《Gamer Princess》


 Stage 1: Fall from grace.

    ¡°Come on Hitomi , get your damn humanity quick by the pillar. We need healing magic on our tanks¡± ¨C The one who is screaming like a maniac is the captain of my team of players in the gladiator league. It''s basically a MOBA-type linear story game, it has a wide share of users around the world and yes, indeed. As you just suspected, my team is losing and unfortunately we are in the regional finals, risking our place in the national playoffs.


    My name is Hitomi Yoshida, I''m 23 years old, unattractive and obviously unpopular, gamer girls are supposed to live up to the stereotype of exuberant beauties with an angelic smile, but no. I''m not like that, welcome to the real world, I''m an antisocial girl who prefers the comfort of a small room surrounded by my personal things and a good bag of chips and soda.


    The ones you usually see on streams are just self- marketing with bad gameplay, but no one is going to watch them or donate because of their amazing controller capabilities, right?


    "Vargas damn it, are you blind or can''t you see that two assassins are coming through the crack?" ¨C Oh damn, because I was doing my introduction another of our members has already fallen. We are only 3 against 5, this does not look good. You will have to excuse me for a moment, but I must return to my role at stake.


    ¡°I still have healing runes left, but it''s only four, where the damn wizard is. James, the fuck don''t throw yourself against the pillar this is not a fucking anime. Damn virgin otaku.¡± ¨C Ahem, if that flowery lexicon is mine, sorry I''m sorry, but what did you expect in a competitive game full of men with high testosterone levels?


    You can''t be picky in a competitive environment or you''ll be eaten alive, that or some jerk will try to push you around as soon as he gets the chance.


    What I like about online games is that you rarely have the need to show your face to the public. Everything becomes a tag with your IGN and maybe a funny avatar, only rarely do you have to be in a case of meeting in the real world, such as going to meet the members of a local guild or, failing that, a competition.


    Ironic, right? I have told you that I am antisocial, but I am here in the middle of a crowd in a room with other players. The explanation is simple, they are going to pay me whether we win or lose. I am not a regular member of the team and the girl who was supposed to be here ate some bad food and is experiencing a very close relationship with her toilet.


    A tall, good-looking blonde girl, the stereotype he had commented on a moment ago. But even the stereotypes get sick and have to shit like any mortal. All living things do it, don''t make that disgusting expression.


    Right now I''m playing his character, a level 80 druid with lousy equipment and low mana development, but high melee level. What was this idiot thinking? If you are going to get a magic support character the evasion or magic block and mana attributes are essential. Almost all of its set is bought and only complies with the visual aspect, a serious mistake when it comes to investing real money in a game. More if you''re going to support a team during a competition, but I''m not surprised, all the pretty faces don''t know how to put together a decent set. Although I must admit, there are exceptions to the rule.


    If it weren''t for the fact that she''s the jerk''s girlfriend who''s been yelling at me into the microphone for half an hour, I highly doubt I''d be able to join a semi-professional esports team .


    Since they are regional qualifiers, a replacement due to illness is usually allowed, of course, paying a penalty on the cash prize. Obviously if we lose my pay it will be much less than if we win, but honestly I need the money. I have a package of volumes of my favorite light novel waiting for me and that''s motivation enough for us to pull off a little miracle.


    ¡°Derek, get your fat ass up to the pillar. I have an idea¡± ¨C Since I could have forgotten, one of the advantages of a druid in this game, no matter how pathetic your set is, is the buff attributes that your main weapon has by default.


    Luckily for me, this girl had left her initial equipment staff in the inventory. She left it tucked away among the other items because it seemed unsightly to her and she bought a prettier one, but completely useless.


    The advantage of this type of weapon is that they level up at the same time as the character to whom it belongs. It''s not like the weapons you buy from the in-game store that have predefined attributes and static attack level. No, this misunderstood beauty can make my abilities 25% more effective past level 70 and reduces the cooldown of a nearby target''s passive abilities.


    Derek''s character is a warrior type, with a latent condition known as berserker . Upon reaching 25% of his total health, his attack and speed are doubled. Allowing him to reduce his critical damage to zero for 30 seconds. With a five second cooldown increase penalty on each of his abilities and lowering his defense points at the same time.


    "I hope you have a good idea dwarf, because if we lose you must say goodbye to your pay" ¨C There it goes again, this bastard gets on my nerves, but my plan will work if I take care of the execution times.


    He is already within the range of the pillar, the two assassins have him within range and it seems that their captain is coming with them. A level 100 dwarf-type tank, those types of characters have high stamina and their abilities are powerful, but they have a worse cooldown compared to Derek''s character''s subclass.


    ¡°Alright dammits, take this. Arrrrgh ¡± ¨C Wow, how impulsive, so much damn energy drink is going to cause him high blood pressure in the short term, but I don''t care, he''s not my boyfriend, much less a relative for me to give a shit about his life.


    As planned, the two assassins are chaining crits causing your life bar to drop rapidly. It''s only a matter of seconds before his berserker ability activates and at that moment I start executing my passive ability.


    ¡°You know what happens to two mice walking into a snake''s den, guys? Exactly what is going to happen to them at this moment¡± ¨C The magic staff that our beloved pooch left stored in her inventory has a passive ability that only activates when reaching a level above 70: Lament of the Goddess.


    Lament of the Goddess allows the caster to create a barrier that does not allow enemies to escape, while also causing the blessed target to recover health points with each effective attack landed on their target. Sort of like a leech , allowing the attacker to get stronger in a one way exhaustion fight.


    "Take that motherfuckers, no one can beat Derek the Viking" ¨C Oh wow , he did. He referred to himself in the third person. If it weren''t for the fact that I know he has a girlfriend, I''d swear he''s a virgin. But this kid clearly has eighth grade syndrome even though he''s the same age as me.


    ¡°How is it possible for them to fall for that rookie trick. I''m going to go get your damn druid Derek¡± ¨C Richard, the leader of the opposing team, got mad at me. Even though he and Derek are high school friends, they take these competitions seriously. Which is normal but I don''t like to become the target of attacks.


    There are five seconds left of the barrier''s effectiveness and Derek is already with his life bar back to almost 25%. Berserker will no longer have support from the Goddess''s Lament so he will not be able to recover hitpoints with the attacks he executes.


    As soon as the barrier disappears I know that Richard will come at me with a direct physical attack and my character will die instantly. I have to be ready when that happens and cast my last healing rune on that idiot Derek. Everything will depend on him at that moment.


    "Say goodbye you fucking idiot" ¨C Now is the time, my last rune has already been cast. Everything that happens from this moment is no longer my responsibility.


    ¡° You are dead ¡±- The screen has turned to grayscale, but I can still see the course of the fight clearly. Derek is attacking with his life bar at 100% and Richard barely has any attack health after that last impulsive move. It was a big mistake to attack me with such a powerful ability knowing that druids have low physical resistance. But it was to be expected in players who cannot control their emotions.


    ¡° Boooooyeaaaah , take this Richard¡± ¨C Derek''s jubilant shouts are so outrageous that they surpass the noise of the audience in the room. I can''t blame him, after nearly being beaten by Richard''s team, it''s hardly a miracle that we were able to come back.


    ¡°The winners of the regional tournament of the California-Colorado circuit is the team The reappers ¡± ¨C Derek and the other guys jump around with their arms around each other as they yell at the announcer''s result. On the other side of the tables, a really angry Richard just smashed his monitor with his fist in a frenzy.


    His face is completely red and his features certainly give me a slight chill. He looked like someone who could kill whoever crossed his path at that moment. My legs started to shake a bit and I try to keep my composure in such a situation. I just want to get my pay and go to my apartment as soon as possible.


    ¡° Hitomi , are you listening to me? Damn geek girl , can''t you hear me? - Derek''s thick hand rested on my shoulder making me get out of that unpleasant trance, that brief incident didn''t matter anymore, I just needed to continue a little more to get my part of the prize and get out of that dump.


    Walking through the main hall towards the award ceremony, I felt how the eyes were resting on me as it always happens in the street. My tousled shoulder-length hair always looks battered, despite my name, my glasses have 7 diopters to make up for the fact that I''m like a mole. So you can get an idea that indeed, the nickname that Derek uses fits perfectly with my appearance: a geek .


    ¡°Before delivering the first place award, we would like to thank¡­¡± ¨C I know that it is the job of a presenter to thank the sponsors, since they are the ones who are really paying for the prize, but I don''t stop feeling uncomfortable before so many gazes


    My hands won''t stop sweating, so much so that I can feel my fingertips starting to soften, it''s disgusting, but I can''t control this anxiety. Outside of video games, I have never felt worth myself. Always labeled to the point that my own family is embarrassed to know about me.


    ¡°Now that I see you well, if you fixed your hair and changed your glasses you would look much better¡± ¨C Oh my goodness, because Vargas is trying to be condescending. I can accept that comment from anyone except a guy who is a die-hard otaku oblivious to the world around him. Well, let''s just give him a smile back so he''s not annoying anymore.


    Apparently he didn''t like my reaction just now, but I don''t care. It''s not like I wanted a show of false affection. I''ll just keep my composure a little while longer until this is all over.


    ¡°Thank you all very much for having participated in this great event¡± ¨C The public ovation has marked the end of the ceremony, all that remains is to leave this place and each of us follow our own path. I only have to receive my pay and I can go home to lock myself in my room and continue with the quests that I left pending in Kings Battle .


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡° Hitomi , follow us. It''s time to share the loot¡± ¨C Speaking as if he were a true adventurer, there is no doubt that Derek does not know how to separate his emotions from the real world. But I''ll let it go just because it''s almost time to get my pay.


    The venue where the tournament was held has a small cafeteria, it wouldn''t hurt to eat a little since I skipped breakfast and lunch to get to the place on time. A burger that doesn''t look anything like the promotional image and a small order of fries for $15 is outrageous, but I''m so hungry I don''t care.


    ¡°Vargas, Jacob, Daniel, here is your part of the prize¡± ¨C Finally, it''s time. As soon as I get my money, I''ll eat what''s left of my burger and leave these louts behind.


    ¡°Okay guys, that''s all. We''ll see each other for the national rounds¡± - But what the hell! It must be a bad joke. Everyone got their share, but I''m still missing. It''s one thing to endure the stress in the heat of competition, but I''m not going to back down when it comes to money.


    ¡°Wait Derek, our deal is that we would all receive equal shares if we won the competition¡± ¨C I finally did it, my legs are shaking a little, but I''m not going to back down on it. If it wasn''t for me this team wouldn''t have even stood on the podium, I gave them the win despite their incompetence and lousy character swinging of their girlfriend.


    "What are you talking about? Technically you used the character my girlfriend made to fight us. So the part of the prize belongs to her. Take this and say that it went well for you¡± ¨C Daniel and Jacob were silently observing Derek as if they disapproved of his behavior, they knew perfectly well that the character that Derek''s girlfriend had created was crap and I still made it work.


    But even so, no one says anything, only Vargas with his mocking smile sips his soda while looking askance. I hope the bastard chokes on his burger.


    On the floor of the store right at my feet are a pair of crumpled $10 bills. Only a fucking 20 bucks. Is all my effort reflected in a measly 20 dollars? It''s barely enough to pay for a taxi to take me home. Damn I just want to go now.


    "Damn virg-kingo " - I barely whispered those words as I bent down to pick up the money when Derek''s foot violently crushed my right hand. The tears that flowed from my impotence were barely overshadowed by the cry of pain that I gave in the premises.


    "Oops, I''m sorry, it seems that my foot accidentally crushed something" ¨C His smile and the contemptuous expression that he directed towards me made a bit of my forgotten pride come out. I couldn''t control myself anymore and I started insulting him until my throat hurt from so much that I forced it.


    I''ve never liked raising my voice, maybe that''s why my vocal cords seemed to almost tear at my anger and impotence.


    What if I''m not pretty? Or if I don''t have physical attractiveness? I am a fucking human being and no one should go through such humiliation. The local customers some whispered among themselves and others did not stop laughing as if he had told a joke.


    That was annoying, before leaving that place I raised my middle finger against a client who was recording me with his cell phone. I didn''t care if I uploaded it to the internet, I didn''t care anymore. I just wanted to get out of there as fast as I could.


    My hand kept throbbing as I walked straight home, I didn''t want to take a taxi anymore. I just wanted to walk to clear my mind while listening to music. My tears didn''t stop coming out, I honestly wanted to bury myself in my bed until the next day and not know anything else.


    Walking under the light of the stars and the luminescence of the street lamps, the memories of my childhood came back to me with every step I took. When did it all go to hell?


    My parents got divorced when I was barely five years old, my mom ran off with a guy she''d met online, leaving my dad and sister behind. I feel that this was the beginning of everything bad that has happened in my life.


    My father worked like crazy trying to give my sister and I everything we needed. I rarely got to see him at home, except at night when he would come home tired from his chores and very reluctantly if we could have dinner together.


    My sister Akemi was two years younger than me, so I played the role of the housewife to support my father. It was the least I could do for him, I felt sorry for so much pain he must have suffered when he was deceived by my mother. So she tried to wait up for him so she could have dinner with him.


    We could barely talk a little, but it meant a lot to me. The time I spent with my father was so valuable, I almost can''t believe that until two years ago he had to die of cancer.


    Akemi went to live with my grandmother in Pennsylvania, while I stayed here in California to finish my studies at Berkeley. Thanks to a small pension that my father left me, I have been able to cover most of the living expenses. But I try to pay my tastes with occasional jobs, selling character accounts to users who don''t want to bother with leveling up and, as you can see, doing this kind of service.


    Make no mistake, it doesn''t always end like this time, not every time I have to team up with beasts. But it often happens and one must be prepared for any eventuality.


    I have finally arrived at my apartment, I just want to turn the key in the doorknob, but my fingers have twisted as soon as I tried to turn the key. Damn I have to go to a doctor tomorrow to get this taken care of.


    "Honey, you''ve arrived" ¨C Mrs. Yang is my landlady, a very sweet old lady who I usually help with maintenance work in the building and usually pays me with food. In a way it reminds me of my paternal grandmother and being a little greedy, it makes me feel for moments what it feels like to have a mother who cares about you.


    ¡°Mrs. Yang, yes, I''m here. Sorry for making noise, I''m going to sleep now¡± ¨C I try to smile hiding that I have cried all the way. I don''t want to worry her with my problems as I appreciate her very much. My problems are mine and no one else''s.


    ¡°It''s not good for a pretty young lady like you to hang out with those louts. Try to choose your friends better my princess¡± ¨C The warmth of his hand brushing my cheek makes me shudder eager to receive that unconditional love for a long time. But I know that in a year I have to move since I finished my studies and finally I graduated with an engineering degree.


    If only I could stop time, but I can''t be impulsive. I am so close to fulfilling my dream as to lose the compass of my way.


    "Wait, I have a gift for you. I think tomorrow is your birthday right?" -Holding a box in her hands, Mrs. Yang smiles sweetly at me as she begins to sing happy birthday. Tears roll down my cheeks from so much love, which is so bitter at the same time as my own family can barely remember to call me a day after the date.


    I was never a bad sister to Akemi, but I don''t know. Perhaps it is because we have distanced ourselves after our father''s death, but his treatment of me is so cold that I don''t know if he would cry when he found out that I died.


    What the hell am I thinking right now? Mrs. Yang has gone to so much trouble to make this shitty day end well for me.


    "Thank you very much for everything Mrs. Yang" - I could not contain myself and without thinking I gave my landlady a kiss on the forehead. His satisfied smile is something that would stay in my memory for a long time. Saying goodbye to her, I entered my apartment while I put my gift on the kitchen table.


    Everyday routine after a long day, opening my fridge and getting a soda out of the fridge. Turn on my computer and leave the game applications loading on the virtualized desktops and turn on the heater pilot to go into the shower.


    A bit of techno music and the warm mist from the shower is the best combination to combat fatigue and the bad moments of everyday life. Going through the messages on the answering machine while I take a shower, I can hear the demands of my thesis advisor who demands that I submit advances for the next week.


    I have delayed it a bit because of the jobs and requests that I have to attend to these days, but I really need to get a lot of money if I want to achieve my short-term goal: my first car.


    It doesn''t need to be a convertible or a luxury car, I just want something that''s mine. I have already spoken with the mayor of the university and he will sell me his ''82 Renault, it is already a relic, but the gentleman has kept it in very good condition. Apparently he likes me and has made me a reduction in the price and if everything goes well, in two more payments he will give me the keys.


    The music has stopped dead, the app seems to have crashed, and I''m still soaking wet in the shower. I have to dry myself if I want to continue playing, this is so annoying, but there is no alternative. I''m not going to pay for an application just to listen to streaming music .


    When I pass in front of the mirror I can see that little tire that sticks out on my abdomen, I''m not fat, but it could be said that I''m a little bit outside my ideal weight. There will be time to do some exercise, not everything in life is online games and homework.


    "Hey? It''s funny, hadn''t you put the gift box that Mrs. Yang gave me on the kitchen table?" ¨C Suddenly the music in the playlist has been activated again, but the volume is so high that I quickly turned to modulate it.


    "Wait a minute, who are you?" ¨C Without my glasses I cannot clearly see the face of the person in front of me. Good God I''m so scared, I just tried to scream and this guy has put his hand over my mouth, violently pushing me against the wall while pressing a cold sharp object against my belly.


    I am very afraid, my right hand does not respond to me and the grip of his hand is so strong that my jaw hurts.


    " Shhh , don''t make any noise unless you want the old lady to have a hard time" ¨C That voice, I definitely recognize that voice: It''s Richard. That damn psychopath followed me home and I didn''t notice because I had my headphones on.


    I am an idiot, I am always aware of my surroundings because it is dangerous for a woman to live alone in these areas. I''m so panicked that I can''t react, he has me at his mercy and I don''t even have the strength to face him.


    The stench on his breath tells me he''s been drinking. A sore loser is a sore loser no matter what field he operates in. This is what I get for attending that damn tournament, everything has gone wrong today. I only pray to heaven that my life is not in danger, as well as Mrs. Yang.


    ¡°Hehehe, you know I really enjoyed how Derek humiliated you in the cafeteria before you left. You looked so arrogant when we were at the tournament that I wanted to smash your face into the monitor¡± ¨C My heart is beating so fast that I feel like this fucking bastard can tell with the palm of his hand.


    Without giving me the slightest warning, a punch slammed into my abdomen, knocking the air out of me and knocking me to the floor of the room. Dad I''m so scared, I try to suck in air, but my body doesn''t seem to respond while I''m on the floor in the fetal position. That unhappy man makes fun of me, while he takes out his cell phone and starts recording.


    ¡°Hey guys, this video is to prove to all you pretentious bitches that esports is a game for men. If you don''t have the strength to respond in the real world, you are nothing¡± ¨C Completely naked, I face the second humiliation of this long day. The kicks that this bastard drops on my already battered body feel like a mass of concrete colliding with me.


    I feel like my bones have been broken and he doesn''t stop hitting me, looking around the room he grabs my personal belongings and smashes them against my body. A PVC figure has been smashed into my skull, the base has cracked and I feel as if my mouth is tasting blood. I can barely see or hear, a hum ringing in my ears like strong static.


    "But what do we have here? It''s the gift that the old lady gave you, let''s see, what''s inside?" ¨C Without any consideration, Richard stuck his knife against the lid of the cardboard box, mistreating the gift that Mrs. Yang had made.


    "Ouro what? What geek shit is this?" ¨C It can''t be, Ouroboros was the light novel that I was thinking of buying myself with the money that I would earn from participating in the tournament. It''s so hard to come by that I needed the $500 that poor bastard Derek had promised me. How hard will Mrs. Yang have struggled to raise that amount of money? The greatest gift anyone could have given me was in Richard''s hands. Who, without any qualms, violently opened each volume while tearing the pages.


    "Please stop now. I beg you, you won¡± ¨C Stuttering with rage and pain, my wounds didn''t seem to be worse than that barbaric act against the gift Mrs. Yang gave me. Someone whom I considered almost like a mother, had had such a gesture for someone like me, could not bear another second such disrespect for the efforts of a poor old woman.


    "So you care a lot, don''t you?" ¨C Continuing to tear each page, Richard held me by the neck while he introduced the pieces of paper into my mouth. I felt how little by little the pieces of paper were clogging my throat until I almost suffocated.


    His maniacal laugh was so terrifying, as I watched how he enjoyed watching my stifled face begging for some air. When he saw that I was about to faint, he took that piece of paper out of my mouth. The arching that he did trying to get air, were even more difficult because that wretch rested his knee against my chest.


    I don''t know how long that torture lasted, I lost track of time as I struggled to survive that torment.


    "I think I''ve had enough of you" ¨C Rising from me, Richard staggering from the euphoria of the moment and his blood alcohol levels, tripped against an incandescent lamp that fell right on the carpet.


    Closing the door of my apartment with a bang, that beast was lost in the middle of the night while I was struggling to get up. It was then that, leaning on the bed, I could smell a trail of smoke coming from the room.


    The incandescent lamp had started a fire by igniting the apartment''s carpet. It only took a couple of minutes for the fire to cover everything, while I struggled to hold my breath in the face of the brutal punishment I had received and the smoke that saturated the air.


    My legs do not respond, apparently the tibias are fractured due to the beating and every attempt to get up was a useless effort. How ironic? The meaning of Ouroboros is a snake that devours itself, exemplifying the endless cycle of futile effort.


    I''m fed up, I can''t continue. The fire has already reached my room and I begin to feel its searing power burning my skin. I try with all my might to yell for attention, but the sound of the music is so loud that it''s to no avail.


    Father, now that I am going to die, will I be able to see you once more? The fire has already surrounded everything, my body burns causing unbearable pain that I have never experienced before. My lungs are bursting and my eyes can''t see anymore. Akemi, my sister, I hope you have a happy life. Please, I beg you, don''t end up a loser like me.

 Stage 2: Life is not a game, right?

    "Where I am?" ¨C I feel that my body is as light as a feather, around me an immense light covers me completely. Could this be heaven? I have never been a believer, but I can''t find how to explain this situation.


    Until just moments ago I was on fire in my apartment. It is a fact that I just died, but then why am I still alive?


    "Oh unfortunate creature, what a miserable existence you have had to endure in this brief life that you have had to lead in this world" ¨C A woman''s voice resounds in my mind, as if it were telepathy. Despite being heard as a mixture of innumerable voices, the sensation that it produces in my being is one of complete tranquility. Is it about god?


    No, it can''t be possible. I have been reluctant to believe in god all my life since my mother left us and my father died of cancer. If there was a god, I hated him with all my might. So why was I in that place?


    ¡°Far from the poor teachings that have been instilled in you about me, I am not a god who miraculously intervenes in the lives of people. I only contemplate my creation and evaluate how they behave in the situations that are presented to them¡± ¨C All the preconceived beliefs that I had about what a deity is, collided with the statements of that mysterious being who spoke with me.


    Far from showing anger at my defiant stance, he seemed to sympathize with me, as if he really suffered from my own pain. I cannot deny that at that moment I had an immense desire to cry, to scream and curse, but my being was immersed in a peace that I had never experienced before.


    ¡°To make up for your pain, I will give you a second chance to live. Unfortunately once a soul has lost its physical body, its etheric body cannot be reinserted into the reality from which it was taken. That is why I will send you to a new world, where one of my little creatures has made the unfortunate decision to take his own life." - Is seriously? Are you telling me that I have to enter the body of a person who just committed suicide? It''s obvious that if such a person committed suicide it''s because his life was shit like mine. So where is the damn compensation for all my suffering?


    Without giving me time to claim it, that entity threw my soul through a tunnel of multicolored spectrum that fluctuated in various directions. In front of me, memory fragments of the soul that had left the body I was destined to enter began to be seen.


    Vintage clothes, frills and baroque look. That was as if it were taken from an aristocratic novel. Like the costumes of the nobles of France or England, everything was a diverse mix that clashed with the reality he was leaving.


    It was then that all that visual frenzy came to a screeching halt and my vision went black again. The sensation of a new body little by little took over my being, my senses were sharpening with the passing of the minutes, making me realize the situation in which I found myself.


    The smell of humidity and dirt was unbearable, my wrists and ankles burned at the contact of what seemed to be shackles. Slowly my vision was adapting to the environment, observing carefully that I was in a kind of underground dungeon like a prison.


    The sound of the rats prowling in that place, rummaging through the corpses of other unfortunate prisoners, made him give a heartrending cry that resounded on the walls of that jail.


    Soon a man approached the bars of the cell, lashing out with a yelling blow in a language he couldn''t understand. The expression on his face seemed filled with fury, reminding me of Richard''s face. Fear gripped me and I closed my lips in fear of the unknown.


    I didn''t want any more pain, because I had been punished a second time. What kind of cruel joke was this god playing against me once more? The exhaustion from my reincarnation made me lose consciousness, leaving myself vulnerable to that situation.


    ¡°User Do you want to load the world language pack?¡± ¨C A voice made me wake up from my dream and look around me looking for its origin. No matter how hard I searched, I couldn''t find who was talking to me.


    Completely disoriented, without the slightest idea of what was happening, I dared to answer him trying to find his source with it. "Yes, I accept it" - Soon the voice answered me for the second time, informing me that the process was running.


    "Process? What are you talking about?" ¨C A strong headache shook my being, making me scream in intense pain. A large volume of information went through my neurons making me drool from how unbearable the pangs in my head were.


    When the process finished, a screen appeared in front of me. As if it were the interface of an online game. - ¡°Welcome to the world of Pandora Miss Hitomi , as a gift from the goddess Artemis, you have been given a unique ability. Which will allow you to know all the secrets that this new world holds for you¡± ¨C I couldn''t believe it, certainly that seemed taken from a fantastic story like the ones narrated in the light novels that I liked so much.


    Now I knew the name of my benefactor and the place where I was. It was certainly not my world anymore, it was the world where the former owner of this body lived. The ability that had been granted to me was known as ¡°World Oracle¡±. Its main function was omniscience, the ability to know all the secrets contained in the world where I now found myself.


    Technically a divine attribute had been given to me in this new life, but in my current situation it was completely useless. I was still confined in that cold cell and thanks to my ability to understand the languages of this new world, I knew the truth of my situation: I was condemned to death.


    Amelia Clarise Van Hellen, daughter of Earl Alexander Van Hellen. She was a submissive noblewoman whose birth was shrouded in scandal. The Count''s wife had apparently had an affair with the Emperor Augustus Primus of Alberon . Product of that forbidden relationship, Amelia was born, a girl with purple eyes and reddish hair. Unmistakable signs of Imperial blood running through his veins. Faced with such infamy, the Empress sentenced Countess Van Hellen to lifelong confinement in the Wailing Tower. A prison intended for nobles who had committed a great sin against the crown.


    In the case of Count Alexander, the imperial family was a bit more lenient. The emperor, being a close friend of the count, felt a deep repentance within himself, preventing the empress''s anger from turning against him as well.


    Stripping him of his title and possessions, sending him into exile with good financial compensation in between. Leaving the unfortunate Amelia in the hands of the empress, who proclaimed a decree of silence in the empire, under pain of death to whoever revealed even by accident, details of that dark episode of the imperial family.


    Throughout her childhood, Amelia suffered from the Empress''s abuse. Who always took the opportunity of any mistake that the poor girl made, to lash out at her furiously.


    Both she and her daughter Lucrecia raged against Amelia, making her life a torment impossible to bear. Only relieved from time to time by a light that seemed to have descended from the heavens for her: Crown Prince Leopold Primus of Alberon .


    Leopoldo was the emperor''s eldest son, product of his love with the concubine Angelica Stuardo. Daughter of one of the oldest families, founders according to the legend of the creation of the empire, the empress did not dare to do the same thing she did with Amelia''s mother.


    Since she was the true love of the emperor, the empress decided to do something more despicable due to her jealousy. According to rumors that were soon silenced, during one of the hunts organized by the imperial family, the empress sent one of her maids to the tent where the concubine Angelica was resting.


    Pouring out a potent elixir to attract the beasts, the concubine Angelica unnoticed met her death at the hands of the wolves. A short time later, the maiden who had committed such a crime was found lifeless in her bedroom showing serious signs of torture, but the official version of the palace was that such a woman had decided to commit suicide out of remorse for causing such an accident.


    Apparently the emperor had taken out all his fury against her, since she could not touch the empress. Because it belonged to the imperial family of another nation that was a serious threat against the Alberon empire .


    With deep regret, the emperor tried to give all his love and protection to his firstborn, being condescending every time the empress tortured poor Amelia. Being a scapegoat for Leopoldo''s protection, that was what the poor girl''s existence boiled down to.


    Being aware of such a situation, Leopoldo consoled Amelia and gave her all the love that had been denied her. Making deep feelings grow between the two of them, but being an impossible love due to their bloodline.


    But Lucrecia''s jealousy grew as the years went by, since unlike Amelia, Lucrecia only saw Leopoldo with an unhealthy desire. Leading her to commit barbaric acts against her stepsister. To such an extent that one full moon night he ordered Amelia to be taken to his chambers. Where without any qualms he proceeded to cut out her tongue, to immediately inflict a wound on herself on her right hand. Shouting for the imperial guards who, seeing the scene, proceeded to hold the injured Amelia as if she were a sinner.


    The trial to which she was subjected became a farce, unable to utter a word, Amelia had to endure the slander that Lucrecia launched against her without the slightest contemplation. At the end of the trial, the verdict of the imperial court was clear: Amelia the sinner had been found guilty of attacking a member of the imperial family.


    The death sentence would be carried out on the second full moon of the fifth month of the Alberon calendar . For which, there were only barely two days left before she was sent to her place of execution: the cursed mountain of Dragulos .


    "I can''t believe so much shit together, that explains the fact that all my attempts to speak were in vain" - It was incredible, but thanks to my special ability, I could know in detail every secret that had to do with the original owner of this body.


    It was more than clear that it was all a setup, but right now I found myself unable to even do anything about it. No one would listen to a single word I said and also, my tongue had been cut out.


    If I want to live, I must find a way to escape on the way to the Dragulos mountain , if I don''t, this second life will end without even being able to feel freedom. I feel very tired thinking, I''ll just sleep a little before the time comes.


    "Amelia, are you awake?" ¨C A gentle voice could be heard coming from the other side of the cell bars. On the threshold were two silhouettes that he could barely make out in the dimness of the torches that illuminated the dungeon.


    ¡°You only have five minutes, Prince Leopoldo¡± ¨C Apparently the young Leopoldo had come looking for Amelia until she was locked up. Unfortunately for him, it is no longer Amelia''s soul that inhabits this battered body.


    The expression on his face, illuminated by the fire of the lamp that accompanied him, reflected a deep regret as he lowered his gaze to contemplate my countenance. It was a fact that he sincerely loved Amelia, but due to the empress and her vast power among the noble faction, it was impossible for him to do anything to remedy the situation during the trial.


    "Soon they will come for you my dear Amelia, the empress has bribed the mayor of the prison to advance your execution. Please have this with you for when the time comes. I will follow on my horse at a distance to rescue you in secret. Survive my sweet love¡± ¨C With a gentle kiss on my forehead, Leopoldo reminded me of that moment with Grandma Yang.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    I cried, I cried bitterly as he left the cell. He probably thought it was due to his words. But the truth is that my tears were for that life that was taken from me. Maybe it wasn''t perfect, but it was my life. And now I was living the consequences of sins that I had not committed.


    That despair made me faint soon after, falling completely asleep in my cell waiting for the time to leave.


    Before the sun''s rays rose over the horizon, the jailers came to my cell and dumped a bucket of cold, viscous, and foul-smelling liquid on me. When I fully realized what it was, I realized that it was animal blood.


    The empress had given the order to prepare me as bait for the mountain-dwelling beasts. A succulent morsel for the jaws of any monster tenacious enough to catch up with me. It was a fact that they did not want to leave even the slightest chance for me to survive the execution.


    Practically dragging me, the guards led me by the arms to the prison carriage. As soon as the door closed, the coachman lunged at the horse, beginning the gallop that would cross the main streets of the town.


    "Death to the sinner, may she rot" - The crowd''s screams resounded between the planks of the carriage, accompanied by the stones that were thrown and that from time to time managed to hit the bars hitting my body.


    What did I do to deserve such punishment? I can''t believe that I have to continue going through humiliation in this life like in my last one. I promised myself to fight to live, but this is too much. I don''t think I can bear it. Even if there could be a hope that Leopoldo would come to my rescue as promised, where could he go? In this empire Amelia is known as a sinner and her features are easily detectable.


    The journey continued repeating the same events until we finally reached the main gate of the imperial city. When the carriage stopped, the guards at the checkpoint began to rant, but this time I could understand their language thanks to my ability.


    ¡°This bitch will give us a lot of work to escort her up Dragulo Mountain . I don''t understand why the empress insists on taking her to that place to execute her, it is enough to throw her in the forest of Medea, which is only two days away. The wolves will take care of her just as they did with the stupid concubine Angelica¡± ¨C The gate guard gave the impertinent escort a blow on the helmet, reminding him that it was forbidden to even mention the name of Leopoldo''s mother, under the death penalty.


    ¡°The Empress only wants her dead, there is no need to take her to Dragulo . Just rip out his heart as proof of his death. All the members of the royal family carry a mana core embedded, that will be enough proof that it is her.¡± - No Please. Why does this happen to me? If we don''t get to the Dragulo mountain path , Leopoldo won''t be able to rescue me and I''ll surely die at the hands of the beasts.


    The oracle of the world told me that the mana core stone carried by members of the imperial family allows its bearers to make use of ancient magic. A magic that has been passed down from generation to generation since the first emperor.


    According to the myth, there were five dragons that were responsible for shaping this world, known as the draconic race . One of them was Alberon , the Crimson Calamity. Alberon ''s descendants were distinctively scarlet hair and violet eyes. Unmistakable mark that the draconic lineage flowed through his blood .


    The only requirement to keep this power is that the lineages of the descendants of the draconics should never mix . Since, to do so, the physical signs would manifest as is, but the mana core would be completely useless.


    The emperor, by having his affair with Amelia''s mother, had diluted their blood lineage and consequently, Amelia could not inherit draconic power .


    The only one capable of manifesting powers at a young age was Leopoldo, as his mother Angelica was a distant relative of the Alberon offspring . Thus keeping intact the blood lineage necessary to activate their powers.


    ¡°Everything is ready, get this bastard out of here¡± ¨C As soon as I finished checking the carriage, the death march continued towards the roads outside the city. The stone paving that adorned the streets was soon replaced by the dirt and pebbles of the rural roads.


    How many hours would have passed since we left the imperial city? I''m not even aware of it, I just know that the sun was at the noon point when we set out and now it had almost reached the point of sunset behind the mountains.


    The smell of pine and moss reached my nose despite being locked in the carriage cell, there was no doubt that we had reached the Medea forest. The sound of howling wolves made the blood in my veins run cold like cold winter ice. My heart did not stop beating with force before the inevitable that was to come.


    I knew that as soon as the carriage door was opened, one of the escorts would enter brandishing a dagger and pierce my chest to take my life. My body would be thrown to the side of the road and the blood that bathed my garments would attract the beasts, who would feast on my flesh.


    "Damn you goddess Artemis. Is this the second chance you promised me?" ¨C I thought to myself this blasphemy before the goddess that I did not respect, because of the destiny that this second life had in store for me.


    "It''s time to start" ¨C One of the guards approached the carriage door and opened the bolts. As soon as I saw the torchlight, I saw the leering expression on his face. That man had in mind to kill me, but not before satiating his base instincts with my body. Bringing his dagger closer to my nightgown, he cut the fabric exposing my chest before his eyes.


    The rough sensation of his hand running through my skin disgusted me, while he ran his tongue over my chest savoring the mixture between the sweat and the dried animal blood with which they had bathed me.


    ¡°Oh avo, tame it ¡± ¨C Forgetting that my tongue had been cut out, I stammered that please kill me. Provoking the laughter of that barbarian, who soon lashes out and then punches me in the mouth.


    I was ready to abandon my life, stop fighting against the inevitable, giving in to the carnal desires of that human beast. It was then that a loud sound shook the treetops, causing the birds to fly out squawking as if they had seen the devil.


    ¡°Alfonso, leave that bastard and come quickly. Something strange is happening around here¡± ¨C Buckling his seatbelt before completing his ignominy, that man came out cursing out loud at his frustrated plans.


    I can''t think straight, but the mutterings of those men soon turned to screams of horror and despair.


    ¡°What is an elemental dragon doing in Medea''s forest? They only live on Mount Dragulo . Everyone in formation must escape¡± ¨C The voices of the guards soon went from intelligible sounds to guttural laments. The crunch of metal and bone crushed by the beast''s jaws echoed through the silence of the night.


    The echoes of the fading lives were like a sepulchral trill that little by little was extinguished until leaving a void. Which was soon filled by the thunder of the beast''s footsteps approaching the carriage.


    Instinctively trying to save his life, the stallion began his frantic run in the middle of nowhere while pulling the carriage that was still attached to him. The pounding inside the cell made my body crash from one side of the walls to the other, hurting me even more than I already found myself.


    Trees fell one by one like domino pieces colliding with the wings and tail of that elemental dragon. Who frenzied howled trying to intimidate the steed, which did not give rest to its gallop and soon was breaking the fragile wooden wheels.


    Just when he was a few meters from a cliff, the carriage spring broke the axis and released the steed, who, preferring to fall into the void, threw himself to his imminent death. Being caught in full fall by the dragon.


    The neighing of agony of the horse was a hellish sound to my ears, the sensation of chewing the entrails of that poor animal made my skin crawl before the imminent outcome that I would experience just like him.


    Just a few seconds after the sound of the dragon''s chewing stopped, a rumble shook the carriage. With a single blow with its claws, the dragon tore through the ceiling, exposing me to its mercy.


    Without further regret, I relaxed before my imminent end. Just when the imposing animal was about to open its jaws to devour my body, I exclaimed in my mind - "This is the end for a pathetic soul like mine"


    As if by some miracle, the dragon stopped to look at me. Just like a dog that has heard the voice of its master, that being looked at me and suddenly exclaimed: "How is it that you can speak the ancient draconic language , human?"


    " Draconic language ?" ¨C During all this time while I was listening to the voices of the guards on the way to my execution, I felt a strange detail in the way I was hearing their voices. The ability of the oracle of the world apparently translated any language into my mother tongue and in the same way, did the same when communicating with another being.


    A mastery of all the languages and dialects of this world was something too useful for me that I was thrown without the slightest explanation by the goddess Artemis. Thanks to his gift, it seems I have been able to save my life from the inevitable end of facing such a magnificent beast.


    ¡°Sorry for my rudeness, but we dragons aren''t exactly violent or rude. But we must be fierce before humans since they are responsible for the barbaric massacres against my people¡± ¨C As he explained to me, the mysterious creature was a member of one of the five original clans of the founding dragons of the world. Faust, a proud dragon descendant of Casius : the dark revenge. His clan was apparently the last holdout of the original draconic race .


    For millennia, the human beings that made up the founding families of the empire had kept vows of pacification with the elemental dragons. Given their status and nature, the founding families considered themselves dragons that had attained the maximum level of mana mastery and eventually abandoned their draconic form to become humans.


    Preserving the unequivocal seal of the physical characteristics of the species to which they belonged and their core of mana embedded in the heart. Thanks to this, their ages were prosperous and longevity was an additional hallmark of their blood lineage.


    Being able to live up to 250 years with his human form, an eighth of the original longevity of what an elemental dragon is. But all this changed drastically when Thaddeus Primus of Alberon , fifth emperor of the Holy Empire, broke the peace treaties and began an indiscriminate hunt for all existing elemental dragons. Supported by the rest of the founding families, the emperor''s ambition was such that he sought to prevent the fulfillment of an ancestral prophecy.


    The strangest thing about all this is that when asking the oracle of the world about the prophecy regarding the story told by Faust, the voice remained silent at all times and only specified from time to time to say that it was not his domain.


    ¡°I have prolonged my talk with you human, I am sorry for having given you a hard time. But now I must withdraw from this place. If at any time you need help from me, look for me in the Dragulos mountain and show this object to the guardian of the entrance¡± ¨C Moving his claw up to his neck, Faust took one of his black scales and deposited it on my hands. He told me that dragon scales are very valuable items and they are rarely given willingly to humans. Those scales that are taken by force lose their color and turn to dust.


    Just before leaving, when their wings were already beating vigorously in the night sky, bathed in rays of moonlight. Fausto turned his head in my direction and said a few last words to me: "Among your belongings there is an object that can be of use to you, little human, if I were you I would take a look at it before leaving the forest."


    Just as he said his words, the dragon fled from me at full speed towards the mountain, quickly disappearing into the horizon. Heeding his advice, I rummaged through my clothes for the object I mentioned and when I took it out of the pocket of my ragged clothes I saw it clearly.


    In the prison cell Leopoldo had given me an object that he said would be useful in my rescue, when I asked the oracle for information about it, he confirmed it.


    ¡°User, the object you are holding is a shapeshifter pearl. It is a single-use high-level magic item. Its ability allows the summoner to change its appearance from a mental projection¡± ¨C I couldn''t believe it, such an object with incomparable characteristics must be something very expensive and difficult to obtain. But Leopoldo had taken so many considerations trying to rescue Amelia, that he felt a deep pity for him. But I''m not going to live a lie just to please someone else.


    Amelia Clarise Van Hallen had died in that dark prison, so unfortunate that she didn''t even know that a ray of hope was hidden for her in the darkness. Looking at that afflicted face on the surface of the water on the shore of a lake, I saw in his eyes so much sadness that I put my hands to my face trying to hide the tears of compassion.


    She did not want to shed such tears to offend the memory of the unfortunate young woman, but who in her heart could not even feel sorry for such a miserable life. Only if you weren''t human would you be able to look at him and not feel an ounce of sympathy.


    I took the pearl in my hands and deposited it in the water just as the oracle of the world had told me. By dissolving in the water, the pearl would activate his spell and he had to drink the water thinking about the physical form he wanted.


    There was no doubt, if I had to choose a physical form for my new life in this world, it had to be that of my old self. Whoever denies himself on a whim completely denies his essence. Those were the words Grandma Yang once said to me when she was consoling me at the door of my apartment, one day when I came back from high school and had been attacked by some college girls because of my appearance.


    As soon as I took a sip of the water, my body began to burn with the same intensity with which the flames of the fire consumed me. The horror seized me once again and I threw myself into the lake trying to mitigate that pain. In the struggle my torn clothes separated from me and I was left completely naked in the middle of the water. When the spell finally finished taking effect, I looked once more at my reflection on the surface and what I saw was something I couldn''t believe.


    It was me, I definitely had the appearance that I kept from my past life. But the hair and skin blemishes were completely gone. When I felt my abdomen, I noticed that it was still just as full and I laughed out loud at the situation.


    " Pffff . Definitely magic can''t work miracles with body fat¡± ¨C I didn''t stop laughing until I realized that I was completely naked and a small voice made me cower to the point of diving into the water to hide myself from embarrassment.


    "It usually happens if you have the habit of eating only sweet things and never healthy ones" - Turning around behind me, the small radiant silhouette of a fairy gave me a lecture on good nutrition. My surprised face was such that the little creature laughed saying that I looked like an idiot.


    "Who the fuck are you?" ¨C I was a little angry at that way of insulting me, but the fairy had a worse temper and blowing a little on the water, it got so cold that it made me run to the shore.


    ¡°My name is Callisto, the guardian fairy of the Medea forest. You insolent brat should have respect for your elders¡± ¨C Even trembling from the cold drops that dripped from my bare skin, I looked at Calisto just as surprised as if a ghost appeared before me.

 Stage 3: Callisto, the queen of the fairies.

    ¡°What is a human doing in this place? Why is my lady Calisto hanging out with a disgusting human?" ¨C The looks did not stop nailing me, such sharp arrows that hurt my emotions. After having a brief conversation about why I was in the middle of the lake, Callisto kindly offered to escort me to her home in the Medea forest.


    "I can''t take you like this, the satyrs won''t leave you alone even if you''re a cow" - Callisto''s hurtful words as she gave me a cloak to cover me weren''t as bad as they sounded. Her relaxed and carefree attitude seemed most natural to me, as if she were talking to a friend who tends to get annoying with another because they''ve known each other for a long time.


    Such a feeling of familiarity made the hostile whispers directed at me by the creatures of the forest more bearable. Satyrs, goblins and arcane elves did not stop looking me up and down without hiding their discontent. Callisto had told me that the Medea Forest was a place where humans were not welcome, as countless fairies had been captured by poachers over the years to be sold on the black market. The wings of the fairies are raw material that sorcerers often use to create rejuvenation elixirs, being sold at high prices to noble ladies who wished to preserve their beauty, even if this was at the cost of the suffering of these beings.


    The luckiest fairies were thrown out of the forest, with their wings clipped they walked again until they found refuge in their old home. The less graceful ones used to be slit to extract their blood and create aphrodisiacs.


    The blood business that the humans had established with the Medea forest was cruel and ruthless, not for nothing the inhabitants of that place were reluctant to receive me as soon as I had set foot in their domains.


    ¡°My lady, I will not be able to question your leadership. But I can''t stand that a human garbage is here any longer¡± ¨C The rumbling of hooves similar to the footsteps of a horse made me turn to my right with great surprise. A wonderful centaur with horns similar to that of a fighting bull posed imposingly before my presence.


    His bloodshot eyes seemed to want to destroy me with every second he watched me, the snort of his breath was so angry that there was no doubt that some damage had been done to him by humans in the past.


    ¡°If you are not going to question me, it would be better for you to remove your bad temper when Virgilio is in my presence. I am your mistress and she is a guest of mine. Isn''t that simple fact enough for you to keep your composure?" ¨C With a severe tone, Calisto raised his hand pointing to Virgilio, who had no choice but to bend his knees to kneel and apologize to his president. However, his look of contempt did not stop directing my person, although in his words he seemed to be equanimous with his lady''s mandate.


    ¡°We have arrived, young lady¡± ¨C With an attitude worthy of a monarch, Callisto extended her hand pointing me in the direction of a cave illuminated by mana stones. Each step I took as I entered her quarters made my body feel more relaxed as I approached her bedroom.


    "Take a seat, I''ll be with you in a moment" - The furniture in his room was of regular size. As if they were typical of a being the size of a human. What my eyes saw was so dissonant that I couldn''t believe it was his room given its small size.


    "Okay, I''m back. Get rid of that surprised face, it''s not as if my being had changed¡± ¨C I couldn''t believe what my eyes were seeing. A voluptuous woman with hair as burnished as gold, eyes like sapphires that could compete with the blue of the sea, and a dignified walk that left no doubt of her lineage.


    Callisto was the one who was now before me, with a human form that for a second made me think that something bad could happen if the inhabitants of the forest saw her.


    ¡°I know what you''re thinking, but nothing bad will happen about it. They know of this appearance. Otherwise it would be difficult to live with them with a secret. Don''t you think so dear guest?" ¨C During the course of the night Calisto told me her story and why she had acquired her human form.


    During her childhood, like all fairies, she used to fly playing through the forest with her sisters and friends, distributing pollen among the flowers. The greenery of the forest and its leafy beauty was a responsibility of the fairies, in fact, each being fulfilled a specific mission for the maintenance of that place.


    Satyrs tended to the fertility of the beasts with the blast of their horn each dawn, and arcane elves maintained the magical vitality of the lake. But the most important job of all was that of the guardian centaurs.


    At that time, Virgilio was just a young centaur under his father''s tutelage, in favor of becoming the next guardian of the forest along with his brothers. Everything was peaceful with their eventual disappearances of inexperienced fairies that used to venture outside the protection limit of the centaur guard. Except for that tragic day, in which the life of all the inhabitants of the forest changed drastically forever.


    As if it were a melody coming from a siren''s song, a man in a green robe entered the edge of the forest playing his flute. The sound that emanated from the warm notes seemed to have a captivating effect on the fairies, who unnoticed began to fly in the direction of the source. Between them, Callisto and her sisters could not control their movements and like moths to fire, they flew directly towards their captors.


    The cries of despair from the beams reached the centaurs of the forest guard, who at full gallop began to ram the hunters who offered strong resistance to the edge of the sword. Virgilio, even as a child, contemplated with admiration how his father gave everything with his great mallet, destroying the armor of the humans who tried to face him in vain.


    It was then that the mysterious man with the flute began to play another tune, but this time the effect on the centaurs was extreme fatigue and drowsiness. Which the hunters took advantage of to deal fatal blows on the unfortunate warriors. On the verge of falling victim to the sword of one of them, Virgilio could see with his eyes almost narrowed by sleep, how his father was mercilessly pierced over and over again. Blood completely bathed Virgilio''s face, who , in the midst of shock and weakness, fell to the ground, being considered dead by his enemies.


    Callisto could clearly remember the vicious faces of the hunters, between the stale breath of the beer and their hands rough to the touch due to calluses from the use of weapons. Some fairies were slaughtered on the spot inside the cart, being the scenes that remained most recorded for the poor creature, when contemplating her two sisters die in front of her eyes amid cries of begging.


    When it was time to experience his terrible end, the voice of the green-robed man was heard in the carriage. Giving the order not to take his life for being of great interest for his experiments.


    He could never forget those amber eyes like the sunset sun, so cold and distant from all empathy that they made him tremble to the depths of his being. That color was not common among human beings, so it was unmistakable that his captor was one of the royal families.


    As she told me her story, Calisto kept clenching her helpless fists against her thighs. His anguished look seemed to relive every second of that terrible story that he was now telling me with a frankness that could not be explained. I couldn''t help but feel sorry for her and stupidly tried to take my hands to hers to comfort her, but she instinctively slapped me, which she apologized for once she came to her senses.


    Continuing with his story, he told me that arriving at a kind of cabin, the mysterious man got out of the carriage while the hunters unpacked their victims to take them inside that place.


    The fairies had lost the desire to live, reflecting on their faces a complete abandonment before their inevitable ordeal. Instead, for Callisto, rage seized her as soon as one of the hunters tried to touch her again, casting an ice spell against her right eye, causing her to drop dead on the spot.


    ¡°Ignis novirus reflectum¡± ¨C An ancient chant was evoked by the amber-eyed man, who caused several fairies to burst into flames amidst screams of agony. With a macabre smile, he waved his finger in disapproval against Callisto. Who , upon seeing the magnitude of that power, could only fall to her knees while she saw her friends dying.


    The days passed between cries of despair and wailing from the fairies inside a cellar where the sunlight did not reach. The reflection of the oil lamps made the walls draw macabre silhouettes while the sorcerer practiced his experiments and tortures.


    When it came time for Callisto, like a fragile immovable doll, she offered no resistance as she was held upside down on a cold experiment tray. He never knew when it happened, but as soon as he wanted to close his eyes, an immense pain ran through his back as if his life was being torn from him. One by one her wings were cut by the cold edge of a razor, giving screams of pain that could no longer be heard by anyone but the sorcerer and her.


    The sensation of a finger bathed in blood entering her mouth made her sick, making her vomit, that soulless animal enjoyed the torture it was giving its victim without giving her time to rest. When he finally finished cutting his wings, he said he felt a cold liquor-scented liquid falling on his body, the burning he felt was such that it made him lose consciousness.


    Shortly after regaining consciousness, the throbbing pain in his back made him scream in the silence of that laboratory. The days passed between the edge of the knife and constant concoctions that made his mouth bitter and made his stomach burn.


    Everything seemed like a repetitive ordeal for her until one night with a full moon, the sorcerer brought with him a fragment of a blue mana crystal. This was a piece of mana core from the heart of a member of the founding families. The experiment was commissioned by Duke Eclette, who had prematurely lost his only daughter to a congenital disease resulting from crossing bloodlines.


    The nobles were cruel beings who had no qualms about playing gods, hiring sorcerers to fulfill their darkest whims. Those men and women did not have the slightest shred of decency or humanity when it came to doing experiments.


    Callisto was taken once more by force and taken to the plank, tied hand and foot, the knife plunged into her small chest making her cough up blood. Little by little his eyes closed from the loss of blood and his consciousness began to dilute.


    By the time he finished that operation, he opened his eyes once more and looking around him he saw a room with objects he had never seen in his life. Fine fabrics and gold decorations on the furniture gave the impression that this was a nobleman''s room.


    Looking at her hands, she realized that her body had changed considerably and she was no longer a tiny fairy. Giving clumsy steps due to lethargy, he approached a mirror and contemplated his silhouette in it. The image before her was that of a human, although her face remained the same, her body contrasted with her memories.


    Taking her hands to the height of the ribbon of her nightgown, she was able to contemplate the scar that had remained from that savage experiment. The days passed and the maidens were diligently preparing her for the etiquette conditions that the nobles had to observe. Many times he tried to escape, but it was always impossible for him due to the guards and a spell that had been placed on his heart.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    If he disobeyed Duke Eclette''s orders, a curse caused him to fall into immense pain to the point that many times he felt like he was losing his life. Resigned to her confinement, little by little she became a living doll that responded to her master''s wishes.


    Dances and tea parties, as if it were a game. Little by little, Calisto began to forget her essence and behaved more like a human. From time to time on full moon nights as she gazed at the garden through her bedroom window, the memories of her happy days in the forest with her sisters made her cry silently.


    Years passed and Duke Eclette betrothed Callisto to the eldest son of the Avante family, some vassals under the orders of the Eclette dukedom, who would deliver the firstborn that Calisto engendered.


    Just an incubator, that was the purpose for which Callisto''s life continued in this world at the hands of the cruel duke. At the end of two months, the marriage ceremony took place without a hitch and Calisto was handed over to Ra¨²l Avante, head of the knights of the Alberon imperial family.


    When Ra¨²l saw Calisto for the first time, he fell madly in love with her singular beauty. But a feeling of uncertainty filled his heart as he gazed into those beautiful blue eyes filled with a nostalgic emptiness.


    On their wedding night, while Calisto was taking off her clothes to get into bed, she was stopped on the spot by a gentle Ra¨²l. Who whispered in her ear that she would never take her unless it was her heart''s sincere desire.


    For the first time in a long time, Calisto felt a warmth in her heart that she had forgotten, causing her to overflow in a sea of tears as she was comforted in Ra¨²l''s lap. Who silently cursed Duke Eclette when contemplating the wounds on the delicate maiden''s body.


    Little by little, Calisto''s heart and feelings opened sincerely towards Ra¨²l, who diligently listened to all the stories of the forest that the poor fairy told with longing. From the harp playing of the arcane elves over the lake to the countless parade of fairies resting on the flowers, one by one the stories she told captivated Raul, deepening his love for her.


    It seemed that all the torment that had happened in the course of the previous years had been left behind, Calisto felt fully in the company of that man who had shown her the sincerity of his love for her. But one night while walking through the corridors of the mansion, he could hear how Ra¨²l hit the desk in his study while he cursed Duke Eclette.


    "I will never do something that causes Callisto any harm, damned old man without a soul" - The insults of the worthy gentleman were something new for the sweet fairy, who felt a little afraid when she remembered the mistreatment she was subjected to by the duke. .


    Waiting for Ra¨²l to come out of his study, Calisto went inside to review the contents of the documents on the desk, looking for the reason for Ra¨²l''s behavior.


    Among the papers that were there, the letterhead that caught his attention the most was that of the Eclette dukedom. In the letter, the written content was a forceful order for Ra¨²l, who was threatened by the infamous duke to lose his rank as a knight and his family executed if he did not comply with the signed agreement.


    For two years Ra¨²l was patient with the duke''s claims, trying to avoid giving him sufficient reasons to corner him and force him to behave in a way he did not want. But recently an incident involving the imperial family put him in a disadvantageous position and the duke took advantage of his misfortune to make the empress lay her eyes on him.


    Calisto loved Ra¨²l deeply and knew that this order was a clear threat from the duke. No one knew better than her how cruel she could be to fulfill her selfish ambitions.


    Going deep into the mansion''s garden, Callisto sang a fertility song over her under the moonlight. Sprinkling rose nectar on his lips, this became a powerful aphrodisiac that just by touching it would cause anyone to fall for its charm.


    When Ra¨²l was about to enter his room to share a bed with his wife, a subtle aroma captivated his senses and as if he were possessed, he opened the door and headed for the threshold.


    Before his eyes, a singular beauty that shone with the brilliance of the moon gave herself fully to him with the nakedness of her body. Without giving him time to react, Calisto firmly held her husband''s neck while she melted her lips with his in a kiss that went from tenderness to passion.


    As if his body didn''t respond to him, Ra¨²l was prey to his deepest low passions and took Calisto to bed. The night the two lovers melted their bodies amid moans and the freshness of sweat, Ra¨²l deposited his seed in her until dawn came.


    ¡°I never thought you could be so passionate¡± ¨C With a gentle smile, Ra¨²l caressed his wife''s hair, who looked at him lying next to him on the bed while they held each other tightly.


    That moment could have been perfect, but it would soon become a torment for Ra¨²l when he heard the words that should never have been said by Callisto: "You no longer have to fear for what Duke Eclette wants"


    Getting up from the bed as if he had witnessed something unpleasant, Ra¨²l put his hand to his head as he contained his anger.


    "Why, if I asked you to be the product of your heart, would you stab me for the desire of that damn man" - Calisto, realizing her mistake, tried to take Ra¨²l''s hand, who violently withdrew it making Callisto collapsed on the bed.


    "Forgive me, but I need time to attend to some matters" - When the door of the room closed, Calisto cried bitterly when she saw that her actions had destroyed that love that she carefully tried to protect.


    As the days passed, Ra¨²l did not arrive at the mansion. Feeling betrayed, he did not want to see Callisto''s face; shutting himself up almost all the time, among a sea of papers inside the offices of the imperial palace.


    The months passed and Callisto''s belly grew, the flowers in the garden that once had an immense brilliance, were now withered to the gardener''s surprise. The fairy''s silent crying was of deep sorrow, the guilt that was eating her was transferred to the vegetation of the garden and little by little the servants began to think of her as a witch.


    The day the time came to give birth, Calisto found herself bedridden delirious, begging loudly for Ra¨²l''s name. Without even knowing why, none of the servants he asked about his love knew how to answer.


    Meanwhile, in the palace, when Ra¨²l, who never stopped watching what was happening with his wife from a distance, was arrested as soon as he crossed the door of his office by order of the empress.


    "Ra¨²l Avante, for conspiring against the imperial family with the Van Hallen family, you are arrested and stripped of your title" ¨C Completely angry, Ra¨²l offered resistance to the empress''s guards. Not caring if at some point they had been his subordinates, he took his sword and fought against them while yelling for them to let him go with Calisto.


    In the heat of battle, the edge of the sword pierced his chest, one by one the guards stabbed him until both the sparkle in his eyes and the vigor in his hands was completely lost.


    At that moment, in the Avante mansion, the crying of a beautiful baby with blonde hair and amber eyes completely filled the place. When Calisto contemplated her daughter''s eyes, she couldn''t help but remember the sinister look of the sorcerer who had confined her in that basement.


    The servants, without knowing the reason for their actions, believed that the mother did not love her daughter and took her from the room.


    ¡°Where are they taking my daughter? Give it back to me¡± ¨C Callisto''s pleas were not heard by any of the servants. Instead, Duke Eclette who was waiting in the hall, was holding his granddaughter with a smirk. Giving the order to his guards to arrest Calisto under the sentence imposed on the Avante family. Proceeding to execute one by one on the spot the servants of the mansion.


    When the sea of pleas and cries of pain ceased on the other side of the gate, the guards entered and forcibly seized Callisto as they dragged her to the carriage. Throwing it violently, they closed the door and began their march up Mount Dragulos. The empress''s order was for Ra¨²l''s wife to have a terrible end, to deliver her head in the cell before executing him. But he did not count on the faithful knight to reveal himself and fight.


    During the course of the walk, a familiar scent of musk reached his nose. It was near the Medea forest, there was no doubt about it. Nostalgia seized his heart and he suddenly sang a song that evoked his happy childhood in the company of his sisters.


    "What''s that? Is he a centaur? Don''t let your guard down, attack¡± ¨C The sound of creaking metal resounded in the silence of the forest, the voices of the guards faded one by one until no one else was left. Only a scream at the blow of a horn arose at the end of the battle, the reveille call of the centaurs.


    Opening the carriage door, a familiar-looking figure was beheld by Callisto''s eyes. It was Virgilio, who had already grown over the years. The little centaur boy had become an adult, who couldn''t believe who was in front of him.


    ¡°Callisto? Is it you?" ¨C Embracing her effusively, Virgilio did not let go of the young fairy until he took her to the depths of the forest. With mixed feelings, the brave centaur could not control his animosity at the form that his childhood friend had before him.


    Thinking that it must be a black magic spell, he quickly took her to the lake that was guarded by the arcane elves. Who, like Virgilio, recognized Callisto, but did not believe what their eyes observed.


    Just a few seconds after putting her in the water, Callisto writhed in pain, almost in the same way that Amelia''s body reacted to using the shapeshifter pearl. Finally, when everything ceased, Calisto had recovered her original body. But on his chest had appeared a stigma in the shape of a snake.


    ¡°Human Transmutation¡± ¨C Completely surprised, one of the arcane elves plummeted to the ground, furiously pounding the grass. Within the world of Pandora, in addition to the sorcerers and ancestral beings, there was a third group of practitioners of mana-manipulating magic: the alchemists.


    Considered a taboo magical art, fiercely condemned by all races, alchemy was a forbidden technique reserved only for the supreme goddess, the original mother of the ancient dragons: Artemis.


    Transmuting one species into another was a clear challenge to the creative force of life, and to the elves human transmutation was something they considered even more abominable. As beings of a lineage considered pure so close to the goddess, fairies were revered by the creatures of the forest.


    Just daring to consider killing them was already a mortal sin, but using them in transmutation experiments was even worse. Trying to flap her wings, Callisto began to move more freely as the hours passed. But at the end of the period of half a day, he returned to his human form, the symbol of the snake disappearing from his chest. Not before making him cough up blood to the point of almost passing out.


    Seeking to understand what was happening with Callisto, Virgil embarked on a journey to Mount Dragulos to consult with the elemental dragons. If anyone knew about the occult arts of this world, it was without a doubt the Clan of Dark Vengeance Dragons.


    Five moons passed without word from Virgil, causing Callisto''s condition to worsen with worry. The elves used their healing magic on her to no avail, to the point that they couldn''t control the pain she felt.


    On the sixth day, when the sun was breaking dawn, Virgil had reached the Medea forest once more. The look on his face looked shaken by lack of sleep, but even more so with the news that the dragons had given him regarding Callisto''s condition.


    Arriving at the fairy queen''s chambers, Virgilio knelt down and opened a vial of elixir to make Callisto drink. That elixir was dragon blood concentrate, a panacea that could cure any disease. But in her case, it could only suppress the side effects of ailments brought about by human transmutation.


    What Virgilio did not know at the time of bathing his wife in the lake water, is that a human transmutation resulting from the manipulation of the heart by the use of a corrupt mana nucleus, would cause a rejection of it in the body. Causing the victim to enter regression cycle phases.


    Each regression shortened the individual''s life expectancy, each time causing the core embedded in the heart to consume the vitality of the heart until it was completely dry. Dark destiny had brought Virgilio on his lady, that even in ignorance, the centaur felt so guilty that he swore an oath of bond of life.


    Thanks to this oath, the power over the vassal allowed the lord to obtain vitality from his subject in case he was injured. And if he died, both would share the same ending.


    Calisto, upon learning of this, slapped Virgilio, reminding him of his duty to the creatures of the forest. But just looking into his eyes, the fairy queen comforted him as she cried next to him.


    ¡°As you can see my young lady, the history that the members of this forest keep is not exactly an idyllic memory. So do not blame them for being averse to your presence, I consider you my guest of honor and I will allow you to be here as long as you need" - Holding my hands tightly and with a firm conviction in her gaze, Calisto gave me full confidence as if it were a friend. To which I tried to smile in the most sincere way as a sign of my appreciation for your noble heart.


    Just when I was about to leave the room to return to her people, Calisto stopped at the door waiting for me to ask the question that was already in my mouth ready to come out. ¨C ¡° Why have I received you as a guest being a human being? Certainly men are loathsome creatures full of ambition and with a dark heart. But I would be lying to you if I told you that they all are. Maybe it''s because of him, that I allow you to be with me"


    Observing with a candid gaze into the void, Callisto looked as dignified as if evoking the memory of a distant past. The grimace on her lips was the sure sign that she was thinking of her deceased husband. The first and last human he could ever love.


    Sleep is starting to take its toll on my weakened body and my eyes are beginning to slowly close. The aroma of the incense given off by the branches of the trees in the Medea forest makes my body fall into a deep lethargy. I don''t know what tomorrow holds, but after seeing Callisto''s fortress, I don''t even have the right to give up.

 Stage 4: Magical learning.

    ¡°Is this really the queen''s guest? Don''t you think he has a silly face? Look at this sticking out of his abdomen? Surely he will finish our food rations with his appetite¡± ¨C Just when I was waking up from my dream, a series of little voices with unkind comments towards me, gave me a subtle way of good morning. I had barely spent a night in that forest, but for some reason despite those words, a feeling of belonging comforted me compared to the agonizing awakening from the palace dungeon.


    Silfy and Belladonna were a pair of wind fairies that Queen Callisto had assigned me to assist me as her guest of honor. With wavy green hair and jet black eyes, the little fairies looked at me expectantly as I sat up still lethargic on the bed.


    The fluidity of their movements as they flew through the air seemed like a perfect dance of harmony and coordination. From the water to rinse the face and the towel to dry it, everything moved to the beat of what could seem like a symphony. However, that spectacle contrasted with the rigidity of his face, since he had forgotten the fact of being an unpleasant presence for the rest of the inhabitants of the forest.


    "All set cow, it''s time for you to prepare for your first lesson" - It was the last straw, one thing was the fact that I was a persona non grata, but the constant insults received made me protest in a slightly hostile tone before them .


    It was like that, without realizing what had happened, my physical appearance changed from black hair to red, my dark eyes to a violet tone. She had reverted to the form of Amelia Van Hallen, a drastic change witnessed by the two little fairies. Surprised at my appearance, they exclaimed with one voice: "A descendant of the red dragons, we must inform the queen immediately."


    Without giving me time to say a single word, the two fairies flew away with great speed as if a bad omen was hanging over their heads. Looking for my clothes among the furniture in the room, I felt for a moment as if a great noise shook everything in an instant.


    "So it was true" - Without saying a word, Virgilio took me by the neck by force, slamming me against the wall of Callisto''s room. In that instant I felt as if my blood ran cold, the vivid memory of the brutality with which Richard took a chance on me, was fresh as a wound that has ripped the scab off.


    I tried with all my might to free myself from that attack, but once again I realized that it didn''t matter if it was this life or the previous one, my efforts were completely useless in the face of brute force.


    ¡°That''s enough Virgilio, I won''t repeat it twice! Put it down immediately!¡±- Just below Virgilio''s hooves, a series of vines grew from the ground unnoticed by the centaur. One by one, they coiled around his body, responding to the stimuli of his muscles. Every attempt that he exerted force on my neck, the vines took their actions on par.


    "Are you thinking of killing me for this mere human my lady?" ¨C With a tone of disappointment in his voice, Virgilio slowly released me while he watched Calisto''s inquisitive look. Who with her arms crossed did not stop showing an imposing silhouette, despite being in her fairy queen form.


    To his right, an elf woman with a countenance already haggard with age, watched silently as she held herself steady with the aid of an elderwood staff. In the hilt, a spherical crystal with a blood-red hue, it looked as if a great flow of energy was glowing within it.


    Apparently Callisto had given him the order to use force in case Virgilio continued his attack. His eyes reflected a firm determination that was aimed at the centaur''s arm, almost as if the intent to cut it was evident at the moment my life was in mortal danger.


    "It seems that your devotion to me are just empty words my dear Virgilio, that really is something that really hurts me inside" - Finishing saying those words, the vines were consumed leaving behind a fine dust that fell to the ground. Callisto was weakened, a deep regret was reflected on her face and from the corner of her lips, a thin thread of blood was visible in contrast to her pink lips.


    Virgilio came to his senses when he saw that, with deep regret he looked at her for a few seconds and just as with the impetus that entered the room, he left in the same way without pronouncing a single word.


    "My lady, please resist" - The old woman very carefully, holding Calisto in the palm of her hand, making use of her magic made a chair float to her where she carefully deposited the fragile figure of her mistress. Like a porcelain doll, he reverently bowed and cast a spell to stabilize his mana.


    The energy around Callisto flowed between spirals of energy that fluctuated inconsistently between green and partially obscured. Perhaps that was due to the corrupted core of mana that was embedded in its heart, but even so, the mere fact of contemplating such an amount of energy that collided with each other by its nature, caused me a certain fear.


    After a few minutes in which I was waiting for the scene that was shown before me, Calisto took a little strength as she exhaled trying to show a more appropriate face for what she would ask me next.


    ¡°You don''t need to fool me, when I first saw you in the lake, I had already felt that something strange was happening with you. Just as a mere courtesy, I will allow you to explain to me yourself what your situation is, this will all be on my terms. If what I see does not convince me, I will have to expel you from this forest immediately" - With the frown of her gaze in a severe posture, Callisto throned her fingers signaling to the old woman to bring the stone of her cane closer to my forehead. .


    At the moment of coming into contact with the energy coming from the crimson orb, the oracle of the world reacted by emitting a discharge that made the arcane elf fall to the ground.


    "How dare you?" ¨C Gritting his teeth as he extended his hand against me, Callisto''s vines began to surround me, almost about to deal a withering blow against my body. If it wasn''t for the fact that the old woman raised her arm to block Callisto, this time I would have met with death.


    ¡°User, an attempted security breach has occurred on your data matrix. How do you wish to proceed?" ¨C Far from helping me in that situation, making the oracle of the world block any access would mean the end of me. Leaving me no choice but to allow them to delve into every fiber of my being until they could be satisfied.


    Trying once more with some misgivings, the old woman began to explore the fragments of my memory while reciting a guttural chant. My body felt completely paralyzed, as if my nerves had been severed. That sensation made me remember the moments in which I was assimilating the new body that the goddess Artemis had prepared for my arrival in this world.


    The only thing I could move at that moment were my pupils while I carefully observed the old woman, who kept her eyes closed along with her concentration. Without realizing it, when I turned to see Calisto, I could see that both she and the old woman had established something similar to a shared thought link.


    The two of them were in a trance while, unaware of the situation, they both started shuddering at one point in the scan. "But how is it possible? What is this?" ¨C In a heartbreaking scream, the old woman fell to the floor with her breath completely agitated. With the memory link finished, my body regained its usual mobility and when I tried to stand up from the bed, the strength in my legs left me completely.


    ¡°My lady, this young lady cannot stay with us for long. The shadow of death pursues her, you have seen it with your own eyes." ¨C Callisto''s eyes were brimming with tears as she looked at me, her gaze reflected an unimaginable dismay, but at the same time, she felt a compassion that made me feel uncomfortable.


    ¡°Leave us alone now Sara, I have to discuss something with my guest for a moment. Please, go" ¨C The old woman was skeptical of her lady''s order, but she preferred not to exacerbate the situation in front of her, leaving that room with a solemn bow.


    Finally being alone in that room, Calisto approached my lap flying delicately and began to cry. Everything she had seen of me, my past life and the circumstances she now faced in this world, in a certain way made her feel identified by sharing the suffering she went through.


    I honestly did not expect that the fairy queen, who had shown me a domineering posture until just a few minutes ago, would now find herself in such a vulnerable attitude near me. But as soon as he began to speak, I knew the true meaning of the tears he shed for me: I was doomed.


    When my soul was transferred from my original world to this world, the goddess Artemis caused a transgression to the rules of the high council of the gods. Completely ignorant of my situation, I mistakenly believed that she was a unique goddess, but the reality is that above the goddess Artemis, there was a superior power.


    Calisto explained to me that there are at least a thousand worlds besides Pandora or Earth, each one coexisting in the same universe. But separated by a veil that no one can break without having consequences in this regard. If the goddess had reincarnated me in one of the worlds under her control, nothing significant would have happened. It is usually a god''s job to manage the flow of souls and exchange them at certain times between worlds.


    The problem in question is that first she had violated two rules: the memories of my previous life were still intact and I found myself in a world that was ruled by another goddess: the goddess Freya.


    Both Artemisa and Freya were sisters who had maintained a common bond since the beginning of time. Born from the same star, the twins were considered as one being and shared their power.


    The rest of the gods who did not feel comfortable with this situation, came to the conclusion that it was necessary to put distance between them in order to maintain the balance of the worlds. Plotting against the two sisters, the council took over the world of Pandora and created in it an element of discord, a restart of life from the creation of the ancient dragons.


    Freya''s first creation was brutally destroyed and replaced by this new order, the goddess Artemis being framed. With this, the discord grew between the two sisters to the point that the entire bond they had shared was completely erased.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Seeing that the goddess Artemis has sent you to this world with your memories intact, I believe that she wants you to restore the balance that has been destroyed. With this, poor creature, he has placed a great weight on your destiny by making you an enemy not only of Freya, but of the council of the gods itself." - I was kidding? Was this the gift you intended to give me? I couldn''t understand it, the second chance that he had told me that he would give me to live a new life was just a lie.


    I had never asked for this, I don''t think I deserve so much rubbish together. Within me, deep in my silence, I cursed that deity until my feelings began to be completely stunned. I am not the toy of the machinations of selfish gods, if they have a damn problem they solve it themselves.


    Inadvertently, my appearance changed back to my old self before the eyes of Calisto, who as soon as she realized the situation, called Sara back to the rooms to examine me. After looking at me from head to toe, Sara spoke into Calisto''s ear as if she wanted him not to hear what they were trying to say.


    When they were both done, Sara stood in front of me and placed her hand on my head. I felt as if a heat ran through my whole body and suddenly, a strong pang hit my mind. Making me take my hands to my temples to control the headache that I got at that moment.


    ¡°There are within you two opposing forces, one has almost completely languished and the other is so powerful that it does not give up. But the weaker one does not give up completely and wants to claim what is rightfully hers. So I''ve put a seal inside your mind so that it can''t take possession of your body¡± ¨C Apparently the soul of Amelia, the original owner of this body, had not been completely shed by the time I entered her body. Forcing her to remain in it, but completely weakened by the event of his death.


    The shapeshifter pearl was a magical item that allowed one to change appearance according to the summoner''s will. In normal situations there shouldn''t be any problem regarding losing the newly acquired form, but in view of the existence of two wills in the same body, the pearl spell was not effective.


    Without the help of the seal Sara had placed on me, my appearance would change again while I was asleep. Just the moment when my conscience found itself vulnerable and Amelia''s soul took the chance to gain control once more. At this time it had only been a matter of appearance, since Amelia was still too weak to take control. But if we continue on the same course, my consciousness would be relegated or in the worst case, absorbed forever as if they were memories in Amelia''s mind.


    Upon learning of this, I was completely relieved that Sara was someone capable of performing such a spell. But on the other hand, I couldn''t stop feeling guilty about poor Amelia, as if I had robbed her of any chance to live by occupying her body.


    Plunged into those thoughts, I began to figure out that part of the ability of the oracle of the world was dangerous as it was a gift given by Artemis and of which I was completely unaware of its scope or connection to its power.


    "Oracle, are you an autonomous consciousness or do you depend on the goddess?" ¨C That question that I asked inside my mind did not get any answer, that simple fact made it clear to me that this ability depended completely on her and that no matter what I did, I was literally just a piece of the game in the hands of the goddess.


    ¡°Try to get some rest, there are some things I need to discuss with my people. Stay here until I send someone for you." ¨C Callisto said that with a calmness that didn''t seem to be in tune with the expression in her eyes.


    It was a fact that my presence was something that had already caused disgust to the inhabitants of the Medea forest, but given the recent revelation, I did not know what kind of events could happen around me in that place.


    Trying to control what little I could of the situation in my hands, I agreed without putting any more than one condition: The one who would have to come looking for me was Virgilio.


    That was a great surprise for Calisto, who never considered that I would choose to be escorted who just a few moments ago was about to end my life. With some reluctance to my request, I had to insist until perhaps out of annoyance she agreed.


    Finally alone in the room, try to lie down for a moment to get some sleep. The procedure Sara had used to share the memory links had physically exhausted me. After the adrenaline of the moment wore off as I relaxed, my body was already beginning to feel the effects.


    In the middle of my dreams, some memories of my previous life came back. The very familiar game interface and the feeling of clicking the mouse keys seemed to flow according to my emotions at the time. Elementum was one of the first MMORPG games that I got to play at the age of 13, its interface was very rudimentary and it did not have a linear story or script. It basically consisted of a series of maps with a base rendering resolution of 16 bits, four basic professions, and the classic monsters from any dungeon game bestiary.


    The guild system was very rudimentary and the transfer of items was so bad and insecure that one had to be aware that one of the users did not dare to steal your items. It was very common for servers where PK was allowed, some users created alternate accounts to do their murder and robbery missions. Since he had not implemented a transaction tracking, he just had to transfer what was stolen between his accounts and the penalty only fell on the character with accumulated kill points.


    Of the four job classes to choose from, I took the druid option. While the sorcerer, paladin, or warrior were classes designed for solo combat, a healer was always needed in raiding parties. I don''t know if it was due to my loneliness or the fact that I wanted to be needed, but almost all the characters I''ve chosen until the moment I died had to do with support.


    Although I remember one particular game there was a type of druid that took combat actions depending on the choices the player made in the story line. His name was fallen priest.


    ¡°User, the selected subclass does not exist in the world class tree. The closest match to the aforementioned subclass is Shadow Apostle. The link with the corresponding class will be written in its data¡± ¨C Wait a moment, at which point I invoke the functions of the oracle of the world. And even more, because it is saying that I have chosen that type of subclass or it is even possible that this could happen.


    I couldn''t open my eyes no matter how hard I tried, nor did my body respond to my actions. It all resembled the phenomenon of sleep paralysis. That is what it would have looked like if it weren''t for the fact that in front of me, in my subconscious on a plane unknown to me, the figure of a woman in a black tunic and bone wings appeared.


    ¡°So you are the soul that my sister has summoned to this world. Tell me, are you afraid of me?" ¨C A macabre smile could be seen under the hood, but the darkness prevented me from seeing his eyes; just in a brief moment, extending his arms around me, I felt as if he was absorbing me in his darkness.


    As if I was suffocating under an immense ocean, my spirit was beginning to extinguish in the face of such a huge presence. Freya, the goddess who has control over the world of Pandora, had laid her hands on me. In an open sign of confrontation against his sister, he began to manipulate the attributes of the ability that had been granted to me.


    The oracle of the world changed its interface to a blood red color and with it, its name was deformed to that of the oracle of the end. In the description of my memories, the shadow apostle subclass had been assigned to me. And next to the description, there was a countdown day counter.


    ¡°From this day to the end of a year. You, my dear toy, will be the one to bring destruction on this world for me. All my sister''s efforts to make amends for her sins will be useless and you will share the fate that I have in store for her¡± ¨C That sinister encounter soon came to an end, leaving me to regain consciousness in the middle of a sea of cold sweat in bed. My breathing and palpitations were so agitated that I could hardly hold my heart in my hand from such a shock that it had received.


    Turning to the door of the room, he could see Virgilio with his stunned look as if he had witnessed something he should not have seen. Pointing his index finger at my chest, guide my eyes to the point he was indicating with his trembling hand. Close to my neck, in the shape of a snake, a symbol was engraved on my skin causing indescribable pain that made me scream in agony.


    Trying to control the spasm that ran through my spine, I lay on the bed in a fetal position, bringing my hands to my chest seeking to ease the pain.


    "But what have you done to him, Virgilio?" - Calisto immediately rebuked the centaur thinking that something had to do with my pain, but Sara quickly took him by the shoulder indicating that he should come and see me quickly.


    "The worst has already happened my lady, it seems that we have arrived late" - Shaking her head with her gaze towards the ground, Sara''s face expressed her disappointment at something that seemed tragic: The ouroboros mark .


    Since ancient times in the world of Pandora there have been myths of the foundation of the world, each race in fact has its own version, but they all coincide with the preeminence of the draconic race . But only one version has been written regarding the end of the known world, in this version a prophecy transmitted from generation to generation reads.


    ¡°From a distant star, the herald of destruction will come spawned of flesh and blood, carrying with it a cursed blessing of its own. Conceived of discord, it will bring the end of the races and with it the end of the world. From the asps it will have the sign and in a cycle it will be consumed.


    Such a prophecy made it clear that he who bore the mark of the serpent was the herald of destruction. The mark that my encounter with Freya had left me was the sentence that now rested on my head.


    Calisto and Sara argued in front of me without caring that I heard about it, because they considered that they could not leave me outside the situation since it was my life that was involved.


    The conclusion they came to was that because of my curse many would try to take my life, guided by the fear of the fulfillment of the prophecy, they would not hold back about it and would seek to take my head. But by doing so, the only thing they would achieve would be to advance the time of fulfillment of the fateful prediction.


    ¡°A tragic fate has been placed on your shoulders and sadly we don''t know how we can help you get rid of it. But rest assured that if it is in my hands to find a way to save you, I will do it. Because by saving you, the world may be saved in the process¡± ¨C A few minutes after having our talk, I began to train the control of my powers with the help of Sara.


    At the same iconic lake where Calisto and I first met, Sara diligently offered me her knowledge of magic. Loitering behind the trees, some young elves didn''t take their eyes off us as we cast low-level enchantments.


    Unlike Earth, on Pandora there is a connection to the nature of things called the flow of mana. In the trees, the flowers, the grass, in the birds, any living being had a connection with the flow of mana. But only some races could make use of this connection and borrow magic power.


    Fairies had a natural command of the flow of mana, without the need to recite incantations, they could cast spells at will. With the limitation of only being able to execute invocations of the elements to which they had affinity.


    For other races like elves, draconics , dwarves and dryads; access to the mana flow was possible in any of the four elements. But they could only handle a maximum of two and with the restriction of requiring a catalyst.


    In Sara''s case, her staff had a living lava stone. This precious gem had the affinity to control the flow of mana between the elements of fire and earth. When two elements were mixed by affinity, they could conjure a fused element that contained the power of both. Being considered the sorcerers who were capable of this, exceptional teachers.


    " Concentrate and conjure the enchantment runes" ¨C It had already been two weeks since I started my training with Sara. After learning the runic language necessary to make the intonations of the enchantment chants, my lessons were focused on the mastery of the elements by affinity.


    The first time Sara tested my elemental affinity, she was quite surprised to find that my mana flow control ability reached all four elements. Perhaps due to the fact that both Amelia''s soul residue and mine coexisted in the same body, it was possible that I was able to control them.


    "Dragon''s Breath!" ¨C Intoning the spell that I recited, a great flame shot from my scepter to the surface of the lake. The glow reflecting off the surface seemed hypnotic to the point of captivating my senses.


    "Control the flow of mana in your youngster catalyst!" - A strong blow from Sara''s staff was felt in the knees of my knees making me fall to the floor. Without realizing my clumsiness, I had used a lot of power in channeling my spell and a good part of the meadow smelled of burning.


    Without a doubt, my path in magic would be something that would give me serious headaches in the next few days of training.

 Stage 5: Empty

    Since my arrival in the Medea forest, a whole month has passed. The mornings bathed in mist and the dew that rests on the grass intoxicate my senses with its aroma every time I open my eyes and head to the training area. The questioning and judgmental looks of the forest creatures have turned from angry to a feeling of familiarity.


    While they still can''t fully trust me due to the curse and the fact that I am a member of the race that is their bitter enemy, the fairies and elves have seen fit to improve their interaction with me.


    The only one who still maintains his suspicion towards me is Virgilio, every morning since I wake up, he usually follows me in the distance between the shadows of the trees. Despite his imposing attitude, I can sense that his behavior towards me has somehow changed for the better.


    On one occasion when I caught him spying on me at magical training with Sara, I cast a combination spell to form a light rain cloud over his head. The annoyed screams at being bathed in my magic made me laugh too much, to the point of being scolded by the strict teacher.


    I could swear that I heard his laugh from a distance, but in order not to break his tough macho image, I preferred to reserve my comments.


    ¡°Well young lady, you have already learned to master the four elements and combine them properly. I don''t doubt that even Virgilio is convinced of it¡± ¨C For the first time in this time that we have shared, the teacher Sara has shown her smile for me. The nostalgic memory of my life on earth in the company of Grandma Yang, makes the smile on my face appear accompanied by a tear of regret.


    So many things left unsaid and unsaid, I should have embraced Grandma Yang more and been a little more ambitious pretending to take more of her love. How will she be? Will you still cry for my death? That insecurity inadvertently caused my power to be channeled arbitrarily into my catalyst staff, making it explode in front of us.


    "Are you alright girl?" ¨C Extending her hands creating a force field, Sara had protected us from the impact of that explosion. Noticing her breathing a little rough, I realized that the energy I released at that moment was too powerful even for the teacher to be in that condition.


    A little fear seized me at that moment, remembering the words that the sinister goddess told me at the time. I was an emissary of destruction, everything around me was destined to perish. How could I even dream of happiness if my destiny was traced in blood in this life.


    ¡°Stay here and take a break, I will go see my lady to report the situation to her. Don''t worry, it wasn''t your fault, but I can''t leave anything to chance in your case¡± ¨C Smiling at me as she put her hand on my shoulder, Sara walked slowly until she got lost in the thickness of the forest.


    While I waited for his return, I sat by the edge of the lake, listening to the sounds made by the lyres of the arcane elves during their morning purification ritual. The lake at the center of the Medea Forest is known as the eye of the goddess. A legend tells that in the heat of the battle for the division of castes between the draconic families , the victims accumulated so much that the goddess descended on the forest and shed her tears as a sign of sadness for her fallen children.


    As many tears as blood was spilled and with it the barren land that was around her, was forming an oasis whose greenery had no peer. As a consequence, the lake created from the goddess''s tears acquired part of her divine power; thereby allowing any being that was affected by injuries even close to death, could be fully restored to their health.


    The only problem with that blessing is that if there was corruption in the being that entered its waters, it would end up paying the consequences with its life expectancy. Just like what happened with Queen Callisto.


    ¡°What is this commoner doing near my lake? People like her should know their place and not show themselves in the presence of royalty¡± ¨C Standing in front of me was Edith, a young arcane elf who was the daughter of Saliel , the ruling patriarch of the tribe of arcane elves.


    Despite her childish appearance, Edith was a 150-year-old elf . Curly blond hair, amethyst eyes, and skin so fair it seemed made of silk. Which contrasted with a scar on his right leg from a fire in which he was about to die when he was still a baby.


    According to what I have heard among the conversations that the inhabitants of the Medea forest often have, Edith was not a legitimate daughter of Mr. Saliel . More than a century ago, before the incident that changed everything with the forest dwellers, arcane elves used to go to human villages in search of common knowledge. The youngest were sent as part of their coming-of-age ritual and after a year of living with humans earning their livelihood, they could return to the forest and be recognized as adults in full right.


    Saliel and her sister Souren had left with their family''s safe conduct to begin their initiation ritual like the others. During the course of her stay in a village near the forest, Souren became captivated by a young blacksmith named Hermis . Working as his assistant every day in the workshop carrying firewood and preparing the tools, the young woman couldn''t help but admire the care that the blacksmith put into each of his creations.


    Saliel upon learning of this situation, quarreled with his sister to the point of completely distancing himself. Saliel ''s anger was not the common one a brother would have who is jealous of his sister; but rather, it was a deep fear for the consequences of that act.


    When an arcane elf mixed blood with a human to bring offspring, the elf''s longevity was lost forever. Fully becoming a human being who would age like any other and die sooner compared to the centuries they usually live.


    Upon learning of his sister''s pregnancy, with tears in his eyes Saliel could not help but accept the decision she had made, blessing her and wishing her to find all the happiness she was looking for in the brief life she had decided to take.


    Two years have passed since their farewell and Saliel maintained communication with his sister by means of messenger owls; letters between the two brothers came and went without complications, despite the distance that separated them.


    Those moments of happiness that her sister spent in the company of her husband and daughter were transmitted with a clarity like the blue sky itself. Making Saliel comfort his soul with the hope of a promising future for his beloved sister.


    But all that changed one night when the stars adorned the night sky and the two moons of Pandora illuminated the forest meadows. In the distance above the treetops, a red glow as if the sun was going to rise over the horizon could be seen in the direction of the town where Souren was with his family.


    heart hanging by a thread, Saliel hurried out of the forest without stopping at her father''s pleas. He could barely hold his breath as he ran so hard, trying to get to the town half a day away as soon as possible.


    As it got closer, an intense heat and the aroma of smoke was the unequivocal sign that a misfortune was happening in that place. By the time he arrived, the scenes before his eyes made him vomit in disgust as he contemplated what had happened.


    That town where Souren settled to live was known as Piliera , a town that was in the middle of the border between the empire of Alberon and the kingdom of Esterum . That territory had remained neutral for years, before the treaties signed between both nations. But that night the peace was broken by the kingdom of Esterum , who in their eagerness to gain ground before the imposing empire, spared no action to seize those lands.


    The soldiers of the kingdom galloped into the town with swords in hand and their spears pointed at anyone who moved. One by one the inhabitants were mercilessly massacred, including women, children and the elderly. No one was forgiven on that terrible night.


    Walking with trembling legs, Saliel watched the harrowing images of men hanging from the doors of homes, women, many of whom had suffered abuse by soldiers, and children mercilessly mutilated.


    Pools of blood sloshed as Saliel ''s faltering step made her head for the smithy in the hope that her sister''s family was alive. Little by little her heart was beating with more force and intensity, before the anxiety of what her eyes would come to see compared to the brutality that she left behind in her path.


    Right at the door of the smithy, the corpse of Hermis was on his knees with his belly torn by the edge of the sword. His eyes had been gouged out with the tool he often used to make his creations.


    "It can''t be" ¨C Raising her hands to her lips, Saliel felt panic at such a scene, running quickly into the workshop only to feel her soul break into pieces.


    The face that once gazed smiling now had a cold, lifeless countenance, the rosy cheeks pale to coal ashes. And a nightgown that had once been white was now torn and stained crimson.


    His sister had been nailed hand and foot to the wooden support beams in the smithy''s wall. His ears had been cut off and his neck slit.


    A heartbreaking scream reverberated on the walls of that gloomy place, like the scream of a beast that had been mortally wounded.


    The fire, which had already consumed much of the city, had quickly reached the limits of the smithy. With the choking smoke encircling him along with the flames, Saliel tried painfully to remove his sister''s body, to no avail.


    Completely dejected, he felt the desire to die in that place and accompany his sister to the other world, perhaps with the hope that the goddess would allow them to be reborn once more as a family. Just when he was about to surrender his soul to death, a cry was heard coming from one of the boxes that was being hit by fire.


    Recovering his sanity, he pounced on the box trying to put out the fire. Inside it, her sister had hidden her little daughter in the hope that she would survive the persecution and massacre that the town was subjected to. The flames had reached to hurt the poor creature''s leg and covering it with a cloth moistened with lily sap, Saliel sought to mitigate his pain.


    Leaving his sister''s body behind, the young elf walked once more through the blood and mud. Her soul had died in that smithy and her mind was the only thing that prevailed as she held her niece firmly.


    Upon reaching the forest and making the news known, the tribe of arcane elves covered themselves in mourning for the terrible event that had occurred. Saliel ''s father, who still did not fully understand what had happened to his daughter, held in his arms the small half-elf who was still crying from the pain of her wound. Looking at his granddaughter''s face, the memory of Souren ''s childhood made him feel that he had failed as a father in protecting his children.


    For this reason, thinking that no parent should experience such an atrocity again, he issued a forceful decree, where the ritual of coming of age and all relations with humans were completely abolished.


    For Saliel that was contradictory, since in itself Edith''s existence was precisely the manifesto that at some point the arcane elves and humans coexisted in a tense peace.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    "Hey human what are you thinking about?" - Bringing her face closer to mine, Edith made me get out of my distraction and made me fall to the ground completely lying on the grass. His mocking laugh like that of a child who has committed a mischief did not seem annoying to me when I remembered the suffering he had to go through.


    While it was true that she was the adopted daughter of Saliel , the fact that she was half human had caused her a distance from her mother''s race. Sometimes the young elf experienced the distant treatment of the other elves, who only interacted or smiled for her for the mere commitment of being the daughter of Saliel .


    No one treated her for being Edith and that was bitter to her, as it made her feel that no one valued her very existence. Maybe that''s why he started looking for me, because I was the only person in the middle of the forest who really showed his emotions without a mask in between.


    "You know, I would also like to practice magic." ¨C Taking the hem of her skirt to stick it to her thighs to sit down, Edith began to talk to me about her dreams and desires. Ever since he had turned 50, he had been enthused by the idea of practicing elemental magic like the other elf children of the tribe.


    Every day he went to the shore of the great lake to ask old Sara to instruct him in mastering the flow of mana . But each time it was the same answer: It was not possible for her to learn to master magic.


    ¡°Since you arrived I have watched you very carefully. When I look at you and watch you evolve in handling magic, I feel like I could too. But no matter how hard I''ve tried to even try to make a spark of fire by reaching out my hands, nothing happens. You know, I''ve thought something silly about it, but I feel that every time I look at you it''s as if I could do magic too¡± ¨C Edith''s expression, looking at the lake, reminded me in a certain way of my little sister. In my past life during my childhood, there were times like this when I shared my feelings with my sister.


    She got excited every time she saw me play on the computer and the excited glint in her eyes every time I got into a fight was very similar to what I was seeing on Edith''s face right now.


    ¡°Miss Edith, Patriarch Saliel urgently seeks you. Please follow me." ¨C Gamaliel, the second in command of the arcane tribe had arrived to pick up Edith. The expression on his face when he looked at her was apparently respectful, but in his eyes she could see a certain air of contempt every time he addressed the young woman.


    When they were already leaving the lake, Gamaliel turned sideways in my direction, giving a smile of absolute contempt. Of all the arcane elves, it was well known that this man despised human beings the most. Even from before the incident in the town of Esterum .


    ¡°Oracle, analyze¡± ¨C Giving the order to my world oracle ability, I focused on the distant Edith who was already about to disappear from my sight. The oracle of the world began to tell me that Edith, although she was a half-breed, had the qualities of the elves. His longevity and senses were properly those of an elf. But the part that corresponded to his human nature completely prevented him from accessing the flow of mana on his own .


    The half elves by this condition were come to be known as the voids. Existences that couldn''t control mana ; but somehow, connected to him without knowing it.


    "User, do you wish to soullink with the analyzed target?" - Soul bond? I couldn''t quite believe it, but thanks to my main ability, there was the possibility of casting spells or incantations just like the one Virgil and Callisto had done.


    But certainly, it wasn''t something she was really interested in. Since soon my time in the Medea forest would have come to an end and our bond could never be maintained in this way. Since one of the soul bond restrictions was that the two parties that had established the contract could not be separated from each other beyond a kilometer away.


    When separating just 100 meters, the contractor would experience a slight pang in the chest and as the distance progressed, the pain would become so unbearable that the heart would stop in a heart attack. As a consequence, the person with whom the bond was created would also die along with his employer.


    "What are you thinking, miss?" ¨C Sara had returned to my side with news regarding my mana flow control problem. Queen Callisto was concerned about the situation, even being aware of the possibility of instability due to the ouroboros mark , the advance with which said anomaly manifested itself was not something that was common.


    The more days passed, Amelia''s soul would be taking more power inside me, weakening the seal that kept her prisoner. That seemed like a sick joke to me, I couldn''t believe that someone cowardly enough to commit suicide would have the guts to claim something he had already given up.


    But I can''t blame her, all living things fight to survive no matter the consequences. But at this particular point, his almost selfish momentum was pushing us over the edge and eventually the prophecy of destruction could come to pass before he even had anything to stop it.


    Reunited with Calisto and Sara, we decided to go to the northern end of the forest. The area bordering the territory of Mount Dragulos , was known to contain a large quantity of precious gems which the dwarves took parts to create the manaflow stones of the staffs in the crucible.


    Depending on the combinations used in their creation, magic stones used to have some degree of resistance with affinity to the user''s magic domain. Unfortunately for me, all the gems developed so far were completely useless given my current level of manaflow affinity.


    Once in front of Mauricio, the dwarf''s chief smith, Sara explained to him the details of our visit. Dwarves are often reclusive creatures who rarely associate with other races, but regularly traded their creations with elves for food and healing potions.


    ¡°From what you tell me, old hag, this girl won''t even use a stone like the one you carry on your staff. I am surprised that a harpy as proud as you would come to me to ask me a favor, but it seems that the years soften even the rocks" - Giving a loud laugh in a friendly tone, the old dwarf scratched his beard while enjoying seeing Sara raging of courage while being held by Calisto. Who could barely contain her valued friend.


    When things finally calmed down, Mauricio told us to follow him into a cavern to appreciate the gems that were available. The dwarf''s goal was for me to get my hands on a wide variety of samples in order to detect the combinations necessary to find the magical resonance affinity.


    Before my eyes on a table, the dwarf arranged a singular number of samples that varied in size, shape, and color. One by one I took them in my hands and with the help of Sara, I influenced my magical power on each one.


    Stone after stone the resistance of each one fluctuated differently, but each and every one was breaking when I was about to reach my mana flow limit. Completely discouraged and absorbed by the situation, the head of the dwarven tribe was scratching his head as he tried to think of a solution.


    "As it never occurred to me before" ¨C With a cheerful tone that surprised even Sara, the old dwarf hurried to take out a dusty wooden box from a shelf in the room.


    ¡°With this stone, not even your young lady will be able to break it¡± ¨C With complete self-assurance, Mauricio opened the box in front of us, causing Calisto to jump up from her chair in surprise.


    In front of us was a stone of which only legends were told in the old writings of the elven tribe . Very close to the nature of the formation of the Medea Forest Lake, there was another legend that spoke of the ancient dragon tribe''s oath of eternal loyalty.


    When the goddess Artemis cried for the fallen dragons, the leaders of each faction approached her. Contemplating the magnitude of their acts and the lives that were taken by their dispute, the five clan leaders folded their paws in front of the goddess and each pierced his chest as a sign of penance.


    Seeing this, the goddess thought that it was a sacrifice to pay with their own lives for her fault, but she was soon taken out of her mistake by the leaders. Alberon , Casius , Ephesus , Siegfried and Eunice, the five draconic leaders took a part of their mana core from their hearts and deposited it on the earth.


    Alberon sent for Simus , the first patriarch of the dwarf tribe, and asked him to please take the fragments of their mana cores and fuse them into a single being. With such a proposed undertaking, Simus worked five moons to accomplish his endeavor. Being helped by the dragons with their flames to heat the necessary forge in order to create the gem.


    At the end of his work, a gem was presented to the goddess as a sign of the unity vote that the five clans would make that day before their divinity. This gem was known as rainbow glow; this, due to its multicolored hue that fluctuated when mana was induced.


    The goddess saw this gesture with good eyes and bestowed her blessing on the gem, thereby causing the draconic leaders to take human form at that moment. Thus being the birth of the five great empires of pandora.


    ¡°It is said that the goddess Artemis gave this gem as a gift to her sister Freya, as proof of her ability to rule justly over the races. But the goddess Freya looked down on this stone and threw it as soon as she had it in her hands. ¨C Shaking his head with deep regret, Mauricio said that his ancestor witnessed such an act and could hardly bear such a slight from the goddess. Since then the gem had been kept and passed down from generation to generation of dwarves.


    Inviting me to take it for the test, my heart shuddered at the mere fact of holding something so precious in fear that my power could destroy it. I didn''t know how I would face Mauricio, but Calisto insisted that I take the test.


    Calming down a bit, I held that gem and began channeling my mana flow into it. Callisto did not stop in her amazement when she saw the gem shine with a great multicolored spectrum, like the rainbow that appears on the horizon when the storm has gone.


    Excited to have found a gem that was able to withstand my energy, our fear soon came to us as the colors in the gem converged to complete darkness. From the stone scarlet rays like electric sparks snaked uncontrollably, turning objects within reach into ash.


    "Girl, please stop, the core of the gem is unstable" -Mauricio''s face was completely pale, Calisto and Sara were in a similar situation after witnessing that. While the gem wasn''t destroyed like the previous ones due to its origin, certainly my mana flow was overflowing uncontrollably into it.


    "If we only had a black dragon scale, I could make a clay that would contain the residual mana flow at will" ¨C Nodding dejectedly, the dwarf remembered that black dragons were reluctant to give up their scales and stealing them was impossible since they turned useless.


    Callisto began to argue with Sara about negotiating with the elemental dragon tribe to reach a territorial agreement and get a scale. She was undoubtedly willing to sacrifice some of her power in order to keep her promise to me, but I couldn''t act selfishly seeing her determination.


    ¡°When I got here, I was attacked by a black dragon. But he gave me one of his scales as a sign of protection¡± ¨C Turning towards me without giving credit to what they heard, the three beings exclaimed that they could not believe such a thing. Seeing myself in the need to take the scale I was talking about out of my pocket.


    "I never thought in all my years as a smith that I would get to see one of them" - Snatching it from my hands, Mauricio jumped for joy while holding the dragon scale. Such material was something the dwarves could never afford to get their hands on, but here he was for the first time in his life. Unable to contain his taste for such a magnificent piece of work.


    Grateful for the opportunity to work with such priceless material, Mauricio asked us to wait three days until he had the clay ready for my gem. With the dwarf''s promise in between, we decided to withdraw and return to the center of the forest to wait for the fulfillment of the date.


    ¡°You know, the first time I saw you I thought you were a peculiar creature. But after knowing that even a black dragon was kind enough to give you one of its scales, I still can''t vouch for it¡± ¨C With a smiling face, Callisto changed from her fairy to human form in an instant.


    Completely surprised, the fairy queen thought that she had miscalculated the hours of her time limit and didn''t care. Continuing his walk as if nothing happened, he placed his hand on Sara''s right shoulder as he laughed heartily. The old elf tried to scold the queen, but she couldn''t help but catch her good spirits.


    Just at the moment when we reached the vicinity of the elf tribe''s territory, the sound of a war horn shocked the three of us who, puzzled, tried to understand the situation.


    In front of us, Gamaliel stood tall while holding a mithril sword in his right hand. And with the left raising in victorious sign the head of Saliel , which was thrown at the feet of Callisto. Who was quickly taken prisoner by two elven guardians who were supporters of Gamaliel.


    ¡°Someone impure like you does not have the right to rule over Medea Forest. For years I turned a blind eye to this fact because you had your watchdog always escorting you. But tonight the moon marks the beginning of a new era and you are not in it¡± ¨C Completely furious, Callisto extended her hand towards Gamaliel, invoking branches to crush him. But as soon as they were formed, they withered completely.


    Turning to see the night sky, Calisto fell to her knees overwhelmed by the situation. The moons that glowed in the sky were tinged with red, the sign of a rare lunar eclipse. But in its effects, it completely nullified the magical ability of fairies.


    Completely enraged, my teeth gnashed in anger as I gazed at Gamaliel''s mocking face. Who without the slightest compunction had killed the man who had fully trusted him and now tried to take Callisto''s life.


    "Cutting blade wind..." "Stop girl" ¨C Holding my hand at the moment I was about to cast my spell, Sara took me by surprise inducing a debilitating spell on me. Whispering in my ear, he told me that I was no match even for Gamaliel and would be a useless sacrifice at that moment. And with a completely dull mood as if facing her end, the old lady asked me to take care of the queen in her place.


    "Oh my, the old hag wants to avenge the death of her grandson?" - Her grandson? That was a big surprise for me. I never would have thought that Grandma Sara was a relative of the patriarch Saliel , honestly it never crossed my mind during all the time we were together.


    She couldn''t understand what was going on in her heart at that moment, much less if she would be strong enough to defeat Gamaliel. But one thing was certain, no matter the outcome of this battle, a heavy loss was completely inevitable for both sides.

 Stage 6: The price of betrayal is oblivion.

    ¡°And here we are, face to face. Outstanding debts must be settled between you and me, damn witch. Debts that your bloody lineage cannot pay even with death, but at least it will serve as a bargaining chip for me to rise above your house" ¨C Extending his arms in a sign of combat, Gamaliel was very confident in himself and his power. As much as to challenge Sara, a teacher recognized by all as the heir to the elemental control of fire.


    "If you tell me where my great-granddaughter is, I promise I''ll take your life painlessly" ¨C Containing her rage, she could see how the old woman squeezed the handle of her magic cane hard. The tremor in her hands was not the product of fear of her opponent, she was really making a huge effort not to set everything around her on fire since Calisto and I were between us.


    Inhaling slowly and controlling the flow of her breath, Sara held her staff in front of her in a perpendicular position as she recited a level 7 magic circle incantation. In the brief period that I had as her disciple, she explained to me that controlling the flow of mana had seven circles for each existing element. A total of 28 circles if they were all combined together.


    Being a dual element master, her control reached 14 manaflow magic circles. Already handling 7 circles in one punch meant enough stress on the body to break muscle fibers and atrophy nerves. In her current state, using the double implied that she recognized her opponent''s strength and furthermore, it showed that she intended to die to win this fight.


    "Oh excellent. You will grace this humble sorcerer to witness the ultimate power of the infamous fire witch. I must say I''m flattered, but it won''t be enough for you to defeat me, you bloody harpy. I have stopped being that child you looked over your shoulder at when you taught magic" - I was about to witness a fight between disciple and teacher, something inside me was excited to see the enormous power of my teacher in all its splendor . But at the same time I felt guilty even thinking about it because of the circumstances in which we found ourselves.


    ¡°Don''t worry girl, she is the most powerful sorceress I know. He won''t lose this battle, believe me. Have faith in her¡± ¨C With her arms held behind her back by magical shackles that suppressed the flow of mana, Callisto tried to cheer me up while an expression of extreme exhaustion could be seen on her face. Everything seemed to indicate that his physical condition had worsened and the eclipse only worsened his health.


    Suddenly the sound of the flames howling in the air as if they were wild dogs, snorted loudly in the immensity of the silence of the forest. As if encased in armor of fire, Sara began hurling firebolts that shot out from around her like shots at targets.


    Gamaliel''s guards blocked some of the attacks, but those were so consecutive that the dizzying speed of their attack sent them falling engulfed in flames one after another. Instead , Gamaliel was unmoved even listening to the cries of his subordinates who begged him to intervene. It was a cruel scene for anyone who saw it, a heart so dark and cold that it cared little for betraying the patriarch. Being friends from an early childhood.


    "You are so dishonorable that you discard your men like fuel to the fire my dear student, with this you have discarded your numerical advantage and soon I will be able to go completely against you" - Sara''s determination was implacable, without giving rest to her enemies she was taking their lives without leaving a head on their shoulders. But the calm with which Gamaliel kept himself could only inspire great distrust in me.


    Suddenly in his right hand he showed a bottle with a strange elixir that he had never seen before. The arcane elves were famous for their healing potions, but the contents of that vial were something else entirely because of their color. A slightly shimmering purple liquid that seemed to give off a shadowy essence from it.


    "Sara, finish it now, don''t let him drink the contents of that jar!" ¨C As if she had seen the devil himself, Callisto looked horrified when contemplating the concoction that the elf was holding. His body trembled completely, evoking in his memories a dark past that had a lot to do with the origin of that object.


    "It''s too late, Callisto, too late for all of you" ¨C Drinking the contents of the jar, Gamaliel put his hands to his neck as if he were suffocating. Writhing in pain on the ground as she tore up some of the grass with her hands, Sara went straight at him to take advantage of the opening in order to deliver the coup de grace.


    It was in that instant that the arcane elf''s skin began to darken a shadowy shade of blue and his eyes glowed like coals in a fire. On his skin a series of runic symbols began to be drawn with lines of fire, leaving tattoos that covered the entire body. His hair turned white and sharp fangs could be seen from his mouth at the moment he gave a blood-curdling scream.


    Gamaliel had become a dark elf, an abomination within the elven race that was reckoned in their historical records. Originally the black wing potion was a concoction that the arcane elves concocted during the eras of dragon warfare . Its effect was to amplify the user''s power at the cost of sacrificing part of their life expectancy.


    The guards who still survived Sara''s attacks followed their lord and drank the elixir in the same way, becoming opponents for the fire witch as well. Due to the potential of the potion, users who did not have enough magical proficiency ended up as mindless beasts. Only subject to the wish of the most powerful dark elf.


    "As I told you, teacher, I am no longer the child you could belittle with your superiority" ¨C Without even being able to put up a guard, Gamaliel launched himself completely against Sara, landing a brutal blow to her chest. The sound of bones breaking and blood flying from his mouth as he fell made me burst with rage, cursing Gamaliel for his cowardice.


    Turning his face to me, the dark elf did not hide his anger and contempt, inching forward trying to induce fear in me. But her expression looked more annoyed when she saw that my anger was so great that fear didn''t take over me.


    As soon as he had me within his reach, he held my neck tightly and lifted me off the ground while squeezing his fingers tightly, enjoying the moment. Little by little I felt that its claws were digging into my skin and I was increasingly short of air. Taking the dagger that he was carrying at his waist, that beast made a slight cut on his tongue. I could barely maintain awareness of the brutality of his grip, but what followed made me react violently.


    With his thumbs he forced my jaw open and then he spat some of his blood into it. My vocal cords began to ache as if a burning liquid were corroding them, the pain was so intense that it made me moan in pain as I struggled to hold my breath.


    ¡°Much better, beasts must not speak. Just growl like you''re doing now you fucking human trash. Stay here while you contemplate how I finish off your dear teacher¡± - Throwing myself violently against the ground, I felt as if my right shoulder had been dislocated. He could no longer speak, he could only make guttural sounds unintelligible to the human ear.


    Dark elf blood was something really toxic for any species, in the case of humans it was like rattlesnake venom. For the amount that I spilled inside me, there was no risk of dying from poisoning, but the damage to the tissues was such that the stabbing pain was almost unbearable.


    Lying on the ground, still unable to recover, Sara tried by all means to get her hands to the stone on her necklace. Not caring about it, Gamaliel thought that it was a common magic stone and continued walking towards it as if it were invincible.


    That was the biggest mistake the reckless sorcerer could have made, as it gave Grandma enough time to use her trump card. The moment the stone shattered, a brilliant light enveloped her, blinding the enemies around her.


    Trying to cover his eyes with his arms, Gamaliel ran as fast as he could to try to sink his claws into Sara''s chest. But her hand was held with such force that the sound of her breaking bones was soon drowned out by her cries of pain.


    ¡°Your pride has led you and your men to their own destruction, my student. I was looking for some redemption for you with your death, but I have realized that your soul is beyond all salvation" - With an imposing figure that barely touched the ground with the tips of her toes, Sara had used one of spells forbidden within the elven race.


    Unlike the taboo that the dark elf potion implied , the spell she was using was forbidden because once used, the user''s power would eventually consume her body to nothing.


    Last Will was a spell that was passed down from generation to generation, with the purpose of giving the clan of elves a chance against an adversary that was impossible to defeat under normal circumstances. Only the successors to the position of patriarch were aware of such a spell, but in the case of Sara, being the teacher of countless apprentices, I tried to have the knowledge of that spell at her disposal.


    "You should always be prepared for the worst scenario" ¨C These were the words that she constantly repeated to me with each magic lesson that we carried out. And looking at her at that moment, I fully understood the meaning of that sentence.


    Her appearance and shape were no longer that of an old woman''s body; instead, a rejuvenated figure that radiated light was what was present before Gamaliel. Who was struggling to break free from the grip of Sara''s enormous strength.


    Giving an order to his minions, the dark elves attacked Sara''s body without any success in their attack. Instead, with a flick of her wrist, the proud witch dealt forceful blows using Gamaliel''s body as a club.


    The dark elf''s crumpled figure cried out in pain as he struck his men with blow after blow. The guards'' blood and entrails flew into the air, setting the scene for a bloody frenzy worthy of a massacre.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    When that macabre dance came to an end, the light emanating from Sara''s body began to fade. Making the towering elf fall to her knees looking straight up at the night sky.


    Little by little her skin eroded like dust while her lips moved incapable of making any sound. Only from a distance with great effort could I perceive what was the intention of his heart in his last words: "I have been able to avenge you"


    Crawling with the little strength I had left to Calisto, I tried to reach the keys that had been left in the body of the guard who was escorting her. It was at that moment that a pair of imposing helmets stood in front of us.


    Virgilio had arrived just in time to free Callisto, or so I thought. Instead, when I approached my hands to the keys, the centaur took them and threw them into the distance. What was happening? Why was Virgilio acting in such a way?


    Many questions began to accumulate in my thoughts, but the fact that he was not present to save Callisto when Gamaliel appeared in front of us. Or look for us in the cave of the dwarfs to warn us, was something I tried to deny in my mind, but it was the only possible answer: Virgilio was a traitor.


    ¡°Virgilio, why did you do that? Explain yourself immediately¡± ¨C With her voice broken by tears, Calisto rebuked the centaur without getting any response from him. I just take her by the waist, taking her against her will while she left me abandoned in that place in the forest.


    I couldn''t believe it, I sincerely wished it was a lie. But Virgil''s attitude was something that could not be explained simply. Completely dejected and without strength, she was about to lose consciousness. It was then that I felt that someone began to drag me slowly holding my arms.


    The low light due to the eclipse and the state Sara induced me to prevent me from seeing her face clearly. But a familiar aroma made me feel calm, abandoning my strength completely, making me lose consciousness from the pain.


    ¡°Hey, did you see the new Silent Mountain promo? It seems that they are going to get out of the canon line of the story to reinterpret it¡± ¨C Within my memories while I was unconscious, the image of the face of a high school classmate appeared before me. Vanesa was a girl with allergy problems who used to miss classes often when they got complicated; Most of her life was spent between hospitals and confined to her home.


    Despite her isolated behavior, associating with her didn''t seem all bad to me. In fact, it was she who sought me out, perhaps because she felt identified with our loneliness, or more because of our coincidences with horror games.


    In the time that I studied at the university, it could be said that we managed to achieve a year together between ups and downs due to his health problems and the times that I used to visit him in the hospital. They say that human beings take it for granted that the people who share our time will always be there, but the truth is that everything has an end. No matter what.


    One autumn afternoon, as always, I was preparing to go to take his notes on the compilers'' course. I remember well that that day the wind felt slightly humid and fresh, as if a storm was about to arrive.


    The scent of disinfectant in the hospital corridor was so pungent that just inhaling it made my nose itch slightly. Taking a handkerchief to wipe my runny nose, I thought it would be funny to see Vanessa''s red nose. His pale skin made him look like a snowman that had been given an apple instead of a carrot.


    When I was about to knock on the door of his room, a murmur very similar to crying made me hesitate for a moment. By the time I pluck up the courage, the door opened letting me see his father with his eyes completely red from tears.


    On the bed, a disconsolate mother was clinging to a body that had been covered by the sheet for a few minutes. During all the time that we knew each other, Vanessa was never completely honest with me. Apparently the allergies he had were nothing more than laryngeal cancer and the repeated visits to the hospital were to give him chemotherapy.


    When I entered the room and tried to get closer to her bed, her mother''s hand clung to mine so tightly that I could feel my skin getting hurt. ¡°This is the pain that a mother feels when losing a child? ¡° ¨C It was what I thought in the depths of my being while enduring that scene and I couldn''t help feeling jealous of the only friend I ever had.


    "I thought you would go like dad and grandma, I''m glad you''re okay" - Crying with deep sadness, the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Edith''s face soaked with tears and her cheeks red. Just a few hours ago she had just lost her entire family and bitterly discovered that the elven tribe saw her as unclean.


    Completely surrounded by lies, her soul experienced a great breakdown that made her lose all the stoic composure with which she had always come to see her. The image she could see now was of a loveless, abandoned child, someone without anything to hold on to for life. But her hands holding mine with all her strength made me realize that it was a great responsibility that she now had with me.


    Feeling guilty that I couldn''t save my teacher, I vowed to protect him no matter what might happen to me. The only thing missing was to recover Calisto and discover who was behind that plot.


    Both Virgil and Gamaliel did not act alone to commit this betrayal, so he felt he had to get to the bottom of all this. After drinking some elixirs that Edith took from her house while escaping from Gamaliel''s men, I felt that my body had recovered enough to start moving.


    My throat was still damaged from the effects of the dark elf blood, so I couldn''t chant the runic chants to cast the spells. Unless I had my staff, any magic attack would be useless as I couldn''t fully channel my power.


    Taking advantage of the fact that we were still in the last hours of the night, we began to move north in search of help from the dwarves. On our way we tried to hide from Gamaliel''s minions by crawling through the grass, trying to make as little noise as possible.


    After a few hours, our clothes were completely dirty by mud and grass, our skin had been abraded by friction against the partly rocky ground. The exhaustion of that strenuous flight from our stalkers, little by little forced us to take breaks hiding in the overgrown undergrowth adjacent to the trees.


    "I can''t believe that brat is so slippery" - Taking my hand to Edith''s mouth while holding her against me so as not to be seen by the guards, I was able to hear much of the situation in which the forest was. .


    In his despair over Callisto''s impending death, Virgil had made a deal with a commander of the Imperial army from Alberon . In exchange for gaining control over the lake in Medea Forest, he was offered the help of a renowned sorcerer within the imperial family of Sigfired . The name of that royal house was none other than that of the ruling empress of the territory of Alberon . The cause of Amelia''s death and a host of other unfortunates who had been unfortunate enough to find themselves in her path.


    Even if Virgilio did all that motivated by the desire to save Callisto, my heart could not forgive him. Because of his actions, Edith''s life had been almost completely destroyed, leaving a defenseless creature to be orphaned and under the contemptuous gazes of the people who were supposed to love and protect her.


    " Hitomi , I''m very thirsty" ¨C With her eyes tired from lack of sleep, Edith''s lips were dry due to dehydration from our long walk. Worried for her, I decided to leave her in the hollow of one of the trees while I looked for a clearing of water to fill a bowl.


    Crouching low so as not to be seen in the distance, I approached a clearing we had seen on the way to the dwarven village. No matter where we directed our gaze, there was no more water than that of that small clearing for many meters.


    After taking a sip of the water to test if it wasn''t poisoned, I washed my face a bit to wake up from the dream. As soon as I plunged the bowl into the water, a hand grabbed my hair from behind and slammed me to the ground.


    From his appearance and the armor he wore, there was no doubt that he was one of the knights of the Alberon army . Trying to defend myself from that brute, I managed to scratch his face with my nails and tried to run away from him, but he quickly grabbed my leg and knocked me down once more.


    Such was the rage that that subject felt, that he lashed out at my face with his fists, barely managing to get my hands in to reduce the force of the impact. I felt dizzy from the bruises I was receiving, and the voice still couldn''t come from my lips.


    With no spells and almost no strength, I looked around me if there was anything I could defend myself with. It was then that I remembered the vine ability Callisto used to use to subdue her enemies.


    Without the need for chants, I could only watch it perform twice, but I knew that to master that skill, it is enough for the user to master the mana flow of living things. "I was ordered to take any prisoner alive, but with you I will say that it was the elves who killed you bitch!" ¨C Taking his sword to stick it into my chest, that guy stood over me thinking I was an easy prey.


    But soon a sound erupted from the ground and with it, a root from the trees grew in the shape of a spear that stuck under his jaw. Leaving his body with his arms hanging as if it were a doll.


    Having finished off my assailant, I made the roots of the trees drag his body into the ground so as not to leave evidence for the watchmen to know where we were. After checking my face, I saw that one of my eyes had collapsed and my field of vision was considerably reduced.


    Without taking it too seriously, I decided to go back to Edith to wake her up and leave as soon as possible. The first rays of the sun were beginning to appear in the sky and our escape was becoming more and more complicated.


    After three hours, we had finally reached the edge of the dwarf tribe''s lands. The strength in my legs began to fail me and fatigue took hold of me. During the last leg of our trip, Edith could no longer walk due to the damage to the soles of her feet. So I had to carry her the rest of the way making the pain in my shoulders feel like they would fall off my arms at any second.


    "But what in the name of the goddess has happened?" ¨C Coming out to meet us, Mauricio took Edith and asked one of his assistants to take me inside his hut. As the minutes passed, I wrote on a piece of paper explaining the situation to the head of the tribe in order to make a contingency plan to recover Queen Calisto.


    With the severity of my injuries and Edith''s, Mauricio insisted on stopping us from making any movement before we were fully recovered. Without my staff it was impossible to face the army that surrounded the forest and it was at least two more days until the clay of the rainbow stone was ready.


    We had no options and time was our worst enemy. As the hours passed, the chances of rescuing Calisto became less and less. But throwing yourself without the slightest preparation meant suicide.


    While Edith rested in one of the chief''s rooms, Mauricio and I discussed the strategy to follow to face the enemy. According to the information gathered by his men, the invading army had two regiments of 300 soldiers each and each regiment was supported by 20 magicians who perfectly mastered level 4 circles.


    The empress had taken her invasion plan very seriously, since she waited for the lunar eclipse for the greatest resistance in the forest to fall without much effort.


    "Child, be honest with me. Did the old hag die peacefully?" ¨C With his hands together holding a jar of wild strawberry liqueur, the old man did not dare to look up while he told him all the events that had occurred with teacher Sara.


    The tears of pain and sorrow that I shed were the sincere evidence of the lament of a good friend who had lost a comrade. I wanted to comfort him by putting my hand on his shoulder, but I didn''t dare to do it so as not to make him more uncomfortable.


    Our talk continued until nightfall, time had passed so quickly between the preparations and the information shared, that the time to rest had arrived. For the next morning my weapon would be ready and my body was already almost completely healed; instead my voice could not return to its original form. A harsh tone like that of a man was what I was left with thanks to Gamaliel''s attack.


    I honestly didn''t care, I never had a pretty or very feminine voice. But I would be lying if I said that I totally liked it.


    Lying in bed next to Edith, I hugged her to comfort her as the poor girl cried her sleep for her father and grandmother. But in my thoughts there was a detail that Mauricio mentioned during our talk in the afternoon: ¡°One of the sorcerers seemed to hide his level, since the examination stones of our spies did not yield information. Most likely it is a high level sorcerer and you must be prepared for the worst¡± ¨C Those words continued in my mind throughout the night, not allowing me to sleep due to stress.

 Stage 7: Heartbreak

    When the morning arrived, a series of mixed feelings drilled my heart in an incipient way. Like a bad omen, the hay cup I was holding at breakfast broke at the handle, spilling all the drink all over my lap. When I was changing in the room, the murmurs on the other side of the door seemed to show dismay and great concern.


    Mauricio debated energetically with Elipo , his second in command in the hierarchy of the tribe. The dwarves knew they could put up a fight against the Imperial troops as they were skilled warriors proud of their long lineage of smiths. Any edged weapon that was used in the village came from their skilled hands.


    But the existence of the regiment of imperial magicians was something for which they were not prepared, that eventuality meant a great calamity for their tribe due to the casualties that would occur in battle. But the sworn commitment to the royal family of fairies was something that could not be overlooked, even more so when the last of the descendants of the royal house was a prisoner.


    If anything happened to Queen Callisto, the vitality of the forest would die with her without remedy. It didn''t matter if the fairies put their best effort into preserving the vital energy of nature, the efforts would be useless because of the large amount of mana that was required to achieve such a charge.


    Feeling that pressure on my shoulders, I sat on the bed to try to breathe calmly in order to return to the room where they were arguing. "Good morning Hitomi " ¨C Even rubbing her eyes from sleep, Edith sat next to me snuggling her head to my side. Looking at her calmly after the long night of our escape, I felt slightly relieved to have her by my side.


    Since I had arrived in this world, the feeling of alienation that sprouted in my being surrounded by the unknown, had not been able to be mitigated even with the company of the teacher Sara and the kindness of Calisto. But for some reason, when I was with Edith that feeling disappeared completely, as if she were a part of me that had been lost for a long time.


    "Miss Hitomi , may I come in?" ¨C Gently knocking on the door, Mauricio entered the room with an object covered by a dark wool cloak. In his hands you could see the wounds resulting from his hard work with the hammer and the anvil. Throughout the night without any rest, I forge and bend the materials for my cane until I can achieve the desired result in less time than expected.


    "Wait a minute! Is this a sword? I''m supposed to be a magic user¡± ¨C Finally holding him in my hands, made with an alloy of mithril and silver, his blade seemed to glow in sparkles when the rays of light reflected on it. The hilt made with black dragon scale, had in its center the gem of the pact firmly set.


    I had no doubt, it was an excellent work of forging completely light and resistant. But the fact that it was a sword surprised me greatly, even more so given the ear-to-ear smile Mauricio had while grooming his beard.


    ¡°Try to imagine a cane right now, young lady¡± ¨C As he suggested, I thought deeply about the image of a cane similar to the one my valued teacher used in life. The image of his gallantry in combat was something I couldn''t get out of my thoughts.


    As if it were liquid metal, the sword gradually deformed until it became solid again. But this time, before my incredulous gaze, what he was holding was not a sword, but a cane identical to Sara''s.


    Mauricio couldn''t stop laughing out loud when he looked at my stupefied face, honestly everything that happened in this world was something that captivated me and made me shudder just by seeing him. Outside of fantasy novels or video games, seeing it with my own eyes and feeling it with my own hands was an experience I never thought I would have.


    ¡°I was thinking of a way to compensate for your excess power and the best way to get a proper balance without destroying your weapon, was one that could change shape at will¡± ¨C Similar to the effect of the shapeshifting pearl, the enchantment that had been placed on my weapon allowed it to take any shape I wanted just by thinking about it. Given the nature of its composition, the mana consumption was demanding and from time to time it had to return to its original form. But with the latent problem of the ouroboros curse , that would not be a restriction.


    Waving it a bit in the air, she was completely satisfied with the marvelous creation of such a prodigious craftsman. Keeping it in its scabbard, I decided to start our plan to counter attack the enemy army. Before leaving, I asked Elipo to take good care of Edith until I return.


    Taking her to the battlefield was something I couldn''t afford, even knowing the enchantments by heart, the fact that she couldn''t use mana was something that would put her at a complete disadvantage, preventing her from defending herself. All the warriors who stepped on that battlefield had to watch their backs, protecting another against a numerical disadvantage of 3 to 1 was suicide.


    Edith clung to my skirt tightly begging me not to leave her, the fear that lay within her for the loss of her family making her act almost selfish. He couldn''t blame her, but giving in now would put her and the entire regiment in great danger. Dropping to my knees at her height, I looked her square in the eye while holding her shoulders at the same time. ¡°I promise I''ll come back for you and we''ll travel the world together. Wait patiently here for me¡± ¨C The trembling of my hands due to the nerves before the imminent battle was felt by Edith, who even in her affliction comforted me with a hug promising that she would stay waiting for me.


    Mauricio and his men took the lead towards Medea''s underground caves, the plan was to use a combination of attacks from below the enemy, very similar to the guerrilla strategy that was used on my world during the Vietnam War.


    Our goal was to decimate the infantry troops as soon as possible without being detected by the mages, thus allowing me to have a more relaxed position on my magical attacks when facing the rest of the imperial army. Despite all the information we had collected thanks to the efforts of Mauricio''s spies, some of his men lost their lives in the enemy ranks in order to get us data for the strategy.


    Morally our regiment was hurt, but at the same time the thirst for revenge for their fallen brothers prompted the proud dwarves to give their lives if necessary in order to defeat our enemies.


    The path we traveled underground through the caverns was a series of tunnels known as mineral veins. The subsoil of the forest provided a great number of materials to the master craftsmen of the tribe of dwarves, for this reason the walls glowed as we passed by the light of the torches.


    As we got closer to the surrounding land of the lake, the subsoil began to turn clayey and we had to slow our walking in order not to get bogged down by the weight of the weapons. With the help of an ox horn that served as our diaphragm, our men could hear the sounds that the soldiers made on the surface, allowing us to know their locations and numbers to launch an attack.


    When we believed that the numbers favored us, we would stealthily emerge from the ground thanks to my control of the earth element. And with wind magic, he ripped the air from the soldiers'' lungs so they couldn''t alert their comrades.


    The dwarves had no mercy on any of the enemies, the edge of the axes hit forcefully on the chain mail that protected the combatants'' necks. Making heads roll and with it the bloodbath blooming like morning dew. Anyone who saw that scene would immediately know why the tribe of dwarves was considered to be the cradle of the best melee warriors in the forest.


    ¡°It''s an ambush, call the wizards¡± ¨C Completely focused on keeping the dwarves vital with my mana projection spells for strengthening, I lost sight of a guard who had gone to the bathroom before we emerged from the ground.


    In a matter of minutes we went from facing 5 soldiers to 300 with a single blow. Even if my mana was abundant, the strengthening of the body has a limit from the target''s muscle regeneration ability. The dwarves were in good physical condition due to their metal work, but dealing with 3 opponents at the same time was a huge waste of energy.


    Golem _ facere Ignus ¡± ¨C Within the elemental spells that Sara taught me by combining two types of elemental magic, the most powerful for a battle of attrition was without a doubt that of the golems . An earth golem was capable of withstanding long-range attacks and withstood lightning-type attacks perfectly, but in close combat they were weak to master level sword techniques.


    To compensate for that weakness, it occurred to me that it was possible to combine the element of earth and fire at the same time. With what I learned as a mentor, after a few days I was able to create my first lava golem , an elemental beast that as a plus had the ability to melt the metal of swords. Only high speed attacks could hurt him, but in the process the swordsman would lose his sword. Which is why a solo attack would inevitably lead to his death.


    The particular weak point of a lava-type golem was its combined counter element: wind and water. If the magician troop arrived in the middle of our battle, the tables would quickly turn and we would be annihilated in a matter of seconds.


    "Divide into groups of five and make a diamond formation" - Mauricio was gasping for breath, the sweat on his face at times made him close his eyelids due to burning and his face looked increasingly exhausted. It was a fact that we had resisted stoically up to now, but living beings have their limits and we were about to reach ours.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Mauricio, at my signal take cover with your shields looking at the sky" ¨C Nodding his head, the brave warrior followed my orders and his men with him. Raising my cane, I recited a chant that altered the ionization of the surrounding air by extracting static energy.


    Little by little the sphere in the sky was getting bigger until finally with a twist of my wrist, it exploded in the firmament. Like a flashbang grenade, my attack was efficient enough to blind the enemies long enough for our troops and golems to brutally charge at them.


    The screams of the soldiers choking on their own blood, was a victorious requiem for the gallant members of the dwarven tribe. Even with fatigue on our shoulders, the feeling of victory with everything against us was like a drug that made us feel euphoric at that moment; but winning a battle is not the same as winning the war. A little in the distance the sound of galloping horses was felt on the ground, for which I saw the need to return all of us to the depths of the earth.


    The minutes passed and the vibrations of the horses'' hooves galloping leisurely above us seemed to make the sound of a metronome. To avoid detection by the Imperial Wizard Squad, I gave the order to extinguish the torches so as not to leave a single trace of heat for them to follow.


    Usias , our head of intelligence, seemed overly concerned, as if something was wrong with the calm with which the members of the infantry were proceeding. It was then that the calm within the caverns was completely broken by the roar of a surprising stream of water.


    Completely in the dark and wrapped in the cold of that unexpected attack, the exhausted men began to fall prey to panic and one by one they lost their air. The force of the current dragged the inert bodies of many of the dwarves, who in their path hit those who still clung to the rocks so as not to be carried away by the underground current.


    If we went up, the chances of surviving a direct attack were minimal, but staying in that place meant certain death. Without thinking about it any longer, I used what was left of my energy to make us emerge to the surface.


    As soon as we got there, I collapsed while spitting out the water that had entered my lungs with great difficulty. Due to the darkness of the caves, my eyes were taking time to get used to the light again and I felt pangs over them. Between blurry images, I saw the bodies of some dwarfs already lifeless and others pitifully trying to get up in front of the enemy. Being shot down the instant they held their weapons from the ground.


    "It seems that the goddess has not looked at our forces with eyes of fortune, my young lady" - Clenching his fists, Mauricio put his hand to his mouth to wipe the remains of water from his beard. His eyes no longer had the brilliance and strong determination of the seasoned combatant; instead, the sheer essence of doom was what he could see on his countenance.


    ¡° Hitomi , I put an instant escape charm on your weapon. I figured if things got bad, you''d be the only one who could deal with them if all else failed. Please protect our women and children. Tell them that their men fought with honor until the end¡± ¨C Smiling at me with incomparable frankness, Mauricio launched himself fully against the enemy troops, invoking an enchantment on his axe.


    "Blood gluttony!" ¨C The body of the chief of the dwarf tribe began to smoke as if his blood was boiling, his skin color had a scarlet tone and his eyes had turned completely white. Similar to the berserker attack from the last game I played, with the difference that there were no bonuses, there was no druid to do his support. It was real life, a man was dying before me and I, just a useless person who could only observe his great value from a distance.


    Foot knights rushed at him, but metal armor shredded like shreds of paper on the edge of a pair of scissors. The blood of his adversaries bathed his abundant beard and while some fell, others came striking accurate blows against his body.


    ¡°User Do you wish to cast the jump spell? The weapon''s enchantment is for one use only, so canceling it can''t be used again." ¨C The oracle of the world warned me of the risk of committing a reckless act, my desire was to stay fighting by Mauricio''s side. But as soon as I remembered the promise I made with Edith, I didn''t hesitate another second and activated the jump just as a spear flew in my direction.


    Due to the enchantment, the spatiotemporal displacement affected the user''s body abruptly. The principles of elementary physics of the earth did not apply to the terms of this world, so moving a mass at such a speed in the form of energy implied great stress that made the users feel discomfort.


    Are you traveling at the speed of light? I barely wanted to stand up when I reached the jump point and felt my legs give way. My stomach convulsed and I ended up vomiting completely. An incredible headache shook my head to the point that I couldn''t open my eyes because the light bothered me.


    It took at least 15 minutes for the effects of the jump to lessen, allowing me to get up and walk slowly to the door of Mauricio''s shack room. When I finally realized it, I looked inside the house but neither Edith nor Mauricio''s wife and children were there. Everything was submerged in silence.


    A great fear overwhelmed me completely, my heart was beating as if it were going to jump out of my mouth. Each hesitant step I took to the door of the house that led me outside was as if I were stepping on glass with my bare feet. My hands were shaking, something inside me knew better than to open the door. That as long as he didn''t see the outside everything would be fine, but another part wanted to see the truth no matter how strong it was. ¡°Perhaps Elipo had a contingency plan for them to escape¡± ¨C This is what I repeated inside myself with faith in the face of the unknown, the only thing I had left was hope. But soon hope would turn to despair.


    Looking outside, pieces of wagons still smoking were scattered in all directions. The belongings of the inhabitants of the tribe were destroyed among the blankets and ropes that held them. As if something had suddenly attacked when they were trying to escape.


    Walking through the rubble, children''s toys were scattered in all directions. Full of dust and boot prints, some with bloodstains.


    My lips began to tremble and the tears that I did not want to flow, no matter how much I fought, they could not be contained. Picking up a doll from the ground and hugging it to my chest, I kept walking a little more hoping to run into Edith. But it was all useless, the truth hit me in the face and I couldn''t do anything about it.


    Like a sinner who falls to his knees pleading with an indolent god, I collapse and weep bitterly at the harsh reality. Hanging from the frame of the tribe''s main entrance, the bodies of the children hung limp. The expressions on their faces showed the harrowing ordeal that must have passed at the hands of their pursuers.


    The mothers were found thrown to the side of the road, with their heads severed and signs of abuse by the soldiers of the empire. All my eyes saw was the horror of the crimes committed by beasts that called themselves men.


    I no longer wanted to continue walking, the forces left me. I wished that this was a nightmare from which I could wake up, that when I opened my eyes again everything would be fine. That Mauricio would be in his smithy working in the oven with zeal while his wife cooked food for him at home. That the children would be running happily through the streets and Elipo would be scolding them for throwing the boxes of materials. And Edith next to me, walking to the shade of one of the trees near the lake.


    But my tears, which I was struggling to contain, couldn''t take it anymore and they gushed like mighty rivers before her. So peaceful, innocent, as if her face reflected a deep sleep. Edith was nailed to a tree and with her ears cut off. I screamed and cursed the goddess Artemis, I kept hitting the ground with my fists.


    Just as the mother died, why did the goddess get merciless with a poor girl? Our promise to see each other again had been completely broken, I tried to comfort myself with the idea that she would finally rest with her loved ones, but the rage and impotence of not being able to protect her were greater.


    The fatigue in my body began to take its toll after the battle, my arms, no matter how much I tried to move them, did not respond to me and the secondary effects of the jump returned suddenly, making me lose consciousness until night covered everything again.


    Trapped between the nightmares that were repeated with the scenes that I had witnessed in the town, inside my mind only an incipient phrase was repeated like the galloping of steeds in battle: "Kill them all"


    ¡°User Do you want to activate shadow apostle mode? When doing so, the oracle interface of the end will come into function. The mana consumption in this mode has a great impact on the user''s body and the healing capacity will be reduced by half¡± ¨C Yes, yes dammit. To hell with my life, with my health, with everything. He only had the desire to finish off those bastards. It was what was going through my mind at that moment, there was no room for regrets. Only revenge and the end for all the men of the Alberon empire .


    The thirst for blood seized me, like a need almost impossible to control. The instinct of a beast that has lost its sanity was what defined me at that moment. My skin took on a grayish appearance full of red veins that glowed like lava, my eyes had a yellow hue like the glowing fire in the crucible. My hair had gone completely gray and my hands looked like the claws of a harpy and the ouroboros tattoo burned like it was written in fire on my skin.


    "Master, do you want to activate flying ability?" ¨C The oracle of the end began to call me as its master instead of user, apparently the difference between the two oracles was the source from which they came. While Artemis viewed me as a tool, the awkward sister treated me as an equal, willing to lend me her strength to fulfill my ambition.


    What did it matter if I sold my soul to the devil if by doing so I was getting revenge on those who had humiliated me and taken everything from me once more? Fallen or full of light, a goddess is worth what she does for her creation.


    At the moment of confirming my decision, a pair of wings like bones came out of my back tearing my skin, causing me great pain, the blood that drained from them formed a membrane similar to the wings of a bat and when beating them, strong gusts of wind they began to blow, raising the dust from the earth.


    I felt completely intoxicated by that magnificent power, I kept feeling revitalized despite the pain in my body. But as soon as I turned to see Edith''s fragile body again, I completely destroyed the tree to which she was imprisoned.


    Gently I took his body and with the sweetness of a mother I kissed his forehead, while I opened a hole in the earth to deposit him in peace. The memories of my time with her mixed with the memories I had of my sister Akemi, her laughter and pouting, the warmth of her embrace, everything I had lost made me burst into a scream of rage that echoed throughout the forest. of Medea.


    After covering his body with the earth, he invoked nature so that from the roots of the tree that was destroyed, a dome with branches would grow to serve as a funeral monument. "Goodbye my dear friend, I''ll follow you soon" ¨C The power that beat in me was something I couldn''t control at all, barely a month of magical training had passed and it wouldn''t make much difference in a fight where my enemies had years of experience. If fortune smiled on me, my enemies would be completely slaughtered, but my body would be broken by the enormous power.


    Flapping my wings to the wind, I soared into the night sky bathed in the light of Pandora''s moons. With my right hand, I firmly held my staff, wielding it in the shape of a bloodthirsty sword. There was no going back, that night would be the bet for all or nothing, playing with the hand that was dispatched to me. But one thing was for sure, I wouldn''t be the only one who would lose something in this game.

 Stage 8: Who do mothers tell their children about?

    The night sky that covered the vastness of the Medea forest, was a peaceful contrast to the antagonistic massacre that only a few hours ago had occurred on its plains. Piling the bodies of fallen combatants to be thrown on the pyre, members of the imperial army like birds of prey looted the dwarfs'' belongings before throwing them into the bonfire.


    Rings, gold teeth, their weapons and other personal items were taken by the victorious mercenaries; fighting among themselves to keep them or betting them in card games. The spoils of war were distributed like spoils without the slightest feeling of guilt.


    The soldiers who returned from committing genocide in the tribe of the dwarves also carried part of their loot among the wagons they had stolen. Even though the order of the army commander was not to take prisoners, some soldiers dragged a few surviving women from that ferocious attack.


    With their bruised faces, others with a lost look. Mothers, sisters and daughters saw their families die in the cruelest way possible. Only empty shells remained of those who at some point were women full of life, dreams and hopes.


    Even though they were mired in their misfortune, one of them broke out in a panic after seeing how the men of her village were thrown into the fire like logs on coals. Desperately trying to escape, he hit one of his captors and began his escape running with his bare feet over the pebbles and metal splinters that still rested on the green grass of the plain.


    His escape did not last long, without prior warning from the top of one of the trees an archer who acted as a lookout, aimed with certainty at the heart of the unfortunate woman, falling completely inert to the ground with no other remedy. With the sparkle in his eyes fading completely.


    The mocking laughter and cheers of the drunken soldiers for their companion, were a satyr trill to the ears of the prisoners who continued their tortuous march to the cages they had prepared for them.


    ¡°It looks like it will be a calm night¡± ¨C Sitting around the bonfire covered with a blanket, one of the soldiers took some of the meat that was cooking on the fire while another handed him a mug of beer.


    Telling their anecdotes of past battles, the combatants gloated in the stupor of alcohol and abundant food. For them victory was assured and they could return to their homes with their families.


    On the battlefield the bloodthirsty beasts brandish their sword and cut their victims, steal and rape without guilt. They don''t see their enemies as human, and even if they were, the enemy was someone they looked down on as unclean.


    They would wipe the blood from their clothes and weapons, rinse their faces, and hide their iniquities with a false smile when they reached their homes. Beasts on the battlefield, family men in their homes. Where is the fine line between monsters and decent people?


    "Eric, do you remember that story our mothers used to tell us to scare us before going to sleep?" ¨C Giving a sip of his beer, one of the men speaking with complete familiarity began to narrate a tale of yesteryear over the campfire , which grandmothers used to tell their grandchildren and mothers to their children when they misbehaved.


    When the moons were at the top of the firmament and the night wind was silent, a woman''s silhouette appeared before the men who dwelt under the stars. Bathed in darkness, her eyes like burning coals, she descended with her sickle on the fields where farmers tended their flocks.


    Yagta Azuri, was the name of the spirit that wandered at night looking for victims with which to make garments for its many children. The sign of its arrival was that the wind blew out of nowhere and with a movement the blade of its scythe cut off the heads of its prey.


    Her scream made the blood run cold with terror and those who stood in her path could not move from shock.


    Grandmothers told this story every night in the bedrooms of misbehaving children, as an open threat that Yagta Azuri would come for them if they disobeyed their parents and did wrong.


    The laughter of the soldiers in the middle of the camp when telling that story, soon turned into a sepulchral silence. A wind that they did not know where it came from or was going to suddenly blew when the soldier told the end of the story.


    The hairs on their skin stood up like frightened cats and the drafts of beer stuck in their throats. Eric got up from his place and went behind some trees to urinate, while the soldiers continued drinking and chatting.


    A few minutes passed and Eric''s absence alerted the soldiers that something was happening, thinking that it was some enemy that had been left alive and ambushed the unnoticed soldier. They walked stealthily towards the trees with their swords in hand, when suddenly a fireball descended from the sky making an intense sound when hitting the ground.


    The clouds that covered the moonlight did not allow a good view of what it was in the middle of the darkness. Using the tips of their swords, the soldiers began to tap on the object that had fallen from the sky to find out what it was.


    By the time the wind moved the clouds and the moonlight bathed the meadow once more, they were horrified to contemplate the mangled body of the soldier who had been absent from the camp a few minutes ago.


    Like an animal that has been alerted by the presence of a predator, the warriors turned their gaze to the sky and watched as the stories were embodied in their worst nightmares. Spreading my wings, I let out a cry from the depths of my being. With damaged vocal chords, the crash resounded like the mixture of many voices. Just like a demon would and that night, he would let hell run rampant on earth.


    The most fearful soldiers were the first to succumb to the edge of my weapon. The entrails and blood flew with the intensity of the wind splashing the faces of those who still kept their nerves before the cruel enemy before them.


    From hunter to prey, how easy roles are changed and how simple it is to take a life guided by emotions. In all my years, I had never felt such suffocating emotion. Even video games couldn''t compare to the suffocating sensation of the frenzy of carnage.


    Did they have mercy on the families they destroyed? Did they sympathize with the women they raped or the children they tortured? So why beg for something that was never in you to give to others. Reaping what is sown is the golden rule of life; and I at that time, was the reaper.


    Absorbed by my own attacks, I was unable to notice the moment the sorcerer squad appeared on the scene. With a single command, the archers took aim at my wings while a line of mages cast fire spells by igniting the bolts.


    The arrowheads pierced my wings with the impact and my nerves were seared by the searing fire. When I tried to move my wings again, the skin had been eaten away by the flames and the bone was completely exposed.


    Launching an airstrike was no longer a feasible option with my handicap, raising my arms and surrendering either. Burying my claws into the ground, I began to cast level 4 circle spells combining fire and earth. Returning the trick of the afternoon, I made the ground under their feet engulf them until they reached a river of magma that made them scream in agony for a few seconds.


    By the time the one-sided massacre ended, I set out to release the captives from their cages; but it was then that I realized, that I had turned into a monster completely. The bars of the cages were completely crushed by what looked like claws and the bodies of the victims still had traces of their attacker''s mana flow.


    Raising my hands to my head, pulling my hair, I realized that blinded by rage I didn''t hold back my strength around my surroundings. Reaching with my attacks the people that I had been entrusted to protect.


    ¡°I''m not better than them¡± ¨C Repeating that sentence to myself for my sin, I lost track of myself again and started screaming madly. Is this the power I wanted to get my hands on? The oracle of the end was a devastating force that could not be controlled, the threat of Freya''s prophecy was a manifest truth in what happened at that moment.


    If I wanted to rescue Calisto, I couldn''t do it with that sinister power that devoured my being, I couldn''t allow myself to be absorbed by what Sara, Calisto, and I had fought so diligently against.


    When deactivating my transformation, the wounds on my body manifested themselves in a brutal way, the pain I felt when recovering my true essence was such that my skin had very deep oozing wounds.


    From among the corpses of the soldiers I took some ointments and healing potions to treat my injuries. Although they weren''t as effective as the ones that the arcane elf tribe made, they were not insignificant in my situation. Tearing the fabrics of their clothes, I made some bandages to wrap my wounds with some medicinal herbs that grew near the trees.


    Taking strength in the midst of my weakness, I prepared graves for the prisoners who had died because of my mistakes. As I dragged the bodies to their graves, I realized that most of them were near the bars at the time of the attack. The most natural thing to see that something is coming against you is to back down, but they had held on to the bars, as if they expected to receive the blow directly.


    It was then that I realized that even if I had rescued them from their confinement, after experiencing all those horrors and witnessing the destruction of the bodies of their men, it was impossible to have saved them. Because they were already dead inside.


    For an instant my consciousness clouded over again, letting out an ominous laugh from my lips as a result of my delusions. "What the hell is happening to me?" ¨C I told myself in the middle of that spectacle of corpses while my nose stung from the smell of burned meat.


    From the moment I was reincarnated in this world, I was nothing more than a stupid child in the body of an adult. It was too much to ask for all the demons that tormented me from my past life to get away from me, they were there, they continued with me, giving shape once more to the old Hitomi.


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


    The abandonment of my mother, the death of my father, and Akemi''s unwarranted hatred of me; all of that, repeating itself like vile shit even in this world with the body of the girl I''ve possessed.


    My mistake has been trying to live my existence trying to satisfy the expectations of others, that is the authentic demon that has shaped this abominable being that I was struggling to bury in the depths of my subconscious.


    I was only one year old, that was what the goddess Freya had put on my shoulders like the trap they give animals to plow the field. Looking around me at all that desolation, I realized that this was not my war; I could be selfish and leave everything behind, no one could blame me for running away.


    Even having such an immense source of power, not knowing how to use it made it a useless weapon in my hands. Until recently we were a battalion against an army, now only I was left standing. Saving Calisto was an impossible task, she did not want to continue walking that path of futile effort.


    So I walked and kept on shuffling my feet through the filth of that killing field until I reached the trees, giving a sidelong glance at what I was leaving behind me. The moons were beginning to fade the scarlet glow of the eclipse, slowly leaving light as clear as spring water.


    It was there that I saw him, standing in the midst of the carnage with a pair of majestic jet-black wings, his gaze fixed in the direction of my humanity. As if disapproving of my behavior with a slight shake of the head , the imposing dragon was enveloped in a whitish mist until its immense silhouette gradually changed to the shape of a human being. While taking short steps without removing a severe frown from his face.


    Upon reaching me, I felt that my body did not respond to me no matter how much I ordered my legs to start running. That feeling of helplessness and fear overwhelmed my heart, at the same time that Fausto''s hands reached my cheeks, holding them so that I could not look away from him.


    "Then you will flee as you have always done until today" ¨C The words of that ancient dragon reverberated deep inside my being, as if they drilled into my head, removing the hidden things that remained in my thoughts.


    The year father died, I had barely reached 18 years of age. Akemi had barely turned 15 when dad''s heart stopped beating. We had both grown up with many limitations, far from the love of a mother and with the burden of our father''s illness. During the interminable 5 years of our father''s grief, my care for my sister soon turned fully to our dying father.


    For a 10-year-old girl, experiencing such abandonment left a terrible mark on her heart. Well, although it was true that I stayed with her providing her with basic needs, my affection and dedication towards her dissolved like the foam of the sea that is lost in the sand of the beach.


    Yes, by sending her to our grandmother, the fragile bond that was still uniting us was completely broken. When I remember her look when I got into the car, I could see in them the same 10-year-old girl who was still looking for me with longing, as if time had stopped for her with her father''s cancer.


    "You are going to abandon Callisto as you abandoned your sister"- Fausto did not hold back in saying those scathing words as sharp as knives that hurt my heart. The tears did not stop flowing from my eyes as I pressed my nails against the skin of his hands.


    "What are you going to know about me?" ¨C Was what I yelled angrily against the ancient dragon, while trying to let go of his grip. Being that moment when, freeing his hands a bit, he guided his arms around my back and hugged me pressing my face against his chest.


    ¡°There''s nothing wrong with running away, I''m not condemning you for it. All living beings experience fear and abandonment at some point in our lives. But I can''t allow you to run away just like that, without trying, even one last time" - What until a few moments ago was a tone of severity in his voice, became a warm balm that appeased my senses and I cling to he crying with such force, that I felt as if my soul melted before his heart.


    The minutes passed and with them he gave us an hour in which the ancient dragon stood firm at my side, consoling me. I needed that hug so much that I got lost in its essence as if time stopped passing when I was with him.


    When I regained my composure, I directed my gaze, still blurred by tears, towards his face. With his pearly skin and beautiful black eyes, his long, waist-length hair gave him the appearance of a fairy tale prince. He would never have thought that this gigantic animal was capable of possessing such unique beauty that it rivaled the musical idols of the world from which it came.


    "If you have managed to calm down, come with me for a moment please" - Wiping the tears from my eyes, I took Fausto''s hand and walked a few steps until that draconic man took me in his arms and took out his wings to rise through the night sky in complete silence.


    The view of the forest from the sky was very different from what could be seen at ground level, while in some parts the bodies of allies and enemies still lay bathed in blood, on the other hand, the immense thickness of the treetops. The trees gave off a slight emerald green glow against the moonlight.


    There was no doubt that this forest was blessed by the race of fairies and why the empress had wished to get her claws into it. The lake in the center of the forest shone like a great diamond set in that thick greenery, a sign of its abundant pure mana.


    With the original kingdoms vying for dominance of the world, whoever had control over such a vast source of magic would be able to tip the scales in their favor.


    "Look in that direction, just at the edge of the forest where it communicates with the road by which your captors brought you here" - Illuminated by the light of the torches, an infantry camp was posted in that place with a large number of soldiers guarding him.


    Pronouncing a chant in an archaic language that was impossible for me to decipher even with the help of the oracle of the world, Faust covered us with an ancient magic that made us invisible to the senses of human beings. Even for those magicians who mastered the fifth circle of magic.


    As if we were a couple of ghosts, we walked among the soldiers, sneaking past them through all the tents that were set up in the camp. Like thieves who have sneaked in to snatch something and then run away.


    Arriving at the last tent where a crest with the effigy of a griffin hung, a man in a dark gray hood glanced sideways at our position as if he had noticed our presence. Even for Fausto that was a surprise, since it was assumed that that lost magic was incapable of being detected by the common human eye.


    Trying to hold my breath in panic, I felt Fausto''s steady hand clamping onto mine as his free hand changed into the shape of a bestial claw. The draconic was more than ready to deal a fatal blow to the individual''s fragile humanity, but I was barely able to persuade him by holding firmly to the hem of his coat lapel.


    "I remind you that this is only a form induced by magic, what you are holding now is literally the skin of my bare chest" ¨C Using his telepathy, the ancient dragon looked at me sideways with a slight expression of embarrassment on his face. To which I didn''t know how to respond other than returning my flushed expression as if I wanted the earth to swallow me.


    ¡°Viscount Ephesus, the preparations are already concluded. We are just waiting for the ritual to begin" - Upon hearing that soldier, the man in the gray hood immediately turned his back on us to head towards the entrance of the tent. When I saw him cross the threshold, I breathed a deep breath of relief as I stepped away from Fausto, who was adjusting the wrinkles he had left on what at first seemed to me ordinary clothing.


    ¨C ¡°There is something that caught my attention in that man¡±


    -"What are you talking about?"


    -"The guard called him by the last name Ephesus, that is the name of one of the original draconics. Members of the bloodline have features of blonde hair and golden eyes. But that man had brown hair and eyes with an orange tone¡± ¨C Raising his hand to his chin, Fausto lowered his gaze as he continued pensively taking a few steps in a circle in the same place.


    Stopping abruptly with his face twisted in dismay, the ancient dragon walked up to me, taking me by the shoulders as he asked me to draw my sword with the rainbow stone. Not knowing the reason for the haste of his request, I took my sword out of its scabbard and accidentally placed the hilt inlaid with the stone against Faust''s chest.


    Suddenly, a light discharge struck the dragon''s chest, knocking it to the ground. Breaking for a brief moment the effect of the enchantment, causing the sound of his body hitting one of the chairs in the store to alert the guards of the place.


    "Who''s there?" ¨C With their spears pointing straight ahead, the soldiers entered the store threateningly, turning in all directions looking for the source of the sound. It was evident that Faust''s magic was still active, but it was in that brief moment in which he made contact with the rainbow stone that the balance of mana was broken.


    ¡°It must have been some rabbit or rodent, let''s go back to our positions. The stone extraction ritual is about to begin¡± ¨C The soldiers raised their spears again and walked out of the store, in the same way, I quickly approached Fausto to help him get up. Feeling completely sorry for what happened.


    Calming his temper, the ancient dragon smoothed his hair and explained that the rainbow stone reacts according to the mana flow of its user. And when bringing it closer to a member of the original lineage, the color of the stone would light up with its corresponding shade of eyes.


    In his case, being an ancient dragon that did not become human through the transmutation of the goddess, his transformation would collide with stone by treating him as heresy until he returned to his original form.


    - "I need to confirm one thing, we must get as close as possible to the man in the gray hood and bring the rainbow stone closer to reveal his true lineage"


    - "What are you talking about?"


    - ¡°That man is also wearing a shapeshifter pearl to hide his true appearance. We must find out who it is immediately¡± ¨C Placing his hand on my shoulder, Fausto directed his gaze to the entrance of the store with a worried face at the ominous feeling that resided inside.


    Nodding my head, I took the dragon''s hand and we walked once more until we reached where a large crowd had gathered around a circle of spirit energy. Men with their heads covered by black hoods chanted runes while making light cuts in the palms of their right hands and throwing the blood into a bonfire, which changed its color to a deep blue hue. Until it turned an emerald green that glowed with each lick of the flames.


    It was then that I saw her, tied with shackles in both hands, exposing her chest, Calisto''s face was down as if she had been crying all night. The expression in his eyes looked as if he had given up all hope of rescue, but more than that, the sparkle in his gaze had been completely extinguished.


    Looking more closely around me, I was horrified to see the dismembered body of Virgilio at one end. The proud satyr who once stood as guardian of Medea''s forest, had fallen by the edge of the sword of betrayal at those who promised him the salvation of his beloved mistress.


    I turned my face, taking my hand to my mouth, while trying to close my eyes before that abominable end. While it was true that due to her treachery we could not prevent Callisto''s capture, it was also true that she was another victim of Gamaliel''s machinations.


    ¡°Girl, come to your senses and come with me. We must continue until we reach the man who is standing in front of the fairy¡± ¨C Shaking my free hand vigorously, Fausto hurried my steps until we reached where that man was. Who was in front of Callisto chanting a ritual holding a dagger that pointed very close to his chest.


    At the ancient dragon''s signal, I drew my sword and aimed the hilt at the hooded man''s back. The stone for an instant did not emit any glow, until suddenly an amber glow was reflected in it.


    ¡°And I thought that it had only been my nerves due to the emotion of the moment. But who would have thought that a proud member of the Casius lineage would come to see me, but I never imagined that, during these centuries of being hidden from the human eye, they would come to take rats as pets.


    The magicians that were forming that magic circle hit their staffs against the ground, releasing a flow of mana that broke the enchantment that covered Faust and Hitomi.


    Turning to face the couple, the man removed his hood and revealed his true appearance to the stunned gaze of the dark lineage member of Casius.


    - ¡°So all this time the stench that permeated my nose was yours. Damn Asmodeus¡±


    - "Is this how you greet the family, dear cousin?" ¨C Releasing part of his enchantment, Asmodeus''s hands turned into claws, while revealing his imposing wings that were illuminated by the light of the bonfire.


    ¡°A long time has passed since we last saw each other. I think we have a lot to talk about between the two of us¡± ¨C With a mischievous smile, Asmodeus pounced on Faust, letting flow that thirst for blood that came to suffocate me by the pressure of his mana.

 Stage 9: Even if everything comes to an end

    I don''t know how to describe it, mere mundane words would hardly be able to define it, but if I had to say it briefly, it was like a bolt of lightning that appeared in front of me with its sword pointing straight at my throat.


    I didn''t have time to raise my cane, my arms seemed to move slowly compared to that dizzying speed. Had it not been for Faust''s rapier blocking Asmodeus '' sword , my head would have rolled on the ground.


    - ¡°Whoa, whoa. So the rumors about the infamous Faust were true. The proud draconic who gave his heart to the pathetic humans.¡±


    - " You should concentrate better on your movements if you have enough time to talk" - Using his sword as support, Faust turned with his left leg attacking with a kick to the right side of Asmodeus , who blocked that kick interposing his forearm making sparks fly that tore the fabric of his tunic.


    That semi-human-looking arm had scales of a greenish tone with yellow pigments, very similar to the color of poisonous snakes in tropical forests.


    Shedding his robes completely, Asmodeus revealed that bare back with a stocky build like a soldier who had experienced countless battles. On its muscular markings, hard scales began to emerge that closed together giving the appearance of body armor. Like the exoskeleton possessed by insects.


    - ¡°Girl, you are not a match for this subject. Stay out of the way and take care of the wizards who maintain that damn magical barrier¡± ¨C When I heard Fausto''s tone of voice, I realized that that proud dragon looked worried. I couldn''t stop thinking that my presence in that field was more than a simple nuisance. But with those black eyes he gave me a look of confidence, which made me snap out of my despondency.


    Putting my sword in front of me, I began to sing the chants that Grandma Sara had taught me once more. Imbuing the rainbow stone with my mana to shape my fighting staff.


    The soldiers who were escorting the mages pounced, brandishing their swords, while he tried to dodge them while manipulating the air currents and land masses to make them collapse.


    For their part, the two representatives of the draconic clans held a bloody battle in the night sky, at a speed that was almost impossible for me to follow with my eyes.


    - "Pay attention to your opponents, damn bitch" - The cold kiss of the metal sinking into the skin of my back made me fall to the ground, while that wound gradually numbed me due to the intense pain that my nerves transmitted to my brain.


    - "Concentrate stupid" - It was a thought that I repeated to myself while I stood up with each blow that they dealt me on my already battered body.


    The penalty for using the oracle of the end was gradually decreasing, but the mana was insufficient for me to recover quickly enough from my injuries. Causing the loss of blood to start making me dizzy with every move I made.


    - ¡°Master, take my power. Kill them all¡± ¨C The voice of the oracle of the end was constantly vociferating inside my head to make me prey once more to his frenzy. Certainly that power was incomparable, but a player who has no control over his attributes becomes a nuisance in a team game.


    And there again, thinking that this is a fucking video game. This is a real fucking world, with people bleeding and dying with the slightest mistake. I had to keep my sanity, but despair took over me with the passing of the minutes.


    - ¡°Amelia, keep this in mind. Within elemental magic spells our race has several powerful enchantments for battle. But not all of them are considered noble by those who wear them. Good and evil do not exist in magic, but the people who use it can be labeled as heroes or villains for it. Use this knowledge wisely, not to be praised or hated, but so that your soul can feel calm at the moment of your death¡± ¨C While I was training in that lake in the Medea forest, Sara taught me the fundamental principle of mana flow.


    For a sorcerer, running out of mana in the middle of combat is certain death. Therefore, the arcane elves had developed a passive technique to draw mana from the environment around them.


    From vegetation or even small animals, the currency of life could be taken by a sorcerer to recover in a disadvantageous situation.


    "He has fallen again, Ortega give the coup de grace to that damn witch" ¨C Those men had families, a home to return to after the barbarism they did to the innocent dwarf and elves villages of the Medea forest. Poor bastard Virgil had been mutilated until his eyes lost their light.


    Witch? They were wrong, she was not a simple witch. But a monster that they should fear in the depths of their hearts.


    - " Breviata vita!" ¨C Sinking the tip of my cane into the ground, that spell that I chanted began to surround each person and animal that was within my range. The soldier who until recently held his sword with the intention of killing me began to put his hands around his neck, feeling the suffocation that invaded his body.


    One by one the men in shining armor watched in horror as their skin withered to the point that their limbs turned to dust on contact with the air. The green grass under my feet began to rot, leaving a barren land that cried out for water.


    Seeing that stark scene, the magicians who had stood their ground maintaining the magical barrier began to tremble.


    Yes, in front of them a monster devoid of empathy or any trace of humanity stood up; Amelia or Hitomi , either of them had been left in the background. None existed, they were just the names of souls that stopped being one. United like Siamese twins by a thread of pain, crying out for revenge for Edith, Sara and the rest of the innocent souls who paid the price for the greed of an empress who pulled the strings behind a thick curtain of lies.


    - " Ignis lancea" - Extending my arms, sharp arrows of fire began to form in all directions that attacked the magicians, who with great difficulty could hold the barrier that little by little began to show signs of weakening, in the form of small screams that resembled cobwebs.


    As the blocking magic was about to release, a dark fireball fell from the sky bathed in blood with its broken wings.


    - "Faust!" ¨C When I saw my partner''s body, I immediately ran to his side trying with all my might to make him react, but it was all in vain. As I placed my fingers on the skin of her neck, the slight beating of a heart was beating slowly until it soon ceased to be felt in my fingertips.


    Completely seized with despair, I tried to revive him by giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and massaging his heart, but each breath from my lips did not find an echo from his.


    Descending from the air in front of us, Asmodeus delivered a kick to my face, breaking my jaw. Throwing my body to where the lady of the forest was chained, who looked at me for a brief moment, shedding a tear from that delicate face that could not express any emotion.


    - ¡° Wow ! I really haven''t had fun like this in all my centuries of life! But I must admit that this has been so refreshing. Already my muscles were getting flaccid from just dedicating myself to magic.¡± ¨C Walking in our direction, that dragon gloated in his vanity as he touched his sword''s rapier with his hands.


    My face did not stop stinging and the pain was unbearable, I felt the blood pooling in my throat as I struggled to spit it out with my fractured jawbones.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Picking me up by the hair like a rag doll, Asmodeus unleashed his sadism, driving the point of his sword slowly into every part of my body. Laughing out loud as I enjoyed the moans that escaped my mouth.


    Trying to put the hilt of my weapon close to his chest, that savage took my arm and broke it as if it were a thin branch. Pulling at the skin, slowly tearing at each muscle fiber until the ligaments gave way and my phalanx was detached from my body.


    - "Caveat! The user''s vital signs are in critical condition. The system is unable to maintain the organic stability of the host." ¨C The world oracle display was flickering in a transition between red and blue. The values of the vital signs that appeared in my status window dropped dangerously at the time that I felt how my extremities began to go numb.


    Unlike being cremated in my apartment, the way I was dying at that moment didn''t seem so bad.


    - ¡°User, two abnormal conditions have been detected within the system interface range. Combination: The user''s magic tool is compatible with the high-quality material present on the ground.


    Soul Link: An existence that has transcended to the physical plane requests to make a familiar contract with the user. By doing so, the host and guest lifespans will be combined.


    Warning: The underlying abnormal state cannot be removed. Do you wish to continue anyway?¡± ¨C And I kept repeating to myself that this was not a game, but the damned goddess did not see it in the same way.


    For them we are only insignificant beings, with the sole purpose of serving them as entertainment. Artemis or Freya, damn sisters. It doesn''t matter which one it works for, because in the end I''ll just be a puppet in their hands. But unlike the other puppets, I can see the strings of the puppeteer.


    Accepting the option that the system gave me, my cane, which was lying on the ground held by my mutilated arm, began to shine while Faust''s body was enveloped by a delicate light that dissolved his matter, dragging him towards it.


    - "What the hell is this?" ¨C Asmodeus ''s stupefied look was comical to me, while the dragon pride saw that the blood from my arm began to join my shoulder, restoring the lost tissues to give it back its vivid color.


    - "Now it''s my turn" - The pupils of my eyes had slit and the iris was scarlet red, which seemed to float over the dark sclera that reflected that face, prey to fear, while I dealt a forceful hit on the cheekbone with my cane.


    Falling to the ground with an impulse that left a groove due to the weight of his body, Asmodeus raised his hand to his face, feeling how an essence ate away part of the skin of his face. Despite the fact that its hard scales were covering him to protect him.


    Raising my staff above my head, I cast my fire spell again, but this time without making the intonation audible. Like shooting stars falling from the sky, the arrows pierced the wizards who burned one by one screaming until only ashes remained.


    - ¡°How dare you hurt me? I am the mighty Asmodeus !" ¨C Possessed by the anger caused by that blow to his ego, the dragon abandoned his humanoid form and recovered his original draconic essence . Furiously flapping their wings causing the resulting wind to uproot the trees. But I, remained firm on the ground contemplating him without the slightest hint of fear.


    - "Amelia, can you hear me"


    - "Yes, I hear you Fausto"


    - ¡°It is too early for you to use my power in its entirety. Your body won''t take it if you prolong this battle. Asmodeus is not an enemy you should let your guard down with.¡±


    - ¡°So what do you suggest?¡±


    - "Listen to me carefully" - Concentrating on each word that Fausto pronounced inside my mind, I began to imagine a series of patterns that little by little gave shape to magic circles materializing in front of me with an intense violet light.


    Picking up my cane, the material took on the shape of a stringless bow with the appearance of the black scales of a dragon''s tail, while wings of incandescent fire emerged from my back and shredded the fabric of my blouse. Leaving my exposed skin covered in scales identical in shape to those possessed by Asmodeus .


    - "Do you think that a pathetic human is worthy of imitating the proud draconic lineage ?" ¨C Opening his jaws while an intense light emanated from his throat, Asmodeus lashed out with more fury beating his wings causing the wind to form tornadoes throughout the confines of the Medea forest.


    - ¡°To hell with that empress''s request! Let this whole damn forest burn together with you¡± ¨C Launching a bolt of energy that made the foundations of the earth rumble, Asmodeus turned his fury against me.


    - "Do it now Amelia" - Just at the moment that the scorching heat of that ball of fire began to dry the air causing the treetops to begin to burn, I tensed my bow and channeled a large amount of mana in the shape of an arrow.


    Which went through the fireball making it explode in the air, impacting squarely against the body of Asmodeus . Who fell to the ground losing his original form to become a humanoid again.


    - "I lost?" Struggling to get up, Asmodeus knelt awkwardly pushing himself back to his feet. Reeling from the effect of the mana arrow he had fired at him, he staggered along, swinging his upper body.


    - " Stay where you are!" ¨C Aiming my bow defiantly against the draconic sorcerer , I felt my pulse quicken while Fausto told me to keep calm. But it was at that moment that intense pain hit me from head to toe, causing my body to burn, letting smoke out of my skin.


    - ¡°I told you stupid bitch. A human like you is not worthy of the power of the glorious dragon race.¡± ¨C Pointing his index finger, Asmodeus fired a beam of energy that went through my shoulder without touching the vital organs.


    - "You failed"


    - "Who said he was aiming at you?" ¨C Immediately turning behind me, I saw that Callisto''s chest had a hole about the size of a fist where her heart should be. When I turned my eyes to the unfortunate Asmodeus , in his hand rested that throbbing organ with its core of mana attached to it.


    - ¡°Not the best result. But that old witch will have to settle for this¡± ¨C I tried to run to catch up with him, but my legs collapsed just halfway. While that sorcerer smiled meanly while a wind wrapped him completely disappearing.


    - " Queen Callisto!" ¨C The fairies surviving the battle of the Medea forest, one by one began to arrive surrounding the body of the queen of the forest. Who little by little was losing the breath of life that still remained in his being.


    At the moment he breathed his last, the vegetation that flourished in the greenery of the forest soon began to wither, leaving the trunks of the trees completely bare. The fairies that fluttered around their queen soon fell to the ground turned into small brilliant gems that rested at Callisto''s feet.


    In a few minutes, the imposing Medea forest became a barren wasteland with that imposing spring turned into a dry bed where it was impossible to harbor life.


    I couldn''t stop crying, that spectacle in front of my eyes was a complete nightmare for me. That place that until a few days ago was overflowing with splendor, where elves, fairies and dwarves lived in harmony, was now nothing more than a graveyard without tombstones. Mute witness to the ignominy and excessive ambition of those with power.


    My tears fell on the dry earth, letting the pain of my heart sprout as I hugged the corpse of Queen Callisto. Screaming and blaspheming loudly, until sleep overcame me and I fell asleep next to my friend.


    The next morning when the sun began to sink into my skin, I opened my eyes wishing that all this had been a terrible nightmare. That when I woke up I could see the fairies mockingly pulling my blankets and Virgilio would be staring at me while Callisto reprimanded him.


    But the sunlight bathed that scene in front of my eyes, turning me to the harsh reality of the world that hit me in the face: the Medea forest had ceased to exist.


    Walking among the remains of the belongings of the infamous army, the smoking pyres of the corpses penetrated deep into my nose while I walked on the pebbles with my bare feet, holding Callisto''s corpse in my arms until I reached where Virgilio''s body was found. Using some of my mana, I weaved fine stitches over the edges of the wounds on the satyr''s body parts, stitching them together as if I were patching up a rag doll.


    When I finished composing her body, I began to dig with my hands into the hard earth until my nails began to bleed. The sweat that ran down my fingers with the scorching heat, penetrated deep into my nerves making me moan as the morning sun gave way to noon.


    Having finished my work, I dragged their bodies to that makeshift hole in the ground and covered them with the rocks I was carrying from the dry lake bed. Kneeling in front of her tomb, I laid my hands on it and chanted a runic chant with a preservation spell passed down through generations of the arcane elf race.


    - "Amelia, have you finished paying your respects?" ¨C Keeping silent before Fausto''s question, I got up leaning on my cane and began to collect from among the belongings of the fallen some clothes to cover myself and any valuables that I could carry to exchange for money.


    Approaching one last time to the shore of what was Lake Medea, I let my imagination fly trying to recover the essence of the memories where Edith was still alive. Smiling, willful but very much in her own way, an innocent girl. The ghost of the young elf crossed my body, extending her arms to receive a hug. Vanishing suddenly turning my heart into a bitter feeling of loneliness.


    - ¡°Stop torturing yourself with those who will not return. I know very well that this feeling will not lead you to anything good¡± ¨C Fausto''s voice was heard melancholic in my mind, as if for a moment our feelings had synchronized.


    Rising up from the ground, I picked up one of the little gems that the forest fairies had turned into. Keeping it in a small leather bag that I tied around my neck, pressing it against my chest for a moment.


    - "Let''s go Faust."


    - "Where will we go now creature?"


    - ¡°Anywhere far from here. Where the empress and her minions cannot find us¡± ¨C Raising my gaze towards the vast horizon, I started walking once more. Taking my feet towards the unknown, to find a solution that would free me from the curse of the goddess Freya.

 Stage 10: An alchemist named Sandra

    After the sad night that covered Medea''s forest with destruction, two months passed in which I decided to take my course in order to free myself from the curse that weighed on my body. After wandering for a few days without knowing the terrain where I was, I arrived at what seemed like the beginning of what is usually called the royal road.


    Unlike the town passes and rural roads, the ground was paved with leveled stone to prevent wear on the wheels of the merchant carriages. Along that road, surveillance posts in the form of detachments served as a means of deterring bandits who did not dare to commit reckless acts in the presence of members of the royal guard.


    "Your wife, take off your hood and show your ID card?" ¨C Practicing for several nights before trying my luck on the main path, I did condensation exercises with my mana core in order to be able to handle my appearance change at will.


    With Amelia''s red hair clearly standing out as a sign of the royal family, I strove to materialize my former appearance as a base form during the course of my journey through the far reaches of the Alberon kingdom''s territory .


    Among the belongings that you recover from the corpses of the soldiers, take a dog tag and alter it with the help of the oracle of the world in order to falsify my identity data. Any person who sought to enter or leave the borders of the kingdom, necessarily required those plates under penalty of jail in case they were found without it.


    - "Aren''t you a little fat to be a mercenary?" - Enduring Fausto''s frantic laughter in my head, I lowered my face flushed while I covered myself with the hood again trying not to hit him in the face by the soldier from the surveillance post.


    - "User could suggest some exercise routines..."


    - "Keep speaking oracle and I will replace you with your dear bastard brother"


    - "The oracle of the end and I only share a name, I can assure you that my mother was a very virtuous artificial intelligence, but I can''t say the same about my father" - After hearing that I couldn''t stop laughing at the astonished look of the guards, who thought he had gone mad from the horrors of combat.


    Using some of the copper coins I stole from the camp, I paid for my wagon ride to a merchant on his way to the border town of Mireya. Carried by important commercial traffic and serving as an entry point to the vast grasslands that communicated with the kingdom of Casius , the walled city was for a long time the first line of defense of the kingdom of Alberon .


    The landscape during my journey showed small cabins and barns that rested on the idyllic pastures that stretched around. The sound of the sheep and the mobile animals that ran freely through the fenced fields, harmonized with the flight of the birds while I rested my eyes on that bluish sky with just a little cloudiness.


    - "Are you going to the city to report to the mercenary guild, miss?"


    - "Yes, I''ve been away for a while and maybe they think I''m dead" - Clearing his throat a bit, Fausto tried to dissuade me from continuing with the entertaining talk that merchant gave me. But she was sick of spending so many days just talking to the oracle and the embittered dragon.


    As we approached the city limits, the noise of the crowd gradually grew until it became a sea of voices that were heard in unison. From the shouts of the shopkeepers offering their products to the buyers to the trovas of the musicians who sang in the main square. The atmosphere of the city of Mireya gave free rein like a festival for the senses.


    Walking among the street food stalls, the aromas of spices and roast meat whetted my appetite, making me look for some spare copper coins. But I had already spent everything when I paid the toll to the merchant.


    - "User, I think this is a good opportunity to start a rigorous regimen"


    - "Oracle, remember. Format"


    - "Although thinking about it, it is still in the development stage and needs nutrients to grow"


    - ¡°Just shut up¡± ¨C Feeling a slight headache, I went through my bag to make sure of the items I took from the corpses in order to find something I could pawn or sell in the city. Heading to the alleys where the pawnshops were located that, although they would not pay me fair for my loot, at least they would not bother asking questions.


    As if jumping from one world to another, going from the main streets to the alleys of the slum, the facades of the buildings looked more discolored and the rancid stench of the lousy drainage made me want to vomit at times.


    - "How strong you look. Don''t you want to spend a warm moment with me?"


    - ¡°Get away ! I saw him first"


    - ¡°Hey! Look at me, dammit. I am a woman!"


    - ¡° Mmmm , you''re a bit ugly, but if you have money I don''t care¡± ¨C I swear by everything that could be called sacred, that I don''t remember the last time I ran so ashamed in my life. And to add more salt to the wound, Fausto''s silence revealed a slight static sound paused by Oracle. As if that annoying virtual assistant was making fun of me.


    After that bitter drink, as I predicted, the owner of the pawn shop did not ask any more questions regarding the valuables that I threw on the counter table. But even in the face of all those jewels, the wretch only gave me five silver coins and fifty copper coins in return.


    The price per night in the city''s inns ranged from eighty copper to one silver coin per day. That''s not including food or running water for bathing, which added an additional cost that I couldn''t afford at the time.


    - ¡°Human, I don''t want to tell you in a very rude way. But you''ve been scammed


    - ¡°I know Faust . Believe me I know¡± ¨C Whimpering with what little I had left of my intact dignity crawling on the filthy floor of the alley, I decided that I had lost my appetite and preferred to go directly to a cheap inn of those that were near the wall.


    With a wall more than twenty meters high, five meters wide and stretching about a kilometer long. The formidable wall of the merchant city of Mireya rose imposingly before the gaze of locals and strangers.


    The land bordering that mass of rock was destined for stables, some brothels that served as meeting points for merchants and the few inns that offered cheap rooms for only twenty copper.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    - "User, even an artificial intelligence like me has certain standards for the places where my host should be"


    - ¡°Oops, I''m sorry Mr. Refined. But in case you haven''t noticed, we need all the money possible to travel to the next kingdom¡± ¨C Gritting my teeth somewhat annoyed, I walked through the narrow corridors of the buildings when suddenly, a hand held me firmly by the wrist.


    - ¡°Look what we have here. A mercenary girl. Tell me miss, are you available for a subjugation mission? There is a violent snake in my room that¡­¡± ¨C That stale alcoholic breath was about to make my insides turn with disgust.


    The guards at the main gate used to exchange every twelve hours with their peers and it was common for some of them to go directly to the canteens inside the brothels.


    That guy looked like he didn''t have enough money to pay for a prostitute after spending it all on liquor. So his little brain under the effects of the alcohol stupor made him think it was a good idea to mess with me.


    - "User do not do it"


    - "Amelia restrain yourself"


    - "Mommy!"


    - "Wait to?" - The trembling voice of a little girl who came to hold me by the waist, took me by surprise. At the time I saw how two guards were just around the alley and rushed to take their partner under arrest. If only that brat had delayed a few seconds, the soldiers would have found me covered in the blood of that remains of a man.


    - ¡°Girl, you can let me go. Thanks for helping. I promise I''ll buy you some sweets but you must go with your mother."


    - ¡°! Nooo ! Mom wants to leave Sandy! I promise to be a good girl, but don''t abandon me¡± ¨C With the gazes of the guards pointing like daggers at me, I took the girl''s hand and went as quickly as possible to the first inn I found.


    - "It would be forty copper for both of us" - Feeling cheated once again, I hit the coins against the counter and took the room key, dragging the girl by the hand as she went up the stairs.


    - ¡°It is incredible that such an ugly woman has such a beautiful daughter¡±


    - " I''m listening to you!" ¨C Shouting at the owner of the inn, I slammed the door of my room while throwing the girl on the mattress of the bed.


    - "Hey, don''t be so rude to me, I just saved your skin. If it wasn''t for me, the city guards would have seized you for killing their partner." ¨C Changing her tone of voice for a less childish one, the little girl in front of my eyes took a pedantic attitude that gave the impression of being an adult in the body of a child.


    - "Listen to me. I appreciate what you did for me, but you have crossed the line with that act of the abandoned daughter" - Feeling that my mouth was dry from anger, I took the jug that was on the table in the room and poured some water in a jar to drink it. Spitting it out immediately upon feeling its muddy taste.


    Getting up from the bed while fixing the wrinkles in her skirt, the girl walked up to me and placed her hand on the jug of water while drawing a symbol that glowed for a few moments.


    - ¡°Drink it up¡±


    - "She''s crazy? This crap shouldn''t even be considered for human consumption."


    - "Just shut up and drink it" - Feeling self-conscious by the firmness with which the girl gave me that order, I poured myself some water again and this time, its taste was as pure and refreshing as if it were spring water.


    - "How did you do that? It''s impossible for a brat to use magic due to her lack of mana."


    - ¡°Are you confusing me with a pathetic magician? Clean your ears, fat cow¡± ¨C Taking an impulse to place herself on the table, that girl put her hands on her waist and with a superb appearance she appeared before me.


    - ¡°My name is Sandra, the most famous alchemist of the people of Crom in the kingdom of Siegfried . And I have chosen you to escort me back to my home¡± ¨C During the days that I spent studying magic with the sorceress Sara, I had heard fleetingly about the alchemists while I was taking my classes on runic enchantments.


    Able to break the equivalency exchange rule that governs traditional magic, alchemists were people who for many years were considered the elite within the battle garrisons.


    But due to the growing dominance of the cult of the goddess Artemis, alchemists were dismissed as undesirable to the point of being considered a fringe existence.


    That girl who proclaimed herself a powerful alchemist, was offering me a job as an escort, mistaking me for a mercenary because of my appearance. While it was true that she needed the money to travel, the fact that she asked me to take her to Siegfried''s kingdom was something she did not consider possible with my plans to go to Casius ''s kingdom .


    Firmly refusing her request, I opened my bedroom door and invited her out to find another mercenary to help her on her mission. Just at the moment that the girl was crossing the threshold of the door, the words she spoke made my blood run cold.


    - "Good luck with the curse you have engraved on your body" - Saying that with eyes that drilled into my being, I took the girl by the arm and dragged her back into the room.


    - ¡°How much do you know about the curse? Does he talk snotty?


    - "If you are going to ask something from a powerful alchemist like me, you should have more respect and ask for it on your knees" - With a strength that did not match her delicate appearance, the little girl knocked me down on the ground, placing herself on my chest while maintaining her grip against my wrists and from his back emerged a kind of tail with a metallic edge that protruded from the tip.


    - ¡°Amelia, I cannot release my power. This girl is blocking the mana channels in your body."


    - " Tsk ... user... Tsk ... security violation... protocol not operational..." - Fearful of the unknown, I looked into the eyes of the girl who kept a serious face while passing the edge of her weapon over me face. Little by little bringing his face closer to mine, making me tremble to the depths of my being.


    - ¡°How does it feel to be at the mercy of a little girl? Do you still feel powerful you fucking fat cow? It is enough for me to transcribe a transmutation circle in your body and you would become the animal that I most wanted. But since I''m a kind person, I''ll give you one last chance.


    Come with me to Crom and serve as my bodyguard. This is not a request but an order. You understand me?" ¨C Nodding my head, the girl changed her face to a smiling one as she released me from the pressure of her power.


    Trying to get my thoughts together, I verified that my manaflows were stable again and that the oracle was back online.


    - "Human, are you alright?"


    - "Calm down Fausto, we would not be having this conversation if something had happened to me"


    - "User, the life form that just attacked you does not belong to the draconic species, but its cellular composition does not completely correspond to that of a common human being" - Those words of the oracle caught my attention while I continued contemplating the girl who remained sitting in a chair looking out the window at the street.


    What the hell was Sandra? It was the question that I repeated to myself as we prepared to leave as soon as the first rays of the sun arrived the next day.


    While arranging our documents with the guard at the main entrance to sign our exit permit, the little girl sat silently on the bench of the carriage that would take us halfway to the city of Crom.


    - ¡°Why didn''t you get a nicer carriage? This is old and smelly¡±


    - "Sorry? In case you haven''t noticed how little money I had, I just spent it getting your traveler''s permit. I didn''t count on having a travel companion, much less that she was a freeloader who doesn''t have any money with her."


    - ¡°I told you that I will pay you as soon as we get to my town! You don''t have to snarl at me like that, fat cow¡± ¨C Refraining from hitting him on the head, I jumped into the carriage cabin and gave the signal to the driver to begin our journey.


    While we were traveling on the royal road, I began to think about why that girl needed me to escort her during her trip. Certainly his power was so immense that he would have no trouble moving around, which made it seem rather strange to me.


    - "Amelia, do you hear me?"


    - "Tell me, Faust"


    - ¡°Sara had told you that a few years ago the alchemists were people for whom the kingdoms could even kill for having them. But now they are outlawed because of that same power that they carry in their bodies.


    If that girl were to display her skills in public, it wouldn''t take long for that news to reach the ears of the goddess Artemis'' acolytes. She chose you because she trusts you, but it seems that she has a deeper secret in her application.¡± ¨C When Fausto told me, the doubts in my mind began to accumulate more and more like a snowball falling down the hill and getting bigger.


    What mystery was that girl hiding behind those big brown eyes that left her expression fixed on the horizon looking out the carriage window. It was the incipient doubt that was making its way into my mind like a knife cutting my brains out.

 Stage 11: The town that never sleeps

    Swinging her feet on the seat in front of me, Sandra looked like a simple girl who had already gotten bored by the monotonous ride. Crammed in with the company of two women who had boarded the carriage at the last stop just two days ago.


    Much like the public transportation of my old world, the service provided by the nobles within the intercontinental roads was cheap for the common people. But full of shortcomings and drawbacks when it came to trips as long as ours.


    I wanted to be able to laugh at the face of that girl who did not hide her annoyance among the accidental blows that the ladies gave her when trying to accommodate each jump of the carriage. But my situation was not unlike hers, being practically squashed against the carriage window by a burly man carrying his laden chickens.


    Who the hell carries chickens on public transport? Those animals did not stop pecking me before the complacent look of that subject, who only specified that they seemed to have liked me.


    With my hair disheveled and my cloak reeking of the stench of chickens, I took Sandra''s hand and we started walking to the last stop of the carriage. Four days away on horseback, we found ourselves in the town of Horfelia. A small rural community that was located between the city of Mireya and our destination in the town of Crom.


    With no inns or taverns, this town was far from an appropriate destination for travelers, save for the hospitality often shown by the locals. Those who ran to meet the walkers to offer their products to sell at prices that I could not afford due to our lack of money.


    - ¡°Buy me something to eat. I''ll pay you when I get there¡± ¨C A growl coming from Sandra''s small stomach made mine react as I became aware that our last bite had been just a few pieces of hard rye bread soaked in goat''s milk.


    At the insistence of the girl who did not stop complaining, I decided to take her along one of the alternative paths that communicated with the wooded area of the town.


    - "Oracle, give me the location of every creature in the forest that can be edible" - In my status window, a small map with our location showed me a series of luminous points that moved oscillating within the limits of the wooded area.


    Running between the branches and the greenish foliage, he shot small bursts of mana at the bodies of some hares and squirrels that were in the treetops. Continuing my search collecting some nuts and aromatic herbs to prepare the meat of my prey.


    - ¡°Luminare Ignem¡± ¨C Making Sandra collect some water from a nearby stream and some dry branches, I built a fire to cook our food. At first the tadpole showed a bit of displeasure when the roast hare happened to it. Well, just like on earth, that animal usually has a horrible smell when its meat is put into the fire. But with a bit of herbs that flavor was attenuated allowing it to be edible.


    As we munched our food, I would ask Sandra about her town and she seemed excited as she told me every detail with her light-up eyes. Describing it as a town surrounded by mountains in the middle of a valley, the morning mist used to look like a wave that descended from the icy tips of the mountain ranges to the slopes where the vegetation flourished.


    With every detail that came from her lips, her small hands and her face showed me a purity that contrasted with the firm character that she showed me in the room at the inn in Mireya. Everything about that girl filled me with curiosity, as if for a moment I felt overwhelmed by old memories of my sister Akemi.


    Finishing eating, we started our journey again avoiding the main roads while I used my wind magic to move carrying the girl on my back. Without money to rent a couple of horses, if we traveled on foot those four days would have turned into two weeks.


    When night fell, supported by the darkness of the shadows of cloudy nights, I used my dragon wings to fly through the skies, avoiding the glances of the shepherds who guarded their flocks from the wolves.


    At dawn on the fourth day, little Sandra opened her eyes feeling a slight cold breeze that hit her cheeks. When I saw the expression on her face marveling at the scenery offered by the aerial view, I couldn''t help but smile at her as she made a pouting face.


    - "Amelia, look there!" ¨C Pointing her finger at me in the direction of a small hut, Sandra kept pulling the fold of the collar of my cape indicating that I should descend to the ground.


    As soon as I put a foot on the ground, the girl let go of my lap and ran to the battered door of that old house separated from the rest of the town.


    - ¡°Mom, I''m back! I brought someone with me, hurry up and come see her¡± ¨C When I entered the house, a slight aroma of spices bathed the walls and objects inside the room. The warmth of the fire in the hearth made a cozy welcome in contrast to the cool feeling of the morning mist outside.


    - "Welcome traveler, I hope my little Sandra did not cause you problems"


    - "Don''t worry, she behaved very well on the way" ¨C Leaving aside the fact that she was a powerful alchemist, the mother''s behavior seemed strange to me the moment I saw her.


    In this world or in my past life, usually the children I get to see on the streets were always accompanied by their mother or father. But, even so, Sandra''s mother did not show concern on her face for the visit of a stranger who had just traveled with her daughter.


    Quite the contrary, that hospitality was highly suspicious to me, keeping me alert for any trap that might be hidden.


    - "User I perceive an irregular flow of mana in the environment. Do you want me to activate the firewall?¡±


    - "Do it, all this seems strange to me too"


    Sitting down at the table to receive a bowl of beef stew, I waited for a while to see both mother and daughter take their first bite. But even so, I asked the oracle to examine the content of that food as soon as I put it on my palate.


    - ¡°If the brat wanted to hurt you, she would have taken you from the inn, Amelia. You don''t need to be so meticulous with her."


    - ¡°I have my reasons to be cautious Fausto. I think you''ve already seen the memories of my past life when we made the contract." ¨C Remaining silent, Fausto could not refute my point given the trauma caused by the assault that led to my death at the hands of Richard.


    I must admit that that dish, despite being simple, had a captivating flavor that pleased my palate. Perhaps because of the acid touch of the cream dissolved in the broth that was mixed with a sweet tone from the fried tomatoes with which he made the sauce, but he couldn''t stop taking bites as he sank small pieces of bread hoping it wouldn''t run out.


    - ¡°It seems that you like the stew. In fact, this dish is Sandra''s favorite, so much so that I usually prepare it morning, afternoon and night" - Looking at the woman''s face for a moment more carefully, I saw that the expression on her face, despite looking natural, had slight monotonous aspects when raising the arc of his smile. As if it were a patient who had suffered a stroke.


    - ¡°Mom is enough!¡± ¨C Slamming the palms of her hands on the table, Sandra got up from her place with her face lowered, her hair bangs covering her eyes. The girl''s attitude startled me a bit, but it was even more strange for me that I didn''t see a reaction from the mother for that outburst.


    No matter how permissive a father can be with his son, it was impossible not to have a consequence from an adult. But far from getting angry or reacting in response to that outburst, the mother just silently picked up the plates and walked back to the kitchen.


    - "Come, come with me to town" - Taking my arm pulling insistently, we left the hut and began to walk along the sidewalk in complete silence. For a moment I felt the urge to ask about that incident, but the alchemist''s small hand was firmly squeezing my wrist. Not with the intention of injuring me, but letting a feeling of discomfort flow as he brought his right hand to his chest.


    In the middle of the grasslands, the people who were working on the job raised their faces in the direction of the little girl, greeting her from a distance while she maintained an air of indifference for those displays of affection.


    When we arrived at the town square, the shops and small market stalls were already set up, with slight signs of accumulated dust giving the impression that they were never dismantled by the bidders.


    - ¡°Look there, there are some street artists gathered at the fountain. Come on, hurry up" - Changing the expression on her face with a cheerful look again, Sandra got excited while she took me without resisting.


    Musicians and harlequins put on a show in the presence of the children who were gathered together, giving applause every time they finished their performance.


    - "Don''t you think they are amazing?"


    - ¡°Sandra, you promised that you would tell me about my condition if I brought you to town. I already fulfilled my part of the bargain. It''s time for you to fulfill yours too" - Speaking to her with a severe tone, I tried to get the little girl to respond to her constant evasions. But the only thing I got with it was that the brat ran away from me while insulting me.


    Waiting for her for a few hours in that square, she saw how people came and went between the business stalls in an ordinary way. But every time I focused on their faces, I felt that same strange feeling that I experienced when I met Sandra''s mother.


    Getting up from the edge of the fountain, I tried to return to the hut to wait there for the little alchemist. At the same time, a little boy collided with me, falling face down on the ground of the square.


    When I tried to help him up, I noticed that the boy was not crying despite having scraped knees. Not the slightest sign of pain or discomfort was reflected on his face; instead, she just looked me in the eye and gave me a smile that made my blood run cold as I reconnected her with the alchemist''s mother.


    - ¡°Oracle! What is happening here?"


    - ¡°User, the flow of mana in the boy''s body is similar to that of the lady of the hut. After performing my analysis, I have found slight variations in the rest of the life forms around. But they are all similar¡± ¨C Fearing the worst, I ran again in the direction of the hut, stumbling through the sea of people who gathered in the town''s commercial plaza.


    Like an ominous premonition that drilled into my chest, the images of the faces of the people of that town made my skin crawl as if the air of death was hovering in all directions.


    The people who were at work that morning were still in the same place, instinctively reacting to anyone who passed by. Even when the sun''s rays began to wane on the horizon of the mountains.


    - "Sandra, get out of there right now!" ¨C Opening the door of the alchemist''s house, the smell of the stews remained in the air as if time had stopped in that place. With the little light from the fire that was snatched in the fireplace by the cold air that entered, the shadows of the furniture were projected on the walls giving a gloomy atmosphere in the midst of the silence of that place.


    It was then that the sound of an object falling into one of the rooms made me react and I went to see what it was about.


    Sitting by a sewing table, Sandra''s mother moved her hands with a needle and thread over a piece of cloth that already looked old and worn by time.


    - "Ma''am where is Sandra!" - Moving her shoulder with force, the woman did not react to my words, staying in that task as if it were an automaton. With the expression on his face illuminated sinisterly by the dim light of a candle.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    As soon as I took a few steps back to leave the hut, I felt how an object hit me on the back of the neck, making me lose my balance while one of my temples hit the edge of a nightstand. While I was losing consciousness, in the middle of the darkness that prevailed in the room, I saw some small feet that were approaching me at the moment that everything went black.


    - ¡°And a beast came out of the abyss, pouring out his chalice of corruption on the world. Neither man or woman, old man or baby in arms resisted him, nor the other beasts that ruled over the underworld could oppose him. Blaspheming against the goddess, he cut the threads of life and instead replaced the breath of men with the stench of the sepulchre¡± ¨C As if it were a dream that remained buried in the memories of the mind of the original owner of this body, images of the doctrine classes that I took in his childhood hit my subconscious.


    A man with a serene countenance was holding a book that seemed to be the divine scriptures of that world. With his head already devoid of hair and the cloth of age over his wrinkled face, the deacon Gast¨®n was exalted when pronouncing that part of the scriptures.


    In the golden age of heroes, when the five great draconian nations were up in arms against each other, alchemists were the bargaining chip that tipped the scales for one side in particular.


    With the church''s monopoly on the faith waning because of them, the high priest, using his position as saint of the deity Artemis, announced an oracle from the goddess stating that the alchemists had committed an act against the goddess, which they called taboo.


    At the request of the royal houses, the alchemists tried by all means to find a way to make up for the lack of soldiers in the face of the constant bloodshed at the front. After many experiments following the line of the golems, those men and women versed in primordial magic created the first homunculi.


    When a person''s soul leaves its receptacle, that body of blood and flesh was devoid of energy in its mana core. Causing that body to follow its natural process of putrefaction.


    But the alchemists found that even if the soul was ripped from the body, the memories residing in its brain could function as a catalyst to keep moving, using extra mana energy like battery dummies.


    Even when thanks to this the casualties of the front were reduced and with this the citizens calmed their anger against the monarchs, the league of nations turned its back on it as soon as the church pronounced itself branding them as heretics.


    - ¡°Amelia, wake up girl. Stop staying unconscious and awake. This doesn''t look good at all¡± ¨C Still aching from the stabbing pain in my neck, the wobble of my body made me wake up to realize that I was tied hand and foot, being carried by two of the villagers.


    - "Sandra, where are you taking me?"


    - ¡°It is not time for you to wake up yet. Stay still and don''t do anything stupid, the ropes that imprison your body are imbued with my mana and block the circuits of your body." ¨C Continuing with that gloomy procession, he contemplated the villagers in the middle of the silent night that covered the town with rays of moonlight.


    As if they were living dead, the people who in the afternoon were still moving with a certain freedom, now revealed that deplorable state in which they found themselves.


    Halting our march in front of a church, Sandra''s men pushed open the massive wooden doors to the atrium, their hinges creaking as if they had long been covered in rust.


    - "Tie her on the altar" - Hitting my body hard on the cold stone altar in front of the decapitated statue of the goddess, Sandra projected balls of fire on the chandeliers to turn on the lighting of that cold room.


    - ¡°Get off me now, dammit! What the hell have I done to you to make you do this to me?"


    - ¡°It''s not you Amelia, or should I say Hitomi. What name do you prefer? Honestly, I don''t care, since I''m not talking to a human being but to an advanced homunculus"- With the impact of that revelation, my body felt heavy while Sandra began to cut my clothes with her dagger to leave my skin exposed to the inclement cold wind that brought the mist that filtered through the windows of the temple.


    Taking a chalice in which she spilled her own blood by cutting a vein, the little alchemist soaked her index finger in the blood, drawing a series of symbolic patterns on my skin. Making the chills take over me, my body trembling with each brush that left with that bright blood.


    - ¡°User, the firewall defense is being violated by a language not recognized by the system. It is impossible to access the main command functions¡±


    - ¡°Amelia, I can''t inject my power into your mana lines. The spell of the ropes is stopping me"


    - "Damn!" ¨C At the moment the dagger was raised on my chest, with Sandra''s eyes fixed on mine. Time began to stop and for a brief moment, like a beast pounding on the door struggling to enter, the oracle of the end appeared.


    - "Master, use me."


    - "I don''t want to, I shouldn''t."


    - " Master, you know you want it. With your mouth you say no, but your blood throbs excited to use me once more. That suffocating power, the power to reign, over everything.¡± ¨C As if it were the product of a hallucination, a female silhouette that overflowed with darkness took my face looking at me with its deep eye sockets as bright as lava.


    With that smile that oscillated between the candid and seductive, that entity placed its lips on mine biting them lightly.


    - ¡°Just say it, my teacher. Say the phrase I want to hear, the one that ignites my insides wanting to merge with you.


    - "I... release you" - With a laugh that echoed in my ears, the sinister silhouette disappeared, leaving the status window with that intense red that gave me the title of apostle of the shadows.


    With an explosion that shook the foundations of that building, the walls began to collapse before Sandra''s astonished gaze. Who released a magical barrier protecting her while the heavy rocks crushed the bodies of her minions.


    Reflected in her pupils, my near-demonic appearance seemed more imposing than the first time I released her in the Medea forest. Being able to maintain my sanity for brief periods of time.


    - ¡°I knew it, you are not something that is tied to the rules of this world. I need you, I want your mana core to complete it. You are the key to my dream!" ¨C Sticking the dagger into her throat, Sandra let her blood flow as she dropped her panting body on the ground. At the same time that he was enveloped by that sea of crimson red until he acquired a draconic form very similar to that of the sorcerer Asmodeus.


    - "Amelia, human, answer me." ¨C Fausto''s desperate voice was barely recognizable by my senses, while my body was governed by that thirst for blood as I launched myself squarely against the enemy in front of me.


    The flames of the candles that had fallen on the church carpet began to burn more intensely as the wind fanned that fire around us. Like two fallen angels fighting for the crown of hell, Sandra and I engaged in a battle over the night sky while the homunculi in the town began to move more and more torpidly.


    - "Nope! I have to keep them working¡± ¨C Lowering her guard for a brief moment, I took my staff and giving it the shape of a spear, I threw it towards the alchemist''s chest. Who, a few seconds after the tip penetrated it, held my weapon with his hands, throwing it to the ground.


    The look of surprise in his eyes touched me, it was like seeing a lamb that was realizing that it had fallen into a wolf''s den. And I thirsted for his blood. I wanted to sink my teeth into that little neck and rip out its jugular.


    - "Hitomi!" ¨C Shouting once more, but with greater intensity, Fausto shook my mind making me lose concentration on my transformation. Moment in which the alchemist took the opportunity to conjure dark chains that came from the floor of the square, which crossed my body in different parts while dragging me like a fighting bull that has lost its temper.


    - ¡°Leave me Faust? I want to have fun! Let me have my feast"


    - ¡°Human, do not let the power of the shadows consume you. Didn''t you wish to free yourself from the curse and vanquish the goddesses?"


    - ¡°I am going to die in nine months, Fausto! She has the only clue to free me from this curse and she won''t tell me unless I defeat her."


    - ¡°Yes, you said it! Defeat her, not kill her as you have in mind because of that sinister oracle¡± ¨C Shaking between the chains giving violent spasms, Sandra approached me brandishing a dagger with the firm intention of completing the church ritual.


    - "Look at her! That little bastard is about to kill me and you want her to control me?¡±


    - "Do it for Akemi and Edith" - When Fausto mentioned those names, I gave a scream that reverberated throughout the valley until it shook the trees where the birds were resting, making them flee in terror. Throwing Sandra off balance, she dropped the dagger while covering her ears from the intense pain.


    The reanimated bodies of the inhabitants began to fall and one by one they gave signs of the putrefaction that had been stopped by the product of alchemy.


    - ¡°No, no, noooo! Stop don''t go. Don''t leave me alone¡± ¨C The expression on the alchemist''s face changed from the sinister chimera she had become, giving way again to the face of an innocent girl who shed tears, extending her hands towards the corpses.


    - "Regaining control of the main system, starting the world''s oracle program" - Losing my shadow transformation, my body began to smoke and the chains that imprisoned me dissolved like dust that was lost in the wind.


    - "Mommy, daddy, don''t leave me"


    - "What''s wrong with this brat?"


    - "Amelia, put your hand on her head and repeat after me" - Fulfilling Fausto''s wishes, I placed my hand on the girl and recited an incantation that allowed me to explore the memories that remained in the depths of her mind. Letting see before me the scene of a not too distant past.


    Not more than twenty years ago, a traveler arrived at Crom''s town, staying for a while. That appearance with yellow eyes was bitterly familiar. In his endless search for knowledge, Asmodeus had chosen this town as his base of operations to unleash his experiments with magical creatures.


    Having heard the rumors that an old alchemist from the court of the kingdom of Siegfried resided in that villa, who escaped the purge that the church directed against them, Asmodeus began to interrogate the locals until he arrived at Sandra''s house.


    V¨ªctor Balderas, a retired royal alchemist, had settled in the town of Crom under a false identity in the company of his wife Rebeca and their daughter Sandra. During that time, he set up a medical office to attend to the residents using his alchemy, taking care not to reveal his arts to the public.


    Even though in the eyes of the common people he could hide his magic, for the sorcerer Asmodeus the smell of the manna of that man attracted him like a bee to honey.


    Posing as a fellow alchemist by manipulating the memories in his mind with magic, Asmodeus dragged Victor to the point where he no longer spent time in his clinic and for a few hours at night he would return home.


    At that time, Sandra was barely five years old. Inheriting the ability for alchemy like her father, the girl spent her days reading in her room the books that her father hid under lock and key.


    Listening to the stories of his exploits at night like children''s tales, Victor had not realized that within his daughter''s heart he sowed the seed of a hunger for knowledge.


    One afternoon, while secretly following her father to Asmodeus''s workshop, the little girl saw how that man and her father successfully manifested an alchemical beast through a transmutation circle. But just in an oversight due to the emotion of her innocence, the little girl made a jar fall to the ground, making them lose concentration.


    It was at that moment that the beast got out of control and wounded Victor with its claws, while Asmodeus with his visibly upset face took his staff and struck down the chimera by conjuring elemental magic of lightning.


    - ¡°Daddy, forgive me. You got hurt because of me¡± ¨C Hugging his daughter who was crying inconsolably, Victor told Asmodeus that he would no longer participate in his experiments. Leaving the mysterious subject behind them with an expression of indifference that stuck to the girl.


    As the days passed, Victor began to feel sick, coughing uncontrollably as his fever gradually rose until he was delirious.


    Trying by all means to help her father, Sandra used every acquired knowledge of alchemy to find a cure to alleviate the symptoms that man had in his body. But one by one, each attempt despite showing improvement, there came a point where it failed completely.


    Desperate not knowing what else to do, Sandra left her hut leaving her mother in the care of her father. Going directly to Asmodeus''s workshop, the girl fell on her knees before that man, begging him to help her save her father.


    Seeing that the girl had potential as an alchemist, the evil dragon deceived her by giving her an elixir that according to her words could reverse her father''s symptoms. But in return, he must allow her to inject his blood into him to serve as a test subject for his latest experiment.


    Without being aware of the scope of that request, Sandra gladly agreed to later receive the bottle with which she ran to her house and with her hopes pinned on it, she poured every last drop on her father''s lips.


    After the first night, V¨ªctor got up in the morning as if he had never been sick, living with his family and going to his office every day. But that beautiful illusion changed to a nightmare after five nights, when Victor began to feel that his body was burning like a blazing fire.


    Leaving his clinic seized with a feeling of inexplicable anger, that gentle man gradually lost his humanity while his body transformed into a beast similar to the one that had been conjured in the alchemy circle.


    The inhabitants of the town, upon seeing that monster, ran in terror, being intercepted by its claws, falling dead as soon as they received the fateful blow of the chimera.


    Once again trusting in the sinister Asmodeus, Sandra went looking for him to help reverse her father''s condition. To which the evil dragon nodded smiling as he was escorted by the girl to the town square.


    - "Please save him"


    - "Me? Little girl, you are a great alchemist. You have the power to save your father, don''t doubt it. Just manifest the power that I give you through my blood¡± ¨C Feeling a strong pang in her heart, Sandra collapsed while spitting blood on the ground. Which was taking shape to give it its incomplete draconic appearance.


    Without being able to control herself, the little girl launched herself against every living being that passed in front of her, mortally wounding them regardless of whether they were men, women or infants.


    - "Sandra, stop" - Desperately interposing herself between the chimera and the draconic beast that her daughter had become, Sandra pierced her mother''s chest and the chimera''s forehead in her impetuous flight.


    By the time the little girl was able to regain consciousness, her eyes widened and she gazed in horror at the chaotic scene that the town had become. Losing his reason when he realized that in front of his naked body, the corpse of his mother and the charred remains of a chimera lay on the ground.


    With the guilt of all the lives she had taken that night, little Sandra used her life force to create homunculi with the bodies of her mother and the rest of the villagers. Crying silently while simulating a normal life surrounded by corpses that could only respond as imperfect soulless machines.


    - "So this is your secret" - Getting on my knees in front of the girl, I hugged her tightly until her body, which remained motionless, began to tremble, letting out a deep cry that pierced my being.


    Living all those years in solitude, searching for an answer to bring them back, the girl had met me in Mireya and thought that due to my nature it was possible to return to her mother along with the rest.


    But with each tear that welled up in her eyes, as the bodies began to degrade to dust, Sandra understood that the souls that have left can never return. And that town that for years remained awake in the midst of an ephemeral dream, was preparing to sleep the eternal dream.

 Stage 12: Terror underground

    - "Are you okay with this, kiddo? Maybe we should just go¡­¡±


    - "No, Amelia. It''s been enough, it''s something I have to do for them¡± ¨C At the foot of an improvised grave, little Sandra shed a few tears that mixed with the earth removed from the tomb. Beside this, other graves without a body, with nothing more than a tombstone with an inscribed name, was what left a testimony for the lives of those poor souls who perished years ago.


    Sticking her staff into the ground, the little alchemist closed her eyes and chanted a chant similar to the incantations we wizards chanted, with a slight variation in her intonation with each key word.


    Raising his staff in the air, waving it in the shape of a crescent, a light irradiated each of the town''s buildings, causing the passage of time that had stopped in them, causing them to collapse as their protection was removed. From the remains of the cathedral that were still maintained despite the fire, to the businesses in the square, continuing through the houses. Until reaching the old hut, where the fire in the fireplace remained burning, stone by stone fell. Burying objects that rotted at high speed.


    - ¡°All of them are dead, I just kept their bodies alive on a mere whim. The childhood dream of a girl who refused to accept the reality of her sins. It is only fair that the people leave with them, just as it should have been from that day on¡± ¨C Wiping away her tears with the sleeve of her blouse, her body trembled with impotence as she faced that fact with deep sadness and desolation in her heart.


    When I tried to comfort her by putting my hand on her shoulder, she smacked me, shaking her head in disapproval. She didn''t want to be sympathetic, she felt she didn''t deserve it, but even so, contrary to her wishes, I hugged her from behind even though she tried to get away.


    It was there that that innocent creature surrendered in my arms, crying bitterly for more than an hour until his eyes were swollen with tears. Falling fast asleep in my lap, while I sat on the grass of that moor stroking her head to comfort her in her dreams. While between her lips, a slight murmur escaped calling her mother, breaking my heart.


    - ¡°Amelia, what will you do with this brat? It''s true that I told you that you shouldn''t kill her, but I don''t think we should take her with us."


    - Faust, you better than anyone know the bastard of Asmodeus. Tell me, if I leave her alone, what do you think that wretch will do when he gets his hands on her? You yourself saw how I kill Callisto in cold blood in front of my eyes, you saw him destroy the Medea forest and every soul that lived in it, only for his selfish ends. She will come with us, it is not up for discussion."


    - ¡°Amelia! She is an alchemist, the holy church has put a price on the heads of these people. In itself it is a miracle that inquisitors have not already come to this town after Asmodeus was here."


    - ¡°Faust, who goes to a cemetery in search of the living? Asmodeus left here thinking that he killed them all. He even left Sandra for dead when he saw that his experiment failed. But you said it yourself, it''s a miracle nobody came here out of curiosity. However, miracles don''t happen twice and she needs me." ¨C The moment I said that, Fausto''s voice stopped chattering. I know he was worried about my well-being, but having Sandra''s small body in my arms, with that peaceful expression on her face, I couldn''t think of agreeing with that position that seemed so mean to me.


    Taking care not to wake him, I held the little alchemist tightly to my chest and covering my face with my hood, I began my journey once more jumping into the air. But this time, without the slightest bit of concern.


    The landscape that until recently had been noisy, had been transformed into a place full of the immense greenery of the grass, where only the rubble of the old buildings that succumbed when Sandra withdrew her power could be appreciated. Seeing the magnitude of the vast scenery, I couldn''t even imagine how much effort that girl had made with that small body, to keep that town and its people active like a big doll''s house.


    - "User, I detect an unidentified energy source 500 meters below us" - Turning my gaze towards the ground, in contrast to the collapsed buildings on the grass, a construction stood defiantly at the spectacle of destruction from town.


    Driven by my curiosity, I went down to inspect it, finding a metal door that showed the deterioration of rust produced by the passage of time.


    - "What are we doing here? Please, I don''t want to go in!" ¨C Waking up by the serene breeze close to dusk, the little girl gripped her hands tightly on the hem of my cloak, pulling it with a deep feeling of fear.


    - "Sandra, what''s wrong with you!"


    - "This is the evil man''s laboratory!"


    - ¡°Calm down Sandra, we are not going in. I promise you¡± ¨C Even though I had made that promise, the ground under our feet collapsed without giving me time to react. Dropping us to a height of 20 meters, barely giving me time to protect Sandra from the impact with my body.


    The rocks of the bed hit my back and my hip, fracturing a couple of ribs making it difficult for me to breathe in the middle of that stale air that came from the caves.


    - ¡°Magna Sanitatem¡± ¨C Putting effort on my chest to pronounce the spell, my body began to heal surrounded by a green aura, while the torches on the walls lit up in response to the flow of mana.


    - "Sandra, where are we?"


    - "I do not know. I have never been here before¡±


    - ¡°Please, try to remember. You should have been here earlier when that man brought you to his lab."


    - "I''m not lying to you! I only entered the building on the surface, but I''ve never been to this place¡± ¨C As she said, in the memories I could see while fighting with her, the images did not give any indication of that particular place. Also, there was a genuine sense of uncertainty on her face at being trapped in that place.


    Getting up from the floor, brushing the dirt from my clothes, I extended my hand to him and we began to walk through the passageways enveloped by the fetid aroma of decomposing matter. Apparently, the subsoil under the laboratory was destined as a dumping ground for failed test subjects. Corpses of beasts produced with alchemy, they possessed bizarre forms that ranged from mixed animals to humanoid forms that raised the skin just by looking directly at them.


    As we advanced through that cave, the torches that illuminated the walls were making a path in the direction of a kind of catacomb whose walls were inlaid with bones of what seemed to be human remains.


    - ¡°The parish priest of the town came to tell me that a thousand years ago during a great epidemic, the inhabitants threw the bodies of the infected into a dry well that adjoined the path that leads to the north of the town. These must be those remains I mentioned.¡±


    - "That means that we can get out of here if we continue advancing along this route"


    - "Yes, there is definitely an exit later" - Holding my hand to keep from falling in the dark, Sandra followed me in the middle of that passage until I felt that we collided with a metal wall.


    Unable to discern what it was with my touch, I remembered a spell Edith taught me at some point while we were playing in the caves of the Medea forest dwarf village.


    "Parva nocte lux" - A spell that invoked small beings similar to fireflies, illuminated with a weak flickering glow the surface of that metallic object giving it the shape of a door with an inscription engraved in ancient language, of which not even the oracle of the world could give me a reason for its meaning.


    - "It''s an anagram" - As if attracted by a mysterious force, Sandra placed her fingertips on the inscription engraved on the door, moving the symbols to a position that was understandable to my eyes.


    - "To follow your path, you must face your deepest fears" - When I finished pronouncing those words, a dense cloud of smoke that lit up with the glow of my spell, revealed a silhouette that advanced making acrobatic turns.


    - ¡°Ho, ho, ho, ho. Oh my, what a sad confusion. After all these years that I have been asleep, I felt the essence of my master, but it seems that it was just two annoying little insects that have sneaked in here¡± ¨C Dressed in dark-toned leggings fitted to her body, the bare parts of her body revealed seams on her purplish skin that gave off an aroma of sour grapes. His face covered by a smiling jester''s mask, showed a menacing glow from the corner of his eyes.


    - "Who are you?"


    - "No no no. Before asking for a lady''s name, it is good practice to introduce yourself first" - Waggling his index finger in disapproval, thrusting his chest forward with one hand on his hip while hitting the heel of his shoe, that sinister being seemed to enjoy the moment as if it were a show.


    - "My name is Amelia"


    - "Mine is Sandra"


    - "We have already answered you, now it is your turn" - Placing my hand on the handle of my sword, I felt how the roots of the trees grew in the form of a vine and roughly held me by the wrists. At the same time they coiled around Sandra''s body, compressing her arms making it impossible for her to use her alchemy.


    - "You are a rude girl, you should not play with sharp things or you can cut yourself" - In a matter of blinking, that creature appeared right in front of me, bringing its face close to mine, removing its mask to reveal its identity.


    - ¡°My name is Angela, guardian of the laboratory of my lord Asmodeus. I am what you would call a homunculus chimera. You know, a doll made with parts from here, others from there. But as you can see, I am a beautifully perfect being¡± ¨C With a partially disfigured female face, the appearance of that malevolent being perfectly reflected the rottenness of the artificial soul that its creator had imbued in it.


    Threateningly putting its hand under my skirt running along my thigh, that abomination dug its claws deep into my skin until it made me bleed, causing me to scream in agony.


    - "Marvelous! Sing, sing for me like a beautiful canary. Fill me with joy with those delicious screams that make me feel alive¡± ¨C Raising its claws to its lips, the chimera licked the blood that dripped from the sharp tips of its hand. As she snapped her fingers to make a glowing scale appear behind her.


    - ¡°I don''t know how they entered the laboratory without me noticing. But since they are here, I must give them a chance to be able to go out in recognition of their efforts. The ability my creator blessed me with is known as dead man''s judgment.


    You little cuties will be weighed on this scale that measures the evil within your hearts. I usually only weigh one person at a time and determine who is found to be flawed, but it''s been a long time since anyone has visited me. So let''s make it more interesting.


    As you can see, the two hold the balance in balance. That means their hearts harbor a very similar sin.


    So, both will go through the judgment at the same time. You will face your deepest demons in a world of illusion that I will create especially for each of you. They will fight against their darkest secrets and must conquer them.


    And here comes the interesting part of the game, if one of the two fails¡­ ¡± ¨C Remaining silent doing a pantomime pretending to put on makeup in front of a mirror, the chimera laughed macabrely, lowering its face.


    - "Speaks! What will happen if one of us fails?¡± ¨C Approaching Sandra to hold her hair and pull it forcefully, Angela materialized a scythe whose blade placed on the alchemist''s neck in a threatening manner. Changing the expression of his mask to one with the representation of sadness.


    - "If one of you fails, both of you will become part of my personal collection in this cave forever" - Pointing with his index finger in the direction of the wall, a series of flames illuminated the mummified bodies of men and women with their lips sewn together in the form of a smile


    - "!Wait!"


    - "Enough talk, let the game begin" - Hitting the scythe on the ground, a light enveloped us blinding me completely. To then appear in a setting that was crudely familiar to me.


    Far away in the depths of my subconscious, a room with white walls and ceiling lights with an aroma of disinfectant that penetrated my nose. Pulling the curtain in front of me, I quickly realized that Angela had taken a place that brought back the most bitter memories to execute her judgment.


    - ¡°Oracle? Splendor? Can you hear me?"


    - ¡°Pretty, who are you talking to? I think I told you my name is Angela."


    - "Damn liar, where have you brought me?"


    - ¡°The right question is not where, but when. Little girl, this world is an illusion that I have created from your memories. If you don''t know what this place is, let alone I know. But I must admit that it draws my attention a lot and makes me curious¡± ¨C With the incandescent lamps flickering, hanging slightly from the ceiling. That place was none other than the hospital where at some point my father had been hospitalized in his last days.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    The walls were stained with moisture and there were puddles on the floor as if a pipe had broken, destroying the ceiling lights. Yes, without a doubt it was the same place, but that deterioration gave the impression that it was a completely abandoned hospital.


    Without being able to call the oracle or invoke my powers, I took an IV pole to defend myself from any vermin that might come my way.


    Stretchers with sheets stained with blood and other bodily fluids were lying on the ground in my path, making it difficult for me to walk without tripping due to the constant lighting failures in the place.


    When I got to the access door on the first floor, I tried with all my might to open it by pulling the handles to no avail, getting desperate at times when I realized the intention of that infamous creature.


    - ¡°Ho, ho, ho, ho. Honey, the play area is not, as you often say, oh yeah, designed for an outdoor setting. You will find all the fun inside this place, so I recommend you hurry up because there is a time limit per level" - Suddenly through the edges of the door, a viscous substance began to leak, dropping drops on the floor that, upon contact They released a slight smoke as if it were acid.


    - "There''s damn shit!" ¨C The crystals of the door began to stain a blood red tone while they cracked giving way little by little to the fluid behind it. Making me run while I saw how that sea of viscosity entered that consumed all objects, dissolving them until leaving nothing.


    Getting to the elevator, I pressed the buttons trying to open the doors without success, while that ocean of acid approached dangerously making my heart beat as if it were going to come out of my mouth.


    Sticking my fingers along the edges, I opened the elevator doors, jumping to the ceiling to remove the trap door that connected to the cube. Escaping just at the moment that the substance reached to brush the sole of my sneakers, forcing me to take them off because the corrosion did not stop.


    Heaving a slight sigh of relief, the elevator mechanism kicked in and began to move upwards at full speed, causing me to lie on the roof as I saw that I was about to collapse against the top of the cube.


    - ¡°Wow, what reflexes. No doubt you are good at these cute games¡±


    - ¡°Damn psychopath! I swear that when I leave this place I will erase that smile from your face" - After cursing Angela, I dragged myself to the ceiling hatch and dropped on the elevator floor, instantly feeling like the residue of acid slime they burned my skin making me jump out of the elevator.


    Unable to get on the soles of my feet, I ended up leaning against the walls, dragging my body until I collided with a sign indicating that I was on the fifth floor of the hospital.


    On that floor, one part of the lighting was seen in a crimson hue while the other was presented as normal. But just like on the first floor, decay on the walls and flickering lights were prevalent giving a gloomy look. Which harmonized with the sound of the heart rate monitors going off with the flatline alarm.


    With my feet bruised and some of my clothing dissolved by the acid, I dragged myself to the nurses'' bay looking for a first aid kit to bandage my feet and a change of clothes that I took from the lockers.


    Taking a look at a map that was on the wall, I could see that floor was the maternity area. Just when I was about to turn around to continue my search, I looked again on the map and could see how a bloody circle was drawn in the west wing.


    I had no doubt, that chimera was trying to take me to that location. For a moment I thought about the possibility of a trap, but with no other option being trapped in that world, the only thing left was to continue until I found a way to get out of there.


    Walking dragging my feet, leaving a trail of blood with each step I took, the pain kept me attentive to the sounds that my ears picked up from the chaotic environment of that floor. The incessant noise of the collapsed vital monitors becoming annoying at times.


    - "Nurse, where is my baby?" ¨C An ominous sensation ran through me from the lower part of my back to the nape of my neck, the moment I heard that voice that seemed distant from me just a few steps away.


    Trying not to turn around and continue on my way, that woman''s voice became more and more repetitive as I listened to the sound of her slippers hitting the ground, which gradually grew faster, forcing me to take a look. Giving a scream that echoed through the walls of the hospital, when I realized that that woman was wearing a gown that left her back uncovered and on it, you could see the seam marks that are usually made on corpses for autopsies.


    Running after me with a ghostly expression on her face, the woman snarled like a dog about to snap its teeth at a cat that has snuck into her backyard.


    - ¡°Run precious, run for your life. Escape from all of them


    - "All of them? Wait, I only see one¡± ¨C Taking a look once more, a sea of bloodthirsty corpses followed my steps chattering their teeth making my blood run cold.


    - "Son of a bitch!" ¨C As I was throwing the objects in my way to block their way, I hastened my footsteps despite the fact that the pain became unbearable, almost causing me to stumble at times. Getting to the room that I saw marked on the map, closing the door behind me, barring it with one of the furniture that was in that place.


    With those monsters pounding on the door pushing to enter, my heart beat faster and faster with each scream that I heard almost snorting on the back of my neck. Making me go straight to the window without being able to open it like the first floor door.


    - ¡°Tick, knock, tick, knock. The hands of the clock go off, the children must brush their teeth and say their prayers.¡±


    - ¡°Are you having fun with this?¡±


    - "Of course! It is the first time that I make such a fun scenario and it is thanks to you little one. But I think this game is going to end sooner than expected¡± ¨C Breaking part of the door planks, the hands of the dead began to sneak in looking to catch me while I pushed more objects that prevented them from entering the room.


    - "Oh well. I really don''t want the game to end so quickly. So I''ll give you a clue: Children when sleeping, they will hear strange noises. Fearful without their mother, they will look for a safe place¡± ¨C That confusing riddle came to seem like a bloody joke on Angela''s part, while time continued to flow with the dead pushing the door more and more. Making me fall hitting my face against the ground , in the process giving me a bite to my left arm that tore off part of the muscle. It was then that, seeing it, I understood what Angela meant with that riddle.


    Crawling across the floor staining my clothes with the blood that spilled from my wound, I reached a hole under the bed and dropped my body just at the moment the barricade gave way, allowing the room to fill with a sea of corpses that They destroyed everything in their path.


    Feeling as if my shoulder had been dislocated, I leaned against the wall of that room on the fourth floor, which was full of dust and clinical documents scattered on the floor.


    Putting on a tourniquet to stop the bleeding, my attention was drawn to a document whose name made me gnash my teeth with rage. To the point that I hit the ground with my fists until my knuckles bled.


    - ¡°What are you up to, damn? How far can you pretend to give rein to your petty games? ¨C Unlike the other times, this time Angela remained silent. As if he was holding back the urge to play with my emotions once more.


    - ¡°The game is about to end. As soon as you open the door of that room, you will face your judgment; get ready, because only those who are worthy of the truth will be able to pass the test¡± ¨C Angela''s mocking voice had changed to a more sober tone, as if she was taking her job very seriously at that crucial moment.


    Rising once more with all the pain in my body, I dragged my left leg across the ground unable to support it properly. Feeling how the rubble from the floor dug like sharp pebbles into the sole of my right foot, making me let out moans that I repressed by biting my lip.


    Little by little, as I got closer to the door handle, my heartbeat resonated more strongly in my chest to the point of being the only sound my ears could hear in that room.


    Gulping in some air, I closed my eyes as I turned the doorknob and entered the next room on the other side. And when I opened them, I couldn''t help but shed my tears as I contemplated the image before me.


    Lying on a bed that was slightly reclined, with a catheter that passed through his left clavicle, supplying medication directly to his spleen. A man was looking at a photo with a look of sadness in his eyes already clouded with pain.


    - ¡°Maybe I wasn''t a good enough man for you, but our daughters didn''t matter to you either?¡± ¨C That face full of nostalgia that evoked a warm past, when I saw it I couldn''t help but cry bitterly to the point that I couldn''t control my nerves. Trying to make me listen, but unable to get that man to turn to see me.


    Takehito Yoshida , third generation son of a Japanese couple who immigrated to the United States at the end of World War II. It was the name of that man who was bedridden in that hospital, that man was my father.


    As if it were a movie, the succession of images of that scene passed before my eyes unable to move a single inch to hug him.


    Day by day, it went by in fast motion as if rewinding an old VHS movie. Watching each person go in and out of that room, leaving only my father as a constant, giving signs of the progress of his organic deterioration due to the cancer that was consuming his body.


    His skin dried out, revealing light bruises on the surface that would not fade, while the whites of his eyes turned amber and the pupils moved erratically.


    Grade IV hepatocarcinoma, an extremely aggressive cancer with the body, which little by little deteriorated my father''s health until turning that wonderful man into a defenseless being who could not fend for himself.


    Before he was admitted to the hospital, my father used to have moments when his temper would turn irritable when he got home. Coming to think at times that it was because he had had a bad day at work and the burden of our mother''s abandonment, I did not realize that the man in front of me was beginning to die.


    Suddenly, the scenes returned to their normal speed and only in the room, two people were illuminated by the light of a lamp that was on the wall above the hospital bed.


    Accompanying the bedridden man, a young teenager was holding his hand as she gently caressed his skin, keeping his face down as if evoking a prayer, shedding tears on the sheets. That girl was me, my old self who stayed several nights in the hospital while Akemi was taken care of by a neighbor from our apartment.


    The expression on my face looked tired, the dark circles were marked deeply over my eyes making me look like a living dead. And my hair looked greasy, looking like I hadn''t washed it in three nights.


    Yes, that girl who became a human wreck was me, who stood firm next to a bed looking for hope, a miracle that would allow that nightmare to end and wake up as if it were all a bad dream.


    But the days passed and that nightmare worsened instead of ending, taking me into a trance that made me go through madness while I drank the coffee in the waiting room, burning my throat to stay awake.


    My periods became irregular and my temper worsened, to the point that I got into a fight with the nurses to the point that I was about to be kicked out of the hospital. That time was an extreme situation in my life, where I thought at times about giving up and letting myself die.


    It was that night, I remember it well. When the nurse arrived and left the medication on the nightstand telling me that I had to give it to my father in an hour. My eyes were closing, I could barely stay awake, just nodding my head without saying a single word.


    I don''t know if it was an oversight by the nurse, I will never know if it was intentional, what I do know is that the moment I gave my father the medicine, that warm summer night would mark my life forever.


    After giving him the medicine, sleepiness overcame me and I fell asleep on the couch in the bedroom, barely closing my eyes when suddenly my father''s vital signs monitor began to beep rapidly in alarm.


    It was a matter of seconds, he did not give time for a doctor to do something for him; When the clock marked three o''clock in the morning, my father closed his eyes for the last time.


    - "So you gave that medicine to your father?"


    - ¡°Yes, I did, but¡­¡±


    - "So you killed your father"


    - "No! I didn''t kill him! I only gave him the medicine that the nurse gave me."


    - ¡°But you checked the medicines up to two times before giving them to them. Why not this time?"


    - "I was sleepy, I had not slept well." ¨C Angela''s voice drilled into my mind, making me fall to my knees, bringing my hands to my head, trying to pull my hair out of frustration while her incessant claims were repeated over and over again.


    When I was about to raise my face, I heard a couple of clumsy footsteps that dragged my feet on the cold floor of the hospital room. As I directed my gaze to that blurred silhouette, a hand grabbed me furiously by the neck, making me gag in pain as I choked on my saliva.


    - "You killed me!"


    - "Dad?" - My eyes were horrified to see him, that man who squeezed my neck hard trying to break it was none other than my father. With that deteriorated body, the strength that he printed in his fingers did not match his emaciated appearance.


    - ¡°Faust! Splendor! Help me"


    - ¡°I told you little one, this trial is personal. No one will be able to help you free him, only you¡± ¨C Scratching my father''s hands, I felt like I was beginning to lack air and my vision was cloudy at times. Not being able to even utter a single word as the strength left my body.


    - ¡°Is this your world?¡± ¨C Suddenly, the voice of a young woman resounded in my ears, with a muffled tone as if she had given up fighting a long time ago.


    As I turned my gaze to the end of the room, a young lady in a baroque-looking dress with long dark reddish-looking hair had a melancholy look on her face as she approached my father and me.


    - "Did your father hate you like mine?"


    - "No! My father never hated me."


    - "Then why are you doubting in your heart?"


    - "Dude?" ¨C The moment I understood those words, the strength of my father''s grip began to loosen, releasing my sore neck a bit. As his eyes, blinded by anger, changed to the kind and loving look he remembered.


    - "He never hated me, but I was a bad daughter"


    - "You say you were mean to him, but you stayed by his side until his death"


    - "It was my fault, he died because of me" - Shouting those words while crying inconsolably, the memory that I had repressed pierced my heart like a rusty sword that sliced through every fiber of my being. Feeling the force of my father on my neck again, experiencing how the bones of the vertebrae broke little by little.


    Taking the photo that was on the bed, that lady returned once more to our side and put the image in front of us, feeling how my father released my neck letting me fall on the floor.


    - "She is your mother?"


    - "If it is. If I can call him that way for having abandoned us.¡±


    - "What did your father do when I left you?" ¨C Returning to my repressed memories, the diffuse memories of the nights in which I waited for my father to return, little by little they became clearer, leaving aside the memories of the reality that upset me.


    My father came in at night, but he came in at times smelling of liquor. Going from light escapes after work, to finish, wasting away in a career with alcoholism.


    - ¡°Yo, I''m sorry Hitomi. It was my fault¡± ¨C Babbling torpidly on his lips, that man collapsed on the ground with the expression on his face again in what at some point I knew as father.


    - "Dad! It wasn''t your fault, it was mine. If only I had been a better daughter, if I had been more for you"


    - ¡°Hitomi, you were a girl. A helpless girl who had to learn to deal with a weak-willed man.¡±


    - ¡°Don''t say that father! You were always a strong man, you were the kind of man I dreamed of meeting and marrying." ¨C Taking him by the hand, my father began to cry with sadness when he saw my injured face, taking his thick left hand to my cheek to caress me.


    - ¡°I know that your illness was not my fault, father. But I made the mistake that killed you that night¡± ¨C The young woman who remained a spectator in front of us, took off the gloves that covered her arms, revealing the marks of the cuts that rested on the skin of her wrists.


    - ¡°Yours was an accident, nobody can blame you. But mine, this was my decision, the mistake I made¡± ¨C The moment I saw those wounds, I could recognize the face of the lady who was next to me. She was Amelia, who had in her eyes the pity caused by having taken her own life.


    - ¡°Leave your faults behind, I will take them for you. Live for me, be happy for both of us¡± ¨C Giving me a kiss on the forehead, Amelia walked to the door of the room, while a mysterious fire began to burn in the door frame.


    - ¡°What are you doing, Amelia? Stop don''t go"


    - "She never had the intention of letting you and your friend go free"


    - "Please, stop. I beg you, we can get out of this together" - Leaning her face a little on his shoulder, closing her eyes outlining a smile. Amelia gave me one last look with tears in her eyes, throwing herself into the fire that began to consume her as the room was destroyed. Bringing me back to reality with it.


    Destroying the balance that imprisoned both Sandra and me, before Angela''s angry look. Who slammed his scythe into the ground revealing cracks where a flow of magma was escalating that heated the rocks in the grotto.


    - ¡°I don''t know how you managed to escape from my trap! But your friend will never wake up, unless you defeat me" - Grinding her teeth while tearing off her mask to destroy it with a stomp on the ground, the expression on Angela''s face seemed that of a demon that coveted to devour the souls in front of her .


    - ¡°So I just have to defeat you? It seems perfect to me¡± ¨C Unsheathing my sword pointing the tip in the direction of the chimera''s face, I smiled defiantly, provoking my opponent''s anger. Who without giving me time to move, threw himself with a destructive fury, brandishing the blade of his scythe splitting the rocks of the cave.

 Stage 13: Gourmet Nightmare

    - "I don''t know how you managed to get out of my trap, but don''t even think you can escape from this place!" ¨C Gritting her teeth to the point of sinking her fangs into her lower lip, Angela threw herself in front of me with the edge of her scythe crashing against my sword. Emitting light sparks as a result of the friction of the metals that creaked in the echo of that dark cave. Dimly lit by the remnants of my spell already beginning to fade.


    Moving my feet precisely dodging the imperfections in the rocky ground, I found it difficult to keep up with the chimera''s incessant attacks, landing each blow one after the other. My arms trembled at times, reaching to cause slight cuts on the skin of my face.


    - ¡°User, the mana regeneration rate is starting to slow down. Do you wish to enter draconic mode ?"


    - "So that?"


    - "Silly! Have you already forgotten how you faced Asmodeus last time? You just focus on the battle and I''ll take care of the rest along with this idiot spirit."


    - "I am not a spirit, to be precise I am a sophisticated artificial intelligence unit"


    - "Damn, shut up both of you!" ¨C Breaking my concentration due to the discussion between Faust and the Oracle , Angela took advantage of the opening to change the rhythm of her attacks, turning on her left leg to deliver a roundhouse kick that I connected with my right side. Throwing me against one of the walls of the cave, throwing himself at me again while trying to block the blade of his weapon.


    - ¡°Ha, ha, ha, ha! Is this all you have cuteness? A few moments ago you were so arrogant in front of me and now you can barely keep up with me. And that, I''m just warming up¡± ¨C Vanishing her weapon in the air, Angela transformed her body into a tumultuous group of bats, which began to bite me in every part of my body, draining my blood with each suck.


    - ¡° Ignis aura¡± ¨C Seeing myself overwhelmed by their attacks, I cast a spell on myself to project an incandescent aura that managed to reach a few of the bats. Leaving the others to regroup to re-shape Angela once more.


    Unlike our first encounter, the chimera''s appearance drastically changed to the degree of taking on a renewed body with no signs of rot or wear. A brown skin and amber eyes, in his fleshy lips he revealed his fangs from which he still licked a little of the blood that had drained me.


    - ¡° Mmmmm , this blood is a delicacy that I had not tasted in years. That sweet taste of fear, the essence of virginal purity and your look, darling, that look of lamb makes me want to take my time and play wonderful things with you¡± ¨C Seeing the way she writhed her body in excitement, I felt chills that made me shaking my shoulders without being able to avoid putting my displeasure face on him.


    Causing with it that Angela was enraged, and manifested her scythe once more, but unlike the beginning of our fight, that weapon glowed in a sinister crimson aura.


    - ¡°Master Asmodeus is a man of fine tastes, as you can see, he put me together part by part in a way that, despite being pieces of different bodies, all harmonize to the degree of a perfect symphony in time. But you know, lately my legs and arms feel a bit stiff; but since you are here, it would be good for me to take yours to replace my damaged parts" ¨C Increasing the speed of their attacks with every second, I was forced to move from that place to avoid that the shock of our blows could hurt Sandra that remained on the ground.


    - "Come on silly! Stop running away and let me taste your skin, I promise to give you unparalleled ecstasy before I kill you."


    - " Fuck you fucking harpy!" ¨C Following the route we took on the way to the steel door, little by little I saw the lighting of the torches as we approached the hole through which we had fallen into the cavern.


    - "User, the system is efficiently synchronized with the draconic function . Do you want to access?"


    - ¡°Yes, do it now!¡± ¨C Right at the moment that Angela threw her scythe trying to cut me in two, the draconic form activated giving me wings with which I projected myself towards the hole until my body reached the outside.


    The sun that was setting on the horizon, bathing the tops of the mountains, emitted an intense reflection that blinded me for an instant, forcing me to cover my eyes due to the gloom that surrounded me in the cave.


    - "Where do you think you''re going, sweetie?" ¨C Getting on top of me, Angela projected a crescent kick on my head, impacting me with the heel of her boot. Making me hit the ground leaving a crater from the force of the impact.


    - "Amelia, you also noticed, right?"


    - ¡°Yes, Faust. Its strength is increasing and I think I know why¡± ¨C The beasts that were grazing in the meadows, one by one fell to the ground with their bodies consumed to the bone. While a flow of blood flew through the air to the silhouette that was floating above me.


    Angela''s skin was changing once more, going from that pale aspect to one where her flesh was appreciated in an intense red color. Expanding its wings that perfectly simulated the shape of a dragon''s.


    - "Oh yeah! This blood is good for my complexion. I must thank you for having the wonderful idea of bringing us to the surface. So we can move more freely compared to that stinking cave.¡± ¨C Trading its scythe for a pair of twin blades, the chimera launched itself out of the sky, wielding its weapons forward in a drill spin, sucking the air around it while crushing any substance or object that crossed its path.


    - ¡° died lapidei ¡± ¨C Moving in a more agile way thanks to the power of Faust, I moved away from Angela putting rock walls between us trying to buy time while reciting an incantation that could stop her.


    - "Amelia, why don''t you use that spell you used against Asmodeus ''s pawns ?"


    - ¡°Faust, that spell is taboo! You forgot it already?"


    - "Silly girl! Your opponent is not a living being, it is just a doll with human parts¡± ¨C Despite the fact that he felt a deep respect for Sara and her teachings, at that moment the ancient dragon was right about Angela. His power was not based on anything other than the act of snatching the vital essence of every living being to gain strength. To attack her in the same way would only be to balance the scales once again.


    - ¡°Magnus lapis testudine ¡± ¨C Stopping suddenly putting my knees on the ground, I raised my arm and changed the shape of my weapon to that of a staff, intoning the chant that completely surrounded me with a thick layer of rock that was regenerating while mixing the runic chants with those of the life steal spell.


    - "Come on get out of there! I want to continue playing with you, don''t be shy¡± ¨C Destroying layer after layer of the bark that served as my shield, the chimera soon realized that its battle form was fading until leaving it again as at the beginning of our combat.


    - "Damned! What have you done to me?" ¨C Tearing down my wall, the image in front of me was that of Angela lying on the ground with barely a dry appearance like a tree branch. To which I returned the favor, kicking her hard until her body was a few steps from the door of the alchemist''s workshop.


    - "Get away from me, don''t follow me!" ¨C Running clumsily grabbing the arm that almost came off at the seams, the chimera kicked the workshop door and went into the shadows of that ancient building.


    Following her to deal the final blow, I stepped over the threshold of the door, seeing all sorts of artifacts that were gathering dust and footprints marked on the dilapidated stone floor. That, as I followed them, they took me through rooms that one after the other contained elements that were typical of a sick mind.


    - ¡°This place is horrible¡± ¨C Illuminated by a dim light that came from inside, glass containers housed the bodies of different specimens ranging from dwarves, elves and even humans. Who reflected on their faces a peaceful appearance as if they were sunk in a deep sleep from which they could not wake up.


    - ¡°There is definitely no salvation for them anymore Amelia, don''t push your luck. The souls of these beings have already left this world for years. There are nothing left but simple shells here¡±


    - "I know, Faustus, I''m aware of it" ¨C As I held my staff up with a lighting spell, I clenched my fists in rage at the thought that Asmodeus ''s machinations would continue anywhere in that vast world. Unless someone stood up to him to end his ominous existence.


    - "Leave me, I told you to let go of me damn!" ¨C A woman''s scream made me run towards a metallic door at the end of the corridor of that laboratory that was partially open, pushing the heavy plate until I could get half my body inside.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    - "Please help!" ¨C Angela, the vain chimera, had tears of black fluid in her eyes while an expression of despair was reflected on her face, while she extended her right arm as if trying to reach me.


    - "What the hell is that?" ¨C Coming from a container whose glass was shattered, a kind of pinkish viscous substance had engulfed the body of the chimera from the waist down.


    - ¡°It hurts, it hurts a lot! Please, you have to help me."


    - "User, I detect signs of intelligent life in that organism" - Projecting some slimy tentacles from the center of its body to the door where I was stuck, the force of the impact sent me flying out of the room barely clearing the heavy plate of metal that was embedded in the wall above my head.


    - "Girl, let''s get out of here!"


    - ¡°I agree with the underdeveloped form, dear user¡±


    - "What did you say insect?"


    - ¡°Oh the devil, shut up!¡± ¨C Getting up from the ground running in a hurry, that mysterious being broke the walls of the room chasing me while it swallowed everything in its path until it dissolved completely. Even the specimens that still remained inert in their containers were dissolved by that mass that was taking on greater volume and speed.


    The instant I flew out of the lab''s main door to safety in the sky, the creature completely destroyed the roof of the place, dropping debris as it revealed its form in the last rays of the afternoon sun.


    - ¡°Identified life form, specimen from Limacus Flavus Titan in its embryonic phase¡±


    - "Are you telling me that crap is a slug?"


    - ¡°Affirmative user, but unlike the slugs of your world. This species in its adult phase can reach 20 meters in height, the specimen on land is barely what you would call a baby "


    - ¡°Don''t fuck with me! That thing is a baby!¡± ¨C Without being able to hide the stupid expression on my face when I found out the identity of the monster in the laboratory, I felt how a tentacle grabbed my leg while it knocked me out of the air, slamming me violently against the ground. Quickly pulling me into what appeared to be a slimy body cavity, where I could see in horror in the distance, Angela''s partially dissolved body.


    - "No no no! Leave me, I''m not food¡± ¨C Cutting the tentacle that held me, I rose to the sky again beating my wings with the hope of being able to avoid it. As the beast projected its tentacles one after another to have a chance to devour me.


    - "Oracle, where is the nearest ocean?"


    - ¡°User, we are still in the autumn season. Maybe I should wait for summer and a good diet to go to the beach¡±


    - ¡°Hey you fucking idiot! First of all, stop making fun of me being overweight and second, we need salt to kill that thing."


    - "Negative"


    - "Than?"


    - "Amelia, the only thing that can kill those slugs is fire or a large-scale freezing spell" - Sighing in annoyance, Fausto tried to make me calm down before the enemy we were fighting.


    - "User, I must inform you something"


    - "And now that?"


    - ¡°The Limacus Flavus is beginning to move towards the east¡± ¨C A few kilometers from Crom, the town of Lithos , a tourist city known for its high influx in the winter period due to its snowy mountains, was crowded with people who were unaware of the danger that it had started.


    Like a predator that has sniffed out desirable prey, the slug began to move on its tentacles like the tracks of a tank.


    - "You''re kidding? That thing doesn''t move like a slug¡± ¨C Flying after her in pursuit, I tried to get her attention by shooting continuous bursts of fireballs at her body, barely making slight scratches that only provoked her by throwing balls of acid at me that she spit out from some body orifices in her back.


    Barely dodging them for a bit of space, he watched in horror as that substance dissolved even the earth, leaving large craters on the ground, withering all the vegetation that was around the impact.


    - ¡°Faust! Do you think we can do the same trick we used with Asmodeus ?"


    - "Girl, we barely have mana left to maintain the flight spell and your life drain spell doesn''t work on that monster" ¨C Tightening my staff tightly, I felt my blood boil with rage as I realized that even with the power of Fausto it was impossible to face that beast.


    - "Oracle, I have an idea. Do a topographic mapping of the area in front of the slug and locate heat sources above that idiot''s body mass index¡± ¨C Showing me the interface of the system, the oracle of the world began to make a series of calculations on a topographic projection of the plain and the mountain ranges before the beast. At the same time that I carried my hand against my chest, reciting a series of chained incantations that gradually caused the clouds in the sky to gather above us.


    - "Target located, strong heat activity has been detected at eighty degrees north latitude."


    - "Very well, let''s get in front of this glutton to provoke him"


    - "Amelia, what do you want?" ¨C With an air of skepticism, Fausto''s voice seemed not to understand the intentions of my plan, while I began to provoke the wrath of the slug, making it change its course.


    - ¡°You know Fausto, when you are a free player you have to deal with the whales who use their wallets to compensate for their shortcomings as players. And that is precisely what we are going to do with this whale¡± ¨C The moment I saw that my enemy was closer to catching me, I cast the spell that I was casting on the top of one of the mountains.


    - ¡°Magna glaciers pugiones ¡± ¨C A series of sharp ice floes fell from the sky one after the other, impacting the rock of the summit until a dense mist of ice and debris formed in the air. Throwing myself at full speed to land on the ground bombarded by my latest attack, which was met with cracks from which a sulfurous-scented vapor emanated.


    The ground beneath my feet trembled, announcing the arrival of the slug, which suddenly roared wildly, slamming its body against the ground, its tentacles projecting as it raised my stone walls to cast one last spell.


    - ¡°You asked me what my plan was, dear Fausto. Well, this is my damn plan¡± ¨C Concentrating my mana flow on my right fist, I hit the ground releasing a spell that went through the crust of the mountain to where the heat source was.


    - ¡°This is the end of the game for you, slug. These pwned ¡± ¨C As if a tremor shook the crater dome on top of the mountain, pillars of incandescent material flowed from the cracks where the steam leaked. Collapsing the ground beneath the beast, throwing it into a glowing ocean of magma, which began to scorch her, making her moan in pain.


    - ¡°Checkmate you moron!¡±


    - ¡°Congratulations user! Has defeated the Limacus Flavus ¡± ¨C Any self-respecting player should keep two things in mind in online combat. The first is that a strategy, no matter how good it may be, will always have its weak points. And the second, but no less important, is that the other player will not always admit defeat.


    - ¡°Amelia, rise up!¡± ¨C In a split second, unable to react in time. One of the slug''s tentacles held me by the waist, encircling my arms, putting the tip of that tentacle in my mouth, preventing me from reciting any spell to defend myself.


    Slowly sinking into the sea of magma, the slug writhed violently as the blazing fire devoured it bit by bit, making it clench its tentacle tightly. Breaking my arms and collapsing my lungs as blood flowed from my nostrils.


    - "Amelia resists!" ¨C Fausto''s voice sounded so distant, I felt my body stop aching while my consciousness was gradually lost, as the suffocating heat of the lava began to roast my skin, burning my clothes.


    - "Sister? Does it hurt a lot?" ¨C As they say, the moments before death bring to mind events of our life as if they were fragments of films. As a subconscious preparation to rationally face the inevitable end.


    That memory was from when I was barely twelve years old and I was learning to cook to stop buying pre-cooked food in the supermarket. With Akemi at an early age of development, that junk food was useless in providing him with the necessary nutrients for good growth.


    Watching some watchtube videos , I thought it would be as easy to learn how to cook as it was to see the reviews of the games that were starting to interest me back then. But I awkwardly realized that as a brat who has never touched a stove in her life, it would be dangerous to venture into cooking without knowing the basics of safety.


    The next day with my hand burned by the oil, I knocked on our neighbor''s door and asked her to please teach me how to cook. Mrs. Hellen was a woman in her fifties who was surrounded by a large number of cats in her apartment.


    Enjoying early retirement due to glaucoma, that woman used her time mostly cooking for church events in the city where we lived. To which he occasionally invited my sister and me, I think that to be nice to see us alone with our father outside all day.


    - ¡°It is normal for you to burn yourself with the oil if you directly add the meat to the pan when it is hot. Even more so if you take it out of the freezer and don''t let the ice layer melt¡± ¨C With that severe but kind tone, Mrs. Hellen showed me the difference in oil when I put a piece of warm meat and another frozen one.


    - ¡°You know, I used to work at a metallurgical plant as a production supervisor. Sometimes when I made my rounds, I would see how the employees endured that scorching heat by throwing buckets of water over their bodies from time to time. They were amazing indeed.


    One time when one of them talked to me to flirt with me, he explained to me that they used a physical effect on it. I think they called it leidenfrost ¡± ¨C Taking me out of my trance, that memory gave me back the desire to fight, betting everything on a single play that came to my mind at that moment.


    Biting the tentacle of my mouth, I spit out that piece of meat and chanted with the last of my mana flowing through my body. Creating a layer of ice that covered my skin, while I sank into that lava pit.


    Just like Mrs. Hellen said, the leidenfrost effect helped me resist under the magma while the tentacle that held me was completely destroyed. Freeing me on the spot, but being unable to swim with my fractured arms.


    Feeling how my eyeballs were exploding from the heat, my body was plunged into darkness waiting for the last layer of ice to dissolve, leaving me defenseless in the infernal coffin inside the mountain crater .


    It was then that a strong jolt propelled my body out of the magma, lifting me up through the air until I fell suddenly on the rocks of the dome.


    - ¡°Damn fat cow, don''t die! Wake up¡± ¨C A familiar voice but different in essence, reverberated in my eardrums that little by little began to regenerate through an alchemy technique.


    - "Thank God, you''re alive!" ¨C When I opened my eyes, a blurry face of a girl seemed to wipe her tears with a gnawed cloth sleeve. Surprising me in a great way, when contemplating it once my eyes recovered clarity.


    With a fully developed body and waist-length hair, the woman in front of me wore a torn robe as if she had contained a growth spurt.


    - ¡°Sandra? Who are you and what did you do with the brat?¡±


    - ¡°How rude! I should have let you consume yourself in that crater¡± ¨C Putting a childish pouting face on that mature face, I had no doubt that it was the little alchemist from the town of Crom.


    With Angela''s death, Sandra had freed herself from the effects of illusionary magic. But one of the consequences of having to face that test was that it eliminated her innocence just as it happened with the soul of the original Amelia.


    - ¡°Why are you looking at me with those eyes? Perhaps you like?" ¨C With a mischievous look, putting her hand to her lips in mockery, Sandra showed a behavior according to the age she would have after years of preserving her childish body.


    - ¡° Ugh , please don''t do that. I''m not a damn sick person¡± ¨C Pushing her from my side, the alchemist laughed out loud, placing her hands on her stomach. Completely released from her trauma and the weight of the events of the night Crom''s people disappeared.


    - " Achu " - Wiping her nose, Sandra trembled with cold being only covered by those cloth imitations. Covering her with my cloak helping her to get up, we started walking up the mountain in the direction of the town of Litho .

 Scenario 14: Hide and Seek

    Looking in the mirror inside a small room, I see how the ouroboros mark on my chest begins to open more and more with each passing day. It''s been exactly four months since the curse was placed on me and I was still in that race against time to prevent the apocalypse.


    Passing my fingers over my face, I lightly scratch my eyelids trying to clear my tired eyesight, while looking towards a blanket on the floor, where Sandra was wrapped trying to mitigate the cold.


    Since our arrival in the town of Litho , fifteen days had passed in which we tried to keep our profile low before any possible henchmen of Asmodeus .


    Without money or goods to sell, we wandered the first days taking refuge in the alleys among beggars and rodents, eating leftovers thrown from the restaurants on the main street.


    Litho was a town that lived mainly from tourist activity, being visited almost all year round by nobles and burghers from both Casius and Siegfried . Despite that commercial dynamic, poverty was not alien to the streets of that city, being common to find mercenaries who had been disabled or servants abandoned by their masters among the vagabonds.


    Enjoying a tundra climate most of the year, Litho was an inhospitable environment to live in unless you had enough money to pay for hotel accommodations, which had magical tools that served as heating against the bitter cold of the ground.


    Except for the times when you had to go out and look for food, most of the homeless people gathered around the abandoned buildings where every once in a while some wizards cast heating spells on the structures for five silver coins. Repeating that cycle every fortnight, abusing the need of those who lived forgotten in the streets.


    Among the women it was very common for them to engage in prostitution, many others served as entertainment for the noble ladies who tortured them for a paltry payment of 200 copper coins. While, in the case of men, luck was worse; since their jobs could range from serving as beasts of burden for the luggage of the nobles who climbed the mountains and even serving as hunting prey, for a payment of 800 copper coins. Only 200 coins below the fee to reach a silver one.


    Due to the incident on the mountain when I was fighting the slug, the damage my body received had pushed my recovery ability to the limit. Making me incapable of mana manipulation, at least until we could get to one of the temples of the goddess Artemis to receive a priest''s blessing.


    - "Amelia, what time is it?" ¨C Sitting on the ground, Sandra took from a pile of clothes some items that we had received from the other women who lived in the same building as us. Thanks to her beautiful appearance that she had acquired when Asmodeus '' blood curse was broken, the young alchemist spent part of her time serving as a lady-in-waiting for noblewomen.


    - ¡°Calm down, the town crier has barely passed by the street announcing that it has dawned . We still have an hour for breakfast.¡± ¨C Dressing myself in a thick deerskin jacket, I adjusted my gloves and mountaineering boots to cover my shift as baggage loader.


    Without a graceful appearance in the sight of noble ladies, I had no choice but to take the jobs meant for men. Without my mana flow, the shapeshifter pearl''s effect had been stuck with my appearance as Hitomi at the same time that it was impossible for me to communicate with both Faust and the Oracle .


    - ¡° Hurry up ladies! That the rations will not wait for you¡± ¨C Knocking hard on the other side of the door, Ruth, the woman who helped us find that shelter, sounded hurried as she tapped her heels on the wooden floor.


    - ¡°I don''t know why we have to put up with that old hag? If you would just let me use my alchemy we could create gold to get us a good lodging and a carriage to get out of this city.¡±


    - ¡°Don''t be silly, Sandra. Have you already forgotten what happened to the guy we saw as soon as we got here? The hotels have alchemy detectors, as much as you say about yourself that you are the best alchemist, believe me, we would be in trouble if they catch us¡± ¨C In addition to being a tourist town, the Litho region was also known for being one of the headquarters of the order of the knights of the temple. Faithful servants to the priests of the cult of Artemis, the men who proudly carried the goddess''s banner were known for their steely determination in hunting down heretics.


    Under the orders of Archbishop Philio , the Litho -based detachment served as an enforcement arm of the church. Ministering the work of judge, jury, and executioner, they would take anyone suspected of practicing alchemy and drag them into the base''s dungeons. Of which many hearsay witnesses used to comment that no one came out alive from them.


    Throwing a tantrum puffing out her cheeks, Sandra finished dressing and together we went down to the first floor where there were some maidens serving the order. Who with a smile served the dishes to those of us who lived in the suburbs, while others preached the teachings of the goddess while the bites stuck in our throats.


    Hard rye bread and vegetable soup that barely kept warm, this poor food was worse than the leftovers that restaurants dumped on the streets, but it saved us some money while we struggled to pay the rent.


    - "Damn, when they shut up" - A man who muttered as he raised the spoon to his mouth, was subdued by the hand of one of the knights who escorted the maidens of the order. Hitting his face against the plate, while dragging him out of the building to throw him on the cold cobblestone street. Digging his sword into his heart.


    - "It''s a shame! A stray soul who did not know how to value the mercy of the goddess and her teachings. Let''s pray for his memory, so that at least he can achieve forgiveness with his death¡± ¨C Putting an expression of feigned dismay on her face, the church maid hid that mocking glint in her eyes at the gentleman''s actions.


    Incapable of true filial love, the cultists of the goddess regarded the lives of the poor and abandoned as mere cannon fodder to spread their false piety. Abusing their positions in the face of the impotence of the people on whom those acts of rotten charity ministered.


    - ¡°I''m done, Sandra. I''ll see you at night, try not to provoke the ladies this time¡± ¨C Taking my bag from the bench, I was getting ready to leave when one of the maids took me by the hand in the doorway.


    - ¡°I feel sorry for you, poor creature. Having to do those barbarian chores in the mountains. If you wanted to, you could serve me as a lady-in-waiting and avoid mistreating your body in the cold snow" - Putting the fingers of her hand through the cuff of my jacket sleeve, the maiden looked at me with a sinister expression that was inconsistent with that priestly uniform.


    - ¡°Don''t worry about me, sister. My body is very resistant and I hardly feel fatigue walking on the slopes of the mountain" - Taking her hand off my arm, I walked down the corridor that leads to the street looking at her out of the corner of my eye, appreciating the sinful expression that she did not try to hide on her face .


    - "Be careful Amelia, the maiden Nohemi has a very bad reputation and it seems that she has already set her sights on you" - With an appearance that gave the impression of being a bear, strong arms and abundant beard that contrasted with his baldness; Dimael , was an old bodyguard who had lost one of his legs during a raid into the dungeons of Eunice''s kingdom.


    Abandoned by the house he served, he was fired by his master who cared little for the years of faithful devotion that he gave him by bringing him large loot from his raids.


    - ¡°Don''t worry Dimael , I know very well how to deal with her. You better tell me which darling we''re escorting today."


    - ¡° Mmmmm , this time he is the son of Viscount Alcocer. Don''t worry, the brat might pee in his pants as soon as we get to the top and return early for dinner" - Giving a loud laugh that resounded in the street, the nobles who were passing by on the sidewalks in front turned around in disgust while shouting insults against us.


    Regardless of what they said about us, we continued on our way with that pleasant chat of comrades that served to distract me from the ordeal of having to serve those petulant members of the nobility.


    - ¡°Why have they taken so long to arrive? Do you think I''ll pay you for slacking off? Hurry to take the luggage of my guests¡± ¨C With a puny appearance and a prominent nose, blond hair with a fringed hairstyle that looked more like a young lady''s; the young Adri¨¢n, son of Viscount Ed¨¦n Alcocer. He was a spoiled boy who liked to brag about his father''s fortune, surrounding himself with many noble ladies of lower rank, who only lent themselves to his whims to get some connection that would serve for the growth of their houses.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    - ¡°I''m sorry for the delay, my name is Amelia. Today I will be your guide and assistant for the climbing expedition, my lord¡± ¨C Bowing as soldiers usually show their respects, I pretended to be a mercenary who had previously served the nobility in order to win the favor of my clients.


    - ¡°Well, I think this job is right for you! With that cow''s body it shouldn''t be difficult to carry our luggage up the mountain¡± ¨C Making fun of my appearance to make the ladies in front of him laugh, I kept my expression calm while biting my cheekbones to restrain myself from giving him a good blow on that one. hideous nose.


    Reading the situation, Dimael put his hand on my shoulder trying to calm me down in the face of that taunt, letting out a light sigh as he took his part of the load for the expedition.


    - ¡°Calm down, woman. Just remember what I told you when we were on our way here¡± ¨C Winking at me with a slight smile on his face, Dimael made me feel comforted as we began our climb towards the summit.


    Despite being a tourist center, the climbing area also served as a hunting ground, housing some small wolves and foxes to entertain the nobles, making those of us who served as guides have to watch the terrain and warn of any threat against them. the lives of our clients.


    Wielding a heavy two-handed axe, Dimael dealt with the wolves that appeared from time to time, while I used my twin daggers to kill the foxes that scuttled between us trying to steal our supplies. All this, while we kept those heavy luggage on our backs.


    - "Today they have been more active than usual, don''t you think so, Amelia?"


    - "You''re right, at least I''ve killed about twenty foxes on the whole journey that we took here. It seems that some hunter must be scaring them and sending them here¡± ¨C Barely holding my breath with that icy air that burned my cheeks; I looked sideways at my partner, who was already showing signs of fatigue on the prosthesis on his right leg.


    - ¡° Dimael , your prosthesis is creaking a lot. Did you pay the sorcerer to cast a thermal charm?¡±


    - ¡°Brat, I could barely raise enough for my rent this month. Plus those bastards have started jacking up the spell fee thinking we''re making cash out of these bratty kids. I can''t afford to spend a single copper more or I won''t have anywhere to go¡± ¨C With an expression of fatigue on his face, the sweat evaporated on his skin giving off a thick layer of smoke as if he were burning in that frozen place.


    Proud of his abilities, Dimael was not a man to be cowed by details like that, as if trying to prove himself worth having been dumped by his former employer.


    - "Come on Amelia, it won''t be long now" - At the moment he uttered those words, a sound like the detonation of gunpowder shook the silence of the mountain. Making me look ahead to realize the terrible situation in which we found ourselves.


    - ¡°You see ladies! This is the new technology that my father has begun to market among the army of Siegfried''s kingdom . Military engineers call it a personal cannon, a somewhat crude weapon for the hands of a nobleman, but as you can see, it serves its purposes" - With an expression of pure evil on his face, that boy held that weapon with the barrel pointing in the right direction. to Dimael .


    Who was supporting his right hand against the snow, while taking his left hand to cover the impact of the bullet that had pierced him at the height of the right side of the abdomen. Barely containing the flow of blood that bathed the whiteness of the snowy ground, with a crimson hue that became darker and darker.


    - ¡°Please, don''t shoot! Our contract is supposed to be exclusively as guides and escorts. I never mention that we would serve as attack targets. How does he intend to descend if he kills us?" ¨C When he snapped his fingers, from among the trees that were behind them, two guards appeared bowing to the young nobleman.


    - ¡°As you can see, the contract is fulfilled perfectly. Here are my escorts, while where you are, is the entertainment¡± ¨C Covering their faces with their fans, the mocking glances of the young ladies of the nobility celebrated the unscrupulous acts of that devious boy.


    Throwing a leather bag with our payment at my feet, the young man pulled out his pocket watch and began to count to ten so that both Dimael and I were running for our lives.


    - "Amelia, leave me. I will not be able to continue with this wound, I will only delay you and you will end up like me¡±


    - ¡°Keep quiet stupid, we have come together and we will leave here together. Trust me, we will survive¡± ¨C Betting on my bad luck, I made a noise similar to a fox''s yelping while throwing a few corpses near where the nobles were.


    - "What is Amelia doing?"


    - ¡°What does it look like? Buy us time¡± ¨C Attracted by the sound and strong scent of blood, a pack of wolves appeared after the nobles, who had to use the escorts to fend off the attack while we rolled down the steep snow slope.


    - ¡°Get up, man. Do a little on your part¡± ¨C Taking Dimael by the arm , we began to walk quickly through the snow trying to sneak between the trees while I felt how our pursuers began to follow our heels.


    The sounds of the firing pin of that rich boy''s gun reverberated through the foliage of the trees, feeling at times the splinters of the bark that flew with the impacts that did not manage to land on the target.


    - ¡°Come on Dimael , just a little more. We are already reaching the base of the mountain, stay aware damn it¡± ¨C With the expression on his pale face, that man had already lost enough blood to leave him with one foot in the grave. Stumbling incoherently while I felt in my heart the desperation for losing his life.


    - "Hey, wait a minute. Stop there. Where are your customers? ¨C Standing in front of us when we were about to leave the recreation grounds, the foreman in charge of supervising the guides scolded us for trying to leave the area.


    - "Customers? Did those people ever tell you that our contract was to serve as bait for them? Look at us damn unhappy, Dimael needs medical assistance or he will die" - I could not contain my anger, I was so frustrated that I yelled loudly and in a threatening tone to the foreman, who as soon as he saw my determination, backed down while continuing to throw my body against him with rage.


    - ¡°Okay, you won! Take that spoil with you, but never set foot in this place again."


    - "Perfect! Fuck you !" ¨C Spitting in his face, I left with Dimael on my back walking clumsily through the streets in search of a healer. One by one the offices of the sorcerers we visited closed their doors upon realizing that we were dealing with what they considered undesirable individuals.


    20 silver coins, that was the price for saving a man''s life. The value of a fragile existence in the eyes of those greedy wizards, which we couldn''t cover despite pooling our savings between the two of us.


    - ¡°Amelia, what happened to you! Why is Dimael soaked in blood? ¨C Finding Ruth on the way home who was returning from serving as a lady-in-waiting, I felt how my legs lost their strength collapsing next to Dimael ''s body .


    - ¡°Ruth! It''s 20 fucking silver coins that they charge us to save Dimael , but we barely have 10 coins with us. There is not a single sorcerer who wants to help us, no one accepts that we pay them the rest later¡± ¨C Feeling confident with that woman, I cried bitterly hitting my face on the ground cursing my impotence in the face of the imminent death of my partner.


    - "Amelia, have you tried the temple maidens?" ¨C Pausing slightly, Ruth put her hands to her chest, squeezing her fingers with a worried expression as she said those words. Aware that Sister Nohemi was in charge of the maids, Ruth looked at me with concern, trying to regret what she had said just now.


    - "You''re right, it''s the only possibility"


    - ¡°No, Amelia! I just said it without thinking, reconsider."


    - ¡°Reconsider what? Can''t you see that Dimael is dying?"


    - "Silly! Don''t you know that you will fall into the clutches of a devil if you go with her?" ¨C Gaining strength once more with Dimael on my shoulders, I began to drag my feet along the cobbled street with my face down accepting my misfortune.


    Fall into the clutches of a demon? Since I had reincarnated in that world my life had been a constant hell, tormented by the endless tragedy of losing all those who entered my life as if they were dust blowing in the wind.


    - "Hold right there, identify yourself" - Blocking my way with their spears, the guards at the main gate of the temple order looked at me menacingly as I took from my bust a small plaque with the effigy of the goddess Artemis.


    As soon as they recognized that object, the soldiers immediately knew who that emblem belonged to and why women like me carried it with them.


    - ¡°Take the man to the sanctuary chamber and leave him there to be attended to. Afterwards, follow me in silence¡± ¨C Doing as ordered by the knight of the order, I left Dimael ''s dying body in charge of a couple of maidens who placed their hands on his wound while reciting a song that brought down spiritual power.


    Walking down the corridor in silence, the fire from the torches glowed on the stained glass windows in an imperturbable dance under the scent of incense and candle wax from the ceremonial altars.


    - "Maiden Nohemi , they have come to see you" - Opening the door allowing me to enter the room, sister Nohemi was sitting at her desk writing some documents that she would send to the church headquarters in Alberon .


    - " Mmmm , I see that you finally understood and you have come looking for my grace, little lost sheep" - Rising from her chair, the maiden walked up to me, placing her hand behind my neck, running her index finger across my forehead making a religious sign. according to the teachings of the creed of Artemis.


    - "I will pay for Dimael''s life to be saved "


    - "Oh, wow. And how do you plan to pay¡± ¨C At the moment I took out the bag with the silver coins, I felt a strong slap that made me turn my face. At the same time, sister Nohemi held me by the wrist causing the bag of money to fall to the floor, scattering the coins on the floor.


    - ¡°My grace is not as cheap as a few measly pieces of metal. If you really want to pay me, you know what price I''m looking for from you¡± ¨C Placing her hand on my swollen cheek, the maiden conjured a song that healed my wound, leaving my skin intact once more.


    - ¡°Guards! Don''t let anyone bother me until the sun comes up. That''s an order!" ¨C Nodding with a bow to the maiden''s order, the soldiers left, closing the room, leaving us alone under the glow of the candles, which cast our shadows against the walls, drawing our silhouettes that were lost in a corner of that damned place.

 Stage 15: When god plays dice.

    - "Princess, please don''t run through the halls!" ¨C A scene as familiar as it was distant, running down the internal corridor that adjoined a beautiful garden, whose center was framed by a leafy cherry tree in full bloom.


    When she finished her etiquette classes, the original owner of this body used to sneak into that place to avoid the piercing looks of the maids who served under the orders of the Empress Beatriz, trying to make as little noise as possible to earn a few minutes of tranquility.


    - "I see that you also like the rain of petals that this majestic tree provides, my young princess" - Reclining, ignoring the etiquette rules that marked the royal line, a woman with beautiful black hair and ruby red eyes, she caressed the head of a small infant who was sleeping peacefully on her lap.


    - ¡°I, I''m sorry! I didn''t know this was his favorite place, I''m leaving"


    - ¡°Wait little one, it is very sad not to share such a wonderful place. Stay by my side, I promise not to hurt you" ¨C The gentle touch of Angela''s concubine''s hand felt like the soft touch of rose petals in summer, with a warmth that managed to shake the heart even if it was with heavy burdens of worry.


    - "Don''t you hate me?"


    - "Of course not! Who could come to hate a beautiful lady like you?


    - "The Empress does it"


    - ¡° Mmm , certainly. But if I tell you a secret, do you promise to keep it?" - Nodding her head, the original Amelia had wide eyes with an expression of expectation that she couldn''t hide, even more so with the smiling attitude of the concubine Angela. Who, bringing her lips to the ear, whispered: "She does not hate you, but she is afraid of you"


    - "Fear? Why?"


    - ¡°One occasion, while passing near her room, I heard the empress murmuring about the oracle of a prophecy that had come from the temple. In it they said that just as it was in the beginning, a star would rise from the land of Pandora. That he would reign alongside the sun and bring prosperity to the world.¡±


    - "So I am that star?" ¨C With a face brimming with illusion, that creature that had lived its first years in sad solitude and gloom, believed in Angela''s words. Who was just about to continue with the oracle, was abruptly interrupted by a man who stood next to her.


    - "What are you doing here? I think I told you that the court doctors advised you to be on bed rest, Angela."


    - ¡°I''m sorry, Your Majesty, but you already know me. I love to enjoy the soft breeze that this tree provides¡± ¨C With the expression of her serene face, directing a candid look at the man, Angela got up taking him by the hand while holding little Leopoldo who was still submerged in that imperturbable dream.


    With a bit of greed in her heart, little Amelia couldn''t take her eyes off that scene of a loving family, so close to her and at the same time, so far away. Making her let out a little pouty moan, as she tried to hold back her tears.


    - ¡°Amelia! Aren''t you supposed to be in your history classes?" ¨C With brown hair like burnished bronze, Emperor Alexander''s face was coarse in his expressions. So hard for a child to bear, causing the little girl to burst into tears.


    - "Your Majesty! She''s just a girl, plus she''s his daughter. Don''t you think you''re being too rigid?"


    - "Do you think I''m rigid with her?"


    - "Yes Alexander, I think you are" - The emperor knew that concubine Angela rarely used to call him by name, despite loving each other deeply. Only reserving that gesture when they were in private or trying to make her understand when she was suffering for something inside the palace.


    Giving a sigh, lowering his face, Alexander was able to understand the intentions of his beloved''s heart, prostrating his knee on the ground as he reached out his hand to caress Amelia''s head.


    - "Stop crying. I''m not mad at you, but both you and Leopoldo are my biggest concern in this palace. I don''t want anyone to find defects in you that could cause you pain or discomfort."


    - ¡°Alexander, sometimes actions carry more weight than words. Why don''t you spend some time next week with the princess?"


    - ¡°You know I can''t do it. In five days the high council will begin and the monarchs must meet to attend to the affairs that correspond to the continent" - The emperor''s face seemed downcast when pronouncing those words, as if a heavy weight were on his shoulders when dealing with the topic of the council .


    - "Then allow the princess to visit me in the summer palace, let''s use as an excuse that I will replace the etiquette teacher because she got seriously sick to her stomach" - Placing the back of her hand on the emperor''s cheek, Angela He looked once more, pronouncing his name while placing his forehead against his .


    - "You always have to get your way, don''t you?"


    - ¡°Wasn''t that how I won your heart? ¨C That smiling couple, so united by the invisible thread of destiny, was lost along with the image wrapped in darkness while I opened my eyes again with the arrival of morning.


    Lying on the silk sheets next to the temple maiden, I wanted to get up feeling an intense pain that ran from my back to my shoulders. Slight lines of blood were marked on the cloth in which my body was exhausted at night, making me realize the deep marks on my skin when contemplating myself in the dressing table mirror.


    Trying not to make noise, I went for my clothes that were on a chair, making it impossible for me to locate where my boots had been after the wild frenzy that corrupt maiden made me.


    Walking on tiptoes until I found her near the desk, I was about to put them on when my eyes caught my attention an envelope that was on the table. Filling me with intrigue to verify that the wax seal had the emblem of the imperial house of Alberon .


    When I took out the document contained in the envelope and looked at it, I realized that all the pages were completely blank. As if the message embodied in them had vanished into thin air.


    Thinking that it could be invisible ink, I approached the thin sheets of the letter against the flame of a candle, being surprised at that moment by a voice that almost made me scream in terror in that silent room.


    - "User, the content of that document has been erased with magic"


    - ¡°Oracle? How can you communicate with me?"


    - ¡°The unit recently received a light repair to its mana ducts. But it is impossible for me to fully connect with the host¡± ¨C For a moment I thought I had recovered my powers, but the Oracle quickly cleared me of my mistake. Crushing my hopes to be able to leave that city as soon as possible.


    - "Then there is no point in continuing to review this document"


    - ¡°Negative, although I can''t reverse the deletion magic. I can help the user to connect with the residual memory of the issuer of the document that is still in it. Do you wish to proceed?"


    - "Just do it!" ¨C Feeling a shake in my head as at the moment I received the information of the language of that world, the room began to spin making me sit on the chair while I covered my eyes with my hands.


    A distant place, nestled on a mountain miles from here at the other end of the continent. In the kingdom of Ephesus , a meeting was held with the presence of the leaders of the five great royal families.


    From Alberon , Empress Beatrix; from the kingdom of Casius , the monarch Rubelius . On the part of Ephesus , the crown prince Maximus was taking his father''s place due to illness, and lastly the ambassador Mikail of Siegfried''s vassal kingdom . All of them were gathered in the high council room, prostrate around a table where the seat of the dignitary of Eunice''s kingdom was empty.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    - ¡°How much longer do we have to wait for that damned imbecile Teodoro? Ever since he found those veins of primordial stones, the fumes have gone to his head. Are you insinuating that your presence is too much for those of us present here?" ¨C Hitting his fist hard on the table, Rubelius von Casius had a countenance like that of a fighting bull that has been thrown into the ring.


    - "It is that the royal family of Casius has lost its manners and they are not taught manners."


    - "Shut up damn witch! The one who should be occupying that seat is Prince Leopold. How long will you pretend to be the sovereign? When you''re just a simple viper that got into Alexander''s bed¡± ¨C Keeping silent, putting her fan halfway across her face, Beatriz''s gaze was injected with anger as a result of Rubelius '' scathing words . Being a childhood friend of the late emperor, Rubelius did not keep up appearances to show his discontent that this woman usurped the throne, protected by imperial law.


    - ¡°Please, let''s take it easy! I think we are all impatient for the long wait and it is difficult for us to calm down" - Wiping his forehead with a handkerchief, Mikail narrowed his eyes mockingly in the direction of Rubelius , who saw that mischievous gleam in the ambassador''s amber eyes, turning his face to spit on the ground at the dignitary''s feet.


    - ¡°You are a pusillanimous Mikail . You wag your tail like a vile lapdog with this snake so that your kingdom does not fall like the poor bastards of Esterum , I don''t know whether to feel sorry or disgusted for you" - Swallowing saliva while clenching his fist, the ambassador looked in the direction of the empress looking for her to respond to the monarch due to her blood ties to the kingdom of Siegfried , but the indolent woman just returned her look ordering her to keep quiet.


    - ¡°Gentlemen, we are losing the main subject of this meeting and we have not even begun. As the proper royalty that we are, we have to preserve order or the continent will not be able to survive what is to come¡± ¨C That young face without malice, with a firm conviction in his words, stood up before those present, raising his hand like an eloquent speaker.


    With short hair of an unusual silver color, the young Maximus was the only begotten son of King Madeus . Born the product of the forbidden relationship between the sovereign and a slave from the fallen kingdom of Esterum , the crown prince had had to fight against all odds due to the rejection of the nobles of his kingdom. Managing to consolidate his position thanks to his brilliant economic policies, which freed the kingdom from being absorbed as a mere vassal state by the Alberon empire .


    - "Marvelous! The heart of this old man overflows with joy upon hearing the words of such young blood. I beg the goddess for her blessing on you, to guide you through noble paths and continue to grant you wisdom¡± ¨C Entering through the main door of the hall, escorted by two soldiers who wore armor with the emblems of the holy church; the supreme pontiff, the vicar Benedict entered the meeting causing those present to stand up bowing in reverence for his arrival.


    - ¡°The glory of the goddess is upon you, my dear children. Please take a seat and let''s start the meeting."


    - "Your grace, we are not all together yet"


    - ¡°Young prince, we are here who should be. Please sit down¡± ¨C Feeling a crushing pressure coming from his holiness''s presence, the young Maximus was overwhelmed by the gaze of Benedict, who placed his hand on his shoulder pushing his body against the seat.


    - ¡°As everyone already knows, just a few months ago the continent was completely shaken by a terrible misfortune before the eyes of our goddess. The Medea forest, which was the living testimony of the myths of the original founders of this land, was destroyed without further ado by an entity whose arrival was prophesied to us more than fifteen years ago."


    - ¡°Hold on, your Holiness! What isn''t that supposed to mean?" ¨C Exalted by his eminence''s declaration, Rubelius got up from his seat placing his hands on the table with the expression of his face changed in dismay.


    - ¡°King Rubelius . Please, let me continue¡± ¨C Hitting the ground with the tip of his cane, Benedicto cleared his throat and continued with his speech.


    - ¡°For years, the empire of Alberon had been the faithful guardian of the Medea forest. Even making war against the ambitious kingdom of Esterum , who intended to take the forest to sully their lands. But, still, they have failed without spot on them.


    I am a witness of the loyalty of the empire for the goddess, even more coming from this laudable favorite daughter here present before me. Who has kept the prophecy that I gave her years ago, persevering in bringing Princess Lucrecia to the level that the goddess sends as a girl of blessing.


    But that other creature, such a lamentable daughter of perdition, who with great care and love was preserved despite being cursed. Not only attempted against the life of our daughter blessed by the goddess Artemis, but also was the cause of the disaster in the Medea forest."- When saying those words, those present broke out in discussion accusing each other taking their signs against the empress present.


    - "You are stupid! Aren''t you supposed to execute her on Mount Dragulos ? If you had only left your damned pride and handed her over to us, this would not have happened¡± ¨C Breaking the wooden surface of the table with his fists, Rubelius threateningly rushed towards the empress, being stopped on the spot by the escorts of his holiness. Who posed the tips of their spears against the monarch''s neck.


    - "Your Eminence, tell your men to stop aiming at my neck."


    - ¡°I will do it when you show more respect to my presence, King Rubelius . Remember that, before me, a monarch has no more value than that of a simple servant under the doctrine of the goddess "


    - ¡°King Rubelius , please return to your seat. The blood we must shed must not be that of our own allies, understand, I beg you¡± ¨C Taking his arm, Maximus looked condescendingly at the monarch, who restrained his impetus before the prince''s pleas. Returning to his seat while the escorts lowered their weapons to return to the side of the Supreme Pontiff.


    - "Thank you once again for being a bulwark of order, young prince"


    - "Let''s leave flattery aside, your Holiness, for my part I need to know. How are you sure that Princess Amelia was the cause of the destruction of the forest? Are there witnesses to it?"


    - ¡°Oh young prince, of course there are witnesses. In fact, I have asked the sole survivor to come and give his report personally¡± ¨C Snapping his fingers for his men to throw the door wide open, Vicar Benedict named the man who was waiting on the other side of the door to tell him. enter to.


    - ¡°Cardinal Asmodeus , please. Tell us here what you saw with your own eyes." Putting his right knee on the ground to take Benedict''s hand, Asmodeus placed his lips on the ring with the seal of the Holy See and reverently stood before the crowd. .


    - ¡°As you already know, the Holy See actively collaborates with the Alberon empire to fulfill the goddess''s mandate in our task to hunt down the last of the heretics who call themselves alchemists.


    During my years assigned to the service of Empress Beatrix, I was tasked with monitoring the daughter of doom at the same time that I carried out my sacred employment as inquisitor. From my collected observations, I came to suspect about the young princess Amelia in her constant visits to the imperial library. More specifically to the areas reserved for writings that the temple order considers taboo.¡±


    - "Cardinal Asmodeus , are you insinuating that Princess Amelia committed the sin of alchemy?" - Raising his hand to his angular chin, Mikail ''s mean expression was shown in expectation of Asmodeus ''s words , who, pausing briefly, confirmed his statement.


    - ¡°Princess Amelia Van Hallen, making use of her cursed arts. She escaped from the carriage that was taking her into custody for her execution, killing the guards who were escorting her. Going into the forest Medea hiding for a month.


    With the help of the empress'' personal guard and some members of the order, I led a contingent to hunt down the sinner before it was too late. But unfortunately, we were overwhelmed by his overwhelming power and we could not prevent him from taking the life of the fairy queen who guarded the sanctity of the forest" - Raising his hand to his face, Asmodeus He feigned tears in a theatrical way, hiding the evil expression of his gaze. Being seen by the empress, who took the fan to her face, covering a complicit smile.


    - ¡°As you have heard, the heretic Amelia Van Hallen is still alive. And as long as that seed of evil remains to stain this Goddess-blessed land, the peace that was built over millennia by the pact of the original arcane dragons will be irretrievably threatened.


    That is why all of us present here, just as the founding fathers of the myth did, by the authority that the goddess has granted me as her representative, I summon you to wage the holy war against the incarnation of evil. Let not a single place on the continent remain unsearched, let there be no refuge for the sinner Amelia¡± ¨C Whipping his cane hard, the Supreme Pontiff gave the sacred order of holy war against the young princess and anyone who came to help her.


    Feeling as if blood was flowing from my nose, I snapped out of my trance by pulling in a breath of air as I fell to the ground completely dizzy and unable to stand up.


    Shuffling a bit trying to get out the door, being stopped by a heavy heel strike on my head.


    - "Little stray sheep, why are you leaving so soon without telling me?" ¨C Turning me around to face up, the maiden Nohem¨ª sat on my chest making it difficult for me to breathe due to the weight of her body. Squeezing his buttocks against my ribs, while taking my arms by the wrists bringing them over my head.


    - "Please let me go. I have to go home¡± ¨C Turning a deaf ear to my pleas, Nohem¨ª kissed me on the mouth biting my lip until it bled. Outlining an unhealthy smile as his face approached my ear.


    - "Did you see something you shouldn''t?"


    - "No, I swear"


    - "Don''t lie to me, you damn whore!" - Sticking a letter opener on the palms of my hands against the ground, I screamed with the little strength that my chest had, hoping to get the attention of the guards behind the door without any success.


    - ¡°When I first saw you, I knew you were a spy from Eunice''s kingdom. That black hair and your slanted eyes, can only be from those impious damned who dwell beyond the ocean. That is why I, I wanted to purify you with my love. Bring you to the fair path of the goddess Artemis and atone for your sins with my flesh. But behold, what is unholy will always be unholy no matter what is done¡± -Lifting her torso slightly above me, Nohem¨ª spat in my face as she yelled for the guards to enter the room.


    - ¡°Take this sinner to the dungeon! Let the team of inquisitors make her confess by all possible means to this spy from Eunice''s kingdom. Make her beg for the salvation of our goddess and maybe, just maybe, I can achieve her absolution¡± ¨C Grabbing me by the arms, the soldiers of the ecclesiastical order dragged me out of the room. Throwing me into a cell where they handcuffed me hand and foot, leaving me in a threadbare tunic that left part of my nakedness exposed on the cold stone floor.


    - ¡°Oracle? Oracle! Can you hear me?" ¨C The echo of an interference noise resounded in my head leaving me without an answer.

 Stage 16: Prison Break

    How long had it been? Three hours? Four days? Handcuffed tightly against the damp wall of my cell, I felt the insects crawling up my thighs and the monotonous sound of a drop of water falling from the ceiling had made my nerves reach the limit of my patience.


    - "Wow, I see you''re still sane! Anyone else would think that by now you would be babbling like the other prisoners, but it seems that I was not mistaken in choosing you as my sheep" ¨C Entering through the cell door, Sister Nohem¨ª had that same smiling face that she showed in public, with his smile full of cynicism and that air of false holiness.


    Punctual as clockwork, the maiden came to my cloister without fail for her regular dose of sadism.


    - "Open your mouth wide, don''t spill a single drop" - Squeezing my cheekbones forcing me to open my lips, Nohem¨ª introduced a spoonful of boiling soup that burned my throat on its way to my stomach. The first day she gave me that punishment, I reflexively spat that tasteless food onto her robe, causing the sister to hit my head against the wall until I bled. Leaving me the sensation of the taste of blood on the palate every time I took a bite.


    As time passed, my throat was already insensitive to pain, I couldn''t speak clearly either because of the immense damage that torture had caused me. For the priestess, I was just a mere doll with which she could unleash her wicked games.


    - ¡°Sister Nohem¨ª, it''s time. We have to take the prisoner to the interrogation room¡± ¨C True to his dogma, Sebastian, the leader of the inquisitor unit attached to the city of Litho; he would appear half an hour after the priestess played with me, showing his imposing silhouette in front of the cell. Hitting the bars with his sword to try to provoke me.


    Repeating the same routine, that man chained my neck and forced me to walk with the weakness that afflicted my legs on the cold floor of the prison. To him, I was nothing more than a simple sinner, making that clear when I eventually stumbled and fell, yanking the chain forcing me to get up unless I wanted to be dragged across the floor.


    Worse than a beast, such was the treatment given to the prisoners of the infamous underground prison of the knights of the temple order.


    - "Tie her well to the chair, I don''t want her to twist like she did two days ago"


    - "Yes, Captain Sebastian, leave it in my hands" - With a physical appearance in his late forties, a small mustache and a partially gray head, Fabian Snow was the man in charge of carrying out the torture inside the prison. Nicknamed by the rest of the guards as the butcher doctor, Fabian was a fan of the profession of inquisitor. It used to be said among the maids who cleaned her room that her bookcases and desk were overflowing with documents on medical treatises on unethical manipulation of the nervous system, and even ancient texts on instructions for methods of prolonged torture.


    - ¡°Shhh, calm down. They will only be a few small pickets as always.¡± ¨C Introducing thin needles between my nails and the skin of my fingers, Fabian sank those sharp spikes slowly, savoring every second as he contemplated the agonizing expression in my eyes. Making him smile with satisfaction, while connecting the ends of the metal to some electrodes coming from a machine that generated electricity through magic stones.


    Varying the intensity of the discharge at intervals, the inquisitor questioned me in the brief pauses that the current stopped flowing, waiting for my answer amidst the gasps that I gave because of the incessant pain in my hands.


    - "Maybe it''s hard for you to talk because you''re thirsty, captain"


    - ¡°It could be so, we are not so cruel not to give our prisoners a drink. Give him some water." - Lending himself to that act, Sebastian took me by the chin leading my face to the ceiling while he inserted his index fingers into my mouth forcing me to open it, while Fabian introduced a funnel with a piece of cloth tied to the other end. Which they put me with unheard of viciousness down my hurt throat, generating gags almost suffocating me by my own vomit.


    Taking a still that they had prepared from the table, that fluid was poured into the funnel while feeling how the cloth was soaked with that liquid with a strong aroma that was unmistakable when smelled. A very pure alcohol, so strong that it was used to disinfect the wounds of soldiers on the front lines, burned my esophagus, turning my already battered stomach.


    That torturous process was repeated constantly, while I could barely maintain consciousness, being awakened by the strong blows of Sebastian''s fists on my belly.


    - ¡°Confess once and for all! Who do you work for? What are Eunice''s kingdom plans? Who are with you? Answer back!"


    - ¡°I have already told you that I am not a spy! I don''t work with anyone or know anything about Eunice''s kingdom, please believe me. I beg you, I can''t take it anymore¡± ¨C With my clothes soaked in blood mixed with my gastric juices, my voice began to fade as I felt my insides riot violently making me unable to maintain a coherent dialogue.


    - ¡°Captain, I find it hard to admit it. But I think this woman speaks the truth. We''ve been torturing her for seven days now, she understands. Even the toughest spies I''ve ever worked with break in as little as two days.¡±


    - "Sister Nohem¨ª has said that she found her going through her desk and surprised her reading a confidential letter"


    - ¡°You mean the correspondence sent by the magic encryption department? These letters erase the text when the intended recipient reads the content. It takes a magician with a great mastery of mana to retrieve the information. And believe me, this woman does not have a single shred of magical control¡± ¨C Without having been able to recover from the damage suffered on the mountain, before the control evaluation prior to entering the cells, the report in my file did not report that I was dealing with a sorceress.


    Upon hearing Fabian''s opinion, I thought to myself with some relief that Captain Sebasti¨¢n would free me from torture, exonerating me to throw myself back into what I called freedom. But far from getting any sympathy from that stubborn soldier, he once again arranged for me to throw my battered body back into the cells, but this time, accompanied by other prisoners who shared a similar fate to mine.


    Emaciated faces with sunken eye sockets from dehydration, I found myself among men and women who had lost the sparkle in their eyes, souls who abandoned all hope to see the sun''s rays again bathing their withered and decadent bodies.


    Dirty, crouched against the walls without saying a word, those imitations of humans spent their days in the midst of the dirt produced by their bodily waste. The guards who occasionally visited the other cells tried to avoid getting close to where I was, throwing the food on the floor. Being the only moment in which he saw how those creatures woke up from their lethargy, running on their limbs like four-legged animals to devour the food on the floor.


    - "Please someone, anyone. Just kill me¡± ¨C Taking my hands to my head while maintaining the fetal position, my mind broke completely leaving me right in the middle of my downward spiral towards madness.


    - ¡°Ugh. What an unbearable stench!¡± ¨C A voice that seemed familiar to me resounded amid the grunts of the people who were immersed in their frenzy with the leftovers of the food. Covering her nose with a handkerchief while holding a lamp, a woman shined light near the bars of that cell as if looking for someone in particular.


    When my eyes were able to clear up in the middle of the darkness, I was able to recognize the silhouette of that woman who wore that unmistakable priestly attire of white linen and navy blue stole.


    - ¡°Sister Nohemi, here it is! It''s me, here I am¡± ¨C Pounced forcefully pushing aside the bodies that got in my way, I threw myself against the bars holding on to them while I could barely support the soles of my feet.


    - "My dear sheep, you finally come to your shepherdess of your own free will"


    - ¡°Yes, I am his sheep. Here I am, I told you I''m innocent. The captain and the inquisitor have already stopped torturing me. Sees it? I am clean!" ¨C Unable to restrain my tongue, with my mind almost completely surrendered, the expression on my face reflected in Nohem¨ª''s pupils, looked like a mere caricature of my old self. Making my tears roll down my cheeks, feeling the bitter taste on my lips cracked by dehydration.


    - "Yes Yes. I can see it my beloved sheep. You are a creature that has been through a lot, which is why I came here looking for you.¡± ¨C Placing her hand on my face drying my tears, the priestess''s face seemed lost in ecstasy as if she had experienced an epiphany from heaven. That soft touch that ran through my skin soon became a pressure so strong that it dug its sharp nails into the flesh.


    - "Sister?"


    - ¡°You are not ready yet, my little sheep. You are like the vine that is not yet ripe to bear fruit, if I harvest you now, you will give a bitter wine to the palate¡± ¨C At the moment that he moved away from the bars, I felt that my life was falling back into the abyss making me lose control. Stretching my left arm trying to reach the edge of his tunic, to then feel a heat that ran through my shoulder, fading into an intense pain that knocked me to the ground.


    At the other end of the bars, in the middle of a pool of my own blood, my severed arm was being kicked by one of the guards to where the dogs from the surveillance post were. Who began to tear at that battered flesh, making me laugh like crazy as I felt the shock of hypovolemic shock.


    - "I''ll see you in hell, cursed" - Bearing in mind the effect of the curse on my body, I laughed in the middle of my tears, cursing the goddess with screams that reverberated through the prison walls. Beginning to feel the strength leaving my body, my lips trembling as my body began to get cold.


    - ¡°Guards! At their positions, they attack us¡± ¨C The noise of the boots of the soldiers inside the prison began to resound with impetus while the guards gave the alarm signal. Violently shaking the foundation of the upper story, thick clouds of dust and debris fell in and out of the cell, crushing the bodies of both prisoners and guards indiscriminately.


    - ¡°Call the priestesses, tell them to come immediately! Their faces covered in dust and blood, the guards tried to hold their breath as they dragged the bodies of their badly wounded comrades through the corridors, trying to reach the upper levels.


    With my vision already blurry, feeling that my end was near, suddenly in front of me, a slight ray of light coming from the upper floor hit me directly in the face, making it impossible for me to distinguish any image.


    - ¡°Amelia! Where are you fucking fat cow? We don''t have much time, get out of where you are!" ¨C A stone golem mounted on her shoulder, Sandra tried to locate me with her eyes in the middle of that chaos. Clicking her tongue impatiently, as she conjured alchemical circles of protection as the soldiers fired energy blasts at her.


    No matter how hard I tried, my mouth wouldn''t open. My jaw was locked with cramps from the loss of blood, while my breath hitched from my heart rate racing from my excitement.


    - ¡°Amelia! Do you want to die?" ¨C Shouting with her face slightly reddened by anger, the alchemist nearly hurt her throat as she clenched her fists helplessly at her sides.


    - "Sandra!" ¨C Taking what I thought were my last strength, I unlocked my jaw giving a scream in which I felt that my soul was leaving my body. Making Sandra turn in my direction, commanding the golem to break the thick bars of the cell, while my vision was turning black.


    Plunged into that darkness, my ears could only hear the sounds as light murmurs, almost as if I were submerged in the water with my light body on the shoulder of the mighty golem.


    Commanding an imposing squad of stone, Sandra led the way, breaking through the defenses of the order members, folding the metal armor as if it were mere sheets of paper.


    - "Resist, please you have to resist Amelia." ¨C The alchemist''s voice seemed to break, trying to hide her despair, seeking strength within her fear. Muttering curses under his breath, he continued to hurl transmutation circles into the ground, turning the stone into sharp points that emerged from beneath the soldiers.


    - "Freya, I tell you you can''t do it!" ¨C Suddenly changing to a scenario unknown to me, surrounded by luminescent pillars that oscillated between the colorful spectrum of the rainbow, the silhouettes of two women seemed to be engaged in a heated discussion.


    - ¡°Until when Artemis? Tell me my sister! Why do you insist on following the council''s orders without even complaining?"


    - ¡°But Freya, they are the great sages of antiquity. We were created by them, they are like our parents."


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    - ¡°React, you stupid fool! What father would tell his son to kill his offspring?" ¨C With wavy greenish hair, amber eyes finely slitted at the edge, the goddess''s appearance was very different from the sinister form with which she had presented herself to me the first time.


    - "I know it is difficult for you, but you must understand that it is the best!"


    - ¡°Better for whom, Artemis? The creatures of my world are not objects that they can dispose of as they please, they are alive. As much as you and me. What is the sin for which they must perish? They have only decided to walk on their own, as you and I do; Much to the regret of those you call parents"


    - "Freya, you know well that I will always love you"


    - ¡°I know, that''s why take my hand and let''s run away from them. We will fight together and show them how wrong they are" - Extending her hand to her sister, the goddess had a look full of virtue with a heart overflowing with hope, which was destroyed in a matter of seconds, by the cold embrace of a handful of chains that emerged from the ground.


    "Why? Because you have done this to me, sister¡± ¨C Moving abruptly like a beast that has been subdued, the goddess Freya moved her arms furiously trying to break the energy chains, which pulled her forcefully until she was on her knees against the ground.


    - "It seems that what you told us was completely true, goddess Artemis" - Materializing behind the goddess, the silhouettes of two bearded men with a stern look, placed their hands on Artemis''s shoulders. Who lowered her face without saying a word, while Freya did not take her eyes off her, yelling that it was still time to defeat them.


    - ¡°Even in your current situation you are still so insolent. It was to be expected from a daughter of doom like you are.¡± ¨C Dionysus, who was considered the main head of the council of the gods, approached where Freya was, placing the palm of his hand against the goddess''s forehead. Through his skull with a ray of light that left a slight mark on the floor of that place.


    With the pupils of her eyes rolling back, Freya''s mind was reduced to the behavior of a baby in her arms. Being taken into custody by two entities with the appearance of winged creatures, who raised her with her arms outstretched while moving her to what appeared to be an altar.


    Surrounded by six obelisks and a ceremonial stone in the middle, that altar served as a receptacle for the offerings of the gods at the time when the worlds immolated their sacrifices to find pleasure in their eyes.


    - "Hold her tightly, so she doesn''t have a chance to escape" - Ordering the creatures to nail the goddess''s hands and feet against the rock, the blood that flowed from her wounds followed the grooves of a symbol engraved on it, until the crimson flow completely filled the symbols of the altar


    Lighting up the moment the god Dionysus set foot on it, serpentine rays of purple mixed with black particles flowed from the altar obelisks, which, converging in the center, shot out concentrating their force on the goddess''s chest. Who screamed in pain while his hair turned black, wings sprouting from his back with the appearance of an undead.


    The amber eyes that let their tears roll as she contemplated her sister, turned her pupils into an intense red hue that floated on a sclera as black as the starless night sky.


    - "It is done, the filthy daughter has finally taken the royal appearance of her heart."


    - "Sister!"


    - ¡°Goddess Artemis, the creature that is on this altar has ceased to be a goddess. Calling her sister is blasphemy against the high council."


    - ¡°But Dionisio, this was not what you promised me! You told me you wouldn''t hurt him!" ¨C Holding tightly to the mantle of the god, Artemis was reprimanded with a slap that left a mark on her cheek, turning to see the god with a look full of resentment.


    - ¡°Dionisio, don''t be so hard with her. Keep in mind that she must now fulfill her duty as a goddess¡± ¨C With crossed arms and his expressionless face, Apollyon, the second in order within the council, opened a crack in the celestial fabric of the world of the gods. Pointing directly at the planet pandora.


    - ¡°Artemis, little one. It is time for you to minister the atonement of that fallen world¡± ¨C Wrapping Freya''s body in a cocoon of black rock like obsidian, Apollyon delivered control of that orb into the hands of the goddess. Who resisted in the middle of pleas, being pushed firmly by the inflexible god of judgment.


    - ¡°I beg you father, don''t make me do this. For whatever you want¡­¡± ¨C leaning his face placing his chin against the goddess''s shoulder, Apollyon narrowed his eyes, calmly exclaiming that, if he didn''t, both the creation of the world of Pandora and his sister would be erased from existence.


    - "For eons it will be said that those who survive the judgment, that a fallen goddess brought chaos to the world." ¨C With a smile marked from ear to ear, Dionisio raised his arm as a sign to throw Freya against her own world. Like a celestial body that crossed space, the obsidian rock lit up with the planet''s atmosphere accelerating due to the momentum of its orbit, before the gaze of the creatures that observed that sky glow in an instant; to later be consumed by the force of the explosion that ensued from the impact.


    The earth shook to its centers, shaking the dust that rose through the skies accompanied by the immense heat produced by that great celestial object that had impacted squarely against the planet.


    What before was brimming with life, gradually consumed itself, leaving a few survivors who took refuge in the depths of the caves. Witnessing the desolation that followed that fateful event.


    - ¡°Can you see it human? That is the secret that this world hides behind the veil of the stories of the gods" - With a melancholic voice and her expression full of regret, appearing from the shadows, Freya took me by the hand, raising my chin so that I would not move my face away. look at the horrors that were accomplished at the whim of the high council.


    - "Why are you showing me this?" ¨C Incredulous at what I saw, my mind could not conceive that such brazenness against life could go unpunished. That figure that had appeared before me as a sinister being, was nothing more than the victim of a twisted game typical of the evil of beings who considered everything below their standards as inferior.


    - ¡°I created an imperfect world, with imperfect creatures that sought to improve day by day. I gave them free will, I let them walk and stumble with their own forces, all in order to aspire to what we call divinity.


    As you can see with your own eyes, what they considered a threat, they did not hesitate to erase almost completely. Turning me into the nemesis, the evil that must be erased for the good of the gods¡±


    - ¡°But what about Artemis? She¡­"


    - "YOU''LL SAY? WHAT IS NOT THE FAULT? SHE MADE HER DECISION! She knew well that the high council was rotten to the core, but the moment I gave her my hand, tell me, what did she do? He turned his back on me! To me that it was his own sister!¡± ¨C Raising her hands to her face, Freya cried bitterly as she remembered all those passages from the old memories of the past. Cursing the council and his own sister as he held me by the shoulders again.


    - "You know I''m right, you also have a sister who gave you her back when you needed it most"


    - "No! Is not the same! Akemi was just a girl."


    - "And perhaps you were not? Weren''t you a child whose childhood was taken away to take the place of your mother?"


    - "No, you''re wrong. Just like you said about Artemis, I also made my decision.¡±


    - "So you''re telling me that you''re on her side?" ¨C With a leisurely tone with a deep voice, Freya squeezed her fingers tightly on my shoulders to the point that I could feel an immense anger that was growing.


    ¨C ¡°I''m not on your side, but I''m not on her side either. Just as the council of the gods did, so you did to me.¡±


    - "DO NOT COMPARE US WITH THOSE DAMNED!"


    - ¡°Why do you speak in the plural? Are you considering your sister?¡± ¨C The moment I uttered those words, Freya''s anger shot up like an erupting volcano, throwing me into the air, feeling how my astral body began to crack from the force of the impact.


    - ¡°Goddess Freya! I propose a bet. If I can return you to your state of grace, you will return me to my world and break the curse on me."


    - ¡°Ha, ha, ha, ha. Are you telling me that you will defeat the high gods?¡± ¨C Extending her hands furiously in the direction of my astral body, Freya''s gaze seemed to waver at my proposal.


    - ¡°No, better than that. I''m going to kill the gods¡± ¨C Outlining a smile on her face, the fallen goddess joined her hands, returning my astral body to its intact ethereal form. At the same time that he walked up to me, taking me by the waist while he placed his index finger against the center of my chest.


    Feeling an ardor that burned my soul, his fingernail traced some symbols over the ouroboros mark, returning the tattoo on my neck to its original shape as if the countdown was going back.


    - ¡°The curse that you carry in your soul I cannot remove it, its power does not come from me but from the gods of the high council. But at least I can freeze it by paying the price for it."


    - "What are you talking about?" ¨C The hand with which I modify the symbol of my soul, began to disintegrate from the tip of the finger until it ate away the entire arm up to the shoulder. Leaving her mutilated in the middle of a sea of intense pain.


    - ¡°This will be the last time we see each other face to face, until you fulfill your promise. To help you in your mission, I am going to give you one last gift as the good goddess that I am" - Extracting four small colored orbs from my being, the goddess took them in her hands while giving each one a kiss reciting a song unknown to me .


    A black orb representing Faust''s soul; another red that glowed with a dim, almost dull glow, was the remnants of Amelia''s power. The celestial blue that shone like the morning sky and another violet color like the twilight firmament, represented the oracles that had been given to me as a blessing and a curse.


    They all merged into a single orb, glowing brightly as it entered my chest, energy overflowing from my eyes and mouth.


    - ¡°Until now you were only a mere container of an immense divided power, you did not have the ability to control it completely. Now they are all together within you as one; an immense power that rivals the gods, the power to kill even a god you carry in your hands" - Serena giving me that explanation, Freya moved away from me, sitting on a throne with her breathing agitated by the effort that was involved in her form astral.


    - ¡°I can''t believe this comes without a price, so tell me where''s the catch? What prevents me from using this power to betray you and kill you right now?" - Smiling bringing her index finger to her cheek, the goddess Freya laughed at me.


    - ¡°Don''t be confused little one, the power you carry was fused with mine. If I die, the force that holds together that immense body of power will completely consume you, erasing your soul from existence.


    And by the way, one last piece of advice. Tell the brat accompanying you to teach you some alchemy, it will come in handy, believe me.¡± ¨C Snapping her fingers forcefully, the goddess returned my soul to my physical body, which was still on the stone golem. With the sunlight hitting my eyes, I could see that the escape attempt from the order''s prison had been a success.


    - "Wake up at last" - Holding tightly to the golem''s head, Sandra had a temple maiden chained with her, who begged in terror to let her go.


    - "We are safe?"


    - ¡°No and don''t move, I can barely stop the bleeding with my power. Just take a damn look behind us¡± ¨C Slowly turning my neck with difficulty, my eyes saw a scene so amazing that it seemed taken from a movie.


    Mounted on griffons, the knights of the temple order were shooting energy arrows at Sandra''s golems, who made their way through the middle of the city destroying every building in front of them. With the screams of the nobles, who could barely escape the rubble that fell on the streets, crushing more than one in the middle of their flight.


    - ¡°Hey you idiot! Stop crying and start healing my friend or I will throw you at the feet of my golems."


    - "Yes Yes. Please don''t kill me!" ¨C Trembling in panic, the maiden pointed her hands in my direction as she recited an incantation to restore my lost blood, healing my internal organs to their original state. But it being impossible for her to restore my arm that was amputated inside the prison.


    - "I told you to heal her!"


    - ¡°I did it, I really did it! But my power is incapable of growing a severed limb. There is no maiden who can perform such a prodigy."


    - "With a demon, then you are of no use to me" - Impulsing her arm with force, Sandra was about to throw the maiden to her death when at that moment a great ball of fire completely shook the golem''s legs making us fall to the ground .


    - "You are well!"


    - "Yes, I''m OK!"


    - "Your not idiot, I mean Amelia"


    - ¡°Yes, a bit dizzy, but in one piece. Or what''s left¡± ¨C Laughing nervously at my joke, Sandra raised an energy shield to repel the incessant attacks coming from all directions. The three of us standing together in the center of our barricade, peering suspiciously through the dense cloud of smoke and debris, as a menacing silhouette walked toward us.


    - ¡°You three damned heretics have brought disgrace to this city. Not only have they almost completely destroyed it, but they have sullied the holy name of the temple knight order.¡± ¨C Dressed in golden armor on which lion head effigies protruded from his shoulders, Captain Sebasti¨¢n was accompanied by a regiment of soldiers with their sticks pointing threateningly at us.


    - ¡°My lord, I am Ofelia, the sister Ofelia who serves in the barracks as a healer. I''m not with them"


    - "Shut up damn impious" - Throwing an orb of energy that impacted with enormous force against the barrier, the intention of that attack was none other than to take the life of the maiden, who fell exhausted on her knees crying while urinating prey to the fear.


    - ¡°Tch, you are a fool. For them you are nothing more than an expendable object, have some dignity damn fox in a tunic"- Spitting on the ground with annoyance, Sandra''s face looked agitated due to the effort she made to contain that last attack.


    - "It seems that this is the end of the trip, Amelia" - Closing her eyes with a smile drawn on her face, Sandra was about to take an artifact that hung from her neck.


    - "What is that Sandra?"


    - "This? Let''s just call it a one way ticket to hell. When you throw this talisman on the ground, it will explode destroying everything within a 100 km radius. Sure, we will die in the process. But we''ll take those bloody bastards with us."


    - "But I''m not with you?"


    - "Are you still with the same damn breasty turkey?"


    - ¡°Sandra, put that away! I have a plan" ¨C Taking her by the shoulder, I asked the alchemist to lower her hand and restrain her impetus. At the same time, he took a step outside the barrier to receive the full blow of Sebastian''s sword. Stopping its edge with my hand, a few inches from my face.


    - "Where did you get so much strength, woman?" ¨C Without giving him time to finish understanding the situation, I delivered a frontal kick directly to the breastplate of the captain''s armor, throwing him into the air, impacting his body against the wall of soldiers who fell to the ground next to him.


    - "Captain Sebastian, I challenge you to a duel!"


    - ¡°Duel? What are you talking about, slut? A holy knight like me would never accept lowering himself to the desires of a sinner¡± ¨C Leaning the point of his sword against the ground, the captain stood up removing his cape in a defiant tone. With his soldiers waiting for the orders he was going to give them.


    - ¡°Apostle of the shadows, your astral body is not yet fully synchronized with your physical body. The mana consumption in his first form is not optimized and there is a risk of destroying the main body. Do you want to proceed anyway?¡± ¨C Mixed all together, the voices that he had come to miss spoke in unison as a single being, like the roar of many waters similar to the voice of a demon.


    - ¡°It is strange to listen to you, you are an amalgamation of all the consciences that were in me. What should I call you?"


    - "Command not recognizable, my existence does not require a name to work"


    - ¡°Okay, but I''ll go crazy if I don''t know what to call you, so I''ll give you one. I''ll call you Faust. Well, boy, how long can I use my power for now.¡±


    - "The barrier limit before the main body is destroyed is 15 minutes."


    - "Okay, then I just have to kick that canned sardine''s ass in 14 minutes" - Spreading my feet a little, leaning my back forward, I raised my right arm in the air concentrating on my weapon. Which flew out of the rubble of the prison levitating forcefully until it was in the palm of my hand.


    - ¡°Very good Sebastian! Since you''re a devotee of the goddess, I''m going to send you and your men to kiss her damn ass in person."


    - ¡°Blasphemer! Everyone, take your weapons and destroy them¡± ¨C A human wave ran against me with the thunder of their footsteps crashing against the cobblestone of the street, taking out sparks in that nebulous cold wind that permeated over it.


    - ¡°Very well, so be it. All of you against me¡± ¨C A bloody battle was about to take place in the paradisiacal vacation land of Litho.

 Stage 17: Bomberwoman

    Unlike his first attack, Captain Sebastian''s second charge came loaded with uncontrollable anger as he felt his knightly pride trampled. Delivering a two-handed overhead attack, the blow of his sword was so intense that I barely had time to bend my knees slightly to distribute the load.


    The ground under my feet began to crack, while my body sank a little from the pressure exerted. Coming from the left and right flanks, waves of soldiers joined in an escalation of attacks, barely giving me time to cast my spells to repel them.


    That was the overwhelming force of the glorious order of the temple, the so-called holy knights of the holy seat. Children of noble families from all kingdoms and empires, they were meticulously selected from an early age in order to join that army that did not obey any power other than the representative of the goddess, the Supreme Pontiff Benedict.


    - ¡°I admit it petty heretic, you are the first person who can stand despite my attacks. I give you my appreciation for that, but don''t think that you will be able to get rid of the judgment of the goddess¡± ¨C Increasing his attack speed while his white skin turned red, Sebastian''s blows became more overwhelming, at the same time that he felt light cuts on the face and arms produced by the gusts of wind from the fanning of his sword.


    - ¡°Master, there are twelve minutes left before the physical body deteriorates. The mana supply is rapidly declining. We need to make up for the lack of magical power¡± ¨C Escaping the last attack by a hair''s breadth, I began to roll on the ground between the soldiers while printing small magic circles on the stones under their bodies, invoking my mana drain spell in order to recover from the exhausting consumption to which I am forced to confront Sebasti¨¢n.


    - Gentlemen, fall back! Search for any surviving temple maidens and bring them immediately to the battlefield. This witch uses demonic arts!¡± ¨C Surprised to see that his men fell with their mummified bodies, the captain had never seen the use of that spell coming from the arcane elves. For him, my magical arts were a practice from the evil of the world, reaffirming in his heart his intention to annihilate me.


    - ¡°Amelia! How much longer are you going to keep playing with that asshole? I''m almost out of mana and the barrier is starting to weaken."


    - "Oh please Sandra, didn''t you say you were the most powerful alchemist in the world?"


    - "Of course I''m crazy! But it is not the same to be the most powerful than to have an unlimited mana source. Amelia, watch out!" ¨C Turning my eyes to the front, a huge hand similar to a dragon''s claw held me tightly, compressing my body in the air.


    As their captain had ordered, the soldiers returned with the few maidens who were still alive after the collapse of the barracks facilities. Led by Sister Nohem¨ª, the priestesses held their staffs in front with their eyes closed, invoking magical arts in sacred chants.


    Barely holding my breath from that fierce grip, Sebastian looked ecstatic as he received the power of the maidens'' prayers. Manifesting a dragon-like beast-like aura.


    As part of the initiation into the order, those knights who were promoted to high-ranking positions such as legion captain, were endowed with an amulet that connected directly to the mana core of their hearts. Amplifying their draconic blood at significant cost to their bodies.


    The maidens who were gathered there had the mission of reducing the stress load on the captain''s body. While he manifested that exoskeleton that allowed him to master the power of an ancient dragon.


    - ¡°Why don''t you give up now heretic? If you do, I can show you the mercy of the goddess and end your life painlessly."


    - "Master, there are ten minutes left before reaching the critical condition" - With every second that it took me to answer his offer, Sebastian tightened that claw with more force, little by little breaking my bones. Suffocating me for brief moments until I was able to free my battered arm into the air.


    - "Captain, you can stick your mercy up your ass!" ¨C Changing my weapon into the shape of a staff, I invoked a spell of thunder that reached more than half of the maidens, burning their bodies. Making the claw weaken as my body fell to the ground hitting my back.


    - ¡°Ophelia! Use that same shit as your other sisters and heal me."


    - ¡°But what blasphemy! How can you call the holy arts that way?¡± ¨C Angry at the maid''s refusal, Sandra took her by the ear dragging her to the edge of the barrier amid complaints and throbbing pain in her lobe.


    - "Listen busty! Either you do as my friend says or you can go kiss the feet of the idiot in the golden armor.¡± ¨C Seeing the captain''s face, the maid trembled with fear as she agreed to Sandra''s orders.


    Covered by a golden halo, I felt my body begin to heal as I continued to chant to project earth magic in the form of stakes, impaling the soldiers who came looking for an opportunity to attack me while I was lying on the ground.


    - ¡°Gentlemen, diamond position! Magic artillery unit, take up positions on high ground and fire cover shots. It is an order¡± ¨C Reorganizing his troops, Sebasti¨¢n understood that the situation in which he found himself could not be conquered by the mere act of using brute force.


    Before his eyes, the short-lived woman he despised as a heretic gradually gained recognition as a formidable enemy. Giving me less space to mobilize and make use of my magical arts.


    - "Sister Nohemi, increase the amount of mana imbued in my talisman"


    - ¡°Captain, that is impossible! We have lost more than half of the maidens and the few that are left standing will not be able to resist it."


    - ¡°Herman, I think you have misunderstood me. What I said wasn''t a request, it''s a fucking order. We cannot allow these abominable creatures to leave Litho alive¡± ¨C Grinding her teeth with the impotence of not being able to resist the captain''s orders, the priestess ordered the maidens to proceed as commanded.


    - ¡°Please sister, we beg you! We don''t want to die, don''t force us to do it¡± ¨C Without listening to the words of pleas from her subordinates, the maiden raised her right hand from which a ring emanated a dark red sinister aura, causing the priestesses'' eyes to turn red. dark and their expressions changed into a pale corpse-like emptiness.


    Moving their bodies like puppets, the unfortunate maidens raised their arms in the direction of Captain Sebastian sending the little that was left of mana added to their life force, falling to the ground dying spitting blood.


    The moment that overflowing flow of energy came into contact with the talisman on Sebastian''s armor, the golden appearance turned obsidian black and his head was covered by a helmet that covered his entire face, only leaving a small slit visible. at the level of the eyes, from which a slight scarlet glow was visible.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    - "You are cursed. Is that the salvation and mercy that the gospel of your goddess brings?"


    - ¡°Shut up foolish! Until now you have done and blasphemed what you wanted, but this will be your end¡±- Stabbing his heavy sword into the ground, Sebastian invoked a series of magic circles over him, raising a pillar of violet light.


    - ¡°Children of Artemis! You who have died in the grace of the goddess, get up once more and fight¡± ¨C With a roar on the earth, the energy that remained on the captain spread through the ground reaching the corpses of the soldiers and maidens. Wrapping them in cocoons that hatched one by one, releasing semi-human creatures without a single iota of reasoning.


    - ¡°Security warning, creatures of unknown nature detected in the perimeter. Impossible to run vulnerability scans on individuals¡±


    - "What do you mean Faust?"


    - ¡°Master, creatures have no vital flow. They cannot be killed¡± ¨C Surprisingly, one of those beings that still wore remains of his maiden''s robe pounced on me, chattering my teeth as if he wanted to devour my meat.


    - "Amelia, don''t let those things bite you!"


    - ¡°Sandra, I''m afraid to ask, but tell me anyway. Are they zombies?


    - ¡°Zombies? Idiot those things are not just walking dead! They are holy ghouls¡±


    - ¡°What the hell difference is there between them? They''re both rotten¡± ¨C Kicking my enemies away while I scuttled between jumps and sweeps, the monsters'' teeth brushed dangerously against my body, causing me to shudder.


    - ¡°The zombie that we commonly know is enough to purify it with sacred magic to erase it from the physical plane, but a sacred ghoul is an invocation from the power of the goddess, it is impossible to eliminate it. These bloody bastards have hundreds of these fucking dead locked up in the catacombs of the Holy See, precisely because they can''t get rid of their mistakes." ¨C Severing a head from one of the ghoul soldiers, I realized the weight of the alchemist''s words, seeing with my own eyes how the severed limb reunited with the main body as if the edge of my weapon had never passed. about him.


    - "Master, there are seven minutes left before the critical failure"


    - ¡°Fausto please stop telling me how much time I have left! I need to come up with a plan or we''re screwed¡± ¨C Like an avalanche of rotting meat, the bodies of the sacred ghouls rushed at me just giving me time to summon a rotating wind barrier to repel them.


    - ¡°Gehennam Ignis¡± ¨C Invoking a spell of fire that turned the ground under the corpses into boiling lava, for a moment I felt a deep relief watching the flesh burn until leaving mere bones that broke sinking into that sea of incandescent material.


    But as soon as I took a few steps to throw myself directly at Sebastian, the lava exploded through the air, releasing countless corpses that regenerated once more as if they had received no damage.


    - "I told you pathetic woman! This land will be your grave along with the other two heretics that accompany you" ¨C With only five minutes remaining before my body entered the critical phase and destroyed itself, my flesh was already experiencing the ravages of incompletely assimilating my first form with the new one. power granted by Freya. Lines of jagged cracks across my legs and my only remaining arm, letting some of my tissue crumble away as cells dehydrated and turned to dust.


    - ¡°Hey Amelia, you can''t go on like this! Even with this prude''s spiritual power, it''s almost impossible for her to keep regenerating you. Enough, you tried! Please, just stop once¡± ¨C The expression on Sandra''s face reflected a deep sorrow when contemplating my battered body. As if he was taking pity on me, faced with what seemed like a challenging move in a battle that was destined to be lost.


    - ¡°Faust! Give me a reading on underlying heat sources."


    - "Initiating underground reading...impossible to detect thermal sources in a radius of ten kilometers. But there are still living beings available to cast drain spell¡­¡±


    - ¡°No way, those are the citizens of this town! Leaving out the bloody nobles, everyone else is an innocent person. Think of something else!" ¨C Moving at full speed trying to attract the attention of the sacred ghouls, I rushed towards Sebastian, conjuring an ice chant in order to immobilize him long enough to prevent him from continuing to manipulate the corpses.


    - ¡°Master, we have passed the critical barrier. We are three minutes from the main body going into terminal failure.¡±


    - "Shit!" ¨C Feeling that everything was moving slowly in front of me, among the bestial ghouls that gathered one by one without giving me any respite, my eyes did not take their gaze from Sandra, who lowered her face, collapsed on her knees in that dome of energy that was already breaking completely. Holding on to the maiden, who had a look of resignation on her face as the ghouls closed in on them.


    - "Faust, how many readings of living beings do you have leaving out the members of the order and me?"


    - "We have exactly two hundred living beings within a radius of five kilometers"


    - ¡°Sandra! Throw me that one way ticket to hell"


    - "No! What are you thinking to do?"


    - ¡°Please, just do it!¡± ¨C Projecting an arm of mana on the stump on my right side, I took my cane with it while I extended my left hand catching the gem in the air that the alchemist threw me.


    - "Master, the coordinates have been set for the displacement."


    - ¡°Very well, then only this path remains. Mass Obsessio!¡± ¨C The citizens and nobles that remained within the limits of the city, saw how their bodies began to shine in a white light, vanishing in the air in front of their astonished gazes. To the right and to the left, fearful of that event, friends and relatives embraced while they were taken violently by the spell.


    - "Amelia don''t do it!" ¨C With the barrier disappearing and the monsters throwing themselves into it, both the priestess and Sandra vanished into thin air, leaving us completely alone on that cruel battlefield.


    - ¡°Silly, you have only delayed the inevitable! When I''m done with you, I''ll go for your friends and I''ll show them your severed head as a farewell gift¡± ¨C Taking off that ominous helmet, the captain''s face had a gloomy appearance like rock. With graying hair and a wrinkled face, the man was wasting away from the unstable flow of mana that came with maintaining his control over the sacred ghouls.


    - ¡°Look at you Sebastian! You who were a proud knight of the order now have the true appearance of what you carry in your heart. You are no different from these willless monsters under your command. You disgust me!" ¨C Changing the shape of my weapon to that of a bow, I projected a mana arrow onto the rope and placed the gem that Sandra had thrown at me before leaving.


    - ¡°Master, the fused object is a relic known as the Eye of Abadon. An item that condenses mana with a high explosive level.¡±


    - "Fausto, give me the calculation of critical mass at the moment of detonation shielding it."


    - ¡°Calculated catastrophic scenario, the devastation can be contained with the current mana . The average temperature will rise to two thousand degrees Celsius evaporating all life within the containment field."


    - "So it''s enough to erase these ghouls?"


    - "There is a 90% chance of meeting the objective"


    - "Well, let''s pray that we are within that 90%" - Extending my hand to tighten the rope, I set my sights on the earring that maintained the power of Captain Sebastian. Manifesting my draconic armor in the hope that I could withstand the searing heat of the explosion.


    - "Faithful followers of the goddess, kill her!" ¨C The instant that all the sacred ghouls rushed at me, I released my arrow aiming at Sebastian''s mana core. Who, trying to cover him with his arms, saw how that arrow pierced his armor and flesh.


    - "Goodbye, Captain" - A slight whistle broke the tension in the air, followed by a small source of heat from inside Sebasti¨¢n''s body, who in a fraction of a second consumed himself from the inside, evaporating his body into a ball of fire that was growing to encompass the entire perimeter cordoned off by my mana barrier. Incredulous at what her eyes were seeing, Nohem¨ª threw herself on her knees on the ground with her hands together praying to the goddess, being devoured by the tide of fire that soon reached me too.


    - "Master, there is only one minute left for critical failure" - Feeling how the seconds flowed slowly on the system counter in front of me, the tide of fire raised the temperature rapidly escalating to two thousand degrees. Making the scales of my protective armor crunch in an apple-like manner.


    - ¡°Warning, forty seconds remaining to critical failure. Master, you must abandon your transformation. The mana level of the barrier is unstable.¡±


    - "Damn Fausto, if I do that now I will evaporate with the explosion!"


    - "Thirty seconds"


    - "Fuck!" ¨C Distant from the epicenter of the impact, the people evacuated by my teleportation spell observed a strange mushroom cloud on the horizon, illuminating the sky with a purplish glow that was soon followed by a gust of wind that ripped the foliage from the trees .

 Stage 18: Imperial Edict.

    - "Really this prince is a nuisance, I have never encountered a mind so resistant to brainwashing" - In the depths of the underground passages of the imperial palace of Alberon , surrounded by stone walls that retained the cold stale air of humidity , Asmodeus hit his work table throwing all the items on it.


    Handcuffed to a chair blindfolded, Prince Leopold had a gaunt countenance. With her lips cracked with thirst, her cheekbones were sunken from days of refusing to eat.


    - "I see that you have lost your touch, old friend" - Escorted by a guard, the empress entered that laboratory with the expression on her face that reflected an air of severity.


    - "Beatriz knows better than I how difficult it is to work with specimens of pure lineage" - Due to the air of familiarity with which the sorcerer addressed the empress, the guard drew his sword a little, being stopped on the spot by Beatriz. Who shot him an angry look, making him back out of the room.


    - ¡°Since you were little you only gave excuses to distract yourself from your homework. If it weren''t for our father loving your mother so much, the queen consort would have given you as food for the chimeras for experimenting on her maids.¡±


    - ¡° Ha,ha,ha . Hey, it''s true. But you must admit that it sucks to have to live for centuries without adding a little emotion to life¡± ¨C Unlike the rest of the kingdoms, Siegfried''s royal house was not a cradle of descendants of the primordial dragons; but in themselves, they were the only remnant of the first blood that enjoyed a much superior longevity. Hiding that secret under a shadow as thick as the clouds in the night sky.


    While the rest of the primordial dragons abandoned the essence of humanity for the pact with the goddess, giving their blood in their human descendants. Siegfried ''s clan defied that authority by blending through the lines of descendants, in order to carry out their darkest desires.


    - "If it weren''t for the fact that we share blood, I would really dare to kiss that insolent mouth of yours" - Placing her fingers on Asmodeus ''s lips , the empress smiled lewdly without looking away from those amber eyes that they were lost for moments with theirs.


    - " Aghhhh "- Shuddering in pain on the chair, Prince Leopold was shaking violently unable to utter a word due to the suppressive spell of speech that was marked on his tongue.


    - "I thought that bastard was unconscious!"


    - "Don''t worry Beatriz, the prince can barely think like a baby after what I''ve done to him" ¨C Swinging a blood-stained scalpel, Asmodeus ''s mischievous smile contrasted with the Machiavellian shine of his eyes.


    Having been captured by members of the temple order on his way to Dragulos Mountain , Prince Leopold was placed under arrest by the Empress on suspicion of helping the sinful Amelia escape her execution.


    Making use of his public image as a cardinal of the church order, Asmodeus took the prince into custody, leading him into the bowels of the subterranean passages of the imperial palace.


    For more than fifteen days, the infamous draconic unleashed endless torture and procedures on the body of the young prince. Who resisted stoically with an unbreakable will, helped by the idea of going out in search of his beloved Amelia.


    Despite the fact that the prince''s spirit was iron, the flesh of his body gradually languished to Asmodeus ''s experiments , leading him to the deplorable state in which he was.


    - ¡°We need this weakling to be ready for the next council meeting. I can''t keep waiting for you for long."


    - "Calm down dear little sister, by the time those puppets meet again in plenary session, you will be accompanied by a beautiful puppet incapable of rejecting your wonderful charms" - Placing her hand on the empress''s hip defiantly, Asmodeus stopped Beatriz''s right hand from slapping his face.


    - ¡°You know well that I am the empress of this empire! Hold back a bit Asmodeus ¡± ¨C Changing the expression of his face to a more serious tone, the sorcerer leaned his face to Beatriz''s, leaving their lips almost touching.


    - ¡°It is true, you are the empress of this empire. And we both come from the same father''s seed. But you must not forget that while your mother was a mere human, mine was a proud primordial dragon. So whether you like it or not, you will always be below me¡± ¨C Squeezing her wrist tightly, Asmodeuso brought Beatriz to her knees, who put her hand to her mouth trying to contain her cries of pain.


    - "You have understood, my empress"


    - "Yes i understand." ¨C Unlike her defiant and overbearing attitude she used to display in public, the empress was nothing more than a greedy woman with no power of her own. Knowing herself vulnerable to the imminent superiority of the draconic against her.


    - "Three days. In three days you will have your puppet ready and you will be able to play the model mother in front of the public. Until then, refrain from coming to find me in my laboratory. Get out!" ¨C Turning towards the prince, Asmodeus turned his back on the empress. Who withdrew from the room pressing his lips with his eyes reddened by fury.


    At the moment that the sorcerer was about to continue with the brainwashing, the sound of a communication stone echoed in the silence of the laboratory. Raging his nerves by throwing a punch against Leopoldo''s abdomen.


    - ¡°Cardinal Asmodeus , something terrible has happened! All the cardinal inquisitors need to meet at the Holy See as soon as possible¡± ¨C The interlocutor''s voice was altered, as if something incredible had just happened, intriguing the cardinal who was willing to answer the call.


    - "This is Asmodeus . Has something happened to the old man?"


    - "Negative cardinal, it is not about the supreme potifice Benedict."


    - "So what? Speak clearly that I am busy right now!¡±


    - "The city of Litho has been wiped off the map!"


    - "Wait a minute, I think I heard wrong, what happened to Litho ?" ¨C Holding the communication stone firmly, Asmodeus listened to the report of the bishop of Siegfried who could hardly utter a word due to the shock that confirming the news had caused him through the order''s official channels.


    - "So the bastards of Eunice''s kingdom have started to move?"


    - "No sir! It seems that the attack that destroyed the city was provoked by a single person."


    - ¡°Ha, ha, ha. Are you trying to fuck me? Do you want me to believe that a single person massacred a legion of holy knights? And we''re not talking about just any order, we''re talking about the bloody legion that that arrogant Sebasti¨¢n was in charge of."


    - "I know it sounds impossible to believe my lord, but everything we have been informed is true. A dark-haired woman destroyed the city with an attack of black magic. From his appearance we think he was a spy for Eunice, but the reports that we received from the headquarters before the incident denied that hypothesis" - Upon hearing the description of the attacker, Asmodeus dropped the communication stone, raising his hands to his face while He was laughing loudly inside the laboratory. For him, it could not be another person but the same woman who had made him bite the dust in the Medea forest.


    - ¡°Amelia, you little trash. I see you''ve begun to master the power of that stinking black dragon. I really want to sink my fangs into that neck of yours and drink your blood until you beg me to kill you"- Spreading her wings, the sinister aura imprinted by her bloodlust shook the walls of the room, exhaling furiously as she resumed communication confirming that I would soon go to the Holy See.


    - "I think that we will not be able to continue playing for a longer time my dear prince, I have had some work problems that I must attend to. But don''t worry, I promise that what I''m about to do won''t hurt you much¡± ¨C Digging his claws into Leopoldo''s skull, the sorcerer began to sing a runic chant that manifested a dark aura that enveloped the young heir''s body.


    - ¡°vita vitae meae caro carnis meae formam sume et essentiam consume¡± ¨C With a powerful cry coming from his throat, the prince''s body collapsed on the chair completely inert without a pulse. For a few minutes later, he woke up with a different personality than he used to.


    - ¡°I love, I love. You can hear me¡± ¨C Feeling the voice of Fausto distant, my body was buried by a mountain of whitish ash that had a suffocating temperature in my lungs.


    - ¡°Yes, I hear you Fausto. Give me a damage report."


    - ¡°Reporting, the main body is at 10% functionality. Metabolic support systems are stable, but motor functions are offline.


    The ground within the blast radius is at an average temperature of 200 degrees Celsius. Humidity in the environment at 0% and a strong presence of energy similar to miasma¡±


    - ¡°Miasma? Faust, take the base knowledge of my past life and interpret the energy source under a metric scale of Sieverts¡± ¨C Fearing the worst due to the data reporting, I asked the oracle to change its basic parameters to the ones I knew from my old world . Feeling a chill that went through my soul when hearing its results.


    - ¡°Conversion of finished data analysis. Residual miasma has been renamed radiation and its nominal values are in the range of 400 mSv/h¡± ¨C Just as I feared, due to the material Abadon ''s eye was made of , added to the concentration of energy released by Sandra coupled with my shot, that resulting energy was equivalent to releasing an atomic bomb in that small blast radius.


    Unable to move due to lack of mana, the armor on my body was destroyed exposing my skin to radioactive material. Starting to give me headaches followed by profuse vomiting as my skin broke out in throbbing sores.


    - ¡°Life support warning, main body metabolic processes are beginning to break down. Imminent risk of death in T-120 min¡± ¨C Upon hearing that devastating prognosis, I felt as if my heart fell into a bottomless abyss. In desperation, I tried to channel the radiation in the air into my body, turning it into mana, allowing me to break out of the immense layer of ash that covered me, but at the cost of accelerating the radiation poisoning my body was in. .


    When I surfaced, I could see that desolate wasteland where the city of Litho used to be . No matter where I directed my gaze, the dust dunes covering the rubble of the buildings were blurred by the ash fallout from the explosion.


    All that destruction in front of me was the result of my arrogance in believing that I could control the power of the goddess. Even knowing that Sebastian and the ghouls were completely destroyed with that attack, my soul felt heavy at the thought of the possibility that the shock wave had reached Sandra along with the villagers.


    ¡°Master, the cellular activity of the capillaries begins to slow down¡± ¨C As I ran my hand through my hair, I realized the horror of radioactive poisoning spreading through each of my cells. Like thin threads falling from a doll''s head, my hair was torn out by the lightest touch of my fingers.


    - "Faust, do we have enough mana to spread our wings?"


    - "Negative, the remaining mana in the body is being used to slow down the toxic effects of radiation."


    - ¡°Hey Fausto, he was honest. Do you think I can get out of this hell?" ¨C Keeping a deep silence for a few seconds, the oracle answered me again denying any possibility of survival.


    Feeling how my legs lost their strength, my body collapsed on the hot sand of nuclear winter. Starting to cough up blood when I felt how my alveoli were destroyed, increasing the accumulation of fluid in my lungs.


    - "Damn fat cow, don''t even think about dying!" ¨C The silhouette of a golem in the shape of a griffin flapping its wings, shook the stale air with strong gusts of wind as it descended to the ground, allowing its crew to set foot on solid ground.


    - ¡°Busty! do your thing"


    - "I have already told you that my name is Ofelia, stop calling me busty" - After fighting with the alchemist, the priestess extended her cane over me and began to sing a healing chant that returned a healthy appearance to my body. that as soon as he finished reciting the spell, he deteriorated again.


    - "What happen? Why isn''t your magic working?"


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    - ¡°I just don''t know, divine power is supposed to cure almost any abnormal state! But this¡­ Ugh ¡± ¨C Raising her hands to her mouth while spitting up blood, the priestess began to feel dizzy just like Sandra. Making an effort to make my tongue work against the cramps of the poisoning, I asked Sandra to leave that disastrous place, riding on the tap, which was already beginning to break down due to the intense level of radiation in the air.


    Dragging my body, Ofelia and Sandra could barely stay conscious due to the effects of radiation. Managing with great difficulty to raise the flight until we were finally able to escape from that hell, over which the alchemist cast a containment barrier enchantment in order to prevent any creature from entering that terrain.


    - ¡° Ugh , Amelia. What the hell did you do back there? Abadon ''s Eye is not capable of unleashing such destructive power."


    - ¡°Sandra, do not ask questions at this time. Just take us to a city near the sea¡±


    - ¡°Like a coastal city! Amelia, the only nearby city with access to the coast is the city of Philius . And that place is not exactly¡­¡±


    - "Damn Sandra, just do what I tell you!" ¨C Remaining hoarse due to my desperation, the maiden Ofelia did not stop using her divine power on us while she continued to feel how her body dwindled at times before the effort of channeling her mana with the radiation wounds.


    - " Tch , it''s okay. We will do as you say, but don''t blame me by the time we get there" - Extending her hands over the head of the griffin, Sandra turned the course towards the city bathed by the waves of the sea, while light drops of sweat were visible on her forehead. in the cold air of the heights.


    On the other hand, in the distant kingdom of Ephesus , built on top of a mountain that carried the weight of the mythical story of the creation of the world, the main temple of the holy seat of worship to the goddess Artemis was packed with countless orders. of holy knights who gathered at the call of the supreme pontiff. Within the troubled halls of marbled floors, the parade of holy robes and uniforms cast a colorful tinge to the eyes of any curious onlooker.


    - "Are you sure he will come?"


    - ¡°I am completely sure that he will be here present. When I contacted him through the communication stone, he sounded strangely excited." ¨C Traveling in a bumpy way between the members of the order, two priests walked holding rolls of parchments that they could barely hold from the amount they carried.


    Vinicio and Edmundo had been two orphans in the streets of the holy city of Artemis, who, just by a twist of fate, saw their luck change during one of the processions of the Supreme Pontiff on the day of the goddess'' atonement.


    Sensing that this meeting had been predestined by divine grace, they did not hesitate for a moment to follow the man on whom the weight of the faith of millions of the world fell. That at that time he was accompanied by a bishop with a stern countenance, with amber eyes as penetrating as sharpened stakes.


    - ¡°Believe me, Edmund. Cardinal Asmodeus has never been irresponsible with the duties of the temple."


    - "It''s true, but lately he spends a lot of time in the imperial palace next to that cold woman."


    - "Lower your voice! What if someone overhears you speak in that manner of the Empress of Alberon ?¡±


    - ¡°I know what you mean, but you must admit Edmund that being involved with that woman has seriously affected the reputation of Cardinal Asmodeus . Even among the members of the order they have already given him a nickname ¡±


    - "Oh, wow! I am very curious. Could you tell me what nickname is that?¡± ¨C As if it were a ghost, Asmodeus suddenly appeared behind the priests'' backs. Who dropped the scrolls of fright when contemplating that smiling face with closed eyes.


    - "Your excellence! You are welcome¡± ¨C Getting on their knees with their arms folded in front and their faces lowered in reverence, the priests could barely contain the fear in their bodies, trembling before the suffocating aura of the sorcerer.


    - ¡°Yes, thanks for the welcome. But they still haven''t answered my question."


    - ¡°Your grace, it is only light talk. Don''t take that into account¡± ¨C With a broken voice as if he was having trouble breathing, Vinicio kept his face down while Asmodeus ''s hand caressed his hair as if it were a puppy.


    - ¡°Please don''t be like that my dear Vinicio, how could I get angry with you if I myself was commissioned by the Supreme Pontiff to raise you when we found you in that alley full of alcoholics and sluts. I wouldn''t waste my parenting time thinking of killing them over something so petty. So tell me, what''s that nickname?"


    - "They call him the empress''s mad dog!" ¨C Driven by panic at the situation, Edmundo said that nickname out loud in the middle of the crowd that was petrified the moment they turned their gazes in the cardinal''s direction.


    - ¡°So for the soldiers of the holy order I am just a mere mad dog? Is that what you''re trying to say Edmundo?" ¨C Rising from the ground shaking his cassock, Asmodeus watched all the knights present who took a step back as soon as they felt the sorcerer approaching them with a threatening aura.


    - ¡°Oh come on, don''t be shy! Holy knights of the order of the goddess, illustrious sons of the prominent noble houses throughout the world. Are we not all gathered here by the firm conviction of faith? I think we can talk openly among ourselves without the painful need to gossip behind our backs¡± ¨C Maintaining a solemn posture with outstretched arms as if seeking conciliation, Asmodeus gave his speech flaunting his position as cardinal of the church.


    - "In truth his words are very eloquent, but in his actions he manifests a total contradiction to his cardinal speech" - Breaking the silence among the tumult of soldiers of the order, a knight dressed in scarlet armor stepped forward challenging Asmodeus . Planting his face with his outstanding silhouette. Of a stout build and brown hair, Archimedes, was the nephew of King Rubelius ; Who served as captain of the order of the temple, in the confines of the territory of the kingdom of Casius .


    Of the same temperament as his uncle, Captain Arqu¨ªmedes did not hesitate to show the sincerity of his words according to the weight of his actions. Despising those who behind the scenes tried to pull the strings as if there were no consequences for them.


    - ¡°Captain Arqu¨ªmedes, I haven''t seen you for some time. It''s a shame we can''t meet due to our busy schedules."


    - ¡°You are right, it is difficult for us to meet. Even more so when you dedicate yourself to behaving more like a lapdog for the empress of Alberon , than a cardinal at the service of the temple" - Twisting his mouth a little and clenching his fist under the sleeve of his cassock, Asmodeus kept up appearances in front of that a man who was eight inches taller than him. Making a slight effort to keep his face up to confront the captain.


    - "I think I will have to grant you that, captain, if I had not spent so much time attending to the diplomatic affairs of the Holy See, that painful incident in Litho would not have occurred . Tell me how many soldiers of the order died? Maybe a hundred, two hundred maybe? Oh, I remember. I think it was the entire legion under the command of Captain Sebastian. If only I had been here, maybe we wouldn''t have had to go through such embarrassment¡± ¨C Intentionally touching that sensitive chord within Archimedes'' heart, Asmodeus provoked the captain to draw his sword in order to have a compelling reason to kill him on the spot.


    - "Enough! Everyone remember where you are right now. I will not overlook any act that could be considered blasphemy due to the sanctity of this venue.¡± - Hitting the tip of his cane on the ground, with the appearance of that silhouette of an elderly man, all present knelt in submission.


    - ¡°Cardinal Asmodeus ! I am glad to know that you have made space in your busy diplomatic schedule and deign to come when I call you.¡±


    - "How could I not do it if you ask me, your excellency?"


    - "Good I like it! Follow me, I have to talk to you about an important matter before everyone meets in the main atrium of the main temple" ¨C Giving him the signal to get up, the Supreme Pontiff Benedict continued on his way accompanied by Cardinal Asmodeus , towards the His Holiness''s main office.


    - ¡°Before I forget, Captain Archimedes. I certainly like your devotion to church affairs. But if an outburst like the one just now occurs again, rest assured that the kingdom of Casius will have to render severe accounts for such acts.¡± ¨C With a malicious expression in his eyes, Benedicto cast an intimidating look at the captain, who hit his forehead against the ground thanking him for the consideration of forgiving his mistake.


    Continuing his way through the corridors of the east wing of the temple, the supreme pontiff was escorted by his personal guard in the company of the cardinal until he reached the doors of his office. Giving them the order to withdraw so that they could discuss in private what, in Benedict''s opinion, was a matter of vital importance.


    - ¡°You will have to excuse me, Cardinal Asmodeus . But these old bones are no longer what they were long ago¡± ¨C Giving himself a slight blow to his hip, Benedicto continued his way to his desk, pausing briefly giving a slight sarcastic laugh.


    - "Maybe you should get a new walking stick or you could have chosen a less disastrous body to mask yourself"


    - ¡° Asmodeus , I won''t accept that coming from you! ¨C Surrounded by a dense dark cloud, the body of the Supreme Pontiff transformed into the voluptuous appearance of a woman with a beautiful appearance and silver hair like the moon.


    - "If it weren''t for that cursed Dionysus assigning me to this stinking world, I wouldn''t be forced to have to keep that miserable primitive form"


    - ¡° Ouch , who would say that a daughter would speak of her father in that way. Goddess Eris¡± ¨C After the fall of the first creation of this world, the goddess Artemis refused to actively collaborate in the plans of the primordial god, who saw no alternative but to send the goddess Eris to influence through her power upon the weakened mind of Artemis. Roaming the earth usurping bodies in order to remain an active agent in the service of the high divine council.


    - ¡°You know very well why I have brought you here. Explain to me why you forced me to bring that soul into this world. What are your plans?" ¨C Leaning her hands on the desk, the goddess leaned her body with her gaze on Asmodeus , who spread his arms mockingly, averting his gaze with a smile on his lips.


    - ¡°Stop fucking with me, idiot! You know very well that it is a severe transgression to transport souls between worlds over which you have no power as a god. If my father found out"


    - ¡°Calm down Eris! If your father finds out there will be no problem, this plan benefits him more than it harms him"


    - ¡°How can the plans of mere human beings be in accordance with the designs of the gods? Are you kidding me?" ¨C The interior of the room was covered by a dark veil, creating an internal dimension from which no sound could reach the exterior of the walls. While the goddess released all her frustration by projecting discharges into the air that made the sorcerer''s hair stand on end.


    - ¡°Do you remember the soul that Artemis brought to this plane? That little girl that he brought from the earth to occupy the body of the girl of the prophecy¡±


    - ¡°Yes, I remember her. That fucking bitch evaded my control and I completed the transfer in that fucking dying body. What does he have to do with this?¡±


    - ¡°Oh my dear Eris. My sweet goddess of discord, I''m surprised that with your wisdom you still haven''t realized how important that soul is to our plans. That corrupted essence will put the balance in our favor, just trust me¡± ¨C Approaching the goddess extending his hand to caress her ear, Asmodeus smiled candidly as he looked into Eris''s eyes.


    - ¡°Okay, I''ll believe in you! Even though you''re a devil"


    - "Oh how cruel you are Eris! Demon is a very insipid word to refer to my person "


    - ¡°Tasteless? As far as I remember, you stopped being a god when you fled from the divine council to pursue your unrequited love. Such a foolish goddess"


    - "Shut up!" ¨C Releasing his power for a few moments, Asmodeus ''s aura broke the veil placed by the goddess while small fragments of flesh became ash from the sorcerer''s body.


    - ¡°You have reincarnated so many times that your own divine essence begins to repel your own flesh Asmodeus . Don''t be silly and go back to the divine council, I''m sure father will receive you¡­¡±


    - ¡°Ha, ha, ha. It''s been ages since someone made me laugh like this, thank you Eris. But we both know that as soon as I set foot in the council, your dear father will take my head¡± ¨C Turning his face a little with a gloomy expression, Asmodeus bit his lip, clenching his fist with a slight air of anger. For him, the existence of Dionysus was a thorn in his side, constantly reminding him that that god had taken away whoever was his only love.


    - "Okay, I''m not going to insist with you. You''re a stubborn bastard to the core and we can never agree on everything. But at least tell me what you used that soul for. Where did you hide it?"


    - "Don''t eat cravings Eris, you''ll know it the moment you attend the meeting with the league of monarchs" ¨C Taking a step back, the goddess was surprised to realize the sorcerer''s intentions, taking the shape of the sumo again. Pope Benedict.


    - "You really are a pain in the ass, Cardinal Asmodeus " - Taking his cane, the Supreme Pontiff left the room, leaving behind the cardinal, who sat on his excellency''s throne, clasping his hands with an expression clouded with joy. .


    - "Tell me, did you memorize the names of the dignitaries who will attend the meeting?" ¨C Walking on the scarlet carpet that led to the audience hall of the royal palace of Ephesus , Empress Beatrix led at her side a young man dressed in the garb intended for royals of the Alberon empire .


    - "Calm empress. I''ll do my part well for this occasion. By the way, should I call you mother?" ¨C With the appearance of Prince Leopold, the soul brought by the evil sorcerer looked around with a somber expression that even scared Beatriz.


    - "No, it is enough that you address me by my title"


    - "Well, you''re right. It would be too strange for me to call her mother if sweet princess Lucretia won''t stop clinging to me like a pesky fly."


    - "How dare you!" ¨C At the moment the empress was about to raise her hand, the prince turned his face with a sinister expression in his eyes as icy as the cold of the last circle of hell. Making Beatriz lower her trembling hand at the ominous aura of that strange being in front of her.


    - ¡°Remember that we both serve a higher plan, Empress. Do not forget what position you are in¡± ¨C Leaving Beatriz behind, the prince was announced by the guards who gave him access to the meeting room where the leaders were already present waiting for him.


    - ¡°Your Excellencies, I, Prince Leopold Primus of Alberon . I attend to your call to start this meeting¡± ¨C Walking with a stoic demeanor in front of the members of the council, the prince went to where the Supreme Pontiff was to kneel down in order to kiss him on the back of his hand.


    - "Welcome illustrious Prince Leopoldo, please take a seat with the rest of the leaders" - Bowing, the prince turned around preparing to take his place at the table. With the look of King Rubelius who was skeptical of the behavior of the young heir.


    - ¡°It has been quite a while since I saw you, young prince. How have you been?


    - ¡°Unfortunately I have found myself unwell for health reasons, King Rubelius . But a monarch should not put his needs before those of his people¡± ¨C Hearing those words, Rubelius felt a slight relief when he realized that the young man in front of him was not a double brought by the empress. Smiling friendly shaking his hand, feeling the cold skin to the touch of Leopoldo''s body.


    - ¡°Prince, your skin is too cold. I think it was too soon for him to come if he was still in such poor health."


    - ¡°King Rubelis ! I appreciate your concern, but as I have already told you, the reason for my presence before you is due to a greater interest in my personal needs. Noble Council of the League of Nations, I humbly ask your forgiveness for having allowed my selfish desires to allow the sinful Amelia Van Hallen to escape her fate with death.


    But more than that, the reason for my presence before everyone is to request your collaboration in a matter of equal importance. According to the reports of our spies within the kingdom of Eunice, the royal family of that territory has begun to mobilize in a dangerous way against the border of the sacred kingdom where we are" - Surprised by that news, Prince Maximus rose from his seat startled upon hearing the words of Prince Leopold. Who, putting his hand on Maximus''s shoulder, asked him to join forces with the empire in order to provide security for the holy seat of the church.


    - ¡°Of course, my kingdom will always be at the service of the high priest and to help the empire of Alberon . In fact, my prince, my officers have already distributed the wanted and apprehended posters about the sinful Amelia¡± ¨C Snapping his fingers, Prince Maximus ordered a servant to bring one of the posters with him, delivering it into Leopold''s hands. Who sketched a sinister smile when contemplating the spoken portraits of the appearance of the runaway princess.


    - ¡°What a wonderful surprise!¡±


    - "Sorry?"


    - "It''s nothing Prince Maximus, I was just talking to myself" - Clenching the paper with his fist, Prince Leopold evoked the imperial edict order before those present. To form the coalition army to face the threat of Eunice''s kingdom.

 Stage 19: Dig and Run.

    With my eyes closed from exhaustion, the weakness in my body kept advancing despite Ofelia''s efforts to channel her divine power to delay the effects of radiation on me. Even as the griffin flew through the skies, splitting the clouds with its stormy flutter, the nerves in my skin could barely feel the lightness of a subtle breeze at ground level.


    - ¡°Hey you, priestess. Be frank with me, my friend is in very bad condition. Do you think she can be saved?"


    - ¡°Even if you ask me, I don''t know how to answer you. This goes beyond everything I know of diseases and curses. That miasma brimmed with so much corruption that as soon as we set foot on the ground I felt like my head was about to explode. Whatever it is, that thing cannot be something that belongs to this world¡± ¨C With her slightly emaciated appearance, Ofelia continued to heal me despite the dark circles under her eyes due to lack of sleep.


    - "Now you are honest with me. Are you taking us to that ruined city just on a whim to fulfill the wish of someone who is going to die?"


    - ¡°No, she is not the kind of person who would ask for something as stupid as a place to die. I can bet he has a plan in mind." Clenching her fists with the expression on her face disjointed, Sandra tried to convince herself of those words while she did not stop thinking with fear about my outcome due to the deterioration of my appearance.


    - "Philius was once a prosperous city, perhaps we will find something that is of no use" - Located within what was once the territory that comprised the fallen kingdom of Esterum, the port city of Philius had been known as one one of the most important trade centers in the world. Receiving ships from different kingdoms, the city flourished in its business model, along with its outstanding mining industry. Earning the nickname of the pearl of Esterum.


    - ¡°Sandra, look over there. I can see a slight glow on the horizon."


    - ¡°Yes, I can see it too. We are already close to the damn coast¡± ¨C As we approached the limits of the coast, the air breeze was charging with that subtle salty flavor that seasoned my chapped lips. It was a slight pain accompanied by tingling, but that sensation gave me peace of mind knowing that my body still had a chance to save itself by the simple fact of experiencing that annoying stinging sensation.


    Upon descending on the white sand of the beach, Sandra released the enchantment that allowed the golem to move. Returning to its form of simple rocks that fell to the ground, as if that mythical being was once again lost into oblivion.


    - "Master, what do you want to do?" ¨C Even the monotonous voice of the oracle sounded in my ears as if it had an essence of concern, while I used my little strength to sit up and try to open my hurt eyes before that blue sky of the ocean.


    - "Faust, locate and determine the concentrations of iodine and potassium in seawater, air and living beings in the ocean" - The interface of the system looked deteriorated, as a reflection of the condition in which my body was. Blinking at times as if it were a computer monitor that had been damaged during an accident.


    - "Amelia, there is something I can help you with" - Leaning her body next to mine, Sandra had a firm expression on her face as if hiding her concern. Trying to calm myself down to the fact that the meat on my body was beginning to fall off in small pieces.


    - ¡°Sandra, you are the best alchemist in the world, right? So you must have created at some point new matter from the existing¡±


    - ¡°Yes, that is the most basic thing to be able to consider yourself a rookie alchemist. Why do you ask me?"


    - ¡°Then, create something for me. Anything, using the materials that surround us¡± ¨C Surprised by my request, Sandra spread her hands over the sand and cast a transmutation circle while the water in the air condensed along with the sand on the beach. Compacting into a core that glowed with a strong electrical charge that chirped in the air. Finishing her creation in the shape of a fist-sized rudimentary crystal, Sandra placed it in front of me with a self-satisfied expression.


    - "Faust, did you analyze the structure of Sandra''s enchantment?"


    - "Affirmative, the structure of the mathematical model of the enchantment is reproducible with the system in its current state" - Getting up somewhat awkwardly on the soft surface of the sand, I took a few steps until I approached the sea with the help of Ofelia who supported the weight of my body.


    - "Very well, isolate the potassium and iodine molecules present in salt water with an extension of five hundred meters"


    - ¡°Starting molecular decomposition, intermediate structure analysis of ionic bonds present at the atomic level. Assimilation failure, the element is being lost in the reaction.¡± ¨C Feeling fatigued from the use of my mana, I realized that the process required too much energy given the state of my body at the time. Shaking my head desperately suffocating for an instant due to lack of air.


    - "Fausto, how viable could it be for me to connect my conscience with Sandra?"


    - ¡°Master, for this it would be necessary to establish a soul bond. Do you agree with that?" ¨C As in the case of Faust during the incident in the Medea forest, establishing a binding pact was a desperate measure that I did not feel comfortable carrying out. If we linked our souls, Sandra''s will would remain present but her hope of life would merge with mine. Combine our souls before the scene of imminent death? Honestly, if I found myself in the position of the alchemist, I would reject that proposal out of hand.


    But contrary to my pessimistic thought, the moment I told Sandra of that possibility, the young alchemist took my hands and joined her forehead with mine.


    - ¡°Hey, if it weren''t for you. I would remain chained to that dead town, consuming myself in my regrets until the end of my days. If you say this can save you, I''m willing to put my life on the line for you. Where you go, I''ll go¡± ¨C Feeling the warmth of her words, my tears kept flowing hugging her, thanking her for her valuable proof of friendship. While my hair ended up falling with the last part from the root.


    - "Faust, establish the soul bond"


    - "Request confirmed, awaiting a response from the entity to be linked" - Like a flow of threads coming from my chest, a line of mana connected with Sandra''s heart at the same time that her body felt the shock coming from the critical state in which that my organism was. Knocking her down on the sand screaming in pain as if deep agony consumed her from within.


    - "Ugh, Amelia. How is it possible that you endured this torment all by yourself! My body burns like it''s burning inside!" ¨C When I saw the alchemist''s body writhing in the sand, the memory of my father in the hospital came to my mind while the nurses subdued him to supply him with morphine. Making me think how much suffering that man had to go through at the gates of death.


    - "Link completed successfully, the neural connection parameters with the host have been established"


    - ¡°Whose voice is this? Why is it in my head?" ¨C Recovering a bit from the physical burden that came from the soul link, Sandra was surprised by the existence of the base system with which I was constantly communicating.


    - ¡°Greetings guest, my name is Fausto. A supporting artificial intelligence to ensure the end-user experience is satisfying¡± ¨C With a stunned expression on her face as she reached her hands up in the air trying to touch the screen in front of her, Sandra looked like a little kid who has discovered a new toy . At the bewildered look of Ofelia, who thought that we had both gone crazy.


    - ¡°Master, do you want to transfer a copy of the knowledge base labeled as inorganic chemistry?¡±


    - "Yes do it. Just don''t send it all at once¡­¡± ¨C Before I could finish my request, the system downloaded into Sandra''s brain all the information she had acquired about chemistry in my time as a student in my past life. Causing a severe headache that made her put her hands to her head with her eyes wide and drooling from her mouth.


    - "Curse! What the hell was that?"


    - "Don''t worry, it happened to me the first time too"


    - "Master, if I remember correctly in his case I think he urinated..."


    - ¡°Fausto, don''t go into details¡± ¨C After laughing at each other, Sandra began to analyze the information that had to do with radioactive poisoning. Its nature and fatal implications on living organisms.


    Changing the expression on her face at times, the alchemist understood in a very bitter way the origin of that devastating explosion that wiped the town of Litho off the map. Shaking his head in disapproval of that ominous destructive power.


    - ¡°Amelia, so in your world you have weapons of such terrible destructive power? Unlike fire elemental magic and spells, for a seventh circle mage even his attack power only has a superficial effect on matter. This thing I''m seeing not only destroys matter on a macroscopic level, but also upsets the subatomic balance making ionic bond chains unstable."


    - ¡°Anyone who listened to you in my world would never know that until a few seconds ago this subject was unknown to you. You are very quick to assimilate knowledge¡± ¨C Showing me her head as if she wanted me to caress her hair to congratulate her, Sandra had changed the expression of her face for a calmer one. As if he had found the ideal way to save the three of us from the effects of radiation poisoning.


    - "Your name is Fausto, right?"


    - "Affirmative guest."


    - ¡°I need you to establish an active mana channel on the main lines of Amelia''s body. Concentrate the fork directly to the mana core of his heart so that he won''t reject the alchemy injection¡±


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    - ¡°Master, the suggested procedure has a high risk of failure with the current conditions of the main body. Do you want to grant permissions to the guest?¡±


    - Yes, Faust. I authorize you, just do as she tells you¡± ¨C Giving Ofelia a signal with her eyes, Sandra began the transmutation of the elements dissolved in the seawater. While the priestess sustained my vital signs with the infusion of divine power through the mana channels that had already been created.


    Breaking down the salts present in seawater, the alchemist took the elements of iodine and potassium, recombining them into a stabilizing salt very similar to the potassium iodide used to treat radiation-exposed patients on my world.


    - ¡°Listen to me, busty, I need you to hold her tight. When this substance enters your bloodstream, it will cause intense pain as if the members of your body were torn off. Do not let her convulse for any reason or we will lose her.¡± ¨C Plunging into concentration, Sandra seemed unperturbed by my shouts as she kept the transmutation circles one after the other to shape the chemical compound in an efficient manner. Knowing full well that the slightest hint of impurity would cause my body to reject the treatment.


    - ¡°Mrs. Amelia looks better! I think we did it!"


    - ¡°Idiot, don''t let your guard down! Keep injecting your divine power and try to repair the vital organs or he will go into shock.¡± ¨C As the alchemist said, my body, which for a moment I thought was recovering from the effects of radiation, began to convulse again, surprising Ofelia, who with great difficulty was able to use the weight of her body to subdue me against the sand.


    - ¡°Master, the condition of the main body is above 50% efficiency margin. Do you wish to cast the healing spell?¡± ¨C With those encouraging words from Fausto, I bet my luck at that moment and began to recite the song of great healing using Ofelia ''s mana . Who felt a slight pang in his heart, as his mana core became unstable.


    - "It hurts, it hurts a lot!"


    - ¡°Amelia, now it''s your turn. Hold her while I give her the treatment, she was already at her limit, but your spell has made her collapse¡± ¨C Taking Ofelia on my lap, I began to conjure the mana channels repeating the same process that Sandra used with me. Little by little causing the priestess''s body to stabilize and her mana core to return to normal.


    In the same way, Ofelia and I took Sandra and began to heal her, seeing how the damage received on her body was almost as considerable as mine. Thanks to her alchemical arts, Sandra had been able to withstand the radiation load on her body, but it was inevitable that all that stress would not take its toll.


    As soon as he was in our hands, the procedure on his body lasted for several hours until the sunlight was hidden by the tidal horizon. Plunging into darkness only bathed in the rays of moonlight that shone on the white sand of the beach.


    With the arrival of night, the cold coming from the sea breeze forced us to take refuge in the ruins of one of the houses that were still standing within that forgotten city. Taking the wood from the furniture to make a fire that would allow us to warm our battered bodies.


    - ¡°You really did it Sandra, you are amazing. I don''t think even I would have been able to synthesize the compound if I had tried."


    - ¡° Hey, hey, hey. To be honest, I didn''t think I could make it either. I was just doing it desperately to save you. I mean, I didn''t like the idea of dying so young."


    - "So all that speech about where you''re going I''ll go, was it a lie?"


    - "Huh? Why do you have to bring that topic up again? After I said those words I felt stupid!" - Hiding her blushing face behind an old blanket that we collected from the belongings of that house, Sandra grumbled sadly causing us to laugh as we felt how the heat returned to our bodies.


    - ¡°Crash¡±


    - ¡°What was that noise?¡±


    - "I do not know! But it seems that it comes from the basement¡± ¨C With her eyes fixed on the ground and her hands together on her chest, the priestess brought her ear closer to the wooden floor of the old shack trying to capture more clearly the source of that mysterious noise.


    - "It''s probably a rat, right?" - With a trembling voice, Ofelia approached Sandra hugging her tightly like a fearful child.


    - "Hey, don''t stick your fat sacks to my body!"


    - ¡°Excuse me, but if it weren''t for that noise, I wouldn''t even think of getting close to you! Witch!"


    - "Damn busty, repeat it if you dare!" ¨C Just at the moment that they were held by the hair, the foundations of the house began to shake in a fierce jolt that gave the impression of being an earthquake. Making the ceiling beams collapse almost to the point of crushing us in their fall.


    - ¡°This place is not safe! We must get out of here as soon as possible¡± ¨C Taking the hands of my companions, we began to run between the floorboards avoiding the rubble, barely reaching the door, jumping outside while the support structure of the house fell down reducing everything to rubble.


    - ¡°Hey! They are fine?" ¨C With Ofelia crushing her face with her chest, Sandra barely managed to get her hand out from under her, raising her thumb. While contemplating how the ocean waves began to shake violently along with the sand on the beach.


    - ¡°Yuck! Get off my slug!" ¨C Lying Ofelia to one side, Sandra shook off the sand while struggling to stay upright before the tremor that did not stop shaking the ground below us.


    - "Sandra, don''t tell me that this area is seismic!"


    - "Not that I remember, but I think that right now you wish it were" - As soon as I finished pronouncing those words, a serpentine silhouette emerged from the sand giving a dark growl as if it were a dragon.


    - "Oh, it can''t be, tell me I''m dreaming!" ¨C Still on the ground, crawling backwards, Ofelia''s face was terrified as she contemplated that imposing animal that she had only read about in books as if it were a legend.


    - "Warning, master. The presence of a level 9 mythological beast has been detected."


    - ¡°Wow, wow, wow. Wait, Faust. Are you telling me that this thing knows how to use magic?¡±


    - "Amelia, take Ofelia and start running at my signal" ¨C Standing firm on her legs clenching her fists, the expression in Sandra''s eyes was injected with a determination as firm as stone. In front of us, the imposing enemy that loomed large was none other than the mythical lord of the seas: the ancient serpent Leviathan.


    According to the stories transmitted by the oral tradition within the mythology of Pandora, the Leviathan was a serpent that had the power to unleash the fury of the oceans in the form of a typhoon. Devastating the coastal cities in ancient times, the settlers who saw their livelihoods threatened offered sacrifices from time to time to appease the fury of that titan.


    - "You are crazy? How do you even think that you can face that beast by yourself in your current condition?¡±


    - ¡°I know I have no chance of winning! But at least I can buy them time to flee and hide from that monster¡± ¨C Without giving him time to respond, Sandra jumped squarely into the jaws of the sea serpent, drawing transmutation circles to summon golems from the sand. Which were destroyed just with the simple touch of the tail of the imposing enraged animal.


    - "Damn it, there is no solid ground to create more resistant golems"


    - "Guest, can I suggest something?"


    - "Honestly at this moment I can take any advice even if it comes from a jalopy like you"


    - ¡°I''ll pretend I didn''t hear that. However, within the information she obtained from my master, there may be a method to make the sand as resistant as a rock" - Closing her eyes for a moment to reach her maximum concentration, Sandra opened her eyelids with a malicious flash in her eyes. eyes followed by a defiant smile filled with emotion.


    - ¡°OK, let''s try it!¡± ¨C Creating concentric circles with alchemy engravings similar to the creation of metals and glass, Sandra summoned chimeras that shone with the rays of moonlight like beautiful finely cut diamonds. Which were thrown once more against the Leviathan''s skin, but this time, causing deep wounds on the flesh of the beast that gave a moan of pain, lashing its tail against the sand.


    - ¡°Yahoo, this is great! How is it possible that this material is used for simple toys? ¨C Within the memories that I had assimilated from my past, the young alchemist carefully observed a light material widely used in the creation of mobile devices. Composed in its elaboration mainly of aluminum oxide and silicon dioxide, gorilla glass was a flexible and resistant material that provided durability against the rough use of mobile phones.


    Made entirely of that mysterious compound, the golems not only became faster, but were also able to withstand the sharp touch of the sea serpent''s scales for longer.


    - ¡°Look, Amelia! I''m cornering this damn snake¡± ¨C Elated by her achievement, Sandra lowered her guard against the enemy. Giving the Leviathan enough time to launch a heat ray, which almost immediately destroyed the crystal golems, reaching to destroy the alchemist''s right leg. Throwing her against the sand breaking her bones making her unable to move freely.


    - "Damn, we have to go for her" - At the moment I tried to run to her side, Ofelia''s strong grip stopped me in my tracks just at the moment that the snake turned its jaws against us, just narrowly missing that powerful beam that could have evaporated us in a single instant.


    - ¡°Don''t go, that thing is unstoppable! If we are in his sights, it is certain that he will destroy us as soon as he has us within his reach."


    - ¡°I understand that you are afraid! But I can''t abandon Sandra, so don''t stop me. I promise I''ll get back to her, you just run to that cave and wait for us. I''m going to get your attention. Run!" ¨C Following our improvised plan, the priestess ran through the arena without looking back, while I sneaked in front of the beast using illusory magic.


    - ¡°Master, the guest user is in a critical condition. His musculoskeletal system has been damaged by 70%, it is impossible for motor functions to function properly¡±


    - ¡°Can we repair it?¡±


    - "Affirmative, but I think your main concern should be another" - Suddenly the appearance of the sea serpent began to change. Demuding its scales giving way to others with a coarser appearance like obsidian slabs. Which began to vibrate like the tail of a rattlesnake, projecting through the air like sharp arrows that whistled cutting the air.


    Without being able to control the direction of their shots, the Leviathan''s projectiles impacted on the structures of the ruins of the coastal city, splitting the walls of the houses as if they were sheets of paper with a very clean cut. If any of those scales were to hit us, it would almost certainly maim us without giving us a chance to show defense.


    - ¡°Sandra, resist! I''m getting to you now¡± ¨C Raising my staff, I changed the shape to that of a bow and began to shoot mana arrows towards the monster''s eyes, trying to buy time by blinding the beast to take Sandra''s body and flee.


    - "Amelia"


    - ¡°Shhhh, be quiet! You need to conserve your strength, so don''t speak unless it''s necessary¡± ¨C When she was in front of the alchemist''s body, she could see how part of her ribs had pierced the skin of her abdomen, letting her blood flow over the fabric of her clothes. Where his right leg should have been, there was only a pulsing mass of flesh barely supported by the thin filaments of cartilage of what had once been his limb.


    - ¡°Magna sanitatem¡± ¨C Invoking the healing spell more times than I can remember, little by little the alchemist''s body regained consistency, stopping the bleeding. But sadly, his leg was past the point of return. Recovering its shape only as an atrophied member on which Sandra could hardly lean without help.


    - "Let me here! I''m only going to delay your escape."


    - "You are insane? How do you think I''m going to live if you die?"


    - "Hey, this is not the time for kitsch."


    - ¡°Ahem, guest. What my master means is that, being bound by contract, their life spans are shared. If one of the signing parties dies, the other will follow accordingly.


    - "What did you say?" ¨C Taking Sandra in my arms, I lifted up the stunned alchemist who quickly felt stupid for misinterpreting my words. Raising her hands to her face as shame consumed her.


    - "Geminos exspiravit" - Summoning my phantasmagorical clones again, we divided before the perplexed look of the beast, which in anger waved its tail over the sand sweeping the surface destroying my projections.


    - ¡°He may be a beast, but he is not stupid! Do you have any plans?"


    - "I do not have one. So move those hands and create some golems to give us time to run away¡± ¨C Casting transmutation circles onto the arena, lion-shaped golems rushed out at the base of the snake, while boosting into the air with my wind magic, taking out my wings to use my incomplete draconic form.


    - ¡°Master, the mana source is still unstable. The wings will not resist the gusts of wind for long."


    - "With a demon, just let me think!" ¨C Dodging Leviathan''s deadly scales in the air, one of my wings was hit by one of those projectiles, being cut off. Making us fall into the sand, rolling down the dunes while I covered Sandra''s body with my arm.


    - "What are they waiting for? Run and get inside at once!¡± ¨C Right at the entrance of the cave, Ofelia launched her divine magic on us, creating a protection dome that barely resisted the friction of the snake''s scales. Allowing us to reach the entrance of the cave, which was buried by the rocks at the moment that one of the projectiles hit it squarely.

 Stage 20: Can I handle alchemy?

    - "Hey, are you okay?"


    - ¡°Yes, Mrs. Amelia, I think so. But I feel like a heavy rock is crushing my leg."


    - ¡°I''m not a fucking rock! And stop pushing my butt!" ¨C Plunged into complete darkness by the landslide, we barely survived the Leviathan''s attack thanks to the fact that our scent was kept away from its keen sense of smell by the dust from the avalanche.


    Feeling the vibrations of the pebbles on the ground, we were able to realize that that sea serpent was crawling back into the sea, leaving us behind as if it had gotten bored of chasing us.


    - ¡°Magna lux¡± ¨C Casting a lighting spell on the thick darkness, our eyes were getting used to that claustrophobic scenario. Wherever we looked, there was only a wall of rocks that were propped up by heavy planks that gave the impression of belonging to a mine.


    mithril mine that has been abandoned for a long time. You can realize that because the pieces of metal are already scarce in the veins of the walls" - Passing the tips of her fingers over the angular stones of the wall, Sandra looked for the location of the firing line to follow her route to in order to find us an auxiliary exit.


    As we walked through the steep terrain of the mining cave, the rails used for the carts were lost among the muddy soil that formed due to the seepage of salt water from the underground layers that communicated with the ocean.


    - "Master, there is a high risk of collapse due to vibration that I have detected when analyzing the structure. Try not to make a sudden movement for a change¡±


    - "Lately your tongue has been loosening my dear Fausto, I think you are getting used to your new conscience"


    - "I don''t know what you mean, master, I''ve always been like that" - Sandra couldn''t help but laugh at the haughty attitude that the oracle had towards me, being seconded by Ofelia when she saw me quarrel with the young alchemist.


    Maintaining our conversation to reduce the tension for that small space, we soon realized that as we advanced along the path of the mining cars the water level began to rise until the cold penetrated our knees.


    Because it was a mine near the coast, the workers had magical devices that would regularly expel the accumulated water from time to time. But given so much time of abandonment, the deterioration in the road became more evident to the point that we reached a dead end.


    - ¡°It is impossible to go through here, further on the unevenness is completely covered by water. If we follow this route we may not be able to go outside. We have to go back¡± ¨C When Sandra was about to turn around, a series of bubbles began to puff on the surface of the water. Calling our attention due to the intermittence with which they appeared at irregular intervals.


    - ¡° Kyaaa ! Something slimy just ran between my legs."


    - "Hey busty, it''s probably an eel"


    - "Yes, you may be right Mrs. San..."


    - ¡°Splash¡± ¨C As if something had pulled her body with force, Ofelia was completely submerged in the cold waters of the mine before our incredulous eyes that desperately tried to locate her.


    - ¡°Ophelia! Hey, Ophelia!" ¨C Unable to get an answer from her, I jumped into the water and began to dive with the help of wind magic. At the same time that I pointed my cane towards the front, projecting a luminous spell that would allow me to navigate in those dark waters.


    Going through the entrance to the lower level of the mine, I was quickly able to locate the priestess, who was desperately struggling to free herself from what seemed to be a tentacle that wrapped around her from the waist to the legs. Letting out air bubbles due to despair over the situation he was in.


    - ¡° Nonsense ventus ¡± ¨C Projecting a consecutive gust of blades of cutting wind aimed at the base of the tentacle, the cuts on its slippery skin forced the beast to release Ofelia''s body. Who was already on the verge of drowning, taking her in my arm while kicking hard trying to reach the exit of the lower level.


    - "Yuck, cough, cough " - Emerging on the surface giving strong pulls of air in our lungs, our hearts continued to race from the impression of that monster that lurked in the depths of the mine.


    - "Sandra, we must go directly to the main entrance."


    - "Okay, but tell me what happened?"


    - "There is no time, we have to run!" ¨C Forcefully breaking the surface tension of the water, a series of tentacles emerged threateningly snaking against us, hitting the walls of the mine causing some small rocks to fall from the ceiling.


    - ¡°You have to be fucking with me!¡± ¨C Grabbing my shoulder for support, Sandra and Ofelia began to run with me in that tight space being chased by those tentacles that moved along the walls with the help of their suction cups.


    - ¡°Let''s go to a seaside city! What a great idea! Is it that every time I get involved with you I have to run for my life?¡±


    - "Stop cursing and run you damn brat!"


    - "Snotty?" ¨C Suddenly without warning, Sandra''s adult form changed again to her childish body like that first day I met her. Due to the strenuous use of mana and the weakening of her body that was barely recovering from the radioactive poisoning, the alchemist was unable to maintain her adult form any longer.


    - ¡°All this time I was a girl? A brat was verbally abusing me by calling me busty?¡±


    - ¡°I don''t think this is the time to scold me, Ofelia! Better hold me tight because I''m falling¡± ¨C Hugging the little alchemist, Ofelia gave the impression of a mother calling attention to her spoiled daughter. Making me escape a nervous laugh at the imminent danger that we had behind us.


    - "Hey, get behind me, I have a plan"


    - "Fuck you Amelia, I''m not going to serve as bait for that giant mollusk!"


    - ¡°Dear guest, I don''t think that''s my master''s plan. For your safety, do as he tells you¡± ¨C Pointing forward with my staff, I began to recite a long incantation while reciting another at the same time to combine their effects.


    - ¡° Canyon petra ferventis !¡±


    - "Amelia, you''re fucking crazy!" ¨C Beginning with a slight whistle like that of a teapot, a small incandescent light on the tip of my cane was shot through the air in a straight line trajectory. Increasing in size considerably as he approached the wall of rubble that covered the main entrance.


    - "Quick, get down on the ground!" ¨C As soon as we threw ourselves on our chests, the large ball of incandescent material hit squarely with great force on the wall of rubble. Projecting the rocks outside like a cannon shot. Followed by the recoil of the air inside the cave, which worked like a siphon effect, throwing us outside as if the bowels of the earth were spitting us out. Due to the noise produced by that attack, the weakened structure of the mine collapsed, crushing the mollusk under a ton of rock, putting an end to its existence.


    - "They are fine?" ¨C Feeling the heat of a slap on my face, I turned my gaze to Sandra; who looked enraged, gritting her teeth with her eyes filled with a feeling of disapproval.


    ¨C ¡°What was going through your head when you launched that attack? What would have happened if we had not gotten out of the cave in time?¡± Look back there! All that rock was shattered in a matter of seconds. Maybe you and I could survive that, but what about Ofelia?" ¨C When I turned towards the priestess, I could see her terrified with her hands to her head as she cried from stress. But honestly, I didn''t feel sorry for the decision I made at that time.


    With that sea beast chasing us non-stop and with Sandra''s weakened body, the only thing left to do was play that lucky card. But just when I was about to throw that in the alchemist''s face, for some reason I held back once more.


    Yes, it was true that my decision was the correct one given the situation. I was able to spit in his face the fact that all the weight of the responsibility was being placed on me. But for some reason, I felt like if I said all that, our paths would part and I''d be alone again.


    I saw myself once again as in that apartment, locked in my room, surrounded by the things I liked, but with no one to share it with. And the fear of not having someone by my side overwhelmed me, remembering Richard''s vile face as he beat me to the ground unable to defend myself.


    Despite everything I had lived up to that moment, the near-death experiences over and over again, I didn''t really feel afraid because there was someone by my side giving me hope that everything would be alright. Callisto, Sarah, Edith, Fausto or Amelia; all of them had already made a place in my heart that I didn''t want to leave empty.


    - ¡°I''m sorry Sandra, you''re right. But understand me too! We were trapped with no way out and all I know is elemental magic. Other than that, I''m just ignorant and yes, I admit, I was scared. I was afraid that I might lose you in that cave as I have already lost everyone who has crossed my path. I''m not made of stone!" ¨C With my eyes moist while my teeth gnashed while I squeezed the soft sand with my hands, Sandra hugged me, acknowledging that she was aware of the weight of my decisions. Just as she admitted that she was completely useless without being able to use alchemy at the time.


    - "Excuse me, can I talk for a moment?" ¨C Wiping her tears with the sleeve of her tunic, Ofelia''s nose looked red as she dragged herself to us on her knees due to the fatigue of her body.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    - ¡°I don''t think you are useless. Mrs. Sandra and Mrs. Amelia have overwhelming power and can defend themselves against an enemy. Instead, I''m just a healer who can''t even escape a miserable giant squid. If it wasn''t for Mrs. Sandra covering us with the Leviathan, I don''t think I would have been able to escape on my own. And you, Mrs. Amelia, it was you who saved me when I felt that I would die in those cold underground waters.


    If I were only half as strong as you, I could be useful to you¡± ¨C In that moment that Ofelia opened up with us, I remembered the words of the goddess Freya at the moment that she returned me to the physical plane.


    - "Sandra, how long have you studied alchemy?"


    - ¡°You mean to manage my current power? I think about six years at most."


    - "Do you think it would be possible for us to learn everything you know in a month?" - Hearing me say that, Sandra threw herself on her back on the sand laughing uncontrollably kicking hard. Almost running out of air by not being able to control himself.


    - ¡°Ha, ha, ha, ugh , cough , cough . Sorry Amelia, that''s a good joke. Tell me you didn''t mean it. I just told you that it took me six years to learn and master what I know of alchemy; We are talking not only about the basic level, but also the middle and advanced circle. In a month without bibliographical material, I could teach them almost nothing, except to turn water into urine.


    In other words, you ask me for the impossible. Forget it."


    - ¡°Master, do you want to try the skill copy function?¡± ¨C Making us remember what happened on the shore of the beach when I collapsed, the oracle began to explain to Sandra and me a method within the system that we could use as a shortcut for learning.


    Through the execution of its techniques, the system would allow me to duplicate the mathematical principles to adapt them to the interface and in this way, generate a power similar to the one that the alchemists handled as a fundamental principle of the world.


    - ¡°I see, something like that would be possible. I mean, I was able to get your knowledge base through this thing you call model transfer. But I''m concerned about the toll on the body that might take, Amelia. I still have not recovered from the headache that this bug caused me by getting into my brain and rummaging through it.¡±


    - ¡°I know, but I don''t see any other way, Sandra. So far we''ve been able to get by keeping our powers combined, but we already saw with the Leviathan and the squid that if one fell, things would get dangerous again.¡± ¨C Raising her hand timidly, Ofelia interrupted us, mentioning that she could take care of the healing. While it was true that his divine power was limited, the burden on his body from casting consecutive minor spells would not pose a problem.


    - ¡°I don''t quite understand how elemental magic or alchemy works. But I guess to use them requires a good concentration of mana. If that''s the case, I don''t think Mrs. Amelia can cast healing magic on herself if she''s experimenting with alchemy at the same time. Please let me be of use to you this time!¡± ¨C Placing her hand on her chest with her firm expression, the priestess gave an air of security that gave me confidence in her words.


    Accepting his offer in a good way, Sandra and I agreed and we decided to wait for five days until our bodies fully recovered to start the intensive training.


    Those days of brief relaxation began with the morning breeze facing the sea, distributing the roles to live momentarily in the city of Philius .


    Ofelia was in charge of collecting the food fishing on the shore, while the alchemist and I concentrated on restoring one of the abandoned houses and equipping it with what was necessary to protect us from the inclement weather. At that time the season was in summer, with a pleasant climate at times that could suddenly change due to an atypical storm typical of the coast of the kingdom of Esterum .


    In the same way, when the priestess went out fishing, I tried to stay a prudent distance behind her without her noticing, keeping alert that no sea beast would appear again to threaten her integrity.


    At sunset on the fifth day, we were about to go to sleep when I felt the need to leave the house for a moment and go to the edge of the beach to sit on the sand dipping my feet in the water. With the moon shining in the sky and reflecting its light on the water, I remembered a time when I had failed a semester for not having had enough time to study before midterms. Living alone and not being able to depend financially on anyone, being a student who works to pay her tuition was a pain in the ass. Most of the jobs I had were only part time because I didn''t have a degree and the pay was so bad that I had to take more than one job at a time.


    With the accumulated fatigue, it was difficult for me to concentrate in the classroom and in the same way, the time I had to eat, I barely had the opportunity to try sweets. Making me gain weight considerably affecting my self-esteem.


    - "If only I had had you in my other life, I think I would not have gone through so much shit, Fausto"


    - ¡°It is an honor that you consider me an important part of you, master. But I think if I had been with you, I would have stunted your growth."


    - ¡°Geez, you sound like my father.¡±


    - "I suppose he must have been a wise man"


    - ¡°Yes, in a certain way. He was¡± ¨C Listening to the crunch of the marine vegetation that the sand dragged to the shore, I turned around holding my cane pointing to the source of that sound. Watching how Ofelia put her hands out in front of her, begging me not to shoot her.


    - "What''s wrong, Ofelia, can''t you sleep either?" ¨C Lowering my cane, the priestess approached me, sitting next to me folding the folds of her tunic. Looking carefully at the horizon with a feeling of melancholy in his eyes.


    - "Mrs. Amelia, what is that voice that you and Mrs. Sandra hear in your head?"


    - ¡° Mmmm , it sounds like someone speaking inside a metal cone. Something monotonous, as if it were a computer voice synthesizer¡±


    - "Computer?"


    - ¡°Hey, hey. Forgive me, I sometimes forget that there are things in my world that you don''t know about" - Feeling affected by the nostalgia of my past life, I brought my knees to my chest while remaining seated, burying my face hidden by my arms muttering some curses in my language native.


    - ¡°You know, I don''t know if it can be compared to what you feel right now. But I too had to leave my home behind when the priestesses of the order came to my village looking for girls with latent divine power. I used to live in a small town in the kingdom of Casius , but my parents and brothers had to leave it to emigrate to Siegfried due to a severe drought that devastated the kingdom.


    When we settled in a small village in the kingdom, we barely had enough to eat and my father was unable to find stable jobs. My mother and I used to sew in a small craft workshop and my brothers went with the blacksmiths as apprentices.


    We had little, but we were certainly happy all together. For me, that little world was the best thing I could ever have. Doesn''t that sound silly?"


    - ¡°No, it is not Ofelia. Being surrounded by your loved ones despite adversity could never be something silly or worth making fun of" ¨C Continuing with her story, the priestess told me how one day the order of knights from the temple arrived in the village and published at the gates of the small parish an encyclical with the order to bring all girls under the age of ten before the presence of the priestesses who would administer the test of divine power.


    Despite the fact that her parents did not want to be separated from their little daughter, they were forced by the soldiers under pain of being considered heretics for disobeying the orders of the Holy See. Being compensated by the brotherhood with an amount of money for giving his daughter as a maiden.


    - ¡°The moment I put my hands on the evaluation stone, the priestesses gave the order to the soldiers to take me by force before the eyes of my parents. I could see how my mother tried to pass through the middle of those corpulent guards, hurting her face with the sharp edges of her armor.


    For the first time I felt hopeless and powerless. I was being cut off from the people I had lived with all my life just under the guise of divine mandate. I lived my childhood cloistered in a convent, praying day and night, receiving the doctrine with lashes and hard bread. There were times when they would lock me in a cold cell without food for days, when they considered my faith weak.


    How could I have faith if God was spitting in my face? But one day I decided to pretend, I lied with my lips with words that didn''t come out of my heart. And so my life changed, I stopped being a black sheep in the eyes of the congregation.


    I thought my days would be like this, immersed in a mask of lies without any hope until my bones rot within the walls of the order''s headquarters.


    But then that day came, when I was on my rounds in the main courtyard, he descended from the sky riding a golem . A beautiful woman with a bad character who seemed all powerful, tearing down the imposing soldiers that once subjugated me in my childhood¡± ¨C With her eyes shining with an air of admiration, Ofelia seemed to speak of Sandra as if she were a being divine who descended from heaven demonstrating his power.


    If the proud alchemist had been there to listen to him, she would have laughed uncontrollably until her lungs popped out of her mouth. But instead, I was there with her, attentive to everything she said, giving her importance as a fragile human being.


    - "So you think your life changed when you met us?"


    - "Of course! That''s why I decided to follow Mrs. Sandra even though she doesn''t like me."


    ¨C ¡°I don''t think he doesn''t like you, it''s just that that''s the way he is. I don''t know if you''ve noticed, but even he sometimes treats me with the tip of his foot. But deep down, she''s just as fragile as you and me. In fact, the first time we met, she was nothing more than a capricious girl who looked more like a squirrel" - Letting out a slight laugh from her lips, Ofelia felt more comforted knowing that we didn''t see her as a stranger among us. As if we were a family too for her who had lost everything.


    - "Lady Amelia"


    - "Hey, every time you call me ma''am you make me look like an old woman. Try calling me only by my first name."


    - "Okay... Amelia"


    - "Yes, Ophelia"


    - "I can take me too"


    - ¡° Wow , wow , wow . Wait a minute! I don''t know what kind of relationship you think Sandra and I have, but¡­¡±


    - "I do not mean that! I''m talking about the voice in your head¡± ¨C Holding my hand tightly in hers, the priestess''s expression seemed pleading as she expressed her desire to form a binding pact.


    Fed up with relying on others for protection, the maiden thought that by submitting to me, she might gain the power to protect herself and others. Even if it meant surrendering his soul to an entity that could take his will away.


    - ¡°Do you know the consequences of what you are asking of me? If you do, your life will be linked to mine forever. Not only that, the enemies that seek to kill me will also aim at your head and you will have nowhere to go. Are you sure about that?"


    - ¡°Yes, I am determined! I want to be of help to you!¡± - Letting a sigh escape from my lips, I ruffled my hair with my hand, shaking my head with some annoyance. But seeing that the priestess''s determination would not back down, I completely gave up persuading her by invoking the Soul-Binding Charm.


    - "Try not to bite your tongue, this is going to hurt" - Forming a flow of mana from my heart to hers, just like it happened with Sandra, the priestess''s body jerked violently making her scream in pain. Making her hug me tightly, squeezing her hands against my back and her face resting on my shoulder.


    - "It really hurts!"


    - "I told you" - When the mana circle closed completely, the force left the exhausted body of Ofelia who barely opened her eyes, she saw the system screen that welcomed her as one more member of my team.


    - "Master, I think you are taking the number of invited users very lightly"


    - "Oh come on, considering that I have the whole world looking for my head, two people are nothing you should worry about"


    - "It''s just as Amelia says, sir with the funny voice, I want to help you" - Hearing how she was referring to him, Fausto energetically protested to the priestess, telling her to maintain a line of respect for his level.


    - ¡°Well, it''s getting late. We need to go to sleep so we can get an early start on Sandra''s Spartan training. So I recommend that you get ready, Ofelia¡±


    - "Yes ma''am. I mean, Amelia¡± ¨C With the energetic face raising her fists to the height of her chest, the priestess looked motivated by what was to come. Walking behind me, going back to the house to fall fast asleep until the next day.


    - ¡°Stand up you fat cows! It''s time to wake up and we have a lot to do¡± ¨C Pulling my blanket making me fall out of bed, Sandra had recovered her adult appearance and with it the energy to lecture me for falling asleep on our first day of training.


    - "Come on Amelia, let''s not make Mrs. Sandra wait" - At the foot of the door, already dressed in her robe, the priestess was seen briskly enduring Sandra''s scolding, taking them as if they were affectionate words.


    - "It takes me crazy, not only do I have to put up with Sandra''s bad character, but now I also have to put up with Ofelia''s excessive optimism"


    - "I am afraid to say that I warned you, master, but you never listen to me"


    - "Faust, don''t start you too" - Getting up from the floor still half asleep, I followed that duo before what I felt would be one of those days in which I should not have gotten out of bed.

 Stage 21: The kingdom that grew away from magic.

    In a world where magic was the predominant force, it was to be expected that those kingdoms that concentrated the largest number of magicians would dictate the balance of life and death over individuals.


    Due to its draconic lineage strength, the Alberon empire had not only conquered vast areas of land on land and more, but also under the umbrella of the dominant faith of the cult of the goddess Artemis, that dumbbell was something suffocating to the kingdoms that had a clear disadvantage against the empire.


    Even with this difference in strength, kingdoms such as Siegfried, Casius, Efesus, Eunice and Esterum, planted their foot on the ground offering resistance to the enormous growth of the empire''s strength. From cultural to economic, the stifling spiral of silent subjugation was a threat the kingdoms could not ignore.


    The first to raise its hand against the unfair monopolistic practices of the empire, was the kingdom of Esterum. Located in the southern part of the continent of Saldeza, to the north it shared a border with the kingdom of Siegfried and to the northwest with the mountain ranges that served as a natural fortress with the empire of Alberon.


    Led by His Eminence King Octavio von Esterum, the royal forces under his command campaigned within the autonomous territories that remained in the middle of the three warring powers. Close to the Medea forest, a group of towns that did not share cultural or economic ties with the great nations, developed in the shadow of the majestic forest that overflowed with the protection of the fairies.


    That vast territory that had the overall extension equal to the size of the imperial capital of Alberon, was attractive in the eyes of the Eighth King. Who commanded the march of his men to colonize that region under the slogan of subjugation in case of resistance.


    Altheria, the closest city to Medea Forest, was the first to receive the envoys from the royal outpost of Esterum. Reluctant to the idea of getting involved in matters that had to do with the great kingdoms.


    Due to the refusal of that proud town, Octavio''s fury ignited, sending his troops to invade the territory and execute its inhabitants so that they would serve as an example for the other towns that refused to cooperate.


    With that carrot and stick tactic, the populations that witnessed the stories of the few survivors of Altheria, decided to adhere to the kingdom of Esterum. Generating a stir between the empire and the kingdom of Siegfried.


    Believing that he would have a chance by having that access point on flat ground, King Octavian offered Siegfried''s kingdom the possibility of joining them through a coalition pact. With the idea of combining their forces and establishing supply points to supply the troops, King Octavio offered King Anselm of Siegfried the possibility of receiving half the territory of the empire when the troops of the coalition army conquered the capital. imperial.


    Tempted for a brief time by that offer, King Anselm rejected the emissaries from the empire, arguing that the kingdom of Siegfried was a nation that had always remained neutral in the face of political controversies on the continent. But that man never counted on the fact that within his own bloodline came the seed of treason against his government.


    With only fifteen years of age and being the third daughter with the right to the throne, Princess Beatriz was never considered by her father as a valuable element to lead the nation. Who concentrated all his love and attachment for his twin children, the first and second prince.


    Seeing that she could never ascend to the crown, the young princess took a horse one moonless night, covering herself with the night cloak, escaping the palace riding to the imperial capital of Alberon.


    With that impetus fueled by her fervent ambition, the princess traversed the thick forests and hills that stretched along the border with the empire. Escaping the sight of the border agents patrolling the borders at the possibility of a move by the kingdom of Esterum.


    By the time Beatriz was able to cross the border, she attempted to enter the fortified city of Mireya by passing through the checkpoint, concealing her identity with shapeshifting magic. But as soon as he entered through the great gate of the city, an imperial sorcerer who was incognito removed his camouflage enchantment. Being exposed to the eyes of the soldiers, who caught her on the spot, taking her captive to the imperial capital.


    As the days passed, secluded in one of the dungeons set aside for petty criminals, the young princess shared her time with the rodents that sneaked into the cell, stealing the food that the guards left for her on a metal tray. True to her pride as a member of royalty, Princess Beatrice remained without eating a single morsel of food, bringing her body to the point of collapse.


    By the time King Alexander deigned to go down to the palace''s underground prison, the guards had informed him that the princess had been taken to the clinic in the imperial guard barracks, barely conscious due to starvation and dehydration.


    Rushing to find her, Alexander was fully aware of the situation the princess had been placed in, but he never expected that woman to be so stiff-necked as to bring her body to a near-death state.


    The moment he was able to meet her, the impression that the king took was close to horror. Seeing how the body of the young princess looked as emaciated as that of a prisoner who has been deprived of all the privileges of a human being.


    - ¡°Woman, what has led you to such an extreme? Although you are under suspicion of espionage, my officers have spared no expense in providing you with enough food to keep you in good shape." ¨C Turning her face weakly, Princess Beatriz vaguely observed the silhouette of King Alexander. A man in his late twenties, with a stocky build and a gruff timbre of voice.


    - ¡°My lord, I have not come to your doors like a criminal who sneaks in the shadows. If I hid my face, it was because my own blood sought to kill me for committing the wrong of coming to see you. But even with that threat upon me, I would rather act justly and serve you than give in to my father''s wishes."


    - "Are you insinuating that King Anselmo is plotting something against me?"


    - "Yes my lord. The emissaries who have returned to your lands with mere talk of neutrality from my kingdom, have been deceived by my father who already has an agreement with the king of Esterum. Octavian''s sword points to your crown and my father has granted his wishes, giving him the means to begin an invasion." ¨C As her story continued, the princess told the king how the monarch of Esterum had captured the autonomous territories with a view to recapitulating his troops on the Medea forest.


    When Alexander learned of the invasion plan of the king of Esterum, the emperor beat his thighs with his fists in anger, getting up from the chair on the side of the princess''s bed. Bellowing through his teeth for the destruction of his enemies.


    - ¡°You have done well to come to me, ask me what you want and I will grant it to you. But sparing the life of your family, that will not be something that is in my hands to grant you"


    - "I understand your highness in your feelings. Who could put his hands in a nest of vipers and leave young that can bite his hand? If at his trial he is taking the life of my blood, I will not stop him. But at least I implore you not to snatch the breath from the bodies of the indirect family on my mother''s side¡± ¨C Placing her cards on the table, Princess Beatrix saved the life of the ducal house of Alderin, allowing her descendants to serve as consuls within Siegfried, which would soon become a vassal kingdom.


    With the information obtained from the intervention of the princess, Alexander took his troops and began the march against the army of Esterum, who, upon being discovered before finishing the supply distribution channels, were succumbing without being able to offer resistance. Being stripped of control over the autonomous territories and in turn, with the unstoppable march of Alexander''s army, the kingdom that raised its sword over civilians to set an example, received the same coin ending its existence. Leaving rock upon rock, nothing that could testify to the past glory of the fallen kingdom.


    With that overwhelming victory over its adversary, the Alberon empire summoned the remaining kingdoms to celebrate a council that became known as the league of nations. Where each representative of the royal houses signed a common alliance pact, committing the empire to safeguard the integrity and respect the forms of government of each one. On the condition that each noble house found in the kingdoms sent one of its members to join the body of the goddess''s knight order.


    That cornerstone on which peace rested for more than a decade seemed to be a solid rock on which the growth of society in the continent rested. But as in the case of Esterum, the spark of rebellion was latent in the bowels of another kingdom: the kingdom of Eunice, the region that rose on the eastern seaboard.


    - ¡°Professor Rafael, the vital signs of the test subject are stable. Shall we proceed with the organic implant?¡±


    - ¡°No, it is still too early to do so. Remember what happened to the last test subject the soldiers brought in. It was almost impossible to slow it down when it went out of control just before I implanted neural control on it¡± ¨C Inside a compound cloistered in the mountains, a scientific development base was on high alert to news coming from spies within the empire.


    Turning away from magic as a source of power, the kingdom of Eunice began an intellectual career in developing technologies that would allow them to match the empire of Alberon in destructive power.


    Obtaining financing through the use of the black market within the confines of Siegfried''s territory, Eunice''s royal family had devoted all their resources and efforts to completing the development of weapons inspired by the hieroglyphs and ancient writings found in the ruins of the nations of Esterum and Ephesus.


    As the only surviving vestige of the cataclysm that destroyed the first creation, the documents that withstood the onslaught of the gods provided scientists with important information regarding the principles of matter and energy. Treatises on biology and elements of molecular chemistry.


    Compared to the technological development of planet earth, at the edge of the universe where Pandora was located, science had developed to such a degree that even beings who in past times were considered absolute deities were afraid of it.


    - ¡°You don''t have to despair my dear Zayuri, I know that your father has put considerable pressure on your shoulders. But no one learned to walk without first crawling." ¨C With a stooped countenance wearing a gray robe, the man known simply as Raphael, was one of the scholars most appreciated by Eunice''s royal family.


    Surrounded by huge glass containers that glowed with a greenish glow, the professor and his assistant took note of the measurements returned by the vital signs indicators attached to the containers. Which contained inside the bodies of various volunteers and others less fortunate, who were taken as guinea pigs for the creation of one of the fundamental pieces for the plan of conquest over the empire.


    - ¡°Professor, it is not that I am impatient to show results to my father. It''s just, I don''t want my kingdom to end like those poor bastards from Esterum did. Just because you don''t leave this laboratory is that you can remain calm, but I have to be present at the high council meetings accompanying my father and¡­"


    - ¡°Zayuri, sorry, princess Zayuri. When these test subjects are completed, it won''t matter that we have a thousand squads knocking on the palace gates. Do you know why? It''s simple, because a thousand squads of corpses can''t lift a sword or shoot magic. That is what will happen at its proper time. Not before, not after¡± ¨C With a cold expression that froze the bravest heart, the scientist touched the glass surface of a container while he looked back at the princess. Who took a few steps back due to the sudden escalation of fear that he felt when he saw those eyes lacking in empathy.


    - "It''s fine! I will try to remain patient even with this situation, I will trust you professor"


    - "Well said, I don''t consider you one of my best students Zayuri for nothing" - Turning around to leave the facility, the princess left the scientist who was still standing firm in front of the capsule without losing sight of her creation.


    - "My lady, you want me to take you to the palace!"


    - "Yes, Kyou. I need some space to clear my mind and I don''t think I can do it in this twisted place¡± ¨C Boarding a ship that was powered by the energy of the sun, the princess along with her assistant took off from a small hangar and took to the skies over the vast land of the kingdom. Before the gaze of the residents who only looked up for a few seconds, to return to their usual activities again.


    As the only begotten daughter of the king, Princess Zayuri grew up blessed with a father and mother who provided her with everything she needed. From the most beautiful dresses in the latest fashion, to the best masters of the continent. Being a child prodigy, her interest from an early age was very focused on the ancient civilizations that populated the world.


    Embarking on expeditions that could last for months, the princess collected all the information she found and analyzed it in her bedroom for long nights. Reaching the point where his avid intellect began to turn his back on religious reasons, embracing reason more.


    With the help of Professor Rafael, the princess was able to recreate some of the lost technology in just a couple of years. Providing the population of the kingdom with comforts that could make their lives more enjoyable. They got so used to it that witnessing the princess flying through the skies in what they considered a metal bird no longer caused any surprise.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    - "My lady, we have already arrived"


    - "Well Kyo, go straight to the maids room and bring me the report of our shadows deployed in Siegfried" - Kneeling in reverence, the mysterious woman dressed in a butler''s uniform vanished into thin air, like a well-trained assassin who loses in sight of its victims.


    Walking around loosening the button on the collar of her shirt, the princess was about to reach her room when she was suddenly accosted by a man who had a sly smile on his face. Eden Alcocer, a viscount who did business with various notorious names in neighboring kingdoms, was seen as a necessary evil in the eyes of Princess Zayuri.


    Unable to reveal its true intentions with the League of Nations, Eunice''s kingdom had foreseen the need to use replaceable pawns which it could do without if necessary. Being one of them, the viscount standing in front of the young lady.


    - ¡°Princess Zayuri! It''s nice to see her again. You are almost always very active and it is impossible for me to meet you to chat a bit¡±


    - ¡°Alcocer, I''m a little tired. If you have something to discuss regarding arms shipments, I suggest you make an appointment like everyone else, or you can go personally with my father so they can discuss the issue."


    - ¡°Oh, that is not the case my lady! Rather, today I have come looking for you to offer you some information that might catch your interest¡± ¨C Just when he was turning the doorknob of his room, the princess stopped and turned to look directly into the viscount''s eyes. Who was holding in his hands a wanted sign and captures something abused.


    - "Viscount Alcocer, don''t tell me that business is going so bad that now you plan to dedicate yourself to the bounty hunting business"


    - "Ho Ho Ho! My lady, you certainly have a good sense of humor. But it is not any of that, but the truly important thing that the person in this role is "


    - "Get to the point!"


    - "COF cof. As you well know, my son Adri¨¢n is a very diligent young man in the family business and by chance he was promoting the latest weapons that we brought to the black market. And precisely it happened that my offspring was in contact with this mysterious woman¡± ¨C Giving a sigh of annoyance, the princess opened the door of her room, putting one foot inside, but was taken by the shoulder by Alcocer. Who just did that, felt the cold edge of a dagger pointing at his neck.


    - "I have returned my lady. You want me to take out the trash"


    - "Don''t worry Kyo, the viscount was already about to retire" - Fixing his shirt collar with angry frowns in his eyes. The viscount slammed the capture paper hard on Kyo''s chest, as he withdrew from the place.


    - ¡°My lady, could you reconsider my offer? The palace steward has just turned on the incinerator and the maidens are picking up the castle''s waste."


    - "Sounds tempting Kyo, but I would like more if you gave me the report of our spies"


    - "Yes ma''am. According to the information gathered by the scattered shadows in Siegfried''s territory, Chancellor Mikail has been frequently moving inside the Alberon imperial palace. Even if he and the empress are related, such behavior is not something that can be considered despicable considering that this is the representative of the vassal kingdom.¡±


    - ¡°Mmmm, they are probably putting the leash on that lapdog of Leopoldo''s. I don''t think it''s something that we should be extremely worried about, remember that Beatriz has that sick attitude of wanting to pair her beloved bastard with the prince." ¨C Sitting on the bed extending her arms yawning, the princess threw her shoes into the air and leaned back while she continued listening to her subordinate''s informative report.


    - "On the other hand, regarding the incident in the tourist town of Litho"


    - "Oh yeah. Isn''t that where that spoiled brat Adrian had gone?


    - "Affirmative, my lady, in fact, what I have to tell you has a lot to do with the reason for the undesirable presence of Viscount Alcocer" - Calling Zayuri''s attention, the maiden paused briefly to continue before the expectation of the princess. .


    - "As you well know, we had five shadows deployed in that city."


    - "Yes, I know. Four appearing to be high-level nobles and one mixed among the low-income people. But what does that have to do with it?


    - ¡°The shadow that came out of the explosion alive. He said that while he was watching the fight between Captain Sebastian and a fugitive sorceress, a teleportation spell interfered with his space jump device and moments later, all the civilian population except the shadows were trapped in place."


    - ¡°Teleportation? A spell of that level is supposed to belong to the documents prohibited by the holy see. How was that woman able to replicate it?¡±


    - ¡°There is still more, my lady, when the shadows were about to regroup to launch the space jump coordinates again, the woman in question shot an alchemical artifact called alberon''s eye. But according to the readings, it was modified with the present mathematical model¡± ¨C Extending the document to her mistress, the maiden remained silent while the princess quickly read from top to bottom the description of the reported diagram.


    - "Can not be! Do you know what this is?


    - "Yes my Lady. That mathematical model is almost identical to the one that lately has been developing from the technology of the lost civilization" - Dropping the papers on the ground, the princess put her thumb in her mouth, beginning to bite the nail until it bled. the skin. Only to give a cry of fury after a brief moment while raising his hands to his head, looking at the ceiling.


    - ¡°Kyo! Do you know where that woman is?


    - "We are not sure, my lady, but according to the latest reports, it seems that he has been seen moving in the direction of the kingdom of Esterum" - Undressing in front of her assistant, the princess went directly to her wardrobe and looked for a suit with which she usually he went out incognito to visit the lost ruins.


    - "My lady! Where is he going? The security council is about to meet in a week. Are you planning to go in search of that woman? Please let us take care of it."


    - ¡°Forget it Kyo, this is something I have to do by myself. Furthermore, according to the latest reports from our spies at the front, it will take at least three months for the coalition army troops to assemble to start the march against our kingdom. I will be back in less than a fortnight, meanwhile have Professor Rafael report directly to my father on the progress of the project''s research" - Adjusting boots and gauntlets equipped with a compact propulsion device, those experimental artifacts were a toy that it was the fascination of princess Zayuri.


    - ¡°OK, see you Kyo. Tell my mother to cancel social gatherings until I return¡± ¨C Opening the window of her room wide, the princess stood on the balcony with a defiant attitude and threw herself into the void. Soaring through the skies a few seconds before touching the ground, before the horrified gaze of the maiden.


    - ¡°Yahoo! I can''t get tired of doing this!" ¨C With the expression on her face full of emotion, the princess rose through the clouds of heaven feeling how the wind hit her face. Adjusting special visor glasses, which allowed him to see a system screen with what appeared to be a rudimentary echo-based global positioning program.


    - ¡°Miss Amelia van Hallen, marked as a sinner by the Holy See of the Church. Well, let''s see if you''re heretic enough to like me¡± ¨C Printing more power on her thrusters, Princess Zayuri accelerated her body, splitting the clouds in front of her, leaving a whitish trail like a thin line in the blue sky.


    - "Achoo" - Feeling the chill of the morning wind before the sun rose over the horizon, my body trembled from the strenuous training that had lasted for more than ten days under the tutelage of the alchemist.


    - ¡°Concentrate fat cow! How do you intend to handle my knowledge if you get soft in this weather.


    With the picturesque changing scenery of the Philius coast, there were days when we could enjoy warm sunshine, passing through misty mornings and in this particular case, unusual light drizzles that ended up chilling us.


    With Ofelia resting in the cabin with a 100-degree fever, Sandra and I were in the middle of intermediate-level alchemical knowledge training that day. Having mastered the basic precepts in a matter of three days with Faust''s help, I had become capable of synthesizing matter from existing elements by breaking down their atoms in fission reactions.


    But now, given the complexity of the content of intermediate knowledge, which at first seemed easy to execute by observing Sandra, was beginning to become a rock hard to chop for me.


    - ¡°For the last time, I have told you that it is wrong! How do you expect that garbage to be able to move freely if you make everything rigid? ¨C Following the creation patterns used by Sandra, the golems she created were deficient in practice when I implemented them. On my first attempt, my prototype golem''s mana core literally exploded as it tried to take its first step. Making us fly into the air due to the force resulting from the explosion of the unstable core that I overloaded with elemental magic.


    - "I do not understand! I do the exact same math model as you and my golems don''t work the same as yours. Where''s the damn problem? ¨C Having to scream when the wind began to pick up on the coast, the salt water splashed my face making me narrow my eyes to see Sandra. Who kept hitting the ground with her foot extremely annoying, while desperately pulling her hair.


    - ¡°That''s your problem, Amelia, you try to do things by imitating me. That''s fine for the basic level, but the intermediate level can''t be mastered by mere imitation. If it were that simple, we alchemists would have populated the world.¡± ¨C Releasing a deep sigh as she sat down on the sand, Sandra stared at me, gesturing with her finger for me to come closer to her. At the same time, with both hands, he suddenly grabbed me by the breasts, making me slap him.


    - ¡°Hey, stop messing with me! It is because of this type of thing that Ofelia does not stop misinterpreting our relationship.¡±


    - "Did you expect that when I spoke to you?"


    - "Of course not! I thought it was something serious and not one of your sick jokes."


    - ¡°Hey, hey. That is the secret for your intermediate level alchemy to work correctly. All you''ve done so far is mimicked me and hoped it would turn out exactly the way I do. But for us alchemists, the surprise factor is decisive when we are creating an animated being out of rock.


    I have seen the beasts that I am reproducing, I have lived with them and I know how they behave. When I create his stone doubles, I think of them when I run the mana core creation. Yes, you have seen my golems, but you have never seen a chimera or the rest of the beasts that I have dealt with.


    Try to create using what I teach you as a base, but put the soul that only you could create in your works" - Smiling when she gave me that advice, who called herself the greatest alchemist in the world had taught me how stupid she had been to regarding the creation of golems.


    As a programmer and gamer, I had always been a critical thinker when it came to implementing my strategies and I created my options based on what I was taught and learned, but I always gave my personal touch. I was never looking to imitate so that my creation and way of playing was generic.


    - "Very well, focus once more" - Inhaling air into my lungs with force, I raised my cane in front of me while acquiring my first transformation by spreading my wings.


    - ¡°Wow, wow, wow. Hey, what do you think you''re doing?"


    - ¡°Shhh, you don''t let me concentrate¡± ¨C Closing my eyes, I began to imagine the creatures I had met in my past life at the zoo. From lions to camels, one by one I was analyzing their parts while drawing their silhouette in the mental image inside my head. With each mix and match, the attributes he selected were strong, but lacked speed or harmony in terms of combat. When I was about to give up for an instant, like a spark of revelation a dangerous thought came to me.


    - ¡°Figure creatures¡± ¨C Shaking the sands of the beach, numerous pillars rose up giving the shape of high resistance crystal, which gradually took the shape of a creature that remained asleep in the core of my power.


    - ¡°He, he, he, ha, ha, ha ha, ha. You are a fucking madman, if the Holy See saw what you just created they would burn both of us for this wonderful thing that borders on blasphemous.¡± ¨C With their well-defined bodies endowed with sharp claws, dragon-like wings, and a lancet-like tail. The serene face of the goddess Freya was engraved on those golems that as soon as they finished materializing, they bowed before me in reverence, recognizing me as their creator.


    - ¡°Seriously this is crazy! A goddess kneeling before a creation. If I really believed in divine punishment, I bet you for today''s dinner that Leviathan would appear right in that direction I''m pointing to, more pissed off than ever" ¨C As if she had the mouth of a prophet, the alchemist turned her face in the instant the surface of the ocean began to tremble along with the sand under our feet.


    - ¡°You must be fucking with me!¡± ¨C With the roar of the ocean breaking into waves that hit the shore of the beach, the imposing divine beast reappeared after several days in which it seemed that it had abandoned the place.


    - "Master, the enemy is overloading its mana core to shoot" - Throwing its head back, the sea serpent released with all its might that devastating beam on the coast while acquiring my second combat form and disposing of my golems to serve as reflectors of the light beam. Diverting the devastating attack so that it avoided the cabin where Ofelia was.


    - ¡°OK, Amelia. Let''s go for this damn bastard together¡± ¨C Manifesting her draconic armor and her scythe, Sandra summoned her beasts riding her griffin to launch herself towards the leviathan. While I followed her with my army of goddesses arranged in column formation, dispersing a few meters from reaching our goal in order to surround it.


    - "Okay, let''s try something interesting" - Thinking about how my golems refracted the energy of Leviathan''s lightning, I sang a runic chant to manifest the combination of fire combining the basic concepts of alchemy for the creation of matter.


    - ¡°Plasma Beam¡± ¨C Spinning through the crystalline structure of the golems, the beam of plasma energy was increasing its critical mass making my creations glow red hot like incandescent lamps. So that, with a movement of my staff, that igneous mass would shoot out of the belly of one of the golems, tearing its body to pieces by the force of that powerful attack.


    Which cleanly pierced the neck of the sea serpent, who stirred furiously as he experienced the searing pain that ate inside his throat. Leaving her unable to fire her destructive beam again.


    - ¡°Hey, you''re going to have to show me that when we''re done here! Well, now it''s my turn" - Applying a combination between her alchemy fundamentals with the knowledge of my world, Sandra raised her weapon towards the sky moving the tip in circles until energy halos were projected consecutively surrounding the upper body of the snake.


    - "Sierra Gama!" ¨C As its name indicated, that source of energy had been synthesized from the light particles within the atmosphere, separating the light spectra until condensing only the lowest threshold radiation to its maximum power.


    Being a radiation with the particularity of going through matter altering its molecular structure, the gamma attack launched by Sandra closed on the snake''s neck, which at first glance seemed intact when the attack ended.


    But as soon as he tried to move once more, the areas that had come into contact with the circular energy let the beast''s blood flow as its severed limbs fell forcefully on the surface of the water. Leaving the head of the mighty Leviathan disintegrating into ash as if it had been scorched by the core of the sun.


    - ¡°Ha, ha, ha, ha. Did you see that? I did it, praise me"


    - ¡°Wait, I still don''t understand what the hell that was. What did you do?"


    - "Huh? Are you kidding? I practically just did the same thing as you, I accelerated matter to a point where its mass and weight lost consistency and it reached the fission point" - Incredible as it might seem, that girl in front of me had just done with her own hands what in my world required decades of experimental design to carry out one of the most important experiments for humanity.


    - ¡°Sandra, what you just did is the fundamental principle of a particle collider. The slightest miscalculation could have created a black hole in the air. Do you know what that means?


    - "From your tone of voice, it seems that it is something serious, right?" - With a worried face, Sandra put her hands behind her back, lowering her face with a depressing air when she realized that she had behaved like I did inside the cave of the abandoned mine.


    - ¡°Go ahead, hit me. I deserve it¡± ¨C Raising her face with her eyes closed, the young alchemist hoped that I would take it out on her for the blow she gave me when we escaped that time. But instead, I decided to hug her as we continued to float in the air bringing her head to my chest. Remembering that that girl with her mature body was still trapped in the essence of the girl who saw her entire town die.


    - ¡°Come, let''s go back to the cabin to make dinner. In addition, we must check that Ofelia''s fever will drop ¡±


    - "Yes, that busty turned out to be softer than you" - Leaving behind the corpse of the snake floating in the ocean, my golems were destroyed into small crystal fragments that shone with the rays of light that began to sneak through the clouds . Simulating a starry sky just before nightfall.


    Meanwhile, a few kilometers up in the sky over the kingdom of Esterum, Princess Zayuri was watching in her visors the energy readings that had been suddenly released in our direction.


    - ¡°I knew it, I knew that if I found it I could end my project. Wait a little longer, Amelia van Hallen. It won''t be long before I get to you¡± ¨C With a satisfied smile, the princess headed for the last location that her radar detected.

 Stage 22: Bonus Story

    ¡°Hitomi Yoshida¡± ¨C A name that rests on a polymer plate that is removed by the hands of a janitor, from a locker that until a couple of months ago was occupied by a graduating computer science student.


    The hands covered by the marks of age shake slightly, as they turn the combination knob of the lock to open the door. A pair of sneakers, three dusty books, a music player whose battery has already died, and a family photo taped to the back of the locker.


    The teary-eyed man delicately detaches the fragile photo, which breaks at one edge, dividing the sisters who were posing smiling during a family celebration.


    Just like the essence of life itself, what has died leaves a scar, like the one that the mayor intends to cover over the photo with a bit of tape. Muttering insults about himself, for not having taken care of such a valuable object for someone who was no longer in that world.


    - ¡°Why do wonderful people die so young?¡± ¨C Filling a cardboard box with the student''s belongings, the mayor closes the locker and begins to walk slowly to the entrance where a young woman with black hair tied in a ponytail is waiting for him.


    - "These are all Miss Yoshida''s belongings" - Without saying a single word, the young woman took the box with the personal belongings and made a slight curtsey, pressing that package against her chest. Walking without looking up more than just at times when he felt that some object was getting in his way.


    Akemi Yoshida, Hitomi''s younger sister, had flown in from the East Coast to take a call from the Alameda County Coroner''s Service. For five years, he never took a call from his sister, much less answered the correspondence. But a casual impulse that day made her pick up the phone only to realize that the distance that separated them had become impassable on the border of death.


    - ¡°Did you collect everything?¡±


    - ¡°Yes, grandmother. We can go now¡± ¨C Waiting for him leaning on the awning of a red Chevy, a woman in her late 50s looked at her carefully, expectantly in case she collapsed due to depression. Hellen McGregor, the maternal grandmother, had taken care of Akemi during all those years of separation due to Hitomi''s refusal to share the same roof. Similar in appearance to the mother who abandoned them, the young woman who had lost her father, it was difficult for her to look into her face and not remember the woman who turned her back on them.


    - ¡°Are you sure you want to do it? If you want, I can do it alone; You don''t need to have to face¡­¡±


    - ¡°Yes, I want to do it. Please don''t insist anymore grandma."


    - "Whatever you want. She may have hated me, but she''s still my granddaughter. It''s the least I can do for her if my daughter abandons them¡± ¨C With her hands behind the wheel and her eyes forward, Mrs. Hellen had a somber expression. As she had said, for her Hitomi was part of her family, despite the differences and disagreements, that young woman had a place in her heart. When he found out about his sudden death, in the depths of his being he felt brokenness down to the smallest fiber of his soul. Spending a week without even daring to try a bite, ending up hospitalized for her chronic gastritis condition.


    After driving for two hours from the university, the car reached the suburbs where the apartment building where the young Hitomi once lived was located. Surrounded by its perimeter with flower boxes from which some flower trees could be seen, their footsteps led them from the parking lot to the door of apartment 101 where landlady Yang lived. Pressing the intercom button, they heard the voice of an older woman taking the call.


    - ¡°Tzk Tzk¡­ Yes, who is it? You want?"


    - ¡°Olivia, it''s me, Hellen. Please, let us in" - With the sound of some chains and the pin sliding through the rod of the bolt, the old woman''s face peeked over the edge of the door, giving them the pass when she realized that it was her old acquaintance .


    A small apartment, with shelves on the walls on which ornaments and porcelain dolls rested. It had a slight aroma of cinnamon incense, enlivened by the sound of an old phonograph playing a romantic ballad by a group from the 50''s.


    With plastic-covered armchairs and two Siamese cats that slipped between their owner''s legs, the old woman sat at the table inviting her companions to help themselves to some freshly brewed coffee.


    ¨C ¡°I see that the years continue to be generous with you Olivia. I thought that at your age your grandchildren would have already sent you to the asylum."


    - ¡°You are still as biting as when you were a brat Hellen. I still remember when you came to the patio of my house with scraped knees and a black eye from fighting with the other kids who wouldn''t let you play ball with them" ¨C Sitting with her cup of coffee in front of her, Akemi kept her eyes down while a cat lay purring in her lap.


    - ¡°Yes, you always treated me like one of your daughters. I think you were the closest thing to a mother during my childhood¡± ¨C Taking a sip of her coffee, Hellen brought back the bitter memories she had of her late mother. An alcoholic woman who used to beat her repeatedly, accusing her of causing her husband to leave her.


    - ¡°Let''s leave the nostalgic talk for later, I know you haven''t come here to reminisce about the past with an old woman. Give me a few minutes, I''ll bring them right away¡± ¨C Leaning on the edge of the table, the old woman took her cane and walked towards her room. Listening to the sound of the wooden doors of his closet opening while he searched through the objects.


    - "Grandma? Is she the woman you were telling me you asked to take care of Hitomi?"


    - "Yes, she is. Mrs. Yang lived for a few years in the same neighborhood as me. When I first met her she was in her mid-thirties, while I was a brat of no more than ten. After he moved to California, we kept up our communication through letters and well that''s how you see it, we have a good friendship.


    When your sister decided to stay here, I asked Mrs. Yang to find her and offer her an apartment.¡±


    - "So the rent that Hitomi paid?"


    - ¡°Your sister was too proud, if I had given her the money directly she would have rejected it. That is why I asked Mrs. Yang to give me a cheaper price compared to what she usually rents, while I sent her monthly deposits to cover the difference.¡± ¨C Drinking her coffee holding the cup with both hands, Akemi saw her reflection on the black surface of the drink, reminding her deceased sister for a few moments.


    - "Here it is. The fire practically destroyed almost all of their belongings and others were rendered useless by the water that was used to extinguish the fire. This is what I was able to get back for you guys¡± ¨C A box with an old photo album that had a subtle aroma of soot, some volumes of light novels, and a worn-out stuffed animal in the shape of a dog. Resting all those objects on a sweater with the emblem of the university.


    Holding it in her hands, Akemi placed it on the table while caressing the edges with the palms of her hands subtly, thinking of her sister''s face letting out a couple of tears as she suppressed her tears.


    - ¡°Little girl, I know I shouldn''t get involved in what they don''t call me. But it''s not okay to suppress your emotions the way you''re doing. If you want to cry, do it. No one is going to stop you and you shouldn''t be ashamed that I''m here. The time I met your sister, she talked a lot about you and when she did, her face had a smile as radiant as the sun." ¨C Placing her wrinkled hands on Akemi''s hands, Mrs. Yang stared into her eyes with an expression similar to the one a grandmother would have towards a grandson who has just been hurt.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Unable to contain herself any longer, Akemi poured out her heart on that table. Crying from the depths of her soul screaming Hitomi''s name. Until her tired, red eyes closed in a deep sleep, leaning against Mrs. Hellen''s chest.


    - "Olivia, you know very well that she cannot go overboard like that"


    - ¡°Girl, it is much worse that the poor thing suppresses her heart with that pain. I know you''re worried about her, but you can''t take away what makes her a human being just because of your fear¡± ¨C Running out of words, Hellen couldn''t blame Mrs. Yang, who much to her regret was absolutely right.


    After a couple of hours, the young Akemi woke up on Mrs. Yang''s bed, turning her face towards her grandmother who was sleeping sitting on a chair with her body leaning against the wall.


    - "I see you''ve woken up"


    - ¡°Sorry Mrs. Yang. I got carried away and lost control of my emotions¡±


    - ¡°I have told you that you should not repress yourself, that will hurt you a lot. You are not a monolith, you have blood flowing through your veins. It''s normal for your feelings to flow when they have to."


    - "In any case, I''m sorry, thanks for being so understanding" ¨C Leaning her head, Akemi put her hands through her hair for a moment. Adjusting the locks that had run to his face.


    Keeping her gaze calm, Mrs. Yang once again went to her closet, taking out an old Walkman disc and a case with a rewritable compact disc. Which he put on Akemi''s lap, who looked at that object with some strangeness.


    - ¡°When you really need it, put your headphones on and listen to that record. You''ll see how everything will be fine when you hear it¡± ¨C Turning around, Mrs. Yang went to where Hellen was, patting her on the shoulder making her wake up.


    Bidding farewell to the old woman, both Hellen and Akemi returned to the car and headed toward the center of town. With her head leaning against the glass of the door, Akemi saw the pedestrians walking along the sidewalks as if they were dolls, their faces blurred as a slight discomfort afflicted her stomach.


    - "Maybe the coffee was too strong for you, you should have left it on the table honey"


    - "Don''t worry grandma, besides, I think your friend wouldn''t have taken it very well if she had refused her hospitality"


    - ¡°Hey, hey. If that old lady listened to you right now she would be scolding you. Remember what he told you about not holding back.¡±


    - "Then why have you asked me all this time Grandma?"


    - ¡°Because I have been very shortsighted, honey, even I can be wrong. That''s why I wanted us to go to Mrs. Yang first before going to the commissioner''s office. She is a good adviser and my compass when I have forgotten where I am standing¡± ¨C With one hand on the wheel and her left elbow leaning against the door supporting her face with her hand, Hellen had a slight smile on her face as she said those words. While even her eyes had that hint of regret, in the timbre of her voice there was a more relaxed air after seeing her old friend.


    Upon arriving at the commissioner''s office, the office assistant invited them to take a seat in the waiting room until the officer in charge of the case vacated to attend to them.


    In that small space with light-colored walls and a couple of ornamental plants, the air from the ceiling fan gave a warm breeze with the late summer wind. Making a heavy feeling invade Akemi at times, who was awakened by her grandmother at every opportunity.


    - ¡°Mrs. Hellen McGregor¡± ¨C A dark-skinned man with short, slightly graying hair, white shirt unbuttoned at the neck with his sidearm on his chest. The detective in charge of the case showed up with the authorization documents ready to sign, so that Hitomi''s cremated remains were delivered to her relatives.


    After a few months in which the mortal remains of the young woman constituted part of the evidence to build the scene of the murder case against Richard Thompson, the coroner''s office ended the proceedings and began to carry out the delivery procedure. Delaying a few days due to bureaucratic procedures.


    - ¡°As a member of the police department, I speak for this office offering you an apology for the delay in your mourning process. If you wish, the department can offer you free psychological support to deal with the stages of grief¡± ¨C Extending his hand firmly, the officer shook hands with Mrs. Hellen, who embraced her granddaughter''s ashes as she he inclined his face giving thanks with his broken voice.


    At the end of that day, the two women went to the airport, handed over the rental car to the dealership, and headed for the customs area, passing the ashes and belongings through tedious paperwork, before boarding the flight to Boston.


    Looking slightly gaunt in the face, Akemi scratched her head frequently as she arranged the pillow on her plane seat back. Before the downcast look of Hellen, who was taking a couple of aspirins to reduce the headache due to the exhaustion of the trip.


    - "Akemi, breakfast is ready. Can you go wake up dad?" ¨C Plunged into a nostalgic dream, the young woman returned at the age of ten during the first days after her mother''s abandonment. Standing in front of the stove stirring the frying pan, her sister Hitomi with her hair tied up in a net, served the scrambled egg on the plates while the toaster made the crispy meats jump.


    - ¡°Come on, I''ll put jam on your toast. But be good and go with dad¡± ¨C Despite having her face tired from waiting almost all night for her father, Hitomi smiled at the little girl in front of her with her gaze full of affection.


    - "Sister, why did you leave me?" ¨C The question that was repeated in Akemi''s heart, left her lips in that dream without receiving an answer. Just repeating the scene until the movement of the plane landing made him wake up.


    - ¡°Akemi, we have already arrived. Help me take the luggage, we''ll take a taxi at the airport entrance¡± ¨C Struggling with the suitcase stuck in the overhead compartment, Hellen had tiredness reflected on her face, as if she hadn''t slept throughout the flight.


    - "Yes, Grandma, I''m coming" - Feeling her legs heavy, Akemi leaned on the armrests of the seat to push herself, until she was finally able to stand up. Being helped by her grandmother, who hugged her all the way until they got to the taxi to go home.


    When they were finally able to arrive, the young woman took her sister''s ashes and took them to the room where there was a small corner cabinet in the shape of an altar, where the photo frames of her father and sister rested.


    - "Father, I have already brought it with us" - Kneeling in reverence, Akemi placed the urns one next to the other. Lighting a stick of incense to give a prayer for their souls.


    - "COF cof."


    - "Akemi, daughter. You better go upstairs and lie down so you can rest. The journey has been very long and I am afraid that you may catch a cold¡±


    - "Calm down grandma, I''ll be fine. Don''t worry¡± ¨C With a smile, Akemi took the walkman disc and the compact disc to go up the stairs to her room. Where he sat on his bed taking a long breath covering his face with his hands, throwing his body back. Dropping the cancer wig that had been bothering him throughout the trip.


    As if it were a curse, the young Akemi had developed a carcinoid tumor on her left lung. Just a year after his father''s death, as if fate had grabbed him by the neck and plunged his face into dirt.


    Unable to tell her sister Hitomi, Akemi cut off all communication with her. Hoping that due to a feeling of detachment she would never look for him and she could rebuild her life without having to spend her existence tied to the shadow of a painful past.


    - "Cogh, cough, argh" - Raising one hand to her chest, squeezing it hard while covering her mouth with the other, Akemi turned her face, releasing a clot of blood onto her palm. Searching the bureau for disposable towels to clean his mouth.


    - ¡°You must think I''m stupid, right Hitomi? I tried to get away from you so as not to drag you into this, but I ended up causing you more pain even until the moment of your death" ¨C Covering her eyes with her forearm while crying silently, Akemi put her hand on the old record player and felt the urge to listen to the audio track as advised by Grandma Yang.


    As the audio track began to play, Akemi''s eyes filled with tears as her lips trembled as her fingertips brushed over them.


    - ¡°Akemi, I know this would not be a decent birthday present. But I wanted to give you something to remind you of me when you leave Grandma''s house to go to college. You know, it''s hard to live alone. But I know you''re even stronger than me and you''ll do well, you''ll make so many friends that I even think I''m going to feel jealous.


    You were always the more sociable of the two, I think you got that from dad. And that makes you a very special girl.


    Well, what I want to record on this record is that lullaby that I sang to you when you were scared during the nights that dad didn''t come home. You may not remember, but I stayed with you by your side until you fell asleep. ¨C Listening to the lullaby with Hitomi''s voice, Akemi''s lips moved in sync with the speed of the melody. With his heart overflowing with warmth while his cheeks were soaked in those salty pearls that rolled down them.


    - ¡°¡­When the moon shines in the sky


    And make your home in the clouds


    remember the tender morning,


    when the sun wakes you up at dawn." ¨C Repeating that stanza, Akemi hugged the player, directing her gaze to the patched photo that the janitor gave her.

 Stage 23: The invasion of the holy army.

    On the northern shores of the Alberon empire, the light sea breeze beats the sails of the ships stranded in the docks, before the parade of the multitude of workers who upload the supplies to the holds while the army officers supervise the assembly of weapons on the hulls of ships.


    Since the Medea Forest incident, exactly nine months have passed, and since the imperial edict was issued to march to war, families have spent whole weeks saying goodbye to their husbands, brothers and children who receive the blessing of the emissaries of the holy headquarters, ready to take up arms for the glory of the faith.


    The Coalition Army, this is how the deployed operation was baptized with men of all nationalities who appeared before the announcement sanctioned by the ecclesiastical authority. Although among the murmurs of the bars in the port, an additional name was imposed on them in a mocking tone by some dissidents: holy army.


    The church of the cult of the goddess Artemis, despite having millions of followers throughout the continent, could not escape the gaze of dissent. Men and women who did not trust the sweetened words coming from the clerics and priestesses at the service of the holy church. Well, they were fully aware that those individuals held the banner of faith, only for personal interest and hunger for power.


    ¡°Prince Maximus, the captain of the flagship has confirmed to me that the preparations for the armored ships have been completed. We are just waiting for Prince Leopoldo to arrive at the port to start the deployment.¡± ¨C With a navigation chart resting on some wooden crates on the pier, the prince of Ephesus turned his gaze to his lieutenant, nodding silently as he went back again to inspect the sea routes.


    Considering that this would be his first military foray as the future monarch of the kingdom, Maximus felt on his shoulders the enormous weight of responsibility that the subjects of his nation expected of him.


    - ¡°As much as I try to find a route that avoids the sea beasts, almost all the tributaries in the North Sea are infested with them. As if something had caused them and the reports from the merchant ships are all a disaster. How do you want us to make inroads in just three months with these conditions?" ¨C Grinding his teeth with courage, the prince clutched in his hand a fine gold locket where he carried the only available portrait of the late queen. Caressing the surface of the lid with his thumb, the young man placed that amulet on his forehead, murmuring to his mother for inspiration in order to have the clarity of thought to solve that crossroads.


    - ¡°Looking for answers in a sentence? I see why they usually call him the redeemed prince" - Resting his thick hand on the metal of the armor on the prince''s shoulder, Rubelius smiled with an expression of sincerity in his words, trying to convey some tranquility in the troubled young man who let escape a slight laugh from his lips when listening to the monarch.


    - ¡°You could say I''m praying to a goddess, but I don''t think it''s the one you have in mind. Lord Rubelius ¡±


    - ¡°Ha, ha, ha, ha. Boy, you''re lucky I''m not devoted to the goddess cult or rest assured you''d be ousted from your race for the throne.¡±


    - ¡°I may be young and inexperienced in some subjects, but rest assured that I do not speak lightly in front of strangers. I''m only like that with people who are trustworthy¡± ¨C Rubelius ''s face changed in the expression of his eyes, plunged into astonishment at the unexpected response from Prince Maximus. That young man who had experienced all kinds of betrayals and lies by the nobles of his kingdom, managed to overcome those adversities due to his ability to read the environment after losing many valuable people to him.


    Being aware of the situation the young man was facing, King Rubelius welcomed the prince''s vote of confidence, bowing his face in reverence acknowledging him as one of his peers.


    - ¡°It is an honor for me, that you consider me as someone in whom you can trust your neck. little prince¡±


    - "A greater honor is for me that a man as wise as you, bet on a black horse like me" - Laughing in the heat of the camaraderie, the rulers shared their views on the navigation routes for the military expedition. Exchanging opinions with his closest men, finding a solution for the predicament in which they found themselves until a few days ago.


    - "Finally! With this we can begin our advance over the northern seas to reach the Eunice shoreline in two months. One month ahead of schedule and it''s all thanks to you King Rubelius ¡±


    - "No boy, it was the work of two great minds combined that made this possible" ¨C With the looks of their subordinates a bit sarcastic, the officers only shook their heads with a smile at the behavior of their proud king.


    - "Officers in port, get ready and prepare weapons for review, the delegation of the Holy See is arriving at the place" - With the sound of the reveille, the lookouts on the dock announced the march of the cavalry that was escorting the small committee coming from the holy city.


    Mounted on a brown horse with the emblem on its reins of the empire of Alberon , Prince Leopold wore the dark blue military dress uniform accompanied by a bright red sash, typical of imperial etiquette. While next to him, riding a white horse with the emblems of the Holy See, Cardinal Asmodeus pulled the reins of his neighing horse, raising its front legs, stopping its march.


    As he got off his steed, the cardinal walked leading the way in front of him, while those present bent their knees with their faces lowered as a sign of respect for the emissary of the goddess.


    - ¡°My lords, raise your heads and stand up. Today I do not come as an emissary of the goddess to worship, but as a soldier like you, lending my sword for a just cause to fight" - With a fake smile on his face, Asmodeus ''s expression looked so Cold as always, making more than one of those present feel that their blood ran cold just by looking at that ruthless man.


    - " Asmodeus , take me to Prince Maximus" ¨C With that mischievous glint in his eyes, Leopold stood next to the cardinal, who gave him a disapproving look as he tried to keep up appearances in front of the crowd. Beginning their advance along the pier while they talked in a low voice.


    - ¡°You are being too arrogant little creature. Remember who it was that saved you from your soul being destroyed and brought you here. When did you even dream of becoming a prince in your past life?¡±


    - "It''s true, but what''s the use of being a prince only by title if I can''t pretend authority. Don''t you think I could be considered a wimp if I just act like a puppet in front of you? Also , there should be some benefit to it if I have to consider the fact that I have to pair up with that stupid brat. ¡±


    - ¡° Mmmm , I see that what Beatriz told me was true. Is Princess Lucretia too impulsive?" ¨C With a mocking smile, Asmodeus covered his lips with the tips of his fingers, directing a cold look at the young man. Who clicked her tongue crossing her arms while keeping up with her pace.


    - "Better tell me if she is in our destination. Will I be able to meet Amelia? My only motivation is to get my hands on the heretic princess¡± ¨C With the unhealthy glint in his eyes, Prince Leopold seemed injected with rage when pronouncing the princess''s name, as if he were suddenly the culprit of his evil.


    - ¡°According to what my spies have informed me, the heiress of the nation of Eunice left her palace precisely to meet the heretic. So rest assured that by the time we reach the enemy kingdom, those bitches will come to us" ¨C Asmodeus ''s face seemed anxious, as if he coveted the moment to meet again with the woman who had embarrassed him during the battle in the forest. Medea. That incident had not only hurt his pride as an ancestral draconic , but in addition, in the exchange of attacks his curiosity was fueled due to the particular divine essence that he could smell in the young woman''s blood.


    - ¡°Greetings, Prince Leopoldo. And welcome to you, Your Excellency ; as you can see, we are ready to set off for the nation of Eunice.¡± ¨C Placing his right arm with his body slightly inclined to bow, Prince Maximus could not take his eyes off the ruler of the Alberon empire .


    With a very different demeanor than what she had heard of him before, the image of a timid prince was of course the last thing anyone would ever consider if he were on their minds. With a proud air as if he considered his counterpart inferior, Leopoldo barely answered the formality of the greeting with a curt gesture of his hand. Leaving Prince Maximus with his hand outstretched, who pursed his lips with the expression on his face enduring embarrassment.


    - ¡°If someone else told me, I could accuse him of being a liar. But since I have seen it with my own eyes, I am sure that this young man is not the prince that I got to know in the past" - Caressing his beard with a frown in his eyes, Rubelios did not hide his discontent at the lack of seriousness with the one that the crown prince of the empire wore. She harbored a subtle doubt inside her, which little by little began to eat away at her mind when she remembered the words with which her good friend Emperor Alexander entrusted her care.


    - ¡°It was already too much that he was close to that snake of Beatriz; I always thought that that insufferable woman would end up affecting his character, but now with Asmodeus ''s mad dog, even if I wanted to go over and ask the boy, I doubt he would answer me honestly."


    - ¡°King Rubelius , we do not know what has happened in the empire since the departure of Princess Amelia. But one thing is for sure, during the raid I want to ask you not to take your eyes off Asmodeus '' behavior . There is something I don''t like about the cardinal and I have a feeling that it could bring us a bigger problem in the mission."


    - ¡°Oh, I see that you also distrust that unhappy man! Take it for granted, young prince, this old man hasn''t been able to take the reins of a nation full of barbarians for a reason¡± ¨C Slapping him hard on the back, almost on the verge of knocking him over the boxes, Rubelius smiled at Maximus as he he would call one of his men to give him precise instructions during the course of the trip.


    - ¡°Be more careful, you vulgar thing! That baggage has too valuable items for a miserable peasant like you to mistreat them!¡±


    - "Im sorry lady! I''m going to lift it up¡± ¨C A little distant from the prince, a scandal was formed on the pier where two women were fighting heatedly.


    - ¡°What is this scandal? What''s going on here?" ¨C Dressed in fine purple linen and a half-brimmed hat adorned by a light veil that covered her face from the sun''s rays, an apparently noblewoman waved her hand fan delicately, extending the edges to the height of her shoulders. lips.


    - ¡°Prince Maximus! Excuse my lack of manners, I am Princess Lucrezia of Alberon . As you can see, I''m just disciplining my maid for being so stupid not to be careful with her lady''s belongings¡± ¨C With her hands on the floor, on her knees and her face bowed; The fragile-looking young woman had an unmistakable hair color that stood out to the prince.


    Even though she was wearing the palace maid uniform, on the young lady''s neck was a bondage magic device. Making it clear that the way the princess referred to her was a mere euphemism.


    - "Miss, are you alright?" ¨C Completely ignoring Princess Lucretia, Maximus knelt slightly, extending his hand to the maiden, who raised her face looking directly into the prince''s eyes. Who felt a slight pang in his chest as if a heat ran through his head, captivated by those expressive eyes of the woman.


    - "The prince! How can you touch such a vulgar thing with your hands?¡± ¨C Angrily squeezing her fan with both hands, the princess showed her grievance at the ruler''s behavior. Who returned his stern look with a hint of annoyance.


    - "Is it okay to consider the young lady a vulgar thing? Is it because of its origins?¡±


    - "Indeed! She comes from a sinful kingdom, it is normal that the faithful believers of the goddess do not have to consider them as humans "


    - "Princess, then tell me, am I something that is not human? My hair is the same as hers and my skin tone, the only thing different is our eyes. But our blood flows from the same lineage, except that I carry my father''s blood. Answer me!" ¨C With the crowd of soldiers from the kingdom of Ephesus around, the princess did not dare to answer the prince. Who stood up holding the hand of the maiden, while being proud of his lineage despite what the church said about it.


    - "I beg your pardon, prince, but I must retire to my cabin. Let''s go Eve!"


    - "I''m sorry princess, but I can not allow you to take this woman"


    - "As you said?"


    - ¡°Do I have to repeat it? According to the laws in force within the kingdom of Ephesus , slave ownership is an exclusive privilege of the crown. Regardless of whether it is the empire, the laws of Ephesus have more weight because we have the seal of the Holy See that endorses our legislation. For what you are a slave when you step on the soil of the kingdom, I stop belonging to you ¡±


    - "Do you think the empire will tolerate this outrage?"


    - ¡°I remind you that, at this moment, the empire has more important matters to attend to. What to guarantee the whims of a young lady who has no place in the line of succession¡± ¨C Hitting her heel against the floorboards, Princess Lucrecia turned around angrily while the rest of her assistants followed her carrying her luggage with faces pale with fear.


    - ¡°You no longer have to fear. Now you will be safe under my service¡±


    - "My Sir! I am deeply grateful to you, if it were not for you I¡­¡±


    - ¡° Shhh , don''t say more Eva. From now on rest assured that no one will dare lay a hand on you while I am by your side." ¨C Giving the order to his escort knights to accompany the maiden to the flagship, the prince put his hand to his neck with an annoyed expression on his face.


    Despite having heard the same words over and over again from the nobles of his kingdom, the young man never even considered them as something he should consider to hurt him. But seeing that girl with a similar origin, he couldn''t help but think how his poor mother had to suffer such abuse behind the scenes while sitting on the queen''s throne next to the monarch of Ephesus .


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    - ¡°My lord, all men are ready. Already Prince Leopold''s troops have sent a messenger falcon informing us that they are en route over land. The rest of the mission we must proceed as we have planned as soon as possible to reach them by sea route "


    - ¡°Then let''s get going, tell the captains to raise anchor as soon as I give my signal. Let us waste no more time and go to war" - Giving his bow, the officer withdrew to inform the captains as dictated by the prince, while the young ruler prepared to board the ship in order to take his position within the ship''s control room.


    With the wind in favor and the sun rising on the horizon, the sound of the horns warned the ships that the sea was free of fog banks and it was safe to set sail. Beginning to cut the waves with the edge of the keel that rose above the white foam of that blue ocean.


    Meanwhile, at the other end resting with their horses on the plain of Siegfried ''s territory that served as the border with the kingdom of Ephesus , the infantry troops of the coalition army were grouped by divisions at the order of their generals.


    100,000 horse spearmen accompanied by marksman magicians, 400,000 fifth circle magic archers assisted by 200,000 support magicians. Just between Siegfried''s troops and the empire, they added up to 800,000 ground combat troops. Upon their march on the land of Ephesus , arriving from the north, they were joined by a contingent similar in number from the holy kingdom, accompanied by three legions of knights from the holy see assisted by temple maidens, who would serve as healers and support. magical if necessary.


    Compared with the detachment sent by ship, the ground troops had an overwhelming number that intimidated as they passed through the towns and villages; causing the women to close the windows of their homes in fear of the imposing procession of the coalition army.


    At the head of the procession, a scarlet-armored figure held out his arm to let a weary falcon fold its wings as it extended its leg with a scroll tied to it.


    - "My lady, what news do we have of the troops at sea?" ¨C Raising the visor of her helmet, the empress''s eyes looked happy when she read the content of the letter. Burning her immediately with a slight spark of magic coming from her fingers.


    - ¡° Mikail , dear, it''s just good news. Stop worrying, that pathetic eastern kingdom won''t stand a chance against us.¡±


    - ¡°But Beatriz, cousin, can we fully trust the word of Asmodeus ? Remember that he is too fickle when he has something that makes him curious. Also, that nobleman from the kingdom of Eunice has told me that the princess has been developing a powerful weapon on the top of the mountain together with that mad scientist" - Taking the reins of his horse trying to keep up with the horse''s gallop. Empress, Siegfried ''s chancellor looked like a skittish mouse compared to the imposing serpentine aura of the empire''s ruler.


    - ¡°Powerful weapon? Even if by chance that impertinent brat manages to resurrect the ancient technology, that useless town knows no battle. His army is barely a third of the amount that we make up this coalition and above all, but not least. Asmodeus has made our little prince a very valuable war asset. Even if the princess''s weapons are resistance, they are nothing compared to that monster¡± ¨C Closing her eyes for a brief moment, the Empress of Alberon brought to her mind a sinister memory that was marked in her memory from a month ago.


    - ¡° Asmodeus , that insolent brat is uncontrollable! At least before he was a pushover who obeyed me almost unconditionally, but now he doesn''t even have the slightest respect for me even in front of court. Did you know that I call myself an old hag in front of the chancellor of finance?"


    - "Ha, ha, ha, ha" - Taking his hands to his abdomen, the sorcerer walked with tears in his eyes along with the empress through the corridors of the imperial palace. Before the looks of the courtiers who tried to avert their faces for fear of being reprimanded by their mistress.


    - ¡°This is serious Asmodeus ! What if this experiment of yours fails?" ¨C Pressing her hands on the hem of the dress, the empress had an expression of annoyance on her face, highlighting the vein on her left temple. Pressing the lower lip with the edge of his teeth.


    - "Calm Calm. My dear little sister, when have I failed you? Except for the fact that he''s a jerk, the jerk you insert into that weakling''s body has an amazing affinity for all kinds of elemental magic. Even his handling of alchemy was amazing to me!¡±


    - ¡°Wait a second Asmodeus ! Alchemy? Are you telling me that that bastard Leopoldo had such a capacity?" ¨C Nodding with a smile on his lips, the sorcerer narrowed his eyes with a sinister expression as he extended his hand in front leading the empress to the palace''s backyard.


    Sitting in a lotus position floating in the air, surrounded by a flow of red colored energy, Prince Leopold''s body seemed unconscious with the expression on his face unperturbed by any sound from the environment.


    - "What are you doing?"


    - ¡° Shhh , just stay still here without making a single noise. Let me show you what my toy can do¡± ¨C With his index finger on the empress''s lips, Asmodeus smiled once more as he went to where the prince was. Snapping his fingers to wake the young man from the trance in which he was immersed.


    - ¡°Lord Asmodeus ! What is he doing here?"


    - ¡°Calm down, don''t get excited. I just came to see how you''re adjusting to your new body. Tell me, have you felt something strange?"


    - "Now that you mention it, lately I feel like my chest is burning when I''m casting the incantations you told me to memorize"


    - "Oh! Great! That means your mana core was able to assimilate the fairy gems I got from Medea forest. You are amazing! I expected no less from my best creation¡±


    - ¡° Tch Creation? Stop treating me as if I were an object¡± ¨C Hitting the sorcerer''s hand that was on his shoulder, the young man walked forward a few steps and then turned around completely. Facing his mentor, Prince Leopold spread his hands to his sides, letting flow of mana that solidified into a complete draconic armor , very similar to the one Amelia had obtained by fusing with Faust.


    - ¡°How old do you think? Isn''t my fighting form amazing?"


    - ¡°Ha, ha, ha. Silly brat! I''ll give you points for creativity, but I can''t even consider that armor worthy of a glorious draconic ¡± ¨C Disfiguring his face making his muzzle emerge, Asmodeus ''s body completely transformed into his ancestral dragon form. Roaring loudly while both rose to the sky above the palace, before the eyes of the soldiers who got into position for any eventuality.


    - ¡°This is a form that you should have reached wimpy. But you''re still pigeonholed in that pathetic pseudo form that can''t unleash your full potential¡± ¨C Raising the notch of his snout showing his fangs, Asmodeus opened his jaws releasing a powerful beam that was aimed at the figure of the prince. Who, in a blink, disappeared from the sight of the sorcerer, who turned his head in all directions trying to find him.


    - ¡°You idiot brat! Where have you been?"


    - "I''m behind you, overdeveloped lizard!"


    - "But what?"


    - ¡°That''s the problem with players who rely too much on the concept of bigger is better. In a fighting game, the most important thing is that your character has the best attack capacity, not so much its size¡± ¨C Placing his hands in front of the ancestral dragon, the prince conjured seven circles of magic that combined the principles of alchemy, glowing dangerously purple with darkening red rays.


    - "It will be better that I dodge it teacher. This attack is something even you won''t be able to deal with."


    - ¡°Oh, that interests me! Tell me, how did you name your attack? ¨C With a Machiavellian laugh coming from his helmet, the prince released an incandescent glow from his left eye that reflected off the armor. At the same time, the claws of his armor glowed red hot from the energy that he accumulated waiting to fire his attack.


    - "BIG BANG!" ¨C With a sudden silence followed by a hiss in the air, a powerful explosion of energy destroyed the magic circles while a column of pure mana came out towards Asmodeus . Who barely managed to lower his imposing body, freeing by centimeters the destructive blast of the spell. Which, was uprooting the trees and vegetation in its path, splitting the sea in two until it reached a small uninhabited island within the coast near the imperial palace.


    With a red glow that flooded the blue sky, the clouds dissipated with the intensity of the resulting explosion until the gusts of wind hit the fishing villages of the coast, capsizing the boats with the fishermen, who incredulous to what they were observing, were dragged by the resulting tsunami.


    - "Protect the empress!" ¨C The palace guards ran towards Beatriz, surrounding him with their shields to resist the onslaught of the winds that slowly returned to normal as the prince descended, abandoning his combat armor.


    - ¡°Whoa, whoa. But who do we have here? ¨C Walking arrogantly, with his mischievous smile drawn on his face. Leopold licked his lip as he contemplated the empress''s fearful face.


    - "The prince! That is not the proper way to address the mother of the empire¡± ¨C The head of the imperial guard stood in the way of the prince, holding his sword in a flank position. With the determination in his eyes to protect his mistress even if it was the crown prince.


    - ¡° Captain , he is certainly a brave man and loyal to the crown. I congratulate you! I don''t think I''ve ever seen such a gallant heart in the face of danger. Do you want to see it too?" ¨C With a movement of his arm that was imperceptible to the eye, the prince''s hand was dyed by a vibrant red fluid on which an object that moved slowly was held.


    Feeling a cold in his chest, the captain looked down bringing his right hand to him, feeling a hole where his sternum should be.


    - "Sees it! Is not it wonderful?" ¨C Giving a bite to the heart, the prince tasted the blood in his mouth as he watched the captain''s corpse fall to the ground. At the same time, the officers of the imperial guard threw themselves at him with their swords, being torn to pieces in the air without hardly noticing a single hair of the prince out of place.


    - "You are a monster!" ¨C Beatriz, who had remained silent due to fear, opened her lips cursing the young man, while taking steps back trying to get away from him. Until he felt how his back collided with the palace wall, seeing how Prince Leopold hit his hand on the side of the empress''s head.


    - "Go! Those are very strong words coming from who is supposed to be the mother of the empire.¡± ¨C Taking the empress''s face by the chin, the prince forced her to look at him while bringing his face closer to hers. Kissing her by force, letting the captain''s blood flow through her tongue in a deep kiss.


    - "Tastes good? The blood of a loyal man who died for you is delicious, don''t you think?" ¨C When he was about to let himself be carried away by his low instincts against the Empress, Leopold felt a strong pain that made him take both hands to his chest as he fell to his knees.


    - ¡°I think I arrived just in time. Sorry Beatriz, but I had to inspect the damage my toy did in the coastal region of the empire." ¨C Holding a mana crystal in his right hand, Asmodeus arranged his hair, tilting his head as he approached the dejected prince.


    - ¡°Certainly I have invested a lot of my time in you, so much so that you are a valuable asset for my investigation. But what made you think that I wouldn''t act if you tried to touch my sister?" ¨C Kicking the prince''s body forcefully throwing it to the other end of the hall, Asmodeus approached the empress taking out a handkerchief to dry the tears of the trembling woman.


    - "Beatrice, I''m sorry. You know that I would never let anyone besides me hurt you, right?" ¨C Passing his hand gently over the empress''s cheek, Asmodeus rested his head on the woman''s shoulder. Who burst into tears hitting the sorcerer''s chest with his fists. Who limited himself to receiving that punishment, knowing that his ego had put him in danger.


    - "My lady, the commander of the magical division of the kingdom of Casius is coming to meet us" - Coming out of her trance, Beatriz took the reins of her horse and accelerated the trot to meet the captain of the division of holy knights.


    - "Captain Archimedes reporting to the front, Your Excellency" - Slightly inclining his face mounted on his horse, the deputy captain of the kingdom of Casius joined his entourage to the caravan of the coalition army. At the same time that he put himself to the side of the empress, displacing the impertinent Mikail . Who had no choice but to ride behind them, muttering insults under his breath.


    - " Captain , have your superiors already informed you how we will start the attack when we reach the border of the kingdom?"


    - "Yes my Lady. The legions under the banner of the Holy See will advance on the border towns, occupying the territories, destroying the communication routes of the kingdom with the outside world. Then we will create an extended fence around the perimeter of the Isadora Forest and set up guard camps to prevent any citizens of the kingdom from escaping.¡±


    - ¡°Very well commander, the troops of the coalition army will require that the priestesses accompany us in the rear while we lead the attack vanguard to protect us with shields of divine power. Do you have a problem with this?¡±


    - "In no way my lady, the Supreme Pontiff gave us strict orders to serve His Majesty the Empress as much as possible." ¨C Bowing his face again, Archimedes had a gloomy expression in his eyes that he tried to hide from the sharp vision of Beatriz, who raised her smiling face keeping her eyes on the horizon.


    Meanwhile, back on the shores of the beach in the ghost town of Philius , Ofelia and Sandra were beginning to store some dried food in the leather bags we made from the skin of the leviathan''s corpse. At the time I was at the edge of the beach collecting seawater to desalinate it in order to have a reserve supply on our departure trip to the capital of the fallen kingdom.


    - ¡°Hey fat cow! The busty one has finished loading the things in the wagon. Hurry up with the water, we must part before sunset arrives¡± ¨C Creating a pair of golems in the shape of horses, the alchemist tied the reins of the cart on those rock steeds. Playing with his creations as if they were living beings.


    Looking at her with a smile, I kept concentrating on my transmutation circle, channeling the purified water into some vessels that Ofelia had created with her acquired knowledge of basic alchemy.


    Thanks to the soul link we created that day, the priestess was able to assimilate the knowledge I gained with the help of Sandra''s demonstrations. With the limitation that he could only master intermediate level due to his divine power colliding with the elemental strength needed to conjure advanced level transmutation circles. In spite of that, the progress that Ofelia showed was fascinating to me due to the determination that she imposed on herself, fulfilling that promise that she made to me on the shore of the beach.


    - ¡°Okay, all set. It''s time to hit the road so say goodbye to our vacations¡± ¨C Adjusting her cape, Sandra jumped into the wagon in the driver''s seat while I helped Ofelia into the back of our vehicle.


    - ¡°Amelia, I did well¡± ¨C With an expression on her face like that of a girl seeking approval, Ofelia looked at me like a dog that wagged its tail at its master, waiting for him to congratulate her.


    - ¡°Hey, hey. So the breasty turkey became your pet?"


    - "Mrs. Sandra, I have already told you not to call me by that nickname"


    - ¡°Calm down, don''t be angry. I just don''t want to lose the habit of making you angry. But how could I have fun on this trip¡± ¨C Starting the wagon, Sandra laughed out loud as she hit the golems '' reins making them trot on the sand. While that small village by the sea, was becoming smaller in the distance as we advanced on our way.


    - "Master, I detect a hostile signal to T-12 minutes heading southwest"


    - ¡°Amelia, what did Fausto just say? I think your gizmo has gone bad with so many connected minds. I can''t feel anything in the environment."


    - ¡°Sandra, keep your guard up! Fausto wouldn''t be alerting us if there wasn''t a real danger."


    - ¡°I tell you that I can''t feel anything. Trust me, I''m the most powerful alchemist¡­¡± ¨C Without giving him time to finish the sentence, a beam of concentrated energy hit the golems , destroying them on the spot. Making the cart go airborne with our bodies impacting on a bed of rocks on the side of the road.


    With the ringing in my ears caused by the explosion, I tried to get up while looking unsteadily for Ofelia and Sandra. With my vision obscured by the thick cloud of dust that was floating in the air with the debris of the rock golems .


    - ¡°Master, the enemy is in front of you. Do you wish to take his combat form?¡±


    - "Do it" - Acquiring my full draconic armor , I extended my staff to the front, invoking a wind spell that would allow me to dispel the dust that was blocking my vision. At the same time, he made out a female silhouette on which three machine-like orbs floated, whose centers glowed in an intense blue tone.


    - "Who are you? Identify yourself!" - Approaching me dragging the unconscious bodies of Ofelia and Sandra, that mysterious woman smiled at me mischievously with her face stained with soot.


    - ¡°So you are the famous heretic princess! Wow , I must admit that seeing you in that form makes my skin crawl. My name is Zayuri , Princess Zayuri of the kingdom of Eunice; but my friends often call me Yuri¡±


    - ¡°You and I are not friends! So if you want to stay alive, let go of my friends right now¡± ¨C Concentrating my mana flow on the tip of my staff, the rainbow stone began to shine uncontrollably while my weapon trembled from the intensity of the concentrated power.


    - ¡° Tch , what a pity. I do want to be your friend, but seeing that you are not going to leave me any options, I will propose a deal. If I win this fight, you will come with me to Eunice''s kingdom without question." ¨C Throwing the bodies of my friends aside, Princess Zayuri snapped her fingers and the orbs that floated around her projected a beam of light onto her body, materializing armor very similar to the robots I saw in comics in my past life.


    - "And if I win?" ¨C Remaining briefly silent before my question, the princess extended two flaps on her back that began to project a set of wings of energy like those of dragonflies.


    - ¡°If you win, you can do whatever you want with me!


    - ¡°Done deal¡± ¨C Throwing ourselves towards the firmament that was darkening with the sunset, the light that our powers emitted gave the impression of two stars that moved furiously across the sky.