summoning, we all know it.¡±

    ¡°It is quite obvious,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Whoa, double teamed so early in the morning,¡± Levi said. ¡°Before I even had my delicious tea, the pain.¡± He mocked, getting stabbed in the heart, and slumped into his chair. Both Piper and Anna rolled their eyes at the very poor acting performance before them. A click at the door was seen as a hero, as it forced to cut the acting short. Tycen walked in with a bag of food and some coffee. Behind him walked in Izzy, she looked nervous but was steeling her nerves.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake,¡± Tycen said. ¡°I brought Izzy.¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Izzy,¡± Piper said. ¡°We are happy you are joining us.¡± Izzy looked around the room and saw the rest of the familiars. Levi saw her gaze fall on each of them.

    ¡°Oh shoot,¡± Levi said. ¡°We were supposed to ease you into them, my fault. Wait, no, it''s not¡­ y¡¯all were aware that she was coming; y¡¯all could have hid yourselves.¡± There was an awkward shift in each of the familiar''s movements, but no one said anything.

    ¡°We can get to them later,¡± Izzy said. ¡°I mean this did increase the amount of questions I have but I have some more pressing ones.¡±

    ¡°Then have a seat, Izzy, and enjoy breakfast with us,¡± Anna said. She pulled out a chair between her and Piper. Without any hesitation, Izzy took a seat. Tycen distributed all the food on the table; everyone started to eat, and Izzy could no longer hold in the anticipation.

    ¡°Why did you want to be a summoner?¡± she blurted out.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Levi said. ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Izzy asked.

    ¡°Have you heard of beings who came to this world from another one?¡±

    ¡°Yes of course, Otherworlders,¡± Izzy said. Levi gave her a pointed look, ¡°noooo, what? Usually otherworlder auras are obvious. Actually, my scanners didn¡¯t pick up an aura from any of you, why? How?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s true,¡± Levi said. ¡°I am an otherworlder. That¡¯s cause of Serenity and Dameion,¡± he pointed to the dragon on his shoulders. ¡°This is Serenity, she¡¯s an aura dragon.¡± He pointed to the void snake on the couch curled up. ¡°That¡¯s Dameion, an avatar of the void. They both strengthen my aura capabilities.¡±

    ¡°So many more questions just appeared¡­ I take it that these two are your familiars?¡± Izzy asked.

    Levi chuckled, ¡°Ask away.¡± He took  a bite of food while she formed her next question: " Oh, and yes, they are two of my familiars.¡±

    ¡°Okay, some rapid fire questions, that I don¡¯t need more detail, I am just curious, this would be the best way to organize my thoughts.¡±

    ¡°Fire away,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°How many familiars do you have? How did you get so many? What¡¯s the highest star ritual you¡¯ve completed? Is training easy or more complex with familars? How long have you been on our planet? How do you speak our language so well?¡±

    ¡°I have six familiars. My class upgraded to Familiar Summoner, which gave me additional familiar slots. I have completed one 4-star ritual. Depends on what you¡¯re training. All the physical attributes are not really affected by the summons. The magical attributes that¡¯s a different story. In terms of progress and training, it is better to use my familiars in battle. I¡¯m not exactly sure about the difference, but I know I progress more when I properly use familiars. Umm I have been here for a year and some change. I have an ability that that helps translate stuff.¡±

    ¡°That is incredible,¡± Izzy said. ¡°What was traveling to our world like? Does everyone look like you? Do you miss home?¡±

    ¡°I think,¡± Piper said. ¡°We can get to those questions later, Tycen mentioned that you had questions about summoning. Let¡¯s focus on those.¡± Izzy looked at Piper, and her face relaxed. She nodded slowly.

    ¡°Right, sorry, those are big and deep questions for a total stranger. Thank you, lady Piper. This happens often, so please continue to keep me on topic.¡± She turned her blue eyes on Levi. ¡°How did you become a familiar summon?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all good,¡± Levi said. ¡°I like the enthusiasm. As I said, my class upgraded.¡±

    ¡°Did you have familiars before?¡± Izzy asked.

    ¡°Yes, I had Anza and Willow,¡± Levi said. He pointed to the mimic curled up on the floor. ¡°That¡¯s Anza, you met her already. Willow is the crystal blue wisp. These were my first two familiars that I got.¡±

    ¡°Amazing. Do you think you could show me what a summoning ritual looks like?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Levi said. He pulled out a small leather pouch and his wand of summoning. Piper gave Levi a look as if to ask why he wasn¡¯t using his new summoning sword. Levi stared back but said nothing. Levi channeled mana into the wand and began drawing a ritual circle from the sand that was inside the small leather pouch. The sand had a slight tan hue as it was being placed in a simple 1-star ritual.

    There was one rune circle. Levi added a small amount of sand inside it and shot a small bolt of mana to ignite the ritual circle. The circle lit a dim tan and pulsed to life. The sand in the rune circle lifted into the air and formed its own rune. The rune grew brighter and brighter until it reached an apex. Inside the bright rune, a small figure appeared. Levi smiled as he saw the same sand elemental that he had summoned before.

    ¡°Squaindle,¡± Levi said. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you bud, how have you been?¡± The small squid-like elemental floated over to Levi. It did some backflips and bobbed all around Levi in happy bounces. Levi laughed as the small bits of sand tickled his nose as it fell. ¡°This is Squaindle,¡± Levi introduced. ¡°He was one of the first non-familiar summons I summoned.¡±

    ¡°He is so cute,¡± Izzy said. ¡°That ritual seemed pretty easy and you just have a pouch of sand on you?¡±

    ¡°I have many pouches, boxes, and bags filled with a variety of summoning ingredients. That¡¯s a crucial part,¡± Levi explained. Levi held a small amount of sand in his palm out for Squaindle. The sand elemental floated over and happily ate the sand out of his palm. ¡°Thanks buddy, we¡¯ll chat soon again?¡± The elemental did a backflip, then bobbed its head. He started to glow bright tan, then disappeared into the light. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Izzy said. ¡°I¡¯ve only known drawing ritual circles with like chalk or iron filings or even salt. I have never seen sand or used.¡±

    ¡°That would be for normal rituals or trap rituals,¡± Levi explained. ¡°That¡¯s what Piper uses for some of her rituals. I¡¯ll use them on occasion. But you use specific ingredients, like sand, that have aren¡¯t neutral to help summon a specific creature. It is also very important when you make your summoning circle you understand which ingredients are what.¡±

    ¡°And why is that?¡±

    ¡°You could summon the wrong monster. One that would be extremely dangerous and the other being completley harmless.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Izzy nodded. ¡°There have been rumors spread that summoners have the slowest progress in advancement. Is that accurate?¡± Everyone snorted at that comment. ¡°I take that as a no?¡±

    ¡°You tell us,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Levi has been here for just over a year and is already well into the 3-star rank? Is that slow or fast?¡±

    ¡°Impossibly fast,¡± Izzy said. ¡°I have never heard of progression so quickly. How is that possible?¡±

    ¡°Wisdom increases with successful summons and when summons defeat enemies. Well a fun fact that we discovered is that my familiars count as summons,¡± Levi said.

    Izzy¡¯s eyes grew wide, ¡°that means you have multiple avenues of progressing Wisdom!¡±

    ¡°This changes everything.¡± Izzy stood up and started pacing. ¡°How many years and lies have we been told about summoners? How did this even happen? Why would people not want summoners to be a thing?¡± She paused and looked at Levi. ¡°Sorry, my whole life we were taught that being a summoner was primarily dangerous because they took forever to advance. That slow progress in advancement created more dangers for the young adventurers.¡± She continued pacing as she thought deeply about the implications of this.

    The group stayed silent as Izzy paced. It was clear that she needed the time to go through her existential questioning on her own. It''s not like they could have offered her any good advice. What she was experiencing sucked, Levi was fully aware of that. He knew that she needed to work through this on her own. Izzy eventually sat back down in her seat. She shoved her head in her hands.

    ¡°Can I ask a question that might be insensitive?¡± Levi asked. Anna shot him a look but held her tongue.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Izzy said, slowly lifting her head.

    ¡°Does it matter?¡±

    ¡°Of course it matters, my life could have.. No should have been easier. Instead I am much older and am only 1-star because I haven¡¯t chosen a class yet. If the times were different imagine where I could and would be? My whole life would have been different!¡±

    ¡°But it wasn¡¯t,¡± Levi said. ¡°So what? It can be different NOW. That¡¯s what is important. I got a late start, a very late start, but here I am, 3-stars. That has mean something to you.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°If anyone can tell you this it¡¯s me, at some point you¡¯re gonna have to move accept the things for what they¡¯re not and for they are. Worrying about the past or things you cannot change only makes things harder in the future.¡±

    ¡°But all the times I was called a fool¡­¡± she said sadly.

    ¡°The people who called you that are idiots. Now what? You shut them up and be a great summoner and ranks higher than them.¡±

    Izzy looked at Levi; there was fury, sadness, and grief in her eyes. As she looked, her gaze softened, the tears fell, and she took a deep shuddering breath. She nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re absolutely right, and I can do this and prove to them that the path of a summoner was the ultimate right choice.¡± Her facial expression changed to one of determination. She looked out the window toward Captial City. ¡°I always wanted to make a difference in the world. To be something that no one expected of me.¡±

    ¡°It seemed like you have a supportive family,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°My family is great,¡± Izzy corrected. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about, it¡¯s the other houses that are the problem¡ªparticularly the Calders and the Godfreys. The Calders think they are the best because of their precious adventurer guild. They get under my skin and look down on everyone one. Then the Godfreys, who are just a bunch of rich people who again, look down on people! They think because they help fund research that they own us.¡±

    Tycen put a calming hand on Izzy''s shoulder. He could tell that she was getting frustrated again. ¡°Breathe, Izzy. Take a deep breath,¡± he said calmly. She put her hand on top of his and nodded. She took a slow inhale, and a controlled exhale.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Izzy said, squeezing his hand. Levi looked at Izzy with a smirk. She looked back and quirked her head, ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Levi said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. But Izzy? Making a difference doesn¡¯t mean saving the world or changing the status quo.¡±

    ¡°Levi¡¯s right,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Making a difference in the world could be something as simple as eating at an elf¡¯s restaurant despite her being an elf.¡±

    ¡°That was an oddly specific example,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°That¡¯s where we went to eat last night,¡± Izzy explained. ¡°It¡¯s my favorite restaurant and Francene, the owner, is an elf. Which is frowned upon in Capital City, in case you hadn¡¯t figured that out.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we figured that one out,¡± Tycen said with a chuckle.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, that is a change. Oh, before I forget, my dad told me to give you all these.¡± She handed each of them a small wooden badge. ¡°These are our guest passes for our Gala that we are hosting in a few days. The dress code is formal, and he was looking forward to meeting you all, if you could attend.¡±

    ¡°We will be there,¡± Anna said. ¡°Thank you for the invitation. This should be fun.¡±

    ¡°Awesome,¡± Izzy said. ¡°One last thing, before I stop hogging all the breakfast time, do you have an opening on your team for a new teammate?¡±

    ***

    In the meeting hall inside the compound of the Qu¡¯ant house, eight people gathered together in preparation for a meeting. The ones present were all the leaders of each house within the city and their second-in-command. Tiberius Avington was present with his wife, Teresa. Finley Calder, was present with his son Bradley. There was the leader of the Godfrey house, Gerald Godfrey, and his twin brother, Herald Godfrey. The last pair of leaders was the namesake of the nation, the house of Qu¡¯ant, the hosts. The primary head was Louis Qu¡¯ant and his uncle Paule.

    Gerald and Herald were identical twins. They were both short men with sharp features. They had alabaster skin and large white mustaches. They wore fancy clothes and a monocle each. The way they dressed and acted was exactly how one would expect an old-timey rich person to act. They acted as if they were the blessing that the nation of Qu¡¯ant needed and got.

    Louis Qu¡¯ant wore a traditional royal outfit, complete with a fancy tunic and trousers, each with gemstones along the side. He was a tall man with delicate features; his tanned skin complimented his green eyes. He was, by all accounts, classically handsome. He had a neatly trimmed beard that shaped his face perfectly. He sat with an air of confidence. He was a secretive man, not really saying much or showing up in public places. This tied in perfectly with his Stealth Shooter class, which upgraded from the Ranger.

    His uncle was a bit shorter but just as muscular and handsome. He was also a ranger but preferred wrist-mounted crossbows as his weapon of choice. He was wearing a ranger¡¯s cloak that was fancier and matched the house colors. Paule was older than Louis by a few decades. He had salt-and-pepper hair and a full beard. He rarely spoke, but as Louis''s designated protector, it made sense that he had a gruff personality.

    With all the leaders of the houses present, the meeting could begin. It started with Louis, who sat up in his chair slightly. His voice was smooth and bored: ¡°All right then, let¡¯s get this over with. Finley, you called this rush meeting before the Avington Gala¡­ why?¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Lord Louis,¡± Finley said. ¡°It appears we have had a new team of adventurers enter our city. My rogue scouts have reported that their level of threat has entered a dangerous zone.¡±

    ¡°Define threat,¡± Louis asked.

    ¡°They pose a threat to the social network and influence we have,¡± Finley said. ¡°I brought my son here so that he could explain his peace.¡±

    ¡°Thank you father,¡± Bradley said. ¡°As my father mentioned, I have met with the newcomers and they have no respect. They had gone to our family¡¯s restaurant and ate. Then refused to leave after we told them it was a Calders only restaurant. The utter lack of respect was baffling.¡±

    ¡°So,¡± Louis said, sharing a look with his uncle. ¡°You thought these new people who definitely don¡¯t know my culture would be excited to have you tell them to leave?¡±

    ¡°Exactly, they should have known! On top of that my little brother said that they willingly put his life in danger on the ferry by refusing to let my brother and his team fight the monster.¡±

    ¡°Ahh yes,¡± Louis said. ¡°The monster, a 4-star monster, is your brother and his team equipped and ready to take down a 4-star ranked monster? If they are, that is quite impressive, they are natural talents.¡±

    ¡°I do not believe so, my lord,¡± Bradley said, a little less confident.

    ¡°Then tell me what exactly the issue with our new guests?¡±

    ¡°Well they-¡±

    ¡°Not you-¡± Louis said, cutting off Finley. ¡°Let your boy speak.¡±

    ¡°They had an avian on their team.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, traditional racism, cool. Any other grievances with the newcomers?¡±

    ¡°If it is all the same, I would prefer they never entered into any of our guilds or adventure federation,¡± Gerald said. ¡°They could be a bad influence on our youth.¡±

    ¡°I heard one of them is a summoner,¡± Herald said. ¡°We haven¡¯t let a summoner into our city in decades, why start now?¡±

    ¡°For starters,¡± Tiberius said. ¡°He is strong. If you have felt his aura, you would know what I am talking about. He is crafty. Somehow, my scouts were spotted following him around. These were my best scouts. The next thing is that he has familiars that we as a city should not mess with.¡±

    ¡°He has familiars? He is a summoner?¡± some echoed in the room.

    ¡°Correct, he has familiars. Two have been confirmed, at the very least, but I am unsure if he has more or not. The two that we do know of make me want to be an ally with him.¡±

    ¡°You say that as if you are scared, Tiberius,¡± Finley challenged.

    ¡°I am,¡± Tiberius said. ¡°There is nothing wrong with fear Finley; fear keeps us alive, fear keeps us safe. Have any of you heard of a mimic?¡± Nearly everyone shook their head as all eyes went wide. ¡°A mimic has many titles, the most significant one that I believe to be the most threatening is the world-conquering organism. How many of you have heard of an aura dragon?¡± Once again, nobody raised their hands.

    ¡°Yes, well, aura dragons are scary beasts. How he even summoned one is insane. If the summoner only had those two as his familiars, that would be enough but he has more. I don¡¯t know what they are, what they can do, but based on the pedigree of the other two, they are scary. I say all of this not to strike unnecessary fear but to have you all understand why I invited them to the gala.¡±

    ¡°YOU DID WHAT?¡± Finley snarled, his aura flared. Louis, with a wave of his hand, crushed Finley¡¯s aura.

    ¡°I believe, master Finley,¡± Louis said. ¡°That you stop wasting our time with your personal grievance. Prudent as always, Tiberius. I do look forward to meeting the summoner, it has been so long since we have had one in our nation. Perhaps he could be a good teacher for that daughter of yours who wants to be a ritualist.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, lord, he would be a good teacher,¡± Tiberius said.

    ¡°Good, this meeting is adjourned,¡± Louis said. ¡°I will see you all at the Avington Gala.¡± He got up from his seat, then walked and disappeared.

 Chapter 68 - Proper Decorum

    ¡°First thing you need to know about Galas are the proper decorum,¡± Anna said. ¡°Piper knows the most out of the three of you. She has had all the proper training as a royal of the Onyx kingdom. Tycen, you¡¯re a good study so I believe that you will be fine. Levi, we have a lot to work on.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a little hurtful,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°You know the least about our world and its traditions, I do not want you to say anything that got us in trouble. Even if it was on accident.¡±

    ¡°I mean I understand why we¡¯re doing these, but to say we have a lot to work on¡­ is a little hurtful.¡±

    ¡°If you think that was hurtful, you have no idea how the others will treat you,¡± Anna snapped. ¡°Levi, remember how I was when we first met? What about Piper¡¯s parents and family? They kidnapped, for gods¡¯ sake, these people will not be as gentle. We have already had an issue with one of the houses, we cannot expect the rest to treat us well.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, alright, fair enough,¡± Levi said. Ever since Izzy left with the invitation and asked that bomb of a question, Anna had been drilling them in proper gala etiquette. ¡°Should we talk about Izzy?¡±

    ¡°There is not much to discuss,¡± Anna said. ¡°The answer was obvious the second she went on a date with Tycen.¡±

    ¡°And the obvious answer is¡­¡± Levi asked. He looked to Piper for help, who mouthed an apology and shrugged. Levi looked at Tycen, who also shrugged in confusion.

    ¡°Yes, the answer is obviously yes. She will be as strong as you teach her, Levi. However, she is smart and knows a lot about things that neither Tycen nor I are aware of. She brings some benefits to the team along with her name. The Avingtons are not a small name only known by this nation. Their inventions and research are known throughout the world. I see nothing but pros to her joining. Of course this is a team decision.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m for it,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°As am I,¡± Tycen said. All eyes turned to Levi.

    ¡°I want to see how she acts with her family before we say yes,¡± Levi said. ¡°The invitation to the gala and then asking to join our team is strange to me.¡±

    ¡°Ever the skeptic,¡± Anna said. Levi shrugged.

    ¡°What can I say? People suck,¡± Levi said. ¡°After all, I was kidnapped by my girlfriend¡¯s family.¡±

    ¡°True, but you did invite Tycen pretty quickly,¡± Piper said. ¡°And denied Declan with almost the same amount of quickness.¡±

    ¡°I did but look at Tycen and his class,¡± Levi said. ¡°Just like Declan, Izzy is going to be doubling up a class that we already have. The biggest reason why I am more for it than Declan is because so little is known about summoners. I mean, she wants to be a ritualist, what if her rituals are focused on support only, boosts, traps, boons, and healing? That would free me up from doing complex rituals. I feel like that we could work on who summons what and when.¡±

    ¡°It almost sounds like you just convinced yourself that she should join our team,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Har har, I feel like I was more explaining why I think two summoners are better than two sorcerers.¡±

    ¡°That is a fair assessment, and I am inclined to agree with you, Levi,¡± Anna said. ¡°I believe two summoners are much better than two sorcerers. I cannot believe that I just said that. If you were to ask me that 18 months ago, I would have called you crazy. Which leads me to what I said earlier, her growth and effectiveness is on your shoulders, Levi. That is a lot of pressure we would be asking of you but I do believe that you can do it.¡±

    Piper walked over and kissed his cheek, looping her arm in his. Levi inhaled; she smelled like vanilla. He kissed her head. ¡°I think you can do great, too,¡± Piper whispered.

    ¡°I think teaching her would be fun,¡± Levi said. ¡°That¡¯s honestly not my hold-up. Once again, like Declan. I have the biggest secrets that I am holding. On top of that, you have all agreed to stick with me while we fight Prince Arbor or whatever. That is a dangerous mission, it would be terrible of us to not tell her all of that detail before we accept or not.¡±

    ¡°That is a fair point,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Although, I don¡¯t believe that will be a problem for her. As he has expressed how she wants to change the world. It is not our decision to make for her.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯m all for her joining, if she is fully aware of the risks and decides for herself that she wants to.¡± The rest of the team nodded. They all agreed with what Levi was saying. The risks that they had trying to save the world were extremely dangerous. Any one of them could perish during this quest. However, that was their decision to make. They wanted this risk because there were also a lot of gains. They were going to grow a lot during the next five years.

    ¡°Now that it is decided, go back to work,¡± Anna said. Over the next few hours, Anna drilled Levi and Tycen in proper gala decorum. They learned how to enter, how to communicate, what to say, who to talk to, and so much more. Levi felt like his head was spinning with all the new information that he had learned. Levi had never attended anything fancy. He barely owned a pair of jeans. He had never owned a suit, and the only time he wore a tie was at his dad¡¯s funeral.

    They returned to Captial City to shop for the gala. Izzy had provided them with some general guidelines for what to wear. Anna had not brought any of her fancy clothes, but that was a good thing as they had different styles. Izzy said that the Qu¡¯ant style of fancy gala wear was elegant tight-fit gowns for women. Then, for men, it was slacks, double-breast blazers, and vests.

    Levi imagined it as similar to what a celebrity would wear on the red carpet. Once they arrived in Capital City, they made their way to the different clothing shops. Piper and Anna went to the dress shop, while Levi and Tycen went to a tailor. The men walked into the shop; there was a small chime as they entered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right there,¡± A voice from the back called. The shop had various examples of suits, jackets, blazers, undershirts, etc. all spread throughout the shop. Levi had no idea what he wanted or what to look for. This type of clothing was way out of his comfort zone. He looked to his right and saw Tycen pursuing some of the hanging blazers. Levi left him to it and walked to the undershirts. There were various types of tunics, collared shirts, and plain form-fitting undershirts.

    Levi slowly looked through each of the different types of shirts. He pet Serenity on the head. Her rough scales were a nice change in texture to help him calm down. The whole thought about the gala made Levi uncomfortable. Dancing, music, politics, interacting with a bunch of people who undoubtedly wouldn¡¯t like him if they knew his secret.

    ¡°Thank you for your patience, young sir,¡± a middle-aged tailor said. ¡°I am Vinnizo, owner of this wonderful shop. How may I be of assistance?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for something to wear to the Avington gala,¡± Levi said. ¡°I have never worn anything like this before¡­ I¡¯m way out of my league.¡±

    ¡°Non-sense sir, if someone like you got an invitation you are someone who is of class. Surely the gods have blessed me by bringing you and that fine young man over there to my humble little shop. Now, what color schemes do you like? I see that you have a beautiful aura dragon with you, would you want to match her feathers?¡± Vinnizo said. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°You know your stuff,¡± Levi said, surprised he knew what an aura dragon was. ¡°Um I prefer darker colors.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, yes, of course. I aim to please. Right, darker colors, this way,¡± he led Levi down to the other end of the store near Tycen. ¡°Good day, sir. I shall be with you shortly.¡± Tycen nodded.

    Vinnizo lifted three different blazers. The first was a solid dark gray suit with dark red buttons and trim. The next blazer had a dark blue background with some gradient trim; there were white dots spread throughout. The blazer looked like looking up to a starry sky with the northern lights as the trim and buttons. The final blazer had golden flowers on a solid black background. The flowers had a sheen to them that would be reflective in the light.

    ¡°What do you think of these, sir?¡± Vinnizo asked. Levi touched the material of each, and it was crazy how soft it was. At first, Levi only liked the blazer without a pattern, but the more he looked at it, the less he liked it.

    ¡°I think I¡¯d like to try the starry sky one,¡± Levi said. ¡°Does it come with pants? And an undershirt?¡±

    ¡°Excellent choice,¡± the tailor said. Levi looked at him as if he would have said excellent to anything he said. ¡°Yes, while you try this own, I will get the different accessories that are meant to match this.¡± Levi nodded, then walked to a back room. Serenity sat on the floor, looking at Levi as he took off his cloak. He shrugged the blazer on. Then, he buttoned the double-breasted buttons. His eyebrows furrowed.

    Levi has worn a number of magical items since he arrived in this world over a year ago. They all had one distinct difference than normal clothing, there was a feeling like he could use push his mana through the item. The blazer had that same feeling, confused he pushed his mana through the item. The stars on the blazer lifted off the blazer and began to pulse in a beautiful display. Levi wondered what the point of that was, but he retracted his mana.

    ¡°That seems like an interesting feature,¡± Serenity said.

    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t understand the point of that. But it is a nice coat,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I agree, it fits your skin complexion quite nicely,¡± she said. There was a knock on the door.

    ¡°Sir,¡± Vinnizo said. ¡°I have the extras that you need.¡± Levi opened the door and found the more petite middle-aged man with several items of clothing. ¡°I bought three different pairs of trousers and three different undershirts. This blazer would look best without any ties, in my opinion, and some shoes.¡± Levi observed the trousers. There was a light sand pair, solid color, no pattern. The second pair matched the coat exactly, with a dark blue background with white sparkles. The final was solid black without any patterns. The shirts were similar, there was a turtle neck long sleeve shirt, that was aurora blue. There was a buttoned plain sand shirt and a black tunic with a starry pattern.

    Lastly, there were different shoes that were all some kind of uncomfortable-looking dress shoes. Levi shook his head and rejected the shoes, he liked his combat boots, he was not going to give that up. Levi decided that they would go with the plain sand pair of pants with the aurora blue turtle neck shirt. They, of course, didn¡¯t call it a turtle neck, but that¡¯s how Levi knew them.

    After selecting the outfit, Levi put it on; everything fit perfectly. Levi wondered how the tailor managed to do that. He hadn¡¯t even asked him any questions or checked his other clothing. Vinnizo just left him and brought back clothes that fit him perfectly. Levi looked in the mirror and was shocked. He looked great.

    Levi hadn¡¯t really gotten a good look at himself in a long time. His hair had grown, almost a mini afro. He had grown some stubble along his face, and it was the first time in his life he had been able to grow facial hair. The stubble was a small goatee, and he rubbed his hand on it. His face had slimmed out, really showing his high cheekbones and jawline. He turned his head, checking out his new face. He looked more handsome, and at least Levi thought he did.

    His body had filled. He was not nearly as skinny as most people called him. However, he was a 3-star. He looked like a long-distance runner compared to Tycen¡¯s professional American footballer¡ªmore muscle than before but still not that big. Levi loved the outfit. It was perfect; he felt like he looked like a celebrity to whom many people would be attracted. It was a surreal moment. Looking in the mirror and seeing a version of himself that he had only dreamed of. Only in his dreams would he have thought he would have trimmed the baby fat on his face, added more muscle, or even some facial hair. Yet here he was with all of that. He took a beat, appreciating his growth and accomplishments.

    ¡°What a wonderful situation, I¡¯ve found myself in,¡± Levi said. ¡°Of course its a matter of perspective, a year ago I was not happy. Oh well.¡±

    Piper was trying on dresses with Anna, wondering how Levi was doing. She knew that dressing up was never a thing for him in his old world, and she was nervous.

    ¡°Piper, Levi will be okay,¡± Anna chided. ¡°He is more than capable of dealing with discomfort.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Piper said with a sigh. ¡°I just want him to be happy.¡±

    ¡°He is. It is also not your job,¡± Anna said. She held up a long dark green dress with a scrutinizing gaze. She frowned, placing the dress back on the rack.

    ¡°Do you miss Declan?¡± Piper asked, changing the subject. She was thumbing through the racks of dresses to see if there was anything that she liked. So far, she has been unsuccessful, but she hasn¡¯t given up.

    ¡°Not as much as I thought I would,¡± Anna said. ¡°It is quite sad though.¡±

    ¡°What is?¡±

    ¡°I liked the guy so much when he was around now that it has been a couple of months, I hardly think about him. I feel so heartless.¡±

    ¡°That is who you are though, why do you think I stick around you so much,¡± Piper teased.

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Anna sneered with a smirk.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t heartless, Anna,¡± Piper said. She found something that piqued her interest. It was a yellow plaid jumpsuit. ¡°I like this style but not this pattern.¡±

    ¡°I have more of those over here,¡± the clerk said. Piper followed her voice and started perusing over there.

    ¡°Anna can I ask you a question though?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Why do you want a romantic relationship so badly? You¡¯ve never wanted one, that was never who you were?¡±

    ¡°I do not know¡­ I guess I have always felt like it was the right thing to do. It was what my family expected of me. After all Rayvin has been with your brother for so long, it just felt right?¡±

    ¡°But does it still feel right?¡±

    ¡°No, now it feels like I am forcing it,¡± Anna said. ¡°So what do I do?¡±

    ¡°Stop worrying about what other people expect of you and do what you want.¡±

    ¡°I am not sure what that is anymore. I love being on this team and the quest we are on is clearly something I am going to do. But what about after?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what I want to do after¡­ I just want to be alive to do it. Which means right now, I have to get stronger,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°I suppose that is as good a plan as any I can think of. Now, may I ask you a question?¡±

    ¡°Fire away,¡± Piper said.

    Anna stopped her search and looked at Piper. " How are you so good at forming friendships? Deep relationships? It seems so easy for you, and I have been trying to understand, to no avail, sadly.¡±

    Piper looked back, thinking, ¡°You know. Levi said that you were competing with me to form deep relationships. At the time, I thought it was madness. What did the Anna Onyx not have that I do? If I¡¯m being honest, I still don¡¯t think I have anything special or worthwhile. But Levi seems to think I do, so I¡¯ll choose to believe him. Anna, I don¡¯t know. I just talk to people. I know that¡¯s not particularly helpful but Levi was a guy that I thought was cute so I talked to him. Tycen, you and him have much more in common than you think. Just stop putting so much pressure on yourself.¡±

    ¡°So your advice is to think someone is cute and talk to them?¡± Anna teased.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Piper said, looking at dresses. She paused and looked at Anna. ¡°Be yourself, Anna. You are an amazing person: smart, beautiful, intense, strong; the list goes on and on. You don¡¯t have to be liked by everyone, just by a select few.¡± Anna nodded at Piper¡¯s words. They really touched her. Anna was not as good with people as Piper was. She never was, whether it was a nature thing or a nurture thing, she could never figure out. At some point, she just chalked it up for both.

    Anna was always envious of Piper¡¯s freedom. She could talk to anyone without any pressure from people trying to take advantage of her for the throne. She never had to be so vigilant with men who spoke to her. Piper was just a free spirit. Maybe that was why? But Anna didn¡¯t feel like freedom was a good thing either. She felt that it was just as hard for Piper as Anna felt her path was hard.

    ¡°Piper?¡± Anna said. ¡°Growing up, was it hard to be around me?¡±

    ¡°Growing up? It¡¯s still hard. Anna, you¡¯re the crown princess of a prominent kingdom. On top of that, you¡¯re smart, beautiful, intense, strong¡­.¡±

    ¡°Okay okay,¡± Anna said with a chuckle. ¡°I get it.¡±

    ¡°I never had to worry about people only being friendly with me so they wouldn¡¯t offend the kingdom. I never had to worry about making sure I kept up the right appearance all the time. I never had to worry about any of that stuff but you did. I don¡¯t blame you for wanting so freedom from that life. It sounded brutal. I watched it slowly turn you to stone each interaction. I watched as your heart slowly closed off as more and more people used you. People only saw you for your influence not your soul.¡±

    ¡°Still must not have been easy, despite what I was going through. Always being in the background when you¡¯re just as amazing, just as beautiful, smart, loving, and more. I am very grateful for Levi. He does a good job at showing that you are all that and more, while being respectful and caring. I¡¯m sorry for all of that.¡±

    ¡°It was not your fault. There is no need to apologize, Anna. I hold no resentment for the past. Yes, I am very grateful for that goof. He is great at reminding me that I am special, too. Especially when I feel very not.¡± Piper held out another jumpsuit. Anna¡¯s eyes grew wide, and her smile grew big.

    ¡°YES!¡± Anna said. ¡°Absolutely, yes!¡±

 Chapter 69 - Avingtons Gala (1/4) - Plans

    Levi had spent the last few days deciding what to do with Izzy. The team seemed set on adding her, but he was still not sold on the idea. He kept going back and forth, which was not helpful to the team. Levi liked the size of the team, and he knew he was due to get new familiars, which would only grow the team that much more. A familiar could cover any gap that Levi had. He wasn¡¯t sure, but thankfully, there wasn¡¯t any external pressure from his teammates. However, that was going to change.

    Levi was getting ready for the Avington¡¯s Gala. This was the first main event that they were going to as a team. Levi couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was going to happen.

    ¡°Vapor?¡± Levi said. Vapor appeared in front of him. The smoke spirit floated above the ground with her all-white hooded cloak with blue smoke designs on it. Her blue eyes appeared in the abyss of her cloak.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°What do you think about the Izzy situation? You too, Anza and Serenity¡­ actually all of you?¡± Levi¡¯s familiars appeared before him. He smiled as they filled the room. ¡°Vapor first.¡±

    ¡°I believe her role to be redundant,¡± Vapor said. Dameion shook its head.

    ¡°I agree,¡± Serenity said.

    <i>Yes, </i>Anza said.

    Two text boxes appeared in Levi¡¯s vision.

    <i>I like her.</i>

    <i>She could be fun!</i>

    <i>	</i>¡°Okay, so mostly against¡­ got it.¡± Levi sat on the edge of his bed, half-dressed. He put his face in his palms. ¡°Why is this so difficult?¡±

    ¡°I believe I may be able to answer that,¡± Vapor said.

    ¡°Go for it,¡± Levi said, picking up his head.

    ¡°There is a golden opportunity for you to explore something new in this life. Teaching. I do believe you can be a good teacher, that should not be your priority.¡±

    ¡°And what should that be?¡±

    ¡°Getting stronger so you can defeat the crown arbor prince. Levi, you were brought to this world for a specific reason. Imagine you find a dungeon on your way back to Arcross. You want to enter it, but you cannot because Izzy is too weak. Now, you miss out on a potentially colossal training session because of the newest addition. If Izzy were of a similar rank, then this would be a different conversation. As it stands, she cannot.

    ¡°That is a good point,¡± Levi said. He shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t keep getting stuck in this same loop. Okay,¡± he slapped his cheeks. ¡°Focus, we have this gala thing and then from there I will make a decision.¡±

    ¡°Sensible,¡± Vapor said. ¡°What is our plan?¡±

    ¡°Plan?¡±

    ¡°Do not pretend that you are not skeptic of the invitation. I do not believe for a second that you have not devised some plan for all of us to effectively do our skillset tonight.¡±

    ¡°It does seem highly unlikely that you would be unprepared,¡± Serenity said.

    Levi frowned, ¡°Am I that predictable?¡±

    ¡°When it comes to protecting yourself and your friends, yes, yes you are,¡± Vapor said.

    Levi pointed back and forth between Serenity and Vapor, ¡°you two becoming friends might have been a mistake. This feeding off each other thing is bleh,¡± Levi said. The two chuckled in the way a smoke spirit and an aura dragon do.

    ¡°The plan?¡± Vapor asked again.

    ¡°Okay here¡¯s the plan¡­¡±

    ***

    ¡°Do you understand the plan?¡± Finley said to Bradley.

    ¡°Yes father, it makes perfect sense. I understand my role, where I should be positioned, who I shall interact with, and the time I make my move. I have that all in my memory.¡±

    ¡°Very good, son. Tonight will be a night that all see the true danger a summoner is.¡± Finley and Bradley both laughed at their masterful plan. As they were laughing, Monika walked in with her mother. The two were dressed in long orange gowns with long sleeves, and the house crest was stitched on them.

    ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± Monika asked, looking at Bradley suspiciously.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Finley said. ¡°Where is Simon?¡±

    ¡°He said he would meet up there,¡± Monika explained. ¡°I believe he was planning on bringing a date to the gala. Something about showing the upper echelons of society that he is taken. I do not know for certain; he¡¯s a teenager, I hardly understand teenagers.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s dating someone?¡± Bradley asked.

    ¡°Apparently,¡± Monika said. ¡°Some elaborate scheme he has been planning for weeks to show her off at the gala. I have no idea if she is a royal or not. All I know was that he will be walking into the event with her around his arm.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Finley said. ¡°Fine with me.¡±

    ***

    Simon Calder slipped out of the mansion early and undetected so that he could enact his grand plan. Just as Simon was leaving, he ran into his sister, who was lurking in the shadows.

    ¡°Where are you off to brother?¡± Monika asked.

    ¡°To the restaurant, I¡¯m hungry; please inform our parents that I will arrive at the gala after I eat my dinner. I look forward to seeing you in person.¡±

    ¡°I am no messenger,¡± Monika said.

    ¡°Then do not tell them anything, see if I care,¡± he cared a little bit, but that wasn¡¯t the point right now. Right now, Simon had to hurry to get to the designated location he had chosen. He could not be late for the meeting space. As he arrived at the park, he saw a girl sitting on a bench. She was a little older than him, just leaving her teenage years. She had fair skin with short, straight blond hair. Her eyes were brown she had slight freckles on her face.

    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± she said.

    ¡°I got stopped by my sister,¡± Simon said. She frowned and stood up. She was much smaller than the Calder teenager.

    ¡°Well I guess it doesn''t matter; you¡¯re here now. Are you sure you want to go through with this Si?¡±

    Simon straightened his coat, ¡°I do; it¡¯s time we stop living in fear of judgment. I love you, Gracilyn, and I want my family to know about it. I cannot keep sneaking around like this anymore.¡±

    ¡°If you insist,¡± she got on her tippy toes to kiss him on the mouth. ¡°I love you too, Simon. I hope this little plan of yours works. But I trust you, and I am excited to be accepted.¡± She hugged him tight. Simon kissed her forehead.

    After the two¡¯s embrace ended, they let go. Simon reached out his hand and pushed her hair back behind her tapered ears.

    ***

    Teresa Avington was getting ready for the gala in her large powder room with her three daughters. She always enjoyed this time with the girls, as it was a chance for them to catch up. She was braiding her hair before getting to her daughters'' hair. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Izzy, darling, you seem nervous what is wrong?¡± Teresa asked.

    ¡°I just hope they say yes,¡± Izzy said. ¡°I want them to say yes, they will be my ticket to growth and advancement.¡±

    ¡°Surely, they are not your only option,¡± Teresa asked. ¡°I am sure they will say yes, though, dear, do not worry. You¡¯ll get wrinkles.¡± Izzy deepened her furrowed eyebrows. Teresa scoffed and continued. ¡°Your father and I are quite keen on meeting the young man who took you on such a delightful date.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t embarrass me,¡± Izzy said. ¡°That goes for all of you, especially you Jenna.¡± Jenna held her hand to her face in mock offense.

    ¡°I have never done anything embarrassing in my life before, mind your manners,¡± Jenna said. Izzy rolled her eyes.

    ¡°I have no intentions of speaking to him or to anyone really. I hate these social events,¡± Bekka said. ¡°They are stupid boys trying to get me to dance or date me¡­ can¡¯t they see that I¡¯m far too young for any of that?¡±

    ¡°Sweety you¡¯re 17,¡± Teresa said.

    ¡°Yes, exactly thank you mom for understanding!¡± Bekka said. ¡°I¡¯m just going to find my corner and watch my tablet for any spikes in the magic around, for my research.¡±

    ¡°If you insist, my love,¡± Teresa said. Understanding that arguing with Bekka about this was entirely fruitless.

    ¡°Did you and dad finalize the scouts?¡± Jenna asked.

    ¡°Are you suspecting there to be an issue?¡± Izzy asked.

    Teresa nodded. She made her way over to Jenna and began braiding her hair. ¡°We are. Yes, we have hired several Spies to survey and report. They are new and not known by the other houses.¡±

    ¡°For what reason?¡± Izzy asked.

    ¡°Because there is a summoner coming,¡± Jenna said. ¡°The other families may not be happy and try to do something to him.¡±

    ¡°Levi can handle himself,¡± Izzy said.

    ¡°It is not a matter of handling one self, Izzy. It is about making sure the other houses are not assuming that we are attempting to make a play for control. You understand that your father and I have no desire for leadership of the city. However, the other houses do not believe us when we say that. This is why we have people who can let us now of in impending trouble that may be rising up.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Izzy said. ¡°Politics.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Teresa nodded.

    ¡°What happens if there is something nefarious going on?¡±

    ¡°We rush to put an end to it before it blows up too much,¡± Teresa said. ¡°That isn¡¯t any of your concern, though. Leave that up for us to deal with. If there are any pressing issues, we will let you know.¡± Izzy nodded; she knew there was no point in arguing over the plans her father and mother made. The two of them worked well together and had many plans with contingency, none of which involved Izzy or her sisters.

    ***

    Louis Qu¡¯ant was sitting at his desk, looking at a map of the world. It had been many, many years since his great grandfather had disappeared¡ªErnest Qu¡¯ant. Louis didn¡¯t believe for one second that he was dead; he firmly believed that Ernest had reached 5-star or was still working on reaching it. Louis¡¯ father and his father¡¯s father all believed the same thing: Ernest was still alive somewhere. They had spent the majority of their lives searching for any clue to his existence.

    Louis continued to carry that mantle. The map he was looking at was one filled out by previous explorers. He had looked at it for years, and nothing had changed¡ªuntil about a year ago when something did change. Several dots appeared on the map. There were three dots in the Onyx kingdom; over the years, the dots slowly disappeared, not all at once. Then, there was a dot in Capital City. Louis had gone to the location in the city where the dot was supposed to be but found nothing. He had no idea what the dots meant.

    He pulsed his mana to update the map, which he did every few weeks in case something changed. The dot in the city faded away, and his eyes grew wide. Louis had yet to tell anyone that dots had appeared on the map. It wasn''t something that he felt anyone would believe him. Especially not his Uncle. He loved Paule and trusted him with his life. Louis knew Paule wanted him to give it up and focus on something more productive and worthwhile.

    Louis just couldn''t; something was driving him forward. Louis looked at the fading dot within the city, thinking about what could have caused it to fade.

    ¡°Sir Louis,¡± a male voice said from the doorway.

    ¡°Yes, Uncle?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Are you ready for the gala?¡±

    ¡°As ready as I¡¯ll ever be,¡± Louis said. He hadn¡¯t looked up from the map during the conversation.

    ¡°Dressed like that?¡± His uncle asked. Louis looked up with a wry smile.

    ¡°Obviously, I will change,¡± Louis said. ¡°But what are you wearing?¡± Louis said, trying to hide a laugh. Paule was wearing a tailored suit that fit looser with a Ranger¡¯s cloak over it. He had his trusty weapon strapped to his wrist. The outfit looked ridiculous, a clash of combat and formal ready, in all the ways that didn¡¯t mix well.

    ¡°I am still your guard, even at these social events,¡± Paule said. ¡°However, I refuse to look like a guard only. There are people to impress after all.¡±

    ¡°People?¡± Louis said with an eyebrow raised. ¡°Who are you trying to impress Uncle?? I have to know because I would love to spend my entire night watching you flirt. Nothing would bring me greater joy.¡±

    ¡°Finding Ernest would,¡± Paule said, nodding at the map.

    ¡°Okay, nothing else would bring me greater joy. Don¡¯t avoid the question?¡±

    ¡°Do not worry about my affairs, nephew,¡± Paule said in his best old sage voice. Louis scoffed and rolled his eyes. ¡°What are your plans for the night?¡±

    ¡°To talk to the summoner,¡± Louis said. ¡°I heard that he has familiars, maybe anyone would be able to help me out with this. I have seen nothing different over the year. After the dots appeared a little over a year ago. Maybe he has a familiar that was traveling around this massive planet.¡±

    ¡°And what if he refuses to let you speak to his familiar?¡± Paule asked.

    ¡°From the intel, I have on the man, that seems highly unlikely,¡± Louis countered. If he does, then I will try to convince him. I am not going to use my strength to force him; that is not who I am. I do have a lot of things I could offer; maybe bribery would be better.¡±

    ¡°So your moral compass is loose until torture. Bribery is totally fine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d say so. I¡¯m not a perfect man. My moral compass is not always pointing north, but I do not believe torturing a summoner is a good idea. I¡¯ll go get ready now,¡± he said, rolling up the map. As he had one final glance, his mind couldn¡¯t stop thinking about how that last dot had disappeared within the last few weeks.

    ***

    Levi walked out of his room, where Tycen, Anna, and Piper were waiting for him. Piper whistled as he walked out.

    ¡°Well damn,¡± Piper said. ¡°You look amazing.¡± Levi looked at Piper, and his throat immediately dried while looking at her. He tried to speak, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was, ¡°Whoa.¡± Piper laughed and walked over to him; she kissed his cheek, ¡°I¡¯ll take whoa.¡± She was wearing a formfitting yellow jumpsuit. The jumpsuit clung to her body perfectly, showing off her impressive physique. Her hair was up in a bun with two curls shaping her face. She had a shawl around her neck and shoulders, it had a pattern of gemstones, dark black, it was something clearly showing she was from the Onyx kingdom.

    ¡°You look incredible,¡± Levi finally got out.

    ¡°She certainly does,¡± Anna said, beaming. Anna was wearing a dark green gown with a light coat over her shoulders. The coat was the same pattern and design as Piper¡¯s Shawl. Tycen was wearing a fancy purple tunic that matched his hair. He wore a black coat over it, with brown pants and brown shoes. The brown matched the color of his wings.

    ¡°We all look good,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Now that we have the looks out of the way, what¡¯s our game plan?¡±

    ¡°Survive,¡± Levi said. Piper lightly slapped his chest, shushing him.

    ¡°No,¡± Anna said with a chuckle. "Your goal is to find out if Izzy is good to join our team or not; do that. We are leaving in two days; find out any information you can on the best path back and if there are any dungeons or places we need to avoid. Most likely, everyone at the gala will have some interest in adventuring, which we can use to our advantage.¡±

    ¡°Gather information,¡± Levi said. ¡°Got it.¡±

    ¡°The best way to do that is to trade stories,¡± Anna said. ¡°Since we are the guests, our job will be to listen. Never begin with your own story; always start with listening. Then if they ask, we may share our stories that are relevant.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have very many,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯d prefer not to announce that I am an otherworlder with a chaos affinity; just doesn¡¯t seem like a good business decision.¡±

    ¡°Sensible,¡± Anna said. ¡°I do want you to tell stories, and I have a feeling you will be the one most will want to talk to.¡±

    ¡°Good lord I hope not,¡± Levi said.

    Tycen put a hand on his shoulder, ¡°Sorry buddy, you¡¯re a summoner with familiars, from a foreign land. A land that actually has a summoner¡¯s guild. Getting people to not talk to you will be challenging enough. Those are things that people haven¡¯t experienced. The younger crowd will be jealous the older crowd will be curious.¡±

    ¡°What happens if the jealousy turns violent?¡±

    ¡°Then you better win,¡± Piper said. The rest of the group laughed, all besides Levi. ¡°Oh come on Levi. We all know you¡¯re the strongest. Anyone who messes with a summoner is asking for a loss on their record. That shouldn¡¯t happen.¡±

    ¡°Piper is right, people are afraid of what they do not know. No one really knows about summoners besides false history. Look at us. I thought less of you when we first met because of your summoner class. You single-handedly won the battle of the guilds; no other class could do that solo. That is impressive and should fill you with some confidence. You are good.¡±

    ¡°The best summoner I have ever met,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°I¡¯m the only summoner you¡¯ve ever met,¡± Levi said with a flat look.

    ¡°And yet you are the best,¡± she giggled and gave him a cheeky smile. Levi returned her smile with a failed smirk. ¡°Are we splitting up or sticking together?¡±

    ¡°Tycen and I will split up, you two go together,¡± Anna said. ¡°Tycen will be busy with the Avingtons, I¡¯m sure of it. The two of you would just be best together, I have a fear that some families might want to throw their young scions at you Levi. Piper is a great deterrent.¡±

    ¡°Less of a deterrent and more of intimidation,¡± Piper said. Her face grew a smile of pure malice. Levi narrowed his eyes at her; she broke under the scrutiny and giggled. ¡°Maybe not. Mostly there to let families know that they can¡¯t just push women on to you.¡±

    ¡°Why is there such a fascination here with summoners when in your homeland they are hated?¡±

    ¡°That actually is a good question,¡± Tycen added.

    ¡°I believe the issue my family has with you is not the fact that you are a summoner but that you have an affinity for chaos. Which led to assumptions you were the one set to bring doom to the world.¡±

    ¡°That does make more sense,¡± Levi said. ¡°I guess at the school people accepted me they just thought I was weak.¡±

    ¡°Expect more posturing like that tonight,¡± Anna said. "Either way, we should get going; it will take an hour or so to get there.¡±

    ¡°We need to find a vehicle,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I agree, perhaps that is something we can find out tonight.¡±

 Authors Note

    Hey everyone, it¡¯s C.D. Edward here. First of all, I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for reading the Familiar Summoner. Secondly, I have seen your comments and I appreciate the feedback. This is what I get when I try to write different series at a time; I make mistakes. But in all honesty, I wanted to push myself and release chapters as a part of the Writathon here on Royal Road, which is why the rhythm has been a chapter a day.

    Thankfully, I was able to complete it, which meant some work was posted that was not of the highest quality. I apologize for that; again, I was trying to challenge myself, and I did it (yay!). I don¡¯t have a team of editors; I just write for fun and post on here to get some exposure and maybe (Fingers crossed) get the series published. Is that an excuse to release an abundance of mistakes? No, of course not; I''m just trying to add some context to who I am as an author. That being said, I will be reducing the production of the Familiar Summoner Book Two from posting every day to a more infrequent pace (the pace in which I will be posting is still to be determined, depending on how the editing process takes, but I hope to have a rhythm still even if it is only once or twice a week.). This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    During that time, I will be going through both books once again and making some edits. This means if you have been here for a bit you might not see those changes, if you are new and you¡¯re still reading this note, I hope those changes have been made. Either way, I will seek to amend all the mistakes that have been pointed out or that I have caught myself. I am grateful for your patience and feedback.

    I will be fixing some mistakes, including continuity/consistency, grammar mistakes, potential unintended changes in character personalities and abilities, some magic systems, familiars, etc. Once again, thanks for reading/commenting/and your patience. I really appreciate it.

    Best,

    C.D. Edward

 Chapter 70 - Avingtons Gala (2/4) - Social Events SUCK

    Beams of light shot into the sky outside the Avingtons'' compound. Different modes of transportation were dropping off esteemed guests, and servants were taking the transportation to a specific location. Everyone was dressed to the nines. Levi observed and found it funny that valets transcended worlds. Apparently, so did skylights, which showed everyone that this was the place to be. He awkwardly adjusted his blazer. He was not a fan of large social events.

    What was interesting were all the types of vehicles: carriages, wagons, land boats, animals-pulled vehicles, and some personal hovercrafts. Levi kept notes as it would be helpful for them to have some transportation, especially if the journey back to Arcross would take two months by foot. That was a long time walking. Piper tugged his arm, shaking him from his thoughts.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± she whispered, her breath tickling his ear. He couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi replied. ¡°I was just looking at the vehicles, it might be good to get one.¡±

    ¡°Not a chance,¡± Piper said. ¡°We have to get you to 4-star and that won¡¯t happen by taking a vehicle instead of training.¡± Levi frowned, but Piper was right. He had to train, and the few days they had been in the city were the first days of rest that he had had since coming to the world. Levi missed working out for quite possibly the first time in his life. He chuckled to himself. <i>Oh, how times have changed,</i> he thought.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± he responded. The team approached the gate, where they were met by a guard who wore what looked like light warrior armor¡ªblack leather armor with the house colors on their cloaks.

    ¡°Invitations?¡± the guard asked rudely.

    ¡°We do not have any former papers,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Then turn around and leave, this is a private event,¡± the guard replied, shooing the team away.

    ¡°We were personally invited by Izzy Avington,¡± Anna said. ¡°We are not leaving.¡±

    The guard sighed and pulled out a shell, he spoke into it, ¡°Lady Izzy, did you invite an avian and some other humans?¡± The guard¡¯s voice was flat and unamused. He nodded his head as he listened. He frowned as the words continued to stream through. Levi looked at the others.

    ¡°Sheesh,¡± he mouthed. ¡°He must be getting chewed out.¡±

    ¡°No kidding,¡± Anna mouthed.

    ¡°My apologies, sir¡­ I didn¡¯t know, I uh, yessir,¡± the guard stammered. He looked up at the group. ¡°Here,¡± he handed them the shell.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Ahh, you must be Silvey,¡± a male voice from the shell said. ¡°I am Lord Tiberius Avington, I do apologize for my uninformed guard. I heard he was quite rude to our esteemed guest, which, of course, is unbecoming of someone employed by the Avingtons. As I was not there personally, I would like to extend an offer. You may decide the punishment of the guard as my way of apologizing.¡± The guard audibly gulped at the words from his boss. Levi looked at Anna, and she made a motion for him to calm down.

    ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Tiberius. We humbly accept your invitation and apologies. If I may be so bold as to say your guard was doing what he was told and keeping the riff-raff out, and he did just that. I accept your offer and I wish that nothing happens to the uninformed guard, if that is alright with you, lord?¡±

    There was a pause. Levi could feel the guard trembling with fear and nervousness. Finally, Tiberius spoke up, ¡°Very noble of you, Lady Silvey. I do appreciate your willingness to extend your mercy. I look forward to meeting you inside. Jeffery, you may let them pass. Please be wise not to let it happen again.¡± The guard saluted, then returned the shell to his pocket.

    ¡°Th-thank you,¡± the guard stammered.

    ¡°Maybe next time you will not be so rude,¡± Anna said. She pushed past the guard as they made their way into the gala.

    ***

    Tiberius Avington was talking with a professor from the Ranger guild about the previous battle of the guilds. In a shocking turn of events, the favored Ranger team lost to a lower-matched warrior team. The two were discussing what went wrong and how the ranger team would learn and ultimately be better as adventurers in the future. During the conversation a servant holding a shell approached. Tiberius knew what this shell was and knew that there must have been a problem at the gate.

    ¡°Lady Izzy, did you invite an avian and some other humans?¡± The guard¡¯s voice was flat and unamused.

    ¡°This is not Lady Izabelle, Benjamin. Why are you trying to reach my daughter?¡± Tiberius said. Benjamin remained deathly still. ¡°Don¡¯t speak. Yes, she did invite someone to the gala. Do you think our house to be so weak that people would dare LIE to enter our gala without serious repercussions?¡± Tiberius waited for a response. ¡°Well?¡±

    ¡°My apologies, sir¡­¡± Benjamin stammered.  ¡°I-I didn¡¯t know.¡¯

    ¡°It is my fault because you do not know? This interrupted a quite riveting conversation that I was having. Give them the shell.¡±

    ¡°I uh, yessir,¡± the guard stammered. He looked up at the group. ¡°Here,¡± he handed them the shell.

    After Lord Tiberius had ended communication with Anna, he returned his gaze back to the professor.

    ¡°I apologize for the rude interruption. I must seek out my daughter. We shall return to this conversation,¡± Tiberius said. The professor bowed slightly as Tiberius turned the other direction. Searching through the crowd, he was stopped many times by various people wanting to thank him for throwing such a beautiful gala. He nodded at each greeting he got, continuing his way through the crowd.

    Tiberius Avington was no adventurer. He had a 2-star rank, which was respectable in the Qu¡¯ant nation, as most people were 1-star or no-star. He went to the Sorcerer Guild when he was younger because his family were inventors; it is what they do. Tiberius became a great researcher of magical theories, specializing in runic formations. More specifically, how runic formations can help increase the daily lives of those without magic.

    Tiberius focused more on outwitting an opponent rather than being stronger. He focused a lot on runic formations, which were less complicated rituals. As he was not a ritualist, he couldn¡¯t create rituals. Tiberius always wanted to become one but never knew how to actually become one, much like his daughter. Unlike his daughter, he had no desire to become an adventurer. He had responsibilities, and he was old enough to know that being a researcher was his life plan and nothing else.

    ¡°Daughter,¡± Tiberius said, finally reaching Izzy. Your guests are here. I suggest you meet them at the entrance.¡± Izzy turned to look at her father. She was wearing a long, slightly fitted dress with a shawl around her neck. The dress was sparkling with diamond designs. Her blue eyes met her father''s. ¡°Nervous?¡±

    ¡°Very,¡± she said. ¡°Tonight is a big night. They decide if they¡¯ll let me join the team or not.¡± She held her stomach and tried to catch her breath. Tiberius pulled her in for a hug. He didn¡¯t say anything; he just held his daughter until she calmed down. That hadn¡¯t taken very long as she was calm once again. She nodded and then made her way toward the front door.

    ¡°What is this I hear about Benjamin?¡± Teresa said, walking next to her husband.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Oh he isn¡¯t in any real trouble,¡± Tiberius said. ¡°I was just testing Silvey. I am not sure how she is hiding her aura, but she cannot hide her training.¡±

    ¡°Diplomatic training?¡± Teresa asked.

    ¡°Precisely,¡± Tiberius said. ¡°Her words were too measured, her tone was too steady. I was impressed. However the way she communicated only someone who knows what is actually being said would understand.¡±

    ¡°Which she did¡­¡±

    ¡°Which she did,¡± Tiberius nodded. ¡°I have met many young adventurers, even some who are more experienced. For a 3-star rank, she was far too good. Even over the brief interaction. The question is, why is she hiding her identity?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps so she could just be a normal person for once.¡±

    ¡°Then she should choose a less interesting team,¡± Tiberius said with a chuckle. ¡°If she wanted to be a normal person she should not have come to Qu¡¯ant with an avian, an otherwordler, and the only daughter of the second most important family in the entire Onyx kingdom.¡±

    Teresa giggled, ¡°not including the fact that the same daughter was reported to always be by the princess¡¯ side since adult hood. I suppose those are dead giveaways, for anyone paying attention.¡±

    ¡°I assure you,¡± Tiberius said. ¡°We are not the only ones who are paying attention to this team. I just hope they are truly only here temporarily and not for any trouble.¡±

    ***

    ¡°I think I messed up,¡± Anna said as they walked toward the massive house.

    ¡°I think so too,¡± Piper said.

    Tycen and Levi looked at each other. They both shrugged and then turned to the ladies. ¡°Uh, how?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°She was too formal,¡± Piper said. ¡°The type of formal that only royalty or aristocrats understand. All of her training came full force. Of course anyone who hasn¡¯t been trained wouldn¡¯t have noticed.¡±

    ¡°What make you so sure that he knew?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°The way he said Silvey,¡± Anna said. ¡°Slow and drawn out. As if to practice it because he didn¡¯t want to say my real name. Then he called me Lady. That is not a title for those not in the upper echelon of society. Which Silvey is definitely not. It was a subtle nod to let me know he knows.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Levi said. ¡°To be fair it¡¯s probably your fault too, babe?¡±

    ¡°Why my fault?¡±

    ¡°If they know of Princess Anna then they probably know of Princess Anna¡¯s best friend and partner who is apart of a rather important family in the Onyx kingdom going by the name of Vendular. I understand I am not from this world but that seems like a very specific last name.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even think about that,¡± Piper said. ¡°Damn.¡±

    ¡°What is done is done,¡± Anna said. "We need not worry about it; we have a night to be here. Gather as much information as you can. We leave after we complete our shopping in the morning.¡± Everyone nodded as they approached the gilded wooden doors. As they approached, Izzy Avington opened the doors and beamed a smile at Tycen.

    ¡°You look great,¡± she said.

    ¡°As do you lady Izzy,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°Oh stop all of that,¡± she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. As she peeled herself off of him, she turned to the rest of the team. ¡°Hey everyone, sorry about the gate mishaps. I have been assured that it will not happen again.¡±

    ¡°No worries, Izzy,¡± Levi said. ¡°It¡¯s all sorted out anyway. Thanks for having us.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said with a genuine smile. ¡°Follow me.¡± As they walked in, the atmosphere was much calmer than Levi had expected. There was a band playing instruments that were quite similar to the ones that he was used to but had some differences. The sound that came from them was still beautiful. The ballroom was a massive circular room with white pillars lining the center of the ballroom. The floor was an intricate design that had the Avington crest in their traditional house colors. On the outside of the pillars were refreshments, food, drinks, and some tables for sitting and enjoying the time. In the middle of the floor, people were talking and dancing to the music.

    Izzy led the team around the big gala, explaining and introducing them to various people. Most of them were those who worked for the Avingtons, either at the lab or the library. Finally, she led them to a group of people that Levi hadn¡¯t seen before besides one person.

    ¡°You,¡± he sneered.

    ¡°Brandon,¡± Levi said with faux joy. ¡°How are you doing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s BRADLEY!¡± He yelled. ¡°Bradley Calder you peasant. What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Well, the lovely Izzy invited us,¡± Levi said. ¡°Sorry about getting your name wrong, Brady, I just cannot seem to get it to stick.¡±

    ¡°Who is this Bradley?¡± one of the men asked. He was a short man with dark hair and pasty features, just like his sons. Levi assumed him to be the Calder father.

    ¡°This is Levi, Father, the peasant I was telling you about,¡± Bradley said. ¡°Why are you with my fianc¨¦?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the fianc¨¦?¡± Tycen asked.

    ¡°What of it, avian?¡± Bradley shot back.

    ¡°This is so cliche,¡± Levi whispered. ¡°Beautiful smart girl, decent looking jerk, then enters the handsome man to be her hero.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a fairytale you fool, this is real life. I am not a jerk, you¡¯re just beneath me to talk with respect.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Levi said. He narrowed his eyes at Bradley, and he smirked. Piper looked at Levi with slight amazement. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what was your name?¡± Levi asked the father.

    ¡°Lord Finely Calder, you may call me lord Calder,¡± Finely said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be doing that; it¡¯s a little weird,¡± Levi said. ¡°But it was nice to meet you.¡± Levi stook out his hand for the man to shake. He did not; he stared back at his hand with a look of disdain.

    ¡°I do not shake hands with people,¡± Finley said.

    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Levi said. ¡°Izzy, where is your bathroom?¡±

    ¡°That way,¡± she pointed down the hall where there was a small line. ¡°Only a single bathroom so you might have to wait, sorry.¡±

    ¡°No worries, appreciate it,¡± Levi kissed Piper on the cheek. ¡°Bronson, Filet, pleasure to meet you.¡± Levi walked away with a smirk as the two men sneered at him.

    ¡°Mistress Izabelle,¡± Finley said. ¡°We look forward to your first dance with our Bradley tonight, to show the city of your engagement, we are so happy for the two of you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Lord Finley,¡± Izzy said with her best fake smile.

    ¡°Shall we go practice?¡± Bradley asked. Izzy sighed but nodded. She looked back at Tycen with apologetic eyes as Bradley whisked her away to practice her dance moves.

    ¡°Why did you invite them, Izzy?¡± Bradley asked.

    ¡°Because he¡¯s a good guy, Bradley. You don¡¯t want to be married as much as I don¡¯t. Why are you putting on this show?¡±

    ¡°You know my father,¡± Bradley said. ¡°I hate these things. Having to pretend I¡¯m someone I¡¯m not. Did you know he had me go to the restaurant to interrogate that team to provoke a reaction. I don¡¯t care about them.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you went? It wasn¡¯t because of Simon?¡±

    ¡°That little asshole? No, I didn¡¯t even know that he tried to fight a 4-star on the boat until that night. He is lucky they were there to stop him and take out the monster. It was Titan Aura Jellyfish.¡±

    ¡°Was that what the monster was?¡± Izzy gasped. ¡°How did they kill it?¡±

    ¡°I have no clue,¡± Bradley said. ¡°But I do know it was only the men on the team. Piper was down stairs and Silvey was with the captain. Tycen and Levi killed him.¡±

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    ¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re doing Izzy. I may not want to get married to you but I do still care about you. Those guys are dangerous. I¡¯m most worried about Levi.¡±

    ¡°Why Levi?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s always the unassuming ones you have to look out for.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Izzy said. ¡°His familiars that I¡¯ve seen are vicious creatures, so I guess it makes sense.¡±

    Bradley nodded, ¡°I am curious though.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°How many times can he say my name wrong? He hasn¡¯t repeated yet, and it is quite impressive.¡± Izzy laughed at Bradley. Bradley chuckled, then sighed, ¡°You know. I hate being this version that my father and mother want me to be. I¡¯m not a spoiled prick,¡± Izzy gave him a flat look. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m not a spoiled prick anymore. Going to the Ranger¡¯s Guild and then the Adventurer¡¯s Guild changed me a lot. I saw that I don¡¯t really want to be a part of the political family nonsense.¡± Izzy looked at him with kind eyes. ¡°Forced engagements, being a prick, not getting to train the way I want to, not being able to pick the team I want.¡± He shook his head. He walked over to a chair and put his head in his hands.

    ¡°At some point I just want to be my own person. Form my own path. I am envious of people like Levi and Tycen. They get to do what they want, how they want, when they want, without anyone getting in their way.¡±

    ¡°Bradley,¡± Izzy said. Despite their differences, Izzy cared for Bradley as well. She had always seen him as the brat from next door. In fairness to Izzy, he had been. He entered the Ranger¡¯s Guild three years ago and was amazing. After he left, he went straight to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and graduated last year. That was when their fathers told them that they would be getting married. Over the last year, Izzy has seen him grow up and become a different person. ¡°You should leave the city too. Or at least try to.¡±

    ¡°You know I can¡¯t do that, Izzy,¡± Bradley said. ¡°My family would disown me and then I¡¯d have nothing. That¡¯s not something that I want to deal with right now. I have a duty to my family, this city, this nation, you know this.¡±

    ¡°I do. I also know that it will kill you to have to pretend to be this person that you are not any more. You¡¯re not the same kid that I grew up with. That should be celebrated not hidden in the shadows.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Bradley said, looking down. ¡°But there isn¡¯t much I can do about it right now. Your father wants you to explore. Your father wants you to grow and become your own person, and my father wants a puppet for a son.¡±

    ¡°I have an idea,¡± Izzy said. ¡°But it is contingent on what Levi says to me tonight, it just might work.¡±

    While waiting in line for the bathroom, Levi enacted his plan. Dameion left Levi¡¯s body and disappeared into the large ballroom. If anyone around Levi had known him before meeting him for the first time today, they would have recognized something was different about him. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say something was missing. His two familiars, Serenity and Anza, were not with him. Anza usually walked beside him, and Serenity usually sat on his shoulders. But they weren¡¯t there.

 Chapter 71 - Avingtons Gala (3/4) - Gotcha

    ¡°Okay, so the plan,¡± Levi told his familiars earlier that day. ¡°I believe there¡¯s going to be some sort of dual attempt or something to throw me off or expose my affinity. The players in the game know I have at least two familiars¡ªAnza and Serenity. You two won¡¯t be with me.¡±

    ¡°And where will we be?¡± Anza asked.

    ¡°Scouting from the outside,¡± Levi said. ¡°Before we enter the gala, I want you two to scout around and see if there are any dueling arenas or grounds where something like that could take place. While you¡¯re at it, check for any active runes that look suspicious.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡± Serenity asked.

    ¡°Boosts or debuffs,¡± Levi explained. ¡°Anything that could give one opponent an advantage over another.¡± Serenity and Anza nodded to each other.

    ¡°Team Wisps,¡± Levi called. Two Crystal Wisps appeared before him in their companion forms: one a shimmering crystal-blue wisp, the other a glowing white one. The two floated next to each other. ¡°I need you to use your aura-protection ability. I know we haven¡¯t practiced it much, but I believe in you. I¡¯ll need my aura to be as hidden as possible.¡±

    The wisps saluted with their tiny, cute arms.

    ¡°And Dameion,¡± Levi continued, ¡°your mission is to scout the ballroom. Disrupt as many spies as you can. Slowly siphon off their mana¡ªdo what you want with the excess; I don¡¯t care.¡± Dameion nodded its serpentine head.

    ¡°Any questions?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°What shall I do?¡± Vapor asked.

    ¡°How many clones can you make?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Five,¡± Vapor replied.

    ¡°Two with Anza and Serenity, the rest with me. Communicate between your clones and relay any messages they¡ªor I¡ªhave.¡±

    ¡°Communication. That I can do,¡± Vapor said. The team agreed and dispersed.

    At the gate of the Avingtons, Vapor, Anza, and Serenity all left to their respective assignments. Vapor immediately began working on maintaining communication. Dameion and the wisps focused on protecting Levi¡¯s aura. They also kept Levi informed of any unusual aura pressure or magical prodding they detected.

    Outside the building, Anza took on her smaller drone form, as her alpha form was too large. She moved quietly, scanning the area for anything resembling an arena. Serenity, utilizing her aura dragon abilities, turned invisible and flew in a different direction with the same goal in mind.

    As Serenity scouted, she noticed a group of masked humans in dark robes sneaking around the grounds. They hopped over a hedge and entered a secluded space.

    ¡°I¡¯ve located the arena,¡± Serenity reported to Vapor and Anza. ¡°There are people entering it as we speak. I¡¯ll observe and report back.¡±

    Serenity watched as the humans drew small runes on the ground. She recognized this as a <i>Runic Formation</i>, an offshoot of ritual magic. Unlike rituals, which required intricate circles and deep knowledge to function properly, Runic Formations were simpler combinations of runes. Though less powerful, they were effective for long-lasting effects.

    ¡°Are either of you well-versed in Runic Formations?¡± Serenity asked. ¡°They¡¯ve placed a formation¡ªnot simple runes or a ritual circle.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Anza replied.

    ¡°Nor am I,¡± Vapor added. ¡°I¡¯ll inform Levi.¡±

    ¡°Not yet,¡± Serenity said. ¡°Come to me and see for yourselves.¡±

    When Dameion left Levi, it began surveying for obvious spies. Dameion knew what to look for: people who took extra care to retract their auras. The deeper their aura was retracted, the more inconspicuous they tried to appear. Around Levi, Dameion spotted three such individuals. At the moment, they seemed innocent enough.

    Dameion created three marble-sized black hole spheres, its signature method of siphoning mana. The spheres floated invisibly above the targets¡¯ heads¡ªundetectable to the naked eye but noticeable to magical senses if anyone actively searched. Satisfied with its setup, Dameion continued to patrol the gala invisibly.

    Levi watched Dameion fly away. He could always sense where his familiar was. He was finally next in line for the bathroom. In truth, he didn¡¯t need to go; it was just an excuse to slip away and let his familiars work.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that lucky dog Bradley gets to marry the brilliant Izzy,¡± a voice behind Levi said.

    ¡°Top members of the Calders, you know? All they care about is keeping the powerful with the powerful,¡± another replied.

    ¡°But Izzy is so much better¡ªhey, the line moved,¡± the first one said, nudging Levi.

    ¡°My bad,¡± Levi said, stepping forward.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t let it happen again,¡± the man muttered.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got dark skin for a human,¡± the second man remarked. ¡°Where are you from?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Levi said tersely.

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your breath, Tom,¡± the first man said. ¡°It¡¯s not worth talking to trash like him.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Wilm,¡± Tom said smugly.

    ¡°Y¡¯all are bold,¡± Levi said, turning around to face them.

    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Tom asked.

    ¡°Openly complaining about city lords and then having the audacity to look down on me? Make it make sense, fellas,¡± Levi said, his tone sharp. He turned to see the two men. Both had dark hair and pale skin. They were shorter and much skinnier than Levi. ¡°Ah, let me guess¡ªyou¡¯re Calders?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Wilm said, puffing up. ¡°Cousins to Bradley and Monika.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Levi replied nonchalantly, stepping forward again.

    ¡°You know our names. Who are you, nobody?¡±

    ¡°Levi Winters,¡± Levi said, holding out his hand for a handshake. The two men ignored it.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you on that team with the winged freak?¡± Tom sneered. Levi raised an eyebrow but chose not to respond.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you!¡± Tom snapped as Levi stepped into the bathroom.

    When Levi returned, the two Calders were still there, glaring.

    ¡°Word of advice,¡± Levi said as he walked past them, ¡°before you openly declare your racism, you might want to know how strong the advocate for that race is.¡± Levi let a flicker of his aura leak out, just enough to frighten them. The two men paled and scurried off in opposite directions.

    ¡°You know,¡± a voice came from Levi¡¯s right, ¡°some might consider it rude to use your aura like that.¡±

    Levi turned to see a tall, polished man approaching.

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Levi said, his tone measured.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°And yet you just used it on relatives of a city lord. Bold or foolish?¡±

    ¡°The difference isn¡¯t that great,¡± Levi said with a shrug. ¡°But I¡¯ll take foolish.¡±

    ¡°Smart mouth,¡± the man said, smirking. ¡°That might get you hurt.¡±

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d say you¡¯re threatening me,¡± Levi said, his tone light but his eyes sharp.

    The man raised his voice, ensuring others would hear. ¡°I believe it¡¯s time your disrespect ends here!¡±

    Heads turned to the commotion. The man gestured dramatically. ¡°You¡¯ve insulted the Calder family during the Avingtons¡¯ Gala¡ªa time for unity and fun. Have you no shame, outsider?¡±

    ¡°That was... theatrical,¡± Levi said under his breath. ¡°What¡¯s your play here?¡±

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± a new voice interrupted.

    Levi looked up to see a striking man with green eyes. His presence was commanding, and Levi sensed he was no ordinary guest.

    ¡°None of your concern, Lord Louis,¡± the first man said. ¡°Just an outsider disrespecting me and my family. I propose a duel in the dueling arena!¡±

    ¡°I hardly see how that¡¯s necessary, Lord Finley,¡± Louis said coolly.

    Levi studied Louis. The man was tall, classically handsome, and radiated strength. His aura hinted at peak three-star power, much like Finley, who seemed more agitated than formidable.

    ¡°Are you a coward, summoner?¡± Finley taunted.

    ¡°No... well, yes?¡± Levi replied with a laugh. ¡°I suppose there are moments I could be less cowardly.¡±

    ¡°So you admit it! Prove to everyone here why being a summoner is superior to the other classes.¡±

    ¡°I have nothing to prove to you,¡± Levi said, brushing past him.

    Finley grabbed Levi¡¯s arm, halting him.

    ***

    Lord Louis Qu¡¯ant put away his map and made his way to the gala. He had one goal in mind: find the summoner and talk to him. He wanted to get a feel for the foreigner. Maybe Louis could find just enough information to trust the summoner to divulge the secrets of the map. He had guessed that the team had some connection to the dots since a dot had disappeared upon their arrival.

    Louis arrived at the gala with his uncle in tow. He was wearing a fancy white cloak with gold trim and the crest of the Qu¡¯ant family. His clothes were expensive, and they looked expensive. Which made sense; he was perhaps the most notable person in the city, if not the nation, a direct descendant of the nation¡¯s founder.

    ¡°Do you plan to seek the team first or socialize?¡± Paule asked.

    ¡°Socialize,¡± Louis responded. "It is no use causing more political drama by showing interest in the foreign team.¡±

    ¡°It is your duty to interact with the citizens, it would not be too out of the ordinary to approach with an introduction.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Louis nodded. He looked around the room. He looked at Paule. ¡°Uncle, do you notice all the people trying to mask their auras?¡±

    ¡°They are failing at it,¡± Paule said. ¡°It is too obvious. Some belong to the Calders, others to the Avingtons.¡±

    ¡°What are they up to?¡±

    ¡°I would assume the Avingtons are seeking information, the Calders trouble, I would assume that Lord Finley is up to no good.¡±

    Louis agreed with the sentiment, ¡°Perhaps I should go straight to the summoner.¡± Louis made his way through the ballroom and spotted the avian. It was well known that the avian was on the same team as the summoner. As he approached, he saw only three beings: two female humans and one avian. He frowned.

    ¡°Ahh Lord Louis,¡± Tiberius said. ¡°Allow me to introduce our guests.¡± Tiberius bowed slightly, and Louis nodded his head. ¡°This is Tycen, Piper, and Silvey.¡± Louis noted the slight hesitation in Tiberius¡¯ words as he said the last name. He managed his face to show no recognition of the change in pace.

    ¡°Welcome to our humble city,¡± Louis said. ¡°I am Louis Qu¡¯ant, one of the city lords of Captial City. This is my uncle Paule Qu¡¯ant.¡±

    ¡°Pleasure is all ours, lords,¡± Anna said with a bow. Piper followed the bow, and Tycen nodded. ¡°Thank you for welcoming us with such generosity. Our stay has been most wonderful.¡±

    ¡°Naturally, I am thrilled to hear. Say, Silvey, was it? You are well trained in decorum; which house do you hail from in the Onyx Kingdom?¡± Louis asked.

    Anna paled for a second, then gathered her composure, ¡°I apologize, I fail to grasp your meaning.¡±

    ¡°Well, you and Lady Piper here are both wearing cloaks that belong to the houses of the Onyx kingdom, anyone who has been to the kingdom on a diplomatic endeavor would recognize the material. As well as, Lady Piper Vendular is the only daughter to the most prominent house of the Onyx kingdom, apart from the Lord Onyx¡¯s family themselves. I would find it quite odd that a young lady with such a pedigree as hers would travel with anyone from the kingdom, let alone join her team,¡± Louis said. He had a smug look on his face. A look that said GOTCHA.

    Anna conceded defeat and bowed her head. ¡°Worry not princess,¡± Louis said, flashing a smile at Tiberius. ¡°Your secret is safe with us. As long as you are not here as a spy for your father, then you are welcome to stay.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, lord Louis,¡± Anna said, still with her head bowed.

    ¡°None of that lord stuff,¡± Louis waved his hand. ¡°Do understand we are not fools. It is well known that Lady Piper was on a team with you princess, she did not disguise her name and yet there was a human woman who no one had ever heard of. Your team is extraordinary, particularly in this city. A lady of the house Vendular, an avian, a summoner, and then there was you, Silvey. Perhaps try hiding all of your team next time.¡±

    ¡°Or be who you are,¡± Tiberius said. ¡°The suspicion came when you were under disguise. We have no quarrels with the Onyx kingdom and are honored that you would come and visit.¡±

    ¡°I apologize, we had not anticipated staying so long. I wanted to keep anonymity so that we could gather the necessary supplies before our journey back to the Onyx kingdom,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You plan on traveling by foot?¡± Louis asked.

    ¡°We do,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s at least a 60 day journey,¡± Louis mused. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°To get stronger,¡± Piper said. ¡°Dungeons, monsters, opportunity to grow is abundant.¡±

    ¡°That is true,¡± Louis said. ¡°There are small towns along the way that will likely have monster notices. If you would be so kind as to help the smaller towns by clearing some of those notices?¡±

    ¡°We can do that,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°These city-lords, thank you for doing that. We try to send teams to visit the smaller towns but there are so many that we cannot get to them for months on end, it is hard for them. The adventuring guild had helped speed up that process but it is not that simple.¡±

    ¡°Naturally,¡± Anna nodded. "If you would like us to follow a specific route or visit specific towns, could you provide a map?¡±

    ¡°You would do that?¡± Tiberius said with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°That¡¯s what Levi would want us to do,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Is he your leader?¡± Louis asked. ¡°The mysterious summoner?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly our leader,¡± Piper said. ¡°He wants to help as many people as possible, he would have asked the same thing as Anna.¡±

    ¡°He is the reason why I asked,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°I see, very noble,¡± Louis said. ¡°Say, where is the young summoner?¡±

    ¡°He went to the bathroom,¡± Piper said. ¡°Over there,¡± she pointed in the direction where Levi was.

    ¡°Perhaps I shall go and introduce myself,¡± Louis said. ¡°That line does not seem to be progressing.¡±

    ¡°If you wish,¡± Anna said. ¡°It was a pleasure to meet you, lord.¡±

    ¡°Likewise Princess, I will be sure to find you before the gala is over, to provide you with the maps. When do you plan on leaving?¡±

    ¡°First thing, midday tomorrow?¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Understood,¡± he said with a nod, then walked toward Levi. ¡°So, he wants to help people? Do you think I could tell him about the map of Ernest?¡±

    ¡°If that is what you choose,¡± Paule said. ¡°I would recommend scoping him out personally before any major decision, such as that.¡±

    ¡°Sensible,¡± Louis nodded. Louis frowned as he saw a man approach Levi. It wasn¡¯t the fact that someone approached Levi when he was on his way. He was Louis Qu¡¯ant; that meant nothing. It was the man who approached him. Finley Calder. Finley was not a subtle man, and he was aggressive and paranoid. Not a great combination.

    Louis had known Finley for quite some time. He could tell when the city-lord was agitated, and he was agitated. Louis couldn¡¯t make out the words that were being said, but he still approached with his goal in mind.

    ¡°Is there a problem here?¡±

    Levi looked down at the hand gripping his arm. ¡°Please let go.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare walk away from me!¡± Finley spat.

    ¡°Or what, Mr. Calder?¡± Levi said calmly.

    ¡°It¡¯s <i>Lord</i> Calder to you! Or I¡¯ll teach you a lesson right here and now.¡± Mana surged from Finley¡¯s cloak, swirling in a bright orange light that engulfed his smaller frame. When the light faded, he stood clad in combat gear, a wand in his hand.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Levi mused, his eyes glinting with the soft glow of his wisps. Finley¡¯s gear was an expensive hybrid between wizardry robes and a fighter¡¯s uniform, its tiger-like black and orange pattern bold and intimidating.

    <hr>

    <b>Quest: Duel</b><b>

    </b><i>You have been challenged to a duel by Lord Finley Calder. Win the duel.</i><i>

    </i><i>Reward: Essence of Wishes</i>

    <hr>

    ¡°Double interesting,¡± Levi muttered, glancing at the quest prompt. ¡°If you insist.¡±

    <i>Levi</i> Vapor¡¯s voice echoed in his mind.

    <i>Go ahead,</i> Levi replied silently.

    <i>The dueling arena has been located. Runic formations are present, likely a trap. Proceed with caution.</i>

    <i>Got it. Thanks,</i> Levi thought back.

    ¡°Take this to the arena, Finley,¡± Tiberius¡¯ booming voice interrupted, commanding attention. ¡°You know the rules.¡±

    Finley rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically. ¡°Fine. Five minutes, peasant.¡± He spun on his heel and marched toward the dueling arena.

    ¡°What does he think he¡¯s doing?¡± Louis asked his companion, Paule, as they watched Finley storm off. ¡°He¡¯s stronger than the summoner, but this won¡¯t prove anything.¡±

    Paule shrugged.

    Louis turned to Levi. ¡°I heard you¡¯re leaving midday tomorrow. If you¡¯re still able, I¡¯d like to visit your team in the morning. Good luck¡ªLord Finley is a talented sorcerer.¡± With that, Louis nodded politely and followed the crowd heading to the arena.

    As the gala emptied, Levi reunited with his team. He immediately hugged Piper.

    ¡°This is most definitely a setup,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°It does seem that way,¡± Anna agreed.

    ¡°Anza and Serenity found some runic formations near the arena,¡± Levi explained as they walked. ¡°Not sure what they do yet, but I can¡¯t imagine they¡¯re good.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Piper frowned. ¡°I doubt it. But good thing you¡¯re <i>you.</i>¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Levi chuckled.

    ¡°She means you¡¯re resourceful and a good fighter. These people have probably never fought a summoner before,¡± Tycen said confidently. ¡°They clearly have no idea what they¡¯re up against.¡±

 Chapter 72 - Avingtons Gala (4/4) - Duel

    Bradley and Izzy were practicing their dance when they heard the music stop, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps approaching them. The first to enter the ballroom was Bradley¡¯s father, Finley, dressed in full combat gear. He didn¡¯t spare a glance at the engaged couple as he stormed past them. Behind him came a large crowd, most of the guests from the gala, heading toward the dueling arena.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Bradley asked Monika, who was standing nearby in the hall.

    ¡°Apparently, that same summoner disrespected Father,¡± Monika explained, her lips curling into a sinister grin. ¡°Father¡¯s going to teach him a lesson. I¡¯ll save you two lovebirds a seat.¡±

    Bradley knew this was the plan all along. It was likely that Levi hadn¡¯t even said anything to his father to trigger such a reaction. Finley had been waiting for an opportunity to fight a summoner to make several points: first, that summoners deserved to be eliminated because they were weak; second, that the Calders were a family not to be trifled with; and third, that the Calders should be in charge of the city due to their superior strength. Bradley, while ambivalent toward the summoner, knew his father was strong.

    ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± Izzy said quietly.

    ¡°No,¡± Bradley agreed. ¡°No, it is not.¡±

    ¡°Where is your dad now?¡± Izzy asked.

    ¡°Upper mid-3-star,¡± Bradley replied. ¡°He stopped training as much for political pursuits. The only person in the city who ranks higher than him is Lord Louis.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully, the lord won¡¯t let your dad do too much damage,¡± Izzy said.

    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely he¡¯ll intervene,¡± Bradley said, shaking his head. ¡°This isn¡¯t his fight, and interfering with another house¡¯s dispute would be seen as disrespectful.¡±

    Izzy frowned. ¡°That makes sense. Stupid, but it makes sense.¡± The crowd had thinned in the hall, leaving only Izzy, Bradley, and Levi¡¯s team.

    ¡°Be careful, Levi,¡± Izzy said. ¡°Lord Finley is no slouch in combat.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the concern. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure,¡± Bradley said, his usual smug tone gone, replaced with genuine concern. ¡°My father is a lot of things, but as a combat duelist, he¡¯s possibly the best.¡±

    Levi looked at Bradley with surprise. ¡°That was surprisingly helpful, Bertrum.¡±

    Bradley gave a small, amused shake of his head. Levi noticed the subtle smile and smirked. ¡°So it was all an act?¡±

    ¡°It was,¡± Bradley said. ¡°Everything my father wanted me to be.¡±

    ¡°But not who you are?¡±

    ¡°Not anymore,¡± Bradley replied. ¡°I used to be that stuck-up prick. Three years ago, that all changed. But it doesn¡¯t matter now. Be careful, Levi. He¡¯s planning to make an example of you.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Levi said. ¡°You¡¯ll have to tell me about your change sometime. I¡¯ll be fine, though. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Why are you so confident?¡± Bradley asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s never fought a summoner before,¡± Levi said. ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as he thinks.¡± With a smirk, he walked down the hallway. A puff of white smoke enveloped his body, and he emerged in his combat robes. Bradley admired the cloak flowing behind him. It was a picturesque sunset over a calm gradient sky¡ªso peaceful, so beautiful. But Izzy nudged him out of his thoughts, and they followed Levi¡¯s team toward the dueling arena.

    Levi stepped into the massive circular arena, which reminded him of the coliseum. Across the sandy floor stood Finley, glaring at Levi. Levi conjured his sword of Veluvius and held it firmly in his hand. He felt Serenity and Anza return to his body as he crossed the threshold. The arena could seat a few thousand people, and many of the seats were filled. The atmosphere was electric, and Levi couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    He thought about his sisters, division-one volleyball players who had made the Olympic team for their country. He¡¯d attended many of their games, sitting in arenas three times the size of this one. He remembered watching them step out onto the court, greeted by the roar of the crowd.

    ¡°What¡¯s it like?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s what like, Levi?¡± Ally, his oldest sister, asked.

    ¡°Walking out of the locker room into a packed arena?¡±

    ¡°Electrifying,¡± she said, her eyes wide with excitement. ¡°Especially when it¡¯s an away game. The crowd¡¯s booing you as you walk out. It fills me with determination.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Levi said, the memory vivid. He had never experienced that feeling, but right now, standing in this arena, he felt it. A rush of adrenaline filled him, just as Ally had described. He was filled with determination, just like she had been. A single tear slid down his cheek. He missed her, missed these moments. He imagined how excited his family would be to see him right now. Levi was a changed man. He was determined, motivated, and passionate.

    He wiped the tear away and stored the memory. A smile spread across his face. All it took was being transported to a magical world for him to feel connected to his sisters again. Whatever it takes, he thought. I love and miss you, Ally. I can see why you loved this feeling. The crowd began to boo as he stepped into the arena, and Levi smiled. Oh yeah, he was going to enjoy this.

    ¡°Look, he¡¯s already crying before the duel started!¡± Finley boomed. The crowd erupted in laughter.

    ¡°Why was he crying?¡± Izzy asked.

    ¡°Probably something from his past,¡± Piper said. ¡°But if anything, it¡¯s happy tears.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen that look before,¡± Tycen said. ¡°He¡¯s going to destroy him.¡±

    Without further ado, Finley attacked. A bolt of orange plasma shot from his wand. Levi swiftly moved out of the way, but when he tried drawing a ritual circle in the air, something was off. He glanced at Finley, who laughed.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Can¡¯t do your little rituals?¡± Finley cackled. ¡°What good is a summoner with no summons?¡±

    He lifted his wand, and the ground beneath Levi began to glow orange. Levi jumped acrobatically out of the way.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what those formations do,¡± Levi muttered. ¡°Prevent rituals.¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Finley laughed evilly.

    ¡°Oh well,¡± Levi shrugged. ¡°I guess this fight will be over faster since I can¡¯t summon weak beings.¡±

    ¡°Did he just say it would be over faster?¡± Bradley said, incredulously.

    ¡°Such bravado!¡± Finley shouted.

    ¡°You know,¡± Levi said, sheathing his sword. ¡°There¡¯s something about summoners you should learn.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Finley sneered.

    ¡°That, like every class, we evolve at 3-star.¡± Levi pulled out his staff. ¡°I was planning on summoning lower-ranked creatures to mess around and put on a show, but you decided to duel on hard mode.¡±

    Finley¡¯s demeanor shifted as he began to sense something was different about Levi. His eyes narrowed with suspicion.

    ¡°So, Lord Finley,¡± Levi said with a casual tone. ¡°Give up now, or be thoroughly embarrassed.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    That line put a scowl on Finley¡¯s face. His patience snapped. ¡°You little peasant! You dare speak to me that way?¡± he roared. Pillars of orange plasma erupted from the ground, surrounding Levi on all sides. Finley launched bolt after bolt of plasma at him, each one crackling with energy.

    After a huge explosion, the smoke cleared, and Levi stood, untouched. The crowd gasped.

    ¡°Good fight,¡± Levi said, his voice calm. As he spoke, a thick, impenetrable smoke filled his side of the arena, hiding him from sight. Finley stood motionless for a moment, before three orbs shot out from the smoke. He barely managed to dodge them, but as the orbs struck the ground, the area they hit was completely destroyed.

    Finley felt heat closing in on him and spun around, only to see a massive fireball coming toward him. He quickly cast a plasma wall to intercept it, but the explosion sent fire and energy spiraling up the wall.

    Just as he was trying to regain his footing, a metal tentacle grabbed his leg. He screamed in panic as he was pulled toward the smoke. Finley quickly fired a bolt of plasma, severing the tentacle, and scrambled to his feet. But before he could catch his breath, a swarm of blue and white wisps swarmed around him, encircling him from all sides. They weren¡¯t hurting him... yet. They buzzed around him, moving erratically, but their presence was enough to unsettle him.

    Levi emerged from the smoke, nonchalant as ever. He jumped, and the smoke formed a platform beneath his feet, allowing him to rise into the air. The crowd gasped audibly at the sight of the massive dragon and a creature none of them had ever seen before, walking alongside him. The creatures stood at Levi¡¯s side as he flew toward the city lord.

    ¡°But you can¡¯t summon,¡± Finley spat.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Levi replied with a smirk. ¡°They were already summoned. And they are not to be messed with.¡±

    Finley¡¯s eyes hardened with fury. ¡°DIE!¡± he screamed. ¡°Chaotic Storm!¡±

    Dark gray clouds began to form overhead, swirling ominously as red lightning crackled through them. Levi looked up at the storm, his smirk never faltering.

    ¡°Uh-oh,¡± Bradley murmured. ¡°This is Dad¡¯s strongest attack. It drains a lot of his mana, but it¡¯s inescapable. Levi is going to get hurt.¡±

    ¡°YES, FATHER!¡± Simon shouted from the crowd.

    ¡°GET HIM!¡± Monika echoed.

    ¡°FINLEY! FINLEY! FINLEY!¡± Cheers erupted from the crowd as the storm above intensified.

    Levi smirked, hearing the crowd¡¯s taunts. He held out his hand, and a barely perceptible orb appeared in his palm. The storm above froze. For a brief moment, nothing stirred in the arena. The atmosphere shifted. Bradley¡¯s eyes moved to the cloak on Levi¡¯s back, and it felt like the calm before a storm. Still, peaceful.

    ¡°The attack isn¡¯t going to do anything,¡± Bradley whispered.

    Just as the words left his mouth, the storm began funneling into the small orb. As the energy was absorbed, the orb grew into a sphere, expanding until it was the size of a beach ball, spinning wildly in Levi¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Next time you want to challenge a summoner to a duel and cheat, make sure you know who they are,¡± Levi called out, his voice carrying across the arena. ¡°My name is Levi Winters, a Chaotic Paragon.¡± He pushed out his aura for everyone to feel. ¡°Familiar Summoner. I am not easily taken down. Let this be a lesson, Lord Finley. Summoners are not weak beings.¡±

    He retracted his aura, and the arena fell silent.

    ¡°Dameion, knock him out,¡± Levi ordered.

    At his command, another familiar, the veil nebula, appeared. Glowing fuchsia, it floated toward Finley and began siphoning the lord¡¯s mana. Finley stumbled, clutching his head, the classic signs of a low mana headache. He struggled to stay on his feet but passed out when his mana was completely drained.

    The crowd fell into stunned silence, watching as the wisps returned to Levi, floating back around him. Vapor dissipated the smoke platform and reappeared by his side. Serenity shrank to her cat size and perched on Levi¡¯s shoulder. Anza shrank to her usual size and sat next to him. Dameion hovered around Levi, offering him some of the mana it had siphoned from Finley.

    Levi still held the massive ball of chaotic energy. With both hands, he pressed the ball, pulling his hands apart. The energy followed his motions before disappearing entirely.

    <hr>

    Quest: Duel - Completed

    Win the duel

    Reward: Essence of Wishes

    Bonus Reward: All-consuming Spark

    Bonus Reward: World-Conquering Egg

    Bonus Reward: Dragon¡¯s Tears

    Bonus Reward: Void Speck

    Bonus Reward: Sphere of Smoke

    Levi looked over the rewards, confused. Why had he received bonus rewards?

    Bonus rewards were given due to the manner in which the fight was won.

    Bonus reward - No wisps lost.

    Bonus reward - No drones killed.

    Bonus reward - No damage taken.

    Bonus reward - No damage given.

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty stacked,¡± Levi said with a grin.

    Status Progress:

    Plus 15 to Wisdom

    Wisdom is now 725

    <hr>

    Levi¡¯s eyes landed on the Dragon¡¯s Tears item. It was a small, purple flame encased in a glass tear shape. He could feel the power of the dragon radiating from it. His gaze lingered on it for a moment, captivated by its energy.

    ¡°An interesting item,¡± Serenity said from beside him.

    ¡°It¡¯s another dragon,¡± Levi murmured. ¡°They all are, something for each of you.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s only one kind of dragon I know that dies like this,¡± Serenity said. ¡°And they¡¯re dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Exceptionally,¡± Serenity nodded. Levi tucked the tear away.

    He walked out of the arena, heading back to the gala. As he reentered, the crowd parted in his path, silently avoiding him. The air felt thick with fear, but Levi didn¡¯t mind. The band started playing again, the drinks started flowing, and the mood quickly lifted. The guests returned to dancing, chatting, or relaxing as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°Good job,¡± Piper said excitedly, rushing to Levi and wrapping him in a hug.

    ¡°Thanks, Piper,¡± Levi said, kissing her forehead.

    ¡°That was impressive,¡± Izzy remarked, her eyes wide. ¡°Yet none of you seem impressed.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve all seen it before,¡± Anna said. ¡°That¡¯s how Levi fights. He won the Battle of the Guilds by himself.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Bradley asked, standing awkwardly next to Izzy. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Summons, familiars, and rituals,¡± Levi said, looking at his teammates. ¡°I¡¯m sick of this gala. I did my job, did you do yours?¡±

    ¡°Mostly,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Can you all handle this without me?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Without us,¡± Piper added, with a sly smile.

    Anna nodded, giving Levi a brief hug. ¡°Take care of yourself,¡± she whispered in his ear. She knew Levi well enough to see that something in that fight had triggered something deeper inside him. Piper must¡¯ve seen it too.

    Levi nodded. He turned to Izzy, who looked at him curiously.

    ¡°I have a proposition for you, and I want you to think about it. Actually think about it,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Izzy asked, her curiosity piqued.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should join our team,¡± Levi said. Izzy¡¯s face fell. ¡°As you can tell, we don¡¯t need another summoner. I¡¯ve got a lot going for us. But I do think you should travel with us to Arcross and join the summoner¡¯s guild there. Professor Egret and Bertrum will be excited to have a student like you. We¡¯ll set some ground rules for traveling with us, but I won¡¯t tell you them until I hear your answer. Form your own team. Once you leave the guild, trust me¡ªyou¡¯ll shine much more on your own than with me.¡±

    ¡°Will you teach me along the way?¡± Izzy asked.

    ¡°I will,¡± Levi said. Izzy nodded, though it was clear she was sad. She forced a smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep on it and let you know tomorrow. Where can I find you?¡±

    ¡°The fountain,¡± Levi said. ¡°If you want more of an explanation, I can give you that tomorrow.¡± Izzy nodded, and Levi gave her a sincere smile before turning away with Piper in tow.

    ¡°Tomorrow morning, Levi,¡± Lord Louis called as Levi walked past him. ¡°I¡¯ll have the items for your journey ready. I have a question for you. I can meet you at the fountain when you¡¯re with Lady Avington.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate it,¡± Levi said, nodding politely. Lord Louis bowed, and Levi returned the gesture.

    Once they left the compound, Levi and Piper mounted Serenity, who flew them over the sea toward the Inn.

    ¡°So,¡± Piper said, breaking the silence. ¡°No Izzy?¡±

    ¡°Nah,¡± Levi replied. ¡°She¡¯d be a hindrance more than helpful. Especially after hearing the plan about getting a Djinn as a familiar, there¡¯s even less reason for her to join. But I do want her to be trained. I think she could do a lot of good for a team, especially if she learns well-balanced healing rituals. I also plan on training¡ªtraining hard. That means fighting dangerous monsters and dungeons. What are we supposed to do, leave her outside the dungeon while we complete it? That seems like a recipe for her death.¡±

    ¡°That all makes sense,¡± Piper said, nodding along. ¡°Her joining the summoner school was a sweet idea. We should be back in time for the next enrollment. I think she¡¯d join us then.¡±

    ¡°I think so too,¡± Levi said. ¡°If anything, that lopsided duel will prove to her father that she¡¯ll be protected on the journey. I want her to carve her own path, not attach herself to mine. She¡¯s too young.¡±

    ¡°Very noble, Mr. Winters,¡± Piper said, her voice low with a teasing tone. She looked at him with desire in her eyes.

    Levi smiled and kissed her. They cuddled in the cold air as Serenity flew them home. Once they arrived at the Inn, Levi went straight to the shower. He always felt better in the hot water. Standing with his hands against the wall, the water streamed down his face.

    The door creaked open, and Piper stepped into the shower with him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him from behind. For a moment, they stood like that, feeling the warm water run down both their backs. Piper moved around so she could face him, and she kissed him passionately under the flow of water.

    After the shower, the two of them decided to have a duel to end the night¡ªsomething playful to unwind. It was the first duel they¡¯d ever shared as a couple.

 Chapter 73 - League Business

    Levi lay on his bed with Piper resting her head on his chest, her fingers lazily tracing patterns across his skin. A big, goofy smile spread across his face.

    ¡°So,¡± Piper said softly, breaking the silence, ¡°want to tell me what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°We just had sex, and a song is playing in my head right now,¡± Levi said, his grin widening.

    ¡°Not that, you dunce,¡± she said, playfully smacking his chest. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t leave the gala just for this. Something¡¯s on your mind. What is it?¡±

    ¡°I honestly thought I¡¯d never have sex,¡± Levi admitted. ¡°I was planning on waiting until marriage, and, well... let¡¯s just say I never got the opportunity. But, damn.¡±

    ¡°Levi, I need you to focus, love,¡± Piper said, sitting up to look him in the eyes.

    Levi laughed, the sound carefree. ¡°My family would be so proud.¡±

    ¡°If what follows that sentence is about us having sex, I will slap you,¡± Piper warned.

    Levi¡¯s laughter grew louder. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just messing with you. What I meant was... tonight made me think of them. My family would be proud of me.¡±

    Piper tilted her head, curious. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°My sisters were athletes,¡± Levi began, his voice growing softer. ¡°Athletes are people who compete in sports for entertainment. They both played at the highest level. I remember going to their matches, watching them compete in arenas double the size of the one tonight. I once asked my sister what it felt like to perform in front of such a big crowd. She told me it was electrifying. I never understood what she meant... until tonight.

    ¡°Walking out into that arena, feeling the energy of everyone watching, even the ones hoping I¡¯d lose¡ªit was incredible. For the first time, I understood what she meant. It made me think of them. They always believed in me, always pushed me to find something I was good at and chase it.¡± He paused, his voice dropping. ¡°It¡¯s a shame they¡¯ll never get to see it.¡±

    ¡°Beating up old men?¡± Piper teased, trying to lighten the mood.

    ¡°Especially that,¡± Levi said with a smirk. ¡°But seriously, I found something I¡¯m good at, and I¡¯m chasing it. That¡¯s what they¡¯d be proud of.¡±

    Piper placed a hand on his cheek. ¡°I bet we can find a way home for you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure we could,¡± Levi replied. ¡°But to a world without magic? A world without you? Without Anza, Serenity, Dameion, Crystal, Willow, and Vapor? No, thank you. I love and miss my family, but that¡¯s no longer my life.¡±

    Piper smiled and kissed him gently. ¡°I¡¯d go with you, silly. You¡¯re stuck with me, Levi Winters. After tonight, I¡¯m definitely not going anywhere.¡±

    Levi chuckled and shook his head. ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s get dressed before the others get back,¡± Piper said, standing up.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Levi replied with a grin. As Levi was pulling up his pants, he looked over at Piper. He stared for a moment. Feeling his gaze, she turned and smiled.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Piper asked shyly.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Levi said, his voice barely a whisper.

    ¡°For the sex?¡±

    Levi chuckled, ¡°No¡­ well, yes, but not what I¡¯m thanking you for. I know I haven¡¯t spoken about my family a lot, but being able to talk about my sisters and all that today was nice. It was very nice. I feel lighter and less burdened. I am really grateful for you Piper Vendular. You¡¯ve been huge for me since I¡¯ve arrived here. Without you, I think I¡¯d gone crazy.¡±

    ¡°I somehow doubt that,¡± Piper said. ¡°You¡¯re a resourceful man and have the strongest of familiars.¡± She walked around the bed to hug him. ¡°I told you, you were worth the attention.¡±

    ***

    Anna and Tycen moved through the crowd, mingling as best they could. Most of the conversations were short and awkward, as many of the guests avoided interacting with an avian. Tycen sighed, frustrated. He couldn¡¯t wait to leave this city behind.

    The band began playing a slow song, and couples filled the dance floor. Izzy and Bradley stepped out together, moving gracefully to the music. Tycen had to admit, they looked good together.

    A tap on his chest drew his attention. Anna was holding out her hand. ¡°Come on,¡± she said with a smile.

    Tycen took her hand, letting her lead him to the dance floor. The two swayed gently to the rhythm.

    ¡°Did you know she was engaged?¡± Anna asked, nodding toward Izzy.

    ¡°I did,¡± Tycen replied. ¡°City politics, it seems.¡±

    ¡°It happens more often than you think,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Oh? Does Princess Anna have a fianc¨¦ too?¡± Tycen teased.

    Anna rolled her eyes. ¡°No, but my sister Rayvin does. She¡¯s engaged to Piper¡¯s brother, Kai.¡±

    ¡°The guy who kidnapped Levi?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± Anna nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that went over well with your family,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°About as well as you¡¯d expect,¡± Anna replied. ¡°Political marriages aren¡¯t uncommon. Does the Triadic Kingdom do them too?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know,¡± Tycen said. ¡°I¡¯m from a small tribe on the outskirts. I was the first of my people to reach 3-star and leave the kingdom. I never traveled to the big cities; they were too expensive for someone like me.¡±

    ¡°But you seemed so formal when we first met,¡± Anna said, tilting her head.

    ¡°That was just me trying to make a good first impression. This,¡± he gestured to himself, ¡°is how I really am.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with how you act now,¡± Anna said. ¡°It just seemed like you had some training.¡±

    ¡°None,¡± Tycen said. ¡°I just studied and trained hard, with a little bit of luck.¡±

    ¡°Luck is often needed to complete your goals,¡± Anna agreed.

    ¡°Very true,¡± Tycen said.

    Before they could continue, Izzy approached. ¡°May I cut in?¡± she asked.

    Anna smiled and stepped back, letting Izzy take Tycen¡¯s hand. Meanwhile, Bradley hesitantly approached Anna and held out his hand. She shrugged and took it, allowing him to lead her onto the dance floor.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Tycen asked Izzy as they swayed to the music.

    ¡°Bummed,¡± Izzy admitted. ¡°I was so confident Levi would say yes.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s any consolation, most of us thought he would,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Levi just has the most to lose by inviting someone new to the team, so he gets the final say.¡±

    ¡°We all have our secrets,¡± Izzy mused.

    ¡°That we do,¡± Tycen nodded.

    ¡°What do you think I should do?¡± Izzy asked.

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°Go with you to Arcross or stay here?¡±

    ¡°That choice seems obvious to me,¡± Tycen said.

    ¡°Do share,¡± Izzy prompted.

    ¡°Come with us,¡± Tycen said. ¡°You want to be a summoner. There are no summoner teachers here, but there are guaranteed to be professors in Arcross. You¡¯ll learn from Levi, who might be the best summoner around right now. Then you can choose what you want to do with your life. Seems like the best deal there is.¡±

    Izzy nodded and rested her head on his chest. ¡°I wish I wasn¡¯t engaged,¡± she murmured. ¡°I would¡¯ve loved to explore this more.¡±

    ¡°It would¡¯ve been fun,¡± Tycen said. ¡°But I understand your duties and responsibilities.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Izzy said wistfully. ¡°Who knows? Maybe I¡¯ll be able to avoid it after the guild.¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Tycen chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ll definitely have more freedom after that. You¡¯ll have to make the most of it.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± Izzy said. She straightened up and smiled softly. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you all. I think it¡¯ll be fun.¡±

    Meanwhile, Bradley danced with Anna, though his movements were stiff and awkward. His nerves were obvious¡ªhis first impression with Anna had been less than stellar, and he knew it. But more than that, Anna was by far the most beautiful woman he¡¯d ever seen, and it made his heart race.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Anna asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Your hands are getting sweatier by the second.¡±

    ¡°I... I know this is a weird thing to ask,¡± Bradley stammered.

    ¡°Out with it,¡± Anna said, her tone patient but firm.

    ¡°Can I join Izzy on your journey to Arcross?¡± he blurted out.

    Anna gave him a sharp look, tilting her head in thought. ¡°Why?¡±

    Bradley hesitated, then leaned in to speak softly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay here anymore. I¡¯m tired of being the one who always has to change and act differently because I¡¯m the eldest. I want to carve my own path. Leaving Capital City feels like the right place to start.¡±

    Anna hummed, considering his words. ¡°And what excuse would you give to join us?¡±

    ¡°Escorting my fianc¨¦e,¡± Bradley replied quickly.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Anna admitted. She turned to where Izzy and Tycen were talking. ¡°Tycen, let¡¯s go. Bradley, Izzy, come with us¡ªwe have much to discuss.¡±

    Using Vapor¡¯s clones, the group traveled to Levi¡¯s inn. Tycen flew with Izzy in his arms while Bradley stood on a smoke platform beside Anna. They arrived quickly and entered to find Levi and Piper sitting at the table, sipping tea. Four extra chairs and mugs were already set out.

    ¡°Vapor told you?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°She did,¡± Levi said with a nod.

    ¡°This is such a cute place,¡± Izzy said, looking around. ¡°Hi, Levi. Hi, Piper.¡±

    ¡°Hey,¡± Levi said. ¡°Sooo, what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Bradley has a proposition,¡± Anna said.

    Bradley took a deep breath, then blurted, ¡°Let me come with you to Arcross.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Izzy and Piper said in unison, their voices laced with surprise.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Levi said, leaning back in his chair. ¡°Why?¡±

    Bradley repeated his reasoning for those who hadn¡¯t heard it yet. As he explained, the group listened silently, sipping their tea.

    When he finished, Levi rested his chin in his hand, mulling it over. ¡°I see,¡± he said finally. Bradley¡¯s logic made sense, and Levi couldn¡¯t help but sympathize with the guy. But there were complications. Levi had already revealed his identity as a Chaotic Paragon during the duel, which wasn¡¯t part of his plan. Adding another outsider to the team could increase the risk of exposure. His conflicted feelings must have shown on his face because Bradley lowered his head and spoke softly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being a prick earlier,¡± Bradley said, his voice barely above a whisper.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize, bro,¡± Levi said, his tone sincere. ¡°If Izzy¡¯s coming¡ª¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Izzy interrupted.

    Levi chuckled. ¡°And the rest of the team agrees, then I¡¯m good with it.¡±

    Bradley¡¯s eyes moved to each team member, searching for confirmation. They all smiled and nodded, and his face turned red as tears began to well up. He hadn¡¯t felt this happy since he¡¯d won the Battle of the Guilds.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Bradley said, his voice trembling. ¡°I¡¯ll go inform my family and pack.¡±

    ¡°I should go too,¡± Izzy said, standing. ¡°I¡¯ll need to do the same. And since I¡¯ll be Bradley¡¯s excuse, I¡¯d better let my family know the plan.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Meet at the fountain tomorrow morning,¡± Levi instructed.

    ¡°Will do... but can we?¡± Izzy asked awkwardly, gesturing toward Vapor.

    Vapor emerged from Levi, two clones splitting off from her main body. ¡°I am happy to be of service,¡± she said warmly.

    With Vapor¡¯s help, Bradley and Izzy said their goodbyes and left the inn.

    ***

    A man chased a monster through a dense bamboo forest. The creature darted erratically, zigzagging every few hundred feet in a desperate attempt to lose its pursuer. It had eight legs, the body and head of a panda with one glaring difference. There on its forehead sat a third eye. The eye was there to sense auras. The monster was large but it had the speed and agility of a cheetah. But its efforts were futile.

    The man pursuing it was a hunter from the rogue class, built for speed and stealth. When the monster glanced back to check its distance, it saw nothing. Relieved, it turned forward again¡ªonly to run straight into a spiked spear. The weapon pierced through its third eye, killing it instantly.

    ¡°Nasty creature,¡± the hunter muttered, pulling the spear from the corpse. A slow clap sounded from behind him. He turned to see a man in white armor sitting in a tree. His aura was controlled and his outfit was neat and orderly. The man jumped off the branch and landed softly on the muddy earth.

    The hunter bowed. ¡°Prince Axel. To what do I owe the pleasure?¡±

    ¡°Stand up,¡± Axel said. ¡°I doubt your father would like his youngest son bowing to a foreigner.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps not,¡± the hunter said, rising to his feet.

    ¡°How are you, Xao-Li?¡± Axel asked.

    ¡°I am well, Prince,¡± Xao-Li replied. ¡°How may I assist you? Why have you sought me out?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve ventured far from your territory,¡± Axel said, though his tone suggested otherwise. ¡°This is where I always portal in.¡±

    ¡°That is a lie,¡± Xao-Li said flatly. ¡°You¡¯re still a dreadful liar.¡±

    Axel sighed, relenting. ¡°Fine. I need your help, old friend. I¡¯m searching for specific artifacts for a ritual I¡¯m preparing.¡±

    ¡°What kind of ritual?¡± Xao-Li asked, his dark eyes narrowing.

    ¡°One to bring back Tranquility,¡± Axel said. ¡°I think I¡¯ve finally found the right formula.¡±

    Xao-Li raised an eyebrow. ¡°And what number ¡®right formula¡¯ would this one be?¡±

    Axel grimaced under Xao-Li¡¯s scrutinizing gaze. ¡°Fifteen.¡±

    Xao-Li stopped walking, staring at Axel with exasperation. ¡°Fifteen? Prince, how many more failures will it take for you to realize this might not work?¡±

    ¡°This time is different,¡± Axel insisted, though his tone betrayed a hint of doubt.

    Xao-Li sighed and shook his head. ¡°What are the ingredients?¡± Xao-Li was a hunter who would contract with the League of Order, every now and again. He had seen the excitement Axel had after each ritual. He had to start doing them alone because he would behead a servant in his anger. After the fifth dead servant, no one wanted to sign to be his servant.

    Some died because of how the rituals interacted with the ingredients. It was an explosive affair. The ingredients would be filled with energy supplied from the ritual circle. Rather than acting as a bypass, absorbing the necessary mana, it kept absorbing the mana. Until it could no longer hold the mana and exploded, those who were too close would be blasted with the force of the mana explosion, usually ending in fatalities. Axel didn¡¯t care, however, because he was always safe from the explosions; finding replacement servants was difficult but could be done. He would claim it as a necessary sacrifice needed to bring back order.

    Axel listed them off, his voice steady: ¡°Water from the Reverse Falls, a root from the Mother Tree, lava from the Calacal Region, and a petal from Senpar.¡±

    ¡°All difficult to acquire,¡± Xao-Li mused. ¡°Why come here, then?¡±

    ¡°To seek allegiance,¡± Axel said plainly. ¡°I¡¯ll need to travel to the land of the elves, and I know how unwelcome I am there. Your family has, at the very least, a functional relationship with them.¡±

    ¡°Calling it a ¡®functional relationship¡¯ is generous,¡± Xao-Li chuckled. ¡°We barely tolerate each other as neighboring kingdoms. The elves are fiercely protective of their magic and rarely deal with outsiders¡ªmuch like the nation of Qu¡¯ant. They¡¯re impossible.¡±

    Axel frowned. ¡°I suspected as much. I¡¯ll likely have to prove myself to them before they even consider granting me access to the Mother Tree or at the very least trade for the root.¡±

    ¡°Highly unlikely,¡± Xao-Li said bluntly. ¡°The elves don¡¯t trade with outsiders. If you do manage to meet with them, it¡¯ll be on their terms. I¡¯ll speak to my father, but even he will only get you as far as their border. Anything beyond that is up to the elves.¡±

    Axel sighed, running a hand through his hair. ¡°I expected as much.¡±

    Xao-Li glanced at the darkening sky. ¡°It¡¯s nearly suppertime. Shall I escort you home?¡±

    ¡°Lead the way,¡± Axel said.

    ¡°Can you keep up?¡± Xao-Li asked, a mischievous grin playing on his lips.

    Axel smirked. ¡°I should be able to.¡±

    The two sprinted through the bamboo forest, weaving between the dense stalks. Axel was fast¡ªfaster than most¡ªbut he couldn¡¯t match Xao-Li¡¯s agility. While Axel had to push aside bamboo shoots and avoid roots, Xao-Li moved effortlessly, navigating the terrain like it was second nature. By the time they reached a clearing, Axel was panting heavily.

    In the center of the clearing was a small pond with a cherry blossom tree growing from an island in the middle. Axel placed his hands on his knees, catching his breath.

    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten fast, old friend,¡± Axel managed to say between gasps.

    ¡°And you¡¯ve gotten slower,¡± Xao-Li replied. ¡°I haven¡¯t improved my speed stat much. It seems you haven¡¯t improved yours at all. What have you been doing for the past two decades?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you know. League business. Trying to form the League consumed most of my time. Then there were the rituals¡ªresearching, planning, failing, and starting over.¡± Axel straightened up, his breathing finally steady. ¡°Where do you think I learned the locations of all these items?¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Xao-Li said as they resumed walking, now following a clear dirt path through the forest. Other trees and shrubs appeared, breaking up the bamboo. ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors from the west about a new summoner rising quickly through the ranks. Have you heard of him?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the rumors,¡± Axel said. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised he¡¯s progressing quickly. That¡¯s the summoner way¡ªtrue summoners, at least. But he¡¯s in the Onyx Kingdom, which is not somewhere I plan to visit anytime soon. Strange things have been happening. An old acquaintance of mine found a letter that seemed to be from my old mentor.¡±

    Xao-li paused and glanced at Axel, ¡°Veluvius? Wow, it has been many years since I have heard that name. What happened to him?¡±

    Axel¡¯s expression darkened at the mention of the name. ¡°I hope he¡¯s dead. If not, I¡¯ll kill him myself.¡±

    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Xao-Li asked cautiously.

    ¡°The world believes I killed him. They paint me as an evil bastard.¡± Axel paused, then gave Xao-Li a flat look. ¡°Okay, so I am an evil bastard, but I didn¡¯t kill him. His subordinates and his other summoners? I killed all of them¡ªevery last one.¡±

    ¡°And why, exactly, did you do that?¡± Xao-Li asked, his tone neutral.

    ¡°They got in my way and refused to tell me the truth about him,¡± Axel said, his voice cold. ¡°They should¡¯ve been honest.¡±

    ¡°Naturally,¡± Xao-Li replied, though his tone was laced with sarcasm. ¡°When did you kill the last one?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t yet,¡± Axel admitted. ¡°There are three still in hiding. One of them could even be this new summoner¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s unlikely,¡± Xao-Li interrupted. ¡°You clearly haven¡¯t been keeping up with the rumors. The new summoner just completed the Guild in Arcross and won his Battle of the Guilds¡ªwithout any murder involved.¡±

    Axel¡¯s eyes narrowed as he processed the information. His unamused expression didn¡¯t waver, but a flicker of intrigue crossed his face. Xao-Li and Axel were apart of the same guild cohort at the same time. Despite being in different guilds they did a lot of studying and training together. During their time together, Xao-Li, saw Axel¡¯s rise to power. He saw Axel go from a man excited to learn about rituals, to one obsessed with order, and then to the evil S oh B Axel was today. It was a drastic change, one his father warned him about. It all came to fruition at the Battle of the Guilds, where Axel Arbor killed someone before the entire guild and their families.

 Chapter 74 - Fall of the Summoners

    The next morning, the team made their way to the fountain as promised. Levi marveled at its craftsmanship, running his fingers through the cool water and watching it trickle back down. The fountain was a masterpiece, intricately designed and well-maintained. They didn¡¯t have to wait long before Bradley and Izzy approached together.

    ¡°My father wasn¡¯t happy,¡± Bradley said in place of a greeting, his tone neutral. ¡°But I can join¡ªfor Izzy¡¯s sake.¡±

    ¡°My family was ecstatic,¡± Izzy said brightly. ¡°They¡¯re excited to see how much I¡¯ll grow in a year. They even said they¡¯d come to the Battle of the Guilds to cheer me on.¡±

    ¡°Good to hear,¡± Levi replied.

    Just then, Lord Louis appeared from the other side of the fountain, holding a large, rolled parchment. ¡°Mr. Levi, I have the tools and maps I promised for you and your team. I would also like a word in private¡ªit won¡¯t take long.¡±

    Levi nodded. ¡°Meet us at the city gate,¡± he said to his team. ¡°I believe Anna mentioned there were additional supplies needed. See if you can arrange for a vehicle as well.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± Anna said. "We¡¯d like to leave in a couple of hours, so please be prompt.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Louis replied.

    The team departed, and Louis gestured for Levi to follow him. He led Levi to a small caf¨¦. It was open but completely empty. Louis noticed the look on Levi¡¯s face and offered an explanation.

    ¡°I rent this caf¨¦ for important meetings that require privacy,¡± Louis said.

    ¡°I see,¡± Levi said, sitting across from him. ¡°What can I help you with?¡±

    ¡°You have a strong affinity for chaos magic, do you not?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± Levi replied with a nod.

    Louis unrolled the parchment, placing mugs on the corners to keep it flat. It was a map of the world¡ªone Levi had never seen before. The continents were unfamiliar, vast landmasses separated by large seas. The westernmost continent on the map was where they currently were. Qu¡¯ant was marked in the south, and the Onyx Kingdom in the north. In the center of the map, a series of islands formed a large triangle, with its larger islands as the triangle¡¯s points. Levi guessed this was the Triadic Kingdom. Another massive continent dominated the eastern portion of the map, split into two distinct regions: north and south.

    Levi¡¯s eyes were drawn to pulsing red dots scattered across the map. They glowed faintly, pulsing in and out like a heartbeat.

    ¡°Incredible,¡± Louis said, watching Levi¡¯s expression. ¡°You can see them without me channeling mana?¡±

    ¡°I can,¡± Levi confirmed. ¡°What are they?¡±

    ¡°I was hoping you could tell me,¡± Louis admitted.

    ¡°What is this map?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen the fountain, no?¡± Louis asked. Levi nodded. ¡°Have you heard its history?¡±

    ¡°The basics,¡± Levi replied.

    ¡°Then allow me to share the true story,¡± Louis said, extending his hand. Louis conjured a golden sphere and instructed Levi to put his hand in it. ¡°This is an ability of mine¡ªpassed down from my mother, a bard. She inadvertently gifted me this power.¡±

    Levi shrugged. At this point, he wasn¡¯t worried about anyone attempting harm after his decisive victory over Lord Finley Calder. He placed his hand on the golden sphere Louis conjured. Instantly, the caf¨¦ and the world around them melted away, replaced by an open wilderness.

    They stood in a field when a group of men approached. Louis¡¯ voice narrated, though his body was absent from the vision.

    ¡°This is the story of Ernest Qu¡¯ant and his quirky friend¡ªnot the fairy tale about the fountain that children are told, but the true story of Ernest, the first city lord of a damned nation.¡±

    Ernest stood tall, his long blond hair flowing behind him. His muscular frame and glowing green eyes gave him an air of authority. Beside him was a man of a stark contrast. The man was tall but scrawny, with dark chocolate skin, a speckled white afro, and piercing red-purple eyes that shifted ever so slightly. His sharp goatee and calm demeanor made him seem every bit the mage.

    ¡°How are the towns in the west, V?¡± Ernest asked.

    ¡°The rulers are losing their grip,¡± Veluvius, the skinny mage, replied. ¡°The nation needs unification to thrive.¡±

    ¡°Tell me something I don¡¯t know,¡± Ernest said with a sigh. ¡°Help me lead this nation to prosperity.¡±

    ¡°And how would you propose I do that, old friend?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you summon creatures to do your bidding?¡±

    ¡°That is not how summoning works,¡± Veluvius said firmly. ¡°It is a partnership, not a dictatorship. If you tell me your intentions, I can summon an appropriate ally.¡±

    ¡°I understand. But I fear peace cannot be achieved without bloodshed.¡±

    ¡°Such is the thinking of a warrior who never left the war,¡± Veluvius replied. ¡°There are many paths to peace before we resort to violence.¡±

    ¡°Then tell me the way, old friend,¡± Ernest pleaded. ¡°The rulers are violent and nasty. I have my friends¡ªyou, Vincent Godfrey, Penelope Calder, and Guilly Avington. Perhaps the five of us can form a united front.¡±

    ¡°Four,¡± Veluvius corrected. ¡°My path does not align with nation-building. I seek knowledge and magical mastery¡ªsummoning wonders that aid all efforts, not just one.¡±

    Ernest looked at Veluvius with sadness. ¡°I understand,¡± he said solemnly. ¡°I do not like it, but I understand. You have your path.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Veluvius said thoughtfully, ¡°you could settle in the southeastern region. It remains unoccupied.¡±

    Ernest nodded, considering the suggestion. Just as he was about to reply, a horn sounded in the distance. The thunder of hooves echoed across the field.

    ¡°Ready yourself,¡± Ernest said, turning to see Veluvius had disappeared. Shaking his head, he muttered, ¡°Always with the summoning circles.¡±

    A large man in heavy armor dismounted from his horse and approached Ernest.

    ¡°State your business,¡± the man demanded.

    ¡°I¡¯m Ernest Qu¡¯ant,¡± Ernest replied calmly. ¡°I was traveling to the coast when I heard you approach. Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°War has been declared,¡± the man said bluntly. ¡°The nationalists are rebelling against the throne. Which side do you fall on?¡±

    Ernest¡¯s sharp green eyes studied the man. Behind him, 25 imperial guards stood ready for combat. Whatever Ernest said next would determine his fate.

    War?¡± Ernest asked. ¡°So the king had enough of the rumors?¡±

    ¡°Just so,¡± the guard said. ¡°Our majesty has decided to put an end to the silly rebellion at once. So I ask again¡­ which side do you fall on.¡± The guard¡¯s aura flared the longer Ernest took to respond.

    ¡°I am on the side of history,¡± Ernest said, equipping his bow. He had no arrows or a quiver. The guards must have noticed the same thing. The guard unsheathed his sword; power poured out as all the guards followed their leader.

    ¡°History will never know your name as you will die today,¡± the guard leader said

    The vision faded, and Levi found himself back in the caf¨¦. Louis clutched his head, clearly drained.

    ¡°Apologies,¡± Louis said weakly. ¡°The vision consumed more mana than I anticipated. I¡¯ll be fine after a potion.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for sharing that,¡± Levi said. ¡°But what does this have to do with me?¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°The rest of the story goes with an obvious victory for Ernest as Veluvius had summoned many creatures to win that battle. Ernest did gather those people he had been talking about, they settled in the coastal city. After sometime the nationalist were losing to the throne. Ernest and company made their way and through their efforts defeated the throne. The nation was renamed to Qu¡¯ant and the city they settled was called Captial City.¡±

    ¡°How is this relevant to me?¡±

    ¡°Did you see what Veluvius looked like in the vision?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Did you see his statue at the fountain?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Levi said, realization dawning. ¡°They had a falling out?¡±

    ¡°Ernest betrayed Veluvius. He became paranoid that Veluvius would try to take over the nation. This was not a thing  our history teaches. The truth was passed down in journals from Ernest and his children. I want to know why. That¡¯s why I am searching so hard for my ancestor. I do not believe him dead, but in hiding.¡±

    ¡°Hiding from who?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°The same man who he betrayed, Veluvius.¡±

    ¡°So why are you telling me this?¡±

    ¡°This map,¡± he unrolled the map. ¡°Has had these ten dots appear within the last year and half.¡± Louis pointed to the glowing dots. Levi looked at the map and saw that there was only six dots.

    ¡°Uhh,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Yes, I understand that there are four dots missing but that is a recent development. There was a dot that was here in the city before you arrived. But it had faded away a few days ago. I was told that you arrived from the Onyx kingdom, which is where the other two dots were and the last was in the cloud plaine island. Since you are a chaotic paragon and Veluvius was a practitioner of chaos magic, I thought you were the connection.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Levi considered this, though he already knew the answer. The dots marked the locations of Veluvius¡¯ letters. What puzzled Levi was why a descendant of Ernest had the map.

    ¡°How bad was their falling out?¡± Levi asked suddenly.

    Louis frowned. ¡°According to my ancestor¡¯s journals, it wasn¡¯t drastic. Veluvius simply refused to fight for Qu¡¯ant anymore. He eventually stopped teaching at the guild and disappeared after training his last student.¡±

    Levi leaned back in his chair, his mind racing. ¡°So, Veluvius left the guild and the city entirely?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Louis said with a nod. ¡°He stopped showing his face in the city and began isolating himself. The damage was already done, though. The guild suffered immensely after his departure.¡±

    ¡°You mentioned the Battle of the Guilds earlier. You were there? You¡¯ve personally witnessed the fall of the summoners?¡±

    ¡°I witnessed the tail end of it,¡± Louis replied grimly. ¡°I was just a boy, but I¡¯ll never forget the chaos. That was the final blow to the summoner¡¯s guild in Capital City.¡±

    Levi studied Louis for a moment. ¡°Your family has always been rangers, right? Starting with Ernest?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Louis replied. ¡°But my mother was a bard, as I mentioned earlier.¡±

    Levi tilted his head, deciding to shift the focus. ¡°Do you know what the dots on the map represent?¡±

    Louis¡¯ expression became eager, leaning forward slightly. ¡°Do you?¡±

    ¡°I have a guess,¡± Levi said cautiously.

    ¡°Would you mind sharing?¡± Louis asked, his anticipation clear.

    Levi shrugged. ¡°They¡¯re letters from Veluvius. Likely similar to the journals your ancestor left behind, but smaller and more targeted.¡±

    Louis blinked, digesting the information. ¡°Letters?¡± He frowned, his gaze falling on the map. ¡°Then why do I have this map?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my question too,¡± Levi said. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s worth looking into your mother¡¯s side of the family.¡±

    Louis nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s my next step.¡± He sighed, a deep weariness in his expression. ¡°I¡¯ve been staring at this map for decades, hoping it would lead to answers, but it hasn¡¯t. At least, not the answers I wanted.¡±

    He rolled the map back up and held it out to Levi. ¡°Here. Take it. If those letters hold the key to something important, maybe you can figure it out.¡±

    Levi accepted the map and gave Louis a sincere nod. ¡°I appreciate it. And I think looking into your mother¡¯s lineage could be a good step forward.¡±

    ¡°I shall,¡± Louis said, bowing slightly. ¡°Thank you, Levi. You¡¯ve given me clarity. I feel like I can finally move forward.¡± Levi extended a hand, and Louis shook it firmly before showing him out of the caf¨¦.

    ***

    Meanwhile, the rest of Levi¡¯s team, along with Bradley and Izzy, made their way through the busy city streets toward a vehicle depot. The options were overwhelming¡ªland boats, hoverships, magical carriages, mini RVs that looked like something out of a fantasy world, and more.

    ¡°Levi would¡¯ve loved this place,¡± Piper said with a laugh.

    ¡°He absolutely would¡¯ve,¡± Anna agreed. ¡°He¡¯d probably be drooling over half of these.¡±

    ¡°Does he like vehicles?¡± Izzy asked curiously.

    ¡°He does,¡± Piper said. ¡°But he¡¯d also be the first to tell us no. He wants us to train and push ourselves. That means running. A lot.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a long time to only run,¡± Bradley said. ¡°His stamina stat must be through the roof.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as high as you¡¯d think,¡± Piper replied. ¡°He just knows we all need to get stronger. We have a contract that requires us to be much stronger than we are now. Levi feels the brunt of that pressure. If you want to get a vehicle, go ahead, but don¡¯t expect him to ride in it.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Izzy said firmly. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you guys do, even if it kills me.¡±

    ¡°It just might,¡± Bradley teased. ¡°You¡¯re a few stars behind us, Iz. Your stamina is going to be much lower than ours.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Izzy said confidently.

    The group passed the vehicle shop, and Izzy gave it one last forlorn look before Anna led them to another building. The large structure resembled a banquet hall, but inside it was bustling with vendors selling all manner of items¡ªcrafts, potions, weapons, and supplies. It was a shopping paradise for adventurers.

    The team split up to browse. Piper was looking for a weapon that could double as a magical conduit as she¡¯d returned the sword to Levi. Anna wanted an armor upgrade, as her current gear was from her 2-star days. Tycen didn¡¯t need anything in particular but stuck close to Anna, enjoying her company. Izzy, still holding a crush on Tycen, tagged along with them. That left Bradley to wander aimlessly with Piper.

    ¡°See anything you like?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Bradley said, glancing around. ¡°I already have everything I need.¡±

    ¡°Life of an aristocrat,¡± Piper teased with a chuckle.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± Bradley replied with a smirk. ¡°Why do you need weapons? Aren¡¯t you an aristocrat too?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Piper said, nodding. ¡°But I¡¯m not the same class as my family. That caused quite a bit of drama.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Bradley asked, intrigued.

    ¡°I come from a family of assassins,¡± Piper said bluntly.

    ¡°You¡¯re the nicest assassin I¡¯ve ever met,¡± Bradley said, blinking in surprise.

    ¡°Oh yeah? How many assassins have you met?¡± Piper asked with a smirk.

    ¡°Only a couple, admittedly,¡± Bradley said, counting on his fingers. ¡°But they all set my expectations for what assassins are like¡ªcold, distant, mysterious. You¡¯re none of those things.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably because you met assassins on the job,¡± Piper said. Bradley nodded, and she continued. ¡°On the job, they have to be all those things. Killing people isn¡¯t as easy as people think. Assassins have to process those emotions, often more than people who kill impulsively. The better they are at shielding themselves emotionally, the better they are at the profession.¡±

    ¡°I guess I never considered that,¡± Bradley admitted. ¡°So if you¡¯re not an assassin, what are you?¡±

    Piper paused, giving him a suspicious look. ¡°Now that¡¯s personal, Bradley Calder. We¡¯re not close enough for that.¡±

    Bradley frowned slightly, his reaction catching Piper off guard. She hadn¡¯t expected him to care so much. Most aristocrats she¡¯d met would¡¯ve kept prying for information. Still, she decided to give him a hint.

    ¡°My class combines spells and rituals with movement and combat,¡± Piper explained. ¡°I usually use kunai knives¡ªthey¡¯re great for throwing and act as conduits for magic. But I¡¯m looking for something for close combat. A sword, dagger, maybe a battle staff.¡±

    ¡°Everything worthwhile for a 3-star is probably overpriced here,¡± Bradley advised. ¡°Especially in this city. Most of the adventurers here are 1-star or 2-star at best, so there¡¯s not much demand for high-quality 3-star gear.¡±

    Piper frowned. ¡°What rank do most people leave the guilds here?¡±

    ¡°1-star,¡± Bradley replied. ¡°What about in Arvendon?¡±

    ¡°2-star,¡± Piper said. ¡°I went to the guild in Arcross, though. It¡¯s the same there.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like your professors push you hard.¡±

    ¡°They do,¡± Piper said with a nod. ¡°It¡¯s intense, but it¡¯s worth it. They guide us closer to our class evolutions before we graduate. The Battle of the Guilds usually involves the top 2-stars from each guild.¡±

    ¡°Did Levi really win the entire thing by himself?¡± Bradley asked, his tone incredulous.

    ¡°He did,¡± Piper said with a grin. ¡°And he was already 3-star by then.¡±

    ¡°He was what?¡± Bradley nearly shouted. ¡°How was that possible?¡±

    ¡°I told you earlier,¡± Piper chuckled. ¡°Levi works hard. It¡¯s easier for him to advance as a summoner, but he puts in the effort. He decisively beat the rangers, took down the warriors with ease, and finished his final battle against Anna and the sorcerers. Let me give you some advice: if you ever face Levi, don¡¯t underestimate him.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t underestimate his power,¡± Bradley said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate any aspect of him,¡± Piper corrected. ¡°His intelligence is his most underestimated quality. Levi may not be as book-smart as Anna or Tycen, but his strategy and tactics are unmatched.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Bradley said slowly, realizing his earlier arrogance might¡¯ve been a grave mistake.

    Piper smirked, watching the contemplative expression on his face. They approached a vendor selling close-range weapons.

    ¡°What can I do fer ya, love?¡± the vendor asked with a toothy grin.

    ¡°Any 3-star gear?¡± Piper asked.

    ¡°Aye,¡± the vendor said, rummaging through his stock. He pulled out a pair of ornate cloth bracers with golden designs, a white background, and red trim. ¡°Finest bracers I have. For a pretty lady like yerself, two gold.¡±

    ¡°Two gold?!¡±

    ¡°These are the best 3-star item I have, a wealthy person like yerself can surely afford it from a lowly vendor as meh,¡± the vendor said.

    ¡°The quality is poor,¡± Piper said. ¡°No gear at that rank should be so expensive. Not a chance,¡± Piper said, turning away before he could haggle further. She sighed, frustrated. Bradley had been right¡ªeverything here was overpriced junk.

    Defeated, she and Bradley went to find Anna and the others.

 Chapter 75 - Carbon Copy

    Levi and Louis shook hands as Levi prepared to leave for the city gates, beginning his journey back to Arcross. Before parting, Louis reached behind his back and pulled out another map.

    ¡°This is the map I promised Princess Anna I¡¯d provide,¡± Louis said, handing it over. ¡°It marks several towns that need assistance or have posted notices about monster issues for passing magic users. Princess Anna mentioned that this is something you¡¯d gladly do.¡±

    Levi unfolded the map briefly, scanning it before tucking it away. ¡°Did she now? I¡¯m surprised she said that.¡±

    ¡°Was she wrong?¡± Louis asked, a note of hesitation in his voice.

    ¡°She wasn¡¯t,¡± Levi admitted. ¡°I want to help as much as we can. I¡¯m just surprised that <i>Little Miss Stick to a Schedule</i> would be ready to accept detours.¡±

    Louis smirked. ¡°Is it always this easy for you to talk so casually about a crown princess?¡±

    ¡°If you think that¡¯s disrespect, we wouldn¡¯t get along,¡± Levi chuckled. ¡°I call it friendly banter.¡±

    ¡°Call it what you will, but speaking so distastefully of a crown princess is still disrespectful.¡±

    ¡°Then I guess I¡¯m a disrespectful person,¡± Levi said with a shrug. ¡°Anna knows where she stands with me, and that¡¯s all that matters. Anyway, thanks for the maps. By the way, Lord Louis, why are you asking us to visit these small towns?¡±

    Louis nodded at the question, his expression thoughtful. ¡°A valid question. My family may no longer rule the nation as we once did, but our responsibilities have always been to look after the people, ensuring that things run smoothly. Over the years, politics have caused the smaller towns to be overlooked. I had hoped the adventurer¡¯s guild established by the Calders would train and produce teams willing to help, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But that didn¡¯t happen,¡± Levi finished.

    ¡°Correct,¡± Louis said, sighing. ¡°It didn¡¯t. The smaller towns are left to fend off monsters with pitchforks and torches, scraping together what little they can. Many save up their entire lives to afford a single magic essence¡ªor hope their child is born with the potential to wield magic. But that¡¯s rare.¡±

    ¡°And essences don¡¯t just¡­ appear randomly?¡± Levi asked.

    Louis shook his head. ¡°Not in this region. Perhaps in the land of the elves or Stravenia, where magic is stronger. But not here.¡±

    ¡°So the adventurer¡¯s guild just became another tool for the wealthy to train their kids, ensuring they don¡¯t die as easily.¡±

    ¡°More or less,¡± Louis admitted. ¡°It¡¯s turned into a popularity contest. Meanwhile, the little guys are left behind.¡±

    ¡°I can see why they post notices for help,¡± Levi said, his tone thoughtful. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡ªwe¡¯ll help them as much as we can. I¡¯ve got a few items I can donate as well. Back near Arcross, there was a village being raided by barbarians. They¡¯d saved up for years to send one teenager to get a magic essence, but Arcross jacked up the prices.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± Louis asked, his curiosity piqued.

    ¡°We killed the barbarians,¡± Levi replied. ¡°Then I sold him my essence for half the price. I¡¯ve got plenty of items I don¡¯t need. If selling them doesn¡¯t help these towns, I¡¯ll just give them away.¡±

    Louis looked at Levi, clearly impressed. ¡°A noble stance. Though I imagine Princess Anna would prefer you donate to towns in the Onyx Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Tough cookies,¡± Levi said with a smirk. ¡°My stuff, my choice. But you have my word, Louis¡ªI¡¯ll help these villages. Maybe even get a few of them to become magic users and give them a fighting chance.¡±

    ¡°That would mean a great deal to them,¡± Louis said, his voice heavy with gratitude. ¡°And to me. Thank you, Levi. Good luck on your journey.¡±

    ¡°Until we meet again,¡± Levi replied.

    Louis walked away, heading toward another part of the city as Levi made his way to the gates. Anza walked beside him, her metallic frame gleaming in the morning light, while Serenity napped in her usual spot on his shoulders.

    ¡°What are your thoughts on the vision?¡± Levi asked Anza after a moment.

    ¡°I was unable to see what you saw,¡± Anza replied.

    Levi frowned. ¡°Guess it wasn¡¯t through my regular sight¡ªit must¡¯ve been tied to that bard ability.¡±

    He explained the vision to his familiars in detail. Vapor materialized beside him, hovering lazily as her vaporous form drifted in the breeze.

    ¡°Veluvius¡­¡± Vapor mused.

    ¡°He looked nothing like I thought he would,¡± Levi said. ¡°But then again, I¡¯m terrible at guessing what people look like.¡±

    ¡°Veluvius appears to be an ancient power,¡± Serenity chimed in, stretching slightly from her perch.

    ¡°That does seem to be the case,¡± Levi agreed. ¡°Which makes me wonder¡ªhow old is the prince?¡±

    ¡°Older than you¡¯d like,¡± Serenity said. ¡°He must be at peak 4-star.¡±

    ¡°Fantastic,¡± Levi muttered sarcastically. ¡°Just what I wanted to hear. And this just confirms there are so few summoners left in the world. Using someone, then trashing the very thing that helped them¡ªthat¡¯s a multiversal constant, it seems.¡±

    ¡°Does that happen often in your world?¡± Vapor asked.

    ¡°Oh, all the time,¡± Levi replied with a wry smile.

    Levi made his way toward the city gates as he had planned with the others. He hoped that Piper had gotten all the items that she had wanted. It did remind him that he was going to look at other armor but ultimately decided it was for the best that he kept what he had. It was just weird to have so much money and nowhere to spend it. He checked his inventory and saw how large it had gotten. There were definitely some items he could donate.

    While he was walking over, he held the essence he had obtained in his hand. It was a star-like glass object, and the essence contained small shooting stars.

    <b>Item: Essence of Wishes</b>

    <i>Rare</i>

    <i>3-star</i>

    <i>An essence that has the power of wishes. It can be used in a ritual.</i>

    Levi had gotten used to the vagueness that always appeared with essences. They rarely told him what they did besides the fact that it could be used in a ritual. Levi had one more slot available for a familiar. The choice had been made to try to summon a djinn. He wasn¡¯t sure what the ingredients in the rune circles would be. It would obviously be a three-star ritual. That was something that he would have to find somewhere before he could summon it.

    Levi had guessed that Arcross¡¯ Summoner¡¯s Guild library would have a book for him to have the exact ritual to summon it. Which meant he had to be patient. This was something he could do. He had other familiars that he wanted to learn and utilize their abilities fully before adding another one. Levi put the essence away and kept walking.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    As Levi neared the city gates, he passed through a beautiful park filled with trees, benches, and food stalls. The sight reminded him of home¡ªof Earth. He took a deep breath, savoring the greenery.

    Out of nowhere, Piper leaped from a tree, landing neatly in front of him.

    ¡°Damn,¡± Piper said, grinning. ¡°You spotted me.¡±

    ¡°I have strong aura senses, duh,¡± Levi said smugly. ¡°Your excitement gave you away.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Piper giggled.

    ¡°Did you get everything you needed?¡± Levi asked, helping her up.

    ¡°Not even close,¡± Piper said with a sigh. ¡°Everything was ridiculously overpriced. I¡¯m starting to understand why you hate aristocrats¡ªthey¡¯ve got a monopoly on everything.¡±

    ¡°They sure do,¡± Levi said, shaking his head. ¡°Where are the others?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re on their way,¡± Piper said. ¡°I just got excited and wanted to scare you.¡±

    ¡°Cute,¡± Levi said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. She looped her arm through his, and they continued walking toward the gates.

    Eventually, the rest of the team joined them, strolling at a leisurely pace. Tycen held four skewers of grilled meat, happily tearing into them.

    ¡°Got some food, huh?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°He insisted,¡± Anna said, clearly annoyed.

    ¡°It was worth it,¡± Tycen said through a mouthful of meat, earning a groan from Anna and giggles from Izzy. Levi noticed the way Bradley¡¯s expression darkened slightly as he watched Izzy laugh, but he kept his observations to himself.

    ¡°I got one for you,¡± Tycen said, offering Levi a skewer.

    ¡°Can we go now?¡± Anna asked impatiently.

    ¡°Patience, Princess,¡± Levi teased. ¡°I want to do these ritual upgrades for my familiars first. We¡¯ll get to running right after.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, I¡¯d love to watch!¡± Izzy said eagerly.

    ¡°That actually sounds really cool,¡± Bradley admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen one before.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± Levi said, clapping his hands. They left the city gates and moved off the main path to a quiet clearing.

    Once they reached the clearing just outside the city gates, Levi pulled out his tools and began preparing for the ritual. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the Crystal Wisps,¡± he announced, his excitement palpable. ¡°I think I know what this will do, but who doesn¡¯t love a good surprise?¡±

    The others gathered around to watch, intrigued. Levi knelt and began drawing a summoning circle in the dirt. His two Crystal Wisps, Willow and Crystal, emerged from his eyes and floated into position within the runes. Levi then pulled out the <i>All-Consuming Spark</i>¡ªa tiny flame that radiated intense heat.

    He hurriedly placed the Spark into the circle, wincing as it scorched his fingers. ¡°Damn, that hurt like hell,¡± he muttered, shaking his hand. Once everything was set, Levi stepped back and channeled his mana into the circle. The lines began to glow, and so did the two Crystal Wisps. The Spark flared brilliantly, becoming a blinding white light.

    The group shielded their eyes as the light intensified. When it faded, a third Crystal Wisp floated before them.

    Willow and Crystal immediately darted over to inspect their new sibling.

    <b>Familiar: Crystal Wisp ¨C Willow, Crystal, and Carbon</b><b>

    </b><i>The All-Consuming Spark has been consumed. The summoning has created an additional Crystal Wisp with the power of storms. Limited storm spells are now accessible.</i>

    Levi grinned as he studied the new wisp. Its dark gray body and glowing red eyes contrasted starkly with Willow and Crystal''s bright colors. Willow¡¯s crystal-blue body and yellow eyes shimmered, while Crystal¡¯s white form with blue eyes glowed softly.

    ¡°It looks like your orbs of chaos,¡± Piper observed, pointing to the new wisp.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what it looks like,¡± Anna said, nodding. ¡°If it had red lightning, it¡¯d be a carbon copy.¡±

    As if responding to her words, the new wisp turned toward Anna, its red eyes narrowing with curiosity. A text box appeared in Levi¡¯s vision.

    <b>Summoner, how did that woman know my name? ¨C Carbon</b>

    Levi chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t think she did, Carbon. I think she was just using an expression.¡±

    Anna¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait, what did it say?¡±

    Levi ignored her question momentarily, speaking to the wisp instead. ¡°Call me Levi, by the way.¡±

    <b>I see. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am pleased to see you have other wisps in your service. I do not like being alone. ¨C Carbon</b>

    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Levi said with a nod. ¡°Welcome to the family, Carbon. We¡¯re happy to have you. Do you have a chaos affinity?¡±

    <b>I do. ¨C Carbon</b>

    ¡°But you¡¯re the Wisp of Storms?¡±

    <b>Correct. ¨C Carbon</b>

    ¡°How fun,¡± Levi said with a grin. ¡°Go ahead and get to know your siblings. I¡¯ve got a few more rituals to perform.¡±

    Carbon floated over to join Willow and Crystal. The three wisps swirled around Levi in joyful, synchronized movements as if dancing.

    Serenity stepped forward and blasted a fireball into the used summoning circle, reducing it to scorched earth.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you do that?¡± Izzy asked, startled.

    ¡°To clear lingering mana,¡± Serenity explained. ¡°Burning the remnants prevents interference with future rituals. This isn¡¯t necessary in prepared ritual rooms with stone circles, but in the field, it¡¯s critical.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Izzy said thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯ve only done rituals in guild-sanctioned rooms.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see in battle that we sometimes need to adapt,¡± Levi said. ¡°If I didn¡¯t have Serenity, I¡¯d just move to a different spot.¡±

    Levi pulled out his wand and began drawing another summoning circle. This time, he held the <i>Sphere of Smoke</i> in his hands. The sphere wasn¡¯t encased in glass¡ªit was literal, dense, tangible smoke. Levi turned it over in his hands, marveling at its texture.

    He placed the sphere in one rune circle while Vapor entered another. Vapor added a stream of her own smoke to the final rune. Levi stepped back and pushed his mana into the circle.

    The Sphere of Smoke exploded, releasing a thick, impenetrable cloud. The smoke filled the area, so dense that even Levi¡¯s aura senses couldn¡¯t penetrate it. Then, from the center of the cloud, two white eyes appeared, locking onto Levi.

    ¡°So creepy,¡± Levi muttered, shivering slightly. ¡°Can¡¯t wait for those nightmares.¡±

    When the smoke cleared, Vapor emerged. Her usual white hooded cloak had turned a smoky gray, with the blue vapor design now sharper and more vivid. Her eyes, hidden in the shadows of her hood, seemed brighter than before.

    The change was cosmetic, by all appearances, but Vapor spoke up. ¡°Hold out your hand,¡± she instructed.

    Levi did as she asked, and a staff materialized in his grasp. It was made entirely of dense, dark smoke, but it felt solid in his hand. He twirled it experimentally, finding it lighter and more balanced than any staff he¡¯d ever used. When he struck the ground, the staff left a deep impact.

    ¡°Whoa,¡± Levi said, clearly impressed.

    <b>Familiar: Smoke Spirit ¨C Vapor</b><b>

    </b><i>Vapor has merged with the smoke from the Miasma Realm. The smoke is dense, toxic, and tangible, allowing Vapor to conjure weapons tailored to her summoner¡¯s aura. These weapons enhance all chaos-based attacks.</i>

    Levi noticed the confused expressions on his teammates¡¯ faces and chuckled. He grabbed the floating text box and flung it at them. They each blinked as the information flashed in their vision.

    ¡°Holy crap,¡± Piper said. ¡°So, you don¡¯t need weapons anymore?¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t,¡± Vapor confirmed. ¡°My conjured weapons will suffice.¡±

    ¡°How does that work?¡± Levi asked, intrigued. ¡°Does it hurt you when you create them? What happens if the weapon breaks? Do you lose part of your smoke?¡±

    ¡°It does not hurt,¡± Vapor explained. ¡°The process is similar to losing a clone but with less pain.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t wait to test this out,¡± Levi said, spinning the staff once more before dismissing it. ¡°But let¡¯s not stop here. We¡¯ve got more rituals to do.¡±

    <hr>

    While Levi prepared the next ritual, Bradley leaned over to whisper to Izzy. ¡°Do you feel as inadequate as I do right now?¡±

    Izzy laughed softly. ¡°You¡¯re ranked. Imagine how I feel.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a strange feeling,¡± Bradley admitted, his tone serious. ¡°Being around someone who¡¯s stronger than the strongest people I¡¯ve ever known. And he¡¯s not much older than us.¡±

    ¡°I know what you mean,¡± Izzy said, her gaze lingering on Levi. ¡°I think I understand now why he thought it¡¯d be dangerous for me to join his team. He¡¯s operating on a level I could never reach.¡±

    ¡°No kidding,¡± Bradley said. ¡°I really want to see him fight¡ªto see him go all out against something. He hasn¡¯t done that yet, and I bet it¡¯s insane.¡±

    ¡°I want to see all of them fight,¡± Izzy said with a smile.

    Bradley sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t shake the thought of what would¡¯ve happened if Levi hadn¡¯t been in a good mood when we first met. What if he¡¯d been pissed? What if he¡¯d actually sent one of his familiars after me? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be this strong.¡±

    Izzy looked at him, surprised by his vulnerability. She nudged his shoulder gently. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter, Bradley. He forgave you and welcomed you on this trip. I know you joined for your own reasons, but¡­ thank you for coming with me. It¡¯s nice having a bit of home, even if we¡¯re just ten meters from the city gates.¡±

    Bradley chuckled. ¡°Yeah, we didn¡¯t get far, huh? For what it¡¯s worth, I didn¡¯t come just for selfish reasons. I wanted to make sure you¡¯d be safe.¡±

    Izzy glanced up at him, warmth in her eyes. For a moment, she didn¡¯t hate the fact that they were engaged.

    ¡°It seems the two are falling in love,¡± Anna said to Tycen, her voice low as she observed Bradley and Izzy from a distance. She and Tycen sat a few meters away, watching Levi¡¯s preparations while keeping an eye on the others.

    ¡°Good for them,¡± Tycen said sincerely.

    Anna raised an eyebrow. ¡°Good for them? You¡¯re not upset? This is the second time you¡¯ve liked someone, and they chose someone else.¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Tycen admitted calmly. Anna awkwardly tucked her hair behind her ear, unsure of how to respond.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that bother you?¡± Piper asked, walking over to join their quiet conversation.

    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t,¡± Tycen said simply. ¡°I¡¯m in no rush for a relationship. My priority is my home. I want to make enough money to create more magic users in my tribe¡ªto make the Washiro name mean something.¡±

    Anna tilted her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t information I was eager to share,¡± Tycen said with a slight shrug.

    ¡°Does Levi know?¡± Piper asked curiously.

    ¡°I imagine he has some inkling,¡± Tycen replied. ¡°He¡¯s a lot more observant than he lets on.¡±

    ¡°You know he¡¯d help you in a heartbeat,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°I do,¡± Tycen said with a soft smile. ¡°If I need help, I won¡¯t hesitate to ask. I¡¯ve learned that Levi gets more upset when someone doesn¡¯t ask for his help than when he¡¯s unable to give it.¡±

    Anna chuckled softly. ¡°True. He¡¯s oddly protective of all of us, even if he pretends not to be.¡±

    Before they could say more, Levi called out, ¡°Alright, next ritual is ready!¡±

 Chapter 76 - Prime Order Dragon

    The void that appeared inside the ritual circle was disorienting, even painful to look at. Light failed to form within its center, making the darkness feel alive, almost oppressive. Izzy stared at it for too long and collapsed, her low mana reserves unable to withstand the overwhelming energy.

    Bradley¡¯s eyes widened in alarm. ¡°Levi¡ª!¡±

    Levi, calm as ever, tossed a mana potion to Bradley, who caught it in one swift motion. Kneeling beside Izzy, Bradley gently tipped the potion into her mouth. After a few moments, her eyelids fluttered open, and she slowly came to her senses. The void began to dissipate, revealing a figure within the ritual circle.

    ¡°Dameion!!¡± Levi called out, his voice tinged with awe. ¡°Whoa.¡±

    <b>Familiar: Avatar of the Void - Daemion </b>

    <i>Dameion has evolved. Dameion has evolved into a Void Warrior. Dameion can now use this form to attack while also still controlling the veil nebulas enabling him to still be an effective scout.</i>

    <i>	</i>

    ¡°A void warrior,¡± Levi said. Reading the description. The being in front of him was incredible. A long serpentine body was on the ground behind him, its underside blacker than the deepest reaches of space. The cosmic patterns on his scales shimmered and pulsed faintly, like a slow heartbeat. His body rose into a humanoid torso with four muscular arms, each holding a weapon. One hand gripped a trident formed of pure cosmic energy, impossibly black and glowing faintly at its edges. The other three wielded black holes swirling with destructive energy. Daemion¡¯s serpent-like head, adorned with small, jagged horns, tilted slightly as his void-like eyes met Levi¡¯s.

    ¡°It is a pleassssure to communicate with you, Levi,¡± Dameion said, his voice a smooth, eerie hiss.

    ¡°You can speak!¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I can. Thank you for your consistent care over me,¡± it said, putting two arms across its chest and bowing. Dameion was now as tall as Levi.

    ¡°What exactly is a void warrior?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°A void warrior are a specific group of warrior bred to help fight monsters that spawn in the void. These monsters are strong and something that cause severe problems if they are not dealt with.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, and you¡¯re an avatar of that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, perhaps for your underssstanding, off-sssspring would be a more apt description,¡± Daemion clarified.

    ¡°That is very helpful actually, thanks,¡± Levi said. ¡°What can you do?¡±

    ¡°I can actually attack now, although I still specialize in espionage and mana stealing.¡±

    ¡°Do the warriors have different classes?¡±

    ¡°We do,¡± Daemion nodded. ¡°Mine is trickster. Tricksters are weaker in melee fighting but excel in debuffs and providing support.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to change your gifts, we¡¯ll keep our current strategy for now,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Sensible,¡± Daemion said.

    ¡°You¡¯re up Anza,¡± Levi said. Levi pulled out the <i>World-Conquering Egg</i>. It was a large white egg that was warm to the touch. The egg was about the size of a basketball. He placed the egg inside one of the rune circles.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°World-Conquering Egg,¡± Levi explained. ¡°Apparently it hatches into something unique for what ever world-conquering organism it merges with. Since its Anza, we¡¯ll find out what it actually does. I am curious because I thought the path for the mimics was clear.¡±

    ¡°As did I,¡± Anna said. ¡°By all accounts Mimics were the most straightforward world-conquering organism, that I read.¡±

    ¡°Same,¡± Levi said. ¡°Well let¡¯s find out what we get.¡±

    <b>Familiar: Mimic - Anza</b>

    <i>The World-Conquering Egg has hatched into a Mimic Delta. Mimic Deltas are a rare version of mimics, only born under particular circumstances. The mimic delta has the ability to create energy shields and barriers. </i>

    <i>	</i>Standing next to Anza was another mimic. It was just smaller than Anza in her alpha form, which she rarely took. The delta had an olive-green bioluminescence glow, giving it a distinct appearance difference from the drones. Levi called a drone to stand next to the other two to note the difference. The delta was bigger than the drones. It fit right in with the middle of the Alpha and her drones.

    ¡°Hello, father,¡± the delta said, looking right at Levi.

    ¡°Father?¡± Levi said. ¡°How am I your father?¡±

    ¡°I was an egg and now I am hatched because of you, that makes you my father,¡± the delta replied. Its voice was androgynous and robotic.

    ¡°Do you have a name?¡±

    ¡°No, father,¡± the delta said.

    ¡°Would you like one?¡±

    ¡°Yes father.¡±

    ¡°How about Delta?¡± Levi said, with a slight smile and slight embarrassment. He genuinely liked the name Delta.

    ¡°I love it, father,¡± Delta said. Delta looked at Anza and bowed. "My leader, how may I be of service?¡± Anza just looked at the Delta mimic, and Delta bowed once more. Levi looked at the exchange and gave Anza a look. She looked back and shrugged, well, as much as an alien world-conquering monster could shrug.

    ¡°Last but not least,¡± Levi said. ¡°Serenity.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Serenity said.

    ¡°No?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Serenity affirmed. ¡°I felt the aura of the dragon tear. It is not something that you would want to summon or want me to merge with.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Levi said.

    ¡°In the wider cosmos there are a species of dragons that roam the cosmos. They are quite possibly the most powerful dragons in existence.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t see how that is a problem,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°What is it that they do in the cosmos,¡± Anna asked. ¡°Surely, they have a purpose.¡±

    Serenity nodded, ¡°that is correct Princess Anna, they do have a purpose. They are order. They make sure everything is going directly as how they believe the cosmos should be. They direct, destroy, correct. They are the Prime Order Dragons, dragons of fierce abilities born from order magic.¡±

    ¡°How does that work with the goddess Tranquility? Who came first?¡± Levi asked. ¡°Do the dragons serve each the goddess?¡±

    ¡°No more than elementals serve the gods of that element,¡± Serenity said. ¡°They are two beings with vastly different limitations exisitng in different realms. That is not much of our concern. Our world is too minor for the likes of a Prime Order dragon to take notice. Unless of course we summon one or entertain its power from a Chaotic Paragon.¡±

    ¡°That would not be good,¡± Piper said. ¡°That would be very bad.¡±

    ¡°It would be death for the entire planet, if not solar system,¡± Serenity said.

    ¡°Yeah I got it,¡± Levi said. ¡°I won¡¯t use it.¡±

    ¡°Levi I need you to understand, not using is not enough. All of us right now have to make the conscious decision that we will NEVER bring this item up to anyone. EVER.¡±

    Levi had never seen Serenity act as serious as she was right now. Her asking him never to do it would have been enough for him to believe her, let alone her tone and behavior that sealed the deal. He nodded firmly, no trace of amusement on his face. Serenity''s gaze bore into everyone else''s as they all nodded their silent agreement. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Well then that is all I have for rituals,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Finally,¡± Tycen said. ¡°I love the rituals and stuff but I was promised training and I want training.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Anna said. Levi pulled out the map of the towns and handed it to Anna.

    ¡°Lead the way, princess,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°There is a town that is just about 50 kilometers away, closest town to the city. We should get there in 3 hours at a jog, 2 if we run, 1.5 if we push ourselves.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Izzy said. ¡°Did you just say run the entire 50km?¡±

    ¡°She did,¡± Piper said. ¡°Are you ready for that hard work?¡± Piper said with a smirk.

    ¡°That¡¯s suicide, not hard work,¡± Izzy complained.

    ¡°If you get too tired, you can ride a drone,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯ll set the pace.¡±

    ¡°I can,¡± Piper volunteered.

    ¡°Not a chance in this lifetime,¡± Levi said. ¡°Having you set the pace is suicide!¡± Piper crossed her arms and smirked. Levi winked back.

    Anna pointed him in the right direction, and he began running. The sun was bearing down on them as it was just past midday. The air was dry as they moved away from the coast into more desert land. The rolling green grassy hills turned into flat dead grass plains. There were some trees scattered around with the occasion additional plants. It wasn¡¯t extremely hot. It was just dry as something was intentionally sucking up all the moisture.

    ¡°I officially completed the late 20s crisis,¡± Levi chuckled.

    ¡°What?¡± Anna said.

    ¡°On my world around my age people have a crisis of what to do, so they do a few things, start a podcast, run a marathon, or get obsessed with baking,¡± Levi said. ¡°We just passed the distance of a marathon.¡±

    ¡°None of that made any sense,¡± Anna said. ¡°Besides baking, I know what baking is.¡±

    ¡°None of it matters besides the fact that it is just funny to me,¡± Levi said. ¡°I hated all forms of physical activity but it feels good to be running again.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s cause,¡± Piper said. ¡°You sucked at it. Now you¡¯re halfway decent.¡±

    ¡°Har Har,¡± Levi mocked.

    ¡°Levi we all remember when you first got here,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°It was pathetic,¡± Piper added. ¡°Just so embarrassing, its amazing how you even got a girl to like you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah she was an idiot,¡± Levi said, causing Piper to double over in laughter. They didn¡¯t stop running because she would easily catch up.

    ¡°Can.. we.. please.. Take¡­ a breaaaak,¡± the wheezing sound came from Bradley. Levi looked up and saw the town and slowed his run. ¡°Thannnk you..¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t stop for you,¡± Levi said. ¡°Jeez man you¡¯re a two-star ranger, your stamina should be a little better than that.¡±

    ¡°It is a wonder how your stamina is so low for being a stamina specific class,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°Too fast..¡± Bradley said, his chest rising many levels as he lay in the dry grass.

    ¡°I figured we should stop and not enter a town sweaty,¡± Levi said. ¡°Let¡¯s rest, that only took us two and half hours.¡± He patted Bradley¡¯s knee. ¡°Come on big guy,¡± he said, helping him up. He conjured an orb of water and handed it to Bradley.

    ¡°How do you all look so relaxed,¡± Izzy asked. ¡°I ran only half of that and I am exhausted.¡±

    ¡°Training,¡± Levi said; he also handed her an orb of water to drink.

    ¡°We used to swim,¡± Piper said. ¡°That builds up the stamina a lot but we¡¯ve ran before.¡±

    ¡°Your lungs will adjust as you train more and as your stamina stat increases,¡± Anna said. ¡°You¡¯re in better shape than when we first met Levi.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s facts,¡± Levi said. ¡°I was a mess.¡±

    ¡°You mentioned in your world,¡± Izzy said. ¡°Are you not from this world?¡±

    ¡°Ahh you heard that?¡± Levi chuckled. ¡°That was my mistake¡­ I¡¯m an otherworlder, yeah.¡±

    ¡°A WHAT?¡± the two of them said at the same time.

    ¡°Yeah, I dropped the ball on that one,¡± Levi said, scratching his head.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there some prophecy that an otherworlder will bring destruction to the world?¡± Bradley said, his aura rising. He slowly started to conjure a weapon and aim it at Levi. Levi gave him a flat look.

    ¡°You know damn well that arrow ain¡¯t gonna to do a damn thing. Put it away,¡± Levi said. ¡°That¡¯s not the real prophecy, I have the real one.¡± Izzy started to back away from Levi. Her eyes were wide with terror.

    ¡°Chaos, you... you¡¯re the one who is going to destroy the world,¡± she stammered, historically. Stay back!¡± She screamed and ran away. Levi looked around at his teammates. They all had surprised looks on their faces.

    ¡°Well,¡± Levi said. ¡°That went better than I thought it would. Drones go get her. Wait, she¡¯s coming back.¡± Izzy sprinted back with even more fear than when she left.

    Levi frowned at feeling her aura. She was definitely scared by something out - a boom erupted from the direction that Izzy came from.

    ¡°M-m-m-monster,¡± she stammered.

    ¡°Bradley, make sure she is okay,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out.¡± Serenity grew to her actual size, Levi jumped on her back, and she flew high.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming with you,¡± Tycen said, flying next to him.

    <b>Quest: Defeat the Sunbathing Voltra</b>

    <i>A Voltra has been living in this region for many months, absorbing all the moisture. Defeat the monster. Current progress kill the Voltra (0/1).</i>

    <i>Reward: Random Magical Clothing</i>

    <i>	</i>¡°Haven¡¯t seen a quest in a bit,¡± Levi said. He threw the box to Tycen. In the distance, there was a massive monster. It was a monstrosity¡ªleathery wings with a grotesque inhuman head and a vaguely humanoid shape. When it opened its mouth, a vortex of white would be shot down then blue streams would be sucked up into its opened maw.

    ¡°That thing is hideous,¡± Levi said. ¡°It¡¯s sucking up all the moisture. No wonder this area is so dry.¡±

    ¡°Can you get a read on its rank?¡±

    ¡°4-star,¡± Levi said. Tycen nodded. They flew back down to the group. "Bradley and Izzy, you¡¯re out. It''s a four-star monster, and it''s a big one, too.¡±

    ¡°Four-star?!¡± Izzy exclaimed. ¡°But¡­¡± As she spoke, the team had already switched into their combat gear. Levi was wearing his combat robes, which were form-fitting and made him look like a comic book superhero. His cloak added mystery. He held out a gray smokey staff.

    Levi began drawing a snow-covered summoning circle. The circle glowed brightly, and then several cheetah-like creatures emerged with fur as white as snow. They had blue eyes and looked at Levi with utmost obedience.

    ¡°Leave a trail of water and snow in a random pattern,¡± Levi instructed. "There is a Voltra out there. We want to draw it away from the town and back into this area without any extra moisture it can absorb. Be fast, and there is a reward for you when you succeed.¡± They all huffed, then zoomed off.

    ¡°On your mark,¡± Anna said. She was wearing her witches'' robes and had her spell book floating in front of her and her wand in hand.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Levi said. They walked out into the clearing and saw the monster. It was 10 meters tall with six arms swinging madly. The Voltra was trying to smash something on the ground. Levi¡¯s plan worked. The Snow Speed Cheetahs were the fastest land aquatic-ish summon he could think of. They left a trail of snow and water as they ran circles around the Voltra.

    ¡°Winds of a Blizzard,¡± Anna chanted. Massive gray storm clouds formed in the air of the monster. It looked up and began to attempt to suck in the storm clouds. As it did, massive balls of Onyx stone flew out of the storm clouds. They impacted with heavy thuds, only real thing they did was cause a temporary distraction and full time annoyance. Tycen and Piper made their move.

    They rushed in to start dealing with some physical damage. She threw her knives at the legs of the monster. They exploded into the water; the Voltra immediately shot down a vortex to suck up the water. Piper swore that was not a good move, and she just did.

    ¡°Tendrils of darkness, ensnare,¡± she chanted. Black tendrils of ethereal shadow appeared out of the ground and wrapped around the leg of the monster. The monster attempted to make a step and was tripped. ¡°Sphere of darkness,¡± an orb appeared in Piper¡¯s hand as she fired it at the falling Voltra.

    It impacted the side and left a small dent. Tycen flew into one of the arms and started punishing it with blow after blow with his Morning Star weapon. Dark blue blood started pouring out of the open wounds. The monster opened its bleeding hand, and the blood formed a sphere. Shards of blue blood were blasted at Tycen. He dodged most of the attacks, but not all. Tycen went flying and landed hard on the ground.

    ¡°My powers are ineffective, it either absorbs it or do surface damage,¡± Anna said. ¡°I¡¯ll go help Tycen. It is up to you two.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Piper said. She continued to fire orbs of darkness into the fallen monster who was struggling to get up. ¡°Shadows form my blade,¡± she chanted. In her hand, a double-edged sword that emitted ethereal shadows appeared in her hand. She smiled just as she did. She had to dodge the shards of blue blood.

    Levi had sent in the drones to keep the monster grounded. Their long metallic tentacles were especially helpful as they could wrap around different parts of the Voltra¡¯s body. Multiple drones formed around the fallen legs of the monster. They shot their tentacles and dug into the ground. The monster struggled; the drones that went closer to its arms were blasted into smithereens. Several drones were lost trying to tie down the monster. Finally, after several attempts and many lost drones, they secured it. Now ensnared on the ground, Piper could deal with more damage.

    ¡°This things vitality and mana pool is crazy high,¡± Levi said. ¡°Dameion can you help reduce that?¡± Daemion appeared and slithered in the air, more so flew toward the downed monster. Three veil nebulas appeared and shot toward the fallen monster. Life energy started to get drained out of the massive monster. The monster howled, destroying the nebulas with its hideous cry. Levi covered his ears, but he was a little too slow. Blood had started pouring out of his ears, Piper who had been closer to the monster¡¯s mouth was grabbing her ears and screaming in pain.

    Dameion sent some of the life energy he had drained to heal Piper immediately. Red energy flowed and surrounded the screaming Piper; some of it entered her ears. She slowly took a deep breath, relief taking over her face. She quickly schooled her expression and started attacking again.

    Levi held his staff out and chanted his incantation. Dameion looked at him with glee; rather than several dark orbs of the void, several veil nebula clouds formed a larger veil nebula. Brilliant colored light beams rained down from the heavens, impacting the Voltra. A muted scream left the mouth of the monster, and it thrashed harder. But its efforts were futile. It had been fighting for too long. It had lost too much vital energy and used too much mana; it was going to die.

    The monster was four-star, which meant it was strong and resilient. The battle went on for a while, but it wasn¡¯t a battle that the team had ever felt like they were going to lose. The Voltra was never able to stand up. Tycen made a full recovery as Daemion transferred the excess life energy to him. The final blow came from Piper as she stabbed her shadow blade in the chest. Blue blood exploded like a geyser out of the heart as the giant creature died.

    <b>Quest: Defeat the Sunbathing Voltra</b>

    <i>A Voltra has been living in this region for many months, absorbing all the moisture. Defeat the monster. Current progress kill the Voltra (1/1). Quest Complete</i>

    <i>Reward: Water Resistant Armor</i>

    <b>Monster Defeated: Sunbathing Voltra</b>

    <i>4-star</i>

    <i>Loot: 1 black coin, 4-star star token,  Wand of moisture,  Spell-Book vortex.</i>

    <b>Progress Made: Levi Winters</b>

    <i>+5 to strength</i>

    <i>+30 to stamina</i>

    <i>+15 to speed</i>

    <i>+10 vitality</i>

    <i>+25 to wisdom</i>

    <b>Attribute Totals: 1697</b>

    <i>Strength </i><i>	</i><i>170</i>

    <i>Stamina</i><i>	</i><i>241</i>

    <i>Speed</i><i>	</i><i>	</i><i>163</i>

    <i>Vitality</i><i> 3</i><i>73</i>

    <i>Wisdom</i><i>	</i><i>750</i>

 Chapter 77 - Infestation

    "Those rewards were kind of lame," Levi said as he held a cloth to clean the blood off the side of his face.

    "Are you seriously complaining right now?" Anna said. "Most teams do not get any loot or rewards, be grateful for your ability."

    "I am grateful," Levi said. "Doesn''t mean I cannot judge the quality of the loot."

    "Would you rather no loot or poor quality?"

    "Why are you trippin over what I said? What''s the big deal?"

    "I do not want you to get complacent with loot you gain. Riches can cloud one''s judgement."

    "I think you''re projecting, princess. I am allowed to be dissatisfied with the loot."

    "I simply do not want you to fall into the habit of expecting great loot all the time."

    "I never said I was expecting great loot. Why are we having this argument? This is dumb," Levi said, throwing his hands in the air.

    Piper leaned in to whisper to Izzy, "they do this often."

    "Really? Why?" Izzy whispered back.

    "Honestly," Piper said. "I have no clue. At first, it was fundamental differences in ethics but Levi for better or worse has become a little more ethically neutral. Now, I think Anna just likes challenging Levi and Levi is too stubborn to let it go."

    "I see," Izzy said, nodding. "So they are basically siblings?"

    "Yep," Tycen said. "Two very competitive siblings."

    Eventually, Levi and Anna stopped arguing. Once that was done and everyone had recovered their resources, they made for the small town a few miles away. They arrived at the village and were greeted by little kids running up to them.

    "Whoa," they cheered. "Are you adventurers?"

    "We are," Levi said, voice soft and gentle.

    "How cool!"

    "Hey mister," one of them pointed at Tycen. "Are those wings? How do you have wings?"

    "I am a race called an avian," Tycen replied, also gently. He wore a soft smile. "We have wings."

    "Whoa! I want wings," some of them murmured.

    "Aye, leave the nice adventurers alone!" a motherly voice sounded shortly after a woman in a patched dress walked up. "Sorry about them; we don''t see too many adventurers these days. I''m Freida, and I run the tavern. I assume you are all just passing through?" Her hair was knotted in a mess, and grim and dirt covered her hands and face. It was a contrast to the pristine-looking adventurers.

    "Nice to meet you Freida," Levi said. "That depends. Are there any concerns with monsters or services we could help with?"

    "Yes," Freida said. "We have many, follow me." She led the group through the town. The houses were all rundown, the people more so. It looked like this town had been barely surviving for the past few years. Levi frowned as he looked at the skinny, frail bodies. These people had to have been starving. His heart thundered as he was led through the village.

    Freida led them to a small bulletin board full of notices. Levi glanced at them all and then removed them from the bulletin board. His team nodded their ascent with his actions. "Does your tavern have room for us to stay while we are here?"

    "You''re going to do take all of em?" Freida asked absentmindedly.

    "We are," Levi said.

    Freida shook her head, realizing she had not answered his question. "Yes, we have two rooms. They aren''t very large, but they can fit you all."

    "Great, can we go there now?" Levi replied with a gentle smile. Piper and Anna shared a look, which Izzy caught. She furrowed her eyebrows. Izzy wished she was close enough to understand their communication with looks. Freida led the team to the tavern.

    "I want to warn you, we won''t be able to pay you much for the notices. Not in coin at least. If you get all those notices done, I won''t charge you for staying."

    "All good, Freida," Levi said. "We''ll pay whatever your going rate is."

    "Are you sure? Usually, adventurers demand to stay for free. I''ll gladly accommodate it if you help this town out."

    "Yeah, I''m one hundred percent sure; it''s all good," Levi assured her. They arrived at the tavern, which was the nicest building by far in this small town. Nice, of course, was relative, but there was a whole, non-patched roof, which was a big start. The team was in one of the two rooms with the pile of notices spread out on a table¡ªthere were twenty in all.

    "Are you suggesting we complete all these notices before we leave?" Anna asked.

    "I am," Levi said. "We don''t have to do all of em together; we can split up into groups. I''m sure that even my familiars could do some of these tasks."

    "Probably," Piper said. "This place is very sad¡­"

    "It is," Levi said. "I wonder what happened?"

    "Sadly," Bradley said. "This is the state of most of these smaller towns and villages. The ones who have a talented craftsman bring in a bit more money so they can afford some nicer things."

    "How does this happen?" Piper asked.

    "They just get forgotten," Bradley said. "The bigger cities that make money always become the priority; adventurers don''t stray far from where the money is. That''s how the nation works." Levi frowned as Bradley spoke. Bradley noticed and tried to backtrack. "But it''s not all bad." Levi looked up and gave Bradley a gentle smile.

    "I''m not mad at you Bradley," Levi said. "Just a crappy situation¡­ it''s hard to see so many starving people." Piper squeezed his arm and rubbed his hand affectionately. "Well we''ll help these people by clearing out these notices. Let''s separate them."

    The group separated the notices into four piles. The first pile was things that could be done with just the familiars. These were typically lesser monster infestation, debris clean-up, or some poor-quality food or water supply. The second pile consisted of things that needed some attacking: monsters, rumors of bandits, or thieves within the city. The third pile consisted of things in the area around the town. It was a town that was surrounded by the outskirts of a forest; some people wanted an escort to look for a specific fruit for medicine but were afraid to travel due to monsters. Then there was the fourth pile, there was reports of a cavern that would constantly spawn monsters.

    Levi had asked Freida about it before they knew what pile to put it in. A group of five teenagers were out and about when they found the cavern. Only one returned, who died later that night after they were poisoned by something. That was not something that could be dealt with easily, so it would be an entire team effort.

    "Izzy and Tycen take some drones and handle everything in the first pile," Anna instructed. They both looked at each other and smiled. "Piper and Levi take the second pile. Bradley and I will take the third pile. Any objections?"

    "Do you want some drones with you?" Levi asked.

    "Yes please, if you can spare," Anna said.

    "I''m pretty sure I can summon a hundred, so yep, got some to spare."

    "Very well," Anna said. "We all understand our tasks, do nothing at night, do nothing alone, we shall meet back here for supper."

    "Bet," Levi said. "Good luck."

    Quest: Notice Board Notices

    You have collected several notices within a small town. Complete each notice for a small reward.

    Total notices completed (0/40)

    Levi looked at the quest and nodded to himself. Levi was going to give most of the rewards back to the village¡­ within reason. Piper nudged his arm and smiled at him, her grey eyes looking at him lovingly.

    "You doing alright?" she asked.

    "Yeah," Levi said. "Just sucks to see a place like this. I''m going to give most of the rewards from the quest to the village. It''ll be up to them to make the most of it."

    "You''re amazing," Piper said. "I love it. Then let''s get started. We only have a few hours until supper, so let''s try to knock out 5!" Levi nodded. The two of them said their goodbyes and made their way into the village.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    "Okay," Levi said, pulling out the first notice. "Whoops, hold on," with a mental command, several drones appeared around him. He gave the command to follow Tycen and Anna''s orders. "They''ll only listen to you two," Levi said, pointing at Tycen and Anna. "Otherwise, they''ll act on base instincts. Good luck, have fun! Now," he said, looking back at Piper. "It says that there is a person named Gretchen; she has been saying she has seen some monsters lurking in her farmhouse. Let''s go see where she is."

    "Is this place big enough for farms?" Piper asked quietly.

    "Oh yes," Freida said. "This is just the downtown area. Our town is small population-wise, but there are quite a number of farms just that way. " She pointed in the opposite direction that the team came from.

    "Oh," Piper said. "Thanks for that."

    "Thank you, adventurers."

    Piper and Levi made their way toward the farmlands. Rundown gravel streets turned into barely paved dirt paths. Fences lined different properties, and large barns were weathered just like the rest of the city. They spotted a few animals, most of which looked starved. Levi went to the fence and saw this weird livestock creature. It looked like a sheep but had small horns on its heads. As there were two of them and each head had a singular eyeball.

    "Those are frightening," Levi said.

    "Yes, yes they are," Piper nodded.

    "Can I help, Yew?" a woman''s voice called from behind the frightening creatures. She stood up. She was a young adult, about Levi''s age. She was pretty, with long dark blonde hair that fell to her chest.

    "Are you Gretchen?" Levi asked.

    "Aye, what''s it to yew?" she asked snarkily.

    "We have your notice," Levi said patiently. "You wrote that you have monsters or something?"

    "That''s what the notice say don''t it?"

    "So¡­" Levi said, glancing at Piper. "Want to show us where they are?"

    "I don''t know where they are, yew big idiot. I just know my shepins here have been spooked, ain''t ate a thang in days. I even saw one of them with some gashes."

    Levi frowned at the comment but held his tongue. " Mind showing us where that¡­ shepin... is?"

    "It''s all healed up but a couple of scars but sure, come on over the fence."

    Piper narrowed her eyes, scanning for anything as they jumped over the fence.

    "Show-offs," Gretchen mumbled. Gretchen led them to the sizeable sheep-like creature. Tufts of fur were missing as the fur wouldn''t grow on scar tissue. It looked like three claw marks on both sides were trying to drag it away. "This is Fulma, somethin tried to snatch her from meh. Nasty creature with all them claws; she almost died from infections. Ever since that night, the attacks have increased. Almost lost a shepin in broad daylight."

    Levi looked at the marks with an assessing look. They looked familiar; they were looking for a monster with three claws on each side. He turned to the farmer, "You mind if we have a look around? We''ll sort out the monster."

    "Do what you must stranger," she said, waving her hand and walking away. "Just show me proof of death."

    "She''s unpleasant," Piper murmured.

    "Yep but can you blame her? I''d be snarky too if my lively hood was being attacked. Who knows how long she''s had that notice up there."

    "That''s a fair point. What do we do?"

    "Check for an aura traces," Levi said. "Dameion and Serenity, that''s y''all." Serenity stretched off her regular perch, Levi''s shoulder. Dameion manifested and stood next to Serenity. The two looked at each other and then set off. While they were investigating around the barn house, Levi and Piper made their way toward the fence line that was just next to the forest.

    "This is interesting," Piper said. "The grass is dead so you would expect there to be any kind of tracks or traces of the monster. But there is nothing."

    "Unless it flies or is a ghoul," Levi said.

    "That is precisely what it is," Serenity said.

    "How do you mean?" Piper asked.

    "The monster is called the Reaping Drift, they are known for taking livestock," Serenity explained. "Its'' aura signature was all over the place. We''ll have to come back at night to see it."

    "That''s a bummer," Levi said. "Alright, let''s go tell Gretchen." After telling Gretchen and getting a colorful response, Levi and Piper looked at the following notice to see what they could get done. They were still trying to finish as many as they could. This notice led them to the edge of the town, where they heard a loud buzzing.

    "That seems promising," Piper said. Levi nodded in agreement. Following the sound, they approached a massive tree. It was easily a hundred meters tall and ten meters in diameter. Buzzing around the massive tree were insects, gigantic insects. Wasps the size of birds all buzzed around the tree. Their wings buzzed a sound similar to a helicopter¡ªthe chorus of buzzing stilled as they spotted their presence.

    "The worst," Levi said. "Wisps, you''re up." Willow, Crystal, and now Carbon all manifested in front of Levi. They were in battle mode, looking sharp and ready for action. By the time the wisps had manifested, the wasps had made their move. Piper conjured her shadow blade, and Levi conjured a smoke staff from Vapor. Piper slashed her blade easily, cutting through the giant wasps. With each slash, the wasps would fall to the ground, dead.

    Team Wisps now have three main wisps spread out far and wide, creating a golden shield of fire. Every time a wasp hit a wisp, it would erupt into flames. That wisps area would be consumed, but it would be quickly replaced. If it weren''t replaced, then the wasps would be attacked by Piper or Levi, the two of them making quick work of the monsters. With Levi, his staff would splatter the wasps like bugs on a windshield, which Levi found much more enjoyable. Smashing wasps that were the size of doves left a lot of insect guts flying everywhere.

    Although he preferred that over the smell of them burning alive. It was not pleasant. The awful aroma drifted as thousands of wasps were being burnt alive. They were doing well against the wasps without any actual harm being done, but Levi feared that something worse might happen. The entire tree vibrated as the thunderous beating of wings echoed inside the hollowed-out trunk.

    "Every hive needs its queen," Levi murmured. A wasp the size of an eagle appeared. Its stinger pulsed in and out of its abdomen, reaching lengths of five feet. Its mandibles were three feet long, sharp, and twitching. It''s eyes laid on Levi. A thousand more wasps appeared from behind the queen. These wasps were bigger than the ones they had been fighting but smaller than the queen. Soldiers. They flew all around the queen as they charged the attackers of their hive. With their growing number and size, they would burst through the wisps wall, on fire but having more body mass to burn before dying. They pushed through, focused on one thing and one thing only, attacking the enemies.

    Levi changed tactics. He pulled out his summoning wand and began drawing a ritual circle. Levi didn''t like using all of his familiars at once, in case they were needed for something else. This was why he decided to summon some creatures to help him. The circle erupted into fire as humanoid creatures made of sharp obsidian stepped out of it.

    "Kill the wasps, get the queen if you can," Levi said. While he was doing that, he conjured several orbs of fire, firing them at the wasps that were swarming Piper. She had gotten bit a few times but had narrowly avoided being stung. The orbs of fire exploded all around Piper as she stood her ground with her sword. She conjured her shadow tendrils, and they appeared all around her. She looked like a warrior octopus with dark tendrils, grabbing, smacking, and stabbing the wasps that surrounded her.

    She nodded her thanks to Levi as she saw several of the wasps around her explode. She didn''t spend too much time looking at Levi as the wasps seemed to come endlessly. For the most part, Levi was unharmed, his resources were being depleted as the lava guardians he had summoned cost a lot of mana to summon, however they were worth it as they provided well needed support for team wisp.

    "How you doing?" Levi asked.

    "Great," Piper responded. "Do you see an end?"

    Levi shook his head, "I don''t¡­ Carbon, Willow, and Crystal. Fire swarm inside the tree create a blockade to prevent more from coming in. I''ll distract the queen." The monstrous wasp was still staring at Levi with her compound eyes. Levi attacked the queen with several orbs of fire, which were essentially small fireballs being fired at her. She disappeared, moving at lightning-fast speed, and appeared in front of Levi. At the last second, Levi jumped backward, dodging the stinger.

    "Fast as hell," Levi murmured. He gripped his staff with two hands and entered a defensive stance. The queen attacked relentlessly, stab, slash, bite, grip, stab, slash, and so on. Her speed was far superior to Levi''s; her every move was remarkably quick. Levi, up to this point, had avoided every stinger attack but had taken some nasty slashes. Blood trickled out of his wounds, one on his arm and a small one on his cheek.

    It was his turn to attack. Levi changed his staff to have two serrated blades, and this queen''s exoskeleton became much stronger. It seemed like blunt damage would not be helpful. With the serrated blades, he felt he could get more ripping and slicing going on. He rushed the queen, and after fighting her for this long, he started to anticipate the movements. She moved to the right, and Levi had already been slashing. The blades cut halfway through the queen''s side. The queen tried to move, but the serrated blades kept her trapped.

    Levi yanked the staff out, taking most of her side with her. The wasp made a noise that Levi could only assume was her screaming. Several wasps turned towards their battle and made their way to aid the queen. Unfortunately for the wasps, there weren''t many of them left alive. Team Wisp had prevented more from escaping and joining the battle while simultaneously killing the rest of the hive from the inside. The lava guardians were killing all the surrounding wasps with ease. Their bodies were hot like freshly made obsidian, so anytime a wasp landed on one, they would burn up, effectively preventing them from being stung.

    Piper had also killed her fair share of thousands of wasps. Her dark blade flashed as she continued to move quickly, killing any wasps that entered her sword range. The swarm of wasps that had been attacking her finally died down. Sweat covered her entire body. Her muscles were screaming, and her stamina had run very low. She pulled out her ritual wand and created a ritual of regeneration. Green energy appeared out of the ritual circle and slowly began replenishing her stamina.

    Her heart rate was elevated, and she was breathing heavily. She watched as Levi ripped the side of the queen in half. The queen made a hideous noise and then fell to the ground. Half of her insides were exposed from that attack. Levi twirled his staff and stabbed it through the queen''s head, killing her.

    Levi was panting; his mana and stamina were low. He had some wounds that were slowly healing up. Team wisp exited the tree, the surrounding area was littered with dead wasps. Serenity, who had been watching from a tree, used her fire breath to burn the rest of the bodies.

    Monster Defeated: Woodsaw Wasp Workers x3000

    Loot: Wasps Paper

    Loot: Pollen 10kg

    Loot: Woodsaw Wasp King Larvae

    Loot: 10000 copper coins

    Monster Defeated: Woodsaw Wasp Soldiers x1000

    Loot: Wasp Sword

    Loot: Wasps Venom 5kg

    Loot: Woodsaw Wasp Mandible Sword

    Loot: Woodsaw Mask

    Monster Defeated: Woodsaw Wasp Queen

    Loot: 3-Star Token x 2

    Loot: Woodsaw Wasp Honey 5kg

    Loot: 5 Platinum Coins

    Loot: Woodsaw Wasp Queen Egg

    Loot: Woodsaw Wasp Venom 100kg

    Quest: Notice Board Notices

    Objective Completed: Notice Board #25 - Woodsaw Wasp Infestation

    Reward: 100 Copper Coins

    Reward: 1 Star token x5

    Progress Made: Levi Winters

    +15 to strength

    +5 to stamina

    +6 to speed

    +15 vitality

    +30 to wisdom

    Attribute Totals: 1755

    Strength  185

    Stamina 236

    Speed  166

    Vitality 388

    Wisdom 780

 Chapter 78 - Leave or Die

    Anna and Bradley waited outside the stables while their client gathered the list of needed materials. They were working with the town''s apothecary; they needed some specific ingredients that dangerous beasts usually surrounded. Bradley was leaning against the stable fence, looking over the dead grass field.

    "Are you nervous?" Anna asked Bradley.

    "No," Bradley responded. "Why did you have to put Izzy and Tycen together on a team?"

    "Oh," Anna said, her voice softening. "I see. You like her again?"

    "That''s not what I said," Bradley snapped, indignation in his voice. He looked at Anna, who raised an eyebrow. His shoulders slumped. "Fine. I never stopped liking her. She just never liked me to begin with."

    "I see," Anna said.

    "When my father approached me with the information that I would be marrying her, I was ecstatic. The girl who I had always had a crush on."

    "What happened?"

    "I was a jerk. I had to play up the disrespectful tough guy, for my father''s games. It turned her off of me real quickly, and I''ve never been able to recover. She''s been nonstop talking about Tycen. I can''t even hate him cause he is such a good guy," Bradley sighed loudly.

    "If it is any consolation," Anna said. "Tycen will not interfere."

    "He won''t? I believe it when I see it," Bradley huffed.

    "Believe what you must. I know Tycen very well, he is a good man, and he will not interfere."

    "Right," the apothecary, Preston, walked out. "Ready to go? Lots of sick people, he he." Preston was middle-aged and not a magic user. He had fair skin, short brown hair, and brown eyes. He was an average-looking man. He had placed several notices for many ingredients.

    "Lead the way," Anna said.

    "Are you sure you don''t want a mount? I have plenty?"

    "We are fine walking, thank you," Anna said.

    "Magic-users," Preston said to himself as he rode off on a unicorn. Preston was quiet as he led them through the forest. He would hum a tune to himself now and again. They entered the forest clearing, and a cool, refreshing breeze replaced the dry, warm air. The forest canopy covered up most of the sun, with plenty of foliage adding humidity to the air. Anna noted the stark difference in climate between the two locations, no more than meters apart.

    Preston stopped and dismounted when they approached a tree. Several mushrooms were on the edge of the tree. He carefully removed them from the bark and placed them in the bag he was carrying.

    "These are excellent to help with those who are hungry," Preston explained. "They have magical property inside them that fill up the stomach."

    "Is that what you want?" Bradley asked. "Artificially filling up stomachs. How long does the effect last?"

    "Several hours," Preston said. "We don''t have much other choice, sadly." He got back on his unicorn and continued his way through the forest, looking at his parchment of ingredients. This went on for thirty minutes. Preston would walk and stop at a tree, collect the ingredients, explain what they did and what they were for, and then continue on his way to the next item.

    "This is the best trip yet," Preston said. "We''ve hardly had to face any creatures."

    Anna smirked. The reason they hadn''t was because she was projecting her aura to the surrounding areas, preventing any monsters who were small and afraid to be curious and come near. It was something that she had learned from Serenity. She was grateful for the aura dragon. Serenity had always been willing and open to teaching Anna in her free time. Not for the first time, Anna wished she had her own familiar. All the things she could learn, all the power she could wield. She had to admit to being envious of Levi for that.

    "You''re doing it, aren''t you?" Bradley whispered.

    "Yes," Anna nodded. Bradley smirked.

    "You''re pretty badass," Bradley said. "Your team seems unusually strong¡­ how did that happen?"

    "Thank you, Bradley," she replied. "We are strong," she nodded. "If I am being honest, it was Piper."

    "Oh?"

    "If I can give you any real advice, it would be to have a friend as good as Piper. She has been my rock, even when I didn''t know I needed it. When we first met Levi, he had appeared in front of us, naked, confused, and speaking a foreign language."

    "He what?" Bradley said in surprise.

    "Yeah, it was not a good sight¡­ I was naturally, not wanting to help him. I turned my nose at him and sent him on his way. I had good reason for it of course, but Piper didn''t see it that way. Piper had good reasons for why we should have helped Levi. She was right, I should have helped him."

    "Why didn''t you?"

    "Would you?"

    "Not a shot," Bradley said. "I''m an aristocrat of a very big house, that would be dangerous."

    "That was exactly my reasoning," Anna nodded. "A Princess should never put herself in danger. So I left him. Piper wasn''t happy but eventually she got over it. Sadly, eventually wasn''t as soon as I had hoped. It was nearly a day, even longer, when she did. It was all because she saw Levi in the guild district. The two of them hit it off. Piper was my only true friend so I stuck around. I then found out that Levi''s work ethic and potential were incredible. I wanted to work with him, Piper had already at that point-"

    "This should be the last location," Preston said. "It''s just inside this cave." He glanced at Anna. A grin slowly crept over his face as he went into the cave. Unbeknownst to Anna, as she told this story, Preston looked at them several times, listening in on the story as he continued to lead the two wealthy adventurers toward a trap.

    "He''s up to something," Bradley said.

    "Absolutely¡­ I just don''t know what-"

    "We can answer that¡­" Five people, including Preston, walked out of the cave entrance. They were wearing ragged clothes with patched cloaks, each of them holding different weapons. The one who spoke was wielding a long sword. It was skinny but close to 3 feet long. "We paid Preston here to bring us any newcomers. Just so happen to bring us some royalty."

    "Technically," Anna said, without a trace of fear in her voice. "I am the only royal. He is an aristocrat."

    "Shut up," the woman with the long bow spat. "We don''t care for your technicalities."

    "I don''t care that you don''t care."

    "It''s four against two," the man with the sword said. "Give up and come with us."

    "No, thank you," Anna said. "Maybe you should go get some of your backup, and then the fight would be even." Bradley held his hands out and conjured a bow. Anna pulled out her wand, and her spell book floated in front of her.

    "This is your first warning," Anna said. "Leave or die."

    "You think you can kill us?" one of the bandits scoffed. "We''re all 2-stars, little girl. You''re not strong enough to¨C" An onyx stone that was covered in sharp ice smashed through the bandit''s head. The bandit fell backward as if they were shot and landed on the ground, dead. Before the other bandits could react, an arrow went straight through the neck of the ranger bandit. She grabbed at her neck ineffectually as her blood splashed out of her neck. She slid to the ground dead.

    The bandits screamed at their fallen friends. A blizzard of massive hail pelted the team of bandits. Once the storm cleared, all the bandits were dead, and Preston was left alive, with his leg severely broken. Anna walked up to Preston with an unamused look on her face.

    "I-i I''m sorry¡­ they told me I had to or they''d kill my daughter¡­" Preston cried. "She''s all I have in this life."A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    "Where is your daughter?" Anna asked, voice icy.

    "In the cave," he cried.

    "Go get her," Anna said.

    "I can''t walk, my leg is broken."

    "It seems like you better crawl, then, friend," Bradley said. The man, dangerously close to being in shock, nodded slowly. He began pulling his limp leg behind him as he entered the cave.

    "So what evolution are you going for?" Anna asked.

    "Not sure," Bradley said. "I''m a couple of months away from that."

    "That''s not that long," Anna said.

    "Perhaps not," Bradley said, placing a finger on his chin. "I can already conjure the bow. Maybe it would be good to have conjured arrows."

    "Mana arrows, that seems practical, but you would need to train your wisdom up significantly."

    "I know," Bradley said. "That''s where I''m struggling at. I am not sure how to do that."

    "How good is your mana control?"

    "Adequate," Bradley said.

    "It might be good to try to enhance your arrows with mana, pack a better punch, and it should count toward Wisdom gains."

    "That''s not a bad idea," Bradley mused.

    "Talk to Levi," Anna said. "He''s the best one of us who can control his mana. He''s a natural at it."

    "You think he''d teach me?"

    "Of course," Anna said. "Levi will likely be a professor, whenever he retires from doing what ever he wants."

    "I see. It is clear that I have a lot to learn," Bradley said.

    "We will guide you as best that we can," Anna said gently. She turned to the cave entrance. Slowly, Preston limped out with a teenage girl by his side. She was about his height, with light brown hair that fell past her shoulders. It was matted and messy. She was just as skinny as the rest of the village. She had marks on her wrists like she had been chained up. Anna''s heart broke as she saw the disheveled teenager.

    She pulled two health potions out of her inventory. To the two non-magic users, it might have looked like she yanked the potions out of thin air.

    "Here," Anna said. "Potion of Regeneration, it will heal vitality and restore your stamina."

    "We''re without magic," Preston said. "This won''t work."

    "It won''t heal your mana since they don''t exist but it will heal your leg and give you energy back, everyone has vitality and mana. Drink."

    "We cannot afford these," Preston said. "Please."

    "That is why I gave them to you, drink," she said a bit harsher this time. They both looked nervous and then sipped the potion. The teenager''s eyes grew wide as she tasted the drink.

    "It''s sweet," she said.

    "Ugh," Preston said, sticking out his tongue. "Too sweet."

    "Dad, you just like your bitter root drinks," she wined. She looked at her hands. The magical healing was coursing through her body. The marks on her wrist slowly faded, her face became a little less sunken, and her posture straightened. Preston''s leg took a little longer for the magic to heal, but in a few minutes, his leg was healed, and they were ready to head back to the village.

    "What is your name," Anna asked the girl.

    "Trixie," she said. Her voice was soft and sweet.

    "I''m Anna," Anna introduced. "Lovely to meet you, Trixie."

    "Thank you for rescuing me," Trixie said softly.

    "Thanks for not killing me," Preston said. He held his daughter up onto the unicorn. "Why didn''t you?"

    "We figured something was going on with the bandits," Bradley answered. "If you were working with them, we would have killed you after."

    Trixie''s face went pale after those words.

    "But it did not come to that," Anna said.

    "That''s good," Trixie said, her face lightening. Anna noticed that Trixie often looked at her with admiring eyes. One time, their gazes met. "I''m sorry, you''re just so cool! I want to be like you when I grow up," Trixie said.

    "I am nothing special," Anna said.

    "Don''t let her lie to you," Bradley said to the teenager. "She''s strong, smart, pretty, and a good friend. She is worthy of your admiration, she has mine." Bradley said with a soft smile.

    "I am going to work my but off to get a magic essence," Trixie said. "That''s how I got kidnapped. I was in the forest helping dad look for stuff. But I will do what I need to in order to get that essence!"

    ***

    Tycen and Izzy walked to a bedraggled-looking building. The roof had missing shingles and cracked windows, and the wooden door was old and falling apart. Tycen and Izzy shared a look, and then he knocked on the door three times.

    "Hello?" A young man answered the door. He looked to be half Tycen''s age.

    "Hi, we are here for your notice that was posted on the board," Tycen said.

    "You''re a big man," he said, craning his neck to look up at Tycen. "My older sister put that notice up. She''s out right now, so maybe you''ll have to come back."

    "No, no," a voice called from behind Tycen and Izzy. "I''m here, I''m here, yes, please, we desperately need your help."

    "What can we help you with?" Izzy asked.

    "Everything," she said. "I''m Julie, and this is my brother Rome. Our parents left many months ago and have yet to return. The house started falling a part and I, well I just don''t know how to do any of this. Between my brother and our younger sister, I just got too busy." Tycen frowned as she told her story. His face must have shown something besides sympathy because Julie was flustered. "I know it''s not good work for mighty adventurers like yourselves, but¡­"

    "That''s not why I frowned," Tycen interrupted her, rambling. How old are you, Julie?"

    "Eighteen," she said. Izzy gasped.

    "And how about you?" Tycen said, asking Rome gently.

    "Ten!" he said with pride.

    "How old is your sister?" Izzy asked.

    "She''s 5," Julie said.

    "What do you do for work?"

    "Uhhh¡­" her face got bright red as she glanced at her brother.

    "She helps some of the families around the town," he said.

    "Yes, let''s call it that." Tycen and Izzy shared another glance as they looked at the teenager with assessing gazes. Julie shrank under their gazes and ushered them inside. She began pointing out everything that was wrong with the house. To put it nicely, there was a lot of work that needed to be done.

    The exterior was no indication of how rough the interior was. An odd stench emanated from the kitchen. The wooden floor was waterlogged, moldy, and creaky, and the foundations were experiencing some wood rot. Tycen looked around to see if there was anything causing the smell.

    "We''ve been getting sick frequently but can''t afford to stay at the Tavern in town," Julie explained. "I was able to scrape enough cash for hiring some adventurers who could be kind enough to get me the materials in the forest to rebuild the house."

    "This is no place for children to stay," Izzy said. It is not surprising that you all have been getting sick." She pulled out a small box from thin air. Here is enough copper for a few nights'' stay and meals at the Tavern. Go now. Tycen and I will have it fixed before we go."

    "We could never take your-"

    "We weren''t asking," Tycen said, gently prodding his aura to get her to move.

    "Yes, yes, sir, " Julie said. She grabbed her brother and younger sister and followed them to the Tavern.

    "This town seems a lot more rundown than it should be," Tycen said, watching the children rush off to the Tavern.

    "It does," Izzy said. "Even without regular aide, it seems like they should be a little self-sustaining but they are not."

    "Not even close," Tycen said. "Cleansing Breeze," he chanted. His wings began glowing a radiant orange; once the glowing reached its apex, he flapped them hard. A cooling breeze rushed through the house, eliminating all odor and killing all mold.

    Izzy took a breath. " Thank you for that," she said. That smell was getting to me."

    "Of course," he said. "The mold was all over the place, no wonder they were always sick. Hey team drones," Tycen called. Three drones walked into the house, looking at the state of the place. "Can you suck out all the water in the wood in the house?"

    The drone in the middle nodded. Their orange bioluminescence glowed brightly as water droplets started being extracted from the house''s wood. The mimics all absorbed the water as it came. The process took a few minutes, as there was a lot of water throughout the house''s structure.

    Tycen started searching the rest of the house for any practical tools to help re-do the flooring and roof. He found some nails halfway rusted and a hammer staff with no head.

    "Awesome," Tycen said. "We''ll find the supplies we need in town. Come on, let''s look at another notice. While we do."

    Izzy agreed; she pulled out another notice and read it out loud, "Help wanted for -"

    It was finally sundown, and Tycen and Izzy made their way back to the Tavern. Both of them were hungry; they spent the day building, cleaning, and walking back and forth between projects. This went on for the whole day. They had completed three notices and even killed some lesser monsters, which was perfect for Izzy to learn while having the added protection of Tycen. It appeared they were the first to arrive at the Tavern, so they chowed down on some food while they waited.

    "How did you know how to do all of that work around the houses?" Izzy asked.

    "I grew up in a town like this, well, not quite like this. We were kilometers away from the closest big city, and rarely had people come and help us. So, we learned how to help ourselves. I learned how to put floors in, replace windows, put a roof on, and have basic shelter when you need it, things like that."

    "Oh," Izzy said. "I see, I wasn''t aware of that. That must have been hard," she said sympathetically.

    "It was, but hard work isn''t bad," Tycen said. "Hard work is the foundation for my power, I was the hardest work in my tribe, which was why they blessed me with some spells once. I wasn''t going to squander that opportunity. That is why I am grateful for my team, they are hard workers."

    "You don''t have to tell me that," Izzy chuckled. "My body is going to crash in about five minutes. Let''s recount the events of the day," she counted on her fingers. "I passed out due to looking at the blank void in reality; we ran so many kilometers, we fought a monster, then a bunch of mini monsters, entered into this really sad town, and helped a few families out. To call yourselves hard workers is an insult to you all. I will be lucky to wake up in the morning at all."

    "You did great and got stronger," Tycen smiled. "But yes, rest will be gratefully appreciated."

 Chapter 79 - Scary Group of Magic Users

    The palace of the Xao family on Xia-Long was something of fairytales. Massive pillars made of gold held up a red metal Chinese-style roof. Some statues looked all too real for most; they even had an unnerving aura. As many times as Axel Arbors had seen it, he was still enamored by the pure beauty of the palace. Xao-Li led his friend through the palace to meet with his dad. Xao-Li was pretty sure he knew what his father¡¯s answer would be, but he still hoped his friend would get what he came for.

    ¡°Little Prince Arbors has returned to Xia-Long,¡± Patriarch Xao said.

    Axel gave a slight bow, ¡°Patriarch Xao.¡±

    ¡°What can I do for you?¡±

    ¡°I need help,¡± Axel said. ¡°I am looking for a root from the mother tree. Do you believe that the elves would be willing to trade for it?¡±

    ¡°I doubt it,¡± Patriarch replied, bored. ¡°The elves are notorious for being difficult to trade with, especially with their own personal things.¡± The Patriarch held up a finger to forestall Axel¡¯s complaints. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°With all do respect, I cannot tell you that,¡± Axel said.

    ¡°Then I can no longer help you, young prince,¡± he said. He waved his hand in front of Axel¡¯s face. ¡°Get out of my sight, the last remnant of a disgraceful kingdom.¡±

    Axel¡¯s face twisted in anger, ¡°what did you just say?¡±

    ¡°Oh no,¡± Xao-Li said. He immediately thought of the last time a summoner was in the Battle of the Guilds. Xao-Li stepped in between his father and Axel. ¡°Come friend, your asked your question it¡¯s time to leave.¡±

    ¡°Listen to Xao-Li,¡± the Patriarch said. Any wrong step could be the end of your pathetic life.¡± Axel glared at the man but said nothing. He turned quickly and made his way out of the palace. Xao-Li followed close behind.

    ¡°Axel, Axel wait,¡± Xao-Li called. ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°To do what I did the last time someone talked about my family name,¡± Axel growled. Xao-Li¡¯s movement slowed to a halt. He unsheathed his sword.

    ¡°I like our friendship, Axel Arbors,¡± his voice was flinty. ¡°Not enough to allow you to make threats against my kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Put you sword down, Xao-Li,¡± Axel said. ¡°You¡¯d die a hundred times over before you got anywhere close to me.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Xao-Li asked.

    ¡°It is,¡± Axel turned from the man and kept walking from the palace. "The next time you see my face, Xao-Li,¡± Axel called. It will be the last day you live. Advice from a friend: Don¡¯t ever see my face again.¡± A large white portal arch appeared in front of Axel. Golden swirls filled the center of the portal arch. He stepped through without so much as a glance back to Xao-Li.

    Axel stewed as he made his way to the castle. His mind was replaying that night he killed someone during the Battle of the Guild. There was a knock on the door.

    ¡°Sire,¡± a voice sounded.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°There is an elf representative from Stravenia here to see you, a princess and her guards.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Axel got out of his chair and made his way to the waiting room. There, sitting in a chair, was an elf. She had the perfect posture of elves. She had alabaster skin and light blue eyes. Her blonde hair fell past her shoulders. She was everything that Axel had envisioned an elf princess would look like. A small tiara sat on top of her head. It was golden, with blue streams surrounding the golden bar.

    ¡°Hello,¡± Axel said, walking up to the elf.

    ¡°Good evening,¡± she stood and curtsied. She was shorter than he was and had the slender frame typical to elves in this world. She was wearing white leather armor with several knives strapped to her legs. A bandolier went across her chest, holding several more knives. She wore a light blue cloak that matched the colors of her tiara. There was a crest on the cloak with golden trim with the same blue design as her tiara. ¡°Please accept my apologies, Your Highness, for showing up without forewarning.¡±

    ¡°Yes of course, I am Axel Arbors,¡± Axel stated. She frowned.

    ¡°Do you not still hold the title of crown prince?¡±

    ¡°Of a kingdom that no longer exists,¡± Axel said.

    ¡°And yet you live,¡± the elf replied. ¡°Tell me, Prince, how does that work?¡±

    ¡°The same way that I am still a prince and not a king being the last surviving member.¡±

    ¡°And how is that?¡±

    ¡°It just does,¡± Axel said.

    ¡°I see. I am Princess Aralyn, the fifth daughter of King Althmar.¡±

    ¡°King Althmar is still alive¡­ my mentor used to be good friends with your father.¡±

    ¡°By the blessings of the mother tree, he still lives. I have heard tales of your mentor and my father being close. They fought together.¡±

    ¡°I assume so. What can I do for you Princess?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, especially,¡± Aralyn said. ¡°I simply wanted to make an introduction. To hear about the legendary leader of the League of Order. Now I got to meet him in the flesh.¡± She paused, scanning him head to toe. ¡°And I must say, you are much more impressive than stories tell.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Axel asked.

    ¡°It is indeed,¡± Aralyn said. ¡°I will be staying in town for a few weeks, conducting some business in the city. I do hope we can meet for dinner at one of those nights.¡±

    ¡°When your affairs are in order, let me know, and I will arrange a night,¡± Axel said.

    ¡°A gentleman,¡± she mused. ¡°I should be free for dinner in a day or two.¡±

    ¡°Great, I will arrange a meal for us here. Shall we do in two days?¡±

    ¡°Sure, it will give me something to look forward to.¡± She reached out a hand; Axel took it. Her hand was soft and smooth. She looked up at Axel, staring into his golden eyes, and smiled, ¡°Take care pretty boy.¡± Aralyn let her hand linger as she walked away from Axel. She left the room shortly after one last glance.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Well,¡± Axel said. ¡°That was certainly interesting.¡± Later that night, Axel was training with several of his servants. They would fire many different attacks, and he would create different rituals to help protect himself. A rogue arrow that was shrouded in darkness came flying toward him. A meter before it landed on its target, it stopped dead in the air and then dropped to the ground. In Axel¡¯s hand was his weapon, the golden-white cobra staff. Its eyes were glowing, and its mouth was open, absorbing the kinetic energy of the arrow.

    Axel smiled and looked at his servants. " My turn," he said. Before he could attack, he heard clapping. He turned his head to see the Princess watching him. She jumped from the perch she was staring at and landed without a sound before him. It was a moonless night, yet her hair still glowed like the moon was shining on her.

    ¡°My affairs are in order,¡± she said by way of greeting. She got close to him, looking him in the eyes. ¡°Perhaps you can treat me to dinner¡­ tonight.¡±

    Axel narrowed his eyes at her, ¡°how did you get passed my summons?¡±

    ¡°They were very good,¡± Aralyn said. ¡°But I am better.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to get that impression, Princess. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d think you were stalking me.¡±

    ¡°That would be unbecoming of a Princess now wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    Axel nodded slightly, ¡°I suppose it would. Come,¡± he said. ¡°I will show you where we will be dining, I must freshen up.¡±

    ¡°Are you afraid that I¡¯ll run away because of a little stink?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that elves are particular about hygiene; it won¡¯t take long.¡± Axel watched as Aralyn stared her light blue eyes into his. He got the sense that she was testing him for something. What that was precisely, he had no idea.

    Axel was unsettled as he took his shower. His summons were high-ranked Order Guardians. Their return to their realm would have alerted Axel, yet he still felt their presence. He also had some aura-sensing summons that would create a horrifying noise if they sensed an aura trying to sneak in. And yet, none of his protective measures worked. Aralyn still managed to sneak into his compound and watch him train.

    Fury crossed his face the more he thought about it. Axel Arbors did not have a good day. First, the Patriarch mocked him, then he threatened his friend in embarrassment and anger, and now his summons was not doing their job properly. Axel shook his head, feeling the warm water run down his back. He took a deep breath and got out of the shower.

    In the dining hall Aralyn sat at a seat waiting patiently. Her eyes were closed as she meditated. Meditation always made her calm; she had no idea why her mistress sent her here. Aralyn was always sent on dangerous missions, which she had no issues with. However, this man was a practitioner of Order magic, which was her field of expertise as well. She had never heard of the man, Axel Arbors, except for the fact that he was once a prince to a once proud and thriving nation that had lost a war and most of its family.

    She found that information to be most interesting. Then, the further she looked into the man, the more intrigued she got. He was very good at being very bad. Axel Arbors was not a good person, which was even more interesting being a practitioner of Order magic. It didn''t hurt Aralyn per se, but it made her question her intentions even more. However, Aralyn was a loyal servant, and she trusted her mistress.

    This led her to this point. She was never someone who moved so directly, but there was urgency in the letter received from her mistress, which meant Aralyn had to take it a step further. That was why she intentionally showed up to have that dinner with Axel. Her eyebrows furrowed, and after thinking through everything, she took a long, calming breath.

    ¡°Calm it down, Aralyn,¡± she said to herself. ¡°You have been on many missions, and this one is no different.¡± She felt her tension leave her body as her control regained. She pushed her aura over the room and noticed that there were several runic formations scattered around haphazardly. They were weak, which made sense; they were runic formations. However, there were many of them. She frowned, but she did not know what this runic formation did.

    Aralyn wasn''t bothered to look at it any deeper; whatever it was, it was failing to affect her. She had an ability that blocked anything from affecting her judgment, discernment, or mental/emotional faculties. She could feel that it was trying, but to no avail. Before she could think further, the door opened to admit her host.

    She slowly opened her eyes, ¡°Feel more presentable?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± Axel said with a nod. He had schooled his fury before walking into the room. Dinner carts rolled in the moment he took a seat. The two of them engaged in small talk while they ate until Axel grew tired of it.

    ¡°Now tell me, Princess Aralyn.. Why are you really here?¡± Axel asked.

    ¡°I fail to understand your meaning?¡±

    ¡°You understand me just fine,¡± Axel said. ¡°You have intelligent eyes. They are scheming, scanning looking for something. They look at me like you¡¯re searching my soul for a piece of a puzzle that you seemed to have misplaced.¡±

    ¡°How poetic,¡± she replied slowly.

    ¡°What is this game?¡±

    ¡°You will learn soon enough, Prince,¡± Aralyn said teasingly.

    ¡°You dare mock me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t dare to do anything.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm,¡± Axel huffed. ¡°I¡¯ll ask one more time. Why. are. You. Here?¡± he bit off each word as he spoke it. The fury rose with a vengeance. Aralyn¡¯s smirk dropped, and she took on a serious face. Her ever-scanning eyes continued to scan.

    ¡°They are truth telling formations,¡± Aralyn said. She closed her eyes. ¡°They aren¡¯t bad but they are not strong enough for me.¡± She opened them to see a shocked look on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry a ritual will have no effect on me either. It is quite clever. You certainly are a strong magic-user, there is no doubt about that.¡±

    ¡°Why do I get the impression that you are stronger?¡±

    ¡°I am not,¡± Aralyn said. ¡°But I am better.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Axel asked challengingly.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied with no hint of deceit.

    ¡°What makes you say that?¡±

    ¡°You cannot control your rage,¡± Aralyn said. ¡°It fires you up, you react and do something dumb. You fail to see the next steps ahead when you¡¯re angry. Think about the Battle of the Guilds, what happened?¡±

    ¡°How do you know about that?¡± Axel asked.

    ¡°I did my research, prince,¡± she said challengingly. Tell me the story, and I will tell you my true purpose in coming to you.¡± Axel clenched his jaw and nodded slowly.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Axel said. ¡°As you know, the Battle of the Guilds is a chance to show all the progress each guild has made and show off their young talents. Since guilds are only a year-long program, they happen every year with new talent. I was a top mark for the Summoners, so I got to represent them.

    I had just beaten the rogues and my friend Xao-Li. The next opponent was the warrior guild. They were a bunch of goody two-shoe paladins. The whole team of six were ready to fight. The battle field was set, it was a large open field. Rolling green hills, not a tree or bushes in sight. The grass was up to my hip, which meant everyone would have been slowed. Right away, I start creating several ritual circles, summoning circles, and conjuring some order kinetic energy armor.

    I summoned some fire finches. About five hundred of them,¡± Aralyn whistled at the sheer amount that Axel summoned. Axel continued, ¡°They were fast and a decent swarm monster. The swarm did severe damage to one of the paladins, and he was forced out of the competition.

    They started attacking the swarm and sending my summons back to the realm where I found them. I was getting frustrated, and then one of the paladins came up to me and said, ¡®The final Arbors will fall today and end the reign of the worst kingdom ever,¡¯ So I beat him. My armor absorbed all the kinetic energy in his armor, freezing him in place. I then grabbed his sword and slowly cut his face open. The effects would cause bleeding and a lot of pain, but you know what it wouldn¡¯t cause?¡±

    ¡°Death,¡± Aralyn said.

    ¡°Death,¡± Axel nodded. ¡°The bubble shields they provided were supposed to be instantaneous. However, they needed actually to form around the person. But there was always a slight delay. A slight delay was all I needed. I conjured a sword of Order. A pristine white double-edged sword. It was the sharpest thing I ever cut with.

    I ordered my finches to sit on the outside of his metal armor and charge their fire mana. The inside of the armor began to grow in extreme heat. The paladin started screaming in agony as the metal armor was glowing with heat. The amount of pain was still not enough to cause the bubble shield. I drew another summoning circle, an Order Guardian. I instructed the guardian to end the life, like all things Order magic, it obeyed with out remorse.

    With unseen quickness and efficiency, the head of the paladin fell to the floor. I grabbed the head and held it up. For all to see, this was what happened when you talked about my family. I used a summon to kill the guy who talked about my family, all to prove a point.¡±

    ¡°What point was that?¡± Aralyn said, her eyes unwavering.

    ¡°You don¡¯t mess with Summoners,¡± Axel said. ¡°They are a scary, scary group of magic-users.¡±

 Chapter 80 - Face of Power

    Aralyn neatly wiped her mouth after eating the delicious dinner. She had primarily remained silent so far, allowing Axel to tell his story. It was a truly remarkable one. From what she had heard, these guilds took their safety precautions very seriously. For one to be killed during a guild-sanctioned event was highly rare; it showed the capability of the killer. Or a lack of capability of the fallen student. She was leaning more toward the former, but she could never be too sure.

    "I never attended a guild," Aralyn finally said.

    "Why not?"

    "In Stravenia, we have our own ways to study and become powerful magic-users. We called them Academies. The academy was divided into the same classes as the guilds."

    "So everything is the same but because you are all elves you made it different," Axel said with a hint of sarcasm.

    Aralyn gave him a flat look, "sarcasm is unbecoming of a prince. But yes." Axel smirked under the gaze of Aralyn''s blue eyes. His smirk turned to a grin when he saw a smile teasing at the corners of her mouth.

    "Are you willing to tell me why you are here, Princess?"

    "During my time at the academy, which was four years, I discovered a form of magic that was unlike any I had ever seen before. Not many people studied it, even less practiced it. It was my third year where I discovered, Order magic." Axel leaned in as soon as she mentioned his form of magic. "I met an advisor who was apart of a cult of Order magic, the cult of Tranquility. She was the goddess of Order magic and brought it to this world. Which I am sure you already knew that. Anyway, that advisor taught me everything. She showed me the path to becoming a Phantom."

    Axel''s eyes grew wide. It finally dawned on him how she was able to pass through all of his extra security measures. A Phantom was not an everyday class; it was challenging to evolve without proper guidance. "A Phantom is an evolution of the Rogue class," Veluvius had once told Axel. "They are strong manipulators of order energy or order magic, depending on where in the world you are. They can manipulate the energy of the world into perfect stabilization and harmonization in whatever way they want. They are masters at sneaking around and probably require very little weapons or tools since they could throw anything with extra speed and precision."

    Axel recalled the look on his mentor''s face when he was reading all the class evolutions of those who were practitioners of order magic. Axel had been wanting an evolution but was worried he chose the wrong class. The list of evolutions for summoners was small but primarily due to a lack of knowledge and-

    "Are you with me, Prince Axel?" Aralyn''s voice cut through his memory.

    "Huh? Oh, I apologize, princess," Axel said. "Your class brought back an untimely flash back."

    "Oh?" Aralyn prompted.

    "When I was finishing my studies, I had asked my mentor of potential evolutions I could gain once reaching 3-star. I didn''t want something worthless, I wanted to train for something that was useful. We were discussing potential options when I asked about a class, the Phantom," Axel explained. Aralyn''s eyes never left his as he spoke. "I knew in that moment it was a great class because my mentor was a person who wanted to learn about everything. Nothing scared him, his grin was so wide."

    "Sounds like you had a good mentor," Arayln said.

    "He was not," Axel said. "That''s not entirely true. He was but he was also the only person in the world who would dare to get in my way that had the ability to actually make a difference."

    "I understand," Aralyn said, nodding her head. "What is your class, if you do not mind me asking?"

    "Karmic Summoner," Axel said.

    "Oh," Aralyn said. "That means you could¨C

    "Yes," Axel said. "And I plan on it. You were telling me a story."

    "Correct," Aralyn said. "I am a Phantom and my mentor, who I call mistress, said I must seek you. That the two of us are to form an alliance, saying our goals are aligned."

    "Do you not believe it?" Axel asked. "She cannot hear you here; you may speak freely." Aralyn hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

    "I do not. My mistress'' plans are¡­ ambitious and dangerous."

    "What does she want?"

    "It is not my place to reveal her plans," Aralyn snapped. Axel put his arms up in resignation. "I have come to train you. Your order summons are adequate but your fighting style is pathetic."

    "That is because I let my summoners do all the fighting."

    "That is no excuse for your martial skills to be lacking, Prince," Aralyn chided. "We shall begin training tomorrow." She stood up from her seat. "Thank you for the dinner; it was delicious." She gave a slight bow. "I will be back tomorrow morning; we have a lot of work to do." Before Axel could say anything, she bounded off and disappeared out of sight.

    ***

    Izzy had the most restful sleep she had ever had. She woke up in her bed in the tavern. It wasn''t the most comfortable bed she had ever slept in, but her body was so drained that it didn''t matter. She stretched the sleep out of her body as she got out of bed. She noticed that Bradley was not in his bed. Izzy frowned. Surely, he should have been home by now. Izzy got ready for another day and made her way to get some food.

    In the dining hall, Izzy spotted the team all eating breakfast and laughing.

    "Sleeping beauty," Levi called. "Come sit, we''ve got some food for you."

    "Thank you," Izzy said. "How long was I sleep?"

    "You fell asleep as soon as we got back yesterday evening," Tycen explained. "If this is your first time waking up then, that long."

    "You were asleep when I came in last night," Bradley said.

    Izzy awkwardly scratched her head, "oh¡­ sorry," She said.

    "Nonsense," Levi said. "Rest is important. You pushed yourself hard yesterday. Good job," Levi said cheerfully. "We were just discussing how Anna wants me to give this girl a magic essence."

    "And perform the ritual," Anna said.

    "And what is the debate?" Izzy asked. "The town needs at least one, maybe more then a lot of their troubles would fix themselves."

    "Thank you, Izzy," Anna exclaimed.

    "I have a few essences," Levi said. "We have a lot more towns to visit. Are we going to stop, shove some magic into one of the cool and helpful teens in every town, down on their luck?"

    "Until we cannot," Anna said.

    "I hate to say this," Piper said softly. "I''m with Anna."

    "What?" Levi and Anna said at the same time.

    "What do you mean you''re with Anna?" Levi asked.

    "What do you mean you hate to say this, traitor?" Anna complained.

    "Babe, aren''t you the one who always wants to help people? Why the hesitation," Piper asked, ignoring both of their questions.

    "How do we decide who gets what? What makes one person more worthy than another?"

    "We do," Anna said.

    "Sure, but who says our judgment is qualified to make such a decision? I don''t want to leave it up to the town cause that would make things a helluva lot worse. So who decides? Are we that almighty and powerful that we get to be their gods and their saviors?"

    "No," Tycen said, speaking up for the first time during this debate. "We get to be magic-users who are trying to help others interact with a magical world. We get to be adventurers who make one town a little safer. We get to allow one person to give a gift of helping out their hometown." Levi groaned and rubbed his hands over his face.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    "Okay," Levi said. "I have three magic essences. Wait¡­" he turned to Anna. "What about other essences? Can those be used to give affinities?"

    "I don''t think it works like that," Piper said.

    "It does not," Anna said. "It can allow a person to become a magic-user but limit their spells to whatever they chose."

    "That sounds awful like an affinity," Levi said.

    "It is similar, I will acknowledge that," Anna said. "But the distinct difference is the single word limit."

    "What about it?" Levi asked.

    "Using a specific essence with no other magic unlocked would force the other to be a specific class based on the essence."

    "So a chaos essence would produce a chaos class path?"

    "A more restricted path but yes," Anna said.

    "Hmmm," Levi mused.

    "What?" Anna asked. Levi pulled four cubes out of the air.

    "I got these four last night, two from  the monster, two from a quest objective," Levi said.

    "I also got a reward from the quest objective," Piper said, pulling out the essences.

    Item: Rift Essence

    The power of a rift in space is contained in one small cube. The cubes have the power of the rift within them. Use them within a ritual to unlock the power.

    Item: Reap Essence

    The power of the reaper is contained in a small cube. The cube has the power of the reaper within it. Use within a ritual to unlock the power.

    Item: Moon Essence

    The power of the moon is contained in a small cube. The cube has the power of the moon within it. Use within a ritual to unlock the power.

    Item: Night Essence

    The power of the night is contained in a small cub. The cube has the power of the night within it. Use within a ritual to unlock the power.

    "What the hell happened last night?" Tycen asked. Levi grinned.

    "Well you see what had happened was," Levi said. Levi began retelling the story of the monster that Piper and he fought.

    "That fight took a lot longer than expected," Piper said as they returned with their earnings from the person who put out the notice.

    "Yeah no kidding," Levi agreed. The two of them made their way towards Gretchen''s farm. It was time for them to see if they could see the Reapin Drift.

    "Came back, did ya?" Gretchen asked snarkely.

    "Yep," Levi said. "We had a sneaking suspicion that the monster only appeared at night. We''ll get it taken care of."

    "Sure you will lover boy," Gretchen said. "If any of my property is damaged then I ain''t paying you nothing."

    "That''s not how that works," Piper protested.

    "Does it look like I care?"

    "If you don''t fix-"

    "Thank you for letting us know," Levi interrupted. He pulled Piper''s arm. "We''ll do our best to keep the barn free from damage."

    "You better," she said.

    "Levi, why are you letting her be nasty to us?" Piper asked.

    "We have to choose which battles to fight. What was our plan with the rewards?"

    "Give them back," she said deflated. "It''s just hurts that you aren''t defending me."

    "That makes sense, I''m sorry about that. I have dealt with crotchety people like her before. They try to bring you down to their miserable level with insults and rudeness. The best way to beat it is to kill it with kindness."

    "I''ve seen you go toe to toe with aristocrats and bullies. Not letting them treat you anyway but honest¡­ but her it''s like you''re going out of your way to be a doormat."

    Levi nodded, not taking offense to Piper''s words. "Because I am. Although doormat is a bit much, you''re flustered, so I''ll allow it." He kissed her forehead.

    "I''m serious babe," Piper said.

    "So am I," Levi chuckled. "Bullies think that they are better than everyone else so they go out of their way to step on people. Gretchen and people like Gretchen are miserable so they go out of their way to make everyone feel miserable because most people look like they don''t feel that way. There''s a difference."

    "Not that much of a difference," Piper said.

    "Nope, but still a difference," Levi said.

    "Do you feel that?" Piper said as she felt an aura manifest at the fence line of the property. Levi turned his gaze to the fence matching Piper''s. It looked like someone had taken a tear out of reality. In the middle of the tear was a different realm; slowly, a creature started to appear out of it. Two claw-like hands appeared on either side of the rift. A monster with a face that mimicked scary masks and a forked tongue appeared. It floated above the ground. Only half of its body was present, and the other half was missing.

    The creature looked at Levi and Piper.

    "Annnnd another thing to haunt my dreams," Levi said. "I miss elementals. They were so not this creepy." It let out a nasty screech. "All that damn noise and Gretchen didn''t know this thing was here."

    The Reaper Drift''s claws morphed into scythes. In the blink of an eye, it was right in front of Levi, slicing its thick scythe claws at Levi''s head. He caught it at the last moment and dodged it. Levi sprinted into the open field to avoid the barn and any damage. The monster teleported behind Levi and tried again. Shadow tendrils appeared out of the ground to stop the monster''s attack.

    Levi turned, and mouthed thank you to Piper. He jumped backward and conjured his staff, "Dameion and Serenity, let''s get active." Serenity jumped off Levi''s shoulders and grew to her full size. She flew into the air. The monster screeched at her. Serenity roared back, louder and much more intimidating. For a split second, the monster paused. A split second was enough time to mark its death.

    More shadow tendrils burst from the ground, ensnaring the monster. Levi and Dameion, charged with weapons in hand, started attacking the defenseless monster. Serenity started firing her aura breath, and a speckled blue and black blast of energy erupted from her mouth, attacking the monster.

    It broke free from the tendrils and started to break away from the rift it entered into.

    "Oh no, you don''t," Piper said. She sprinted to intercept, her shadow blade humming with power. As she got close, she swung her blade, and it severed one of the scythe arms, which had transformed back into claws. The monster howled in pain. The assault didn''t stop there. Three black orbs surrounded it and were siphoning off its mana. The more the orbs rotated around it, the smaller the rift got.

    "Void Storm," Levi chanted. Another rift appeared around the monster. This time, cosmic northern lights were inside the rift. Beams of northern lights started lancing through the monster, each beam creating a new hole that was not there before. Soon, the monster was completely Swiss cheese and had fallen dead on the ground, or what was left of it.

    Quest: Notice Board Notices

    Objective Completed: Notice Board #24 - Monster in the Barnyard

    Reward: 100 Copper Coins

    Reward: Tome of Animal Husbandry

    Monster Defeated: Reaping Drift

    Loot: Rift Essence

    Loot: Reap Essence

    Loot: Moon Essence

    Loot: Night Essence

    "I have a lot of questions about essences," Levi said.

    "And they are?" Piper said.

    "What are they?"

    "That''s one question," Piper said pointedly.

    "Is it done?" Gretchen''s voice came out from the house. "I heard a commotion and now I see y''all are just chit chatting. Must not have been a tough monster."

    "It was only 3-star ranked," Levi said. "It was easy especially with the two of us. Problem''s all done, have a good life Gretchen."

    "Wait is it really gone?"

    "Yep," Levi said, walking off.

    "What about your reward?"

    "We broke some of the fence. Your rules said we won''t get paid if we break anything so no worries. Have a good life Gretchen, if you need anything else put a notice up."

    "Wait¡­" Gretchen said, looking sad. You two are barely sweating or even look remotely spent. How?"

    "We''re very good at this," Levi said.

    "That''s an understatement," Gretchen replied. "Now I feel rude for treating you so poorly."

    Levi nodded slightly, "power determines how you treat someone?"

    "Ain''t that how the world works? The powerful step on the weak?"

    "Unless you have the power to help the weak," Levi said.

    "Yeah well when that day comes, I''ll be happy to see it," Gretchen said. "You don''t know what it''s like to have nothing. But have all these big bad adventurers who are supposed to be helping you, saving you, and protecting you take advantage of you. The only thing you can do is respect their wishes because with a blink they can end your life. With about as much remorse as I do killin a fly."

    "That''s not who we are," Piper pleaded.

    "Maybe not you specifically," Gretchen said. "But that''s been my experience with the likes of you."

    "I do know what that is like," Levi said softly. Both Piper and Gretchen turn toward the summoner. Watching his head droop and his body stay perfectly still. "I know what it is like to wake up every day afraid that something awful is going to happen to you. But you don''t have the power to change that feeling. To feel more than helpless to feel burdened for being born the way you were. I know that feeling all too well. I know what it''s like to be in the face of power and you are desperate to reach out and grab any sort of power. You," he said, looking at Gretchen.

    "Your power is to drag everyone down to the miserable state that you are in. My power is to help the world be a better place, one person at a time. I am sorry you were treated poorly. From what I have seen is that this world has some bass akwards way of doing things."

    Gretchen was quiet for a moment after Levi''s mini-rant. She sat contemplating Levi''s words, her face changing frequently from sad to angry to frustrated to regret before she answered. Finally, she said, "You''re right; I shouldn''t be trying to drag you down." She held out a small pouch of coins. "Your reward," Gretchen said.

    "Keep it," Levi said, walking away. "Good luck. "

    When Piper and Levi had made a decent distance between them and Gretchen, Levi turned to Piper and said, "So essences."

 Chapter 81 - I Didnt have a Choce

    ¡°Essences are specific forms of magic that have been condensed and morphed into a magical item.¡± Anna explained. ¡°They have varied effects, some allow one to have a familiar or allow use of magic. Essences have been told to be quite rare as they are one of the most powerful forms of a magical item. The item straight up unlocks anything related to the essence it was.¡±

    Anna had taken over the explanation for essences after Levi finished telling the story of how they defeated the Reaping Drift.

    ¡°If it¡¯s so rare, how come I have so many?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the luckiest person I know,¡± Tycen said. ¡°You¡¯re dating Piper. All luck.¡±

    ¡°Har har,¡± Levi said, giving Tycen a flat look.

    ¡°Jokes aside,¡± Anna said, glaring at Tycen, who had pretended not to notice her gaze. ¡°I am not sure, perhaps because the magic has been somewhat powerful with very little magical users. I honestly, do not know. But that is basically what an essence is.¡±

    ¡°There is a little more to it,¡± Izzy added. ¡°The essences you have will not provide limited magic skill. Most essences only work if the person is already a magic-user. Except for the few exceptions.¡±

    ¡°What are those exceptions?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°How do you know this? The textbooks I¡¯ve studied have all said that was the case for other essences,¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No offense, princess but the Onyx kingdom is not known for magical research. Qu¡¯ant is. My family are literally magical researchers. We do tests and experiments, we put hypotheses to the test and try again and again. I have done some of the essence experiments. To answer your question Levi the known exceptions are; Magic and Order essences.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Bitter that it''s the opposite?¡± Bradley said snarkely.

    ¡°No but things are starting to click,¡± Levi said absentmindedly. Levi looked into the distance, trying to piece together all the scattered bits of information he had. He needed to find another letter. Those always seemed to provide him with some clarity.

    ¡°Upset that your precious chaos magic isn¡¯t one of the exceptions?¡±

    ¡°Bradley not the time,¡± Izzy said softly.

    ¡°No, I want to hear how this otherworlder was able to become so strong. I want to hear how he isn¡¯t the evil in the prophecy set to destroy the world. Tell me, summoner, tell me,¡± Bradley said, getting closer to Levi¡¯s face. Levi¡¯s eyes were distant as if he weren¡¯t paying attention to Bradley. ¡°Well, say something!¡± Bradley shouted. The air in the room turned still. Levi¡¯s eyes slowly shifted to focus on Bradley¡¯s. Bradley shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of Levi.

    ¡°Why?¡± Levi said, voice soft yet firm.

    ¡°Why? Because the words of old tell a tale of you being the reason for the destruction of the world.¡±

    ¡°Not that why¡­ why do you think that chaos is the evil and order is the good?¡±

    ¡°Because chaos is evil¡­¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s unruly, unwilling to be controlled, monsters that come from chaos are evil and vile, they kill humans.¡±

    ¡°You are unruly and unwilling to be controlled. You come and kill monsters, are you evil?¡±

    ¡°What? No, of course not,¡± Bradley said with confusion. He looked around the table, hoping someone would back him up. To his surprise, everyone looked angry at him¡­ especially Piper.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at them,¡± Levi said, his eyes boring into Bradley¡¯s. The young ranger was starting to sweat under the pressure. ¡°Have you ever fought a Lion Sage?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Bradley said, confused at the question.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Levi said. ¡°What about a Frog Angel?¡±

    ¡°Are these real creatures?¡±

    ¡°Very real. We stopped a village from going extinct at the hands of a Frog Angel. Does that sound like something that is as good as you claim it to be would do? Kill an entire village?¡±

    ¡°Well, no-¡±

    ¡°Blanket statements that all chaos is evil and all order is good, is a great way to be hated. You have been around me, do I seem evil?¡± Levi looked around. ¡°Okay, besides my familiars¡­¡±

    ¡°No, you do a lot for a lot of people,¡± Bradley admitted.

    ¡°You are correct; chaos is unwilling to be controlled. But I don¡¯t control chaos; I work with it. We work together. Order wants to be controlled, and it can be misused just as easily as chaos can be.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that makes sense,¡± Bradley said reluctantly.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter though,¡± Izzy said. ¡°You lied to us, how are we supposed to trust you now?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less if you trust me or not,¡± Levi said. ¡°At the end of the day, the monsters we fight that you two could help against wouldn¡¯t be of any concern to my friends or me.¡± Levi shrugged and looked the two young ones in the eye. ¡°I¡¯m not sorry for not telling you the truth. It was my secret, and I didn¡¯t want this kind of reaction. It was a mistake you even found out, but honestly, I¡¯m not mad you know either. I¡¯m sick of carrying around a secret. I¡¯m sick of people thinking I¡¯m evil. I¡¯m sick of the way this stupid world treats a form of magic and doesn¡¯t blame the magic users.¡±

    Levi¡¯s temper was starting to rise as he continued his impassioned speech. He held up his hands and started counting his fingers, ¡°Nobody likes summoners, nobody likes chaos magic, nobody likes swarm familiars, and nobody trust otherworlders! I DIDNT HAVE A CHOICE! This weird ass powerful wizard brought me here to fix HIS mistake. I didn¡¯t choose this life. This shouldn¡¯t even be my fight and yet here I am. Working my ass off to people who constantly treat me like hot ass. For what? To save a world that I wasn¡¯t born in, full of people who treat me and my class, affinity, and whatever an otherworlder is, like crap?¡± At this point, Levi was shouting. Thankfully for the team, it was the middle of the day, and nobody was in the Tavern.

    Frieda had told them she would be leaving to go get supplies for lunch and dinner. So even she wasn¡¯t present. Piper watched as Levi continued his rant. She said nothing, listening intently. Piper knew Levi a lot better than she led on. She had been carefully watching Levi as they had been meeting all these different groups of people. She had started to see that he was carrying a burden more and more each day. Piper thought he did a good job masking it, but she became increasingly concerned that he would lose himself and did not know which mask was used. Watching Levi blow up gave her a slight feeling of hope. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Hope that he knew what was going on and that he could take steps to, hopefully, not lose himself. She smiled slyly to avoid any undue looks as Levi continued, ¡°So yes, I kept a secret. And yes you can¡¯t trust me.¡± His voice dropped to a whimper. ¡°But I¡¯m tired of trying to convince people that I¡¯m not evil. That I¡¯m not the villain in this story. So I¡¯m done trying. Believe what you want, I am going to keep doing what I¡¯ve been doing and live this life that was forced upon me with no damn choice.¡± He huffed, stood up, and walked out of the Tavern.

    Levi had no idea where he was going, but he could feel his heart racing. He could feel the onslaught of thoughts approaching. Anxiety crept through his mind like a cooling chill. He sat against a tree just outside the small town. His entire body started trembling, and fear started to claw his way into his mind. Anxiety and fear played scenes of his past over and over. Times when he was a failure, times when people betrayed his trust, and times when he screwed up another relationship. These scenes did a considerable amount of damage to his confidence.

    Levi sat with his arms tucked over his legs, knees pressed to his chest, rocking slowly. Sweat beaded on his forehead as his body continued to tremble under the immense pressure he had been feeling. Levi¡¯s breath was ragged but started to steady as warmth permeated his core. A feeling of calmness enters his mind, evicting fear and anxiety. His trembling stopped, his sweating stopped, and his breathing regulated as he was able to calm down.

    Levi sat with his head sunk low, still in the same seating position. He regained control of his mental faculties, doing his best not to let fear or shame take over. Still, that warm feeling lingered in his mana pool and streamed throughout his body. He took in long, slow, deep breaths. Under the shade of the random tree, he felt the dry breeze sweep across his exposed neck. The weather was comfortable, and the slight breeze provided a nice break from the dry air.

    Levi looked inside himself and felt the calming feeling coming from Serenity. His aura dragon was perched on his shoulders, using aura power to calm him down. Her scales and fur were glowing a light blue. Her reptilian eyes were staring at Levi as he looked up. She didn¡¯t need to say anything for Levi to understand her meaning.

    Levi sat in the stillness for a few moments, not sure what he wanted or needed.

    Meanwhile, back in the Tavern, Izzy and Bradley awkwardly sat with the rest of Levi¡¯s team at the table. No one said anything for a few moments. Izzy opened and closed her mouth a few times, unsure what to say. Piper, Anna, and Tycen just stared at the two, knowing that they didn¡¯t need to add to anything. They watched in contemplative silence, letting the silence be all the pressure they would need.

    ¡°Where do we go from here?¡± Bradley eventually asked. His voice was low and uncertain.

    ¡°That depends on you two,¡± Piper said, her tone was clipped and harsh. ¡°Levi told you his secret and he shared his feelings. The two of you must decide what you want.¡±

    ¡°Why is it our choice?¡± Izzy asked with a shaky voice.

    ¡°Because all that he said was not completely your fault. The three of us know that, which is why aren¡¯t actively threatening you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Bradley said.

    ¡°Levi is great,¡± Piper said with a sigh. ¡°I love the man with my whole heart. He is broken though. He holds in the things that hurt him and does not process them well. If I am honest, I am not even sure what good processing looks like, with all that he has going through. I digress. Levi pushes these issues and anger down. I could see it, it was effecting him in a few ways. He needed to release that anger, release that pressure. You two were the perfect storm.¡±

    ¡°Wait, so you¡¯re not mad at us?¡± Izzy asked, hopeful.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°Oh,¡± her face sank. ¡°I feel pretty bad.¡±

    ¡°As you should,¡± Anna chided. ¡°Although, Piper is correct, I am upset with how you handled that. Especially after you have seen how he has treated the people in this town. But more so how he has treated you and your families, who have been more than a little rude to him.¡± The two aristocrats nodded at Anna¡¯s words. Both of them had their heads down and didn¡¯t say anything else.

    Several hours went by as the team went back to their assigned duties. Piper did most of the things on her list solo as she was giving Levi some space to calm down. As she told the last person about her successful monster hunt, she frowned because she had not seen or heard from Levi yet. Doing her best not to worry, she went back to the Tavern to have a rinse-off. The last monster she fought left her bloody, with its blood.

    After she showered, she heard a noise coming from the room next door. She walked outside to check it out. Thankfully, Levi was there, sitting on the bed, reading a book.

    ¡°I am glad to see that you are alright,¡± Piper said. Her hair was wrapped in a towel as she wandered over toward Levi. She kissed his forehead and took a seat next to him on the bed.

    ¡°I appreciate you,¡± he said, looking up from his book.

    ¡°I know,¡± she said with a smug smile. She leaned her head on his shoulder as she sat in bed. ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± She asked. ¡°Finally releasing all that anger?¡±

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t realized how much I was carrying,¡± Levi admitted. ¡°I do feel bad for yelling at them though, that wasn¡¯t my best moment.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps not. It wasn¡¯t your worst either,¡± Piper said. ¡°So maybe hold off on apologizing, you still have plenty of time to make an ass out of yourself.¡±

    ¡°Oooo man, my girlfriend is hilarious,¡± Levi said sarcastically. The two of them chuckled as Levi continued to read. ¡°It was cathartic. I definitely feel better.¡±

    ¡°I certainly hope so,¡± Piper said. ¡°You left me to do all the notices, so it had better be worth it.¡± She giggled at the fake, affronted look that Levi gave her. She kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear, ¡°I am glad you are feeling better.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be better,¡± Levi said. ¡°Panic attacks aren¡¯t fun especially since they are caused by me not dealing with my emotions in a healthy manner.¡±

    ¡°Suppression is probably not the best but you cannot change the past, only the future,¡± she nodded.

    ¡°Oh very wise,¡± Levi chuckled. He kissed her cheek.

    ¡°What are you reading?¡±

    ¡°It was one of the books on Veluvius in the library before the creepy kids talked to us.¡±

    ¡°Learned anything special?¡±

    ¡°Kinda,¡± Levi said. ¡°There are a lot of things about him that are a clear mystery. First is where he even came from. All accounts that I have seen on the man start in his late adult years. Always as a 3-star or higher, never lower. It¡¯s like he just appeared out of nowhere.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s an otherworlder?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Levi shook his head. ¡°No one discussed the man as anything but a native to this world. Even in his letter he sounds sure of how the magic of this world works.¡±

    ¡°So what are you thinking?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got three pretty implausible scenarios in my head,¡± he held out his index finger, ¡°One - he got rid of his family history due to the state of the world and summoners. Two - He¡¯s not a human at all but perhaps an entire other entity. Three - the crown prince or someone on the crown prince¡¯s side actively got rid of his information, for some reason.¡±

    ¡°That does seem odd that they wouldn¡¯t get rid of all of it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah that was my thinking too,¡± Levi said. ¡°I don¡¯t know but I do know we have a map with the location of the rest of the dots. I say we leave this town in a day or two.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Piper said. ¡°We¡¯ve cleared the notice board. Do you want to create that ritual for the people who are getting essences?¡±

    ¡°On the last day,¡± Levi said. ¡°Before we leave. I want it to be a surprise for the village.¡±

    There was a knock on the door, ¡°come in.¡± Levi said. A young woman that Levi had never seen opened the door and poked her head in.

    ¡°Uhh hello,¡± she said. ¡°Are you Levi Winters?¡±

    ¡°Uh hi,¡± Levi replied. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Great, I am Trixie,¡± the young woman said. ¡°I became friends with Anna a couple of days ago. I met with her today as I acquired the amount of money she said I needed to buy a magic essence from you. She told me that you wouldn¡¯t be busy and to come see you right now.¡±

    ¡°Did she now?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Yes!¡± she said with a beaming smile.

    ¡°How much is she charging you for the essence?¡±

    ¡°7 Gold coins,¡± she said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Levi said. ¡°Go back and tell her I will sell you the essence and perform the ritual tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi nodded. ¡°Before you go¡­ tell her that she sucks and she shouldn¡¯t send a teenager to do her biding.¡±

    ¡°Uhh, I¡¯ll do my best to remember that,¡± she said. Piper held up a hand to her mouth in a poor attempt to hide her laughter. Levi looked at her sharply. She bit her lip, trying not to laugh even harder. She failed, and her laughter erupted from her mouth. Levi couldn¡¯t help but chuckle a little bit.

    ¡°Well played Onyx,¡± Levi mused. ¡°Well played.¡±

 Chapter 82 - Why Are You Scary?

    The next morning, Levi woke up to Piper, who curled up next to him in bed. He smiled as her dark, curly hair covered her face completely. He slid out of bed slowly, doing his best not to wake her. Levi walked out into the main room to find Anna and Izzy sitting at the table, drinking tea and coffee. Izzy looked remorseful as Levi walked out of the room. He held up a hand to forestall any apologies before he had his morning tea.

    Soaking in the sweet earthly flavor from the tea with a grateful sip, he looked up at Izzy. Her blue eyes were sad and full of regret.

    "I''m sorry, Levi," Izzy blurted out, unable to keep it in any longer. "I should have thought a bit more before reacting."

    "No need to apologize," Levi said. "Most of that wasn''t your fault, you just happened to be a catalyst. I didn''t do a good job at releasing my emotions better before that."

    "Maybe so," Izzy said. "I know better, than to judge and that was the first thing I did."

    "It''s all good, Iz, promise," Levi said. He turned to look at Anna, "you on the other hand. We''re not cool." Anna tried her best to hide her smile behind her mug as she drank coffee.

    "I have no idea what you are talking about," she blatantly lied. "I was simply out doing the tasks we agreed to do with Bradley yesterday."

    "Mhmm," Levi said with a flat look. "You think you''re slick, you ain''t slick."

    Anna chuckled, "she''s a very convincing girl, no?"

    "Sending a child is playing dirty," Levi said, shaking his head.

    "I used the resources I had available to gain an advantage over my opponent, simple strategy really," Anna said nonchalantly.

    "I think I missed something," Izzy said.

    "Anna got Trixie, a teenage villager, to go to Levi to sell her the magic essence," Bradley explained as he walked out of the room. "I apologize for yesterday," Bradley said.

    "All good bro," Levi said.

    "Oh I see," Izzy said. "Clever." She gave a soft smile to Anna. Shortly after Tycen and Piper joined the team, they all sat around the table, eating pastries, drinking tea or coffee, and enjoying each other''s company.

    "What time is Trixie coming?" Levi asked.

    "She should be here shortly," Anna said. Levi pushed his seat back and got up from the table.

    "Bet, I''ll go get the ritual drawn out and set up," Levi said.

    "May I watch?" Izzy asked. Levi nodded, and she got up excitedly, following him out the door. Piper took another sip of tea and joined the two. Outside the Tavern, a few meters from the building, Levi had his ritual wand in hand. The wand''s tip was glowing light blue. He moved his wand precisely, and on the ground, light blue lines appeared, creating a somewhat complex ritual circle.

    Piper and Izzy had been whispering, watching Levi draw the ritual circle. Their discussions were centered around magic theory and how some people are born being a magic-user and how some weren''t. If Levi hadn''t been busy drawing the ritual circle, he would have really enjoyed the conversation. Levi had always wondered why there was even a difference, but he figured it was just how the world worked, which was more or less true.

    As Levi was finishing up the ritual circle, voices could be heard coming from around the corner of the building. Several townspeople have heard that Trixie will get her magic essence and begin her journey as a magic user. The crowd oohed and ahhed at the beautiful blue light show that Levi was displaying. Once it was done, Levi turned to see Trixie talking to Anna with nervous hushes.

    "You ready?" Levi asked.

    "Not really," Trixie said nervously. "Does it hurt?"

    "Kind of," Levi said. "The pain is not intense, but it is unlike anything you have experienced."

    "Can you explain the process to me, like what is going to happen?" Her hands were trembling as she spoke to Levi. Clearly, her nerves were causing second thoughts.

    "Yes," Levi said with a gentle voice. "First, I need you to take a calming, deep breath." She looked at him and nodded slowly. As she inhaled, Serenity pushed out her aura, which was soothing. Trixie visibly relaxed; her trembling stopped, and her eyes focused. "Good job. The magic essence is going to break down and begin forming a magic network inside your body. It will create your mana pool and then all the connecting pieces. Your dad works with patients, right?"

    "Yes he does," she said softly.

    "Do you know about blood veins, arteries, and all of that?"

    "I do!"

    "The magic essence will basically be making blood veins and arteries, specifically for the magic that is going to be flowing through you."

    "Okay¡­ Okay, I can do this," she said more so to herself.

    "Good, so here''s what I''m going to need you to do. First thing, you''re going to step into the circle in the center. Second thing is you''re going to relax. I will put the magic essence in one of the two other circles."

    "What goes into the third," she asked.

    "That depends on you," Levi said.

    "Oh?" she said.

    "I have some extra materials that could be used to help increase the chance of an affinity."

    "What''s that?"

    "An affinity is where your inherent power is stronger when managing that specific element," Levi responded. "Your innate talent."

    "Oh, so you can just give me an affinity?"

    "No," Levi said. "I can give you a chance to get one, a higher chance, but it is only a chance."

    "Okay, what are my options?"

    Levi smirked. He read off all the summoning and ritual materials he had collected, either from loot drops, rewards, or the Summoner''s Guild library. Trixie was excited about and stuck on two options. She was honestly considering the chaos gem. Trixie had seen how Levi had handled himself and fought; it was terrific. She wanted a bit of that power. However, she wasn''t sure if she wanted to be a summoner, which left her questioning. The second one would be shiny dust. This one could produce several affinities, all related to mystic elements.

    She made her decision, and Levi put the chosen material into the final rune circle. Once all the items were in each rune circle, Levi channeled his mana. The ritual circle lit up, and so did Trixie. Her skin became translucent, exposing her skeleton. The magic essence, which was a light blue cube, opened up. It flew into her rib cage, where her stomach would usually occupy. The cube formed a shape that was similar to a stomach. Tendrils began shooting out of the second stomach into her skeleton.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.Trixie flinched as the action felt uncomfortable¡ªnot necessarily painful¡ªbut weird. She did her best to remain still and not let it affect her too much. After the tendrils had dug into her skeleton, her organs became more opaque; they were surrounded by blue light, showing their thickness/durability increase. More tendrils shot out from the mana stomach as her muscles became visible once more. The tendrils wrapped around the muscles, and some went into the muscle itself.

    The rest of her body began to reappear fully as the light in the ritual circle dimmed. She looked up as a few textboxes appeared in her vision. She tried to swat them away, but it didn''t work. Trixie then looked at her hands as she felt the power surge through them. She could feel the mana, feel auras, and sense so much more.

    "How are you feeling?" Levi asked. His voice sounded clearer, yet he also felt intimidating.

    "Why are you scary?" she asked.

    Levi chuckled, "You must have gotten an aura ability."

    "No," Trixie said. "I have an aura affinity."

    ***

    In the city of Arcross, a small council of city leaders was gathering to discuss the aftermath of the dungeon monster release. The meeting consisted of a member of the royal family, a few professors, the duke of the city, and two representatives from the kingdom''s capital, Arvendon. The discussion was taking place in a spacious room in one of the larger town spirals. There was a large table with comfortable seats and windows making up three of the four walls.

    The room was stunning and provided a good ambiance for these types of meetings. The meeting began when a dark-skinned Asian woman stood up.

    "Thank you for gathering for this meeting," Alessia Onyx said. She was the queen of the kingdom and wife to Leandro Onyx. She had a sweet and commanding voice. Every eye turned to her as she spoke. "The Onyx kingdom is ready to provide any support that is needed following the incident of the 4-star dungeon spewing out monsters. Lord Drazo, if you would be so kind as to share your report."

    A burly man stood up and bowed. He had bronze skin with thick muscles over his entire body. His head was entirely too small for his body, which made him look comical. He cleared his throat, "Thank you, my lady," his voice was deep and monotone. "After the team supposedly beat the dungeon, the monsters that were released were some of the strongest that this city has seen. In the wake of the battle we have finally finished counting the dead. 100 civilians have perished, these were people who were not magic-users. 10 1-star magic-users lost their lives trying to defend the city. 10 2-star magic-users also fell. The biggest blow to our cities defenses was the loss of a 4-star Guild-master Rob was killed in combat." There was a moment of silence for the Ranger''s Guild guildmaster.

    Right before the moment of silence got too awkward, Drazo continued. "A vigil will be held for him in a fortnight. That was all in the way of casualties. Now, the total count of monsters defeated was close to 1000 as we are still counting the dead bodies. The small positive that we can hold on too is the influx of coins, star tokens, and magical items that came from the monsters. Our looters were able to extract many of those items. This means our economy will start to stabilize." Drazo paused and looked over the table of officials.

    "As it stands, we do not need assistance. Although we are full of gratitude for the requests, I believe the city will recover well." He bows and then takes a seat.

    "The loss of the guildmaster is a devastating blow," an official said. "What are your current plans to replace him?"

    Drazo stood back up. "Yes, we are saddened by Guildmaster Rob''s death. Our current plans for his successor are underway. At this time, there is no discussion publicly being made." He took a seat after he finished his statement. The official who asked the question frowned, recognizing that it was not an answer to his question.

    "Very good," Alessia said. "Thank you for the report." Drazo bowed his head.

    "Has the dungeon been neutralized?" a professor asked.

    "It has," Alessia said.

    "By who?"

    "It matters not by who it was destroyed only that it was destroyed."

    "So the king did it. What the DC killed in the battle as well?"

    "The DC was not found inside the dungeon or outside. It is currently unknown if the Dungeon Crafter is still alive. You must remember, there was a team that was sent in there first. Not much was known about the dungeon but there were many that theorized the monsters would be released as soon as the team defeated the dungeon. What was not theorized was the team''s disappearance."

    "Has there been any news on their whereabouts?" Professor Bertrum asked. He was the summoner''s guild professor. He had the head of a falcon, and the body of a human, with two large wings coming out of his back. He had grown fondly of Levi and was worried that Levi had died.

    "There have been, actually," Alessia said. This got many heads to raise. "The nation of Qu''ant said that there was an otherworlder summoner in their midst from the Onyx kingdom. There was no specific detail about how they had arrived at the nation in the first place. All the details provided were it was a small team and they were all present. The team is safe. I have no idea how long it will take until they return to the Onyx kingdom, could be months. Until then, we must continue our efforts to search for other dungeons."

    "Sensible, it is good to hear that they survived the dungeon and are safe," Bertrum said. There were murmurs of assent that swept through the gathered officials.

    "We have one more order of business, and this is important for both Arvendon and Arcross," Alessia said. "There appears to be a League that is gaining momentum in different continents. They are called the League of Order, led by Axel Arbors. Keep an eye out for any zealot that wants to join the cult."

    "How credible is the threat?" an official asked.

    "As it stands there is no threat other than suspicions. Axel Arbors being the leader was enough for it to be put on the mention list. He is erratic and strong. The way he speaks to crowds is charismatic, he can lead well. It is also well know that he is not a fan of the Onyx Kingdom, so it is best that we are on guard. Which is why I am bringing it up now."

    "What happens if the league enters our cities?" The city lords asked.

    "Get rid of them like the verment they are."

    "Is there anything else of relevance that we should know about the league?"

    "Yes, they all specialize in Order magic. I am not sure if they all have an affinity or if they are simply practitioners."

    "Order magic?" a sorcerer professor asked. "Isn''t order magic good? Don''t we want more order magic? It''s the opposite of chaos, so wouldn''t it be wiser to welcome the League with open arms?"

    "I had much of the same questions," Alessia acknowledged. "Again, we aren''t necessarily worried about the league itself but the leader of the league. Axel Arbors is a dangerous man and is someone we must air on the side of precaution. That being said do your best to not allow the any of the league present. Opening the proverbial flood gates is not what we need right now, especially recovering from a dungeon breakout."

    "But my lady, think of all the opportunities that we could have with order magic. It is not the strongest form of magic, but it does have the highest utility focal points," the Sorcerer''s Guild professor argued. Learning to harness that power of order magic could be all that we needed."

    "I understand your perspective, Franz. The issue that I have for it is, welcoming any part of it into out gates. We have no idea the influence, the spread, the power," Alessia responded. "Although I do understand the risks I believe that the benefits of ignoring are much better than allowing."

    "Why is this even your decision?" another sorcerer professor snapped. "Is this not the decision of the king and the king alone?" A slow, powerful aura rolled out of the back of the room. Smashing into every other aura in the room. Most looked slightly nervous.

    "My HUSBAND and I have been having many conversations about it," Alessia responded with a heavy emphasis on the word husband. "It involved several meetings with higher-ranking officials than you." She gazed at the man with sweet eyes that had the promise of danger. "Is that enough power to make a decision?"

    The man, smartly, didn''t respond to the obvious setup question, instead bowing his head and following instructions. He turned his gaze back outside the window. His eyebrows furrowed as he looked further. He knew that he had to find a way to get order magic into the city; after all, his wife and two kids were in serious trouble. The League of Order had taken his family from him and threatened to kill every last one of them unless he did what they said.

    It was three weeks ago, in the midst of the dungeon breakout, when the league had arrived in the city. They were all disguised as normal people, but they had strong auras. They appeared nowhere in his house. They took his kids and wife and held them hostage until he did all the insane things for them. One of them was getting his dear friend, Guildmaster Rob, killed, which was the one he felt the worst about. He knew it was wrong and knew that the guildmaster didn''t deserve to die, even if he was a bit of an ass to most people.

    Franz was very nervous, and Lady Alessia''s constant gaze didn''t help with his nerves at all. Franz took a few calming, deep breaths while he continued to listen in on the plans. But no matter how calm he appeared, her watchful eyes caused some slight trembling and serious sweating.

    Franz did his best to hide his nervousness, but he could not just get past the gaze of Alessia Onyx. The man, named Franz, was excited that he was chosen for the meeting, likely because of the high rank of the League of Order officials. He had a feeling he was being watched during the entire meeting. He knew that there had to be someone who worked for the league. He just didn''t know who. Franz spent the rest of the meeting trying to identify the one who worked for the league, but he had no luck.

    As the meeting adjourned, the queen approached him. He nervously tried to slip away, but just before he could, she spoke.

    "Might I have a word, Mr. Franz."

 Chapter 83 - Moving Backwards

    A man was panting under the moonlit sky. He was surrounded by dozens of monster bodies, lying lifeless. Black smoke started to rise from each of the monster''s bodies as their essence became one with the world once again. Blood dripped from the fingertips of the man onto the cold, wet ground.

    A wet footstep forced the man to turn his hand and ready his weapon. He held out his arms like he was pulling an arrow taut with nothing in his hands. Suddenly, a red arrow made entirely of fire mana manifested in his hand.

    "Take another step and that will be the end of your life," the man said.

    "But I have so much to offer," a female''s voice replied.

    "Who are you?" He responded. The woman stepped closer and was finally in sight. She had pointed ears, an elf. Her light blue eyes shone in the moonlight.

    "I am here to complete a mission," she replied simply.

    "What mission is that?"

    "You must die in order for Order magic to creep its way back into this land. After your death I am to visit the leader of a certain League who has yet to know of my plans."

    "Why must I die?" the man replied without an ounce of fear in his voice.

    "Your death, Guildmaster Rob, will be the starting point for the city leadership to fold to the pressures of Order."

    "I must warn you," Rob said. "I am not that easy to kill?"

    The elf smirked, "Nor am I. My name is Princess Arayln Althmar." After her introduction, a fire arrow flew through her face. She slightly moved her head just as the arrow passed. It cinged a bit of her hair. She smirked again. Pulling a few small throwing knives from her bandelier, she began running full sprint toward Guildmaster Rob.

    Rob wouldn''t let her close the distance; he jumped back several meters. He pulled back his imaginary bow and two more arrows manifested; these were black. He fired both of them at the ground where she was running. The ground exploded in a shower of mud and rocks the second the arrows made an impact. This provided the guildmaster a moment to chug a health potion.

    Vital energy began flowing through Rob as he waited for his opponent''s next move. He pulled his arms back again, manifesting a green arrow. Just as he did, Aralyn appeared from the debris. Her once-white outfit was now covered in dirt, grime, and mud. She threw her knives. The sheer speed was too fast for Rob to comprehend, and they sliced his arms. Gashes formed on his arms, and the impact dismissed the arrow. He pulled back his arms and quickly fired the green arrow.

    The arrow glanced at Aralyn''s arm, leaving a small cut that barely broke the flesh. Rob''s arms were already starting to heal as he was a 4-star ranger. The skin around her arm began to turn a sickly green, "poison arrow huh?" she said. "Not bad." She chanted a spell, and the ground around her started to glow light blue, like her eyes. The glowing engulfed her entire body. Soon, all wounds, dirt, and grim were all cleaned as she continued to fight.

    However, the healing spell was somewhat disorientating; Rob was not going to stand still and watch her heal herself. He had fired several arrows, three of them connected; two landed in the back of each shoulder and one in the hamstring. Aralyn screamed as the arrows went straight through her skinny body. The onslaught didn''t stop there.

    Rob chanted a spell, and several images of Rob appeared all around the downed elf. She looked up with a face of disgust. All the Rob''s pulled back their arms as if they were knocking an arrow. Each arrow was different than the other. They fired the arrows all at once. A light shield appeared around the elf, bouncing each arrow off harmlessly.

    Aralyn smirked at the human. She broke off the arrows lodged in her body and stood up. She had blood staining her white clothes.

    "That wasn''t half bad," she said. "But that was your chance to kill me. You missed your moment and now you must die."

    "Why are you obsessed with Order magic, young one?" Guildmaster Rob asked. Aralyn didn''t respond but simply threw her knives. She would throw them, run around Rob with great speed, and then throw more. To anyone who wasn''t a magic user, it would have looked like the two were teleporting around each other. Their movements were swift and brutal to perceive without high perception.

    Not only was it hard to see, but it was also not safe to be close. Guildmaster Rob''s explosion had just created a 5-meter hole in depth and diameter. The exploding sound was deafening, yet Aralyn walked out of it dirty, unharmed but dirty. Rob had learned the pattern of the elf he was fighting. He understood her movement and fighting style. It was swift yet basic. She would use her speed to throw her knives, which were enhanced by some spell or ability; their flight speed was much too quick for her to simply throw them.

    Guildmaster Rob looked up at the moon and nodded. His time was almost up. Now, it was time to learn as much as he could about his enemy.

    "Order is the best magic in the world," she said eventually. She was constantly running and trying to hit him with anything. Finally, she decided to stop the throwing knives and try hand-to-hand combat. She threw a flurry of punches; most of them were either blocked or dodged with relative ease.

    "Hmm," he mused. "You must have traveled far for you to reach this kingdom; last I heard, Stravenia was not close. Although I am honored, I do not believe I am what you are here for. At least the sole reason." He continued to dodge the knives, punches, and any general attack his enemy gave him. He took a few hits, none too serious, but they did leave him to become bloody once again.

    "How did you know where I am from?"

    "You gave me your name. I am not just a guildmaster because of my fighting abilities, although they play a significant role. I also love teaching. I teach combat, cultures, and other kingdoms or nations."

    "You talk too much," Aralyn said.

    "I talk when I need to," Guildmaster Rob said. "Or when I am angry. This was a lovely fight but I am afraid, it is not my time to die, not yet at least." Aralyn frowned at the statement. She kept her assault, but she felt the moon''s presence and intensity grow. She looked up to see the human was now glowing in the moonlight. "I do believe we shall meet again. Next time, I will not be merciful. Your death will come swiftly and painfully."

    "That''s a lot of talk from someone running away."

    "In life you must make your moves strategically; sometimes moving backwards is just the right path," the Guildmaster said. "Your path is clouded child. Turn away from your path or you will face a short life, Princess Aralyn Althmar, the fifth in line for the throne."

    "Don''t you dare tell me what to do!" She shouted. A blast of light blue energy went soaring toward the guildmaster; the white light bounced the blast-off and reflected it right toward Aralyn. She was unable to dodge most of it. Aralyn went flying backward and landed in a field several hundred meters away, knocked out cold.

    Guildmaster Rob looked at the unconsious elf sprwaled out on the ground as his teleport lifted him to the Cloud Plaine Kingdom. He shook his head, "such wasted potential. Veluvius is going to love hearing this." As he was going higher and higher, he made another illusion of himself that fell from the white beam and splattered on the ground.

    "That should be enough to show my death."

    ***Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    "Yes of course, my lady," Franz said. She led him into a different room that was away from the others. Her eyes were intense as they looked deep into his very core.

    "Is everything alright?" Alessia asked. "You seem extra nervous."

    "I am humbled by your concern, my lady, I am fine, thank you."

    "It''s nothing Franz, you are an important figure for this city and our kingdom. If you want or need anything please do not hesitate to reach out."

    "Your generosity knows no bounds, thank you my lady," Franz said with a slight bow.

    "Of course, we would love to have you and Heidi over for dinner and your kids¡­" she paused, searching for their names. "Milo and Prada, were their names yes? Twins?"

    "That''s exactly right my lady, we are honored you remembered. A dinner with the royal family is an incredible offer. I do not want impose."

    "Nonsense," she said. "I will send over an official invitation when I return."

    "Thank you, my lady. I look forward to seeing it." Alessia smiled brightly at Franz and left the room without another word.

    As Alessia left, she walked at a brisk pace. The queen was not just a puppet head or someone who was a pushover. She was not her husband in terms of combat capabilities. What she lacked in combat skills, she made up for it with her political mind. She could read body language, tone, and anything else nonverbal in people with extraordinary accuracy. That was why she pulled Franz aside. He knew something and was hiding something from the council.

    It wouldn''t do to outright accuse him of doing anything nefarious. She only knew he was hiding something; for all she knew, it could be another child on the way. Even if he flinched at the mention of his children tha,t wasn''t enough for her to form any accusations. The invitation was genuine. It was also helpful that they could create some runic formations to prevent spying ears from listening in.

    This would allow the king and queen to hear the truth of Franz''s position without harming Franz or his family.

    Franz made his way back to his house after his frightening conversation with the queen. The invitation put him in quite possibly the worst position imaginable. His family were hostages; there would be no way the kidnappers would allow him to take his family to the royal kingdom. This led to another predicament¡­ ignoring the royal family''s invitation would also mean death. He currently was faced with a lose-lose situation.

    "About time you return," a gruff voice said. A large wolfman sat in a rocking chair with his eyes closed. "Your family are fine, they had dinner and pissed off to bed."

    "I could use a meal and sleep myself," Franz said.

    "I''ll say, you look terrible," the wolfman said.

    "Well lying to the Queen of the Onyx kingdom is not easy."

    "I imagine it''s not. Oh well, so tell me, before you go get food and rest, how did the meeting go?"

    "Well, it went just as bad as you imagined," Franz said. He relayed the details of the meeting to the wolfman, being sure to note his attempts to the man with added emphasis. Franz finished by getting an invitation for him and his whole family to the royal family''s estate for dinner.

    "Excellent work," the wolfman said. Franz looked at him with surprise. "We put you in an impossible position, and you''re doing the job. Dinner with the Onyx family is mandatory to attend, and you simply cannot skip out on that invitation."

    "Thank you and I agree. What do I do?"

    "You go of course; you''re no use to us dead." The wolfman leaned in. "I hope you know that there is nowhere in this world that we cannot find you. If we find out that information has been leaked or you tried to run. We will find you, gut you, and force your family to eat your remains, and then we will kill them."

    "I wouldn''t dare speak these things," Franz said.

    "Good," the wolfman said. "Let me know when the invitation comes. For now, you and your family can be normal until we call upon you again." The wolfman stood up; he was almost double Franz''s height. He patted a beefy paw on his shoulder. The razor-sharp claws gently touched Franz''s skin, drawing some blood. "You did a good job."

    Then, a portal opened behind Franz, and the big wolfman stepped through.

    Franz took a deep breath. "What in the world am I going to do now?" The first thing was to get some food, then take a shower, and then sleep. He would worry about the events of tomorrow when they arrived, but for now, his mission was food and then rest, food and then rest.

    Franz sat next to his dining room table, a bowl of stew steaming in front of him. He was sipping a mug of tea spiked with alcohol. He was reflecting on how this all happened, how he became the agent for the League of Order in the city. It all started when Guildmaster Rob had died. Franz was the one to find the body. He was fighting alongside the guildmaster until they got separated by a large rush of monsters. Once Franz managed to defeat his horde of monsters, he made his way back to where he had separated.

    Franz didn''t find an enemy around Guildmaster Rob''s corpse. Which meant he had killed all the monsters already. The body of the guildmaster was really torn to pieces, and it was a harrowing sight for Franz to see. It had often kept him in the middle of the night. He had even contemplated leaving his job, leaving the kingdom, and going somewhere nice.

    He never got the opportunity to do it. Once he had collected the body or the remains of his old friend, he made his way back to the city. He had seen grim days, but this monster outbreak from the dungeon was the embodiment of the grim days. So many were injured or worse, and now his powerful friend had perished. Franz was happy the monster spawning seemed to be decreasing, which meant an end was near.

    Franz recalled that night. Two terrible things happened. First was his friend dying, and then it was coming home to three strangers in his house. There was an elf, a wolfman, and a human. The elf looked like she had just fought and lost badly. Her armor was tattered and stained with mud, grim, and blood. She didn''t look up at Franz as he walked in.

    Next to the wolfman was his hand firmly on top of his wife''s head.

    "Good evening, Mr. Franz," the wolfman said. "I am Cedric. You must be wondering why we have your children and your wife."

    "That''s a good starting point," Franz said.

    "As I said I am Cedric; these two don''t matter, just as long as things continue to go smoothly. We are all apart of the League of Order. A league designed for those who are seeking Order magic. That''s not entirely true, the elf is not apart of the League but she is a cultist of Order magic which is enough."

    "Okay?"

    "Our plans are simple," Cedric said. "We need you to get the League to have a branch in the city, really it''s the kingdom. But we wanted to start in the something you could handle."

    "And if I refuse?" Franz asked.

    "Then your entire family will visit each other in the afterlife." Cedric grinned, showing all of his sharp canine teeth. His dark fur made his teeth appear whiter and sharper. "You see we are not the pacifist that most would expect from a league. We will kill when we don''t get our way or even if we do but someone is seeking to prevent it."

    "What do I get if I succeed?" Franz asked.

    "You''ll be reward for 15% of the profit and your family lives. That should be enough of an incentive."

    "It is quite good," Franz said. "Fine, I can''t have you killing my family." The second he agreed, the wolfman grinned maliciously. He released Franz''s family as they all came rushing to his arms. His twins had tear-soaked faces; their eyes were red and puffy. Both of his children were eleven years old, one boy and one girl. His wife kissed him on the lips and hugged him close. They were scared and hurt.

    "We''ll be back tomorrow to discuss the details of the plans," Cedric said. "Let me correct that, I will be back tomorrow. These two have other business to attend to. Smart choice to come with us. I do not like killing children, but I will do it for the right cause." A white portal opened up in the middle of his living room and the three walked in, forever changing his life.

    Franz heard footsteps that shook him out of his memories. His wife, Heidi, had walked out to him. She kissed him on the forehead. She took a seat next to him and poured herself a mug of tea as well. The two sat in silence for a while. Heidi had known her husband long enough to know what he was thinking about.

    "I''m sorry we are in this mess," Franz said.

    "You didn''t do anything but be alive," Heidi replied. "They chose us out of randomness, could have been anyone in the city."

    "I feel like there has to be a connection, first Rob now this, seems too fishy."

    "It does but it doesn''t matter what it seems like. We have to do what we can to survive. They don''t seem particularly violent if you do what they say."

    "That''s what troubles me," Franz said. "Whenever I have bad students, they are bad all the time. Everything they do is bad. These people are so kind that they are not. Cedric will smile and tell me good job and then threaten me in the same breath. That is not something I can trust.

    "So what are we going to do?" She whispered.

    "Pray that the Onyx kingdom can save our lives¡­ I have a plan," Franz said.

 Chapter 84 - Bishop

    Levi and the team spent the next couple of days showing Trixie the way to be a proper magic-user. It consisted of time spent training her aura, developing a combat fighting style, learning to cast spells, and more. Trixie would tag along as the team cleared notice after notice, each time giving her important information. Trixie didn¡¯t squander her opportunity by being silent. She asked any question that came to mind.

    Trixie understood that her time with the team was coming to an end. She had no idea when she would see them again, if at all. She hoped that she would, but she understood they were going to a very far place. Something Trixie had expressed her appreciation for was the fact that she had a taste of each guild, with members of the team representing each guild: Rogue, Ranger, Sorcerer, Summoner, and Warrior. She and her father had been spending time each night discussing in more detail what guild she should go for.

    Each time, they had always differed. Preston wanted his daughter to choose a safe path or even a guild that would allow her to stand in the back and heal others. Naturally, Trixie wanted the exact opposite. She wanted to be the damage dealer. Trixie wanted to do anything but stay in the back; her whole life, she had been without power. Now? Now she had it, and she was intoxicated by it. She envied people who were from big cities and had wealth. They had power and freedom, and now, she had the opportunity to experience some of them on her own.

    It was the night before the team was preparing to leave. After a couple of weeks, they finally cleared all the notices on the board. Trixie was on her way towards the Tavern as they had invited her for one last meal. Her posture was straight, her strut a little more confident.

    ¡°Hey Trixie,¡± a male voice called. ¡°You¡¯re looking extra fine in the moonlight. How about you come over here and make my day.¡±

    ¡°No thanks Turner,¡± Trixie said.

    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll only bite where you want me to¡­¡± the man had run to catch up to her. He grabbed her arm and held her tight.

    ¡°I said,¡± Trixie said, anger rising. ¡°NO!¡± she shouted. With the word of power, a force field erupted out of Trixie, smashing against Turner. The force sent him flying a few meters backward. Trixie looked at her hands, but they were not the cause of the force field. Turner¡¯s face turned pale, and he looked at Trixie as if she were a monster. She smirked. ¡°Boo,¡± she flinched. Turner yelped and turned the other way, scrambling off scared.

    Trixie chuckled, ¡°I love having magic.¡± Then, she continued her journey to the Tavern. Inside the Tavern, Levi and company continued a conversation.

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t matter at what point the leaves are added they are still soaking the hot water up,¡± Bradley said.

    ¡°But if you pour hot water onto the loose leaves or the tea bag it could singe them. Placing the tea leaves into the pot of hot water is the way to go,¡± Levi said. The team had been discussing the proper way to make the perfect cup of tea.

    ¡°But them the tea is all at the top then what?¡± Bradley challenged.

    ¡°The water should make the teas heavier and drag them to the bottom,¡± Levi said. ¡°That¡¯s amateur stuff; come on, Bradley!¡± The argument ceased as Trixie entered the Tavern and made her way to the table.

    ¡°Happy last night,¡± she greeted. ¡°Any chance you all don¡¯t leave?¡±

    ¡°There is a chance,¡± Anna said. ¡°Not a high chance, but a chance nonetheless.¡±

    ¡°Not helpful, Anna,¡± Trixie said with a flat look. Anna grinned in return.

    ¡°Did you use your aura?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°I did,¡± Trixie responded. ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°I have good aura senses,¡± Levi responded. ¡°How? And on who?¡±

    ¡°How do you know it was on someone?¡±

    ¡°I am just assuming,¡± Levi admitted. ¡°But I¡¯m right.¡±

    ¡°You are right,¡± she said sadly. ¡°It was this creep named Turner. If I am being honest, I have no idea how I did it. He was trying to seduce me, and he grabbed my arm. I told him no sternly, and then a wave of force shot out of me and blasted him backward. I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, putting her head down. ¡°I know you told me to be careful and that I shouldn¡¯t just attack because I could seriously hurt someone.¡±

    ¡°Was he hurt?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Trixie answered. ¡°He was just scared.¡±

    ¡°I honestly have no idea how she did that, Levi,¡± Anna said. ¡°That is not a spell.¡±

    ¡°Probably something to do with her aura affinity and abilities,¡± Levi responded. ¡°Just be careful as you care gaining control okay?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not mad?¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re not mad,¡± Levi responded. Trixie and Levi had gotten close over the last few days. She had started to see him as the older brother that she never had. He was strict but loving, and she knew he was the one who gave her the essence to become a magic-user. She thought very highly of both Levi and Anna so much so that she wanted to make them proud every step of the way. ¡°Just be careful, that¡¯s why we trained you.¡±

    ¡°We are leaving and will try to come back in a year,¡± Anna said. "That means a lot of the protection of the village falls on your shoulders. We understand that this is heavy responsibility, but we believe in you.¡± Trixie looked back with sadness in her eyes. She blinked, and determination flashed. She nodded as Anna continued, ¡°My suggestion is to make the journey to Capital City, join a guild, and form a team.¡±

    ¡°Any suggestions on finding the right teammates?¡± Trixie asked. Anna paused and looked at her friends.

    ¡°Choose people that you can trust and ultimately choose your friends; it makes the journey much more enjoyable,¡± Anna said. This team was formed because I trusted Piper, and because of that, I have been able to travel much further and be pushed much harder than I ever thought. I am grateful for her,¡± she looked over at her best friend. Piper gave a small smile, uncomfortable from Anna''s praise.

    Trixie nodded, ¡°I will, thank you!¡±

    ¡°Thank you for bringing some joy to our small village,¡± Frieda said. "You lot were great to host and be around. Thanks for giving Trixie a magic essence. This town will do what we can to make her a great adventurer.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the hospitality,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°No need to thank us, you all cleared every single notice!¡± After a few more goodbyes from the people they had met in the village the team finally made their way out of the town and on to the next one. The map showed that they had five of those towns that they needed to go to. At first, Levi thought that this trip would be quick back to the Onyx kingdom; however, if every town was just like the first, then it would be some time before they made their way back.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°How far until the next town?¡± Izzy asked.

    ¡°A hundred km or so,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing we¡¯re running there?¡± Izzy asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Levi chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ll run about the same distance we did last time and then rest up for the day.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not in a big rush to get back home,¡± Piper said. ¡°Our first priority is to train and that is what we plan to do. There is a good chance you become a 2-star before you get a guild.¡±

    ¡°Will that be a problem?¡± Izzy asked.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I did not attend a guild,¡± Tycen said. ¡°By the time I was able to get to one I was far into 2-star and my class evolution was near, I felt it would not be worthwhile to spend a year learning basics.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re going to teach me basics?¡± Izzy asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s the plan,¡± Levi said. ¡°Maybe on your way back you could connect with Trixie, I¡¯d be curious to see what class she¡¯d choose.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Izzy said. She looked at Bradley, ¡°Maybe you and I could form a team with her?¡±

    ¡°You want to be on a team with me?¡± Bradley asked.

    ¡°If you work as hard as you have now, yes.¡±

    ¡°That is not a bad idea,¡± Bradley nodded. ¡°I¡¯d consider it. She is going to be a sorcerer, like Anna.¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Anna asked. ¡°What?¡± every single one of them turned their head to give Anna a flat look. ¡°What are all the looks for?¡±

    ¡°Anna she idolized you,¡± Piper said.

    ¡°No she didn¡¯t,¡± Anna said.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t see how she looked at you every time you spoke,¡± Bradley said. ¡°It was like watching a priest hear the words of their god. You saved her life so it is only natural that she looks up to you.¡±

    ¡°Take it as a compliment,¡± Levi said. He began stretching his slightly. "And let''s talk while we run, Tycen. We¡¯re on your pace.¡± Tycen nodded and began running. Levi chuckled at the absurdity of seeing someone with wings run. The environment they ran through went from hilly plains to a dense forest. Pine needles layered the ground, with scattered berry bushes and tall evergreen trees.

    As they were running, Serenity notified Levi that something was approaching. He stopped his run and the rest of the group paused and turned.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Tycen said. He was sweaty and slightly out of breath.

    ¡°We¡¯re being followed,¡± Levi said. ¡°Delta, take a group of drones and survey the area, alert Anza of what you find.¡± The mimic manifested next to Levi along with four drones. His green light brightened and dimmed communicating to the drones what to do. Delta looked at Levi and nodded. The mimics all took off in different directions. Levi stood still and pulled out his summoning wall. He created a ritual circle made of shadow stuff.

    In the middle of the circle, three shadowy figures appeared. ¡°I need you to back up the mimics in the forest. Provide extra support, but do it stealthy.¡± The figures nodded and disappeared without a trace.

    ¡°What were those?¡± Izzy asked.

    ¡°Shadow Creeps,¡± Levi responded. ¡°They don¡¯t do any physical damage but they can siphon mana and stamina from enemies. I often give them lesser stamina potions as their reward.¡±

    ¡°Do you always give the summons a gift?¡± Bradley asked.

    ¡°I do,¡± Levi said. ¡°It¡¯s no different then hiring a mercenary or a scout.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s a good point. Is that a common practice?¡±

    ¡°It is not,¡± Anna said. ¡°Summoners are not like Levi typically. They demand and summon, that¡¯s all, they are not the giving type. At least that¡¯s what my family had told me about summoners.¡±

    ¡°I have heard much the same,¡± Piper said. As she went to speak more, a shadow creep appeared in front of Levi. The creature was humanoid but half Levi''s height. It dripped ethereal shadows from its arms and head. Its yellow eyes were sharp and attentive, but it had no mouth.

    ¡°Trouble?¡± Levi asked. It nodded. ¡°Show me,¡± Levi said. The shadow creep turned its head and made its way through the dense forest, seeking the spot it came from. As they got closer, Levi could sense powers on full display; it was clear that his drones were engaged in some type of combat. They pushed their way through the clearing, and what Levi saw next made his blood boil.

    Three of his drones were attacking a group of bandit warriors. They were clad in leather armor and wielded various iron weapons. Nothing could truly harm the drones. Besides, they outnumbered Levi¡¯s drones 7 to 1.

    ¡°Get back, you vile beasts,¡± one of the bandits. He was standing in the front, wielding a nasty-looking whip and wearing slightly different armor. Levi assumed he was the leader.

    ¡°What are you doing with these people?¡± Levi shouted as he joined the fight. He had his smoke staff, conjured by Vapor, out, and he stood in an attacking position. Levi gestured behind the warriors. There was a small caravan of cages on wheels. The cages were not very spacious, but they were full of gross, grimy, and bloody people¡ªprimarily women and children.

    ¡°It¡¯s none of your concern stranger. Do you command these beasts?¡± the bandit asked.

    ¡°I do,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Then it would be in your best interest to call them back and hit the road. Our leader will not be happy with the delay, they may show up to right the¡­¡±

    ¡°Why have you stopped?¡± A loud booming voice, clearly enhanced by magic, asked. From the area that the caravan was heading a man flew in. He flew in like a superhero, one arm out in front. He hovered in the air looking at the scenes in front of him. ¡°Oh,¡± he said. He flew down to be face-to-face with Levi. He was human, shorter than Levi with dark wavy black hair. His skin was pale, his eyes were golden orbs.

    Levi felt his aura the second he entered into his considerable range. He looked at the man who had gotten way too close.

    ¡°Who are you,¡± the man asked. ¡°And what are you doing delaying my business?¡±

    ¡°I am Levi Winters,¡± Levi said. ¡°Why are taking these woman and children?¡±

    ¡°That is none of your concerns, Mr. Winters. All that matters is your survival,¡± he claimed. The man reached out an arm and placed his hand on Levi¡¯s shoulder. He got in close and whispered, ¡°This is your last chance to leave before I put you in the ground, chaos user.¡± Levi pushed his senses out a bit more and tried to probe the man in front of him¡ªthe only thing he got made him feel a bit nervous.

    This man was a 4-star sorcerer who had had a class evolution twice, although Levi had no idea what the evolutions were. There was something else about him that made Levi linger. His mind wandered to that feeling, but he couldn¡¯t place it. "What is your name?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Bishop Fawn,¡± Bishop said proudly.

    ¡°Yeah I¡¯m not letting you take these people,¡± Levi said. As he did, Bishop punched Levi in the gut, a move that was obvious in Levi¡¯s eyes. Levi was able to block most of it. However, this opponent was stronger than anything or anyone he had ever fought before. Even the blocked attack did significant damage to Levi¡¯s abdomen.

    Levi grimaced under the stinging pain. Bishop tried to knee the doubled-over Levi, but a metal tendril wrapped around the knee and twisted, sending Bishop a few inches backward, giving Levi and his team enough time to attack. Piper seized the opportunity to make her way around the other guards. She conjured her shadow blade and pressed the attack. She lashed her sword out over and over as Bishop easily dodged, countered, and parried the attacks. He had yet to draw a weapon.

    Bishop raised his arm and went to backhand Piper. Right as his hand was making its way toward her face, several metallic tentacles grabbed it and held it down. Three drones had grabbed his arm to prevent him from attacking Piper. Before he could make his next move, he was struck by a blast of icy wind. He shielded his face as the icy wind pelted his body. Once it subsided, he turned to see Anna. She was chanting another spell.

    In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Anna, kicking her in the core. She managed to see it at the last second, getting up a soft block. Anna was sent flying backward until she collided with a tree. Bishop began his move once again toward Anna. Anna looked up with semi-dazed eyes; she coughed up blood. As Bishop approached, Tycen intercepted the path to Anna. He swung his morning star narrowly. Bishop narrowly avoided the attack.

    ¡°Oh, you have speed,¡± Bishop said. ¡°Good. I need a challenge.¡±

    Tycen didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he grew the ball on the morning star to be larger, slower, but much bigger. The ball was now double its previous size. He swung and made contact with Bishop, who had to protect himself. The attack landed, and Bishop''s arm took all of the damage. Unfortunately, it was still a 4-star defense against a 3-star attack. Rank disparity played a huge role in fights between magic users.

    Bishop stood up and looked suitably impressed at the attack. " Adequate,¡± he murmured. You would be an excellent addition to my rag-tag team.¡±

    ¡°No thank you,¡± Tycen said.

    Bishop shrugged, ¡°what a pity. It is a shame that all of your potential will be wasted. Oh well, I guess some people can¡¯t help fate.¡± Bishop clenched his fist and turned on Tycen. He released a fury of combos, punches, knees, and elbows at lightning-fast speed. Tycen was able to protect himself from all of it. Several wisps appeared around Bishop as he was attacking. They started electrocuting him.

    For the first time in this fight, Bishop was hurt. Electrical currents ran through his body like blood in veins. Typically, 3-star attacks would take a long time for there to be any lasting damage; it could be done; it just took longer. Due to the sheer amount of team wisp, the length was significantly lowered. Bishop bit his tongue as he felt the overwhelming power surge through his body. He started to twitch and succumb to the pain; it was never-ending and intense.

    Tycen took this opportunity to strike back. With a few swings of his morning star, he connected with Bishop all over. His body went flying into a tree, splintering it. Tycen rushed and continued his assault. Team Wisp followed Bishop around to maintain the paralysis damage. Tycen kept the pressure blow after blow.

 Chapter 85 - Good Ole Skepticism

    Bishop was angry. He was already behind schedule as the last town had some women that he had taken a liking to. They were his age, prime figures, and his favorite thing, powerless. Having his way with the women was something that was expected to happen; he just didn¡¯t expect it to be so intoxicating. He had spent a few hours instead of the allotted one with these women. When it was time to leave finally, he realized they were behind, which meant they had to rush more than his comfort.

    For an hour or two, the trek had gone smoothly, with no issues. That was until he noticed the caravan of slaves had stopped. He had no idea, but he was not happy. The client he was shipping over the slaves was not known for patience or forgiveness, which made him all the more irritated. Inspecting what the holdup was, Bishop was surprised to see a group of such handsome and beautiful young people.

    Perhaps his day was turning around. That was until they attacked Bishop, then he got pissed once more. The fight was fine, they were adequate but to Bishop, a rank above them, most of their attacks were not strong enough to do any damage. That was until the weird lightning creatures showed up and paralyzed his body. He was unable to move as the stupid avian kept attacking him.

    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± Bishop screamed. He pulled out a wand, and his face contorted into one of pure malice. A conjured robe and cloak manifested over his body. It was pristine white with golden trim and lighter golden designs on it. The wand was made of an ivory wood. Golden light erupted out of the wand, sending Tycen flying backwards.

    While Team Wisp was doing their job and causing mayhem, Levi had spent the time attacking the other guards. He was doing a good enough job; most of the guards were his rank or lower, making for easy combat. His drones and Dameion did most of the work. Even Serenity stepped in to blow some fire on the guards. Piper, Izzy, and Bradley were all doing the same thing. Levi looked over to see that Tycen had gained the upper hand on Biship. He smirked until he felt a power that was definitely familiar: order.

    He turned and saw that Tycen was shot with a large blast of golden energy. It sent him flying into the air and off into the distance; Tycen was effectively out of the fight. Levi looked where Bishop was looking. It was at the other three adventurers. He chanted a spell so quickly that Levi had no time to react, in an instant the entire ground underneath Piper, Izzy, and Bradley erupted in golden light.

    Their screams were drowned out in the rush of the golden blast. After the lights disappeared, all of them had sustained significant injuries. Levi rushed to them, and each of them was knocked out completely unconscious, with serious wounds covering their bodies. Their skin was burnt, and some areas were third-degree burns covering their entire bodies.

    Levi¡¯s eyes flashed. Tears started to form in his eyes. The rest of his team was out of commission. It was all up to Levi now.

    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Bishop mocked. ¡°All your friends are gone and it looked like you didn¡¯t do anything to save them¡­ pathetic.¡±

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Levi said. Team Wisp stopped the lightning attacks and switched to the storm. Dark clouds formed around each of the wisps as red bolts flashed between Crystal, Willow, and Carbon. Serenity grew to her full dragon size, and a vapor clone appeared and formed into a flying disk for Levi to fly around the battlefield on.

    Dameion manifested and began attacking, and he sent orbs of varying colors to attack Bishop; golden orbs shot out of the Bishop¡¯s wand, intercepting each of the void orbs. A small explosion happened when the two orbs collided. Levi hadn¡¯t waited for that moment; however, he had started conjuring a void storm and released a lot more drones. Anza led a pack of twenty to deal with Bishop.

    The mimics worked in perfect unison, firing tentacles, biting at the orbs being fired, defending each other, and more. Blood started all over Bishop from bites, slashes, and the storm wisps. Bishop channeled more energy and fired several golden bolts directly at Levi; he dodged them as he had plenty of time to see before they attacked. Levi noticed the order magic bolts were killing several of the drones.

    He knew he would have to produce more after this battle, but he felt certain he was going to win. Suddenly, he felt a kick in his back, as Bishop had teleported right behind him and kicked him. Levi was sent flying off his flying disk. He was about to land hard on the ground when Serenity caught him. He felt his ribs and knew that they were broken. He grimaced in pain. The kick came so quick and so sudden.

    ¡°You think your stupid summons are enough to beat me?¡± Bishop cried from the sky. He held out a potion and downed it. Levi assumed it was a healing potion. ¡°ME?¡± he cackled like a villain about to lose the fight. ¡°You¡¯ll never reach my levels.¡±

    ¡°This dude talks way too much,¡± Levi mainly said to his familiars.

    ¡°Levi,¡± Anna¡¯s hoarse voice croaked. ¡°I can help.¡± Levi nodded as he heard her chant some words. Dark storm clouds formed behind Bishop, who turned to see the clouds. He smirked then held up his wand. A beam of golden light shot through and opened up the storm clouds. Not all of them, however. Hail the size of softballs fell from the sky and started pelting Levi.

    ¡°Dope,¡± Levi said. ¡°Good work Anna, hold on as long as you can.¡±

    ¡°Hurry,¡± Anna said. Levi nodded and began conjuring his void storm attack.

    Several black orbs formed around Bishop; however, the storm hid their location. Preventing Bishop from seeing the massive move take place. Bishop was too preoccupied with all the other modes of attacks he couldn¡¯t spare the aura senses for the powerful magical spell being cast.

    The black holes created a rip in reality. Beams of colors reminiscent of the Northern Lights pierced Bishop, each beam dealing significant damage. Bishop''s body was recovering quickly and looked less like Swiss cheese and more like getting into a bad bar fight. Blood poured out of many wounds, leaving openings for Team Wisp. This time, they turned to fire and began attacking the many wounds over Bishop''s body.

    When the storm cleared and the wisps returned, Bishop¡¯s body lay on the ground, unrecognizable to the vile confident man.

    ¡°My league will seek his revenge on you¡­¡± Bishop croaked. ¡°I was one of the highest ranking officials in this area¡­ and you killed, the League of Order is coming after you, Chaotic Paragon, even worse than you being a summoner¡­¡± Bishop spat at Levi¡¯s feet. His face scrunched up.

    ¡°That was very uncalled for,¡± Levi said. Bishop tried to spit again, but Anza shoved a tentacle down his throat, through his body, and out his rectum. Killing the League of Order official once and for all. ¡°PIPER!¡± Levi remembered. He rushed over to see his girlfriend and his other friends barely breathing. He tried to give them all a potion, but their mouths were significantly burnt.

    There was also the matter of the five carts full of would-be slaves. With his team all dealing with their injuries, Levi knew he had a lot of work to do.

    ¡°Dameion, go find Tycen,¡± he instructed. Dameion appeared and sent out several orbs of the void to search for Tycen. Levi stood up and drew a ritual circle with his wand under each of them. A dull red light shone out of the ground, and they began slowly healing their wounds. This ritual wouldn¡¯t last more than five minutes, but some healing would be done.

    Levi summoned three cherubim-type entities. They specialized in healing magic. Each spent time assessing the injured and tending to the wounds. The process was long, but it had begun. Knowing that his partner was going to survive had dropped a huge weight off his chest. Levi hadn¡¯t even known that he cared that much.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    The thought of gaining something so great and losing it rocked Levi to the core. He didn¡¯t handle his dad¡¯s death well. He was sure that would handle it at least a little better. He knew one thing had to be changed: he had to learn how to control his anger. He let it cloud his judgement in and against an opponent that takes him seriously, that could have been his life.

    He thought all of this as he approached the barred carts. The people scurried to the opposite end of the cart, afraid of Levi. They looked at him with fear and trepidation.

    ¡°Can you understand me?¡± Levi asked. No one responded; they all looked at him with fear. He nodded to himself and walked to the next cart, asking the same question. He checked four of the five carts and found the same results. Trying his best not to let his annoyance take over, Levi made his way to the final cart.

    ¡°Can anyone understand me?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I can,¡± a motherly voice said. She stood up from the back of the cart. She was wearing what amounted to a burlap sack to cover her frail body. She looked like she hadn¡¯t eaten in years.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°I am Serenia,¡± she said. ¡°We are from the Devour Village. These men came and took all of women and children as slaves, then killed the men.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that,¡± Levi said, frowning. ¡°How long ago?¡±

    ¡°3 years, the first two carts at least, the last three were within a few days,¡± Serenia said. ¡°Are you here to hurt us too?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Levi said. ¡°I am here to help.¡± A few drones manifested next to Levi. ¡°Go find enough meat to feed all five carts and some veggies as well. We¡¯ll make a stew to get these people fed.¡± The drones nodded  and then took off.

    ¡°Will you let us out?¡± Serenia asked.

    ¡°Eventually,¡± Levi said. ¡°I don¡¯t want mass panic, so everyone will stay in their carts until food is ready.¡±

    ¡°I do not like it,¡± Serenia said. ¡°Not one bit. However you¡¯re the adventurer so I will follow your orders.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Levi said. ¡°In the meantime,¡± Levi pulled out several bottles of stamina potions. ¡°These are all relatively low tier potions, but it should help you all recover before eating.¡± She took the bottles and offered more thanks. Levi did the same at every cart. Anna had turned to meditation to recover from the battle. Tycen was still nowhere to be found. Piper, Bradley, and Izzy were at least starting to look normal again; some of their skin was scabbing over and falling away.

    He walked next to the group being healed and took a seat. Sitting cross-legged, he knew that he had to check the system messages.

    <b>Status: Progress Made - Levi Winters</b>

    <i>Plus 4 to strength</i>

    <i>Plus 10 to stamina</i>

    <i>Plus 3 to speed</i>

    <i>Plus 45 vitality</i>

    <i>Plus 100 to wisdom</i>

    <b>Attributes Total: 1837</b>

    <i>Strength</i><i>	</i><i>189</i>

    <i>Stamina</i><i>	</i><i>266</i>

    <i>Speed</i><i>	</i><i>	</i><i>169</i>

    <i>Vitality</i><i>	</i><i>333</i>

    <i>Wisdom</i><i>	</i><i>880</i>

    <b>Enemy Defeated: League of Order Guardian (x10)</b>

    <i>Loot: 5000 Silver Coins, 50000 Copper Coins</i>

    <i>Loot: Order Shards (x5)</i>

    <i>Loot: League of Order Basic Armor (x3)</i>

    <i>Loot: Blood 50 Liters</i>

    <i>Loot: Order Shard Dust 15kg</i>

    <b>Enemy Defeated: League of Order Bishop - Bishop Pura</b>

    <i>Loot: 5 Platinum Coins, 50 Gold Coins, 500 Silver Coins</i>

    <i>Loot: League of Order Cloak</i>

    <i>Loot: Order Essence</i>

    <i>Loot: League of Order Spell Book</i>

    <i>Loot: Map of Stravenia</i>

    <b>Hidden Quest Completed - Striking Above Your Weight</b>

    <i>You have successfully killed a magic user in the fourth-tier star ranking system. Proving that you have what it takes to take down stronger foes. </i>

    <i>Reward: 3-Star Token x5</i>

    Levi withdrew the star token in his hands. The large medallions brought him a bit of nostalgia. It had been some time since he first used a star token and officially began his progress as a proper magic user in his new world. He held the token turning it over in his hand seeing the three stars forming a perfect triangle. He absently rubbed his finger over the raised star.

    He knew he had a long journey until 4-star, and any advantage he could get he needed to get. So far, their brief journey had seen Levi progress a lot. The constant battles were great for his Wisdom and Vitality¡­ not so great for strength and speed. He knew he had to use the tokens on those attributes, but a small piece of him wanted more power. Wisdom gave him more power, power enough to continue to beat enemies like the bishop.

    Levi decided to be sensible and put the tokens where he needed them. He placed the coin in his mouth and felt the power rush into him.

    <b>Star Token - Rank 3 has been consumed.</b>

    <i>Where would you like to apply the moderate bonus to?</i>

    Levi gave the mental command: two for strength, two for speed, and one for wisdom. What? He still needed to get stronger.

    <b>Status: Progress Made - Levi Winters</b>

    <i>Plus 100 to Strength</i>

    <i>Plus 100 to Speed</i>

    <i>Plus 50 to Wisdom</i>

    <b>Attributes Total: 2087</b>

    <i>Strength</i><i>	</i><i>289</i>

    <i>Stamina</i><i>	</i><i>266</i>

    <i>Speed</i><i>	</i><i>	</i><i>269</i>

    <i>Vitality</i><i>	</i><i>333</i>

    <i>Wisdom</i><i>	</i><i>930</i>

    <b>	</b>Levi reveled in the strength in his body increasing. He could feel his muscles get tighter with more strength. He could feel the power as he opened and closed his fist. Levi never really felt the effects of the wisdom attribute increasing. He knew that it did positively impact his spells and familiars. The thing he found somewhat disappointing was he could never feel the change or growth in himself. That wasn¡¯t the case for strength he could feel the power, and he loved it. It made him feel strong and powerful.

    ¡°Excuse me, sir,¡± a female voice interrupted his thoughts. Levi stood up, turning to see the woman who had once been a slave call from the caged carts. He made his way over to the cart where the woman was now standing at the bars.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi said. ¡°I¡¯m Levi¡­ Levi Winters.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Levi,¡± she said. ¡°Might I ask you what the hesitation is for our release?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Levi said. ¡°It¡¯s to reduce mass panic. If you all are freed without direction there could be a lot of running around causing a lot of noise that could attract a monster.¡± He looked around, Anna had recovered, she looked at Levi making her way over to him. ¡°We have already lost four of our members, and we¡¯re mostly 3-star adventurers. My last teammate here, Anna, is not in any condition to fight again.¡±

    Serenia looked at him with defiant eyes, ¡°so we can handle a monster!¡±

    ¡°How many of you are magic users?¡± Levi asked. No one raised a hand, and Serenia looked down awkwardly.

    ¡°Well the thing is¡­¡± Serenia started.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Levi interrupted. ¡°All of y¡¯all would be slaughtered in seconds if a monster came here.¡±

    ¡°Levi is correct,¡± Anna said. ¡°Too much commotion, too many uncontrolled auras, is purchasing trouble when we have ample.¡±

    Serenia was clearly not happy with the decisions being made; however, she said nothing. Even if these two people were good, which she wasn¡¯t sure they were, the fact that they were resistant to letting them free immediately gave her enough doubt. She would keep an eye on him and the others. She hoped she could understand more about the man.

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe us?¡± Levi said, shaking Serenia from her thoughts.

    ¡°No,¡± Serenia said with a flat look.

    ¡°Good,¡± Levi said with a smile. ¡°Sometimes good ole skepticism is great!¡±

    ¡°You are not filling me with any confidence to trust you, stranger,¡± Serenia said coldly.

    ¡°That¡¯s cause I¡¯m not tryin to,¡± Levi said plainly. ¡°I¡¯m trying to assess the situation as best as I can with more than half of my team missing. I¡¯m not gonna pretend like I know what you¡¯re going through or what you¡¯re experiencing but we were just attacked and almost wiped out¡­ taking time to not have that happen again is gonna take some time.¡±

    ¡°You seem more concerned with your life and the life of your team than ours,¡± Serenia said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I made it seem that way,¡± Levi said. His face devoid of any remorse. ¡°I don¡¯t want there to be any confusion. I want it to be abundantly clear. I am more concerned with my life and my team¡¯s life than yours.¡± Serenia¡¯s face twisted in rage as she looked at the dark man before her. She folded her arms and turned her back on Levi. Levi shook his head and then walked away from the cart.

    ¡°So?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No questions why I¡¯m antagonizing her?¡±

    ¡°Maybe a year ago, or even 6 months, but I know something is brewing in that chaotic brain of yours,¡± Anna responded.

    ¡°I do,¡± Levi chuckled. ¡°Thank you. I say we leave them in the cages and take them back to the village.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Anna mused. ¡°Tell me more.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be way too slow to have 60 normal rankers travelling all together. As far as I can sense there is some aura repression on the cages. That is our best bet to moving some many people.¡±

    Anna looked at Levi with an assessing look, then nodded. ¡°I am surprised you want to do this. I thought that you would want to release them and be done with it.¡±

    ¡°Maybe if we didn¡¯t almost lose Piper and Tycen. We¡¯re in an unknown forest without any knowledge of the type of monsters that spawn here or how strong. You¡¯re in no shape to fight, the risks are too high.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Anna nodded. ¡°How far are we from the closest town?¡±

    ¡°10 kilometers,¡± Levi responded.

    ¡°Maybe we can help get the slaves settled in that town, provide some money, resources, even build some buildings?¡± As she said that, three baby angel-like creatures approached Levi. They flittered all around him and said something in a language that Anna could not understand. She waited for them to finish. Once they did, Levi pulled out some coins and a few potions and handed them to the creatures. They accepted the gift and then disappeared back to their realm.

    ¡°No matter where we go, we¡¯re gonna have to stay; the Cherubim just finished their assessment on Piper, Izzy, and Bradley. They aren¡¯t going to be in any shape to travel for a couple of weeks, maybe longer.¡±

 Chapter 84 - A Powerful Man

    Tycen didn¡¯t remember the impact that sent him flying. All he had were flashes of him soaring through the air, slamming through branches, and landing on the ground with a thud. His eyes couldn¡¯t focus on his location before he passed out. When he woke up, his arm and two wings were broken, in addition to a dislocated shoulder. He sat up, leaning against a tree, and took a deep breath.

    It hurt to breathe. He groaned, plucking a health potion out of his inventory and tipping it down his throat. The warm, viscous liquid spread throughout his body. He could feel the vital energy replenishing all the blood he had lost. It was tingly. Tycen heard crunching leaves. He got up, conjured his mace in the only functioning arm, and held it in a pseudo-attacking position.

    Through the trees, three alien-looking creatures popped out. Tycen audibly sighed, dismissing his blade. He knew who these creatures were, and their orange bioluminescence was a clear signal to him.

    ¡°Hi drones,¡± he said. They nodded their heads. ¡°You hear to take me back to Anna and Levi?¡± They nodded once again. ¡°Lead the way, mind you¡­ I¡¯m going to be slow.¡± One drone walked over to him, allowing him to have something to lean on. He nodded appreciatively. One drone took the lead, and the last fell behind as watch. Tycen had an escort back; with every step, he could feel his strength returning as the health potion was doing its job.

    There was an intense popping sound as his once-broken arm had healed completely. He looked at it; it was still swollen and bruised, but at least the bone had been set. The health potion slowly faded away, along with the warmth. The warmth was a sedative, preventing the person from feeling pain. As the warmth faded, the pain returned. Tycen felt the achiness a lot. He pushed through the pain, now able to walk on his own without support.

    As they walked back, Tycen thought about his life. He reflected on how he had gotten to this point. Tycen was lucky, very lucky, in fact. He was born with magic, the first one in his tiny tribal village to do so. His village had been around for centuries, a small island that no one had cared about. They were all avians that celebrated family and their own culture. They barely made enough money to survive, but his father and grandfather somehow managed to purchase a magic essence for themselves.

    Tycen was now rich beyond his family¡¯s wildest imagination. He planned to go back and help the village out, maybe even be lucky and find some magic essence of his own. His father was not thrilled that Tycen wanted to leave the tribe. He called it pure selfishness. In some aspects, he was right. Tycen understood that his tribe needed more magic users; it would help the small tribe grow and thrive.

    Tycen also knew that traveling the world adventuring is a dangerous job, case and point their last fight. One minute they were hunting a strange creature, the next, they were trying to stop some freaks from raping women and children. It was a strange series of events. Tycen thought back to his family before he left¡ªthe range of emotions: anger, sadness, envy, hatred, and love. Tycen had experienced it all, but he paid no mind to it. Now that he had an almost near-death experience, it would be a priority for him to get home; he couldn¡¯t possibly let those emotions be the last thing they remember him by.

    ***

    ¡°Here¡¯s the plan,¡± Levi said to Serenia through the cages. She was sitting cross-legged, staring intensely at Levi. ¡°We¡¯re going back to the closest village, it¡¯s where we were headed. We¡¯ll see the state of the place. We will have to stay for awhile as half my team will be unconscious for several days.¡±

    ¡°You will release us once we return to that village?¡± Serenia asked.

    ¡°Yep,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°And we are supposed to trust you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you do or don¡¯t,¡± Levi said. ¡°This was the plan that was decided. Serenia stood up, defiance in her eyes. She looked back into Levi¡¯s tired expression. Her eyes softened when she realized he had been just as tired, if not more than she was.

    After pausing to consider her words, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know you have been through a lot already. I have been nothing but rude. We all cannot walk, that is without question.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Anna said. ¡°We are taking only you out of the cages, the rest will stay in the caravan.¡±

    Serenia¡¯s eyes lingered on Anna. She nodded, ¡°Letting everyone out would take days to travel. How do you propose to move our carts?¡±

    ¡°Levi can handle that issue,¡± Anna responded. Come on,¡± she said, holding out a hand as they unlocked the cage. Serenia hesitantly grabbed Anna¡¯s hand and lowered her to the ground. She was smaller than both Levi and Anna, and her frame outside of the bars was even worse. Levi pulled out some stew for her to eat.

    ¡°We have a long journey ahead of us,¡± Levi said. Levi instructed a few drones to grab the individual carts of slaves and pull them in the direction they needed to go. Serenia gulped down her meal and made her way next to Levi. He was standing on a strange cloud that swirled around him and allowed him to fly.

    ¡°Do you always have a dragon on your shoulder?¡± Serenia asked pointedly.

    ¡°I do,¡± Levi said. ¡°She is one of my familiars.¡±

    ¡°You are a powerful man?¡± She asked.

    Levi chuckled but didn¡¯t answer, ¡°yes yes he is,¡± Anna answered instead.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let her lie to you,¡± Levi replied. ¡°I¡¯m just an average summoner. Any questions about the plan?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Serenia replied. ¡°It makes sense, I will let the group know while you make final preparations.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Levi said. Serenia nodded, then made her way to each cage and began discussing the next step. There were a lot of complaints that Levi could make out, but he chose to ignore them and continue to see how heavy the carts were. He walked over to one with Anza by his side. She was in her alpha form, large and powerful. There was a bar that looked like a mount could move them.

    Levi looked over them and saw that there were faint traces of magic. He looked around them more, searching for a rune, runic formation, or anything that could have propelled the carts forward. Levi couldn¡¯t remember the carts moving on their own before or if they had conjured some kind of magical creature to move them.

    He found nothing that could have helped him, so he resorted to plan B. ¡°Anza can you move this?¡± he asked. Anza roped three tentacles around one of the carts and gave a gentle nudge. It moved with what seemed like little effort from Anza.

    Easily, she replied. Two drones would be able to move this. Levi nodded creating six drones to the carts.

    ¡°Smooth,¡± Levi said. He walked over to the three bodies and gently picked up Piper. Anna picked up Izzy and Serenity, who were now her full size, and picked up Bradley. The three of them were all gently on the roof of one of the cages. Serenity went up there and curled around the trio, ensuring they would not fall off. After that was prepared, Levi moved up to the lead cart, the one that had Serenia in it at first. She was now making her way back toward Levi.

    ¡°They are prepared,¡± Serenia said. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Very good,¡± Levi said. ¡°You can sit on top of Anza or any of the drones.¡± Levi walked over to Anza and jumped up. Anna followed his lead and jumped on top of one of the drones. The woman gave an uncertain look at the alien creatures. She was from a small village that hardly ever saw anything magical; these creatures were the scariest things she had ever seen. Serenia knew that she had gone through a lot because the dragon on the man¡¯s shoulder hardly bothered her. In fact¡­ she thought it was cool, and a tinge of envy sprouted inside her every time she glanced at the beautiful creature.

    After some internal conversation, she made her way up to Anza. She sat behind Levi, not trusting the other monsters but putting a tiny bit of faith in Levi. Levi glanced back at the slender woman, who was grinning as he turned his head. With a mental nod, Anza and the drones took off. As they were taking a few steps, Serenity raised her head.

    ¡°Wait,¡± she said. ¡°I sense Tycen.¡± Anna snapped her head so quickly that Levi could have sworn she broke it. Anna jumped down off her drone and ran in the direction Serenity was looking. Out from the dense forest underbrush popped a drone, then Tycen leaning on a drone.

    ¡°Tycen!¡± Anna cried tears in her eyes. She threw herself on the big man.

    ¡°Agh,¡± Tycen grimaced as she threw herself on him. ¡°Hey Anna¡­ glad to see you¡¯re okay too.¡±

    ¡°Oh shoot,¡± Anna said. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, did I hurt you?¡±

    ¡°Just a little sore,¡± Tycen groaned. ¡°My wings were broken, which is why I am walking. How are the others?¡±

    ¡°I will update you as we travel,¡± Anna said, looping her arm in Tycen¡¯s. Levi looked at the two with an assessing look. Once they had mounted a drone, and the drones traveling with Tycen continued to act as guards, they journeyed toward the next town.

    As Levi sat on Anza, he started to meditate. He knew it would be helpful to reflect on the past fight. It had been some time since he had meditated. It would also help him get used to the new power that he had just gained. Most importantly, Levi would learn from the things he did wrong or could have done better.

    During the fight, Levi struggled to do any lasting damage to himself. His fighting technique is mediocre at best and subpar at worst. He reflected on how quickly Piper, Bradley, and Izzy were all attacked. All it took was a straightforward spell; he had to make sure they were aware of where a sorcerer was looking. He wasn¡¯t sure what he could have done that would have been different. Frustration grew inside him. Levi was frustrated that he couldn¡¯t help in that situation. He was angrier that he was kicked so hard that his ribs broke without even feeling or sensing the teleportation magic.

    As Levi¡¯s emotions continued to spike, so did his agitation. He was better than the fight displayed. Sure, he won the fight, but at what cost? He could have done better. He could have summoned the right creatures for the job. He could have¡ªLevi realized he couldn¡¯t.

    That was a 4-star opponent, Levi, he thought. What you did was the best you could have managed. Why spend time worrying about what you could have done better only to be frustrated with yourself? Adapt. Learn. Grow. After his mini pep talk, Levi acknowledged the feelings that he was experiencing and let them go. With a soft yet deep breath, he gently opened his eyes.

    Levi saw that they were near the town. He felt his side; his ribs were nearly healed. This was good, as it meant his meditation was beneficial. Serenia was sitting still behind him, her eyes glued to Levi.

    ¡°What was that you were doing?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Meditation,¡± Levi responded. ¡°It helps me get better by improving on the fight we just had.¡±

    ¡°Is this a magic user thing?¡± Serenia asked.

    ¡°Could be,¡± Levi said. ¡°Not sure honestly, I¡¯ve done meditations before I had magic but I am sure it does not have the same effect.¡±

    ¡°I wanted to be a magic user at one point in my life,¡± Serenia said.

    ¡°Never too late,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°It definitely is,¡± Serenia chuckled, the first time she had ever chuckled since meeting her. It was a stark contrast from her usual stoic and flat demeanor.  ¡°I am nearly 30, I have no business going out and fighting monsters.¡± She shook her head. ¡°No¡­ but I don¡¯t know what I am going to do.¡±

    ¡°Have you ever had any dreams or aspirations?¡±

    ¡°They all died when I was taken as a slave,¡± Serenia said sadly. ¡°Now, I just want to live in a peaceful place and be able to protect me and my people.¡±

    ¡°Then it seems like you need to get you some magic users in your village,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°That isn¡¯t going to be you all?¡± Serenia asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Levi said, shaking his head. ¡°We have other things to do, of course we can¡¯t do that until those three are awake and in decent shape to travel, so you¡¯re looking at least three weeks, maybe more.¡±

    ¡°Even just for helping rebuild houses, would be a major help. I am not sure how much of the town is left¡­ I¡¯m not even from this area.¡±

    ¡°We will be here to help with that,¡± Levi said. ¡°We¡¯re just over the hill.¡± The caravan of wounded adventurers and former slaves had arrived at the village. There was a small stone wall that was supposed to be a barrier for the village, but it wasn¡¯t nearly tall enough to prevent magic users from jumping on it. The wall was about six feet tall and spanned the entire village, which was larger than the last town.

    The town was in utter shambles. The stone wall was mostly destroyed; several houses were burnt to the ground, and others were still burning. Most of the houses had chunks missing from the frame, the body, or the roof of the house. Windows were shattered, and there was still some dried blood all over. It was truly a scene from a gruesome horror movie. As they got closer, Levi pushed out his sense, as did Dameion and Serenity. When nothing dangerous popped up, they dismounted Anza and walked toward the village.

    Four smokey cloaks emerged from Levi¡¯s body. Vapor spread out throughout the village to see if there were any survivors or places the team should avoid as much as possible. Vapor¡¯s voice entered into his head.

    ¡°I found something that might not be good to mention to everyone,¡± she said. Levi appeared next to her in an instant. She led Levi into a building that was kept in peace with the stench of death and thick with blood. Levi almost gagged at the horrible stench. He slid the door open to see even more disturbing scenes. A pile of rotting corpses lay in that shed. It looked like they were mutilated as they were all naked. Once again, anger was deep within his soul.

    A giant blast of fire appeared and burnt the bodies. Levi looked up to see Serenity. He nodded his gratitude, who nodded back. She dropped from the heavens and landed softly on Levi¡¯s shoulders.

    Levi continued his survey of the village, now one building less. There were plenty of buildings to house all the slaves they had rescued. The biggest thing would be getting everyone started. There was no room for his team to stay in one residence. There wasn¡¯t a place to cook all the food for the scared, starving, and cold travelers. That was the biggest bummer; he was hoping that he wouldn¡¯t have to just make more stew.

    Before arriving, Levi had sent his drones to look for food and veggies. They were specifically instructed to bring any and everything they could find back. After finishing his assessment, Levi walked over to Anna, who was leaning on Tycen as they waited for him. He looked at the two¡¯s body language yet said nothing about it.

    ¡°Anna how¡¯s your mana?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Manageable,¡± She replied. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°These people are going to need clothe and a shower, which I don¡¯t have any powers like that.¡±

    ¡°That is not a bad idea,¡± Anna said. ¡°I can conjure up something, it might be cold.¡±

    ¡°Cold is better than grim. Tycen how are you feeling?¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Fine, thank you,¡± Tycen said. ¡°My body is mostly recovered but will need a few days to fly again.¡±

    ¡°Understandable, glad you¡¯re okay bro,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Can you help me create a black flattop with some rock? If we can get that done, then we can start feeding these people some food.¡± Levi marveled at the handy work that  Tycen provided. He had worked quickly and efficiently. He was proud of his friend. By the time Tycen had finished the flat stone, Levi had checked many of the houses for anything. He ended up finding several chests of clothing, bedding, and something to clean everyone up.

    ¡°Everyone,¡± Levi called. ¡°We have showers over here, once you are showered,¡± Levi nodded in the direction. ¡°You come over here and grab some clothes, even if it¡¯s a bedding or pillow case, grab one and cover up. After you have gotten some of your clothes own, you may begin eating as soon as you have taken your seat. Please, eat as much as you can. While you are eating we will be trying to salvage any of these buildings for sleeping arrangements. You all have had a long few years. Eat all you can, fill your bellies, then rest your souls.¡±

    At first, everyone seemed nervous until Serenia said the same thing in whatever language they spoke. Levi wondered why he couldn¡¯t understand them, but he had far too much to do to think about that. Anna and Willow worked together to create warm water for those who were to shower. The showers went quickly as the prospect of food was too alluring. In a few minutes, the entire village was bustling with people showering, chatting, and eating. It made Levi smile as they all looked like they had finally found hope.

 Chapter 85 - Stay Soft

    Anna sat next to Tycen, leaning her shoulder into his. She was so scared that Tycen had died from the fight when Serenity had told them that he was approaching something inside of her clicked. Anna did her best not to say anything about it; she wasn¡¯t even sure what she was feeling. It was an odd sensation, though. The feeling of utter relief, feeling her body move without her brain telling her to do so, she floated toward him. Tears poured down her face that she hadn¡¯t even felt, then the moment she collided with Tycen, she felt¡­ well, she didn¡¯t know what she felt.

    Now, sitting next to him, she couldn¡¯t help but think it was more than just relief or her teammate; no, her friend was surviving. Sure, she did feel relief, but the excitement, the joy, and the potential sorrow she would have experienced was more than she had felt for any friend. Perhaps it was some deeper feelings hidden, or maybe it was the first time she was confronted with loss. Anna wasn¡¯t sure. She chose not to bring it up as the two of them watched the former slaves eat in silence, nervously wondering what the more powerful people looking over them would do.

    Levi sat down next to the two of them with a plate of food for each. " Here y¡¯all go, " he said, handing them the plates. It was some root vegetables with some cooked meat. Because Levi was a summoner, he always carried seasoning and spices, as they were summoning ingredients. The meat was soft and tender, perfectly seasoned.

    ¡°This is very nice,¡± Tycen said. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Of course, how ya feeling?¡±

    ¡°Better,¡± Tycen replied. ¡°It¡¯s weird being in this position though.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not used to people being afraid of me because I am powerful. I am not used to having the power. I don¡¯t come from a long line of powerful people. I was the first to be a born magic-user,¡± he explained. ¡°Now I look at these people who are so scared, I can¡¯t help but empathize with their position. I¡¯d feel the same.¡±

    ¡°I hear you,¡± Levi said. ¡°In my world there are many forms of power. Strength is one form but is often the weakest form.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Tycen asked.

    ¡°Being strong, physically, is great if you are always in a physical altercation or doing something that requires that. But it is limited in the larger scope of things.¡± He looked over his body. ¡°This is the most muscle I have ever had in my entire life and there are people on my world bigger than you, Tycen. Sure they are big and yeah you definitely don¡¯t want to pick a fight with them in person, but it¡¯s easy to avoid such things. People with power that make a difference are ones who use fear, corruption, greed, and blame. That¡¯s pure power. In my country we have our leaders elected, we call them Presidents. You would think that the most qualified person gets to be president of our nation.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t?¡± Anna asked exacerbated.

    ¡°They don¡¯t. Some aspects of it are popularity contests or fear mongering. They play on one specific aspect that a large group of people are afraid of and play that tune.¡±

    ¡°Then what?¡±

    ¡°They get elected, and for the next four years, there will be some kind of backlash. More and more, the nation has become divided because of these powers playing against each other.¡± Levi paused to take a bite. He finished his bite and then sighed. ¡°I hate that type of power. I did my best to remain as far away from that as I could, amongst other things. So I understand you, Tycen, it¡¯s strange to know that we are the ones who can influence and change the world.¡±

    ¡°You know,¡± Anna said. ¡°I think I understand you a little bit more now.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Levi said.

    ¡°You have dealt with people who have more power than you very similar to your old world. Rather than elected officials but they have influential power. There are systems in play that go directly against you. No summoners, no chaos magic, etc. No wonder you are so adamant about a lot of things.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Levi said. ¡°Most importantly is I hate being treated differently for something I had no control over.¡±

    ¡°That I understand well,¡± Anna said. She chuckled, ¡°When we first met, I was quite rude to you.¡±

    ¡°You were doing what you had to do,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± she replied. ¡°People like to take advantage of me or treat me differently because I was born into a family that has power. I had no choice. I understand the responsibility and I¡¯ll gladly take it. It is not without it¡¯s downsides, however. I could never make any true friends. Everyone saw themselves as beneath me or in service of me. I was very fortunate to gain Piper so early in life. The difficulty I discovered was she was able to make friends and connections at a much quicker rate than I could have ever managed. I understand how it feels to be treated differently. We cannot control every aspect of our lives but we can control how we steward that responsibility.¡±

    ¡°Damn,¡± Levi said. ¡°That¡¯s a truth bomb right there.¡±

    ¡°A what?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Never mind,¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Serenia asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Levi said.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Levi corrected sadly.

    ¡°Most of us will be sleeping soon. The weather is warm enough for us to sleep out here,¡± Serenia said. ¡°I do not think I will be sleeping however. Is there any way I could be of assistance?¡±

    ¡°Sounds good, I¡¯ll have some of my familiars patrolling the town walls and keeping guard. Would you mind getting a head count and seeing what would be needed for housing?¡±

    ¡°I can do that,¡± she said. She bowed and turned away.

    ¡°Well,¡± Levi said, slapping his knees to stand up. ¡°Tycen, rest up. Anna, do what you want.¡± He chuckled as he made his way to start preparations to rebuild the small town.

    After his initial assessment, Levi had marked different houses. The buildings with a coal dust marking, dark black like soot, would be unsuitable for living, while the buildings with a white powdered sugar marking would be suitable for living. Then there was yellow sand dust that would mark could live in but needed improvements quickly.

    In total, there were 30 houses or house foundations, but not all of them could truly be considered houses. Each of the houses was a decent-sized, one-story cottage, about the size of a log cabin, roughly 500-700 square feet. Levi really couldn¡¯t judge without properly measuring. There were 12 that had black marks, which were absolutely not livable; these would be the highest priority. They would also be the ones that the magic-users would work on. These 8 houses with yellow sand, marking the house as livable despite a few glaring improvements. The new owners of the buildings could improve these houses.

    ¡°There are 50 of us,¡± Serenia said. Interrupting Levi¡¯s thoughts. He looked at the smaller woman. Now that she was freshly showered and the grim removed, Levi got a better look at her face. She had freckles with light skin and Asian features. Her hair, which was once matted, was now put into two braids that fell halfway down her back. She had bruise marks around her neck and wrists. Her eyes were dark, and she seemed really tired.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°How old are you?¡± Levi asked.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I am 30,¡± Serenia said.

    ¡°You looked like you were the oldest?¡± Levi said.

    ¡°I am,¡± Serenia said. ¡°The older women were taken, raped, then killed. They kept the younger ones around so we could potentially reproduce if they wanted.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Levi said. He gave her his best reassuring smile. ¡°We¡¯ll make sure you are all protected and this place becomes your sanctuary.¡±

    ¡°May I ask something that may come of as rude?¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± Levi said. She raised an eyebrow at his response but nevertheless still asked her question.

    ¡°Why are you helping us? What do you gain from this?¡±

    ¡°You needed help, I had the ability to help, so I helped. I gain the knowledge knowing that I did something good for the world,¡± Levi said seriously. His tone booked no room for mistrust in his words.

    ¡°That¡¯s it? Altruism?¡±

    ¡°Or selfishness,¡± Levi shrugged. ¡°They can be one in the same sometimes. How many of the people are family?¡±

    She looked at him for several seconds before responding, ¡°Most are their own families. The youngest are my little sister and brother, twins they are 7 years old. The oldest male we have is 18, there were some of those people who took us who liked boys.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Levi said. ¡°There are eight houses that can be good for some to move into with some work that needs to be done, flooring, windows, or anything like that. There are ten houses that are ready to be moved into now, I am not sure how to get you all beds and stuff but we¡¯ll figure that out later. Each house has a furnace and a wood burning stove, with some cooking supplies. Some of the houses have furniture already some do not. Then lastly, there are 12 houses that need total work before they are ready. That will be something my team, familiars, and myself with be working on first.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe we will need thirsty residences,¡± Serenia said. ¡°As I said we are mostly families. Could those 12 buildings be converted into something practical to allow the village to thrive?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Levi said. ¡°What did you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°A blacksmith, we will need weapons,¡± Serenia said flint in her voice. ¡°A bakery, a restaurant, a woodworking shop, maybe an armory? Things like that, anything else that you think might be helpful for us.¡±

    ¡°Good plans,¡± Levi said. His eyes glazed over as he looked at his inventory. Serenia, not knowing what was happening, looked behind her to see where his gaze went. She frowned as she saw nothing. As she turned around as he was plucking several items out of thin air.

    ¡°What is all of this?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Items that I don¡¯t need, was going to sell but I¡¯m good,¡± he said as his eyes were still looking through his inventory. He finally refocused his gaze as there were several items surrounding him. He went through them one by one.

    ¡°These are different armor and clothes that I have gotten in my time traveling. This will at least help you get your armory started. Anyone who wants to train can train with us. We will be here for a while as our three downed teammates recover.¡± He pointed to a box on the ground, ¡°There are a few magic essences in there; this will help you get magic users in the village. You¡¯re the first person I would say who gets one. This also means that you will need to choose a class. There are five-¡±

    ¡°I want to be a summoner,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s what you are, right? That¡¯s how you have so many familiars?¡±

    Levi stood mouth agape, words failing to come to his mouth, ¡°I uh, yes.¡±

    ¡°I am not the only one,¡± she continued. The eldest male, Wyatt, echoed my sentiments. I believe he would be a good candidate for a magic essence. My last choice would be his girlfriend, Sunny. They want children. Despite the horrors we just faced, the two of them could potentially give birth to more magic users. That¡¯s how that works, right?¡±

    ¡°Higher likely hood yes,¡± Levi said. ¡°You also have a chance.¡±

    ¡°Oh, good to know. She also said that she wanted to be a summoner. So that makes three summoners, do you think we should have one of them be something besides a summoner?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your choice,¡± Levi said. ¡°I can train you as best as I can in the time that we have so you understand the basics of summoning. ¡°

    ¡°We will learn and figure out the rest when you leave,¡± Serenia said. Her face was full of determination as she had decided for the rest of her new town.

    ***

    ¡°What¡¯s going on with you?¡± Tycen asked Anna. She had been constantly looking over her shoulder to look at Piper.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never lost someone before,¡± Anna said. ¡°I almost lost two today. I¡­¡± she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. ¡°How do you do it?¡±

    ¡°In my culture death is not the end. We have a place where we all go after we die. Death is a see you later. If my time had come today, I would have been sad but I would have been happy to see my sister.¡±

    ¡°Do you not get sad anymore when people die?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± Tycen replied. Sadness does not mean we don¡¯t accept the loss; sadness means that the loss affects us. I am grateful to be alive; this team has been the best thing for me in a long time.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how to do that,¡± Anna said. ¡°I have lived a lucky life where no one has died. A part of me wishes that wasn¡¯t the case. I wish I was used to it so the potential wouldn¡¯t be so crushing.¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a story of a man in my town. He is an older man had several wives, each of them died from old age, illness, random monster, whatever it was they never survived. By the third death he started to become callus, cold to the world. Who could blame him? By the time his last wife died he didn¡¯t even shed a frown. He had been expecting her death the time they met. The children of the woman were pissed, very upset that this man would treat their mother¡¯s death so casully. The town turned their back on that cold callused man. Deep down though there was a piece of him that was locked away a piece of his broken heart that he had been constantly holding onto.¡±

    ¡°What a lovely children story,¡± Anna teased.

    ¡°It¡¯s not really a children story,¡± Tycen said. ¡°It is to remind us that death is sad no matter how often it happens to you, stay soft, don¡¯t let the world turn you hard.¡± Anna looked at Tycen as he said those words. They resonated with her. ¡°Stay soft, don¡¯t let the world turn you hard,¡± she repeated over and over in her head until it stuck. She rested her head on Tycen¡¯s shoulder until she nodded off asleep.

    The following morning, Levi woke up to birds chirping. The sun had just crested over the dense forest treeline. He took a deep breath, tasting the air. Fresh dew had covered the ground. The hint of warmer weather was on the horizon. Levi stretched the sleep out of his body and walked over to the building in which his three companions were still resting unconsciously. Their skin was now scabbed over, and small traces of their hair were returning. They had lost almost everything in that attack.

    Levi walked over to where Piper was lying still; her breathing was steady yet shallow. He grabbed her hand as it was mostly healed. Gently caressing her delicate skin. Levi had dealt with loss once and admittedly had dealt with it poorly. He wasn¡¯t good with losing. Whether it was people, pets, items, or games, he was a sore loser. The prospect of losing someone in this world was so different. The danger was amplified, yet so was survival. Any magic user who was over one or two-star rank could live much longer than standard human life expectancy.

    Levi found out that with magic, in general, most people lived to be older than what was normal on Earth. The life expectancy for humans was 125 years, and that was without any magic. The world was never overpopulated because of how frequently people died. It was a crazy juxtaposition.

    Anna walked in and sat next to Levi. She nudged his shoulder with hers. Levi had noted that Anna¡¯s rough edges had been softer since Piper had almost died. He hardly could blame her; death and loss are scary, unavoidable things in one''s life.

    ¡°How did you do it?¡± Anna asked finally.

    ¡°Do what?¡± Levi replied.

    ¡°How did you recover from the loss of your dad?¡±

    Levi snorted, ¡°atrociously.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I ruined relationships, I pushed people away, I became a shell of myself.¡±

    ¡°You hardly seem like that now,¡± Anna confided.

    ¡°Call it a lesson learned,¡± Levi replied. ¡°How are you handling it?¡±

    ¡°Atrociously,¡± Anna said, smirking. ¡°If I am honest, I have never really lost anyone. First Tycen and then Piper, I thought I was going to have the worst day ever and yet they both survived. I can¡¯t help but blame myself. If only I were a little bit stronger, faster, or even smarter to protect them.¡±

    ¡°Grief does that,¡± Levi said. ¡°It enters your brain and feeds you lies. There is only one person to blame for their pain and he¡¯s dead. If you were stronger and they still got hurt but differently then what?¡±

    ¡°Then I get stronger,¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Then what? Where does it end? At what point do you need to trust that we made the right decisions and the opponent made a better one? We had no business fighting a 4-star magic user. None at all, guess what? He¡¯s dead and we¡¯re not. My biggest mistake was letting grief turn into guilt, turn into shame, turn into apathy. That¡¯s how I ended my life before I was brought here, apathetic and alone by no one¡¯s fault but my own. Anna, I don¡¯t want that to happen to you.¡±

    Anna sighed, put her head down, and whispered, ¡°I wish it was me and not her. Then you wouldn¡¯t have to deal with loss again and have someone who can actually comfort you.¡±

    ¡°Is that what you think? That I would rather you be laying here instead of her?¡± She nodded slightly. ¡°Let me put that foolishness to bed, I would rather no one be here. Anna if you were here I¡¯d be still having these same thoughts about loss. Yes I love Piper, I also love you. You¡¯re one of my best friends, ever.¡± He wrapped his arms around her as she cried on his shoulder. Levi had no other words to say as the two of them hugged.

 Chapter 86 - Painful and Weird

    Levi and Anna left the three recovering adventurers and ventured out into the small town. It was bustling with activity. People were fixing and rebuilding houses, talking,and setting up their own living spaces. Levi and his team were still given nervous looks, which was to be expected. Levi said his greetings to Wyatt and Sunny; he had met the two last night to discuss the plan.

    Something in their discussion brought up an excellent point: Who was the League of Order, and how much of a threat were they? What did they even represent? Levi had wondered these questions but then got caught up in the busyness of the day. He had a rather restless night thinking about the League, Piper, and the villagers.

    "Have you ever heard of the League of Order?" Levi asked Anna as they walked to where Tycen was supposed to be.

    "Only as of yesterday," Anna said. "Some of the people were talking about them and how much they hate them. What have you heard?"

    "Nothing more than that," Levi said. "The dude we fought, Bishop or whatever said that he was a high ranking official in the League but I am not sure what that actually means."

    "I have no clue either," Anna said. "Based on the look on your face, you sense trouble?"

    "I do," Levi said. "What if the prince runs the order? That would make gathering materials for the terrible summon he''s trying to do."

    "Which means we would have less time," Anna said, more so to herself. "That is really not good. Any idea how we can find out more about them?"

    "Yes," Levi said. "Ask Serenia. From what I have gathered she was a slave the longest out of the group, she is one of the oldest, and the number one candidate to get a magic essence."

    "Good plan," Anna nodded. "I am glad you are giving this lot the rest of the magic essences. That will be very helpful for them."

    "I agree," Levi said. "Hey Tycen." Tycen was sitting on the porch of a house with a coffee in his hand.

    "Good morning, what were y''all discussing?" he asked.

    "The league," Levi said.

    "Ahh yes," Tycen replied. "That is all these folks seem to be talking about, how interesting."

    "I assume you''ve never heard of it before?"

    "Nope," he said, shaking his head.

    "That seems to be common," Levi said. "How''s the recovery going?"

    "After several potions and your healing ritual," he said. "My wings have recovered fully, I''m back to full health."

    "Great news," Anna said. "We''re going to need all the help we can get to get this village to actually be functional."

    "Which it will be done," Tycen nodded. "I would also like to continue training even if it will leave Piper behind. How she doing by the way?"

    "She is recovering, her breathing is stable, it seems like she will make a full recovery. It is hard when we can''t accelerate the healing with potions, because they are asleep."

    "It would be better for it do be done naturally anyway," Tycen said. "If she is lucky she could see a huge boost in her vitality. I have heard that surviving a near death experience provides a massive boost."

    "That would be nice," Levi mused.

    "Good morning, adventurers," Serenia said.

    "Good morning," Levi, Anna, and Tycen said.

    "Are you ready for your big day?" Levi asked.

    "I could hardly sleep with excitement," Serenia said. "The whole group wants to watch, is that okay?"

    Levi nodded and smiled, "of course its okay. We can start whenever you want to."

    "Now please," she said, not even trying to hide her smile. Levi chuckled, standing up.

    "Sounds good," he said. "Follow me." Levi led her to the middle of the town where there was a large clearing; this would be a good place for a fountain or a well as it was directly in the center. For now Levi used it as a ritual circle. He pulled out his ritual wand and began drawing a semi-complex ritual circle. By now, Levi had gotten pretty good at making a magic essence circle. He explained what he was doing, the item he used, and how he knew what the ritual circle was.

    The town listened on with enthusiasm, eating up every word Levi said.

    Anna whispered to Tycen, "The town really likes Levi, huh?"

    "It seems they are grateful for their rescue. Which I can hardly blame them."

    "I guess you''re right," Anna said. She had leaned in, placing a hand on his shoulder to whisper. Once they were done, she sat back straight, postured, and handed to herself.

    "Now," Levi said. "This will be a painful process and it will feel weird."

    "Painful and weird," Serenia echoed. "Got it." She was rubbing her hands awkwardly together. Serenia was nervous. She had never dreamed that she would be able to be a magic user, especially after the League of Orders came around and took her. Now, now that distant dream was becoming a reality. Nerves were replaced by excitement as she felt the mana of the circle pour over her body.

    The ritual went off without a hitch. Levi did have a Vapor cover with a slight smoke to distort where her magical matrix was. That was private information, after all. He was already drawing his next ritual circle as Serenia was off with Anna showering. She was caked in blood and sweat that had poured out of her pores.

    Wyatt stepped up into the rune circle within the ritual diagram. He was about Levi''s height with broad shoulders and a classically handsome face. He had the making of peach fuzz facial hair. He was tan with hazel eyes and black hair in a top knot. He nodded at Levi to begin the ritual. Levi did as instructed.

    The magic essence cube lit up as Wyatt''s skin went translucent, revealing the inner workings of his nervous system for all to see. Then, the magic essence broke down, copying the nervous system and his veins with a light blue that covered the systems harmlessly. Soon, a pit started to form, and Vapor once again obscured the visuals. Once Wyatt''s skin was returned to normal, he, too, needed to shower and rinse off.

    He had taken the pain a lot better than Serenia, who had almost passed out twice. Levi wasted no time creating the final ritual circle with his last magic essence. It was for Sunny, Wyatt''s girlfriend. Sunny was also 18. She looked more like Serenia with Asian features and dark black hair that was braided. She had tanner skin than Serenia and light brown eyes. Her cheeks had a slight blush and little freckles. She gave Levi a soft smile. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Levi smiled back and reassured her that everything would feel and be okay. Sunny nodded in agreement and closed her eyes. Levi began the ritual. However, something different happened with Sunny. Instead of a light blue magical system inside her body, it was golden like the rays of the sun. Levi, of course, knew what this meant, but the rest of the village had no idea.

    "Sunny, it''s alright," he said in his best calming voice.

    "What''s what''s happening why is mine a different color, am I cursed?"

    "No, you have an affinity," Levi said. Congratulations." Her skin returned to normal, and like the others, she was covered in blood and sweat. She did not rush off to shower, instead spending time looking at Levi, concern filling her eyes.

    "A what?" Sunny asked.

    "An affinity," Levi said. "It basically means you have a natural attunement to a specific element. Usually all spells, attacks, or summons regarding that specific element are enhanced."

    "It was golden like those monsters," she said nervously.

    "It wasn''t order magic," Levi said. "It was Sun."

    "How can you tell?" she asked.

    "Uhh," Levi said. How could he tell? It wasn''t like he was around many people who had high affinities. He also had never really studied what each affinity looked like during a magic essence ritual. Levi had no idea why he knew, but he was certain that he was correct. "I don''t know, but I just know," he answered honestly.

    To Levi''s surprise, her face softened at his answer, and she nodded. "You told the truth. I believe you."

    "What?" Levi said, confused.

    "I feel like if you tried to lie to me how or why you knew, I wouldn''t trust your assessment on it being sun not order."

    "That''s fair," Levi said. "I will also say, I have a chaos affinity, so I can feel order magic very well."

    "Even more reason for me to trust you now then."

    "I guess so," Levi said. "Congrats again, I have some materials I think that could help you with some summons. Sun summons would be awesome."

    "I look forward learning how to become a summoner," she said. "All of us are, it''s exciting times. If you would excuse me. I want to shower and clean myself." Levi nodded as she left. He began to dismiss the ritual diagram when notifications popped into his vision.

    Hidden Quest: The More the Merrier - Completed

    You have conducted five magic essence rituals displaying a desire to help other people unlock their full potential.

    Reward: +100 to Wisdom

    Reward: +100 to Vitality

    Reward: Magic Essence x10

    Reward: Familiar Essence x5

    Hidden Quest: Summoner Rehabilitation - Completed

    Three new magic users have decided to walk the path of summoning due to your influence.

    Reward: +200 Wisdom

    Reward: +100 Vitality

    Reward: Wand of Sumnor

    Reward: Dimension Pouch - Full

    Attributes Total: 2687

    Strength	289

    Stamina	266

    Speed		269

    Vitality	633

    Wisdom	1230

    Levi felt the power increase inside his body. He was getting stronger, not his physical body but his magical body was. He knew that his spells would do devastating damage to anything in his rank. Rank for rank Levi''s Wisdom was top tier, especially at fresh 3-star. Levi wasn''t going to complain about the extra points, not when it was going to help him in case the fight was sooner than expected. He pulled out each of the items. The first was a pouch that looked like it had starry sky printed on it.

    The second item was a wand made of white wood. It was smooth and elegant, and Levi liked how it looked and felt.

    Item: Dimension Pouch

    Epic

    A dimensional pouch that is full of summoning materials. The materials are all epic rarity and lower. The pouch contains 100 unique summoning materials. Each material is virtually endless. Each material will slowly refill over time and cannot be sped up.

    Item: Wand of Sumnor

    Rare

    A wand made of Foilar Root. The wand was created by the great blacksmith Sumnor. It was imbued with runes that allowed all forms of ritual magic to be easily cast. Reduce effect on material usage, along with increasing potency of certain ritual spells.

    Requirements: 4-Star Rank & Evolved class in the Summoner Class

    Levi couldn''t use the wand as he was not strong enough yet. He put the wand away and hoped that he could remember that he had it. Levi tended to have an out-of-sight, out-of-mind mindset when it came to his magical items. However, the dimension pouch was an entirely different story. This pouch single-handedly could save him on so many costs and get him some high-value summons. Levi wrapped up everything and went to check in on the new magic users. The crowd disbanded after watching the fun display of magic.

    Levi joined the three who were with Anna and Tycen after showers. They were all staring at different parts of their bodies, feeling invigorated. It was a great new feeling to experience the raw power of magic.

    "Y''all doing alright?" he asked.

    "Better than alright," Serenia said. "This is amazing."

    "When can we get started with training?" Wyatt asked excitedly.

    "Tomorrow," Levi chuckled.

    "What?" The three of them asked at once.

    "He''s right," Anna said. "Your bodies need to adjust to the new energy source. You feel great now but give it an hour and you will feel exhausted. Trust us. Lay low for the rest of the day. Do not try to perform any magic."

    "That''s the most important part," Levi echoed. "No magic! Your mana is too low you''ll pass out. It needs to recover naturally for the first time before using a potion."

    "That is a definite damper," Serenia said. "But we will follow your orders."

    "Thank you." Levi said. "There was something I wanted to ask you about."

    "Oh?" Serenia said.

    "Can you tell me about the League of Order?"

    "I can," she said. "They are a group of magic users that are of every class. Warriors, Sorcerers, Rogues, Rangers, and even a summoner. They seek balance and use order magic to do it. Their goal is to bring balance and order to the world through domination. They view order as a form of magic that wants to be controlled. Well because of that view they feel the rest of the world wants the same thing."

    "So they just take over places and claim it is the natural order of things?"

    "Essentially," Serenia said. "They like to prey on these weaker towns, ones that don''t see adventurer''s like yourself very often. Providing them support by killing monsters in exchange for services or joining their league. Anyone who doesn''t join."

    "They assert their dominance by killing and raping?" Levi guessed.

    "Just so," Serenia nodded. "Their leader, the founder of the league is some guy named Axel Arbors. He some prince of a fallen nation. A summoner at that, one of the last summoners. Well, apparently not." She said, looking at Levi. "I despise the league. I hate everything they stand for. The world was already in balance, it doesn''t need to be in more balance, it''s dumb. They use their power to feed their nasty desires." Levi could tell she was getting too upset to talk about anything else.

    He had gotten some key pieces of information. Axel Arbors was the name of the crown prince. He also learned that they were not doing anything useful for the world. If anything, this proved to Levi that he was the good guy in this story. It gave him a renewed sense of vigor to beat them. His purpose was clear.

    "I don''t want to keep you trapped in these awful memories, so one last thing, before you go rest."

    "Yes?" Serenia asked.

    "Have you found or hear of any weakness order magic might have?"

    "Oh yes, that''s easy, it''s chaos. They went on and on about how much they hate chaos magic. Several men would start fights between the slaves as betting arenas. They had to stop because chaos magic started to form around the arena making things weird."

    "But chaos is weak to order magic, that is really good to know. Thank you for that, Serenia, seriously that meant a lot to have that information. Congrats and welcome to the magic users club. It''ll be fun to train with you, first thing in the morning. Rest up it''ll be a hard day tomorrow."

    The exhaustion was starting to hit them. Levi could see it in their eyes. Their eyes turned red and watery. Wyatt slowly tapped his head as the headache began to form in his mind. He rushed off to his cottage and slept for the day. Serenia and Sunny did the same exact thing as Levi chuckled to the others.

    "If that story proved anything," Anna said. "It''s that they are the ones who are seeking to bring destruction to the world. But what are they trying to bring? What is the ultimate plan with that summon."

    "Good questions," Levi said. "If the goal is to bring balance to the world, then they must be bringing some sort of-" Levi''s voice trailed off as he started to piece things together. He started pacing, his voice low as he worked through whatever he had a revelation about. Levi had been inadvertently learning all about Axel Arbors; he just never connected the pieces. Axel was the last student of Veluvius. He was likely the cause of the downfall of the summoners. Axel was also one of the remaining Arbors who used to be the former rulers of the Onyx Kingdom.

    They all perished in a final attack, but Axel, who was away at the guilds, survived. The last thing he knew was that Axel was becoming obsessed with order magic, according to one of the letters. Knowing all of this, Levi was convinced of one thing: Axel being away while his family died was no accident. That was planned somehow. However, that wasn''t the most important information right now. What was the most important information was what Axel Arbors was going to summon.

    "Levi, some sort of what?" Anna asked. "Levi¡­ LEVI!"  He didn''t respond but continued muttering until he stopped and looked up.

    "This is bad, this is very bad," Levi said. "I know what Axel Arbors is trying to summon."

 Chapter 87 - Trapped a Mouse

    Sweat was pouring down his face. He wiped his brow and looked up to see where his opponent could be. There was a motion that appeared in his sphere of perception; he jumped backward out of the way. Three throwing knives landed on the ground and exploded. Through the smoke, he grabbed his cobra staff and swung down into the smoke. A hand shot out of the smoke and grabbed the staff.

    "Not bad," Aralyn said. She pushed back his staff, throwing him off balance.

    "Not the first time a woman has roughly handled my staff," Axel said, regaining his balance.

    "Charming," Aralyn said. The two had gotten a lot closer over the last few weeks. Their days were consistent: they spent time physically training. The physical training regime consisted of workouts that a bodybuilder would do: deadlifts, bench presses, bicep curls, squats, and other such workouts. There would also be days when they focused on calisthenics, body movement, and increasing awareness of the body. After their physical training, they would work on spiritual training: meditating, studying, and practicing different meditation poses.

    Then, they would work on practical magic training, different summoning rituals, and practicing order magic. Axel Arbors was not like Levi. He could not spell cast, so he had to rely on his allies and summons. This was why he trained his physical body so well. Axel needed to be a competent combatant. He needed to have good martial techniques to be a solid fighter. He was not satisfied to simply be a summoner. This was what Aralyn had proposed to him when she first met.

    "You are a great summoner but a terrible fighter," Aralyn had stated.

    "What does that even mean? My summons follow my lead and fight the way I tell them," Axel defended.

    "Sure but what are you going to do when your mana is low and your summons are gone? What if you fight an opponent that can rush past your summons or sneak past? I was able to do it, and I am not even close to the sneakest person. What will you do then?"

    "Fine, I see your point. What is that you want to do here?"

    "I want to teach you. I want to teach you how to the warriors of order fight and train. Especially from my homeland."

    "That is not taught to many outsiders," Axel had said.

    "You are correct," Aralyn replied. "That should tell you how important we feel that you are. You are the one who can bring order to the world as it should be."

    "Why me?"

    "Why not you? Are you not someone worthy of such trust?"

    "I definitely am, I wonder why they sent you. I have to imagine there are other male elves who could teach me just as well as you. Why send a beautiful, presumably single elf?"

    "I wondered that same thing when I was given this assignment. It is good to know you think that I am beautiful."

    That had been the spark of their budding relationship. Axel would ignore a lot of the advances the princess made. Eventually, her constant persistence weathered Axel down, and she finally got a kiss from him. The kiss turned into much more. Axel would slowly start complimenting Aralyn a bit more as she continued her usual tactics. All while they never shirked during their training. They worked hard. Axel even made a small advancement toward 5-star. He wasn''t close. The gap between 4 and 5 stars was massive, but once stagnant, any progress was welcomed.

    They had finished showering and were enjoying a light, refreshing lunch together, discussing their next move.

    "I need to return home soon," Aralyn said. "I will inquire about the root from the mother tree. Of course¡­" she paused. "I would have more incentive if I could show anything for our relationship."

    "Oh? And what did you have in mind princess?"

    "An engagement ring?"

    "Whoa¡­"

    "What? Am I not worthy of your hand in marriage?"

    "We just barely met."

    "Has our time together not been wondrous?"

    "It has but-"

    "So why the hesitation? Are you trying to marry someone else?"

    "No, I-"

    "Just aren''t man enough to make the next move? Fine." She stood up, getting ready to leave. "I will return in three weeks, with news. Do be sure to keep your training up. Good day Prince." Without letting Axel get another word, she left. Axel was left sitting at the table dumbfounded.

    "What just happened?" he asked. Meanwhile, Aralyn left the room with a malicious grin on her face, as if a snake had just trapped a mouse.

    Aralyn walked through the portal to the land of Stravenia. A warm density of magic greeted her. Strevnia was a land inhabited mostly by elves, but other magical creatures resided in the land. The magic levels were much higher in this region of the world, which is one of the main reasons why the elves settled here and called it their home. Strevnia was located in the eastern region of the land. Massive evergreen trees created a covered canopy for the outside world. Above the canopy was a thick layer of snow and ice.

    Underneath the canopy, there was warmth and darkness. However, due to the pure levels of magic, plants had adapted, creating their own light. Fungus grew out of the trees, glowing in vibrant blues, pinks, and greens. Some of the stones underneath the foot would glow with every step on them. It was something directly out of a fantasy novel or game.

    Aralyn took a deep breath as she walked along the pathway toward her home. The walk through the forest would only take ten minutes to get to the next portal gate, which would lead her directly to the main city of Lamourai. She used this walk to gather her thoughts. A lot has happened within the last month; uncertainty still played in her mind over and over. She was still unsure why her Mistress had sent her to meet with the Arbor prince. It made no sense.

    But like usual, she followed orders, concocted a believable lie to feed the man, and did what she had to do. She reached the portal and stepped through. In stark contrast to the darkness of the forest was the brightness of her city. Large cobblestone buildings rose all around her. They were painted in pastel colors. The road was paved gravel and was quite busy; carts full of vegetables, magical items, and slaves were bustling around the city. Druids, Elves, and Dryads all walked around the city. They were of all shapes and sizes and walked around going about their business.

    In this city, it was more unlikely not to be a magic user than to be born one. There was a reason why many people looked to the elves for wisdom regarding magic. They had old magic¡ªmagic from the ancient days. As they were the ones to inhabit such a magically rich place, almost every child born was born with magic.

    Lamourai didn''t have any guilds or a guild district. It had aristocracy and diplomats. The aristocrats lived in the wealthy district, which had massive houses made of marble instead of cobblestone. The diplomatic houses were miniature castles made of cobblestone. Large spires would wave the flag of each diplomat. Aralyn grew up in the wealthy district, being a princess to the throne. The diplomats were from other kingdoms within Stravenia; very rarely was there a diplomat from a different nation.

    For the past month, Aralyn has been in a magically deficient region, by comparison, while also secluded from other people. It took her a moment to reorient herself to the hustle, bustle, and noise of a populated city. It was, at the moment, sensory overload. She spotted several pegasus pulling a fancy carriage, clearly indicating an aristocrat or a diplomat. Aralyn had her own pegasus that she sadly had to constantly leave behind as the pegasus would not do well traveling through portals. Taking one final look around, she spotted a guard with a snow-white pegasus.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    "My lady," he bowed. "The Mistress wishes to see you immediately."

    "Of course," Aralyn said politely. She mounted the pegasus and strode off toward the building that had her Mistress.

    She walked into an opulent building made of marble, which was not the usual cobblestone. A chime sounded as she pushed open the heavy ivory doors. She walked in without a preamble, knowing that she was expected. Aralyn was not known to be scared or nervous in the face of power. However, there were few beings that she would show deference to, and she was about to enter one of them''s rooms.

    "Ahh, my princess has returned home," a voice sang as Aralyn entered the chambers. She walked in front of a veiled throne, where the Mistress sat behind, unseen to most people.

    "I have mistress," Aralyn said with a bow.

    "Very nice, how did it go?" the Mistress asked.

    "It went well. I was able to meet, learn, and train with the target. He was resistant at first but that has been dealt with," Aralyn reported.

    "He is willing to train with you, interact with you, and sleep with you," her gaze lingered on Aralyn''s private areas.

    "Yes, mistress," Aralyn said, doing her best not to show discomfort.

    "Great. You are doing well. You have done a good enough job for not knowing the purpose I have sent you there. It will be important that you maintain a relationship with the young summoner."

    "Thank you, mistresss."

    "Now, it''s time I let you know what the plan is." Aralyn steeled herself before the crucial information. "I am planning to over throw your father and Axel Arbors will be the arbiter for that. It is no secret that I have not gotten along with him in many moons. Even longer if you count the time before last. He is a terrible husband and a terrible father. Abusing his daughters as if you weren''t gifts from the gods. I digress. Has the young prince informed you of his plans yet?"

    "Yes, Mistress," Aralyn replied. She dared not comment on the information that was just provided to her.

    "Do tell," she prompted.

    "He plans to summon the goddess Tranquility back to this world. Bring her back would surely allow order magic to come back but be much stronger. However, the ritual is significant in resources and takes a lot of mana. Summoning a god is no easy feat. He needs power and he needs ingredients."

    "Preciscly," the Mistress responded. "Tranquility will grant all of her followers or those within the League of Order a gift ability and perhaps another gift. This will increase the power of the order spells, magic, or technique ten-fold. With the help of you, your sisters, and the league we will be an unstoppable force. The problem is he needs the right ritual with the right ingredients otherwise it could kill him."

    "As I understand, it almost has, 13 other times. Most of those times it did actually kill someone. But he believes he has the correct ritual."

    "What makes him so sure?"

    "The ingredients needed. They are all complex and rare items. Items that are needed from every region of the world."

    "Balance," the Mistress mused.

    "Exactly," Aralyn nodded. "He believes that these will be the proper ones to bring her back to this realm and allow order magic to rule the world once again."

    "Yes and when we are granted that extra ability, we will finally be able to throw the Althmar throne over once and for all. Give way to the new Althmar, a nation, a kingdom ran by a female elf." The Mistress laughed a malevolent laugh. "You have done well princess," she complimented. "I urge you to keep progressing the way you have been. When the timing is right we will give him the root."

    "I told him it had to be when he proposes to me," Aralyn said.

    "Wise," the Mistress nodded behind her veil. That will allow you to work with him, continue to develop your relationship with him, and potentially set up a long-term partnership. The root would be the perfect engagement gift; it would be meaningful enough for those who like its specific properties and symbolic meaning to just have it. Prudent thinking, princess."

    "Thank you mistress," Aralyn said.

    "Well, it seems that I will need to send you back to your new lover. Your next task is to get Axel to propose and get engaged. Once he does you may bring him here to me, I will have the root of the mother tree waiting and prepared for him. Then I will inform you of the next step in the plan. For now I do not want to see you back here unless you are engaged to the crown prince of the Arbor nation. Am I clear?"

    "Yes mistress," Aralyn said

    "Excellent," the Mistress said. "Be on your way back."

    "One more thing mistress," Aralyn said before being dismissed.

    "Yes?"

    "Axel is without spells, I am not entirely sure how or why but he cannot cast them. He is in danger if anything slips through his summons, which I did rather avoid for obvious reasons. Is there a way I can bring a guard trainer with me to provide him with the proper Tranquil Form for the staff user? He weilds a cobra staff made of a tough yet light metal."

    "Hmmm," the Mistress mused. "That would be a good thing for him to learn. I take it you have been his training instructor?"

    "Yes, Mistress," Aralyn said.

    "Do you feel your teaching is inadequate?"

    "Not entirely, Mistress. It serves it''s purpose in creating a foundation. However I specialize in daggers and throwing knives. Once we enter into specifics, my specialty becomes unhelpful for the staff wielder."

    "I see, you are trying to get the young prince to be proficient at martial fighting, rather than relying solely on magic? Admirable. Yes I will allow Sundamere to go with you to train the young master. I can spare him for two months. That should be plenty of time for him to give the young prince the training he needs. Then once the time is up, he will return and give me a report. Expect him to challenge and push him."

    "Thank you, mistress," Aralyn said. "I look forward to learning under Instructor Sundamere. I have heard he is an excellent instructor, tough but fair."

    "It is as you say, princess. Now, I will have Sundamere meet you at the portal before you return to your mission."

    "Thank you, Mistress; I will see you next as an engaged woman," Aralyn said, bowing.

    "See to it that you do," the Mistress said as she dismissed Aralyn.

    ***

    Axel stood in the training yard, staring off into the distance, where Aralyn was before she unexpectedly left. That was an odd tactic that his eldest sister used to use on him: Say something completely random with some decent merit behind it to consider. Not allow the person to consider by spouting that they are outright denying it, then question their character.

    It was usually used to throw a person off kilter or to manipulate a certain situation. Axel''s fury erupted. He was not one to be easily manipulated, and the sooner Aralyn learned that, the better. Sure, he had enjoyed his time with her, but that was strictly casual and business. There was no denying that she was an excellent fighter who would do well next to him in a battle. There was also no denying her charisma, charm, and beauty. However, Axel had seen many pretty people and met many charismatic beings.

    That didn''t mean much to him anymore. Axel would never admit it out loud, but he was lonely. His family was all dead, much to his planning, but they were still all dead. He had never taken a lover, and he couldn''t summon a familiar. This was the sacrifice he made with his class evolution.

    Karmic Summoner

    Legendary

    Class Evolution

    You have a high affinity to balance. Through your actions and your summons, your class has evolved into a Karmic Summoner. Karmic Summoner can summon beings with high-order affinity at a lower cost of mana and materials. Karmic Summoner cannot have a familiar summon or bond due to the Karmic magic flowing through you. For each monster defeated with a summon, the Karmic Summoner will acquire karma. With enough karma, the Karmic Summoner can summon a being one rank higher than their own.

    It was the trade-off. He would never be able to have a familiar, but the more times he summoned the specific creatures, the more karma he could build up. Axel was planning on saving up all the karma that would allow him to use it on his final ritual. The one ritual that he had been dedicating his life to. The higher rank he got and the more summons he made, the harder it got to acquire karma. Regardless, Axel was not going to give up.

    This brought him back to being alone. He had his league, he had his subordinates, but he didn''t have a partner or a friend. The closest friend he had was Xao-Li, and that was an acquaintance at best. That didn''t stop Axel, though. His drive to bring order back to the world kept him plenty occupied. It wasn''t until Aralyn showed up how isolated he had felt.

    He shook his head in frustration. He had no idea why she was affecting him so much, but she was. He was furious, furious for letting himself be distracted. Furious for letting the thoughts of the past influence his present and furious that Aralyn had to use cheap tricks for her to plant the marriage seed. She could have just had a conversation with him. He would not have outright opposed it.

    Axel did what he always did when he was frustrated, which was often: he summoned some monsters that he could easily beat up.