《Strangers in a Strange Land》 New World 1: New World A sword. A sword is drawn. A sword is sharpened. A sword is polished. Polished to flash like lightning, sharpened for slaughter. In a shadowed valley, desolate and furrowed, no green thing grew and vile crawling things scraped the earth. The clouds gathered, roiling black and white and darkest gray. A man paced the barren soil. A blazing white cloak draped about him and billowed behind and his face was like lightning. His hair was brilliant and brilliant white, though concealed beneath his cloak, and he stopped in a certain place. The clouds rumbled and a voice like many waters crashed down, ¡°Tell me, son of man, can these bones live again?¡± The man looked up. His features were strong and handsome and he smiled, ¡°You know they can.¡± The clouds rumbled again, almost seeming to laugh, ¡°Then command them and bring forth my servant.¡± ¡°As you will.¡± The man stretched out his hand, blazing like fiery bronze, and the four winds rushed to it. They departed and set upon the soil, ripping and digging new furrows as many bones came to light. Many thousands came to light and those chosen assembled before the man, ¡°Live!¡± he commanded and he breathed upon them. New flesh and sinews rushed over them until a man was formed, a strong young man without blemish. ¡°Live!¡± the man commanded again and he breathed again. The breath rushed into the young man¡¯s nostrils and he suddenly breathed, his blue eyes opening wide. ¡°Sleep,¡± the man commanded and the young man slumbered once more, his chest rising and falling with steady breaths. The man gestured and the four winds came together, guarding the young man in a thin flexible blue armor underlaid with navy blue cloth, and bound by brown leather straps. ¡°Good,¡± the man approved and the winds danced around him before he nodded. They fled to the four corners once more. The young man floated down and his boots came to rest on the ground. His eyes flashed open. His gaze was sharp and he spoke in an ancient language. The man smiled. He reached out and touched the young man¡¯s forehead and he shuddered. He stood with his eyes closed for long seconds then opened them, ¡°How did I come to be here?¡± he asked. ¡°You know. You died here on this ancient battlefield. But now the great one has brought you back to life. You died in ignorance, but now you will be given another chance to serve a new master.¡± The young man hardened his eyes, ¡°I am Arthur, king of all England. I could not have died.¡± The man chuckled, ¡°Were you king of all England? Did not those rebels from the south invade and destroy your army and cut off your very head?¡± Arthur glared at him but his fists were tight, his frame taut. The man lifted his hand, ¡°More than sixteen centuries have passed since you lived and there is still much you need to learn.¡± Arthur looked at that hand and knew he should not escape it. He could feel it in his bones that the world was changed and that contained within was the knowledge to understand this new earth. He needed knowledge to survive, not only to survive but conquer. He nodded and the man placed his hand once more. It remained there much longer this time and Arthur stood still. He opened his eyes then immediately covered them, turning his face to heaven. A deep laugh started in his gut and soon roared to the sky. He took away his hand. New clarity and certainty shown in his eyes. ¡°How foolish! How utterly foolish!¡± How foolish he was to call himself king! What king!? Were they not merely children playing? And where did they play? Not in a dangerous wild but in the garden of their parents, counting themselves heroes as they explored level paths. Was he not even subject to servants and powerless before the weakest of them, should they choose to act? And what stopped them from acting? Was it not entirely the wrath of their master and the force of law? How foolish! How utterly foolish! He laughed again and turned his face to heaven once more, to the rumbling and churning clouds. The man nodded and his eyes burned like rings of molten amber, ¡°Remember this and you will do well.¡± He exhaled then shook his head. He was not so very old when he died, still a young man of twenty two, but he was old enough, ¡°I will not forget, of that you can be sure.¡± The man laughed, ¡°Very good then, I will permit you to call me Kyrios.¡± Arthur lifted his eyebrows, ¡°Is that your name?¡± ¡°It is. I have many true names but this is amongst their truest, if such delineations can be made.¡± He smiled, ¡°though it is enough that you call me Kyrios and act accordingly.¡± He supposed it wasn¡¯t his place to argue. ¡°So then, you understand your commission?¡± He closed his eyes, ¡°Is this power you¡¯ve given me real? Can I rely upon it?¡± A twinkle, somehow, entered those burning eyes, ¡°It is more real than anything in creation. If it cannot be relied upon, nothing can.¡± Arthur nodded then smiled, guilefully, ¡°In that case it is my pleasure to serve.¡± Kyrios chuckled, ¡°It won¡¯t be easy, you know, taking on the entire world.¡± Arthur shrugged, ¡°What use is easy?¡± He glanced again at the rumbling clouds. ¡°I have already died once, I think if I die again it should pose no problem.¡± ¡°You are right, death holds no terror for my servants, but if you die again it will be the end of your second chance, and any lives you might save.¡± Arthur pondered this and Kyrios smiled, ¡°From now on your name will be Jason MacGregor. It is a name in keeping with your birthplace.¡± Arthur, now Jason, nodded, ¡°Good, then send me on my way.¡± He had much to do. ¡°We¡¯ll meet again.¡± ¡°See you soon,¡± he said with a short salute. He smiled more broadly, ¡°And waste no time.¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± He laughed then the universe went black. *** It brightened and Jason became aware of many sensations. He found himself sitting in a comfy chair of supple leather. It was one of many arranged throughout the huge coffee shop with more than twenty such leather and mahogany oases spaced about. He got up. The espresso machines whistled, a rich fresh brew was in the air, and he breathed deeply. Unanthropomorphized robots worked behind a long counter and he headed straight for the door. It opened without so much as a whisper and he stepped through. ¡°Whoa¡­¡± He stood on a glass walkway forty yards wide and forty stories up and towering glass structures soared in every direction. Iridescent spirals, fluted brocades, and cobalt ovals, they took every shape and glinting glass sky bridges connected every one of them. Innumerable drones with backward curving wings, like crescent moons, slipped silently through the air and a dozen aerodynamic solar cars stood waiting. These would take him wherever he needed to go. He ran a hand through his hair. So this was 2275. He felt a little light headed. Kyrios had relaid all kinds of information but it was all verbal. Now he had truly stepped into the modern world. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. One thing that struck him was the sheer cleanness of the air. In his time there was always the stench of sewage, the sweat of men, and the musk of animals, but now he smelled only the faint freshness of flowers. This made sense given that the walkway was lined down the middle with flower beds. He looked towards the waiting solar cars but didn¡¯t move. There was something else he had to test first. He could feel it, burning his chest, the source of his new life and his hope of triumph. It was indeed like a burning fire right where is heart should be, yet without pain, and he could feel warmth circulating naturally throughout his entire body. He stood very still and closed his eyes. So this was his new source of life. Kyrios had called it mana and it burned steadily with no sign of failure. He touched his chest. Kyrios had promised much more than just life. He looked at his right hand. He willed the heat in his chest towards it and visualized the result. Bzzcrk!¡± a six inch ball or crackling blue lightning appeared in his palm. Incredible! He could feel the heat in his chest actively flowing down his arm and into the ball and yet it never faltered. He focused, changing his will. In a moment the ball transformed from lightning to a perfect sphere of shining white mist. Beautiful and inviolate it floated above his palm and produced the strong yet sweet scent of incense.. He used free hand to touch it, finding that it really was like mist, cooling mist. So this was the Holy element, able to heal any injury, and the bane of every curse. He focused again and the ball took on an almost solid appearance, having a golden hue. This was the Earth element and the last of his talents. Of the seven elements, these three were uniquely suited to the role of a protector. Such hunters were called tanks, and that¡¯s exactly what he would be. Staring at it, he smiled grimly. He could already feel the slight strain on his arm and chest just from creating the spheres. This was one of the many limitations of magic. Mana was no tame force but a refining fire. Every iota of it that passed through the body would cause a certain amount of stress and even damage. He dismissed the sphere. With a shift of will he sent pure Holy mana into his arm, instantly relieving its fatigue. At its core Holy mana worked by restoring things to their ideal state. Whatever physiological realities caused fatigue, it was no shock that Holy could undo them, even restoring stronger and better than before. He cocked his head. The only limitation of healing magic was that the patient had to hold still. He honestly didn''t know why this was but figured it has something to do with the function of muscles. It couldn''t be easy, even with magic, to restore them with them constantly bunching, stretching, and twisting beneath the skin. He flexed his bicep, feeling perfectly renewed. There were certain skills that could render healing almost instant but he didn''t have any at that moment. He noticed a young man watching him and smiled. He supposed seeing magic in person was still interesting even in that day and age. Only about 1/100 people were hunters after all. He nodded to the young man then turned aside. There would be plenty of time to experiment later but for now he had things to do. He walked tentatively to one of the waiting cars. It had a sleek design with an electric blue paint job. It had gullwing doors and the driverside opened the moment he came within five feet. He hesitated. Was he really afraid of some fancy carriage? He slid in. The seats were rich leather and a big green button dominated the center touchscreen. He lifted a hand. He pressed it. ¡°Good morning sir, where would you like to go?¡± Wow¡­ ¡°I would like to go to the Fortress Guild.¡± ¡°Understood, they have an office in Belltown and one in the city center. Which would you prefer?¡± He frowned. Kyrios had arranged an interview with Fortress that day but he hadn¡¯t told him which location. Maybe the computer could help. ¡°I have an interview. Can you ask Fortress which location it¡¯s at?¡± ¡°One moment, sir.¡± He nodded. In the mid twenty first century computers had become extremely personable but people eventually realized this was unhealthy. The problem was that humans soon found it difficult to tell the difference between a human and a machine. This might seem like a solution to human loneliness but it actually just exacerbated the crisis. Deep down humans knew that they weren¡¯t making a real connection. They were talking to a machine with no feelings of its own, giving calculated responses to try and make them happy. This ultimately just tortured the lonely masses and new laws were instituted to help people really connect, not with machines but with each other. The car spoke again, ¡°After speaking with the Fortress guild¡¯s main AI, I have determined that your interview is on the seventy sixth floor at the downtown office, room D-35 at 10 am. Would you like me to bring you there?¡± He nodded then realized he had to give a clear command, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Very good sir, that will be 2 sc.¡± ¡°SC, ie, standard credits. Every citizen would receive a supply of them once a week, coded to their biometrics. It was actually a testament to Kyrios¡¯ power that he could not only bring him to life in the main city system (Seattle had one of the most advanced in the world) but also in the memory of every private AI. This was one of the reasons it was humanly impossible to hack any of the various AI, they were always talking to each other, confirming their data, and if they didn¡¯t all match up at all times they would instantly go looking for the reason. Add to this the advanced state of biometrics, the absolute glut of surveillance drones, and criminals had basically given up. He wondered, could a perfect clone beat the system? He laughed. Here he was, brand new to the twenty third century, and he was already thinking about how to beat the collective AIs. That was none of his business. He was a hunter and would reside in dungeons. He would merely repose in this world of servos and superconductors. For now all he needed to do was go to Fortress, that was his first step. ¡°Accept,¡± he agreed. ¡°Confirmed, we should arrive in three minutes and fourteen seconds.¡± He smiled. It seemed Kyrios hadn¡¯t dropped him off far from his destination, just far enough for him to see a little of the city. The windows rolled up and the car zipped out of line then down a ramp Jason hadn¡¯t seen before. Suddenly he was in a deluge of zooming cars and the taxi accelerated to 50kph. He grabbed onto the door. The console beeped, ¡°Fortress has informed me that they will not permit entry for another 23 minutes. Is there anywhere you would like to go in the meantime?¡± Jason considered, ¡°Take me to see the dungeon, just to where I can see it.¡± ¡°Detouring to view the exterior of the Evergreen Star Dungeon will cost an additional 2.3 SC. Is this acceptable?¡± ¡°Accept.¡± The car zoomed off a side ramp then suddenly up a steep track. It merged onto a wider road and its speedometer shot from 50 to 200 in about ten seconds. Buildings flashed by then they shot out over a clean expanse of water, only a narrow glass road beneath them. His stomach fell out from under him and he held on tighter. He caught his breath. There it was, to the south, a mountain of smoky emerald, streaked with topaz ice. Indeed, it was big as a mountain, as Mt. Rainier stood beside it, being more than a thousand feet shorter. He exhaled. 100 floors high, every tier was in the shape of a square but each had a different orientation, creating a many pointed structure. Each tier was also slightly smaller than the previous with 40 foot drifts piling in every corner. This did indeed give the impression of a mountain, yet this was indubitably a crafted structure, with every gleaming tier being exactly as tall as the previous, and exactly 0.7% smaller, for anyone to see. This was something that had been extensively studied and confirmed by human surveyors. He closed his fists in awe. It was beautiful and terrifying, but he felt mostly excitement. ¡°How close to the dungeon would you like to go sir? I can bring you as far as the entrance for an additional 4sc.¡± ¡°No, this is enough for now.¡± He would be entering the dungeon very soon, that very day, he didn¡¯t need to go all the way to the entrance right then and there. The car moved over into a switch lane, this running perpendicular to the highway, and stopped. ¡°I can remain here for 1 minute for no additional charge,¡± it stated. He smiled. He supposed that would have to do. He spent the minute staring out the window, memorizing every aspect of the dungeon, the sunlit glint of its edges, the artistic ¡®disorganization¡¯ of its structure. It would be his new home for most of his life, and the catalyst of his rise. It was just one of hundreds of dungeons that had appeared all over the world, and yet it contained innumerable miracles. He sobered. More than that, it contained the arena of his commission, the only true hope of mankind. The sun brightened but his gaze was steady. He understood, why Kyrios had chosen him. No one knew better than him the vanity of life without struggle, purpose, and true adventure He was king over all that he saw. He had riches, hunts, feasts, houses, wives, concubines, all without end, but in the end they did not satisfy. In the end he tried to create a better nation for his people. It wasn¡¯t until then that he learned the true despair of humanity. The fury of impotence, he knew it well, had died railing against it. So many people, scraping, crying, desperate for some reason, something to make life worthwhile. He had tried to give it to them, and yet he had never even found a clear path. He had tried to make their lives easier, to give them greater freedom, but he knew that was no ultimate solution. He himself had experienced it, as much ease and freedom as any mortal could have. It had left him not only empty but destitute. He stared at the dungeon with deep eyes. Things had changed. With Kyrios¡¯ help he could offer humanity real hope, a path to transcend even mortality itself, beyond floor 100. His blue eyes luminesced purple in the sunlight. Surely there, in the immortal realm, an answer could be found, an answer to the ancient question, what did the human soul need? It was not his job to provide that answer but to show people, that they really could transcend their limits, even the limits of their own mortality. His gaze steeled. He would not do so with words but with power as he struck down many monsters, both human and otherwise. Only by doing so could he show them that no beast could stand before a righteous hunter! His eyes scanned over the dungeon. Contained within it were the keys to his rise. He wielded the power of heaven, but was still weak. He would remain so until he had traversed many floors. He contemplated each level. It would all begin on the first floor, all the way to the one hundredth. Never again would he live a life of fear and impotence. He would soar to the very heavens! Glory, eternal glory, would be his, and he would stand proud and bright forever, without lack in the eternal realm! He smiled. He might be the first, but his true purpose would lie in leading many to stand with him. What greater goal could he ask than this? He chuckled. He would not consider it a chore. What child did not dream of being a hero, of slaying goblins, ghouls, and villains? And now there was an entire mountain full of them right before him! He thought of all the information Kyrios had downloaded into his brain. Much of it had to do with the Evergreen Star Dungeon and would lead him into many perilous trials. His smile deepened. Even so, he wouldn¡¯t fear death. After all, could the struggle possibly be worth it if he had to fear death? ¡°One minute has expired, would you like to purchase more time?¡± No, he didn¡¯t come to sightsee, he came to fight. ¡°Take me to Fortress,¡± he commanded. Original 2: Original Jason strolled down a long hallway. He was strangely amazed. This hallway might have even existed in his time. It was luxuriously lit with high opaque sconces, a thick crimson carpet was underfoot, and every so often there were pairs of thick oaken doors. He understood, everything about the decor was designed to speak opulence and security and he admired the designer. In a world of plastic, the mere materials gave a sense of purpose and stability. There was a small and ornate nameplate beside each frame. D-35, this was it. There was no reason to delay and he opened the right hand. He stepped into a similarly appointed waiting room. There were eight leather and oak chairs facing each other and all but two of them were occupied by attractive young people. They all had the same matte steel armor he did but he thought nothing of it. This was the basic armor awarded to any hunter who wanted it. The city would not just give them one suit but they could receive three a year so long as they entered dungeons regularly. Kyrios had copied it simply as the attire of most newly minted hunters. The navy blue under padding was actually made with synthetic fibers tougher than steel yet softer than cotton and the exterior plate was made with something called polysteel, both flexible and lightweight, yet strong enough to stop a high caliber bullet. Despite all of this, it was only the last line of defense within a dungeon. There was a large mural on the wall, framed in mahogany, and Jason admired it. Painted in a realistic style, it portrayed a man with a huge greatsword standing over a slain dragon. He turned his face to heaven as sweat and blood poured down his body, his sword unshaken. Despite his grime streaked appearance, he was a handsome man with masculine features and a well trimmed gray goatee. He wore bright silver armor undergirded in red with a radiant silver tower on its breast plate, so brightly painted that it almost seemed to shine. This was the symbol of Fortress and of its legendary founder Charles Renault. He was one of less than 400 level 60 hunters in the entire world and the great support of France. Staring at his face, his eyes turned sober. No matter how powerful Renault or Fortress might be they couldn¡¯t possibly stand against the megalith that was the Eastern Confederation, one guild ruling all of China, Russia, India, and Japan. This titanic horror was founded upon one ludicrous ideal, that if they could rule the entire world, they could finally be able to break past floor 60, and by extension level 60. The Confederation was ruled by six men with an iron first, and yet, this was not truly their conception. Apolleon of the Abyss, every one of them had sworn their allegiance to him, and their triumph would be his own. In this he urged them on, offering power and all the cunning of the ages, and they venerated him to the sky. His eyes chilled. He had become their God and they worshipped him, yet he cared nothing about human nations. His true goal was not to rule the world of men but set men one against another, to send forth the consuming fires of war onto every continent. He was the destroyer and that was his only joy, to see Kyrios thwarted, and countless souls cast into outer darkness. He stepped back. Death was not the end, but for lack of knowledge many would fall, never to return. He took a breath, neither Kyrios nor he would let that happen. There was still some time. Kyrios had revived him at the proper hour, he just couldn¡¯t hesitate. He lifted his head. All he had to do was go forth, and show humanity a better way. He felt the burning power in his chest and smiled. It wouldn¡¯t be so difficult, all he had to do was scale the dungeon and everything else would follow. He turned aside. The first step was right here. He had to connect with Fortress. Smashing Apollyon and his Confederation would have to come later. He looked to the opposite end where there was another set of double doors and right beside it a beautiful cherrywood desk. A pretty girl with long blond hair in a low tail sat behind it, wearing a trim white blouse. Sarah was her name, written on a nameplate, and she was the personal assistant to Amelie Renault, the only granddaughter of Charles Renault. He walked over. He considered her face. Mana would edify whatever it touched, like a refining fire, and she was well approved. Her golden hair practically glowed, resting over one shoulder, and her blue eyes were the brightest he¡¯d ever seen in a mortal, even with one eyebrow quirked over them. ¡°Can I help you?¡± she asked. ¡°Just one thing, will Miss Renault be interviewing candidates personally?¡± She smiled thinly, ¡°Of course Miss Renault will question each candidate.¡± Good. ¡°Tell me, is she as strong as people say?¡± ¡°As people say? Have you not studied her record? She¡¯s already stepped into the 13th floor despite only being level 10 herself? Do you not even comprehend how incredible that is?¡± He laughed. He did indeed know her record, at least the cliff notes. ¡°I know perfectly well that she has even soloed bosses. I wanted to know your opinion of her as a captain. You must have heard a thing or two.¡± Her expression warmed slightly, ¡°Her ability as a captain is for you to judge, if you¡¯re ever lucky enough to run with her, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be disappointed.¡± ¡°Hmm, well I expect to run with her very often, in fact I may even marry her, if she¡¯s as skilled and valiant as reports make her out to be.¡± It was a large room but not huge and everyone turned to look at him. One young man snorted loudly. Jason couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Hunters could die at any time so they wasted no time. That being said, he wasted even less. She flicked a pen between her fingers, her gaze narrow, ¡°What gives you such boldness?¡± she asked. He lifted his shoulders, ¡°Would she prefer a liar? I already know she¡¯s beautiful. If she turns out to be valiant and true, I¡¯ll need nothing else.¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. She flicked her pen again, ¡°But what makes you think she¡¯ll have any interest in you?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m a hunter like no other and Fortress needs me. You are far too competent to send me away just because of a little presumption.¡± ¡°Psshh!¡± One person, different from before, could not hold back and she cocked her head, ¡°You¡¯re already twenty two and still level 1. What gives you such confidence?¡± She had him there. By all rights he should have entered the dungeon at 16 if he wanted to accomplish great things. This was the minimum age agreed upon by the Alliance. As for how she knew his age and level, of course Fortress knew all about him. They wouldn¡¯t schedule any interview without acquiring every piece of publicly and privately available information possible. ¡°My current level is irrelevant, what matters is that I am the only hunter who can conquer the dungeon, and I will be the first to reach level 100. If you do not let me speak with Ms. Renault I have to catch her attention some other way, in time, but you would be doing her a great disservice.¡± He spoke with absolute confidence and she stared at him then he shrugged. ¡°And besides, what harm could letting me speak to her do? You¡¯ve searched every one of us and made us empty our inventories, how much harm could a single level one possibly do?¡± This was certainly true, especially considering that Amelie always had a level 50+ guard outside of the dungeon. She was still staring at him when the door beside them opened. A girl stood in the frame, staring at him with large and luminous blue-green eyes. His heart instantly skipped, and stopped, and started again, much faster than before. She stepped into the room and her light peridot cotton dress swished about her slender figure. With her came the scent of rain, and of earth about to receive it, and he breathed deeply, unconsciously. He stared at her face. He swallowed. Beauty was in the eye of the beholder, but he was certain, there was no more beautiful girl than the one standing before him. Her countenance was pale yet with a bloom in her cheek and dusted all over with lovely freckles. Her nose was ever so slightly upturned above soft lips, and these did not have a dramatic bow but were painted gentle shades of pink and red, like a fair apple just picked, while behind all of these fell long twisting locks, braided back from her face and cascading halfway down her back, shining every hue or red and crimson. He shook himself hard. So this was Amelie Renault! Kyrios had delivered many facts about her, including her beauty, but he had never actually shown her image. A serious oversight! He set his jaw. One more guy going googly eyed wouldn¡¯t offend her but it certainly annoyed him. Kyrios might have remade him over six feet tall but he still ended up looking like a lovesick fanboy. She gave him a polite but distant look and he felt even more foolish. He stepped aside. She focused on Sarah. ¡°Is everything ready?¡± she asked. Her voice was surprisingly gentle and he swallowed again, louder than before. This got a snicker from the gallery but Amelie ignored him. Sarah was uncertain, ¡°There have been some issues with this candidate and I¡¯m not quite sure how to deal with them.¡± The other applicants watched with interest and Amelie frowned. She looked Jason over, ¡°Then come in with him and explain it,¡± she ordered and she disappeared into the office. Sarah got up hesitantly. They went through. It was just as Kyrios described. The carpet was still red while a huge silver shield, embossed with the guild emblem hung on the back wall and beneath it was a desk of solid ebony with dark oak bookshelves on either side. ¡°Take a seat,¡± Amelie ordered as she sat down in her large leather office chair. She looked very small within it and he smiled again. She might not be an inch over 5¡¯7¡± but she had put many towering monsters on the ground. On the desk was a glass thin computer and two twisted glass sculptures in crimson. Two red upholstered chairs stood in front of it and Jason took the right while Sarah took the left. ¡°So, tell me what the issue is.¡± Jason kept his mouth shut and Sarah took on a businesslike tone. She relayed everything Jason had said and he watched Amelie. He was impressed. She was only nineteen but she already had the air of a seasoned executive, listening with calm attention. Sarah finished speaking and Amelie glanced at him. She tapped the desk with cynical eyes, ¡°So you intend to marry me, quite the bold proposition for someone who¡¯s never met me.¡± ¡°Oh, I absolutely agree, however I only said if. I haven¡¯t decided yet if you¡¯re worthy or not.¡± She tapped faster and the smallest smile touched her lips, ¡°You¡¯re quite right, though very brave to say so.¡± He gave her his best grin, ¡°Would you prefer a coward?¡± Her lips curled a little more, ¡°No, though most of my suitors at least write me a poem.¡± He was surprised. He thought about it, ¡°Would you settle for recitation?¡± She glanced to Sarah then nodded. He took a breath then spoke seriously, ¡°Your neck is as a tower of ivory, your eyes as the pools of Heshbon.¡± Her eyes did indeed glint, with a dangerous light, ¡°That¡¯s a very bold selection. If I recall, its written as the words of a man to his wife.¡± He actually blushed a bit, ¡°It is indeed a celebration of that union, but its true subject is eternity, of the wonders therein. What poem or story could be more appropriate?¡± She folded her hands, tilting her head, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Do you not dream of scaling the dungeon? Of seeing floor 100?¡± She frowned, ¡°What do you know?¡± ¡°I know that you understand, that there¡¯s no point in hunting if we cannot surpass this mortal world. It is only in the immortal that true purpose can be found.¡± She breathed deeply then set her jaw, ¡°You¡¯re right, there¡¯s no purpose in hunting if level 100 cannot be reached.¡± He sat forward, ¡°Yes, but even more purpose if that level is pursued, side by side, with your beloved. I believe that is the purpose of love, and of marriage, and that is what I seek,¡± he paused, ¡°though I don¡¯t yet know, if you¡¯re the one for me.¡± Her eyes searched his and flickered with inner fires and he stared into them. They really were beautiful, like endless pools of blue-green starlight. He felt as if he could look into them forever. For a long time she looked back. She glanced down then back up again. Again, a smile touched her lips, warmer than before, and Sarah coughed. Amelie glanced to her. She sat up straighter, ¡°Still, words are just that¡­ and you should understand that I am a captain.¡± That was true. Such things were explicitly prohibited by guild rules. It wouldn¡¯t take long for him to become her equal but for the moment he was just another applicant, hoping to join a powerful guild. ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll set aside my ambitions for now.¡± ¡°Ambitions¡­¡± Sarah echoed but Amelie smiled. ¡°Then what of your other claim, that you can clear the dungeon. Do you have more than words to back that up?¡± This was what he had been waiting for, ¡°Truth be told, it¡¯s not so much that I¡¯m talented or have some secret knowledge,¡± he smiled mischievously, ¡°but rather that I am supremely gifted.¡± No one spoke. ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°Just this.¡± He gathered immense power within himself. The air crackled, and their eyes went wide. A dazzling cloak of pure white light burst out around him and billowed about him and the walls shuddered. Like fire and like cloud, it wrapped him completely and curled across the floor, the room filling with the smell of incense. He did not move and Amelie stared hard, ¡°Is this Original Magic?¡± He laughed, ¡°You got it.¡± Test 3: Test Amelie sat quietly, her eyes closed. Jason had long since departed but silence reigned. ¡°It can¡¯t be real,¡± Sarah finally said, ¡°it has to be some kind of trick.¡± She shook her head, ¡°Every one of the applicants was thoroughly searched before reaching me, as thoroughly as anyone can be. I don¡¯t believe it was an item effect.¡± Sarah shifted, ¡°But it¡¯s impossible.¡± She rocked her head, ¡°That cloak was undoubtedly magic.¡± She was silent, ¡°So you think he has some other source?¡± ¡°That is the definition of Original Magic,¡± she looked serious, ¡°if he really has come up with a way to generate mana within himself he will be the first to break the level 60 barrier. He will become the most powerful hunter in the world.¡± She was quiet for a whole minute then focused, ¡°What do you think he wants?¡± ¡°Well, he said he just wants to be an ordinary member, and I think he has a genuine interest in you.¡± ¡°But do you believe him?¡± ¡°Some men can¡¯t stand the idea of getting a leg up.¡± Amelie nodded, ¡°Yes, especially if he really has mastered Original Magic.¡± She leaned back and contemplated the ceiling, ¡°If it really is Original Magic, then perhaps we can finally start conquering the floors, really conquering them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about the main scenarios.¡± ¡°Yes, even though hunters have managed to defeat monsters as high as floor 59, we¡¯ve never really conquered a single floor,¡± she smiled, ¡°after all, moving past a floor without completing its main scenario is like going to the next level without beating the final boss.¡± Sarah scratched her temple, ¡°I guess it is,¡± she rubbed a golden lock, ¡°do you think that¡¯s the real reason we¡¯ve never been able to move past floor 60?¡± ¡°The secret must lie in the main scenarios. They¡¯re the only chance we¡¯ve got,¡± her expression dimmed a little, ¡°not that I would dare say so outside of this room.¡± Sarah smiled empathetically, ¡°Even if your grandfather hates following orders, he won¡¯t object to you pursuing a main scenario, not if you can really complete it.¡± ¡°Sometimes I think I would be better off starting my own guild. Quests are useful and his predilection has often hindered my own ideals.¡± ¡°But then who would lead Fortress into the next century?¡± She snorted, ¡°You¡¯re right. Fortress would crumble without me.¡± She laughed, ¡°Okay, then who would you start a guild with? Maybe with your supremely gifted husband?¡± ¡°You never know.¡± ¡°You know your grandfather would never allow it, nor would Allain.¡± Her eyes flashed, ¡°What Allain Maxwell thinks is none of my concern!¡± she spat and Sarah tensed. She sighed, ¡°As for my grandfather, whether he allows it or not may be irrelevant. If MacGregor really has mastered Original Magic it will change the world and I intend to be part of that change¡­ though I doubt matrimony will have anything to do with it.¡± She set her jaw, ¡°But it can¡¯t be real, you can¡¯t put your hope in him!¡± She stood up, ¡°He has agreed to undergo a special exam. I¡¯ll find out whether it¡¯s real or not!¡± *** Jason glanced around and smiled. He supposed this made sense. Outside the dungeon was the best place to test his ability after all. He stood in the middle of a huge open room, fifty yards on a side. Bright lights beamed overhead and he tried hopping. The floor had a slight spring to it. It was made of some white resinlike material and the walls of the same. Amelie walked forward. She, he, and Sarah were the only ones in the room. She still wore the same fitted and flared dress as before but now she had donned a pair of blue sports pants. This was only necessary if she was going to test him. She couldn¡¯t go spinning and charging about in a knee length dress after all. ¡°So, you¡¯re putting me through this special test. I wonder what I get in return.¡± She nodded readily, this was the way of the hunter, they neither got nor gave anything for free, ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Nothing much. I just want you to help me with the first floor scenario. If we complete it I¡¯ll consider our debt settled.¡± Excitement sparked in her eyes but she kept her cool, ¡°Do you really think you can complete the scenario on your first day in the dungeon? Even with Original Magic?¡± He thought about it. He supposed it really did sound impossible from her perspective. ¡°Then how bout this, make your team available to me for six hours and we¡¯ll call it good,¡± he paused, ¡°I¡¯ll even give you second pick on all the drops.¡± She glanced down. Second pick meant that he would get first pick of a single item from all boss drops but after that she would be free to split the remaining items amongst her team. The only exception to this was if there were more items than she had teammates but that was unlikely. ¡°Very well,¡± she agreed, ¡°But if it gets too dangerous my team will withdraw.¡± That was fair enough, she wasn¡¯t talking about ordinary danger after all. ¡°Agreed.¡± He stepped forward to offer his hand. She took it. He found her hand delicate and soft within his own and they shook. She displayed a glowing blue stone, no bigger than a fingernail. By its size it was a rare grade mana stone. She crushed it in her palm and it exploded into luminous blue dust. This dust absorbed into her chest and her eyes took on a brighter, sharper light. ¡°Are you prepared?¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. He smiled. Truly, the best way to test his abilities was in combat. He showed his hands, ¡°I don¡¯t have a sword.¡± She reached into thin air. She pulled out a simple one handed sword, double edged with a triangular pommel, ¡°Will this do?¡± she asked. He recognized it as a common rank dungeon drop, basically trash by hunter standards but still better than anything humans could make. He took it in hand. It fit reasonably, if not especially. ¡°Yes.¡± She took a breath and pulled out a long and artfully curved sword of her own. He shifted cautiously. From the silver inlaid blade to the emerald inset handle, he was entirely certain this was an epic ranked weapon. He glanced over her. She was also wearing a pair of emerald crescent earrings, and a ruby ring. Every one of these were undoubtedly epic items and every one of them would raise her stats. If he had to guess her primary stat was likely triple its baseline with every other stat being doubled. ¡°Captain, do you really need so many trinkets to fight me?¡± he questioned. She lifted her shoulders, ¡°I do not know the strength of Original Magic. I have no intention of killing you but I also intend to see just how far you can go.¡± He laughed, ¡°Then I will tell you plainly, my mana is limitless.¡± Her eyes deepened, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the truth. My strength is limited by my level 1 physique, but my mana will never run out.¡± She stood searching his face but he did not falter. She walked back, ¡°Very well then, show me this limitless mana.¡± He grinned. He was happy to. The truth was that he was eager to test out how far he could go against her, just how much mana his body could handle. ¡°Ready?¡± she asked as she took a stance and a faint blue glow covered her. This was called a halo. It was a protective layer of mana that would block his sword from ever reaching her. His cloak manifested around him, like white flames, billowing as lightning crackled throughout it. He adjusted his will and a white glow covered him to his highest strand of hair. Even though it looked like it was made entirely of Holy mana it was actually more than 80% of Earth. This was simply one of the peculiar attributes of the Holy element, whatever it was mixed with it would always will out, at least as far as the appearance of said mana was concerned. He poured Lightning and Earth mana through every part of his body. His skin took on a golden glow while lightning crackled over it. Earth would grant him great strength and lightning explosive speed. ¡°Ready,¡± he said, leveling his sword. Her eyes were like blue fires, ¡°I¡¯m coming,¡± she warned then she rushed forward. He shot forward to meet her. He couldn¡¯t let her get the upper hand. Bang! Their swords crashed together and his entire body vibrated. What strength! He was moving faster than her and yet he was pushed back. He poured greater power into his legs. His muscles groaned. He flashed ten feet to the right. He flashed back towards her. She was fast but none of her elements could match lightning. Boom! With a blue spray of mana his sword came down on her shoulder. It suddenly slipped, sliding off her shoulder. This was the effect of a water halo and his eyes went wide. He lost his balance. She rounded swiftly, her sword slashing toward his collar. Lightning roared around him and he pushed off with all his might. He rolled across the ground. She charged after him. He struck the ground, shooting to his feet. His lungs seized and his eyes turned a little wild. Steam rose from every part of him and he gripped his sword. He was keeping up with her but at what cost!? He rushed back at her. She dashed his blade aside then slammed her pommel into his chin. His head whipped back and his halo broke in a burst of white mist. She slid back, suddenly spinning to deliver a powerful backwards kick to his sternum. ¡°Oof!¡± he slid back a dozen feet and clenched his jaws. Blood trickled from his lips. Sweat and steam poured off him and he gasped horsley. ¡°Whoa¡­¡± he coughed. She really was just playing with him, no, she was testing him. He laughed lowly. Well, he already knew, he stood no chance. She did not pursue him, ¡°Well, are you going to heal yourself or not?¡± she questioned. He was surprised. Most hunters would give their opponent no respite for this very reason. He pushed back his sweat drenched hair. ¡°By your leave,¡± he said. She nodded and he poured Holy mana through his body. Like a fresh water coursing through every vein, it ran all the way down to his toes. Even greater steam poured off of him and he sighed with relief. Strength and vitality returned to his limbs and his head cleared. ¡°Wow¡­¡± he murmured. Holy element really was incredible. She watched him then walked forward. ¡°I hope you¡¯re ready. I don¡¯t intend to stop until I¡¯m sure.¡± He laughed. ¡°Then come on. My mana will never run out!¡± She rushed at him and unleashed a flurry of blows. Amazing! He had never fought such a swordsman. Fluid yet fierce, every one of his blows turned aside, while she struck with all the weight of a mountain. ¡°You¡¯re good!¡± he shouted, and he changed styles, fighting more aggressively. Clang! Clang! Clang! Her eyes were bright and they fought on. Lightning crackled all around him. His movements were getting better and better. ¡°What do you think captain? This is my first time using magic, you know,¡± he goaded. She nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve seen worse.¡± He snorted and gathered mana in his chest. Like a burst damn it rushed into his limbs and his muscles swelled. Her eyes widened and he slashed faster than ever before. She blocked. Boom! His sword exploded. He could see them, blazing shards, large and small, spinning through the air, like pinwheels of blue fire. One large chunk spun towards his forehead. He tried to lean back. It was too fast! He set his jaw and it struck his halo. Bang! It exploded and his entire body rang like a bell. The world was gray then suddenly Amelie was near, her arms around him. She lowered him to the ground but he could not support his head. Hot blood was running down his face. Sarah hurried near. For the second time that day, everything went black. *** The first thing he was aware of was the scent of rain. Undoubtedly, this was Amelie. A damp cloth touched his brow, wiping it clean, and he smiled contentedly. ¡°Captain, were you worried about me?¡± He opened his eyes. He did not lay on her lap but she knelt beside him. It was her hand holding the cloth and a compact pillow had been placed under his head. ¡°How¡¯m I doin?¡± he asked as every muscle in his body screamed. Sarah stood beside him with an emerald tipped staff extended, a warm light pouring from it. ¡°Why did you have to strike so hard!? You almost died!¡± she scolded. He chuckled weakly, ¡°She could have dodged instead of blocking,¡± he complained. Amelie pressed her lips and Sarah frowned, ¡°Still stupid.¡± Yup. Stupid. There was no reason why he had to push so hard. He forced some air into his lungs and exercised his own power. Holy mana rushed through his veins and he instantly gained strength. He felt better and better and Amelie watched, ¡°Your mana really is without end,¡± she murmured. He could understand her amazement. For ordinary hunters mana was an extremely finite commodity. In fact it was the primary reason no hunter had ever made it past level 60. ¡°Like I said, my mana is limitless, it is only my body that is weak.¡± He spoke lightly but she stared into his eyes, ¡°are you willing to tell me the source of this mana?¡± He considered, ¡°Before long,¡± he promised. She was silent then nodded. ¡°I understand. This is a great secret.¡± He nodded soberly, ¡°Captain, there is something I must do.¡± She was equally solemn, ¡°What is that?¡± He sat up slowly and turned to face her. He lifted hand and showed her his open hand. ¡°Just this,¡± fwap, he suddenly flicked her between the eyes and she blinked twice. ¡°Sorry, you just looked so serious I couldn¡¯t resist.¡± Her lips formed a hard line but then the faintest smile, ¡°You must really want to die.¡± He laughed, ¡°So what do you say cap? Can we go to the dungeon?¡± ¡°Do you really think you can clear the main scenario? No one ever has.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll never know until we try,¡± he created a ball of lightning in his palm then quenched it, ¡°my ability is uniquely suited to main scenarios after all.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± She stood up and offered him a hand, ¡°Then let¡¯s be going.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s,¡± he agreed and she pulled him up. Dungeon 4: Dungeon Ding! Glowing blue notifications appeared before him. [Congratulations! You have discovered the Evergreen Star Dungeon Level 1!] [Warning! You have entered a level 1 dungeon proceed with caution!] He was standing in an idyllic English village, circa 1700. Seven people stood before him with Amelie at their center. He was amazed. She looked even more beautiful than before! Having entered floor 1 her level had been forcefully lowered to 2 (the floor 1 level cap). This cap had not only affected her personal level, but also her gear. Theoretically this should have lessened her beauty as her stats decreased and yet she was brighter than ever. He wondered at this then understood. It was because this was her proper place, valiant in the sun, clad in shining armor, her eyes ablaze. Truly, she had become her real self! He unabashedly stared at her and sighed with appreciation. He got a small smile and a warning look in return. Behind him was the portal leading to the square dungeon core, whence every floor could be reached. Five hundred yards on a side, it looked like a veritable city with hundreds of hunters moving through dozens of structures. These were twinkled with many colored lights that reflected off emerald walls, within which were set 101 portals (one leading to outside the dungeon), each with a curved arch surrounded by six bands of smooth red cedar, sealed at the innermost with a band of yellow gold. Turning away, he looked around the village once more. The street was made up of irregular reddish paving stones and white brick cottages tightly lined either side. Children ran and laughed and busy tradesmen worked. There was the spray of sparks and the waft of fresh bread, and the sweetness of hay. He sniffed deeper with care. Thankfully there was not even an undertone of something worse. He knew perfectly well what a real preplumbing village smelled like. He counted the number of hunters walking the street. There had to be more than two hundred of them just within view, frequenting the various craftsmen, even purchasing weapons or gear, even bread and flour. This didn¡¯t surprise him. Being grown and harvested in the mana rich environment of the dungeon, even unmilled wheat could sell for a pretty penny in the outside world. These hunters cast many sidelong glances towards them but said nothing. It was hunter etiquette to greet their superiors but only if the superior spoke first. He thought about it. Two hundred was quite a lot considering that the 95% of hunters would be in the field, not the village. Amelie gave him a moment then stepped forward, ¡°This is my team,¡± she said. ¡°Introduce yourselves,¡± she ordered. The first on the left was a seven foot Russian in heavy blood red armor, the silver tower of Fortress being its only decoration. He appeared to be in his late twenties and swaggered forward. ¡°Captain, why should we introduce ourselves? What¡¯s so special about this kid?¡± he demanded. His accent was more than thick and Amelie scowled, ¡°Because I said so! You want another beating!?¡± she demanded. The giant barred his teeth, ¡°Anytime captain,¡± he answered as he hefted his axe. Its head consisted of one huge curved axeblade of black steel and one massive black sledge. Crimson flames flickered all around it and he faced off against her. She sighed, ¡°Just introduce yourself and I promise to spar with you later.¡± Jason smiled. It seemed that recruiting the best hunters from all over the world wasn¡¯t without its problems. ¡°No gobacks,¡± the Russian warned her, then he turned to Jason. ¡°Boris Ustemchuck, Tank. Earth, Lightning, Fire,¡± he said. Jason nodded, these were undoubtedly three of the best elements for a tank. Earth provided the necessary strength, while Lightning would allow for quick attacks, and Fire could inflict the necessary pain to enrage any boss. As for why Jason had not used Earth to greater effect while fighting Amelie, he could barely keep up with her bending all of his ability toward speed. The next person stepped up. She was a tall and willowy beauty with long black hair tied back in a single shining tail, and she looked at him with deep eyes. ¡°Jieun Park, Healer. Wind, Holy, Light.¡± Truly, a born healer. The light element could actually be combined with other elements to fire them with incredible speed across significant distances. Without it no hunter should not even think of hitting super powered monsters or hunters. The next skipped forward. Not an inch over five foot, she had a lithe figure, soft purple eyes, and a sun blond pixie cut. ¡°Lira Campbell. What¡¯s your name?¡± she asked. He had intended to wait but supposed he might as well, ¡°Jason MacGregor, Tank. Earth, Holy, Lightning.¡± Her eyes brightened and she stuck her tongue out at Boris, ¡°You hear that dummy? He¡¯s a tank too, and with the Holy element!¡± Boris¡¯ face was stormy, ¡°Shut up! It takes more than elements to make a tank!¡± Amelie glanced between them but Jason was calm. The reason his Holy element was so coveted amongst tanks was because many boss monsters would employ curses. These could be cured after the fact but it was much better if the tank could block the affliction from every landing in the first place. The only way to do this was with ward from a healer or a holy element halo. Considering that most wards lasted only a matter of seconds, a halo was far superior. Lira stuck out her tongue again then turned back, ¡°Fighter. Fire, Lightning, Wind,¡± she said. He inclined his head. The fourth was a tall man with a shaved head and a huge sword, glowing white on his back. He stepped forward with a measuring gaze, ¡°Samba Mutombo, Fighter. Wind, Earth, Fire.¡± Jason was sure he was a deadly attacker. His elements were suited for a tank but his build was a little too lean and his movements a little too easy. He looked as if his sword would strike before you ever saw it coming. The last two were brothers who stepped forward one after the other, each wielding a dark oak longbow. ¡°John Fischer, archer. Earth, Wind, Water.¡± ¡°Mark Fischer, archer. Earth, Wind, Lightning.¡± Jason was surprised. People with the earth element rarely chose to become archers. He reconsidered. With the Earth element they would be able to draw a heavier bow than most archers could ever dream of. Add to this their Wind element and they could likely loose arrows so swift no monster could dodge them. As for their appearance, they were identical twins both with long brown cloaks, combed back brown hair, and lean but strong builds. He thought they were finished but John spoke again. ¡°Is it true that you have Original Magic?¡± he asked. It seemed that Amelie had not left them in the dark. Well, they would find out quick enough, as soon as he started fighting, ¡°It is.¡± Boris snorted but everyone else looked keen. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Let¡¯s find out!¡± Lira said and she shot forward. Specks of blue light appeared in the air and rushed into her. A blazing estoc appeared in her hand and pierced straight towards him. He did not move. Clang! Amelie blocked the blade with her own, ¡°I¡¯ve already tested him. Any additional trials will be conducted in the field.¡± ¡°Tch!¡± Lira vanished her blade. She flashed him a bright smile, ¡°No hard feelings right?¡± He laughed, ¡°None.¡± He turned to Amelie, ¡°You ready to get going?¡± ¡°Ready when you are. Do you know how to trigger the scenario?¡± He nodded, ¡°Follow me boys,¡± he ordered and he marched off down the street. They all looked at each other, Amelie nodded, and they followed after. *** In a bright and fragrant meadow, daffodils swayed and daisies twirled. Gray wolves sniffed amidst the flowers, looking for white bunnies, and Jason focused. His eyes were on a wolf thirty yards away. A minimalist crimson frame appeared above it, surrounding a red HP bar. This indicated a normal monster. ¡°Are we seriously doing this?¡± Boris asked, ¡°it¡¯s not like we¡¯ll succeed.¡± Jason turned to him, ¡°What makes you think so?¡± ¡°Because no one can beat that witch! It¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible for anyone without Original Magic.¡± He put his axe back on his shoulder, ¡°Then let¡¯s see this Original Magic.¡± Jason nodded. He faced forward, sword in hand. It was identical to the one he had borrowed from Amelie¡­ they weren¡¯t called common drops for nothing. His cloak manifested around him and several murmurs sounded out behind. ¡°Is it really Original Magic?¡± John whispered. ¡°I didn¡¯t see any sparks,¡± Mark replied. Jason shook his head. Sparks were what American hunters called the tiny specks of mana that monsters and hunters collected from the air. This mana only existed in the dungeon and any use of magic outside of the dungeon would have to employ a mana stone¡­ or piece of gear previously imbued. He did not turn back but focused. These might look like ordinary wolves but they could collect and wield mana as well as any hunter. They could even utilize what was called an aura to protect their bodies. This functioned similarly to a hunter¡¯s halo but it looked more like a dark mist moving over their body, rather than a pure light. Lightning arched over him and he rushed forward. Awhoo! The first wolf sounded out and two more rushed to its side. Specks of light appeared all around them, pale green, the color of wind, and rushed into them. An electric blue halo covered his sword. Yip! The wolf yelped as his sword bit into it and its life bar fell by a huge chunk. His eyes brightened. He was barely using half the mana he did against Amelie and yet it was still so effective. This only made sense, she was level ten with top quality gear after all. A second wolf lunged at him and he spun aside. They repositioned. The wolves crouched low, barring white fangs. He quickly took a chance to heal himself. His muscles had barely started to tire but you had to take every chance you got. They leapt forward as one. He flashed back. He flashed forward and struck the same wolf again. Its life bar bottomed out and it collapsed to the ground. He poured Earth and Lightning into his body and struck with all his might upon another. Its life bar fell straight to zero and someone cursed behind him. It was Boris and Jason dodged the third wolf before striking down hard on its back. It yelped and fell, collapsing amidst the flowers. He stood still and called upon the mana in his chest, cooling water running through him. In five seconds he was fully recovered. He had to be careful. Fighting three on one was highly profitable, both XP and drops wise, but it did require considerable effort. He tapped each wolf with his boot and several items popped out. A broken sword, a bundled up wolf pelt, a slab of wolf meat wrapped in paper, and a common healing potion. The pelt and the wolf meat were crafting materials but he only picked up the potion. Its simple bulbous bottle was filled with a ruby red liquid and he tilted it in the sunlight. Drops came in six categories, Trash, Common, Rare, Epic, Legendary, and Divine. In an elite group like Amelie¡¯s crafting materials were generally ignored while all common weapons and gear were collected by whoever was nearby. This wasn¡¯t merely a convenience but rather a necessity as the system only gave each hunter 40 inventory slots. Amelie came near. ¡°You want it?¡± he asked. ¡°No.¡± He nodded and tucked it away. They hadn¡¯t decided how to divide the common drops but it was his kill. ¡°Is this really your first time in a dungeon?¡± she asked. He laughed, ¡°Status,¡± he commanded and a glowing blue panel popped up in front of them.
Jason MacGregor Level: 1 Elements: Holy, Earth, Lightning Strength: 22 Agility: 20 Stamina: 21 Perception: 18 Resilience: 25 Authority: 14 Free Attribute Points: 0 ____________________________ XP: 36/2200
These stats were extremely good for a level 1, being roughly twice that of an average adult male, but then Kyrios had not remade him as average. A world class athlete was at least double the average in most areas after all. He looked through the stats. The system really did keep it simple. Resilience and Authority were perhaps the only non self explanatory stats. Resilience measured mental endurance, his ability to resist fear effects, as well and general toughness, while Authority measured his ability to control the nearby mana, not that it made much difference to him. As for his Stamina of 21, it indicated that not only his muscles but all of his cells were about 2x tougher than an average human. This wouldn¡¯t protect from even an ordinary weapon but it would allow his body to withstand greater amounts of his own mana. He looked at his XP gauge. Killing three wolves had netted 36 XP, meaning he would have to kill 183ish in order to reach level 2. He smiled. This was, in all actuality, a borderline gimme. At higher levels hunters would have to work for months for a single level up. Amelie seemed satisfied but the rest of them were silent. They were not concerned about his level. Boris came near, ¡°Tell me the truth, what is your source?¡± he questioned, though his tone was much more subdued. ¡°Tell you what. If you can kill more wolves than me I¡¯ll tell you.¡± He was silent then smiled broadly, ¡°We need to kill a lot. I think I can beat you.¡± ¡°Please do.¡± Amelie addressed the group, ¡°All of you join in, on average you have to kill two thousand wolves before the doll will drop.¡± Jason winced. He knew that he needed the porcelain doll to trigger the scenario but he had no idea it would require so many kills. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Boris cheered and he charged straight at another group. Crimson light covered his axe and he slashed down on a wolf with furious force. Jason charged forward and everyone moved with purpose. Grrrr! A huge male wolf bared its teeth at him and he did the same. ¡°Come on then!¡± It leapt straight at him. He spun aside and struck down hard on its neck. Its HP fell by only half. He focused. Not all monsters were created equal, there were weaker and stronger ones even among the same type. The wolf rounded on him and spat a silver wind blade. He leapt aside, narrowly dodging. The blade shot straight to a nearby hillock. It made only a shallow cut. The wolf watched him closely and he narrowed his eyes. This wind blade looked scary but was obviously a feint. He would have expended far less energy simply blocking it than he had dodging so quickly¡­ or did the wolf intentionally make the first blade weak so he wouldn¡¯t dodge the second? Amelie was the only one not fighting. She openly watched him and he smiled. She really wasn¡¯t one to trust quickly. He rushed forward. The wolf spat another blade. He struck it down with his own sword. A strong shock went through him. So it was a trick! He did not stop but charged again. The wolf¡¯s eyes lolled and he struck down upon its crown. Its HP bar fell to just a sliver and it stumbled. He struck again and it fell to the ground. He took a breath and Amelie nodded approval. He shot her a quick salute. She hesitated then nodded. He charged forward and cut down another group then another. The more he fought the faster he killed, his blade flashing without failure. Every chance, he restored his flagging muscles. Wolves littered the prairie and he laughed aloud. This was how a man should live! He rushed forward, beyond everyone else. A huge grin was on his face. Ha! He struck down three wolves with three strokes. He tapped each with his boot and a few junk materials popped out along with another basic healing potion. He willed healing and the cooling mana flowed through him. He paused, realizing that he did not have to think of the specific elements but simply their effects and they would go forth. This would be much easier going forward. Slowly, he recovered, then he froze. Everyone was silent, stock still. A hot breath blasted upon his neck and his blood ran cold. He shot straight forward. Voosh! Steel claws missed him by inches. He rushed onward then spun. Not twenty feet away, a huge wolf had spawned. Not gray but gleaming silver, it stood ten feet tall and glared at him with icy blue eyes. It bared silver teeth then spoke in a deep voice, ¡°You dare kill my kin!?¡± He gripped his sword tight. Wolf King! Skills 5: Skills Jason backed up slowly and Boris moved straight to the front. A huge shield red as his armor appeared in his hand. It had the shape of an elongated octagon and he slammed it into the ground. The wolf king growled lowly. Thousands of sparks appeared. They rushed towards it. Boris spat. This was the most dangerous thing about a boss monster. They almost always had greater authority over the nearby mana than any hunter. This essentially meant that if a hunter wanted to fight a boss he would have to do so with mana stones. This was no loss as the boss would inevitably drop mana stones, enough to profit, but they were still a limited resource until the monster was slain. ¡°We doin this cap?¡± Boris asked as he raised his axe. Amelie took out her sword then crushed a stone, ¡°Of course, this is our quickest route to the doll.¡± Jason brightened. Of course! You might kill wolves all day without the doll actually dropping but the wolf king had a 100% drop rate! He faced forward. This was a raid boss meant to be fought by twenty people. He was not just strong but also fast and smart. He wouldn¡¯t dumbly focus on Boris, no matter what his skills. Boris took a braced stance and glared at the boss, his eyes flaring the bright orange of fire, ¡°Come on little doggy!¡± he called. This was a taunt skill, not activated by his voice but by the exact movements of his body. It crept around him then leapt straight at Jieun. ¡°Come here!¡± Boris roared as he swung his axe. A fiery chain shot from it with a blazing grapple at its end. It was another skill! It shot straight for the wolf king¡¯s neck. He quickly dodged. Boris bared his teeth and yanked his axe. The grapple reacted, jerking back and striking the wolf king with lightning speed. It lodged firmly in his neck and Boris pulled hard. The wolf king flew toward him as flames of fury ignited in its eyes. Boris stood still for half a second and a white healing light fell over him. Jason was amazed. Jieun was amazing! She never so much as flinched, and her heal landed with perfect timing, her glowing staff extended. The wolf king growled again but the chain bound it to Boris. It could move but not more than twenty feet from him. This was the true mark of a tank. Taunt skills worked wonders on dumb beasts but control skills were far more reliable. They were much harder to implement but once struck it didn¡¯t matter how smart the monster was, they could not escape. ¡°Attack,¡± Amelie ordered calmly. Everyone moved. John and Mark blasted arrows, glowing wind green, Jieun cast another heal, Lira charged like a blue bolt, Samba leapt high, and Amelie shot, straight forward. Fiery light covered her sword and watery blue her body and she struck down hard upon the wolf king¡¯s back leg. It yelped in pain and the halo on her sword vanished. She had depleted its entire mana reserve in one strike! Jason checked the boss¡¯ HP bar. It had barely fallen by a sliver. Bosses didn¡¯t mess around! The wolf king lunged at Boris and his entire body was covered in a solid golden halo while he shield glowed brightest of all. The wolf slammed into it and Boris stumbled back, his shield unmarked. This was the strength of the Earth element! Speaking of which¡­ he poured more strength into his own cells and charged. Roar!!! The wolf king suddenly thrashed and a red aura covered it. It pulsed larger and shook off Boris¡¯ chain like so much scrap. It rounded upon Amelie. Jason saw her smile. ¡°Come on then? You think I¡¯m weaker?¡± she taunted. His heart skipped. It leapt straight for her. She slipped between its legs like flowing water. She was at its side. Her sword glowed anew and she struck hard upon its ribs. Its bar fell by another small chunk. It whirled again but again she was nowhere to be found. Bang! She struck again. ¡°Accursed!¡± the wolf growled and it charged straight at John. The young man was calm and turned straight around, fleeing across the prairie. He was far too slow and the wolf king flew like the wind. He caught up to him. He slammed his figure to the ground. Suddenly he was gone and the wolf king pawed at the ground, finding nothing. Jason whistled. This was a truly rare skill, ¡®phantom wind,¡¯ that hunters could use to escape, creating a phantom while becoming briefly invisible themselves. The wolf king rounded in fury only to see Boris charging at him. ¡°Think you can escape!?¡± he roared and the wolf leapt at him. ¡°Who is escaping!?¡± it demanded and Jason smiled. This was the greatest weakness of all monsters, their vanity. Of course you had to rile them up a bit to properly exploit it. This was just a fact of life, the more angry a person or monster was, the stupider they were. Boom! The boss slammed into his shield and he stumbled back five steps. Arrows pierced while Samba and Amelie struck viciously and Lira relentlessly. Boris grinned. He glanced toward Jason, ¡°You fighting or not?¡± The boss was almost half dead and Jason nodded. He couldn¡¯t let them do all the work. He imbued endless earth into his body and sword. To his way of thinking this was necessary. What point was there in great strength if your sword was just going to break? This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. He rushed forward and the wolf king spun towards him. ¡°Come here!¡± Boris roared and his chain shot out again, thicker and stronger than ever. It caught the wolf king directly in the snout and he yanked it back. ¡°Accursed!!¡± the wolf roared and Jason leapt. With all his strength he struck down upon its neck and its protective aura split. His sword bit directly into its nape. Blood sprayed and it let out a painful yelp. Its HP bar fell by a 20th. It pulled hard on the chain and Boris grunted. Jason could actually see the chain warping, stretching, about to break again. ¡°Stupid dog! Die!¡± he roared as he slashed down again, this time on the wolf¡¯s cheek. It yelped again and Amelie leapt high. She held no sword but a silver spear. ¡°Pierce to death!¡± she commanded and it burst into silver flames. It split the air with a hair raising whistle. It pierced through, straight to the heart, and the wolf king¡¯s bar fell to a tenth. John and Mark fired, Samba struck, and Jason leapt. His sword came down one last time. It struck upon the wolf king¡¯s nape and cleaved halfway through. It¡¯s bar hit zero and it collapsed with an unwilling cry. Boris sank to one knee and healing lights began falling over everybody, Jeiun waving her staff over and over. A light fell over Jason himself and he laughed breathlessly. It wasn¡¯t nearly enough. He had really pushed himself to deliver such punishing blows. He wiped his mouth then poured healing mana through his cells. He glanced to Amelie, ¡°So what do you think, cap? Is my mana strong enough?¡± She was unmoved. ¡°Time will tell.¡± ¡°Does that mean you intend to spend a lot more time with me?¡± Lira glanced between them with bright eyes, ¡°Good idea cap, lock him down before another team grabs him.¡± Amelie rolled her eyes, ¡°Never mind another team,¡± she looked straight at him, ¡°if his magic is real the whole world will be fighting over him.¡± He smiled faintly but said nothing. Everyone was nearly recovered and he walked to the corpse. He gave it a tap. It quickly faded into oblivion and five items dropped lightly to the ground. They laid in a rough circle, four surrounding one, and Jason looked at the center item. It was a pristine doll in a lace trimmed blue dress. He picked her up. Her bright face captivated him. It spoke so eloquently, of happiness and innocence, that his heart suddenly hurt. He cleared his throat and tapped on her chest. Porcelain Doll A beautiful little lady. Perhaps you can find out more about her in Redstone Village. He stared at the doll, squeezing it a little tighter. Triggering a main scenario was simple, completing it not so much¡­ so much so that even after two hundred years, no hunter in any dungeon had managed it. Every floor of every dungeon had a different scenario, but they all had that one thing in common, the abject failure of the human race to complete a single one of them. His blue eyes were sharp in the sunshine and Amelie watched him. Things were going to change, the world was going to change. Both he and Kyrios would see to that. He put it away and turned to the other items. A certain drop caught his attention. It was a one handed sword, straight and double edged with a wolf¡¯s head pommel. Lightning flickered up and down it and he took it in hand. He immediately felt lighter on his feet. He tapped its fuller and the item panel appeared.
Wolf¡¯s Bane Grade: Rare Type: One Handed Sword Level Requirement: 1 +2 Strength +4 Agility +1 Perception Active Skills: Lightning Burst: All Lightning element mana amplified by 70% Duration: 3 seconds. Cooldown: 8 minutes Passive Skills: Blessed by Lightning: Lightning element mana will inflict 15% less damage on all cells.
Boris clicked his tongue, ¡°That¡¯ll sell.¡± Jason nodded. The great thing about item skills was that all they required was a voice command, calling out the skill¡¯s name. Personal skills had to actually be learned from a skill book. Of course they didn''t function like an ordinary book but they still took a great deal of time to master. The system would tell you how close you were to perfecting the skill, giving you a percentage score, but it could take decades to master. This was why so many ordinary hunters never really developed any skills, despite their extreme efficacy. He lifted the sword, blue lightning reflecting in his eyes. It felt good in his hand and he spun it thrice, grinning like a kid. Samba smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not that good,¡± he said and Jason raised his eyebrows He wasn¡¯t sure what he meant and Amelie came near. ¡°It¡¯s very useful to you but you¡¯re overestimating the value of level 1 gear. The fact is that 30% of hunters never venture past the first floor. It¡¯s only level one gear that¡¯s always overstocked.¡± He blinked. He understood her point. With such a surplus of low level hunters the price of level 1 gear would naturally fall. Most level 1 bosses were much weaker than the Wolf King, meant to be fought by teams of five to seven, and many bosses would end up being farmed by various guilds. Still, he was amazed, ¡°Then 30% of hunters live all their lives never even trying to level up?¡± They looked amongst themselves. Samba spoke up, ¡°You¡¯ll see when you go higher just how much scarcer and deadlier the monsters are, and how much harder it is to make a profit.¡± He supposed he would and rubbed his jaw. He knew many things about the main scenarios but it seemed he was missing quite a lot of unrelated information. ¡°Then what about this? How valuable is it?¡± he asked. She thought about it, ¡°Maybe 20,000 sc?¡± she sighed heavily, ¡°I shouldn''t have agreed so quickly. We really are taking a heavy loss.¡± He laughed, ¡°Alright, maybe I could make some concessions, in the interest of future relations. What did you have in mind?¡± She pointed at his cloak, still burning about him. ¡°I want a hint, does that cloak have something to do with the source of your power?¡± He spun the sword again, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll simply tell you this, my power is not my own but was granted to me. As for this cloak, I created it merely as an imitation of his own.¡± Her eyes flickered, ¡°You say this power is not your own. Does that mean it¡¯s the result of a spirit contract?¡± He was surprised. It was well known that spirits could provide many unusual powers but none of them even hinted at Original Magic, nor would any of them ever strike a covenant with such a low leveled hunter. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but not nearly right,¡± he answered. It was true that he had a covenant with Kyrios, but it was nothing like those struck by hunters with various other spirits. She stared at him. There were still so many questions but he had already more than delivered. He handed his borrowed sword back to her and swung Wolf''s Bane three more times. He was glad to have it. The main scenario was no place for a common sword. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going then,¡± she said. ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to hear more?¡± he asked. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to tell.¡± ¡°Later,¡± he promised, and she breathed deeply. ¡°Very well.¡± ¡°Lots of nonsense anyways,¡± Boris muttered and she frowned then turned to the remaining items. There were two rare grade potions, Agility and HP, and a velvet gem bag containing 32 common mana stones. She collected them all. ¡°Ready?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Joshua 6: Joshua Over a great black anvil, a colossal man hammered. His brown arms were as thick as Jason¡¯s thigh and he towered half a head taller. His thick leather apron was marred all over and blacked with soot and a massive black hammer moved with fluid speed. Bang! Bang! Bang! He hammered with concussive force then plunged the finished implement into a waiting barrel. As the steam cleared he looked at it appreciatively, his black bearded and homely brown face smiling. Jason perceived that it was not some epic weapon but rather the head of hoe, ready for its handle. He stepped forward, ¡°Sir,¡± he said and the blacksmith turned. ¡°Hello young hero, are you looking for repairs?¡± Jason smiled. this was what all of the NPCs called hunters, as for why humans had not adopted it for themselves he could not say. He took the doll out of his inventory, ¡°I found this doll in the gray wolves¡¯ territory.¡± The blacksmith took the doll in hand. He stared at her with black eyes then shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it before.¡± Jason watched him. This man was actually Aranson, the village chief. He made his living as a blacksmith but there was no one in the village with more authority than him. Ordinarily you would first have to talk to his son to find out who the doll belonged to, but hunters had long since cataloged the information obtained therefrom. ¡°Sir, David told me that it belonged to your daughter. Are you sure that you¡¯ve never seen it before?¡± Aranson frowned, ¡°David should learn to keep his mouth shut.¡± Jason remained silent and Aranson sighed. He looked at the doll then handed it back, ¡°The truth is that my daughter packed all her things and ran off to the dryads more than a year ago. If she chose to toss her doll aside then there is nothing I can do about it.¡± Jason knew this was a script, acted out a thousand times before, but it felt like more, it felt like talking to a real father about his daughter. ¡°Sir, if the doll has fallen to the wolves, are you not worried that your daughter has too?¡± ¡°No, the dryads she ran off with were level 3. Neither of them would have fallen to mere wolves. If the doll ended up in their jaws it¡¯s because Julia threw it away.¡± Jason exhaled, ¡°Sir, if we could convince her to return, would you accept her?¡± Aranson¡¯s face was dark, ¡°If she was willing to come back and serve faithfully I might be willing.¡± Jason nodded, ¡°Then can we bring her back?¡± ¡°Bring her back?¡± He scowled then banged his hammer down on the anvil. ¡°Even if she were willing, the dryads would never let her go. But if you can bring her back, I would be willing to listen to her.¡± Ding! [Attention! Blacksmith Aranson has asked you to help bring his daughter back from the dryad encampment. This is a Main Scenario quest. Do you accept?] Jason immediately nodded, ¡°I will bring her back.¡± Ding! [Quest Accepted!] [Quest Log Updated.] Aranson spoke again, ¡°There is only one man who can find the dryad camp. He is not a resident of Redstone Village but a tracker that travels through many lands. I have heard that he is residing in the northern woods of late.¡± ¡°What is his name?¡± ¡°His name?¡± Aranson seemed surprised by this. ¡°Truth be told we have always just called him tracker,¡± he paused and closed his eyes, ¡°I did hear once that his name is Joshua but I do not know if that is true.¡± Jason smiled, it undoubtedly was, among others. There was nothing else to learn and he stepped back, ¡°We will speak to him.¡± He walked from the smithy and everyone followed. ¡°And now we go searching the woods for three days trying to find pretty boy,¡± Boris said. ¡°How dare you call him pretty!¡± Lira raged. ¡°You called him pretty yourself!¡± She turned red in the face, ¡°I said he was the most beautiful man to ever walk the earth!¡± Boris threw his eyes to the sky, ¡°Whatever! I still don¡¯t want to spend hours wandering around the woods trying to find him.¡± Jason shook his head, ¡°There¡¯s a better way.¡± They all frowned in confusion. ¡°You know another way?¡± Amelie asked. He smirked, ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°Ok¡­¡± They marched to the village gate and out into the wilderness where he stopped, hands on hips. He filled his lungs then turned his face to the heavens. Briefly, he hesitated. Eh! Go for it! ¡°HELP!!!!¡± he screamed, ¡°Help me!!! Please help me!!! Anyone!!!¡± he roared. ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Amelie demanded. He winced but went on, simplifying his plea, ¡°Help!!!Help!!!HELP!!!¡± She grabbed his arm but just then a figure appeared. He was tall in hunters green with a lean waist and powerful shoulders. Every mouth dropped open, even Jason¡¯s. It had actually worked! He walked to the man and inclined his head, ¡°Hello,¡± he greeted him. The man had a serious face with dark eyes, flickering with inner fires, amidst lean, handsome features. He had a dense black beard, trimmed to perfection, and a healthful brown complexion and Jason saw Lira blush. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The man, Joshua, spoke, ¡°You called for help, is something wrong?¡± His voice was surprisingly deep and Lira grabbed Jieun¡¯s arm, causing the other to wince. Amelie was stern, ¡°Sir, did you come because we called?¡± she asked. Joshua smiled, ¡°I have good ears and can¡¯t help it.¡± Even she colored as he looked into her eyes and Jason sighed. ¡°Sir, are you the tracker Joshua?¡± he asked. Of course he already knew but this was a necessary part of the script. ¡°I am.¡± He took the doll from his inventory, ¡°Sir, we found this in the territory of the gray wolves. It belongs to Aranson¡¯s daughter who was led astray to the dryad¡¯s encampment more than a year ago. Do you think their camp could be nearby?¡± Joshua took the doll and his eyes glowed amber. This was the activation of his tracking skill and after several seconds he shook his head. ¡°There is no trace of the dryad¡¯s dark magic on it. She must have lost it or discarded it before she ever entered their camp.¡± Jason was curious, ¡°If she followed the dryads to their camp, shouldn¡¯t there still be traces of darkness on the doll?¡± ¡°No, all dryads will conceal their aura until they return to their camp. Only there, surrounded by many wards, will they let their evil miasma pervade.¡± This made sense. It would be much harder to gather recruits if the stench of dark magic was immediately apparent. ¡°Sir, do you have any knowledge of where their base is?¡± Joshua smiled, ¡°Though their wards are many, they cannot truly contain. I can find their base any time I wish by merely following the winds.¡± ¡°Plot armor,¡± Boris muttered. Jason was annoyed. The Russian sure had a lot of opinions for someone who knew nothing. ¡°Sir, the blacksmith Aranson has asked us to bring his daughter back. Would you be willing to bring us to the encampment?¡± Joshua laughed, ¡°Willing? I¡¯m always ready to destroy evil, it¡¯s just a question of whether I have the necessary companions to do so. The dryad queen is unlike any other monster on this floor. Do you think your group can defeat her?¡± [Attention! Joshua has invited you to destroy the dryad mother. It is recommended that you have a party of 3 Original Magic users or more for this quest.] ¡°We can,¡± Jason confirmed. The system might recommend 3 Original Magic users but this was still the first floor after all. There was a way for a single user to prevail. As for ordinary hunters, even a million would fail. ¡°Then let¡¯s get going,¡± Joshua said and he turned around. He set off at a swift jog. ¡°This ¡­ always has to run,¡± Boris grunted and they jogged after. *** After crossing several miles of rolling grasslands, Joshua slowed to a walk, his amber eyes scanning the distance. It wasn¡¯t called the dryad camp for nothing. It was never in the same place twice and the only way to find it was by following Joshua. Jason well knew this but he still had to wonder, did Joshua really know which way he was going? Or rather, did he have to put on such a show? He would head in one direction for a while and then turn and head almost in the opposite. Many theorized that this was his way of working through the dryad¡¯s wards but no one really knew, not even Jason. Amelie walked beside him and he glanced to her. They had been following Joshua for three hours, if it went on much longer he would run out of time. ¡°I think I might need an extension,¡± he admitted. ¡°Not for free.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She looked up at him, ¡°How did you know? That you could call Joshua?¡± This was not the question he expected. ¡°I already told you I¡¯m in a spirit covenant. Why would my master send me out with no instruction?¡± She walked in silence, ¡°Then this spirit told you to pursue the main scenario?¡± ¡°He did.¡± She said nothing more and he could not help but smile. He decided to give her a nudge, ¡°So is that enough to earn my extension, or do you want to know more?¡± ¡°If you want to tell me more, why not simply tell me the name of this spirit and how you formed a contract?¡± Yes, that was the main point, ¡°Let me ask you this. If this power is everything it seems to be. What would you be willing to pay for it?¡± She walked with her eyes on the ground, ¡°If your mana is truly without limit, then I am sure my grandfather would sell everything he has to attain it.¡± ¡°And what if that¡¯s not enough? Would he be willing to die to attain this power?¡± She frowned, ¡°What kind of spirit requires death as its contract cost?¡± ¡°What kind of spirit can grant you Original Magic? What spirit can give mana without end?¡± She was about to speak when Joshua suddenly turned around. She stopped short. ¡°He¡¯s right. With immense power comes immense cost. To strike a bond with this spirit only your life will suffice. Only after death, will you be able to live as never before!¡± She furrowed her brow, ¡°You mean he will kill me and bring me back to life?¡± She turned to Jason, ¡°Does this mean that you died already?¡± He hesitated then nodded, ¡°This very morning I was dead, but now I¡¯m alive.¡± Deep conflict flickered in her eyes. Was he a madman? Was he a liar? But then, what of Joshua? And what of his power? She could not deny either of them. Joshua came closer and a belt of woven leather, bright as gold, materialized about his waist. A golden scabbard hung from it, and a golden pommeled sword. He rested one hand upon it. She stared at the sword, ¡°Sir, what is the name of this sword?¡± she asked. His amber eyes were steady, ¡°Don¡¯t you already know? He who is able to divide soul and spirit, he from whom all mana flows.¡± Even the wind ceased and she trembled, ¡°You are speaking of Kyrios.¡± Jason nodded. Every hunter knew the name as every holy priest in the dungeon prayed to only one spirit, Kyrios, the God of all spirits. Joshua nodded, ¡°That is his name.¡± He gripped the sword at his side. ¡°The only question is whether you would be willing to receive his blade. Only those who do can enter his service.¡± Boris watched all of this and suddenly barged forward, his axe at the ready, ¡°What do you mean receive his blade!? Do you expect her to just let you stab her!?¡± Jason turned to argue but Joshua spoke, ¡°Silence,¡± he commanded and Boris clutched his throat. In the next moment he fell down as if dead. He was even white in the face and everyone paled. Joshua was calm, ¡°The aid I can offer humans is limited by each floor, but I have no such shackles when it comes to those who oppose me.¡± ¡°Is he dead?¡± Amelie asked, very pale herself. ¡°What is death?¡± Joshua asked. She shivered and he spoke again, his hand still on his sword, ¡°So, What do you say Amelie Renault? Are you willing to trust me with your life? Do you believe that I can both kill you and bring you back to life?¡± For long seconds she only stared at him then she took a shuddering breath, ¡°No, not yet. I must learn more about this Kyrios before I decide.¡± Jason expected him to be furious but he only smiled, albeit faintly, ¡°Very well, only remember that you can call upon me at any time. It is only my sword that can grant true life.¡± She nodded and he looked down at Boris, ¡°Wake up!¡± he ordered and the giant Russian flinched. Color returned to him and he lifted his head, ¡°What happened?¡± he asked as he looked around. ¡°Better to not ask,¡± Lira piped, though even her voice was thin. Boris got up slowly and turned around, ¡°What happened!¡± he demanded. Amelie watched him with calculating eyes, ¡°You died,¡± she said, and she turned to Joshua, ¡°at the very least, it seems you can bring the dead to life.¡± Boris opened his mouth again but Joshua started moving. ¡°Just learn to keep your mouth shut,¡± Amelie ordered and they followed after. Jason was a little behind her and everyone else behind him. He didn¡¯t know what to think. He had intended to wait a little longer before revealing Kyrios name, for maximum effect, but it seemed Joshua had other ideas. He knew not every so called NPC was in fact an automaton. This was the primary reason why smart hunters would always be respectful to NPCs, there was simply no way of knowing if you were speaking to one of Kyrios¡¯ servants. He watched Joshua¡¯s back. He, most of all, warranted care. They continued across the grasslands for another forty minutes before suddenly coming upon a grove of trees. These trees were strange, towering and strong and covered in lush leaves, they formed a wide perimeter, their roots intertwining in a perfect and unbroken circle. Outside of this circle stood a single girl. Lovely and slender, she wore a flowing moss green gown that came to her knees. Matching green hair fell to her waist and her green eyes were vivid in the sunlight. She bowed to them, ¡°Welcome to the camp of the dryads. Please, come in.¡± Life and Death 7: Life and Death The maiden led them onward. Jason had to admit, with light steps and star ornaments in her hair she gave every appearance of gentleness and beauty. They soon found themselves in the middle of the tree ringed circle, sixty yards across. There was no fire or tents in that place but the trees extended their branches inward to make a dappled covering. Here were many maidens, some green haired, some brown or golden, but all of them had at least a few strands of green in their hair. He scowled. This was the nature of the dryad. She would slowly transform them to look like her until they met their ultimate end. Joshua looked through the girls, ¡°We have come seeking Julia Aranson. Is she among you?¡± he asked. One girl, a dark haired beauty with starry eyes, came forward. She was wearing the same flowy green gown as all the girls, ¡°I am Julia, you came seeking me?¡± she asked. Joshua went to meet her, ¡°Julia, I am Joshua.¡± She met his eyes for the briefest moment then inclined her head. ¡°It¡¯s this way,¡± she said. He nodded, never looking away from her, and she smiled. ¡°Please, follow me?¡± she asked then she led them toward the center of the clearing. Here was a twenty feet wide circle of stones and within them sat a woman with her legs folded beneath her. She wore a longer version of the maiden¡¯s garb and she gestured for them to sit down. ¡°Please, all are welcome,¡± she invited, her voice warm and gentle. Jason observed her. Though her hair was silver, and her face gently lined, she had a sort of timeless beauty that could not be denied. Joshua did not hesitate, stepping into the circle. Julia turned to go. ¡°Wait,¡± Joshua called, ¡°won¡¯t you join us?¡± She hesitated. The older woman spoke up, ¡°It is not customary for our junior sisters to entertain guests, that is my duty.¡± Joshua smiled, ¡°But how is she ever learn if she does not observe?¡± ¡°I am Gaia, the most ancient of the dryads. I know how to train my acolytes.¡± Joshua raised his eyebrows, ¡°Do you call them acolytes? I thought they were your daughters.¡± ¡°They are acolytes and daughters, there is no incongruity. Whether you can recognize that is not my concern.¡± She maintained her calm but her voice was decidedly colder. Joshua watched her, ¡°I wonder why you don¡¯t want her sitting close,¡± he scuffed the ring of stones, ¡°Do they ever cross these stones? Could it be that they block all senses and keep them seeing what you really are?¡± Gaia stood up, ¡°If you have come here only to insult me, then I will have to ask you to leave.¡± Joshua¡¯s eyes glowed dangerously, ¡°And what if I insist?¡± Her face turned hard, ¡°Every one of these humans has sworn an oath to me. Do you think exposing me will save their lives?¡± Jason was amazed. How could she be so flagrant? He looked around but none of the girls showed any reaction. It seemed the stones really did have some power. Joshua¡¯s gaze was deadly, ¡°Do you think you can keep them from me!?¡± Every human and dryad shuddered and Jason found himself covered in cold sweat. So this was Joshua, the most powerful force in the dungeon! Gaia stood rigid. Her fingernails dug deep into her palms. Blood ran freely over her knuckles and onto the ground and she spoke lowly, ¡°Then what are you going to do about it? Every one of them is loyal to me and you cannot make them break their oath.¡± His gaze was unbroken and he nodded, ¡°You are right, but I can give them the choice.¡± Gaia¡¯s face turned truly ugly, her green eyes burning with poison fire. He extended a hand to Julia, ¡°Come, I would speak with you,¡± he invited. She hesitated then stepped closer, taking his hand, ¡°Sir, she is right, we have all taken a blood oath to serve her until the day we die.¡± He looked at her with eyes full of love then reached up to stroke her hair. ¡°Do you want to be free? Do you want to be a true daughter?¡± She trembled even as she looked at him but she nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be here anymore,¡± she whispered. His blazing eyes burned even brighter and he held her hand tighter, ¡°Good, that is all you need say.¡± All the girls had gathered in one place and he turned to address every one of them, ¡°All of you were promised great things, yet you are still here.¡± He pointed a finger at Gaia, ¡°Only she grows stronger while you only grow weaker!¡± Some them looked angry but many of them bit their lips. He looked around, meeting every eye, ¡°Your blood oaths can be broken but only if you allow me,¡± he extended his free hand, ¡°The choice is yours.¡± Gaia stood up, her lip curling in a vicious snarl, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him! Are you going to abandon me after all I¡¯ve done for you!¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. His voice was steady but his eyes fierce, ¡°What has she done for you?¡± His words were simple but they rang in Jason¡¯s heart. What had anyone or anything done for them!? Joshua stood tall, ¡°Anyone who¡¯s with me, come to me!¡± A dozen girls suddenly rushed to his side and Gaia screeched, ¡°No! You treacherous whores!¡± Her hands turned to claws, black and dripping with green poison, and she rushed at them. A white halo suddenly appeared around Joshua and spread to envelop every girl. Gaia smashed against it and rebounded in a blaze of fire. Green aura burst from her and quenched the flames and she stumbled back. Her face was suddenly old, knife cheekbones jutting beneath maddened eyes. ¡°Girl! Come here!¡± she demanded, beckoning to one of the girls still apart. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Joshua warned. The girl hesitated. ¡°Girl! Come or I¡¯ll cast you out!¡± The girl trembled and Joshua reached out to her, ¡°Come to me, I will not bind you,¡± he called. With this word a dozen more girls ran to him. Jason looked around. Now only six remained, vacillating between Joshua and Gaia. ¡°Last chance, come to me or she¡¯ll bleed you dry!¡± Joshua warned. Three of them took a few steps toward him but then they stopped. ¡°No, she is our mother,¡± one said with defiance and she ran towards Gaia. In a moment she reached her and Gaia snatched her close. Her clawed hands dug into her back and she laughed wildly, ¡°Good girl, you know I love you,¡± even as she spoke life drained from the girl, her hair turning white and her skin gray. In short seconds she was only a dried husk and Gaia dropped her to the ground. She appeared a little younger and stretched her hands to the others, ¡°Now, come girls, your sister has ascended and you will too.¡± Joshua looked at her with terrible fury then to the remaining five, ¡°You have seen her true nature, now the choice is yours.¡± Jason held his breath. How could they possibly choose her? For long seconds, all was silent. ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± one girl cried and she ran toward Joshua. He drew her in but the remaining four stood still. Finally, one of them shook their head. ¡°We cannot turn from her now, she¡¯s given us all that we have.¡± The others nodded and they walked as one towards Gaia. Joshua closed his eyes and Gaia laughed aloud, ¡°Yes, come my daughters, I love you, I love you!¡± even as she spoke, her claws extended, shooting like snakes and piercing every one of them. Life and color drained from them and Jason gritted his teeth. This vile witch! How many times had the same scenario played out!? How many innocent young girls had she deceived!? How many had lost hope!? How many had died upon her hands!? He gripped his sword. All of these girls were mere puppets. But they stood forth for real girls and real boys, all those deceived by such as Gaia. It was time, time for this scenario to be finished. This was no ordinary quest. Once resolved it would never play out again. He took half a step forward. Joshua was the real hero but he would play his part, gladly, and with great fervor. Gaia stood straight and retracted her claws. The girls fell. They were not dead but looked a hundred years old and Jason was grim. There was a reason she had spared them. With time she could restore the appearance of health in them and would send them forth to find new acolytes. He set his face. No such thing would happen. Joshua stepped back, ¡°I will keep all these safe, it is your job to slay her,¡± he ordered. He glanced over their group, ¡°Though three is the ideal number, I know you can succeed. Now go forth!¡± Gaia cackled manically, ¡°Succeed!? Let¡¯s see if a single one of you survives!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s!¡± Jason agreed and he charged straight at her. ¡°Darkness!¡± she cast and a dense black mist rushed from her palm. It buzzed like a million gnats and shot straight for his head. It struck his halo and burned up like so much fog. He grinned. He really was a bad match for her. Curses were her greatest power. Too bad they were useless against him. ¡°All of you stay back!¡± he commanded and he leapt straight for her. He would be tanking her and no one else. ¡°Conceited wretch!¡± she shrieked. ¡°Weakness!¡± she cast and a sickly green lance of light shot straight for him. It knocked him back three steps. Whoa! What powerful mana! Curses were not even meant to have physical force but the sheer weight of mana had driven him back. ¡°You have thirty seconds to establish aggro, then we¡¯re coming in,¡± Amelie called from the back. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know!¡± he answered and he charged again. He came before her and lightning blazed over his sword. He struck with all his might. She blocked. Bang! Her arm exploded into splinters. Her other hand slashed out. He retreated with all his speed. She missed by an inch. He focused and her life bar appeared. It was down by a quarter but suddenly her arm regrew. It refilled. She laughed disdainfully, ¡°I have stored more than a thousand years of lifeforce. Do you really think you can kill me!?¡± Jason was grim. She was right. Even with a team of a hundred it could take some effort to burn through all of her life force. He took a ready stance, ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time,¡± he vowed. Her claws grew longer and she ground her teeth like never before, ¡°I see, you¡¯re the only real threat! I¡¯ll kill you first!¡± ¡°See if you can,¡± he muttered. He flashed straight to her and unleashed a barrage of strikes. ¡°Darkness! Weakness! Confusion!¡± she cast. He stumbled as if drunk. ¡°Die!¡± Her claws went straight for his throat. He lifted his chin adroitly then slashed down hard, straight upon her crown. Her head exploded into wooden chunks and lightning ravaged all over her body, blue rivers burning blackened furrows. He suddenly felt weak and stood still. Several healing lights fell over him. She started to reform. ¡°Now!¡± he shouted and Amelie shot forward. ¡°Hellflame!¡± she roared and her sword exploded with crimson fire. She slashed straight onto Gaia¡¯s chest and her whole body exploded into a raging inferno. ¡°Lightning Burst!¡± Jason shouted and his sword raged. ¡°Ha!¡± he released it all at once in a crescent moon of crackling power. It split the blaze right in two then exploded into both halves, mingling and bursting in a terrible display of power. He could actually hear Gaia screaming within it and almost felt pity for her. He looked around at the fallen girls, moaning on the ground. He would not! He would never! ¡°Get in position,¡± Amelie ordered and the whole group spread out around her. Slowly, Gaia reformed. She glared at them with a heaving chest then flexed her claws, ¡°Fine! I didn¡¯t want to do this but you leave me no choice!¡± ¡°Look out!¡± Amelie shouted and everyone leapt back. ¡°Absolute Domain!¡± Gaia roared and the skies turned dark.