ã€ŠSavage Soul [A Mesopotamian Xianxia]ã€‹


 Chapter 1 - The Savage of Cedar Forest

    A pale brown deer grazed for herbs in the deceptive calm of Cedar Forest. Its steps slow and silent with only the soft breeze to accompany them.

    The deer¡¯s head jolted up without warning and remained perfectly still for a few moments, carefully taking in the forest around it. Quietly and calmly, the color of its fur changed to match the forest around it, and the deer returned to its herbs.

    As it grazed, a tiger lied in wait beneath the brush just out of sight. Its eyes intently locked on its prey with unwavering focus, the tiger waited patiently.

    Finally the deer stepped to the left, exposing its vulnerable neck. The tiger rose slightly to a crouch, silent as well, though the deer¡¯s ears flickered once. A tense still held the forest. Then the deer bolted but the tiger covered the distance in a flash, and sunk its two long fangs into its neck.

    And just as suddenly, a dark scaled wyvern swooped down to clutch both creatures in its piercing talons, only to be crushed along with its prey by a massive monster crashing across the ground, pursued by a savage man.

    The Tyrant Lizard sprung to its feet with a flare of slashing bolts of lightning that tore into the ground and trees, but the savage darted around them all, drawing closer.

    With a roar of rage and fear, a cluster of lightning surged in the beast¡¯s giant mouth, the seams between the armor-like scales of its chest glowed yellow, but the man hurled a stone that crushed its left eye.

    The monster flailed in agony as its lightning breath disintegrated a part of the forest far removed from its target. It glared back at the man but found it had lost sight of him, only just finding him again as he descended from above.

    A flare of lightning built over its body again but the claw-like nails of the man shone with glowing divinity as he pierced his arm deep into the monster¡¯s skull. The Tyrant Lizard spasmed, then the yellow lightning died down and the great beast collapsed with it.

    Banda ripped his arm out and whipped off the blood. He opened his mouth wide as his eyes went white. An azure spectral mass rippled over the tyrant lizard¡¯s corpse for a few moments before the soul was torn out against its will, swallowed whole by the savage. Banda closed his mouth and the forest was silent again.

    His bestial eyes returned human, his nails and fangs shortened and the strain of his muscles relaxed.

    The savage appeared to be a few decades old in human age, and had a lean muscular build with copper skin. A thick mane of white hair flowed down his back like the rugged fur of a wolf, his nails long and sharp even now and his teeth closer to fangs.

    Barefoot and bare-chested, the only clothing he wore were primitive pants made of layers of the fur hides of various beasts, his spoils of battle. Though none would call him civilized even under the most diplomatic of terms, there was a certain savage dignity to it.

    Banda glanced at the arrogant tyrant lizard, another fool who thought itself the strongest after reaching the highest stage of power. Another fool who dared challenge him.

    He looked up at the clear sky above with the sun shining fierce at the highest point before jumping of the corpse, leaving it as is. Tyrant Lizard flesh tasted terrible.

    He moved through the dense forest at his own casual pace, though that pace would be frighteningly fast to most. A patrol, in the simplest terms, though he doubted he¡¯d encounter any more challengers today. Anything near would have heard the fighting and they would be smart enough to stay far away.

    In truth, the whole forest belonged to him. He merely allowed others to keep their own territory as he had no need for the entirety of it. Still, there would always be some foolish or arrogant enough to hunt on his personal grounds. And even some who thought themselves worthy of claiming the forest whole.

    Banda came to a smooth stop as a group of yeren caught his eye. Large apes with white fur and gray faces and hands. Five in total, the standard number for their hunting packs.

    The largest one, which seemed to be their leader, looked at Banda for a moment before gesturing with grunts and hand motions. Banda motioned back and the yeren continued on their way with no show of any aggression.

    They couldn¡¯t talk like the one who led their tribe but they could communicate better than most. And they were reasonable. That was partly why Banda liked them. With no true desire to patrol any further, Banda stayed where he was in his hunched crouch amidst the cool breeze and the softly rustling leaves that followed.

    He glanced at the cloudless sky again. It was dull when only the sun rose, as the tyrannical golden light would not let him gaze upon it for long. He would have to wait for night with the moon and stars. It was days like this that Banda liked the least.

    His thoughts were interrupted by the distinct caw of a Stymph. These birds were weak and thus made their nests on the outskirts of the forest, surviving by abandoning them at the slightest hint of danger. But they were excellent at sensing it, and even created unique crows for every type of threat to alert the rest of the flock.

    Banda had learned them all over the many suns and moons of his existence, and this one meant humans. Usually they were weak, weaker than his challengers in the forest. But just sometimes, they could be far stronger. And more importantly, far less predictable. Banda¡¯s bored expression lowered into one of hostility and sped off. Humans needed to be hunted too.

    ---

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    ¡°This savage is taking rather long to show himself¡­¡± A beautiful young woman spoke just outside the boundary of the forest with her arms crossed.

    She wore the top of a white silk gown laced with red and gold, parted down the middle of her waist over soft leather pants. Golden jewelry adorned her soft fair skin that enhanced her alluring sensuality, chief among them a thin necklace tiara woven into her black hair styled in the short regal fashion that flowed down just below her chin.

    A thin layer of dark eyeliner accentuated her rich purple eyes that were currently focused on the edge of the forest, sharp with slight irritation.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time before they catch up, my lady.¡± An older man spoke from the side. His dark hair tied tight at the back and his face clean shaven save for a thick neatly trimmed mustache, he wore the light garb of a warrior beneath a dark green cloak draped over his shoulders, hiding his hands. ¡°We may have to venture into the forest.¡±

    ¡°I certainly won¡¯t be going back empty handed.¡± Eres told Montu. ¡°Perhaps we should wait for them. They will at least make for good shields traversing this wretched place-¡±

    A blur shot out of the forest and the seemingly fragile priestess caught Banda¡¯s clawed hand just short of her face.

    Banda¡¯s eyes widened in surprise but only for a split second as he twisted his body to kick at her head. His leg crashed against her blocking arm like the crack of thunder but just as with the first strike, she did not budge. The slight, confident smile that spread across her face proved it hadn¡¯t been difficult either.

    Banda broke himself out of her grasp in whirling burst of strength and slid back across the ground. He waited motionlessly in a fighting crouch as he reevaluated the pair of humans.

    Few could ever match him in strength, at least when he was avoiding the strain. And none had ever given him the look the woman had after receiving it. Banda glanced subtly at the man beside her. One was manageable, but if the other was her equal, it would truly be dangerous.

    Eres gripped her hand into a first a few times with pleasant surprise, not taking her eyes of the ambushing savage. It seemed the rumors held some weight and her time spent here wouldn¡¯t be wasted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t interfe-¡±

    The thunderous roar of a beast interrupted her words as a powerful sonic blast slammed into Montu, sending him crashing far away. Eres¡¯ gaze slipped left out of shock and Banda attacked silently from the right with perfect timing. The priestess blocked his claws again but the sheer strength of the mauling swipe sent her sliding back on her feet.

    Banda closed the distance without hesitation. The other human wasn¡¯t as strong, which meant the only threat was her. A sword appeared from thin air in Eres¡¯ hands as she held it up by her face in a combat stance with focused expression.

    His first strike was deflected clean and she countered with a quick thrust to his head. But Banda slipped that easily, and his hand clawed deep into her forearm on its way back.

    He darted around her erratically, moving with neither rhyme nor reason. He was stronger and faster now with the strain, but the woman was skilled enough to withstand simple attacks.

    He sidestepped her slash and ducked under the second to kick one of her legs out from beneath her. As she stumbled off balance, his clawed hand speared for her throat once more, but Eres spun with incomprehensible footwork to dodge and nearly slash a line into his chest.

    Banda¡¯s eyes narrowed. She was getting stronger somehow. Better. In the midst of his thoughts, Banda saw a smile creep onto her face once more.

    Eres took another stance, and Banda mauled the ground. Broken stone and dust exploded around them and the rocky surface fractured into uneven footing.

    He darted through the debris, battering stone at the priestess and clawing at the openings they caused. Viciously and patiently he fought, until the dust settled, and Eres was covered in blood and wounds.

    She was weak and unsteady, and Banda went for the kill. But his mauling claws shred into a giant golden shield wielded by a disembodied arm made of mana.

    Eres raised her sword but before she could act, cracking thunder swirling around Banda¡¯s fist and he shattered the magic shield. The impact of raw power carried further into her arm, snapping it clean along with the ribs she tried to defend, and sent her crashing across the ground.

    Eres clipped off a bump in the ground, slowly spinning to face the sky and the sight of Banda falling down from above with fists clenched together. But in the face of death, her smile widened. The deep wounds healed rapidly and fire spewed from the soles of her feet, propelling her away from his cratering blow.

    Eres spun upright as she soared through the air, and raised her hands pointing straight at him. Fire swirled around her arms and surged towards him like a flooding river.

    Banda breathed in deep and let out another roar that tore through the fire like the wind of a storm. The chain of rippling thunder burst right in front of the priestess and Banda charged through the scattering flames.

    Eres took higher in the air with another fiery burst. Mystical flames flared around her and turned into screeching fireballs raining down from the sky. Banda hit the ground running, weaving through the swerving comets as he pursued his flying prey.

    He sidestepped another fireball and whipped his arm without warning. Eres barely tilted her head in time to avoid the stone he threw with enough power to smash open her skull.

    Banda continued to dart between the raining fire as he hurled stones with lethal speed. A tactic he developed against beasts with that could fly. Their wings were worthless once they fell to the ground.

    Eres dodged a stone but another appeared far too close before she realized, thrown perfectly within the blindspot that the first stone created for a brief instant. With no choice, fire burst from her hand, propelling her down enough to avoid it, but she realized how close she had gotten to the ground too late. And Banda had already lunged.

    Human magic was strange and deceptive. Banda didn¡¯t know if that magic shield could be used again or if it was broken for good, but it didn¡¯t matter. The divinity of Mountain pulsed through his body in rippling lines, reinforcing his body. His form turned even more savage and feral, raising his might. And Thunder once more cracked around his clenched fist.

    The shield appeared after all as Banda threw his punch, but he did not care. The fight would end now. Banda¡¯s fist crashed into the shield so loudly it threatened to wake the heavens, with nothing more to show for it than a fist sized dent. Disbelief found Banda¡¯s face. Nothing in this forest could take his strongest strike unharmed. And for the first time, a shred of doubt crept into his thoughts.

    Another arm raised a lance high, and with it a sense of danger pierced Banda¡¯s mind. He snapped him out of his thoughts just in time to dart away from its thrust. From his wary bestial stance, Banda gazed at the new being that appeared.

    A giant woman, ten times the size of the one who stood in front of it. Its face resembled her, but beneath its golden helm was glowing blue skin and pure white eyes. Heavy golden armor covered most of her body, and flame like cloth adorned it. In its left, it held a large round shield and in its right that dangerous lance. A threatening dark aura emanate from the blade.

    Banda lowered himself like a crouching tiger as his eyes sharpened even more. He knew from his instincts alone, that this giant woman was stronger than any normal beast he had ever fought.

 Chapter 2 - Chains of Heaven

    Eres charged forward before he had any more time to think, and the giant human trailed right behind, its shield protecting her and its lance ready to strike.

    Banda darted back, flinging stones as he went. She kept her shield in front of the dark-haired woman and let the others slam into her head but it had no effect, not even in the eyes.

    A thought emerged in Banda¡¯s mind. The giant could not be damaged, but the other human could. It protected her. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered if she was the one to have brought it here. The more he thought that if he killed her, the giant would go away.

    Banda dug his feet into the ground and burst forward. The giant struck forth its lance as he leaned under its path, aiming straight for the smiling priestess. The shield covered Eres more tightly as Banda raised his fist. He came right up close and jumped.

    The change in Eres¡¯ face showed her surprise, but Banda had gotten right in front of the giant¡¯s face. And he slammed his fist into it, using the recoil to lunged without pause at the priestess. He might not be able to damage it, but he could move it. And without the giant, he was certain he could kill the human.

    He raised his clawed hand, and the blade of the giant lance pierced through his chest. The giant woman had not been moved by his strike, as though it were bound to the air around it.

    A stillness came over Banda. It wasn¡¯t the pain, or even the confusion that froze him, but a strange dark magic that turned his flesh cold and weak.

    The giant ripped the lance out of him. As he fell limply in the air, its shield slammed into him with a violent gong, and sent him crashing into the side of a cliff where he remained still.

    Eres¡¯ expression fell to one of resigned disappointment at the sight of it. She lingered no longer than a few moments, before turning away from the forest. And a surge of divinity more tyrannical than any she¡¯s felt before exploded from the savage¡¯s body.

    She looked back with thoughtless shock as his body rose up as if possessed. First upright and then hunched over on all fours like a beast, his eyes white and expression one of mindless rage. The large ivory horns of a bull grew from his head and the ground started to crack and crater beneath his feet.

    Banda shot forward no faster than he had before and threw a reckless punch. The giant shield moved in front of Eres and cracked against the sheer weight of the strike.

    The lance thrust at Eres¡¯ shock, but the blade did not pierce. It merely clanged against him as though is flesh were made of the densest metal. Even the force of the blow barely knocked him a few yards. Eres could not even guess at how heavy he was to achieve that.

    Banda lunged again, attacking without a shred of strategy. No longer was there any sign of the savage hunter, cunning and sharp. Only the embodiment of primal might. With every passing moment, Eres could see the intent of a beast clearer and clearer. The intent of a monstrous bull.

    At the sight of this savage beast, her speechless expression filled with excitement and bliss. Her rich purple eyes began to shine with golden splendor as her divinity flared golden too, all tinged with the hint of madness within.

    She had waited so long for this, to find the one she was searching for. Though sense and reason advised her to end it now, blissful passion desired nothing more but to dance in the moment.

    Banda madly pursues her as she sailed back. Each rampaging strike broke more and more of her shield. Each response of her lance did little but scratch his dense flesh. But still she danced.

    A mauling thrash shattered what was left of her shield, a second hurled for her. Eres stood still as certain death drew closer and closer, a sense of joyful warmth in her crazed smile. And golden chains lashed out from within her.

    Fast as flashes of light, they wrapped around Banda and bound him to the world itself. The horned savage tried to break free but the chains would not budge against even his overwhelming might.

    Eres raised her hands but stopped at Banda¡¯s roar, feral and savage unlike the mindless monster he had been in this form thus far. Cracks of iridescent light started to form over his body as he strained against the chains. Defying all logic, they started to budge.

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    Eres watched with amazement, as reason began to take the reins of her mind. ¡°Much as I¡¯d love to watch your defiance longer, I can¡¯t have you break just yet.¡±

    The golden chains shone in a blinding flash and disappeared, leaving behind a dull bronze torc around Banda¡¯s neck. He dropped from his immobilized state to the ground but did not fall from his feet. His ivory horns turned to ash and crumbled away as consciousness returned to his eyes.

    Eres opened her mouth but before she could speak, Banda lunged for her throat. The golden chains reappeared around him in an instantly, immobilizing him just before he could make contact.

    ¡°These chains won¡¯t allow you to harm me.¡± Eres explained, not even having flinched at the attack.

    The chains vanished just as quickly as they appeared, and without hesitation, Banda fled at full speed, only for the chains to lock him in place once more.

    ¡°I can also use them whenever I want.¡± She spoke with a teasing tone.

    Banda waited in a guarded state, unsure of what to do, his state of mind completely on edge.

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you learn quickly. We are bonded together now, in essence and fate. My life is yours.¡±

    Banda didn¡¯t have the slightest idea what she was talking about, his mind still clawed for ways to escape his predicament. His attention snapped towards her as she withdrew a thin dagger from the air with a solemn expression and plunged it into her own heart.

    Banda clutched his chest as though something had stabbed his own. His head swirled with confusion as his senses had detected nothing to warn him of danger. But the pain subsided as quickly as it came and he removed his hand to find not a single trace of a wound.

    ¡°A human trick.¡± He thought.

    Movement caught his eye again as Eres raised the dagger in front of her. The fresh wound over her heart had already healed, but this time she thrust it towards her eye. Banda grabbed her hand in an instant, having darted with all his mind out of sheer instinct, and stopped the blade just short of her.

    Worry and confusion replaced the suspicion on his face, accompanied by beads of sweat. The woman had aimed the dagger at herself, but it felt no different from being aimed at him.

    ¡°Experiencing is faster than hearing.¡± Eres smiled. ¡°If I de, so do you. So protect me, my champion.¡±

    The dagger disappeared as she reached out to softly hold his face towards her. There came a peace and restlessness by the gentle way she held him that he didn¡¯t understand, but even that was melted away by the overwhelming passion in her face. By her eyes that shone like the mesmerizing and tyrannical sun.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Banda didn¡¯t respond, he was far too concerned with figuring out this strangest of humans that now held his life in her hands.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to be together for a long time. It makes everything easier if I know what to call you.¡± Eres tone somehow bordered between impatient and relaxed.

    ¡°Ensimbanda¡­¡±

    ¡°...Young Horned Lord?¡± Eres mused. ¡°Or Fierce Horned Lord. The second seems more fitting.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Wild Horned Lord.¡± Banda frowned.

    ¡°It¡¯s all three.¡± Eres corrected him with an amusement smile. ¡°But yes¡­ That one suits you best.¡±

    ¡°It seems everything has been settled?¡± Montu asked as he hopped over. Not a sign of a fight could be seen on himself or his attire.

    ¡°Yes. Finally-¡±

    Banda lunged at the first opening he found, but the throat he grabbed turned to mist in the air. Failure did not change Banda¡¯s expression as he was far too focused on the hunt.

    Sight, hearing, and smell did not aid him, so he forced his instincts to heighten. Immediately, his eyes snapped to an empty space to his left, and for the third time, golden chains bound him in place.

    Montu reappeared at the spot Banda targeted, with a bit of sweat forming on his brow. ¡°What a dangerous guard you¡¯ve found.¡±

    ¡°Do not do that again.¡± Eres told Banda sternly, with a trace of annoyance. ¡°While it does please me to know you are capable, accept your place at my side or I will be less lenient with my leash.¡±

    There were some words Banda didn¡¯t understand, but he recognized it as a threat. In any case, three times was more than enough to understand the chains. Even if he had taken her human hostage, they would render the act pointless.

    Eres kept her eyes locked on him for a few moments before sighing away her other complaints. ¡°Listen. We have a long and vast journey ahead. Where we¡¯re going isn¡¯t so forgiving that we can overcome it with our sword at each others necks all the while.¡±

    Banda had something to say about the way she worded that, but he had something even more important to ask. ¡°...Where?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a secret, for now.¡±

    ¡°How long?¡± He asked.

    ¡°For good.¡± Eres spoke with a trace of disdain and resolve. ¡°We¡¯re never coming back here.¡±

    The answer caught Banda a bit off guard, and filled him with a strange feeling. The sense that he had lost something of his but it had not yet happened. Before he was able to response, his eyes turned sharp to the horizon, to the horde of red and white humans charging straight towards them.

 Chapter 3 - Palm Tree King

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother getting too worked up.¡± Eres said as Banda took a fighting crouch. She stood relaxed with her arms crossed, completely unconcerned with the approaching group. Banda glanced at the colors of her clothes and that of the horde, and surmised they were yet more of her humans.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the horde to reach them. Two hundred or so in total, at a glance. Unremarkable compared to the largest tribes in the forest, but it was the most humans Banda had ever seen in the same place.

    In the center, standing out from the crowd, a short portly man sat atop a richly adorned palanquin carried by four humans wearing nothing but long white skirts. Another dressed the same knelt on the dirt the moment they came to a stop and the fat man used him as a stepping stone to walk down from his perch.

    ¡°My Lady Eres, if you would please not take off on your own like that again¡­¡± He waddled his way to them, dabbing the sweat on his head with a silk handkerchief.

    Bald and clean shaven, his body more resembled that of a giant toad than a human. The other humans were dressed more simply, many of them armored much like the one who followed this priestess, whose Banda now knew was called Montu.

    But this one that spoke now had colors and patterns more similar to her. His clothing more complicated with red paint beneath his eyes. His body seemed pathetically weak, by the bumbling way he carried himself, but Banda knew well humans could be dangerous otherwise. Perhaps this one was closer to Eres than any of the others.

    ¡°Ah, Oreb.¡± Eres spoke with mellowed enthusiasm. ¡°I was beginning to think you had gotten lost.¡±

    Oreb gave an awkward smile of courtesy in response, before his eyes caught the sight of a certain savage watching him closely. ¡°And who is this¡­ man?¡±

    ¡°My new guarddog.¡± Eres answered.

    ¡°A feral one, it seems¡­¡± The priest spoke with snobbish aversion. ¡°We¡¯d certainly be hard pressed to find a suitable place for him in the temple.¡±

    A pebble bounced off Oreb¡¯s round gut. It took him a moment of dumbfounded thought before he realized the source of it. The savage who stood still in his crouched posture, entirely without guilt and now entirely disinterested in the new human with such feeble instincts.

    The priest¡¯s face reddened with indignation at the sheer insult of such as act, though he turned to Eres alone. ¡°My Lady, I must insist you train this thing quickly, lest he be made to sleep in the stables with the other beasts!¡±

    ¡°I will do with him as I see fit. We¡¯ve spent enough time here, let us depart.¡± Eres ordered, paying no heed to his request.

    Oreb regained most of his calm at her intention to leave, anxious to return as he was. ¡°Then-¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Banda said bluntly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice. You go where I go.¡± Eres¡¯ brow lowered.

    ¡°I want to tell Monga I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    ¡°Someone in the forest? We don¡¯t have time...¡± Eres¡¯ tone was dismissive with a trace of suspicion, but as she looked more into his unyielding eyes, the more she felt his demand was no trap, but a genuine desire. ¡°...Very well.¡±

    ¡°It is far too dangerous! I¡¯m afraid must put my foot down.¡± Oreb lost his composure once again, this time on a more concerned view.

    ¡°Then be sure to plant it hard so you remain here until I return.¡± Eres started to walked off before he could even reply.

    ¡°Ah, but¡­ Then we will at least accompany you as guards!¡± Oreb called after her with some desperation.

    ¡°You will all die if you follow.¡± Banda told the fat priest, with a foreboding impartiality.

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    Oreb balked, for the threat somehow felt more like a warning to him. Confliction swirled in his mind before he reached a compromise. ¡°You, follow the Sacred Priestess. If a single hair of her head is harmed, I will have your families burned!¡±

    Oreb gestured to the left side of the small army of priests, and they followed after the trio at once. Banda didn¡¯t bother to take note of them. As far as he was concerned, they were only three.

    ---

    Banda moved through the forest at a slower pace than his norm, the fault of the large group behind him unable to keep up. It was the largest group he had ever travelled with outside of the simian tribe, and he could firmly state it was something he did not like.

    The weak humans is red robes and armor were vigilant and wary to a fault, in sharp contrast to the two he actually had to worry about. It was difficult to get a grasp on the dark green cloaked man, even now.

    He was certain the human¡¯s strength was lesser than the purple-eyed woman, but the patches of uncertainty surrounding him bothered Banda. Though even that did not concern him nearly as much as the incomprehensible woman herself, who showed only patient interest in their current trek.

    Banda dashed over without warning to stop her in her tracks as he tossed a broken stick ahead. It bounced off the ground and four giant leaves snapped around it, and writhed into a twist to crush whatever it held inside.

    Banda took a detour around the carnivorous plant and Eres followed after, with nothing more than slight amusement.

    ¡°Have you lived in this forest your whole life, Wild?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Banda answered curtly.

    ¡°Really? How did you survive when you were young?¡±

    ¡°My power.¡±

    ¡°You speak quite well for someone raised by monsters.¡±

    ¡°Monga can speak.¡± Banda didn¡¯t mind her questions much, but her tone at times annoyed him.

    ¡°Was he the one who named you?¡± Eres asked with a bit more interest than her other questions.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Eres seemed to glean something from that but he didn¡¯t know what. ¡°Quite an enlightened name to give for a monster.¡±

    ¡°It is better than My Lady Eres.¡± Banda liked his name, and he wouldn¡¯t tolerate slights against it. Eres looked at him in silent confusion before something seemed to click and her silence turned to laughter in equal parts amusement and mockery.

    ¡°Everything I learn makes me more interested in your Monga.¡± Eres wiped a jovial tear from her eye.

    As her laughter trailed off, Banda stepped into a small open patch of grass in the forest before a large flat boulder. The priest guards arrived the moment after, and in the next, hundreds of yeren revealed themselves.

    ¡°Monsters!¡±

    ¡°Shield the Priestess!¡±

    The priests flew into action, drawing their weapons and forming a wall around Eres against the imposing apes. Though none were keen on a fight.

    ¡°Your Highness, we must leave!¡± One of them spoke in panic to Eres, though she did not respond, as if the priests weren¡¯t even there.

    The two sides waited in their tense stand off, but dull methodical tremors broke the silence. Slowly a giant figure emerged from the dense trees, the weight of his steps the source of the sound.

    It was ape-like, though far bulker and broader than the yeren, and covered in scars. Thick white fur covered all but its leathery gray hands, chest and face. Dim blue veins like crystal shards streaked over its leathery hide.

    A bone crown jutted out from its forehead, the horn on its left side pointed tall, while the right was broken in half. Stern silvery eyes peered out with a chilling firmness that mere mortals could not imitate.

    It stepped out onto the stone platform and stared at the humans that entered its territory, none daring to even breath before him. The weight of its presence was immense, but through the suffocating tension Eres¡¯ excitement only rose further, for she recognized the description from stories she had only ever expected to imagine.

    He was the Palm Tree King, one of Eleven Adversaries hunted by Ninurta, and the only one to have escaped him. Cedar Forest held many secrets, but she never once imagined this would be one of them.

    ¡°How much more excitement will you bring me?¡± She gazed over at Banda, her chosen champion.

    Monga¡¯s eyes turned to Banda. ¡°What reason do you bring so many humans, other than for me to kill?¡± The priests dug into their stances more, and even Montu shifted in place.

    Though Banda was as composed as ever, not a single sign of tension in his body. He pointed at Eres. ¡°If she dies, I die.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Monga glanced at the priestess.

    Eres lowered her stance, ready for a fight with anxious zeal. She wondered if Banda had some sort plan. Maybe he didn¡¯t understand the Chains of Heaven, after all. Maybe he didn¡¯t truly understand the Adversary before them.

    Monga turned his eyes upon the humans with stoic contempt, tempered with the oils of a thousand years and one.

    ¡°Kill them.¡±

 Chapter 4 - The Priestess of Ishtar

    At Monga¡¯s command, the tribe of yeren descended upon the humans. The priests fought back in skilled formation but all their efforts went to waste. For every yeren slain, three priests would join it.

    They fought with abandon, and strangely in perfect concert with their kin, ripping and tearing apart the priest guards until none remained. Their gray hands were as tough as the priest¡¯s steel, and their arms could stretch and grow as they willed.

    Montu cut down two of the murderous apes, but one shattered his skull with its dense fist. The warrior guard¡¯s body dispersed into mist as he appeared from thin air to jam a dagger in the yeren¡¯s skull. But as it dropped to the ground, a dozen more prowled around him, searching for weakness.

    The strength of the priests were a bit more than Banda expected, about on par with the yeren, though they would never be able to fight the tribe as equals when Monga led them. His estimation of Montu took another small jump again, though try as he might he couldn¡¯t see the human as a threat.

    Eres gave him a look in the lull of the fighting, and Banda reluctantly obliged. ¡°Don¡¯t kill him either.¡±

    Monga considered the three, then waved his hand dismissively. The yeren stepped back from the warrior, to the relief of no one more than Montu.

    ¡°Explain.¡± Monga commanded.

    ¡°She uses tricks that comes from the air and traps me. I can¡¯t let her die.¡± Monga¡¯s gaze shifted knowingly towards the human woman he hadn¡¯t taken much note of before, though Banda continued. ¡°I have to go somewhere. She says I can¡¯t come back.¡±

    Monga¡¯s stern face turned back to Banda with a different kind of silence this time, that lasted a few moments.

    ¡°Then go.¡± Monga turned around and walked away. ¡°This forest isn¡¯t large enough for you anymore.¡±

    Banda expression did not change either. He lingered for a few moments as well, then turned around to leave.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Eres asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Do you know who that is?¡± She questioned.

    ¡°Monga.¡± Banda said plainly, as he already told her before. She was foolish and slow to learn sometimes, he thought. Eres gave a smile in response as she followed after him.

    ---

    No sooner had the trio returned from the forest, did Oreb scurry over to them. Upon seeing that they returned alone, he took unconcealed relief that he had deigned not to accompany them.

    ¡°I trust we may return now?¡± His tone was more pleading than inquiring, as he knew well he could not command the willful priestess.

    ¡°I am tired. Make camp here for tonight.¡± Eres commanded freely, with dismissive tone.

    ¡°Then¡­¡± Oreb thought quickly. ¡°At least allow me to choose a spot a bit further away from the forest.¡±

    ¡°Do as you see fit.¡± At her words, the portly man scurried off again to yell at the others.

    Banda watched as the remaining half of the priesthood horde bustle around. They set up tents of strange hide too soft and thin to come from any beast he knew of, started fires from unusually cut trees, and filled oddly-shaped stone with what smelled like food. But quickly his focused drifted to the priests themselves.

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    Originally he had paid them no mind, but their fight against the yeren showed them to be slightly more of a threat in these numbers. If there were more hordes of humans like this one where they were headed, then they may even be able to threaten him.

    The humans tended to what he could only assume was their nest, or lair, for longer than he expected. Eventually, things seemed to settle, and he caught sight of Eres beckoning him over to a tented area. With nothing better to do and her life being his own, Banda headed over to join her.

    She sat of a multitude of soft round objects, made of what smelled like feathers and human clothes. Over the ground beneath them was a large colorful hide, though it too smelled unfamiliar and felt strange beneath his feet.

    On the other side across from her under similar conditions sat Oreb, who drunk sour smelling water from a golden cup. But Banda didn¡¯t see the green cloaked human that had always been by her side so far.

    ¡°Has all this civilized you yet, Wild?¡± Eres asked as she handed him a gold bowl of broth, meat and herbs.

    She used words Banda didn¡¯t understand again, so he ignored the question. ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°Uruk-ki.¡± Oreb spoke up to answer, his demeanor odd compared to before. ¡°And not soon enough. Even a savage such as yourself will understand the majesty of such a holy city.¡±

    Banda refrained from killing the human for his disrespect just yet, on the chance it may be more trouble than it was worth. With Eres occupied with her sour water as well, he found himself looking to the dimming distance.

    The sun had only half crossed the horizon, so the sky was still barren. His gaze trailed to the long mountain in the far distance, which even in his sharp eyes was little more than a wisping image.

    Eres took notice of Banda and glanced back to see what he was staring at. ¡°Interested?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a strange mountain. It¡¯s tall but it should be wide.¡± Banda commented.

    Eres chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s not a mountain, but a tower. After Enlil created the mortal plane of Akkad, his brother Enki built that tower connecting it back to Eden. The home of the gods. Thus mankind was able once more to enter the heavenly garden, but only for those able to climb it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that tall.¡± Banda judged.

    Eres laughed a bit harder this time. ¡°It only looks that way. The Tower is so tall it reaches the very sky, and can be seen throughout all of Akkad.¡±

    ¡°...why are we going to Uruk-ki?¡± Banda changed the conversation to something more important.

    ¡°Because it is our goddess Ishtar¡¯s holy city on this¡­ mortal plane of Akkad¡± Oreb interrupted once again, before refilling his cup from a large clay jar. Montu quietly returned to Eres¡¯ side, which she takes note of, with a certain look in her eyes.

    Banda glanced at the stew in his hand and raised the bowl to his mouth, but stopped just short with a jolt of his instincts. He lowered the bowl as he glared at it and then at Eres, who gave back only a smug look of intrigue and put a finger to her soft lips, gesturing for him to keep quiet.

    Oreb took another sip of wine from his cup as he discreetly eyed Eres down as she gave her focus to the savage.

    Her face was more elegant and captivating than any sculpture, and her voluptuous figure draped in revealing silk more tempting than any courtesan he¡¯s ever known. The very embodiment of lust that made ones blood run hot. All enhanced by the insolent tease that she was, just begging to be tamed.

    The portly priest cleared his throat. ¡°Once we return-¡±

    ¡°The tower is a wondrous corridor to a wondrous place.¡± Eres spoke with zeal in her voice and fervor in her face, as though no one else were speaking. ¡°Immortality, power, freedom. All things Akkad lacks. But Eden. Eden is a garden where everything grows.¡±

    Oreb started to cough slightly from an irritated throat which he couldn¡¯t seem to get rid of, as Eres rose to her feet.

    ¡°A world of paths denied to us mortals. A world where anything is possible. Where even these wretched chains of fate can be broken into reins.¡± Her tone became more ominous and overbearing as the tinge of madness crept in.

    ¡°What are you-¡± The worsening cough prevented Oreb from finishing his words as it became more and more violent.

    His golden cup fell from his hands as he stumbled aimless to collapse with it. The color of his face reddened and his veins bulged black. Only now did he realize that his coughs were not alone, but joined with those of the entire priesthood.

    ¡°You!¡± He spluttered at Eres, but she didn¡¯t spare him a single thought.

    Eres turned to face Banda with undivided passion as the rest died in agony behind Her gaze direct upon him and him alone, as if nothing else in the world existed.

    ¡°You wish to know where we are going? To Eden. To the throne of Zagros. To wherever is necessary for as long as it takes until I am Queen of Heaven.¡±

    Banda once again felt her overwhelming presence. It was not fear born from the sight of an enemy, nor even hatred, but he felt small before her. And larger than anyone else.

    It was something unfamiliar, something he did not fully understand. Something that enraptured him and filled him with vigilance. Something he had only ever felt from her.

 Chapter 5 - Into The Tower

    Banda chased after Eres through the rocky steppes of Akkad with feral eyes. She was faster than he was at his base somehow, forcing him to harness some of the power of beasts.

    Even well within the limits that avoided the many-colored fractures, it was a strain to maintain his partial transformation for days on end. But Banda wouldn¡¯t complain. Not to her. He wouldn¡¯t let her see his weaknesses.

    ¡°It¡¯s not far off now.¡±

    Banda glanced ahead at her words, towards the imposing tower. The closer they got, the more he could understand how truly enormous it was.

    Just as Eres had claimed, it stretched deep into the sky, above even the clouds, and had grown so wide Banda wondered if his eyes weren¡¯t being fooled. He wondered too, what sort of being this Enki was who could make such a thing.

    Eres and Montu veered off without warning and Banda followed behind to a small cliff just before the end of the steppes met the territory of the tower. A strange land he peered over at from behind his cover.

    Surrounding the base of the tower were many human tents like the ones the priests had made, along with larger piles of stone arranged in unnaturally similar structures. Among them were more humans than he had seen in his life thus far.

    ¡°We were too slow.¡± Montu said, his focus on the Ishtar priests in the crowd.

    Hundreds and hundreds of regulars, several dressed like Oreb, and two dozen Honor Guard standing guard at the entrance of the Tower, distinguished by their menacing golden armor and lioness masks.

    ¡°You can handle two dozen, can¡¯t you?¡± Eres asked, though even she took stock of them.

    ¡°With some help.¡± Montu replied.

    ¡°Why are you fighting your pack?¡± Banda interrupted. Killing a few rebellious ones, he could understand. But from what he had seen, they fought and died for her as they should. It didn¡¯t make sense for a leader to kill minions that obeyed.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t mine, just my wardens.¡± Baring a pause for his amusing choice of words, Eres explained bluntly, before turning her head back to Montu. ¡°We¡¯ll go as planned.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°What plan?¡± Banda asked, growing a little more annoyed.

    ¡°Divinity is restricted within the tower. It can be used just the same as out here, but it cannot be gathered by any means. Demigods like you and Priests like me won¡¯t be able to recover power once inside, so we need to break into the tower using as little divinity as possible.¡± Eres granted Banda her full attention as she finally explained.

    ¡°At the very top of the tower is Humbaba, the Gatekeeper, who stand between us and the door to Eden. We won¡¯t have any time to spare once we¡¯re in, so we need to plan how to defeat him now.¡± Eres took note of Banda¡¯s lack of tension. ¡°Humbaba is stronger than Monga.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± Banda snapped back immediately at the ignorant words. Whatever this Humbaba was, it could never be Monga¡¯s equal. He is, or rather until the giant woman, was the only being who could best Banda without his trance. And Monga was stronger than her.

    Eres seemed on the verge of arguing back but decided against it. ¡°Humbaba is immensely powerful in all aspects, Body, Mind, and Soul, and can regenerate from all wounds nonlethal. But the true problem lies in that he has four lives.¡±

    ¡°Three times, he can return from death and become immune to whatever the cause was. He cannot be killed the same way twice and each time he returns stronger.¡±

    Banda found nothing special in her claims. It sounded like they need only kill this being four times instead of once.

    ¡°What are your spells, Wild?¡± Eres continued.

    ¡°My name is Banda.¡± Banda frowned. That was the second time she had gotten his name wrong.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± She smiled teasingly. ¡°We¡¯re companions now, so it¡¯s in your best interest to be honest.¡±

    ¡°...Sharp Claw. Thunder. Roar. Mountain.¡± He had no need for deception about them.

    ¡°I can guess the first three well enough.¡± Their fight was fresh in her memory after all. ¡°What is Mountain?¡±

    ¡°Makes me strong, like a mountain. Harder to damage. All of me, not just Body.¡±

    ¡°So Spirit Reinforcement, basically.¡± Eres deduced. ¡°What about that form, where you turn feral?¡±

    ¡°Not a spell. My power.¡±

    ¡°Oh? A trait, or a bloodline, then. And? What is it exactly?¡± Eres¡¯ interest seemed to drift from the task ahead.

    ¡°I get stronger.¡±

    ¡°By how much?¡± Eres asked with a tone of patient condescension.

    Banda¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Same as you when you fight. More if I use Mountain.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Eres mused. ¡°30 times at your base, and then with your Mountain spell¡­ That would be that coating of divinity back then¡­ I¡¯m guessing around one hundred fold. That¡¯s quite incredible. But I remember you got stronger without Mountain when you broke out of my grip.¡±

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    ¡°I can get stronger. As much as I want. But I start to break.¡± A hint of annoyance slipped into Banda¡¯s tone. The weakness of his Spirit was the only thing holding him back. Were he able to wield his power without restraint, none would be his equal.

    Greater interest gleaned in Eres¡¯ eyes at the revelation. ¡°When you use it, does it feel like you¡¯re using a part of you inside, or does it feel like all of you?¡±

    ¡°All.¡±

    ¡°A primordial grade bloodline¡­ How many more surprises are you going to give me?¡± Eres smiled deep. ¡°Ah, but¡­ Then your¡­ ¡®trance¡¯...¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Banda asked as she trailed off in thought.

    ¡°Nevermind.¡± Eres decided not to ask what was on her mind.

    ¡°How are you this strong?¡± It was Banda¡¯s turn to interrogate. ¡°Humans shouldn¡¯t be as strong as me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re human, too.¡± Eres explained, though from Banda¡¯s slighted expression she figured it was best to drop the matter. ¡°Ishtar is a god of three domains, and I am granted priesthood of all three which makes me thrice as strong as normal priests. One of my spells, War Ready, grants me a tenfold boost, matching the thirty-fold of your¡­ let¡¯s say Feral Form.¡±

    Banda didn¡¯t care what she called his power, but he did care about what her¡¯s entailed.

    ¡°My other spells as Regeneration, which you¡¯ve seen. Dance of Ishtar allows my skill and intuition in combat to grow the longer I fight. And Bane makes my strikes inherently effective against whatever they strike, which you also know well.¡± Eres ran her hand the center of his chest where her lance had pierced through.

    Banda brushed away her hand. ¡°What about the other woman?¡±

    Eres gave him a questioning pause before breaking into laughter. ¡°That ¡®woman¡¯ is a manifestation of my being at its greatest potential. My Avatar. It¡¯s the ability of a very special trait I possess, the Vestal Warbide Physique.¡±

    As she calmed down, she noticed Banda didn¡¯t fully quite get it. ¡°It¡¯s stronger than me and I control it.¡±

    Banda fell into contemplation of his own. If it was truly not another human, but one of her own human tricks, that made her far stronger than he thought. Almost rivalling Monga. And if she was that strong, perhaps she was not lying about Humbaba. Banda was reluctant to accept such absurdity, but he could not fully deny it.

    ¡°Back to our plan.¡± Eres cleared her throat to bring his focus back to her. ¡°Bane is my most potent attack, so we need to save it for the fourth life. I¡¯ll take the first with my fire, so you¡¯ll take the next two. Which of Sharp Claw and Thunder are strongest?¡±

    ¡°Both are strong.¡± A foolish question he thought, as the answer depending on the circumstances of the fight.

    ¡°Then use them in whichever order you want. But only one of them on each life.¡± Eres walked back to the edge of the cliff as she spoke, her sight set upon the tower¡¯s entrance. ¡°Follow close and use as little divinity as possible.¡±

    ---

    The priests of Ishtar patrolled the base of the tower in silent vigilance, none more so than the Honor Guard. The grand open doorway to the tower was guarded by no less than twelve of them, with the rest combing the nearby areas.

    No one was permitted to enter the tower and no one under suspicion was spared mercy, which left the entrance completely deserted, save for the priests.

    A golden masked Honor Guard passed by a small alley way, and two hands emerged from the shadows behind. The moment the hands grabbed the man, he was submerged in silence, and before the next moment passed he was pulled into the dark. And the alley was still once more.

    In a short while after, three Honor Guards calmly appeared in a blur in front of the guards at the entrance who showed unrestrained attention on them.

    ¡°Why have you left you patrols?¡± One guard asked, his attire no different from any other.

    ¡°Some have gone missing.¡± One of the three answered, bluntly and emotionlessly.

    Without warning, the doorkeeper thrust his spear through the chest of the one that responded, as two others lunged towards the two that remained.

    ¡°Do not harm the Sacred Priestess.¡±

    However, as the doorkeeper spoke, the Honor Guard he stabbed grasped his arms with unhindered strength. The shining light of iridescent cracks broke out all over his body, and the same happened to the other two newcomers who lunged recklessly into their opponents.

    Too quickly for the entrance guards to respond, all three mind controlled Honor Guards detonated their spirits in a calamitous explosion that brought half of the others with them in death.

    One of the remaining entrance guards, shattered a crystal in his hand, and the invisibility that cloaked the trio as they rushed towards the entrance shattered with it.

    Banda acted first, before anyone else. He breathed in deep and let loose a pulsing Roar to blast away the rest of the guards, granting the three of them enough time to slip through the shimmering portal of the tower¡¯s door.

    Passing through a gate was a sensation Banda had never felt before. It was like falling into a lake at first whose waters did not wet his body. And then through the sky, where even his instincts could not tell up from down.

    And finally, he found himself back within the world. A mountainous forest, more barren than the one he called his own, beneath a cloudy sky that draped the land in a dim murky light.

    Banda¡¯s focused snapped back to the entrance, where the priests started to swarm out from in increasingly greater numbers. He turned ready for a fight, no matter what Eres had warned, but with her back to the entrance and the pursuing priests, she pulled out a winged amulet that swept them up in a soaring light.

    In the blink of an eye, Banda found himself in a new environment, along with Eres and Montu. A giant cave, with no exit to be seen.

    Its stone walls seemed hardy, its rocky floor bare saved for patches of grass and small plants. But Banda had paid no attention to the cave beyond what his sense first took in, as his focus was on nothing but the creature looming before them.

    A giant creature of dwarf proportions. Its head was a third of its size. Its legs short and as thick of a tree trunks but its even larger arms were long enough to graze the knuckles of its massive fists across the ground from its slightly hunched squat.

    Gray bark-like skin covered the whole of its body, and its hideous face was like a mask of stone, with large square teeth lining the opening of its mouth.

    No sooner did the arrive that the giant flinched. Light swirled into glowing orbs of red light within its hollow eyes that set its sights on the three of them.

    The creature dug the weight of its mighty body into the ground and let out a roar with the crushing weight of its presence that put Banda on edge. And Banda knew this was Humbaba.

    Fire wove around Eres¡¯ hands and surged against the gatekeeper. She poured her effort and ruthlessness with utmost seriousness, burying the thrashing giant in flames until its thrashes died down and its body collapsed into crumbling ash.

    But within moments, the body reformed like pulsing flesh from its mask-like head. The now glossy-skinned gray giant roared again more imposing than before.

    Eres lept behind Banda and relaxed her posture slightly. ¡°Your turn.¡±

 Chapter 6 - Humbaba

    Banda burst towards Humbaba in Feral Form, and the giant whipped its arm at blinding speed, tearing through a chunk of the ground along with the misty vestiges of the savage¡¯s illusion.

    Five slashes ripped deep into Humbaba¡¯s side drawing a cascade of blood. The giant turned and slammed its other fist down on an empty spot, as Banda appeared out of the invisibility as he leapt back. The wound he inflicted already nearly healed.

    ¡°It can use Field! Invisibility is pointless up close.¡± Montu yelled out to him. Banda didn¡¯t know of the power Montu spoke off, but he had already deduced it. Humbaba could sense him.

    Montu raised his open hands to his face as he struck fiercely at the giant¡¯s mind with his own. But his attack did nothing but gain Humbaba¡¯s attention. In the blink of an eye, a giant stony arm destroyed him. His tattered body turned to mist as he appeared out of the veil, sliding back behind Eres.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do more than support.¡± Montu spoke calmly.

    ¡°It¡¯s good enough!¡± Eres blasted Humbaba¡¯s eyes with a fireball to block its sight as she looked to Banda. ¡°Keep its focus on you!¡±

    Banda clawed through the back of its ankle, having already moved before she spoke. He darted away from the retaliation, and vaulted and dashed some more around the giant¡¯s strikes as it thrashed around.

    Humbaba whipped and smashed as Banda ripped and tore. Banda pursued the giant¡¯s death like a callous hunter but no matter how many wounds he inflicted, the giant showed no signs of weakening.

    A half dozen clones of Banda lunged into the fray from all directions. Humbaba directed its hostility on the clones while Banda spared them no more than the slightest glance before he sprinted up the giant¡¯s body towards its head.

    Banda thrust his claws but his strike went only half a hand deep. He vaulted over to the other shoulder as Humbaba¡¯s struck its own head with a deafening slap. Banda rushed around the giant¡¯s shoulders and pierced again and again at its skull as he dodged the volley of blows Humbaba battered itself with.

    Finally the giant flailed to the ground, forcing Banda to dismount. He had only considered it a possibility before, but now he was forced to recognize that Eres was telling the truth. If this creature grew stronger than this twice more, it would be stronger than Monga.

    ¡°Coordinate with the clones again-¡±

    Banda paid her no mind as he shot forward again faster than lightning, and buried his arm through an eye of the giant, deep enough to reach the brain. He ripped out a chunk, and swung around the giant¡¯s strike to pierce its other eye.

    Once, twice, and three times more, he impaled Humbaba¡¯s black eyes faster than they could regenerate. And finally it adapted, using one of its hands to cover them. Just as Banda wanted.

    Without a shred of pause, he attacked the giant¡¯s skull once again. The giant slapped and battered away at him but with only one arm, banda had far more time to strike.

    Twice or even three times with each stop he struck, chipping away enough to stab into the brain. Humbaba healed but Banda damaged faster. Soon its reckless attacks faltered and the giant fell to the ground with a spasm.

    Banda jumped away to a prone crouch in front of Eres, waiting for Humbaba to rise again. Just as before, its fleshed writhed and pulsed as it stood again, it¡¯s bark-like skin hardening to scarlet red stone.

    In an instant, it mauled Banda away. A blur of movement almost too fast for any of them could react to. Blood splattered against as the savage¡¯s body crated the cave wall, and Banda did not get up.

    Eres¡¯ eyes opened wide with shock, almost failing to conjure her Avatar against Humbaba¡¯s second attack. The massive strike cracked her shield, and knocked the Avatar back hard, to Eres¡¯ further disarray.

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    Her Avatar¡¯s shield was not special because it was more durable than the avatar itself, but because it nullified the effects of impact against its position. And Humbaba¡¯s strike had ignored that.

    ¡°What is this¡­? The difference between the second and third life shouldn¡¯t be this great¡­¡± Eres glanced over to the still unmoving Banda and back to Humbaba.

    Gone was the mindless aggression from before, its glowing eyes now baring traces of intelligent thought. And a strange vile aura had started to seep from his body.

    Montu burst into a crowd of clones that swarmed towards Humbaba. The giant¡¯s emotionless eyes crawled over them, and he struck down on an empty space. Montu appeared behind Eres yet again, his left arm limp and blood trickling down the side of his head.

    ¡°The range of its Field is larger¡­¡± Montu revealed, as concern now showed deeply in his face.

    The situation worsened the more they discovered. Eres did not even spare the time to respond. Her mind too preoccupied with figuring a way overcome this trial. She had but one more hand to play, and Humbaba had two lives remaining. She could kill it as it was now, but that left the last step with grave odds.

    Humbaba stepped forward, and Banda exploded with divinity. Horns grew large with feral regality from his head. His body still bloodied and battered though it mattered not to his violent mind.

    Banda flung himself forward and slammed his fist into the giant¡¯s face, cracking the side of its mask-like head and sending it cratering into the wall of the cave on the other side. Banda charged again but Humbaba was the one to strike this time. A dull gong rang out from the blow and Banda was knocked back only a short distance, revealing the sheer weight of the horned savage.

    Eres looked on in awe at the titanic battle. Banda a rampaging beast and Humbaba a brutal giant, the two pummeling one another with murderous abandon.

    Banda was superior, and only growing stronger. His strikes more damaging and his body so dense he hardly took any any in return. But iridescent fractures on his body were already starting to spread from the strain of his horned form.

    ¡°This is bad¡­¡± Eres thought, more calmly than she expected in such a situation.

    If Banda were focused in this form, he would emerge victorious without question. But if he kept fighting like this then his Spirit would break before Humbaba¡¯s body did.

    The Chains of Heaven could suppress Banda out of his form, but it would leave him helpless against Humbaba.

    The golden-eyed priestess charged forward with an Avatar of War at her back. Baleful aura emanate from the tip of its lance.

    The giant¡¯s sight darted to Eres and Banda took the opening to crack its head into the ground. The avatar thrust at the opportunity, but the giant twisted away and smacked Banda in the air with the back of its hand.

    Humbaba turned its focus to Eres as she circled him with guarded intent. Banda reappeared before the giant¡¯s face faster than expected, but Humbaba spared it only the slightest moment before ignoring the illusion.

    The giant slipped its head past a second thrust of the avatar¡¯s lance and struck at the transparent shield protecting Eres.

    As his fist struck, the black aura of Bane covered the shield. The avatar slid back only a dozen yards as Humbaba withdrew the corroding knuckles of his fist. And Banda fell from above. The savage raised his arms and smashed Humbaba¡¯s skull.

    The sheer cratered the giant into the ground, and nearly broke it¡¯s skull apart. But the giant endured. And before either it or Banda could strike again, Eres¡¯ baleful lance pierced through Humbaba¡¯s wounds, and golden chains locked him in place.

    Eres focused intently and Banda¡¯s horns crumbled like ash. The golden chains vanished the moment consciousness returned to his eyes, and Banda took stock of the sight before his eyes. He dashed over by Eres¡¯ side as Humbaba started to reform again.

    ¡°Plan¡¯s changed.¡± Eres spoke without waste or delay. ¡°I don¡¯t have an easy way to kill Humbaba anymore. We have to break him down with whatever we have until he stays broken.¡±

    Eres steeled herself as Humbaba stood tall for the final time. Four horns fully formed on the crown of its head, its sheer presence made the air around them feel like lead.

    ¡°Use me as I use you.¡±

    Humbaba mauled at Banda again, even more fearsome than before. But this time Banda dodged, wary of the strange strike that made blocking pointless. Even still, he could only barely avoid the strike even with the help of his instincts.

    Humbaba did not strike at him again, and instead carried his charge towards Eres. But as Humbaba struck, a golden aura covered her shield this time to block the overwhelming punch clean.

    Divinity surged around Eres and her avatar, golden and bright. It¡¯s presence no lesser than Humbaba¡¯s. A warm and destructive weight. A tyrannical light that allowed no other. A sun within the sky.

 Chapter 7 - The Perilous First Step

    Eres charged forward, as her Avatar¡¯s shield weathered the flurry of mountain destroying strikes that greeted her. Her baleful lance of black and gold pierced partially into Humbaba¡¯s chest, despite its immunity to sharp wounds, despite its immunity to Bane.

    The Avatar pulled the lance out and tried to strike again, but Humbaba slapped it away. The giant struck around Eres¡¯ shield with its other hand, and Banda knocked it off balance with a thunderous punch. Small cracks burst across the side of its face, but they rapidly healed in no time at all.

    Eres rushed past Banda as the giant stumbled. Humbaba had become more skilled in body and thought than ever before. Its movements sharper, it¡¯s strikes more cruelly aimed. But Eres in contrast, and become more inexplicable.

    Her movements and attacks flowed with neither rhyme nor reason. Some strikes she blocked with the avatar¡¯s shield, some she opted to dodge at a hair¡¯s breadth to land a better strike of her own.

    Banda lunged at the openings inbetween, to wound Humbaba or protect her, but Eres continued to fight as though no one else but her resided in this world.

    Her smile grew wider as did the madness in her expression and the ecstasy in her eyes, and her skill grew with it. Iridescent spiritual cracks split over her form, but she paid no mind to the threat to her very existence.

    More and more, she gained supremacy in her battle against the giant, and more and more she wounded him. An ever victorious dance on the boundary between life and death.

    Banda landed on the ground with the two of them in his sight. He wondered why her plan wasn¡¯t to kill Humbaba herself, but if she had said otherwise in spite of this then she must know the chance wasn¡¯t high.

    His memory was hazy after Humbaba landed that strike. It always was after he went into a trance. But if the red giant wasn¡¯t broken by that form, then the normal limits of his might wouldn¡¯t be enough. It was foolish to waste any more strength on wounds that would just heal. He needed to kill the giant in a single strike.

    Banda crouched in his upright stance. The shimmer of Mountain flowed over his body and he delved deeper into his power. His feral body turned more beastial still, his face truly that of a monstrous savage. Divinity surged out from him, as he channeled it all into his fist.

    Humbaba¡¯s focus jolted towards Banda, to the cataclysmic cracking of the Thunder spell swirling around his clenched hand. But the thrust of a lance and the unexpected pummeling of a shield forced him to back to his current foe.

    Eres struck and battered and deflected and blocked and danced with her giant opponent as Banda poured his divinity, struggling to keep the raw power contained within the spell.

    With a burst of desperation, Humbaba broke free of Eres, allowing her lance to pierce its skull on the way. But no paltry wound could tear it from its single minded charge. Banda cracked the stone ground beneath as he leapt in the air towards the charging giant.

    Humbaba raged in response and held back its massive arm for a strike more mighty than he had ever thrown since this fight began. And a lance pierced through the wound still in its skull and out through its left eye.

    Humbaba faltered for a moment, and Eres grinned wide in triumphant bliss, her avatar still in the stance it had thrown its lance from. Humbaba turned its gaze back towards Banda but it was too late.

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    The Savage of Cedar Forest slammed down his fist on the giant¡¯s skull with the greatest thunder, fracturing it completely and shattering the fractures. Humbaba¡¯s crown of horns fell in broken fragments and the giant fell with it for the last time.

    Banda landed on his feet, more exhausted from battle than he could remember, and Eres jumped into his embrace. She held his face close to hers, smiling down at him with the purest of madness and joy. Banda found himself once again frozen before her, as though his very body did not want to look away.

    ¡°This is only the beginning~¡±

    Holy light drained down around her in his silent gaze from a large stone gate that opened with the void of space at the roof of the cave, but still her light was supreme. Banda¡¯s eyes darted down as he began slowly floating off the ground towards the light, and saw the same was true for Eres.

    In the midst of his wariness, Eres softly let go of him and pulled out a crystal jar from thin air and raised it high. ¡°And the first step~¡± The tone of her words almost music in the throes of bliss.

    A terrifying storm of divinity surged into the small jar like the currents of violent rivers, and that all powerful might started to wrap itself around Eres. Banda stared in awe at the woman before him, and she stared back with pride. And the terrifying face of Humbaba appeared besides them both with an ominous presence.

    Their focus jolted to the giant in shock. And in that opening, Montu snatched the jar from Eres¡¯ hands. It took her a split second to realize what had just happened, but it was a split second too late. Montu held out the jar, and a river of their divinity surged out from them both into it.

    ¡°I am sorry for the added loss, my lady.¡± Montu spoke calmly behind a diplomatic smile. His severe injuries nowhere to be seen. ¡°But I can¡¯t allow you to chase after me just yet. Even now, I¡¯m not so confident I can defeat you both. You are¡­ after all¡­ guided by fate.¡±

    Eres¡¯ expression swelled with rage and venom, too great for her to even speak a curse. A pain that could only come from the sting of a betrayal of this magnitude. And Banda let out a roar that filled the cave.

    The relief of hard fought victory. The confusing intoxication in someone he didn¡¯t understand. All of it forgotten in the face of his waning power. Banda thrashed his intent, desperately pulling what was his back within him through sheer will.

    ¡°Truly a monster¡­¡± Montu spoke without restraint. ¡°But there¡¯s no point in wasting your effort here.¡±

    The last vestiges of their divinity was pulled from them, and the crystal jar shattered. A pillar of divinity erupted around Montu like a blazing white flame, shrouding him within.

    And in mere moments, the pillar dispersed. The power that dwarfed even Humbaba¡¯s presence now a soft glow around the man that had now advanced into a stage beyond that of a mortal.

    White arms of holy light shot out from the gate in an instant and latched onto Montu who did not resist. The hands pulled him faster towards the gate, as though they rejected his very presence.

    Montu smiled down on Eres as he ascended, his eyes baring modest contempt unlike any look she had ever seen of him. ¡°Best not to act rashly, my lady. You have a long journey ahead.¡±

    Eres grit her teeth but delayed no longer. The winged amulet floated up from around her neck at her will, and the two vanished from the cave, reappearing under the same murky sky they found when they entered the Tower. There she stood, solemn and grim, and a killing intent buried everything around her.

    Immense rage beyond what Banda could bear rampaged within him. Never before had this happened to him. Never had his power been stolen. Never since the days he first opened his eyes had he been so weak.

    ¡°This is your fault!¡± Merciless bloodlust stormed Eres with his words. He could not kill her, for her life was his own. But even so, such was his hatred that he was struggling to restrain himself from trying. ¡°You took me from the forest! Your human stole my power! One you told me to spare!¡±

    Eres looked over at him, weathering the bloodlust as if it didn¡¯t exist. Her own mood was somber and intense, the look in her eyes now jaded with burning resolve. A cold fire that threatened to burn all but herself.

    ¡°Stop whining after a single setback.¡± Eres chided. Her eyes cold and sharp, her expression firm. ¡°The path ahead will bring countless more.¡±

    The two glared in their tense standstill, neither wavering against the other. A mortal beast and a failed queen alone in the middle of an unfamiliar forest.

 Chapter 8 - Journey of a Thousand Miles

    Banda prowled through the murky forest as though the land itself was his enemy. It was a far cry from the one he had called home his entire life.

    The trees were shorter with darker leaves and moss covered bark. Gnarled roots dug into the wet black soil, too wet for good footing and the patches of dank grass were too scant to compensate.

    But worst of all was the mist that draped the forest in every direction. Thin enough to make out his surroundings up close, but further away that thin mist overlapped into thick fog which prevented him from seeing more than several dozen yards ahead. Even his sense of smell felt impaired.

    Banda scowled with his feral face as his situation was even worse than he thought. Lost in such a perilous place without his divinity. Every step he took made him more and more aware of how weak he had become, and just how much he had lost. Only his vigilance against the threats of the wild kept his frustrations from overflowing.

    ¡°Hey.¡± Eres spoke up, trailing behind Banda.

    ¡°Be quiet.¡± Banda snapped back, as he kept check on every direction for danger. It was bad enough that he was weak, but now he had to protect her along with himself. Worse yet, this human had no sense for survival, insistent on making too much noise and not hiding her presence.

    ¡°What¡¯s your plan here?¡± The bored tone of Eres¡¯ words matched the look on her face.

    ¡°Find a lair before it gets dark.¡± Banda hoped she would be quiet with that answer.

    ¡°We need to find a town. A human lair.¡± She spoke again.

    ¡°No.¡± Banda vehemently refused. That was far more dangerous than being where they were now.

    Something suddenly caught his senses, and he darted by Eres¡¯ side in a crouching poise, ready to react to whatever came.

    Banda glanced around careful and keenly, and slowly the glow of eyes appeared from the dark of the forest. Large gray wolves stepped out from the trees, circling the two of them completely. Waiting and watching.

    Banda grabbed Eres by the arm and spun her behind him as a giant wolf lunged from their blindside with its jaw opened wide. Banda lowered his body beneath its fangs and lunged with it, burying his clawed hand through its throat until the force of his tackle that slammed into the dire wolf¡¯s chest stopped it in its tracks.

    The beast let out a pitiful, desperate yelp but Banda caught its trashing paw and ripped out his bloody arm as he kicked it away. The giant wolf tried to rise but collapsed as quickly as it tried, the blood that gushed from its neck drenched the soil beneath.

    Without pause, Banda turned to the pack of smaller wolves and let out a roar, more beastial than human. The wolves paused only a moment before they slunk back into the forest as quickly and calmly as they appeared.

    Banda grit his teeth in frustration. ¡°Send me back to my forest.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not possible right now. I used the last of my amulet power¡¯s to bring us out of Humbaba¡¯s lair.¡± Eres answered calmly.

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the place to stand around arguing. It may be the weakest floor of the tower, but we¡¯ll still die if we stay out here like this.¡± Eres glanced at the forest before turning back to him, her demeanor casual even after the wolf attack. ¡°We need a town.¡±

    ¡°No. Humans are worse.¡± Banda paid her little more attention than that, turning his focus to the motionless dire wolf.

    He opened his mouth wide as his eyes turned white. The wolf¡¯s soul seeped up and then ripped out with ease, flowing straight into the savage¡¯s mouth who swallowed it whole, to the wide-eyed surprised of the former priestess.

    Banda felt for the power he just absorbed and tried to harness it as he had always done but divinity refused to rise within him. Frustration mounted within Banda as he stopped, knowing full well it made no difference whether he tried for a few moments or a few days.

    ¡°That¡¯s a rare ability¡­¡± Eres commented. ¡°But I told you before, didn¡¯t I? We can¡¯t become demigods here.¡±

    ¡°Then what-¡±

    ¡°Cultivation.¡± Eres spoke with some grandeur, the calm look in her eyes that of one who had already made her decision. ¡°Power outside the realm of divinity. The path allowed only to mankind. You¡¯ve fought some before, haven¡¯t you? Monks.¡±

    Banda measured her in silence. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Eres placed a hand on her hip. ¡°I never had the opportunity to learn. I wasn¡¯t planning on becoming one anyway. But plenty of people here will know, and we can find out from them.¡±

    ¡°Too dangerous.¡± Banda asserted yet again. ¡°They¡¯re stronger than monsters.¡±

    ¡°All of the ones you¡¯ve met were high ranked. No one is capable enough to enter Cedar Forest otherwise. Most of the ones on this floor will be even weaker than we are now.¡±

    Banda didn¡¯t respond this time, and Eres caught notice that her words were finally starting to be heard. ¡°This is the only way we can be as strong as we used to.¡±

    ¡°...what does a town look like?¡± Banda relented for the sake of power.

    Eres smiled at the question. ¡°You remember the shanty town outside of the Tower? Many piles of stone and wood packed on top of each other. Behind a thin stone cliff.¡±

    Banda swung up a tree without hesitation, reaching the tip of its heights and peered over the land with careful focus until he found what he was looking for. A human lair.

    ---

    Banda and Eres walked up to the tan-colored stone wall with caution. It was as tall as a tree, and as Banda now realized, was made of many smaller pieces of stone cut into similar shapes and sizes. The whole structure was built over a small cliff that jutted out unevenly over the ground.

    He glanced to his side as they passed through strange land. Large patches of the same small plants covered the surrounding soil, save for small dirt paths in between.

    The fog of the forest didn¡¯t encroach on the large area of land surrounding the town, and sunlight seemed to shine a bit more easily over it, though the sky was still covered with light gray clouds.

    A few humans loitered around atop the wall. To Banda, it didn¡¯t seem as though they were hunting. More like patrolling for enemies, however poorly they did so. Regardless of which it was, he kept a sharp watch on them as they passed through an opening in the wall undisturbed.

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    Immediately, a rank stench struck Banda¡¯s nose. A sharp acrid scent that permeated from every corner of this wretched human lair. The forest had its share of foul smells too, though they were mostly suppressed by the rich earthly scent of dirt and plants. But it seemed he would find no such reprieve here.

    Banda did his best to ignore it as he inspected the town. Inside, the buildings were more varied than he expected. Some built with stone, some with wood, and no two were the same.

    It wasn¡¯t as mysterious or impressive as he expect. Even as he was now, Banda was fairly certain he could destroy these paltry human structures with ease. But the atmosphere was strange.

    He glanced back at the wall. It was not formidable, but something about it felt like it kept not just the fog out, but the forest itself.

    "Towns and cities within the Tower are Sanctuaries." Eres informed, as though she could hear his questioning thoughts. "Monsters are unable to enter, making them a safe haven for humans."

    This human lair could warn others to stay away, Banda understood. Most of the powerful beasts in the forest could do the same.

    "So, how is your first town? Impressed?" She asked.

    Banda was not. ¡°Where are the monks?¡±

    ¡°Everyone here, most likely. But monks are not all equal. We need to find a good teacher, preferable one that won¡¯t try to stab us in the back the moment we show it.¡± Her expression lowered into one slightly more serious.

    ¡°Find one fast.¡± Banda would not wait any longer than he had to.

    ¡°Now there¡¯s a pretty face.¡± A bearded stranger from across the street spoke loud enough to draw their attention. He was muscular with hair only on the top of his head and the bottom of his jaw.

    He wore better clothes and armor than Banda had seen on the ones on the wall. And down the right side of his face were the distinctive scars left from a mauling beast. The rough leather patch across his eye suggests he lost it from the same injury.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill anyone just yet.¡± Eres subtly whispered.

    ¡°Definitely haven¡¯t seen you before. I would have remembered.¡± The man had walked too close for Banda¡¯s liking.

    His off kilter jerky mannerisms that just wouldn¡¯t settle, even after he came to a stop, only served to further aggravate his sense for danger. Both hands had come to a rest on the hilt of his sword as naturally as taking a breath, without appearing threatening at all.

    ¡°Is it your job to remember?¡± Eres asked, her expression relaxed but distant. Her focused lingered on his leather eyepatch for a brief instant.

    ¡°You could say that.¡± The man pulled his gaze from Eres to peer at Banda, acutely taking measure of him. The sheer disregard for daring to challenge him so boldly almost made Banda¡¯s limbs tense in preparation, but he managed to just barely suppress it.

    ¡°Where did you come from?¡± The man directed his blunt question back to Eres, along with his odd gaze.

    ¡°Somewhere else.¡±

    The stranger¡¯s face moved oddly ¡°...Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°For reasons of our own.¡±

    The man let out a dull sound, almost a laugh, almost a hum. ¡°This isn¡¯t much of a conversation.¡±

    ¡°We could always make it a fight.¡± Eres¡¯ eyes narrowed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s in your best interest.¡± He leaned in slightly with the advice.

    The tension rose slightly with his words, and the two men behind him responded in kind, shifting their stances to something almost suited for combat. Banda made his presence small and unnoticeable in response, focusing on the neck of the scarred human he deemed most dangerous.

    A pause held the air, for what seemed a lot longer than the several moments it actually was. The man was the one to break his stare, shifting his gaze around with no rhyme nor reason accompanied by awkward facial movements, as he leaned back upright showing no intention to press further.

    ¡°We should speak again sometime.¡± He gave Banda a look and then Eres again as he took a few steps backwards, and turned around on his way.

    Eres waited until they were out of sight before continuing on. Banda lingered a half moment more before following close behind.

    They walked through the street without anything more than odd looks and wary stares before a wooden sign at the front of a building caught Eres¡¯ notice and she walked through the open door.

    Banda walked in after, and all eyes fell on them. Sharp. Hostile. Covetous. Banda¡¯s intent flooded the tavern in an instant, as piercing as fangs and claws. A promise of death from a beast to his challengers. Some of the rugged crowd in the tavern jolted to their feet in fear. Most were unable to move.

    ¡°Banda, stop.¡±

    ¡°They watch us¡­ like prey¡­ They think us weak!¡± Banda¡¯s intent grew heavier, more suffocating.

    It had been so many moons since he had experienced it that it felt almost foreign. He had been king. The weak fled from his path and the strong who challenged him did so with fear in the depths of their hearts before his gaze.

    But ever since he was pulled from his forest and robbed of his power, these humans dared to leer with drooling eyes as if he were food. Prey.

    Banda had tolerated much in this forest of stone for the sake of survival but his restraint was wearing thin. The resentment that had been festering deep within felt as though it would burn through his gut. And he would suppress it no longer.

    ¡°Stop.¡± Eres ordered more firmly this time.

    Banda stood still in place on the verge of snapping, but soon slowly cooled his intensity. His hostility remained though none could sense it behind his guarded eyes. Eres kept her gaze on him for a while before walking up towards the counter with her feral guard trailing behind.

    The customers of the tavern began to slowly sit back down, though the conversation and music had turned to mere hushed whispers amidst the tension, and some started to slip out of the building, trying their best to go unnoticed.

    ¡°...What will you have?¡± The man behind the tavern counter asked. His physique bulky with a bit of weight on it, and his appearance as rugged as his customers, though he seemed a bit firmer and more composed. Eres supposed that was necessary to run an establishment in a place like this.

    ¡°A cultivation teacher. Someone capable and trustworthy.¡±

    The tavern owner was silent for a moment. ¡°Not easy to find someone with both.¡±

    ¡°Surely there must be one or two.¡± Eres pushed.

    ¡°...man named Otto. Spends most of his time in the rundown manor northside. He¡¯s a drunk but he¡¯s capable at least.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Eres left at the same casually pace she entered, and Banda followed, staring at the humans around them. They walked across the street from the tavern and down a narrow alley heading north based on the low sun to their left.

    And stealthily trailing behind were a group of thugs from the tavern with ill intentions. The foremost one watched them round a corner and followed with quiet steps to carefully peer after.

    And a clawed hand pierced through his throat to the back. Banda grabbed the dead man by the neck and held his body out as two arrows sank into its back.

    He spun and hurled the body at an armored woman on the other side, cracking her head against a stone building, and in the same motion lunged for the archer. The man scarcely had time to even raise his bow before Banda tore out half his throat.

    One by one he targeted the rest wherever an opening form. Maiming. Ripping. Impaling. They tried to flee but Banda wouldn¡¯t let them. It was not a fight, but a slaughter.

    The last one found his trembling legs unable to run out of sheer terror and slashed his sword down in desperation. Banda grabbed his hand and broke it in his grip as the other seized his head.

    The man screamed in agony as Banda clenched down. His skull cracked and dented for a mere moment before giving in to the force, and shattered to a gory pulp in the savage¡¯s hand. But still, the rage swelled within him.

    ¡°I eat when I want! I hunt when I want! Only I am not prey! Only me!¡± Banda roared among the corpses slain without respect. Humbaba aside, the Gates of Heaven aside, he vowed he would make all within this tower lower their gaze and tremble again, like he had known before.

    Eres watched coldly from the side. Banda¡¯s savage nature had been a source of amusement and benefit to her, but this is the first time he has shown the true nature of a beast.

    These kills were not clean nor efficient, but done with contempt and cruelty. His fixation on this status of predator and prey was greater than she thought.

    She had planned to take her time in this hostile town but it seemed Banda¡¯s patience had worn far too thin. They needed to learn how to cultivate quickly, before his violent tendencies brought trouble they could not overcome.

    ¡°We should find this teacher before we lose the sun.¡± Eres spoke up calmly and carefully, assessing his response.

    Banda remained where he was for a few moments, before lashing the blood off his hands and walking over in silence. Eres turned to lead the way, and he followed with feral eyes.

 Chapter 9 - Cultivation

    ¡°What kind of herbs?¡± The elderly woman asked in a loud raspy voice. She wore thick brown and green robes and reeked of pungent herbs. The same herbs mashed into paste and potions lining the shelves of her small wooden store.

    ¡°A teacher. Not herbs. For cultivation.¡± Eres said for the second time.

    ¡°Ah¡­ There¡¯s one. Nice young woman. Keeps to herself. Expensive, but she¡¯ll show the the ropes. No, wait. She died¡­¡± The old herbalist sunk back to her thoughts and Eres wondered whether it was worth sticking around to hear the answer. ¡°There¡¯s that one boy. Odo, or something. Lazy drunk. But I hear he gives lessons up by that north manor.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Banda insisted. Eres paused for a moment in cold thought but taking note of his attitude, decided to not linger.

    ¡°Wait! Buy something.¡± The old woman called out.

    ¡°Another time.¡± Eres answered.

    ¡°Everyone wishes they had a potion when it¡¯s too late.¡± The alchemist called out but the door had already shut behind the duo.

    It took them hardly any time at all to reach the increasingly famous north manor. The town certainly didn¡¯t compensate for its dilapidated state in size. Even accounting for its crowded sprawl of peasant houses, it could likely only fit a populace of 10,000.

    As they finally came across their destination, Eres found the manor equally as unimpressive. Half an acre in size at most, courtyard included. The estate walls, built for vanity rather than protection, were mostly demolished and the modest manor itself was half a ruin.

    With no sign of a guard, she walked through the open gateway of the walls and over the cracked stone path. Lying on the stone steps of the broken building was a man with hands resting behind his head.

    The wide brimmed reed hat of a farmer shielded his face from what little of the sun shined down through the clouded sky. A tall clay jar of wine sat next to a pillar of the manor within reach, and resting on that same pillar were two sheathed swords in broad scabbards.

    ¡°Otto, I presume?¡± Eres asked as they walked close, stopping at a distance reasonable enough not to warrant hostilities.

    ¡°Depends on who¡¯s asking.¡± The man spoke through his reed hat.

    ¡°We want to learn how to cultivate.¡±

    Otto remained still for a bit, then he raises his hat to look at them. His expression casual, though his sight rested on Banda a split second longer than Eres. ¡°10 shards each.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have money.¡±

    ¡°Then come back when you do.¡± Otto let his hat fall back as he returned to his laze.

    Banda started to open his mouth but Eres spoke before he could. ¡°We can¡¯t wait.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s double if you pay me after.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll pay.¡±

    Otto rose sluggishly with a sigh and places his hat on the jar of wine. The man was fairly young. Late into his twenties or early into his thirties at most. He had pitch black hair down to his shoulders and a thin scruffy beard. Thick cloth and leather garb donned his body though there was nothing remarkable about it.

    ¡°Turn around, sit on the floor next to each other in a way you can maintain for a hour or so.¡± He told them carelessly, as though he didn¡¯t care whether they did it or not.

    Eres sat down first, in a graceful cross-legged posture. Banda was slower to move and simply crouched down. Sitting the way Eres did was too vulnerable.

    ¡°First thing you need to learn is Meditation. How to cycle the mana around you into aura. You won¡¯t get it on your own, so I have to do it for you the first time.¡± Otto placed his hands on their backs, just between the shoulder blades.

    An act heretical to the very nature of Banda¡¯s life but he allowed the exposure to such risk only because it was necessary.

    ¡°Let the mana enter you first.¡± Otto continued his lesson, ignorant of the conflict within Banda.

    A warmth began at Otto¡¯s hand and seeped through his back to the center of his of his gut, and a warmth of his own sprouted within Banda, like the barely smoldering embers of a fire. It felt similar to divinity, though far weaker.

    ¡°Image pulling the air around you into your center, just above the navel.¡±

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    Invigorating air seemed to flow into the embers, growing the pleasant fire within and filling his whole body with energy. Banda focused on the sensation and drew in the air faster, as though drawing a deep long breath. Though soon the mana he had plundered felt stagnant and bloated within him uncomfortably.

    ¡°Stir the mana like I do, as the sun rises from your left and sets on your right, and rises from the left again.¡±

    Banda did as instructed. The mana within him moved sluggishly at first as he strained his focus against it, but with each passing moment, it grew easier and faster. As Banda spun his mana around and around, he felt more control over it and more able to draw in even greater amounts.

    ¡°Now pull the mana along the path I guide through the body.¡± Otto spoke as soon as Banda felt full with mana again. ¡°Most of the work here needs to be done by you. Don¡¯t slack off.¡±

    Banda felt a stream branch off from the rotating mana in his center, up towards his right shoulder. Like blood flowing through a vein he could sense clearly. It was slow and hindered, though it flowing faster once Banda pushed it along the guided path.

    Up to his shoulder, down and back his right arm. Down his right side and leg to his foot and back up to his waist. Then down and up his other leg and the same again for his left arm. Then up through his head and finally down back to his center.

    At each change of direction, there was a point where it felt more difficult to push the mana, twelve in total. Banda focused on the stirring mana and found it had decreased. And he felt that the mana missing had remained within his flesh. It was like rivers flowing from lake to lake, and the water dampening the soil of the banks, remaining in the ground around it after the stream passed by.

    ¡°That¡¯s one cycle.¡± Otto explained. ¡°Keep going until the mana you drew in disperses. Try and cycle it on your own now.¡±

    The two sat motionless in concentration for another half hour until finally they could hold on to the cluster of mana no longer. Try as he might, Banda was forced to let go, and the spiralling mana within fled back out into the world in an instant.

    He had stolen much of it for himself, but still less than he had hoped. Far less in truth, but he could feel the small increase in the might of his body, and the slight increase of mana within him.

    ¡°Natural talents.¡± Otto praised.

    ¡°What you we do now?¡± Eres asked.

    ¡°This is the first stage of Rank 1, Spirit Tempering. Nothing much to it. Just keep cycling mana like this every day to strengthen your body, mind, and soul until it won¡¯t strengthen anymore. Your Aura capacity will increase too. Ah, but there is something else. While you were meditating, I had time to plant a Soul Seed in you two.¡±

    The atmosphere fell fell ominous and heavy at his casual words. A frenzy flared with Banda¡¯s mind, but he remained perfectly still. The hand on his back now felt like the paw of a giant beast.

    He couldn¡¯t move, not when Otto¡¯s maw was around his neck. Not when death was certain. Eres showed more grim panic on her face but looked over at Banda with just her eyes to glean his actions. As he remained still, so did she force herself to do the same.

    ¡°Oh? Sharper than the average scum in this town.¡± Otto praised them both at a glance. Gone was his laidback and irresponsible nature, replaced with an amused tyranny. ¡°I expected this from you, boy, but the noble girl, too? You must have had a hard life. But not hard enough if you made so much noise in a new place as soon as you arrived. You need to be more careful than that.¡±

    The moment Otto took his hands off as he stepped back, Banda spun away like beast, clawed fingers pressed to the ground for a fight to the death. Eres darted over right after and took a stance, but Otto didn¡¯t react in the slightest.

    ¡°And right after I praised you¡­¡± Aura enveloped Otto¡¯s hand and the duo were stricken with a terrible pain.

    Banda clutched his chest as he writhed on the ground. The agony that seared through his entire being was overwhelming but far worse than the pain, was that he couldn¡¯t tell where it came from. And he couldn¡¯t even begin to think of how to remove it.

    Otto disperse the aura of his art and the pain subsided. ¡°If I kept going for a bit longer, it would have destroyed your souls. Don¡¯t worry about payment for the lessons. A small favor for my newest workers. But there is the matter of the fee for my protection.¡± He sat back down on the stone steps with a smile on his face.

    Otto held up a single finger. ¡°100 shards, every ten days. From each of you. There¡¯s only a week left until the next collection, so you should hurry.¡± He waited with amusement at the two young heroes who did not dare to move.

    ¡°You¡¯re losing the light.¡±

    Eres was the first to make a move, carefully backing away and signaling little more than her intent for Banda to do the same.

    Banda held where he was, glaring at human who now held the mysterious means to threaten his life, though his expression now held a trace of reason and realization among the hostility. And he too backed away, until both he and Eres exited the courtyard and bounded away.

    Otto stared at the end of the courtyard in silent thought, and then towards his hand.

    ¡°You were more lenient with them than normal.¡± A woman in a silk gown unfit for combat spoke as she walked out from the manor. ¡°Is there something special about them?¡±

    She had light brown skin and long luscious dark brown hair. Most of her body was covered with hard green scales, as were her shoulders and the sides of her arms and legs.

    A thin silk veil covered the lower half of her face. Her eyes were a yellowish-green with vertical slit pupils, and tinged with obvious jealousy.

    Otto smiled as he pulled her into his embrace. ¡°They may be useful.¡± As he flirted with her behind attentive eyes, his thoughts were only on the duo.

    The girl, who he guessed was some young noble lady, had strange aura that almost rejected his own, despite her not even being a hero. And for a moment, standing behind his fellow tribe bastard felt like standing before a beast in the dark he could not see.

    The glean of a predator who had not eaten in a while started to rise in Otto¡¯s eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. His amusement was a pale second to power, always. And it was not yet time to harvest the seeds he had sown.

    ¡°This dull floor might finally show me something good.¡± Otto thought, as faint azure wisps flowed from the rest of the world into his clay wine jar.

 Chapter 10 - Dream Vision

    Eres barged through the door of the apothecary to the jolt of the elderly herbalist. ¡°You set us up.¡± She accused. Banda took notice of the uncharacteristic indignation in her expression.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The woman spoke clearly now, with no hint of the senility from before, nor of shame or fear towards them. ¡°If you¡¯re smart, you¡¯ll do the same. Life is as cheap as grass on the first floor.¡±

    Banda lunged but his hand was blocked by a dense wall of aura.

    ¡°Otto punishes those who reduce his income!¡± The herbalist yelled in fright, startled by the speed Banda had moved. ¡°You should not try that again.¡±

    ¡°Who is he?¡± Eres demanded.

    ¡°The lord of this slum some fools call a town.¡± The herbalist spat.

    ¡°And he stands alone? No one else challenges him?¡± Eres snapped back, her composure starting to drop.

    The alchemist laughed in mockery. ¡°He is a peak rank 2 monk. All who dared are dead. Only the gods know why he remains on this barren floor, but that is our burden to bare. And now it¡¯s yours too.¡±

    The herbalist¡¯s mocking laughter filled the room and Eres turned to leave, as she saw she would get no more information. The moment she stepped outside, her attitude returned to normal.

    ¡°You changed to trick her.¡± Banda deduced.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. This is a dangerous place. Better for us not to move stupidly.¡± That last comment was directed to Banda, and it did grate on him, but this time he didn¡¯t talk back. It was true that he had been too much of a rush to regain his power, and that had led them into the jaws of another.

    His renewed composure did not escape Eres¡¯ notice. ¡°What, have you finally accepted the situation?¡±

    ¡°What next?¡± Banda had his own plans but human society was too unfamiliar to him. He wasn¡¯t going to take anymore chances.

    Eres seemed like she had more to say but decided to let the matter be. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do right now. But we don¡¯t necessarily have to fight him. We just need to find a way to remove these Soul Seeds. Until then, we get stronger. Pay his quota to buy time and find out more about him and this town. We¡¯ll be here for a while.¡±

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d be angrier.¡± Banda had not expected her nonchalant acceptance of their dire situation.

    ¡°...It¡¯s just another setback.¡± Eres looked straight ahead as they walked. ¡°I told you before. Something like this would¡¯ve happened sooner or later. Though it would have been later if you listened more to me.¡±

    Banda didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°What, feeling guilty?¡± Eres asked with a teasing tone. She glanced to the side at an abandoned shack with a roof that didn¡¯t seem too damaged. ¡°This is good enough.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s still enough daylight to hunt.¡± Banda pointed out.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve slept. We can hunt all day tomorrow when I¡¯m rested. Unless you want to rush into things again?¡± She took note of Banda¡¯s conflicted silence with a smile, as she found an acceptable part of the wall to sit against. ¡°You can take first watch. Be a good guard dog and consider everyone an enemy.¡±

    Banda snubbed her words. He already considered humans enemies. They were more sly and treacherous than beasts and the short time he¡¯d spent in one of their lairs had only convinced him of that further. Though he kept silent as more important things were on his mind.

    The encounter with Otto had reminded him what it was truly like during his early days in the forest, when there were those stronger than him. The fear. The desperation. And the patience.

    A part of him was finally coming to terms with the fact that he lost his power, and how he needed to move to regain it. He had risen to the top once before, and he would do so again in this forest of humans.

    ---

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    Amidst a sea of black, two heavenly lights swirled into the shape of a man and woman. The two embraced in a dance of loving adoration, melding into one and separating once more.

    The woman pulled from her heart a golden flame and gave it all to the man, whose form now shone with its same glory. Brighter and brighter and brighter.

    Eres awoke from her dream with a frown. A new vision had finally been bestowed upon her, one doubtlessly for attempting to defy fate with the failed theft of Ishtar¡¯s divinity. The Retribution she had been anticipating ever since.

    The two beings were herself and Banda, without question. The interpretation was simple, as was the temporary solution. The worst would not manifest so long as she did not lie with him, but that was as at its core, merely delaying the inevitable. Eventually, fate would force her hand.

    The crux of the prophecy was the issue. She was to hand him golden fire. A metaphor for divinity or enlightenment or perhaps power. Or more characteristic of fate¡¯s cruelty, her power. She needed to find a way to satisfy the prophecy without losing what was hers.

    Eres glanced over at her meditating champion. ¡°Do you have any runts back in Cedar Forest? Some monsters do look quite human. Unless you¡¯ve been there so long you prefer beasts?¡±

    Banda didn¡¯t know what she was talking about, so he ignored her.

    ¡°A mate.¡± Eres clarified in the simplest of terms.

    ¡°No.¡± Banda gave the simplest of answers.

    ¡°None of the humans that ventured in ever caught your eye? There had to have been at least one.¡±

    ¡°I am not human.¡± Banda corrected her for the second time. ¡°I am the only one of my kind.¡±

    ¡°Capable and convenient.¡± Eres spoke with a trace of relief. If he had no such drives, she would not be the one to instill them. ¡°Be sure to stay that way.¡±

    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Banda changed the subject to something more productive and something that would irritate him less.

    ¡°We have three main goals. Gain power through cultivation. Search for a method to remove these soul seeds. And acquire shards so Otto doesn¡¯t kill us in the process. With that said¡­¡± Eres shifted her attitude into one more serious, as she started to walk off. ¡°We should get stated on the latter.¡±

    ---

    Banda knocked a seedy looking man into a wall. As a resident of this first floor slum town, he was no doubt guilty of much, though the only failing that led him to his current predicament now was that he had crossed the path of an ambitious duo.

    ¡°Tell me everything you know about Otto.¡± Eres asked sternly.

    ¡°He¡¯s a peak rank 2 monk.¡± The man stammered, his face covered in new bruises.

    ¡°If that¡¯s all you have, you¡¯re useless to me.¡± She gestured and Banda stepped forward.

    ¡°Wait, wait! He¡¯s a warrior, uses two scimitars. Has this high grade art, Crimson Edge. Makes his blades hot enough to cut through anything.¡±

    ¡°And the Soul Seed art?¡± Eres¡¯ cold intensity did not lower in the slightest. The man hesitated and Eres saw the mark of a someone swallowing information. ¡°Tear off his arm.¡±

    ¡°A-Alright! Shit¡­" Panic overcame the man, as he seemed to resign himself. "It puts something in your soul that he can use to destroy it. That¡¯s all I know about how it works. But, he¡¯s not a shaman. It doesn¡¯t work well enough on other rank 2s, they can just remove it. None of the other slumlords have it¡­ They answer to him, pay tribute to keep their territory because he has more underlings than anyone.¡±

    This was new information to Eres, one she considered a welcome surprise. ¡°Tell me all the stages of rank 1.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I¡¯m still at Spirit Tempering.¡±

    ¡°Where can we get martial arts?¡± Eres asked her second priority.

    ¡°The Bazaar. In the town square.¡±

    "And how do we get to the second floor?" Eres asked her third priority, though her intensity subtly rose.

    The man paused for a moment, as though taken off guard by the question. "You make an offering to the Tower... 1,000 Manastones."

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all.¡± At her signal, Banda snapped the man''s neck fast enough for him to fall before he even realized he was dead. ¡°Cleaner death than I expected.¡±

    ¡°Blood draws others.¡± Banda explained this simple knowledge.

    ¡°Hmm~¡±

    ¡°...what?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s reassuring to have such a capable champion.¡± Eres smiled.

    ¡°He was weak¡­¡± Banda didn¡¯t know why they needed to bother with someone who would never be a threat.

    ¡°And he could talk. A very troublesome combination.¡± Eres eyes narrowed. ¡°Since there¡¯s no way of knowing who is or isn¡¯t, we should assume everyone is under Otto¡¯s control. But on the bright side, this is a promising day. No need to take a risk with someone else, we just need to reach rank 2.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s best to keep learning from Otto.¡± Eres noticed his disapproving stare. ¡°He¡¯ll know what stage we are anyway. Trying to hide it will only make things worse. I don¡¯t know much about cultivation but I know there are three stages of each rank. We get the next two stages of rank 1 from Otto, then we find out how to advance on our own.¡±

    ¡°But for now¡­¡± Eres continues as she walked up to the corpse and rummaged through its belongings. ¡°We need martial arts. There¡¯s only so far we can get with raw strength alone.¡±

    ¡°I was the strongest in the forest.¡± Banda reminded.

    ¡°You had divine spells.¡± Her expression changed as she found what she¡¯s looking for. She held up a small dimly glowing light-blue crystal from the leather pouch. ¡°We have some work to do before the bazaar.¡±

 Chapter 11 - Human Tricks

    The duo headed to the center of town after a productive day of hunting humans for their shards. Eres had been selective about her targets. Not too weak that their time would be wasted, and not too strong that their absence would be missed.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we keep hunting humans?¡± Banda asked. It was beneficial to them after all, or so he was told. And it was easy.

    ¡°That old herbalist told us, didn¡¯t she? Otto doesn¡¯t like his income being disrupted.¡± Eres walked with her gaze set forward, sparring barely a glance on but a few they passed by. ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem this one time, but if we keep doing it, he¡¯ll see as a burdens.¡±

    As they spoke, the two walked into a large open area bustling with activity. A crowded stone-paved space half an acre large, centered around a dusty foundation covered in weeds.

    The bazaar gave off quite a different atmosphere than the largely sullen and depressing alleys they had spent most of their time in thus far.

    Peddlers lined the outskirts of the square and the dry foundation in the center. Some had wooden stalls draped with cloth to shield the murky orange light of the sun. Others simply sat on the ground with a few items spread out on cheap cloth. All sold their wares to the several hundred hardened residents walking around, the buzz of arguments and haggling filled the air.

    Eres glanced around as she walked with purpose. Only a few moments passed before she turned towards a middle aged man sat on the ground behind a few dozen thin books arranged neatly on a sheet of white cloth.

    He was short, with a lazy eye and missing more than a few teeth. He wore dirty cheap cloth, and bore the weathered look of someone who had spent too long in place like this.

    ¡°How do martial arts books work?¡± Eres asked.

    The peddler glanced up in silence at them for a moment, his expression unchanged. ¡°Put your aura intah one. Puts the circle in your mind.¡± He tapped the side of his head once with his finger.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite convenient.¡± She commented.

    ¡°Have to keep drawing it everyday, or ya¡¯ll lose it. Takes a while to master, too.¡± The man continued.

    ¡°What kinds of arts do you have?¡± Eres asked.

    ¡°All kinds. Only low grade. Name¡¯s on the cover.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Eres glanced over them. [ Stoneskin ]. [ Glare ]. [ Earth Spike ]. The man certainly seemed to have a range of arts, though none in particular appealed to her. She settled on one that would do for now and reached for it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch ¡®till you buy.¡± The peddler spoke up. ¡°Rules. Use the books here, then leave.¡±

    Eres registered the norms and customs of the bazaar without offense and turned to Banda ¡°Which one do you¡­ Ah, can you read?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Banda didn¡¯t know what ''read'' meant.

    ¡°If you could have any of your spells right now, which would you want the most?¡± Eres asked.

    ¡°Mountain.¡±

    ¡°Something that reinforces the body, soul and mind.¡± Eres told the peddler.

    ¡°Nothin¡¯ like that.¡± The peddler responded. ¡°Only low grade.¡±

    ¡°...then Sharp Claw.¡± Banda settled for his second choice.

    ¡°Beast Claw and Palm Blast.¡± Eres told the peddler.

    ¡°120 Shards.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot¡­¡± Eres commented.

    ¡°120 Shards.¡± The book peddler repeated.

    Eres paused a moment then handed over a worn leather pouch containing nearly all they had gained before they came to the bazaar. The peddler glanced in as he opened the pouch and stuck his hand in.

    A green glow enveloped his hand and spread to the shards. The majority of the small fragments melded together into a darker blue crystal, far too small for the mass of shards that made it.

    The peddler jostled the pouch of the remaining 20 shards and pocketed them all, handing over the two martial arts books in return.

    ¡°How did you do that?¡± Eres asked with interest, as she took the books, handing Beast Claw to Banda.

    ¡°Put your aura into Shards. They¡¯ll make a Mana Crystal on their own. Hundred Shards to a Crystal. Can¡¯t undo it.¡± He answered plainly. ¡°Use the books.¡±

    Banda glanced at Eres as she gathered her aura to focus it into the pile of strange leaves she had just obtained, and did the same.

    A strange sensation filled him immediately, as though someone had imparted wisdom on him without speaking. His consciousness was made to focus on a dark sea he could tell instinctively was his mind.

    A white light started to carve itself on the surface of the sea. The lines twisted and swirled and jotted, leaving behind a glowing white trail that soon became an intricate pattern within a circle. A pattern more complex and mysterious than anything he¡¯d ever seen.

    The moment it was complete, Banda understood what the circle could do and how it worked. Without hesitation, he channeled aura into the circle. It was slow and clumsy at first, but soon the circle shone brightly.

    Banda flexed his hands as the muscles and tendons tightened with strength. His nails grew twice as long in sporadic and difficult bursts, and gleaned with a mystical sharpness.

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    Banda opened his eyes and glanced at his transformed hand. It was more straining than the Sharp Claw he had become accustomed to all these years, and he could tell it was not as good.

    He still didn¡¯t understand how he understood this ¡®martial art¡¯, but he did. And he could feel his aura slowly draining as he used it.

    He stopped pushing his aura into the circle within his mind, and his hands returned to normal. Eres walked off without using her art and Banda followed.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t work?¡± Banda asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the type of art I can test in a crowd.¡± Eres answered.

    ¡°...It wasn¡¯t hard to get those Shards.¡± Banda spoke again, harkening back to Eres¡¯ response to the price of their arts.

    ¡°I was lying.¡± Eres said bluntly. ¡°If everyone knows we have a lot of shards, they¡¯ll try to rob us.¡±

    ¡°We kill them.¡± Banda offered an easy solution.

    ¡°That wastes time and aura better spent elsewhere. This is only the first floor, we should try not to stay too long.¡± Eres led them out of the wall¡¯s open gate and towards the murky forest once more. She looked at Banda with a smile. ¡°You take the lead for this part.¡±

    ---

    A giant scorpion scurried out from the dark trees towards Banda with hissing clicks. Banda hopped from side to side out of the reach of its large pincers. He feinted forward and lurched his upper body to the side, dodging the blurring strike of its stinger.

    That was the true main weapon of a scorpion, as Banda well knew. It struck fast and stretched further than what seemed possible.

    The shelled segments of its tail were bonded together by a dark sinewy flesh that couldn¡¯t be seen in its resting state. A deceptive design of the monster.

    Banda gripped its tail just below the stinger, and whipped its body against a tree to shatter its hard carapace. The giant scorpion squirmed and twitched but Banda turned his focus away, knowing that was nothing more than the death throes of a creature who would not rise again.

    A short distance away, Eres faced off another scorpion. She wielded a sword in her right hand and a simple round shield on her left, different from the ones she had used to fight against him. Far worse in quality.

    The stinger pierced out and she turned her shield, letting the sharp long stinger scrap by harmlessly as she cut through the vulnerable sinew with a single swing.

    Eres switched the grip of her shield to hold it by the edge, baiting the frantic scorpion to grab hold with both pincers. The moment it did, she slide her sword inbetween its brow straight into its brain.

    Two more giant scorpions scurried out towards her. Her shield vanished into the air as she gathered a violent swirl of aura in her palm. She thrust her hand out and the aura exploded, blasting the scorpions away with concussive force and shattering small chunks off the creatures.

    ¡°Any more?¡± Eres asked.

    ¡°No.¡±

    She walked over to one of the three monsters she just killed and used her sword to pry open the shelled segments of its torso. Banda did the same for his, though he more simply ripped them away and pulled out a rough dark red stone from the corpse.

    Banda had seen them before many times but had no use for them in the past. Only on this very day had he learned what they were. The core of a monster, the source by which mana flowed through them.

    He infused his aura in and the red stone crumbled away in fragments, leaving behind a single small blue shard. These so called ¡®low-grade¡¯ weak Rank 1 monsters gave only one shard each, meaning they had five more days to kill 200 of them. More than enough time. Banda could easily gather twice as many Shards by himself.

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day.¡± Eres spoke casually, then noticed Banda¡¯s annoyed expression. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. My base strength is that of a normal human without my priesthood. And most of us don¡¯t have a costless enhancement ability. Palm Blast seems decent enough, but it takes too much of my aura. 7 or 8 is probably my limit.¡±

    ¡°Use your avatar.¡± Banda interrupted as she started to ramble off.

    ¡°That costs half of my mana. Or I suppose it¡¯s aura now. Even I conjured a single arm, it would still cost a tenth. Plus it wouldn¡¯t be good if anyone saw it. Not something I can use carelessly.¡± Eres¡¯ sword disappeared as she talked.

    ¡°How do you do that?¡± Banda asked a question that had been on his mind for a while now.

    ¡°A spatial ring.¡± Eres held out her left hand to show a silver ring on her finger. ¡°It can store a great many things within it. It wouldn¡¯t be good if anyone found out about this either.¡±

    ¡°I thought about this when we fought, but you really don¡¯t use any weapons, huh? Not even a crude club?¡± Eres changed the topic to something she was interested in.

    ¡°Things break. Or get lost. Or taken. I only trust myself.¡± Banda only had faith in his own body in a fight. Mere things would surely let him down as they had done in the past.

    ¡°Well, we agree on that at least.¡±

    ¡°You use weapons.¡± Banda pointed out.

    ¡°Nothing I¡¯m attached to.¡± Eres walked off in the direction of the town. ¡°We should try hunting somewhere else tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Banda agreed. The monsters near the town were weak. If Shards gave them strength, then he would hunt as much as he could.

    ---

    Banda sat in meditation in the broken down shack they¡¯d claimed as their home. Mana cycled through his body as deeply and precisely as he could manage, converting into strength and aura that was his own.

    The two of them took turns meditation. His senses and instincts worked just fine in meditation, but it required his full focus. Something that could dull his response to danger, which meant he was more vulnerable. That fact still bothered him, but Banda was not about to delay his pursuit of power for that small risk alone.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d put so much effort into this right away. Or sit still.¡± Eres said as she watched him.

    ¡°It makes me stronger.¡± Banda opened his eyes as his grip on the world¡¯s mana dispersed with his limits.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you think in the long term about your power. Cultivation is different from divinity. We can only reach our full potential by making our foundations as deep and firm as possible.¡±

    ¡°Did the lying human teach you that?¡± Banda asked without a shred of tact.

    Eres¡¯ expression flattened slightly in response, the look in her eyes as she glanced down became colder and more complicated. ¡°...Montu was my guardian since I was young. Maybe the closest thing I had to a father, but I don¡¯t really know what that¡¯s like. He was to be my Sukkal for all of my journey in Eden and beyond.¡±

    Eres looked straight at Banda with a serious expression. ¡°Betrayal is common on a path like ours. You should get used to expecting it. The only ones we can trust are each other.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust you.¡± Banda declared, which made her laugh for some reason.

    ¡°...What do you want in this life, Wild?¡± Eres asked with a sense of intimacy.

    ¡°Survive.¡±

    ¡°To do what?¡±

    ¡°Live.¡±

    ¡°So boring¡­¡± Eres seemed a little disappointed with his answers, and seemed to want to convince him otherwise. ¡°Life is more than just living, you know.¡±

    Annoyance boiled within the pit of Banda¡¯s stomach. She took something as unpromised as survival so lightly. ¡°You are greedy. Fat beasts get slower, make mistakes. They don¡¯t last long.¡±

    ¡°Savage wisdom is so profound¡­¡± Eres smiled in partial mockery at his insulting warning, and closed her eyes against the building wall. ¡°Guard the door properly then, lean beast.¡±

    With the former priestess selfishly settling down to sleep, Banda turned his focus to the surroundings just outside the house, as he would have done whether she asked or not.

    The silent moments dragged by and he found himself glancing up through the holes in the roof at the sky above, only realizing just now that it had been a while since the last time he had.

 Chapter 12 - Races of Mankind

    Eres stood with Banda in the courtyard of the north manor under the warm light of the morning. Among them was a crowd of a few hundred. Fellow thralls, Eres assumed, bonded in servitude under the threat of a Soul Seed.

    She glanced ahead, noting a few dozen people separate from them who faced off against the rest. They were better equipped on average, with a bolder presence and prouder expressions.

    Likely servants themselves, though something more akin to an elite guard, Eres guessed. Perhaps they received additional privileges and less dangerous work to be the swords Otto wielded to keep his embittered underlings in line.

    Eres glanced around the crowd again, and her estimation of Otto rose. It was a great risk to gather so many who certainly wanted him dead all at once like this, but conversely, it was also a show of power.

    The people enthralled to him would regularly see the might he wielded and the others just like them he easily kept under his thumb. And their hesitation would rise.

    If they were all unified in some way, as a clan or sect, an organization of some kind they could put above themselves, perhaps they could band together and bring down Otto with some sacrifices. But such as thing was not possible for this individualistic rabble.

    No one in this cutthroat crowd would throw their life away for the others. No one would make a move against Otto, because the first ones to do so would surely be the first to die. And their hesitation would only rise further. Truly, he seemed as bold as he was cunning.

    Otto lazily emerged from the manor, with the veil woman following close behind, and quickly the elite guards at the front started to direct the crowd to step up and hand Otto their tribute. The woman and her unique physical features caught Eres¡¯ eye, though she was not too surprised.

    ¡°Hey, beautiful.¡± An unfamiliar voice pulled Eres¡¯ attention to the side. A handsome warrior in relatively impressive leather armor walked towards her with a cocky expression. ¡°How about you lose the savage and join my party?¡±

    ¡°Rut yourself elsewhere, you dog.¡± Eres¡¯ sharp tongue stabbed him without hesitation, her demeanor one of utter contempt.

    Jeers and mocking laughter from the crowd nearby followed at the man¡¯s expense. His arrogance was quickly displaced by resentment towards being rejected so disrespectfully. But before he could act, Eres walked calmly off towards the the front of the crowd, having felt no need to waste time on such a pointless conflict.

    They pushed their way to the front, and the guards let them go next, showing no sign of caring what order the crowd took. The duo walked towards the smiling Otto until a pair of guards held out their weapons to halt their path ten yards away from the leader.

    Another held out an empty hand and Eres pulled two blue Mana Crystals from a leather pouch on her waist and gave it to him. The guard inspected the stones for a moment before walking over to hand them to Otto.

    ¡°I knew you had it in you.¡± Otto commented as he pocketed it. And unceremoniously shooed them off with a nudge of his head.

    Eres left without delay. It seemed Otto didn¡¯t have the luxury of spending too much focus on them, fortunately. With their obligation settled for the next ten days, Eres led Banda from the courtyard to continue their other objectives.

    ---

    ¡°Hey.¡± Eres lightly slapped the listless beggar a few times to bring his senses more alert, though she was close to losing her patience. ¡°Tell me what you know about the rank 2 slumlords here or you get nothing.¡±

    She had been trying to gain information from these street beggars for a quarter of an hour now with little to show for it. As far as she was concerned, they were less likely to be working for Otto than any storekeeper or random hunter, which meant it was safer to ask things of them.

    However they were far more useless and unresponsive than she expected. Eres would never claim to be an altruistic person, but she did consider herself a fairly neutral person.

    And yet she couldn¡¯t help but feel disdain boiling up towards this flock of weak-willed trash that would give up so completely rather than keep fighting despite the odds.

    The ragged man mumbled out quiet incomprehensible words and Eres took her leave to find the next one. If there was any consolation, the inept state of them boded well for her second aim.

    She wanted to test how deep Otto¡¯s influence ran. Whether he went as far as to plant eyes and ears in corners of the slum town as deep as this. It was after all, what she would do in a similar position.

    An old man talking to himself caught her eye and she veered towards him. Crazy was hardly a reliable source of information, but at least this one seemed lively enough to talk. Such was the pitiful state of her options.

    ¡°What can you tell me about the slumlords?¡± Eres asked bluntly.

    ¡°Terrible folk. Terrible.¡± The beggar spoke before he looked to see who he was speaking to. ¡°Best stay away from trouble.¡±

    ¡°Are there any other rank 2 monks besides them?¡±

    ¡°No. No, no, no, no, no.¡± The beggar mumbled. ¡°Too strong, too strong, everyone strong leaves or dies, leaves or dies.¡±

    ¡°What are their names and abilities? The slumlords.¡± Eres tried to guide his mad ramblings.

    ¡°Names, names change. Always changing, never matters. Too strong, never fight, too strong.¡± Eres started to leave but the beggar¡¯s demeanor turned a bit more focused and urgent. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous. You need help, a warrior. I am a warrior, a strong warrior. I fight for you. Give me wine, I fight.¡±

    Eres slowed only for a moment before continuing on. This small side adventure had been largely pointless. She hadn¡¯t expected to gain much, but she did hope to have left with slightly more than nothing.

    They didn¡¯t know anything more than they had this morning. Aside from Otto, there were five rank 2 monks, all of which slumlords of this small town, and carved up territory within it as they could.

    Otto kept territory of his own, but he was considered above the slumlords. They kept hold of their power only through fear and reward, a paltry substitute for the threat of soul destruction. He was the strongest, and his underlings would fight to the death at his command.

    ¡°What is a Warrior?¡± Banda spoke for the first time in a while. ¡°You said humans who use martial arts are Monks.¡±

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    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Eres realized she had never explained such basic knowledge. ¡°There are three paths a monk can take. Empower the body, mind, or soul. Those who choose body are Warriors. Those who choose mind are Mystics. And those who choose Soul are Shamans.¡±

    ¡°It not only affects the strength of those attributes, but mastery over the arts of that path. My Palm Blast is a mystic art, so if I become a Mystic, I could control it better and bring out more of its power.¡±

    Eres continued. ¡°Demigods and Priests increase the power of the body, mind, and soul by sevenfold for each of the four mortal ranks. But the power increase for monks is far more sporadic. We have to choose one path. A Warrior will be much physically stronger than the others, but their minds and souls will be weaker.¡±

    A simple enough explanation, and one that satisfied Banda. He needn¡¯t hear much more about, as he committed in his thoughts to the path of a Warrior. Though something else also floated through his thoughts.

    ¡°Who was that with Otto?¡±

    ¡°The veiled woman, you mean?¡± Eres asked.

    ¡°She did not smell like a human. She smelled more like a beast.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Eres showed no surprise. ¡°She¡¯s a beastman. One of the offshoot races of the seven enlightened races. They have stronger bodies and better senses than humans.¡±

    ¡°All of the other races of mankind are superior in some form to humans, for that matter. Though, that¡¯s not really relevant here. Only humans and beastmen can enter the tower. And only humans can remain in Akkad. All others reside in Eden and the great realms. The wide world we call Sumer.¡±

    Banda narrowed his eyes, and asked his most pressing question. ¡°How do you know they are stronger if you never fought them?¡±

    Eres smiled in response. ¡°I¡¯m fond of stories. Before mankind, the gods took the race of nephilim as servants and worshipers. However, the nephilim rebelled against the gods and were wiped out. Desperate for a new source of faith, Enlil tasked Enki with creating a new race to serve them. After years of toil-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t ca-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt.¡± Banda¡¯s complaint was brushed off immediately. ¡°After years of toil, Enki succeeded with the creation of Adapa, the first man made in the image of the gods. And from his foundation he created six other beings for six purposes.¡±

    ¡°Dwarves as the most skilled craftsmen. Giants as the sturdiest and most powerful laborers. Gnomes as the most intelligent advisors. Ariels as the loveliest singers and fastest messengers. Oni as the mightiest soldiers. And Elves as the most beautiful and long-lived companions.¡±

    ¡°Humans are special in nothing and were only meant as a prototype of sorts to enable the creation of better servants. However, Enki grew fond of Adapa¡¯s company and his conversations, and thus placed him alongside the other progenitors of the enlightened races, and named them the Seven Sages.¡±

    ¡°Enki then enlisted the help of Ninmah, a Goddess of Fertility, to bare ten thousand children by each of them. The first true mortals of this world. And over time, other beings created races of their own. Most by altering descendants of the sage races. Karn, the Titan of Beasts, created the beastmen. A group of true dragons created draconians-¡±

    ¡°And they are stronger?¡± Banda interrupted. He had little but passing interest in her stories, aside from that which threatens him.

    ¡°In different ways, yes.¡± Eres settled down from her partial enthusiasm.

    ¡°You said the Oni are mightiest. Stronger than beastmen?¡± Banda asked with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°Supposedly. Beastmen are quite varied. They could be anywhere from two to five times superior in strength, speed, or toughness, depending on what type they are. Oni are said to be fivefold in all aspects of not just the body, but the spirit as a whole. Giants are physically superior to them, possessing the highest strength of all the mortal races, although they are slower and less agile, and have unremarkable minds and souls.¡±

    "Speaking of beastmen... They are unique in that they are the only ones able to bear the bloodlines of the Four Heavenly Beasts. Gugal included, naturally. But obviously not nearly as powerful as what you are capable of." Eres had added that last part as a teasing compliment, but it fell on deaf ears.

    Banda did not like what he was hearing. He had already considered humans dangerous, and now he learned there were others far stronger.

    His Feral power had always made him superior to others, but he has learned the harsh truth that the base of his physical body was no better than humans. He was still stronger, still superior. But now he wondered if that would hold true in this strange place beyond the Tower.

    As they neared the end of the alley slums, Banda noticed a young boy sitting as listlessly as the other beggars in the street. There weren¡¯t many human cubs in this town, not as far as Banda could see. He supposed it was quite a difficult place for them to survive.

    Eres gave him a questioning look as he walked over to the boy. The child wore little more than tattered rags, covered in dust and dirt, and gave no reaction to the savage crouched before him.

    ¡°Get up.¡± Banda told him, but the boy did not respond.

    Banda sat in silent thought at the problem before him. Suddenly he burst off down the alley and killed a human with a single strike. Before their body even hit the ground, Banda took from their leather sack the slab of meat he had smelled, and bounded back in a moment.

    Banda held it in the path of the boy¡¯s sight. A few moments passed, and finally a glimmer of desire showed in the child¡¯s eyes, but he did not reach for it. Banda placed the food on the ground before him, just out of reach, and continued on his way.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just hand it to him?¡± Eres asked.

    ¡°He must get it himself. Or he won¡¯t survive.¡± Banda didn¡¯t elaborate, and the two entered the growing noise and bustle of the bazaar.

    The petty marketplace was as busy as it had been before, though they wasted no time looking around as they did their last visit. The two walked straight to the martial arts book peddler, who was sat in the same spot by the fountain.

    ¡°Any arts that make a shield of aura¡± Eres asked.

    ¡°Mid Grade.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Deep down, Eres expected as much. ¡°I need a ranged mystic art. The most destructive you have.¡±

    ¡°Body art. Make me harder to harm.¡± Banda added.

    The two gave their requests to the peddler, ones they had already decided on in the six days it had been since they bought their first.

    ¡°Can only keep two in your mind.¡± The peddler advised.

    ¡°We¡¯re aware.¡± Eres answered.

    ¡°Mystic Dart. Fires a dart made of aura. ¡®Bout as strong as a low grade bow. Flying Palm. Shoots a hand made of aura. Hits harder, blunt impact. Ironskin. Turns your skin to armor, tough as iron. Doesn¡¯t help your bones and organs. Iron Fist. Turns your hand to iron. All the way through.¡± The book peddler gave two options to each of them, based on their requirements.

    ¡°Flying Palm.¡±

    ¡°Iron Fist.¡±

    ¡°250 shards.¡± The peddler responded with his price immediately.

    ¡°That much more?¡± Eres asked.

    ¡°People like Iron Fist, don¡¯t like Beast Claw much.¡± The peddler gave the answer plainly.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Eres understood the reasoning. ¡°How are martial books made?¡±

    ¡°Need a Scribe and someone that knows the art.¡± The peddler answered. ¡°Scribe makes the book, someone puts in the circle.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Eres took note of the information.

    She paid the amount without further question, and the two received their new martial arts. Once again, Banda felt the mystical endowment of knowledge as the circle of the martial art carved into the unsteady waves of the Inner Sea in his mind.

    As soon as it was completed, the waves of the dark sea grew rougher and more erratic. The glowing white patterns of both martial arts became a little more unstable. Banda could feel the circles start to fray and strain under the waves, and knew it would take more frequent efforts to keep them whole.

    He turned his focus to testing his new Iron Fist art. Banda channeled aura into the circle, and patches of dark gray stained his left hand, slowly spreading until it was gray entirely. Banda twisted his hand back and forth as he inspected it. The whole hand was metal, down to the wrist. It was more durable, he could tell by the weight, but his hand was stuck solid in the position.

    It was a human trick meant to be used for a punch, Banda guessed. The inability to move his hand at all meant it made for poor defense, and that it turned his wrist solid too was likely to avoid damage when he struck. Though Banda had a different use for it in mind.

    The art felt the same as Beast Claw. It took a constant amount of aura for the time it was used, which meant he could undo it and change the pose of his hand as needed. Though he would need to master it first. And the best way to master a power, was to use it.

 Chapter 13 - First Hunt

    Another rockrat let out a shrill screech as it scurried towards Banda with bloodthirsty eyes, and was promptly smashed to pieces by his dark metal fist. These low grade monsters were large rodents with tough hides like stone and long crooked front teeth.

    Though slightly more durable than most within their grade, they were no match for his might. And their simple-minded approach to battle did them no favors.

    Two more lunged at him from the sides. Splitting a target¡¯s focus was a wise tactic, but their timing was too uncoordinated for it to matter. Banda pummeled them into bloody chunks with a single punch each.

    Sharp Claw could pierce through their brittle stone bodies well enough, as he had tested, but he found simply breaking them easier and faster. His new Iron Fist art didn¡¯t meet his standards either, but it was undeniably better than nothing.

    Banda canceled the art as he glanced over to Eres. Lacking his physical prowess, she opted for a defensive style. The rockrats slammed themselves against her shield mindlessly, and were just as mindlessly battered away by her mace when an opening showed itself.

    A rough snarl stole Banda¡¯s focus away to the top of a small dirt hill in the distance. A large boar with a mane of quills scraped the ground with its front hooves and charged towards him.

    Banda¡¯s right hand tensed as his nails grew long and sharper just fast enough. The Bristle Boar flexed its body just a few yards away and shot forward with a burst of speed. Banda sidestepped its sudden acceleration, striking with his clawed hand in one smooth movement.

    But at the last moment he pulled his hand away as the quills on it¡¯s back jutted out. The boar crashed into a tree and broke it clean in half. It shook the impact off and charged at Banda again without hesitation.

    Banda¡¯s hand slowly turned to iron as he readied himself again. The quills were sharp and he could smell the slight trace of poison on them. Nothing deadly, but he was not about to let himself get poisoned against such a weak enemy.

    He sidestepped the Bristle Boar¡¯s sudden rush once again, and this time he dug his iron claws deep through the side of the boar as it charged past, letting its speed work against it.

    The boar slammed into a second tree, but this time fell to its back. Blood gushed out the ground along with its entrails. It stumbled towards Banda with frantic aggression but collapsed again not even halfway towards him into a spasm.

    Banda hopped over to the beast and casually crushed its skull before ripping out its core. A monster core only became physical upon its death. In many ways, it seemed much like the soul, which Banda also plundered from it.

    He poured a trace of aura through it and the core crumbled away into two blue shards. A Bristle Boar was low grade, same as the rats which Eres was already harvesting. The difference was the boar was at the peak of rank 1, which doubled the shards its core gave.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Eres said casually, as she finished her collection.

    They had ventured out further from the town this day. Deeper in the Misty Forest and closer to one of the mountains. The number of monsters was much greater this far out into the wilderness, and thus so was their harvest of shards.

    ¡°We can stay out all day if you¡¯re willing to do most of the work.¡± Eres commented.

    Banda was, and he had planned to from the start. Eres may have been strong before, but she had lost most of her power and she refused to use her avatar on low level threats. With fewer than ten uses of her arts, she was more of a burden than a partner most of the time.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be far more active after we reach Rank 2.¡± She said, as if she could hear his own thoughts. ¡°Power aside¡­ aura capacity is my biggest limitation right now. Hah¡­ Cultivation is so inconvenient compared to divinity-¡±

    The giant face of a bear lunged from the dense fog of the forest without warning. Destructive aura swirled in Eres¡¯ palm as she started to lean away, but Banda slapped her hand down and stopped the beast by the nose.

    Banda pushed the bear¡¯s head to the ground and held it in place against its bucking attempts to snap its jaw. The beast tried and tried again to no avail against Banda¡¯s might, and eventually it quieted down.

    Banda removed his hand and the bear slunk back with guarded snarls as it tried to make itself big and threatening. It¡¯s actions quite childlike in thought. Banda waited silently until a jolt of pain through the bear cub¡¯s expression made it calm down with a whimper.

    He walked towards the wary cub, and placed his hand on its head. The young bear seemed to settle its aversion towards Banda a bit, but the distress remained. And Banda saw why.

    It¡¯s hind leg was caught in a trap. One shaped like the jaws of a beast and made of metal. A human weapon, Banda suspected.

    He jumped over and pulled on it, but it was rooted deep in the ground, perhaps beneath a buried boulder. A vicious trap, one that would inflict grave wounds if a beast tried to force its way out. Fortunately for the bear, it was still so young it didn¡¯t have the resolve to try.

    Banda grabbed the ends of the trap and wrenched it opened with feral strength. The cub groaned at the sharp jolts of pain but Banda soon broke the weapon open, and the bear pulled its leg free.

    The bear cub trotted lightly on its leg at first but soon found the courage to walk more firmly on it. It hopped over to Banda and nudged him playful with its massive head twice.

    ¡°Go deeper in the forest. Even if it¡¯s dangerous.¡± Banda told it. The seriousness of his intentions seemed to resonate with the cub as its enthusiasm died down.

    Banda pointed in the distance and pushed the cub away until it slowly galloped off in that direction. The cub stopped halfway to look back for a moment, then ran into the fog.

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    ¡°That¡¯s only the first, or I guess second mid grade monster we¡¯ve found.¡± Eres spoke, uncaring of the tone of the atmosphere. ¡°Kind of a waste to let it go.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a cub.¡± Banda said without much emotion himself, walking back along their path after the bear left his sight. ¡°Lost its parents. Or got separated. It¡¯s not a threat.¡±

    ¡°That never stopped you from killing humans.¡± Eres pointed out, a bit confused about his savage principles.

    ¡°They weren¡¯t cubs.¡± The moment Banda finished his words he sensed something else, and moved closer to Eres in a battle ready stance.

    Soon they were surrounded by seven humans who paid no effort to hide their ill intentions. And at the helm of them was the cocky hunter from the tribute meeting, his smug gaze aimed solely on Eres.

    ¡°Hey, beautiful. You owe me an apology, you know? I was going to look for you later, but¡­ I guess this is just fate.¡± He had a way of speaking that irritated Banda immensely, but he kept his calm, waiting for the right moment.

    ¡°The only thing you¡¯ll get is a quick death if you don¡¯t leave without one.¡± Eres snapped back. It was a weak threat, and far less convincing that he knew she could do.

    ¡°From the two of you?¡± Urgu laughed. ¡°Are you even at the peak of stage 1?¡±

    ¡°Something broke out of the trap!¡± A large brutish man shouted out. ¡°The blood¡¯s fresh.¡±

    ¡°Was this you?¡± Urgu carelessly pointed his sword at the duo as he walked closer with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s two apologies you owe me. But you know¡­¡±

    As Urgu spoke, the brutish man inspected the trap more closely and found it strange. By the blood on its teeth, it had caught something properly. The trap was not infallible, a monster of great strength could break out. But the trap was not uprooted, nor was it disabled. It was as if something had pulled it apart until it broke.

    ¡°Get back!¡± The brutish man roared, but it was too late.

    A giant spear pierced straight through Urgu¡¯s chest. He barely had time to cough up a mouthful of blood before Eres¡¯ avatar pulled out the blade and bashed him away with its shield, sending him crashing into a wall of aura the man in blue robes managed to construct in time.

    Banda burst back at the same time, and clawed through an armored warrior¡¯s neck. He jolted his head away from soaring arrow and lunged for the archer woman who shot it. She nocked another one but he shattered her skull before she had time to draw it back.

    The brutish man from before roared as his muscles swelled with bugling veins. He planted his feet into the ground and threw a punch at the charging savage, who threw a punch of his own at the man¡¯s fist.

    ¡°Fool!¡± The brute yelled as aura coated his fist.

    But Banda¡¯s iron fist shattered his hand and mangled the rest of his arm with the impact of his raw strength. The brute¡¯s violent yells turned to cries of agony, and Banda mauled him away into a second monk, splattering them both against a tree.

    A second archer shot an arrow at Eres which turned into two mid way, but both pathetically bounded off her avatar¡¯s shield, leaving not even so much as a scratch.

    ¡°Monsters!¡± The man yelled, more of an insult than an accusation. The last words he spoke as Eres¡¯ spear cleaved him in two.

    The blue robed man grit his teeth as fire swirled violently before his hands. The flames molded into a sphere and shot out fast as an arrow towards Eres.

    Eres watched the soaring flames draw near, but her avatar didn¡¯t move. Fire of her own swirled within the palm of her hand as her eyes shone with golden splendor and deep smile spread across her face.

    The orange fire in her hand turned as golden as her eyes and she blasted the fireball before her. The two flames clashed equally for but a moment, then even more shockingly the golden flames started to eat through the ball of red fire until the two arts burned out on each other.

    ¡°That¡¯s not possible¡­¡± The robed man stammered.

    He was at the peak of rank 1 while she was still merely at the first stage of it. And even more, his Fireball was a mid grade art while the art she chose was unmistakably the low grade Palm Blast. Even if she made it the element of fire, it should never have been able to match his.

    The man had time only for that brief line of thought before the savage lunged from his blindspot and shattered his skull, and his body fell to the ground with the others.

    Banda glanced at Eres. Her eyes were the same as they were at the end of their fight, as was the oppressive feeling from her ecstatic expression. He looked up at the avatar behind her which was not the same as he remembered.

    It was less impressive than before. Just as tall with the same blue face of Eres, but its armor was far less grand. Still the same brilliant gold color, but a mere patchwork of protection compared to its former full armor. The red cloth over the gaps of the metal less rich.

    It¡¯s shield was the same size, though bare of intricate carvings, and its lance was replaced with a simple spear from which a long ragged cloth of red flame fluttered from the base of the blade.

    ¡°Make sure no one else is around.¡± Eres ordered.

    ¡°I did.¡±

    At his words, Eres dispelled her avatar.

    ¡°Why do you not keep it?¡± He asked. She had told him before how much it cost. While he could sense no dangers at the moment, that did not mean none would come.

    ¡°It puts on strain on me. Just like your Feral Form.¡± Eres answered as she looted through the human corpses with a smile.

    She was acting more familiar and passionate again. Banda didn¡¯t really know how to deal with her when she was like this. It threw him off for some reason.

    ¡°...how did you make fire?¡± Banda asked. That was not part of her Palm Blast trick, as far as he knew.

    ¡°Fire Spirit Root. A sacred grade trait. I can turn the properties of my aura to the element of fire as I wish, just as I could with divinity before. As for the golden aura¡­ That¡¯s a secret.¡± She spoke with a teasing sultry tone.

    ¡°You lied.¡± Banda accused. ¡°You never said that before Humbaba.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie, I just didn¡¯t reveal everything.¡± Eres spoke without a trace of guilt. ¡°But I¡¯m not the only one keeping secrets. You still haven¡¯t told me about your true form. The one with imposing horns.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have horns.¡± Banda grew annoyed. What was the point of lying when he could feel the truth for himself.

    ¡°Obviously not now. But you do in that form.¡± Eres finished her plundering and turned towards him with a look in her eyes. ¡°Have you ever heard of the Bull of Heaven?¡±

    Banda had not.

    ¡°The Behemoth. One of the Four Heavenly Beasts who served the creator Anshar, and who along with his kin, slayed him. Gugal. The Bull Who Tramples The World.¡± Grandeur started to slip into her tone. ¡°What do you think your power is?¡±

    ¡°It makes me stronger-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s density.¡± Eres corrected. ¡°Gugal could make himself heavier without limit, granting him a body more indestructible than any metal, filling it with more might than a god of strength. And now you have that power as the Primordial of Gravity¡¯s reincarnation.¡±

    ¡°I am Ensimbanda. Not Gugal.¡± Banda narrowed his eyes. He did not know what reincarnation meant but he took offense to it.

    Eres smiled. ¡°In the beginning, there was only the primeval sea. A formless, featureless nothing.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about your stories-¡±

    ¡°And then there was Anshar.¡± A radiance unparalleled filled Eres¡¯ golden eyes. An overwhelming passion that would not be denied. And Banda knew he had no choice but to listen in this dark forest full of beasts.

 Chapter 14 - Born From A Stone

    ¡°The boundless primeval sea swirled into a cosmic egg, as if drawn to his will, from which Anshar emerged in violent glory. He struck the broken egg and split it in two halves which formed into Amon and Tiamat, the Primordials of Order and Chaos.¡±

    ¡°Amon and Tiamat began to fight the moment they were born, so Anshar pushed Amon above and Tiamat below. The forces of order and chaos found a balance as equals, and from their clashing energy rose the other five. Void. Time. Space. Dreams. And Fate.¡±

    ¡°Anshar had companions now, but he was not satisfied. In the boundary of order and chaos, he envisioned the world. And brought his vision to life.¡±

    ¡°From his body, he pulled the Four Heavenly Beasts to aid his work. The Behemoth. The Simurgh. The Ziz. The Leviathan. Embodiments of Gravity, Pulse, Magnetism, and Decay.¡±

    ¡°And for the next 18,000 years, he built Heaven.¡±

    ¡°He pushed up Amon to make the sky. He pushed down Tiamat to make the lands and seas. He filled them with mountains and trees and beasts and stars and all that brought him joy. He named it Eden. His garden.¡±

    ¡°But the Four Beasts grew fearful of his almighty power, and resentful towards his ever growing whims. They rebelled against Anshar and destroyed him. Anshar¡¯s body erupted, filling the world he had created with his mana and soul.¡±

    ¡°From the influence of his lingering power and intent, the World Titans arose. 60 in total, each bound to a single concept of existence. The Titans resided in their home of Eden, clashing and joining as they willed under the rule of the Four Heavenly Beasts.¡±

    ¡°But the four would not stay united for long. Each wanted to reign supreme over the others. Each wanted to succeed Anshar. In the end, they divided the world into four parts and ruled as tyrants.¡±

    ¡°And rule as tyrants, they did. So much so that the Titans could no longer tolerate them. The World Titans banded together under the command of Anu, Titan of the Sky, who wielded the Tablet of Destinies.¡±

    ¡°They overthrew the Four Heavenly Beasts one by one, none able to resist the might of the titans on their own. And in their victory, they named Anu the First King of Heaven, the supreme god of Eden, and successor to Anshar.¡±

    ¡°In time, the Titans sired the first gods. The True Gods. Immortal in days but unlike the Titans, they could not return from death. And their power far inferior.¡±

    ¡°Tiamat, witnessing it all, bore children of her own without a partner. Foul creatures that came to be known as monsters. Soon the threat of her Abyssal spawn threatened not just Amon¡¯s home of Arkadia, but all of Eden.¡±

    ¡°Anu ordered the gods to suppress and destroy these chaotic forces and incurred Tiamat¡¯s wrath, leading to her first war against the Titans. It ended in her destruction, but it came at the cost of the lives of many gods. Even worse, she had stolen the Tablet of Destinies, and her monstrous spawn became a constant and irremovable threat.¡±

    ¡°Enlil, the God of Weather. The first son of Anu and Urash, Titan of the Land. The first of the True Gods. Blamed his father Anu for this tragedy, and grew resentful of him.¡±

    ¡°One day, he encountered the mortal race of Nephilim. Born from the blood of Amon and Tiamat that mixed in battle, they were unlike any that came before them.¡±

    ¡°Enlil spoke with them. He lived among them, and taught them how to build and craft and survive the perils of Eden. And in return, they began to worship him. And Enlil learned of the power of faith.¡±

    ¡°Enlil turned on the Nephilim. He enslaved them, made them multiply, and forced them to devote their lives only to worship. He revealed this secret to the other gods, and made the Nephilim worship them too.¡±

    ¡°Meanwhile, without the Tablet of Destinies to guide him, Anu grew paranoid. Fearful of his own offspring who were quickly proving themselves the equals of the Titans and more. In his madness, he became too tyrannical, too unstable, and too cruel. So Enlil led the Gods against Anu in the First War of Heaven.¡±

    ¡°The gods overthrew Anu. They crippled him and sealed him away. And Enlil claimed the throne of heaven for himself, ushering in the reign of the gods. One upheld by the fear and awe of countless Nephilim.¡±

    ¡°For countless years, the Gods reigned supreme. With the World Titans living along them in peace, there were none to threaten them. None until Tiamat¡¯s resurrection.¡±

    ¡°But the wrathful Primordial of Chaos did not attack the gods. Instead, she bided her time in the depths of the Abyss and devoted all her power and effort to give birth to her greatest son.¡±

    ¡°Kingu, God of Evil. She created the Eleven Adversaries to be his strongest servants, and bestowed upon him the Tablet of Destinies to lead the second invasion of the Abyss.¡±

    ¡°It was a grueling war, worse than any the world had seen before. But Eden emerged victorious again. Marduk, God of Storms, slew Tiamat and then Kingu, retrieving the Tablet. But with the knowledge he gained of the future, he returned to Eden in rebellion against his father.¡±

    ¡°He proclaimed himself the rightful king, and Enlil the harbinger of calamity. But Marduk¡¯s rebellion failed, and the Tablet of Destinies fell into Enlil¡¯s hands. The gods breathed a sigh of relief for the peace they had regained, but none forsaw what came next.¡±

    ¡°Kingu had not been fully destroyed. And he took his vengeance upon the gods through the hands of their bitter servants, the Nephilim. Kingu stoked their resentment against the injustice they bore, and granted them power.¡±

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    ¡°The Nephilim wrought vile devastation upon Eden. But in their mindless revenge, their bodies morphed to match the vices they indulged in. And they were reborn as demons.¡±

    ¡°The Nephilim soon realized that they had been tricked. Kingu had not sought to aid them, but to bind them to the Abyss in an eternal servitude worse than they one they knew. And they had no choice but to follow him.¡±

    ¡°Faced with the horrifying threat of Kingu¡¯s infinitely spawning army, Enlil allowed Amon to transform the remaining nephilim into Angels, and bind them to Arkadia. To this day, the two forces clash in an eternal war.¡±

    ¡°But while he had prevented their immediate demise, this still left the gods without their precious supply of faith. Thus why Enlil ordered the creation of the Seven Races of Mankind from the only one capable of such a feat. His brother Enki, God of Magic.¡±

    ¡°Enlil looked out upon this new world, and saw the growing threats of demons, and monsters, and jealous gods. And he became tyrannical.¡±

    ¡°Under this burden of tyranny, Adapa voiced his woes to Enki who in turn sought the help of Nabu, God of Knowledge. Together, the two gods created the miraculous art of Cultivation. And for the first time, mortals could reach the height of gods.¡±

    ¡°Fearing this potential, Enlil tried to eliminate Mankind again and again. He brought drought and famine and plague. And when all else failed, he brought a great flood to Eden. A Deluge so powerful it could even threaten the gods.¡±

    ¡°But Enki interfered. He was warned of the approaching disaster, and created the Ark. A massive ship that sheltered 10,000 mortals of each of the races from certain doom.¡±

    ¡°Enlil was forced to end the great flood, by the complaints and threats of the gods and titans. So instead he carved off a piece of Eden and separated it from the rest, creating the mortal realm of Akkad, which he trapped the survivors from the Ark within.¡±

    ¡°And Enki interfered again. He built this great Tower to serve as a means for mortal to return to Heaven. He enlisted the help of Ninurta, God of Hunting, to kill and plunder the souls of the Eleven Adversaries. Enki used them to empower the Tower. To render it indestructible and immune from the tampering of the gods.¡±

    ¡°In revenge for these acts against him, Enlil killed Ninurta. He banished Nabu, and forced Enki to retreat into his magical fortress of Eridu under threat of death. But Enlil only grew more paranoid, and in time he became as tyrannical as his father.¡±

    ¡°And just as he had done to Anu, Enlil¡¯s tyranny would be brought to an end, by his mortal born son. Gilgamesh.¡±

    ¡°The first to ascend the Tower. The greatest hero. And the Third King of Heaven. Gilgamesh withstood and overcame all trials in his journey, with Enki¡¯s greatest creation by his side. Enkidu, the Wild Man.¡±

    Eres went quiet for a few moments as her gaze settled on Banda. She took in a breath, and closed her eyes. Her intensity started to settle and her presence calmed as she opened them back on Banda with a soft smile.

    ¡°If the gods are are the greatest beasts in Cedar Forest, then we are ants. And Anshar is above even them.¡±

    There was a lot to process from this long story she had told him. Banda had trouble imagining there were beings out there that powerful, but Eres did not seem like she was tricking him.

    ¡°But Anshar is dead.¡± Eres spoke bluntly. ¡°The Throne of Heaven is not absolute. And neither is fate. Ah, by the way, your dear Monga is one of the Eleven Adversaries. The only one who escaped Ninurta.¡±

    Banda¡¯s eyes widened. It was the most reaction he had shown thus far, as this was the only part he felt personally to him. Monga was the strongest he knew besides himself. Humbaba had shaken that belief but Banda would not for a moment believe defeat was certain.

    And yet now he was told that someone had defeated him. Someone who was slain by another, who was not even the strongest of the world. For the first time he felt the weight of the danger that lay ahead in Eden, and his urge for power grew.

    Eres giggled with amusement at Banda¡¯s transparent thoughts. ¡°The only way out of the tower is through Humbaba. And the only way to Humbaba now is to kill the Ten Guardians. Even if we rush to the third floor now, there¡¯s not the slightest chance we can defeat them. Besides¡­ only fools squander opportunities right in front of them.¡±

    Banda stared at the woman he was bound to, who knew so much he didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Worried about facing ten beings as strong as the King of Cedar Forest?¡± Eres smiled.

    ¡°Monga is not king. I am king.¡± It was Banda¡¯s turn to correct her.

    ¡°Really?¡± Eres asked with trace of genuine surprise. ¡°Then why did you go to see him before we left?¡±

    ¡°...Monga taught me how to survive when I was young.¡± Banda felt like he had more to say, but didn¡¯t want to say it.

    ¡°Oh, so he¡¯s something like a father.¡± Eres reasoned bluntly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a father.¡±

    ¡°Of course you do.¡± Eres said with a tone that annoyed Banda a little.

    ¡°Monga said I came from a stone. I don¡¯t have parents like beasts or humans.¡± He asserted. Eres had many stories but that did not mean she knew everything.

    Banda was expecting more words, likely ones that would annoy him. But he did not expect the reaction she gave. A stunned silence.

    ¡°Your trance¡­¡± Eres said with an air of seriousness after many moments. ¡°Does it feel like your own? Or does it feel like someone is fighting against you?¡±

    ¡°The second.¡± Banda wondered why she asked. His power was great. So great that he had never been able to control it.

    Eres fell into deep thought once again. She had assumed he was Gugal¡¯s reincarnation. It was the explanation that made the most sense. She had thought that Banda¡¯s lack of control was because the power of a primordial was far too great for a mortal. But now she thought of a different explanation.

    A primordial had never truly died before. That was an aspect of her theory she was still unsure about, but Gugal¡¯s absence for over a hundred thousand years had led most to believe he had somehow been granted a true death at the hands of Gilgamesh and Enkidu.

    Enkidu was said to be able to devour souls. And his lover Shamhat was said to have given birth to a stone after his death out of grief. A stone she sealed away in a place unnamed.

    What if, she thought, that place was Cedar Forest. What if Gugal¡¯s soul had not been destroyed, but taken by Enkidu. And what if it now resided within Banda.

    Eres¡¯ face flushed with fanatical elation as her imagination ran rampant. If all that was true, then the savage she had chosen as her champion was the only known son of Enkidu.

    Eres burst into laughter at the crooked humor of fate, to Banda¡¯s further confusion. She had expected her journey to bring as much surprise and shock as this world could offer, but she never expected it would bring together the son of Enkidu and the daughter of Gilgamesh. The children of the strongest duo in history.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Banda finally asked, wondering if the mad woman had finally gone mad for good.

    Eres smiled teasingly at him with eyes golden once more. ¡°It¡¯s a secret~¡±

 Chapter 15 - Scar

    Banda sat in his savage crouch beneath the broken roof of the shack. The warm current of mana flowed through him, smoothly and carefully, dousing every part of his body, mind, and soul in power.

    The river of his last cycle flowing back into his center, and he lost his grip on it. The mass of mana within him dispersed back into the air and ground.

    He had become more proficient at meditation with each passing day, and each day it rewarded him. The gain in strength was slight, but he could feel it. And that gave him all the motivation he needed.

    ¡°Have you given any more thought to it?¡± Eres asked, nonchalantly turning a blue crystal in her hand.

    ¡°To what?¡± Banda opened his eyes.

    ¡°Gugal.¡±

    ¡°The reincarnation lie?¡± He didn¡¯t want to talk about stories today. At least not the ones he knew were false.

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± Eres had the uncaring look of someone just remembered something trivial. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you. You aren¡¯t his reincarnation. You have his soul inside of you.¡±

    ¡°Things only have one soul.¡± Banda said. He had consumed many in his life, and none ever had more than one.

    ¡°Normally, yes. Well, strictly speaking, it¡¯s something closer to Gugal possessing you. Your¡­ let¡¯s call it Bull Form, isn¡¯t your power. You gain use of his innate abilities, but his Will starts to take over. If you give up too much control, Gugal will replace you.¡±

    Banda stays quiet in thought. A part of him wanted to deny Eres¡¯ words, but the more he thought about how it felt to be in the trance, the less it seemed like a lie.

    ¡°...How do I make it mine?¡± Banda asked.

    ¡°No idea.¡± Eres said bluntly. ¡°This isn¡¯t my realm of expertise. There¡¯s definitely more we can learn on the higher floors, but this is still a place for mortals. And we¡¯re talking about a primordial here. Only Eden has that kind of knowledge.¡±

    Banda wasn¡¯t satisfied with that. But it seemed he had no choice but to wait until this land of the gods.

    ¡°On another topic¡­¡± Eres stored her Mana Crystal away. ¡°Since there¡¯s no reason to go hunting for while, why don¡¯t we learn more about cultivation?¡±

    The party of humans they killed were fairly wealthy. Together they held more Shards than he and Eres had acquired since they arrived at the town. And Eres had looted it all, even their items, hidden away safely within her ring.

    Frankly, they now had more of this human currency than necessary. Banda wielded no weapons and Eres¡¯ own were superior to any of the commons scrap sold here. Martial Arts weren¡¯t even a lure since they couldn¡¯t store anymore martial arts within their inner sea. At the moment, the blue crystals had little use beyond buying their lives in ten day portions.

    ¡°We still need food.¡± Banda pointed out the flaw in her choice. Everyday it seemed he found himself wondering how she had survived until now.

    He suspected other humans hunter her food for her. There were some beasts like that in the forest, but they were fools. That kind of life robbed them of their sharpness. Made them weak.

    That¡¯s hardly a problem.¡± Eres waved her hand and a loaf of bread appeared in her hand that smelled similar to the golden stalks that grew outside the walls.

    Banda¡¯s eyes narrowed. It seemed this ¡®ring¡¯ of hers could store more than just weapons. Perhaps it could store anything.

    ¡°I brought enough to last half a year.¡± Eres continued. ¡°It was only meant to sustain us until we found a city in Eden¡­ but I suppose now it¡¯s just Tower rations. Ever had bread before?¡±

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    Eres held out the human food. Banda remained still for a moment, then walked over and took the loaf from her hand. He sniffed the strange human food and took a bite.

    A frown washed over his face. It was not poisonous, nor was it unfilling, but it tasted of plants. The soft fluffy texture also annoyed him. Banda preferred meat fresh from a kill, or fruit and nuts from the good kind of trees. He gave the loaf back to Eres without taking another bite.

    ¡°We should train.¡± The issue of food was solved, but that was hardly his only concern. Banda was adamant on the priority. They might be progressing steadily, but they were still far from mastering their martial arts.

    ¡°Well, yes.¡± Eres said. ¡°But I know for a fact there a few things we¡¯re missing out on. Aura Techniques. Basic manipulations of aura. Divinity had something similar, like how you channelled that Thunder spell beyond its normal limits.¡±

    ¡°Aura Techniques are more like arts, but they require no circles in our inner sea. Just sheer mastery. And they can be much more powerful than low grade arts, depending on how well they¡¯re used.¡±

    ¡°Say these things before.¡± Banda narrowed his eyes in annoyance.

    ¡°We had more pressing concerns.¡± Eres stated plainly. ¡°Besides, this is something that will take years and years to master. It doesn¡¯t matter if we start a few days late.¡±

    Banda decided it wasn¡¯t worth getting mad at. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll need a teacher.¡±

    ¡°...Who?¡± Banda asked, the mistake of his first day still fresh in his mind.

    ¡°Someone moderately trustworthy would be nice for a change¡­¡± Eres mused. ¡°There is someone who might work.¡±

    ---

    Banda and Eres stood before the book peddler who sat with the same detached composure as always. The pair had many interactions in this slum of town and this simple street hawker was the only positive one.

    ¡°No.¡± He answered stoically.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Eres asked.

    ¡°Not my trade.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll pay extra.¡± She offered.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Eres sighed. She hadn¡¯t expected him to be a great teacher, but she had counted on him to at least be willing. ¡°Then, can you recommend a teacher for us?¡±

    ¡°Teacher for what?¡±

    Banda and Eres¡¯ attention were pulled towards the source of the voice, a bearded man with a patch of leather over his right eye and gruesome scars covering that side of his head. The same man they had encountered on their first day.

    Of course, what they now knew that they didn¡¯t before, was that he was one of the five Rank 2 slumlords of this town. A figure second only to Otto.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that would be appropriate.¡± Eres stated with some diplomacy.

    ¡°Two sides make a deal. Both are happy. What¡¯s inappropriate about that?¡± The man responded with his odd mannerisms. And in a brief awkward silence he spoke again. ¡°Best not to settle when learning the techniques.¡±

    ¡°So you overheard?¡± The glint of diplomacy in Eres¡¯ eyes dulled.

    ¡°Good ears.¡± He tapped his right ear. ¡°We should get started.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°I insist.¡± The slumlord leaned towards them with a firm stare.

    Eres considered the situation for a moment before gesturing him to lead the way. The man held his place then popped into a measured stride, guiding them out of the bazaar.

    ¡°You offer teaching often?¡± Eres asked, with a focused stare.

    ¡°When I¡¯m able. It¡¯s an interest of mine.¡± The man bobbled his head slowly as he replied. It was difficult to tell whether he was being vigilant or not. ¡°That hunting party you killed were somewhat known.¡±

    The air grew heavier in an instant at his casual statement, and Eres¡¯ eyes sharpened. ¡°You-¡±

    ¡°Scar.¡± He turned back towards her intently, before breaking eye contact in his peculiar way, his intensity shrinking with it. ¡°My name.¡±

    ¡°...Were they associates of yours?¡± Eres asked.

    ¡°Only fools would keep Otto¡¯s men around them.¡± Scar pivoted back and continued walking. ¡°Happened to see what was left of them. Didn¡¯t look like the work of anyone familiar. And nothing else of note has changed recently... besides the two of you.¡±

    ¡°Lot of people would want to kill Urgu. Not many could. Which leads me to believe¡­" Scar entered a small open space in the road and turned to face them. "You might be quite strong.¡±

    Eres and Banda remained quiet at the accusation, and Scar seemed to find the silence uncomfortable.

    ¡°Five crystals per lesson.¡± He gestured with the flash of a hand.

    ¡°That¡¯s too steep.¡± Eres said immediately. ¡°We can find someone else for a lot cheaper.¡±

    ¡°And a lot worse.¡± Scar added.

    Eres waited a bit before she tossed him five pink stones from her leather bag. ¡°Fine.¡±

    Scar inspected the Mana Crystals and glanced between the two. The strange man jolted more upright and pulled out one of his axes. ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡±

 Chapter 16 - Basic Aura Techniques

    ¡°There¡¯s four basic techniques.¡± Scar said with authority.

    ¡°Armor coats the surface of something in aura. Yourself or your weapon. It¡¯s defensive shield against anything it can withstand. Not much use against mind or soul abilities, or attacks that ignore the surface to target what¡¯s inside.¡±

    Misty white transparent aura covered his whole body as well as the axe in his hand. He then just as quickly cancelled the technique and snuck the axe back into his belt, and held out his arm with the sleeve pulled back.

    ¡°Harness strengthens the thing itself. Makes your weapons or bones more durable. Swells the muscles to boost your strength. Focus the mind, enhance the senses, things of that nature. Can¡¯t harness the mind or soul, only physical things.¡±

    His arm flexed unnaturally large, veins bulging from the strain. Then he dropped his arm and focused as the pair noticed the slight increase in mana around them.

    ¡°Sense projects aura outside the body. Project it around you well enough and you can sense the mana within. Allows you to do things like sense something hiding itself. Or inspect a person for their cultivation.¡±

    Banda and Eres stared intently upon hearing the last application of the technique. Though he only responded by shuffling his feet in place a little to a relaxed pose.

    ¡°Suppression is the simplest. Withdraw the aura deep within your core to conceal it from detection. Sense doesn¡¯t matter if you use Suppression, but you can¡¯t use aura when you do. Armor¡¯s the most important one. Anyone who tells you different won¡¯t live long. But Sense is the easiest to learn. Start with that.¡± Scar looked at his unorthodox students who seemed to be waiting for more.

    ¡°More details on how exactly would be nice.¡± Eres commented.

    ¡°It¡¯s more of a feeling thing than a knowledge thing.¡± Scar explained. ¡°Grab the aura in you and push it out. Imagine it floating around you like a thin mist. Don¡¯t lose hold of it.¡±

    Banda eyed the strange human. The man¡¯s actions unnerved him, but he didn¡¯t sense any hostility. That wasn¡¯t not enough to make him lower his guard, but he would at least devote some of his focus to try this technique.

    Banda roused the aura within him, as though he were to meditate with only his own, and pushed it out. It was stubborn at first, like trudging through mud in the rain, but slowly it began to emanate off his body.

    The more aura he emanated, the more it strained his focus. Even at just a mere step away from him, it felt like his own aura was fighting against. Like the world was trying to claim it back.

    Sweat started to run down his face as he pushed the mist further. The struggle to keep hold grew and grew but he endured, fighting against the world. The unstable mass stretched to almost a yard in radius before something snapped. Banda rushed to drag the aura back into himself but it was too late. The world had stolen his aura. Almost a third of his total.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I told you to keep hold.¡± Scar said, with little tact in his tone. ¡°Good lesson to learn before you use it around an enemy.¡±

    Banda spared no effort to hide his sharp annoyance. He was not fond of defeat, nor of annoying humans. He glanced over at Eres who was locked in her own battle.

    She too showed the strain of the technique¡¯s difficult on her face, but for her efforts, she emanated a sphere invisible mist that reached him standing two yards away. One less erratic than his own as far as he could feel.

    Eres only held her Sense for a handful of breaths before she carefully withdrew it all back into her body and opened her eyes.

    ¡°One of you is skilled at least.¡± Scar may not have said that with much meaning, but that did not stop Eres from shooting Banda a playfully smug glance.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have aura to waste all day. Armor¡¯s next. Do the same as with Sense, but this time keep it coated over your skin. Like armor. Make it as dense and stable as possible.¡±

    Banda fell into concentration again without delay. His efforts yielded faster results this time, with the experience of using Sense. A warm glow bubbled up from the surface of his skin and rose higher like flooding water.

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    The thought of human armor didn¡¯t resonate with him. Instead, he thought of the hide and scales of beasts. He forced his aura to condense as it flooded. Again and again, he struck it thinner and denser.

    He forced it to flatten until it wouldn¡¯t flatten any further. The density itself was not terrible, in his novice estimation. But the surface of his Armor was plagued with ripples, and the time it had taken was far too unfit for battle.

    ¡°Good enough.¡± Scar told them both.

    Banda tried to withdraw the aura he had coated his body with, but only received back about half of what he used. It seemed this technique was not as lenient as Sense.

    ¡°Now Harness. Think water, swelling up your muscles like a pouch. Should be easy enough now. Ah, but don¡¯t try too hard at this one. You might tear something.¡±

    Banda lowered his arms in front of him in a crouching stance ready to lunge. The muscles of his scarred body tightened and then tightened some more. They started to bulge slowly and gradually under his firm control, but he stopped after his instincts warned of the danger of pushing himself further.

    Banda swiped at the air with one arm as he paid close attention. He was stronger, by half as much as double at his guess. But just as with the other techniques, it was too slow. Too wasteful.

    He released his Harness, and found none of the aura he spent returned to him. Not a technique to use carelessly, he noted. At his side, Eres did the same. She didn¡¯t test the effects herself, but Banda got the feeling she wasn¡¯t as capable as him in this one.

    ¡°Suppression¡¯s the opposite.¡± Scar spoke up. ¡°Suck all the aura within you into your core. Like breathing in deep. And bury it deep down.¡±

    Banda didn¡¯t care much about this one. The moment he heard it explained, he realized he had been using it since before he could even speak. He doubted anyone in this stone forest could do so better.

    ¡°You can practice that one on your own. Better to get the most out of your shards.¡± Scar flipped up a broken spear shaft off the paved ground with his foot and burst towards Banda.

    Banda¡¯s body turned feral as he ducked under the slumlord¡¯s aura coated swing. With careless focus, Scar swung back again and at the same time slid his foot in a circle to trip Banda off his feet.

    Banda twisted his body in midair to dodge the stick a second time and mauled at Scar, carving four slashes on his loose tunic as the man stepped back to barely avoid it.

    ¡°Well now, this is just a fight, boy. I thought you paid for training?¡± Scar spoke in jitters.

    Banda kept his narrow stare on the man for a few moments. That brief exchanged showed Scar to be his equal in strength and speed, at least within the safe limits of Feral Form. And that made him a threat.

    Banda contemplated his next course of action, but settled on pursuing his most important goal. Power. He concentrated as aura started to coat his body. And Scar lunged again.

    He struck his broken staff, and this time Banda held out his arm to block. The staff struck clean, shattering the unstable Armor over Banda, and knocking him to the other side of the empty alley yard.

    Scar gave him a glance, and shot towards Eres. Eres¡¯ eyes widened and then quickly narrowed as she committed to dealing with the powerful swing blurring her way. But Banda caught the staff in his hand before she could summon her shield.

    Scar took measure of him. The speed Banda moved a step greater than before, the source of it his swelled muscles. And Scar took note of the more serious look in Banda¡¯s eye compared to when he had been the target.

    Scar let go of the staff and struck at Banda¡¯s face with his fist. Banda reached to grab with his other hand, and Scar pulled back his back half way.

    A series of feints and misdirection exploded towards Banda, but none could fool his instincts. Banda stepped hard into the blurring volley, and punched.

    Scar pulled his arms in just in time to block Banda¡¯s fist, but the sheer force sent him sliding back on his feet with a thunderous thud. Banda readied himself for more and Scar¡¯s posture relaxed into a casual walk.

    ¡°That¡¯ll do for today.¡± He said. ¡°Already showed you everything you need. Train on your own if you want to master it. Course, you¡¯re always welcome to give me more shards if you want. And if you run low on them¡­ I might have some work for you.¡±

    ¡°I thought only fools kept Otto¡¯s thralls around them.¡± Eres harkened back to what he told them before.

    ¡°I never said we would be friends.¡± Scar leaned in with his words.

    ¡°...We¡¯ll think about.¡± Eres gave a dry answer as she turned to leave, with Banda following behind.

    ¡°Cultivation past the first stage takes shards to progress at your full potential.¡± Scar called out in an unhurried tone. ¡°Mana in the environment isn¡¯t enough. Unless you get lucky and find somewhere that is. I suggest you kill more of Otto¡¯s people. Easier than hunting.¡±

    The pair gave only a silent glance in return as they walked back down the alley and out of sight.

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust him.¡± Banda spoke bluntly after they left earshot. Scar was a sly human, the kind whose thoughts he found impossible to read.

    ¡°Neither do I. But we need someone to learn Rank 2 cultivation from, and he¡¯s the least bad option so far. We can¡¯t be too picky in a place like this.¡± Eres looked at him. ¡°We use everything and anything we can. If it¡¯s dangerous, we just need to overcome it.¡±

    Banda did not share her tolerance for danger, but the response to it, he agreed on. The strongest beast was whoever survived long enough to become it. And he intended to survive forever.

 Chapter 17 - Outer Meridians

    Banda and Eres pummeled at each other viciously in the empty lot behind their shack. Banda clenched his fist and struck her abdomen clean underneath her guard. Eres slid back a few feet as the Armor coating her body rattled violently. But it held firm.

    Banda lunged and she flickered a kick at his head. He blocked it clean with his arm but a second kick from the same motion landed on his ribs. And in that same moment, Banda stomped her back.

    It was their daily Basic Aura Technique training. Sparring involved only Harness and Armor, with no other arts or abilities allowed. Eres had even suggested they forgo combat entirely and strike at each other unguarded to focus entirely on improving their technique mastery, but that was a level of laxity Banda refused to lower himself to.

    He didn¡¯t use Feral Form, naturally. It gave him too much of an advantage. Without it, there were fairly equal physically, however Eres¡¯ combat skills had worsened. A product of losing her Dance of Ishtar spell, she claimed.

    They had both improved quite a bit in their techniques over the past few weeks on their own. Enough to wield against weak opponents at least. But they were far from mastering them.

    Eres knocked Banda back with a palm strike and relaxed her stance. She took out two Mana Crystals and tossed one to him. He concentrated, with intent to plunder, and soon the mana from within the crystal started to pour into him.

    Aura Recovery was faster and could be done without the new full concentration that meditation demanded, though it still took its time and toll. A constant cycle of training, recovery, and meditation was the structure of their day.

    And the gaps between were usually filled with Eres¡¯ stories. Most were inconsequential to Banda, and he suspected more than a few were lies for her own amusement. But he listened to them, as there was little else to do.

    But stories were not on Eres¡¯ mind today, and Banda knew well why. They had reached the peak of the first stage.

    It was a surprisingly mundane event. At some point late yesterday, his spirit refused to take in anymore mana, no matter how he tried. Just as a human jar could hold no more water once it was filled to the brim.

    Added to that, was the effect cultivation had on his body that he could feel so clearly. Twice as strong, twice as fast, and twice as durable. He was told the same was true for his mind and soul, but those attributes were far less apparent to him.

    ¡°Well¡­ no point in putting it off any longer.¡± Eres said, as the crystal evaporated in her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go see Otto.¡±

    Banda was reluctant. But he knew there was no other way. They had to once again show weakness to the king of this stone forest.

    ---

    ¡°Already?¡± Otto sat casually at the top of the cracked stone steps, looking down on them with sly, lazy eyes. ¡°Reaching the peak in just a month¡­ What¡¯s your secret?¡±

    ¡°...How do we advance?¡± Eres pulled the conversation back on track, with a neutral tone that wouldn¡¯t spark any insult.

    Otto held his silence with a smile, his reed hat blocking the dim rays of the sun. ¡°Since you¡¯re in a rush¡­ Gather all the aura within you and flood it into one of the twelve Outer Meridians. You should know what they are by now. Keep that aura rotating within the meridian as fast as you can, until you break it open. Then keep rotating more, until it heals itself.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter which one. You have to open them all eventually. But if you fail, the meridian stay broken. That takes a lot longer than a month to fix.¡±

    Eres waited until it was clear his explanations were done. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll-¡±

    ¡°Do it here.¡± Otto ordered as she started to turn to leave.

    Eres waited another moment, then sat without complaint. And Banda followed suit. She refused to explain her actions for the petty sake of enjoyment but he had seen enough to figure it out.

    Her act of weakness showed Otto enough respect as king to not demand a response to prove it, but not so weak that he would step on her as he walked without even noticing. There were some similarities, he found, in humans ways and the way of the forest.

    Banda turned his focus inward, and gathered his aura. His growing proficiency in aura techniques also increased his skill in cultivation. He found the aura within him easier to command and guide. He pulled every last drop of aura to his center, circling it with fluid control.

    He knew exactly what Otto refuses to tell them outright. These ¡®Outer Meridians¡¯ were the twelve points along the path of cultivation where the current slowed. The ¡®lakes¡¯. Otto said it didn¡¯t matter, but Otto was a liar. If his aura flowed more easily through the meridians, so would his arts and techniques.

    Banda focused, and pushed everything into the meridian of his right wrist. Unlike when he meditated, the meridian strangely started to take in the aura for itself, more than it seemed capable of holding.

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    He flooded it ceaselessly and the lake greedily drank it all. It stayed the same size, but it grew denser and violent. Banda strained his focus as he poured the last of his aura in, stirring it as strongly as he could.

    The waters of the lake swirled. Slowly at first. Then faster, and faster, and faster. Sweat dropped down Banda¡¯s face as he fought against the turbulent current that tried to break free from his control.

    The rushing swirl of aura crashed and bucked against the boundaries of the meridian, and Banda felt them start to crack. He bore the strain as the pressure worsened, and the boundaries fractured more with every passing moment.

    The speed of the current kept rising, the danger of failure blared in Banda¡¯s mind. And with it his fierce intent. A tyrannical and savage intent. He forced the current faster and struck down its surging rebellion.

    Cracks shot across the boundary of the meridian like a thousand streaks of lightning, until finally it shattered with thunderous surge. Pain pierced through Banda¡¯s mind but that did nothing to loosen his grip.

    He kept the aura spinning in place, even without the help of the boundary. A splash of aura fell out of the lake, and Banda heightened his tyranny.

    It spun and spun, as fast as ever. But soon the aura started to seep into the former boundary of the meridian, rebuilding the wall that shattered.

    Banda held the violent lake in place as it slowly drained away. The surface sank lower and lower and the walls grew denser. Soon the last of the lake seeped away and the walls began to grow. A bright light filled Banda¡¯s mind and he opened his eyes to the feeling of a new meridian.

    He held out his hand in front of him, and harnessed his aura. Its strength remained the same, but the aura now flowed through it easier and faster. His power had increased again.

    ¡°Congratulations.¡± Otto spoke leisurely. Banda glanced over at Eres and saw she had advanced without issue as well.

    ¡°Now that you¡¯re a step above complete novices¡­¡± Otto stood to his feet and drew his two long scimitars, still sheathed.

    A barrage of murderous intent assaulted the pair without warning. Banda acted in an instant on sheer instinct, darting back to the center of the courtyard as he pulled Eres by the arm with him.

    Otto grinned, showing none of the hostility of his intent on his face. He casually walked down the stone steps under Banda¡¯s vigilant gaze. The moment Otto¡¯s foot touched the ground, he appeared right in front of Banda with his sword drawn back.

    Banda jolted his head down on reflex as the scimitar passed through his rugged hair that lagged behind. But Otto stepped in with the same motion, and thrust the pommel of his other blade into Banda¡¯s chest. The Armor that coated him shattered as Banda was sent crashing through a part of the courtyard wall.

    Violent aura swirled in Eres¡¯ palm as she stepped away with as good timing as she could muster. But Otto struck her abdomen hard, the difference in speed between them far too great for timing to matter.

    The Palm Blast in her hand shattered with her broken concentration, and she collapsed to the ground, gasping for air as her body refused to draw in a breath. As Otto¡¯s eyes were on Eres, Banda lunged like a wild beast from his blindspot. His killing intent silent and hidden.

    Banda thrust his iron clawed hand but Otto sidestepped it effortlessly. Otto slashed his sheathed blade at Banda¡¯s wide open mid section, but the savage caught it with his other bulging arm and kicked at Otto¡¯s head.

    Otto simply leaned back as his foot sailed past harmlessly and spun Banda off balance with a sharp twist of his sword. Banda spun with the force to correct himself but Otto moved faster. He struck straight down on Banda¡¯s chest, cracking him into the ground.

    Blood splurted from Banda¡¯s mouth but he forced himself to spin away closer to Eres, who still struggled for breath. He glared at Otto like a cornered beast, but knew he could do little more.

    Otto was stronger than Scar. Twice as strong at least, and far more skilled. Strangely skilled. Banda had felt it against Scar as well. This deceptive way of fighting. He had faced humans in forest who fought with lies in their movements, but there was something murky about the way these ones fought.

    Even with Feral Form and Harness, he was losing. He could push himself further, but Otto had tricks he wasn¡¯t using yet either. If he failed to kill him quickly, Otto would realize he was a true threat, and use the Soul Seed. Banda suspected that was why Eres still refused to use her avatar despite her current state.

    Banda contemplated what to do. Otto was toying with them. He showed no intention to kill them, but Banda had seen many beasts toy with prey just the same before cruelly devouring them.

    ¡°This is good enough, I guess.¡± In the midst of Banda¡¯s turmoil, Otto lowered his swords and spoke as though the tension in the air didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡°I lost some enforcers recently. People who keep my territory under control and collect tribute. If you replaced them, you wouldn¡¯t need to pay the quota anymore. You¡¯d even get to keep a cut of the shards you collect. But¡­ ¡± Eres rose to her feet beside Banda with haggard breath as Otto continued. ¡°I need to know you¡¯re capable of handling a position like that. It¡¯s not a role for the weak.¡±

    ¡°Did we pass your test¡­?¡± Eres asked with a scowl.

    ¡°This?¡± Otto feigned confusion. ¡°No, this was just to pass the time. I have a real task for you. A monster has appeared in one of the hunting grounds that¡¯s making it difficult for my hunters to¡­ hunt. You two are going to kill it. Today.¡±

    ¡°...we need some time to recover.¡± Eres said carefully.

    Otto smiled as the veiled beastwoman appeared from the manor. She walked gracefully down the steps and towards them with serene composure, though the hint of animosity in her eyes was obvious. She met both of their cautious stares with her snake-like eyes for long silent moments each.

    Banda tensed as the feeling of aura enveloped him, but quickly he realized it was healing his wounds. He glanced over at Eres whose breathing stabilized, and then back towards the beastwoman who smiled derisively at him.

    The veiled woman¡¯s healing art took less than a minute to restore them fully from their slight wounds. Without a care for exposing weakness, she turned her back and walked over to Otto¡¯s side.

    ¡°Go wait by the town gate.¡± Otto told them. ¡°I¡¯ll send over some people to guide you.¡±

    Banda and Eres left without a word, neither wishing to remain any longer than they had to.

    ¡°Could you kill him?¡± Eres asked once they got far enough away.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± That was the problem Banda faced. He didn¡¯t know how much Otto was hiding.

    ¡°If that was his true speed and might, and if he used the martial arts of heroes you fought back in Cedar Forest?¡± Eres added some conditions.

    ¡°No.¡± Banda spoke plainly. If Otto¡¯s tricks were far superior to his own, then fighting him was hopeless.

    ¡°...what if he only used the arts that we¡¯ve seen here so far?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Banda answered just as plainly.

    Eres eyed him in thought. ¡°Then we¡¯ll wait a little longer.¡±

 Chapter 18 - Harpy Hunting Grounds

    Banda and Eres stood patiently by the open wooden gate of the town as they had been instructed. Barely half an hour passed before a group of five walked towards them, their presence a step above the common rabble of the slum.

    ¡°Otto sent us. We¡¯ll guide you to the hunting ground.¡± The largest of them spoke after taking note of the pair¡¯s appearances. Tall, muscular, and bald with dark skin, he held the type of glint in his eyes that only came through some measure of hardship and competency.

    ¡°And what exactly is a hunting ground?¡± Eres asked with an air of authority.

    ¡°...some regions around here have a lot more monsters than most. Makes it easier to gather shards. Otto claims them all, and hunters like us work them.¡± The man was slow to respond at first at such a basic question, though he hid his surprise well and answered fully and carefully.

    ¡°I am Buzur. Igin, Eme, Gestu, Kiri.¡± He gestured out the rest of the group.

    A thin man with long beard, with a quill of arrows strapped to his back and a bow in his hand. A young woman in long robes and a cap of leather and leaves. An old man with a thick white beard and cloth wrapped around his head carrying a walking staff.

    And a young man with blond hair, donning leather armor, two swords on his waist, and an look of arrogant irritation in his eyes. None seemed happy with being subservient to the pair, though only he spent no effort to effort to hide his displeasure.

    ¡°We¡¯ll escort you through the forest, and support you against the problem.¡± Buzur continued.

    Eres took note of the underlings appointed to them. They were superior to the common thralls, in poise and the implication of their occupation as ¡®hunters¡¯. None could be trusted, as was to be expected in a place like this. Not their loyalty nor their abilities nor their knowledge.

    But Eres never intended to trust them anyway. She had no interest in their names, nor their loyalty, nor even their competency. All others aside from her chosen champion were pawns and enemies to be used and crushed as her path demanded.

    Eres uncrossed her arms, and the authority of her demeanor rose. ¡°Then lead the way.¡±

    ---

    Igin sunk an arrow into the head of a stray wolf and quickly retrieved it before returning to the front of the group. The hunting team lead the way through the misty forest with barely a word. Each acted as needed with minimal wasted effort.

    The absence of talking, with communication done mainly with looks and gestures were reminiscent of beast packs. They seemed somewhat capable to Banda¡¯s eyes, though warranted no more than a passing glance of his time.

    The archer led the vanguard, along with the yellow haired human who held a thin sword in each hand who only stepped in to deal with the beasts the archer couldn¡¯t handle. At their sides were the old man who used similar arts to Eres, and the tall muscular human who wielded a large axe with more strength than the others.

    And in the center alongside him and Eres was the woman who had not yet displayed her powers, though none of them showed any sign of discontent towards her inaction. The woman in question noticed Banda looking at her and smiled back, which he ignored.

    ¡°You must be strong, if Otto tasked you with this.¡± Eme spoke anyway, her smile unfaltering by his lack of interest. She waited a few moments as Banda remained silent, then asked another question. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you around before. Did you come to the town recently?¡±

    Banda glanced back at the human with persistent questions. ¡°...why are you not fighting?¡±

    If she felt any amount of surprise by the sudden question, it didn¡¯t show on her face. ¡°I¡¯m a healer. If I¡¯m wounded or run out of aura, I can¡¯t help anyone else. Usually, it¡¯s just me alone in the center¡­ so you being here makes me feel more at ease.¡±

    Eres glanced at the flirtatious woman with dispassionate eyes but kept her silence as she focused back ahead.

    ¡°You heal wounds?¡± Banda asked further.

    ¡°To an extent.¡± Eme answered. ¡°But don¡¯t get too reckless. I¡¯m not Bau.¡±

    ¡°Bau?¡± Banda had not heard this word before.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Healer seemed somewhat surprised this time. ¡°She¡¯s a Goddess of Healing. The divine physician. The greatest healer in all of Eden. Well, what I mean to say is I¡¯m only mortal. Ah, and be careful not to get poisoned either. Bau cured Enki but I have no such arts.¡±

    ¡°It was a curse, illness, and poison, and she did it with the help of her daughters.¡± Eres corrected, without looking over at them.

    Eme looked at Eres with dull surveying eyes. Eres had not spoken since they left, though her interjection here seemed somewhat territorial. She turned her eyes to Banda who still hadn¡¯t shown much sign of attraction and came to a decision.

    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± She replied softly after a short pause, and kept silent as they walked, sinking back into a calm amiable demeanor.

    Kiri slashed clean through a 3 foot long lizard that partially concealed itself on the trunk of a tree, and clicked his teeth as he glanced back to the center.

    ¡°Why are we even wasting our time on them¡­? These greenhorns won¡¯t last a minute in the grounds. That bastard Otto¡¯s probably just sending us all to die.¡±

    ¡°Stop it.¡± Buzur said as he focuses on his surroundings.

    ¡°You¡¯re fine with being his canary?¡± Kiri snapped.

    The big guy didn¡¯t respond, but the nature of his silence showed he was somewhat in agreement with his comrade¡¯s sentiments.

    ¡°What kind of monsters are we hunting anyway?¡± Eres asked bluntly.

    ¡°Otto didn¡¯t even tell them!¡± Kiri yelled.

    ¡°Harpies¡­¡± Buzur answered for the party, the expression on his face dropping as well. ¡°Half bird, half woman. Mid-Grade monsters. Mid-Grades are roughly five times stronger than humans, compared to the mere twice that low-grades are.¡±

    ¡°A whole flock as settled on a ridge up one of the mountains. 30 or 40, maybe more. All around the peak of rank 1 as far as anyone can tell¡­ The problem is a flock that big has to have a leader. But no one has seen it and survived, so we can¡¯t be sure how strong it is.¡±

    ¡°Harpies are fast. They attack from above with their talons, strong enough to dent shields and claw clean through armor. Their screeches disorient the senses.¡±

    Big Guy gave details and information in abundance, as if in hopes it would make them more reliable than the complete uselessness he half expected.

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    ¡°Don¡¯t bother telling them.¡± Kiri said, steeling his frowning expression in anticipation of the danger before them. ¡°It¡¯s on us to survive this.¡±

    ¡°Mountain.¡± The archer Igin reported from ahead, drawing everyone¡¯s attention forward.

    ¡°Hunting formation.¡± Kiri ordered. ¡°No mistakes.¡±

    Each of the hunters grew sharper and quieter in their focus to the danger ahead. Buzur took the vanguard alongside their hostile tempered leader, while the archer went off to the side on his own and the old man moved to the center with the healer woman.

    The party moved in unison as Banda and Eres followed with the center, and soon passed the edge of the forest and onto the slope of the mountain¡¯s base. The ever present fog Banda had become accustomed to quickly thinned, as though it were constrained to the trees behind.

    He had a clear view of the land and the sky around him now. Far easier to detect monsters, but likewise, any monsters roaming this region could detect them far easier as well.

    Unlike the damp soil of the forest, the ground of the mountain range was dry and firm. Thin grass covered most of the land, interspersed with patches of gray rocky ground. What little trees it held were scattered around sparsely in clusters, their trunks tall and narrow and their leaves like thick green quills.

    The party moved with purpose with a clear direction in mind up the gentle uneven slope, sticking to the clusters of trees or large rock formations jutting out like buildings as cover.

    Anxiety and tension slowly rose on their expressions the further they travelled, checking every direction incessantly. Suddenly the two at the vanguard froze in their tracks, and directed everyone¡¯s attention to the strange flying creatures Banda had spotted a moment before them.

    Banda would have mistaken them for human women if he had not been told of them, or guessed at them being another type of beastmen.

    They had the faces and proportions of women but the limbs of a bird. Feathered wings took the place of their arms, with which they flew in a hovering upright stance.

    Their chests were bare of clothing. The top half of their legs were covered in feathers from the waist down, and the lower half were large thick talons with sharp curled claws.

    Four of them in total, and they were heading right towards them.

    Kiri gestured with his hand as the group took cover behind two separate clusters of trees, where they waited patiently in silence until the pack of harpies drew near.

    Buzur sprinted into the open without warning with his eyes locked on the monsters above. The harpies let out hostile screeches that sounded like a threat at the sudden emergence of another creature, their expressions tightening into vicious scowls.

    The frontmost harpy shot down towards the large human with a violent flap of its wings and an arrow sunk into the side of its head.

    Shock and fear fell down the remaining harpies¡¯ expressions as they watched their kin fall dead from the sky. The shrill whistle of a second arrow followed but this time it was easily dodged by its more alert target.

    The gaze of the harpies snapped over to the trees the arrow came from. Hostility usurped their fear once more, emboldened by the failed second attack of their prey.

    ¡°Hooooahh!¡± Buzur bellowed out as he banged his mace against his shield to pull their attention once more.

    The harpies hesitated indecisively for a moment before choosing to dive down at the prey wide in the open. A third arrow sailed towards the pack, which they evaded once more, but a glowing blue arrow pierced through the neck of a harpy from the other side.

    Banda glanced over at the old mage near him who had his hand still raised. The human had conjured the arrow from thin air, much like Eres¡¯ Flying Palm technique, though its speed much faster and its killing potential more obvious.

    The harpy it struck fluttered erratically through the air, chocking on its own blood that filled its throat. Fear returned to the fickle harpies once again, but the hunters didn¡¯t give them time to respond

    Buzur charged towards them with another roar, as Kiri shot out from the trees in a blur. His harpy target moved quickly enough to avoid the first slash aimed at its head but not the second which cut one of its wings clean off.

    Still in his charge, Buzur swung his weapon. The studded head of his mace detached from the handle, connected by a glowing blue chain that lengthened unnaturally long, and whipped towards the last harpy like a flail.

    The harpy darted to the side mid air, and a fourth arrow pierced through its chest. Disbelief coated its expression before anger and desperation took its place.

    The harpy inhaled deep with gritted teeth as if to scream with all its might, but an arrow pierced threw the back of its throat and through its fanged mouth before it had the chance.

    With spluttering gasps and failed screeches it fell to the ground with a thud, where Kiri walked over from the one winged harpy with bloodied swords and a malicious grin.

    Several flashes of his sword severed the limbs of the monster as it squirmed violently on the ground in agony. Kiri stabbed his sword down into its stomach and twisted it. The tears streaking down the harpy¡¯s face and its pleading cries only served to encourage his cruelty.

    He stabbed again and again and again. Each brought new tormented sounds from the pitiful creature, each growing softer and weaker as the harpy¡¯s movements dulled until finally it reacted no more.

    Kiri lingered over it for a few moments with heavy breath, before shifting his posture as he regained his composure. He used his sleeve to wipe some of the blood from his face and gave the harpy a swift kick to the head before using his sword to dig out its core.

    ¡°...We were once seven.¡± Gestu, the old man, said as he and Eme walked past them to join the rest of the hunters.

    Losing some of their pack to the harpies explained their anger but not their wasteful actions. Banda was not unfamiliar to such pointless maliciousness, but he could not understand it. Not back in his forest, and not here.

    Igin knelt down next to the mutilated harpy¡¯s corpse and turned its head with one hand, but seeing the state of his broken arrow embedded within let it drop with a sigh.

    Buzur glanced around to confirm all of the monster cores had been collected. ¡°Let¡¯s not wait around too long-¡±

    ¡°Why are there only four?¡± Banda asked him directly.

    The tall man looked back with half concealed surprise at the sudden question. ¡°...Harpy flocks might be several dozen but they hunt in smaller packs to cover a wider territory.¡±

    A similar system to how yeren patrolled their territory, Banda thought. He had figured as much but wanted to confirm.

    ¡°They¡¯re cowardly monsters.¡± Buzur continued. ¡°If they aren¡¯t sure of victory, they¡¯ll let out a cry that be heard for miles and miles. Can¡¯t rush them either. More than a few enemies and they¡¯ll call for the others just the same.¡±

    From what Banda had seen and just been told, the way to kill the flock was to track them down and quickly them swiftly. A very simple, practical method of hunting.

    ¡°Hunt them faster.¡± Banda ordered.

    Kiri grew more annoyed. ¡°You greenhorns keep your mouths shut-¡±

    Banda¡¯s intent fell upon them. The five hunters froze in place at the weight of his presence.

    A strange, visceral sense of dread filled their limbs and lungs as if their very bodies instinctively felt the threat he posed. A sense mirrored by their thoughts as they met his gaze. Cold and sharp. The eyes of a born predator.

    Humiliation showed on Kiri¡¯s face once he recovered from the shock of his initial fear. He hesitated in place, torn between the choice he desired and the choice he knew in the pit of his gut to be wisest.

    But in the end, he swallowed his pride and took the lead without a word. The rest of the party followed in equal silence, none wishing to be the first to break the silence.

    The group moved quickly over the open mountain range and before long a new pack of harpies appeared in the horizon.

    The hunters gave each other quiet looks and got into position again. One half took cover behind horn shaped boulders and the another beneath a single tree, as Buzur stayed out in the open.

    Just as the ones before, the pack of three harpies grew hostile and bold at the sight of a lone prey. Igin aimed an arrow as one dove down from the sky, and two large rocks slammed into the throats of the two harpies behind.

    Banda burst out from beneath the tree in Feral Form. The harpy jolted his head in his direction but Banda tore out half its neck before it could react anymore.

    He hit the ground and and lunged towards the two remaining ones hovering erratically as they failed to screech through their crushed throats. They both flapped their wings to escape at the sight up him, but Banda grasped a leg in each hand.

    The harpies pulled him higher in the air as they raised their large talons, ready to kick at him with their free leg. But before they could, Banda twisted their leg as he pulled them to the side and smashed them against each other.

    Blood and gore and fragments of bone fell on the hard ground below, and the bodies of the two harpies followed.

    Banda landed effortlessly and near silently besides them. He was twice as strong as these strange human-like beasts in this form. They were fast but fragile, with mediocre skill and even worse intelligence. He wouldn¡¯t have to bother crushing their throats next time. Their skulls would break easily.

    Banda turned to the humans who looked on in shock at the carnage. They were weak, but they knew this land. Which made them useful to him. He did not want to stay out in the wilderness for long.

    ¡°Find the next pack.¡±

 Chapter 19 - Harpy Matriarch

    A medley of shrill screeches assaulted Buzur¡¯s mind. He staggered in place, the disorientation so great he could barely stay on his feet. And the three harpies swooped down at their hindered prey.

    These were the smartest pack they had encountered thus far. So wary and craven they spared not even the slightest complacency against a single target. But three stones smashed open their skulls just the same as the others.

    Banda didn¡¯t spare them a second glance. Instead he turned his focus to check his surroundings with composed vigilance by Eres¡¯ side, as the hunters tentatively collected the monster cores.

    Humans were oddly similar to beasts in that regard. The natural order of things dictated that he has the strongest would claim all the cores, or in the case of humans, the shards that came from them. But he was not someone who would bite at hares while the deer slipped from his grasp.

    He would let them take the shards if it meant they would stay obedient as they aided him in this task. He could always hunt more, if the need arose. Avoiding what Otto may do should they fail his task was far more important.

    The hunters murmured quietly amongst each other before Buzur walked a bit closer over as their apparent representative.

    ¡°We need to make a decision.¡± He said.

    ¡°On what?¡± Banda asked.

    ¡°We¡¯ve culled a fair bit, now. Maybe half their flock. We could keep going, but it won¡¯t take much longer until the leader realizes what¡¯s happening. It¡¯ll call the rest back and then it¡¯ll be nearly impossible to kill.¡±

    Buzur took a pause in his words to hear Banda¡¯s thoughts, but the savage returned only silence as he waited to hear the rest.

    ¡°...We could rush the leader at the den before it can gather the rest. But if we take too long, the rest of the remaining packs will come back all at once and we¡¯ll be slaughtered.¡±

    ¡°How many at the den?¡± Banda asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Buzur admitted. ¡°Likely the leader with two or three packs.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s risky.¡± The old mystic Gestu said. ¡°Perhaps it will be best if we did what we can today and finish tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Otto said to finish today.¡± Eme reminded. By Gestu¡¯s silence, it seemed he knew the implication.

    ¡°Just scout the place out.¡± Eres spoke up casually, her words directed only at Banda. ¡°Take one of them and see what we¡¯re up against.¡±

    Banda looked at her. She had been oddly quiet on this hunt. Banda would have thought she was simply bored with it all, were it not for the subtle sharpness in her eyes with which she observed everything around her.

    He considered her words for a moment before looking towards the archer. ¡°You, lead.¡±

    Igin flinched ever so slightly but quickly accepted his fate. He headed off as swiftly as he could while maintain the necessary vigilance, and Banda effortlessly followed behind.

    Their path was far more direct and efficient with a specific goal in mind, compared to their mostly aimless hunting.

    Igin glanced behind at Banda. He had not told him to suppress his aura or to move as silently as possible, yet the savage had done so without hesitation.

    Despite being so close, Igin couldn¡¯t feel the slightest emanations of his aura and his movements were so quiet he wondered if the feral man was using a trait or an art.

    Even the incomprehensible sense of danger that had saved his life a few times where his truer senses failed seemed of no help.

    A bead of sweat rolled down Igin¡¯s face as he tried to put it to the back of his mind. Part of him felt less distress at facing a den of harpies than the thought of facing the person following behind.

    It didn¡¯t take too long to reach their destination. Banda stopped as Igin did. Ahead of them just barely within sight was a a small plateau on the side of a cliff and a large cave within.

    Six harpies fluttered around with lazy flaps of their wings in a disorganized manner. But a seventh harpy with green feathers hovered with steeled composure in front of the cave.

    ¡°The leader.¡± Igin said. ¡°It¡¯s a variant. Stronger than the others. Too risky to test, we should head back to the others.¡±

    Banda eyed the creature for a moment, then slipped away silently to return to Eres. He felt no strong urge to hide from the harpy leader and it did not seem the scheming type to conceal its strength.

    Far more worrying than these harpies, was the idea of leaving Eres alone in the wild too long. Especially surrounded by humans.

    ---

    The journey to regroup and return to the harpy den was a short one. All seven members of the hunting party now stared out at the plateau cave from what little cover they could find on the mountain range.

    Little had changed. Six regular harpies still casually patrolled around while the green-feathered leader hovered in front of the entrance. A formidable sight by the standards of the first floor, but one Banda hardly found intimidating. He could hunt them all on his own.

    ¡°A Denmother.¡± The old mystic Gestu said quietly. ¡°It favors magic over the body.¡±

    ¡°What kind of magic?¡± Eres asked.

    ¡°...they manipulate the winds, usually. For both attack and defense.¡± Gestu answered.

    ¡°Me and Gestu will take the leader, everyone else kill the others before they call for more.¡± Kiri spoke, then turned to Igin. ¡°How long until the next shift?¡±

    ¡°Not long.¡± The archer answered. ¡°Most are already growing restless.¡±

    ¡°Harpies do not handle boredom well. A tribe must shift between those who hunt and those who stand guard often.¡± Buzur explained to Banda and Eres for their benefit. ¡°We need to wait for the next shift, otherwise that patrol could return while we are fighting, and call the whole flock.¡±

    Banda raised his hand suddenly and silently, a signal for the others to be silent too. Buzur and Igin paused for a moment, then followed his gaze to see the distant silhouettes of a pack of harpies drawing closer.

    The hunters held still and waited in silence. Soon the pack of three harpies arrived back at the den, followed by a pack of four from another direction. Vigor and enthusiasm seemed to find the ones that currently loitered around their dwellings, and they quickly formed into two packs among themselves and flew out into the range.

    Banda waited until new patrols left the range of sight and sound, then lunged with a signal to the rest. He whipped two stones before the harpies could fully turn, which shattered two of their skulls.

    A third inhaled deep, but Banda clawed out its throat before it could wail. One arrow soared through the air behind him and split into several. The small cluster peppered the remaining harpies enough to stunt their decisions.

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    Banda coiled into a stance. The bow-wielding human had finally acted. A slow response and an unimpressive one, as Banda expected, but the arrows accomplished what was needed. The harpies were distracted, enough for a reckless lunge to reap the lives of the remaining guards.

    Banda turned his gaze to the side. The old human rose a wall of stone from the ground that just barely withstood the destructive bolt of wind the Harpy Denmother spat. Kiri bounded out from the cover towards the green-feathered leader with two thin swords drawn.

    As the creature gathered its wind again, Kiri¡¯s form started to flicker and overlap. The denmother spat out a second Wind Bolt, and the swordsman darted one step to the side with great.

    In a range the harpy spat several more bolts in quick succession, but with great effort Kiri sidestepped them all and drew close. The denmother took to the sky like the wind to escape his gleaning sword, and a stone followed.

    A burst of wind exploded from the harpy¡¯s body to form a barrier against the bone-breaking stone Banda three. And an arrow followed after. Derision took its expression as the harpy unleashed another burst of wind, but the arrow transformed into a weighted net.

    Surging wind passed straight through the gaps of the net and wrapped around the harpy. With the use of its wings bound, it plummeted to the ground. A quick burst of wind fended off another of Banda¡¯s opportunistic rocks, and the creature hit the hard slope of the cliff.

    Finally sense seemed to reach its thoughts. The harpy ripped out of the net with its large talons, but freedom had come too late. Blood splashes as an earth spike pierced through its back from the cliff it laid on.

    Wretched wails of pain and fear of death lasted only a moment. Kiri arrived before the creature with bitter resentment and severed its head in a single slash. The harpy¡¯s head tumbled down the cliff to the ground just outside the cave, and Kiri sneered.

    ¡°Ha!¡± The swordsman kicked the hateful creature before he started to dig out the gem on its chest, and only Banda sensed what came next.

    Another harpy appeared right besides Kiri in an instant, this one larger with red-tipped white feathers and blank eyes. It released an otherly wail, and Kiri fell dead.

    ¡°Matriarch!¡± Buzur yelled in fear as he tried to reach Gestu.

    But the Harpy Matriarch reached them first, and its Soul Scream felled the two of them as well. Its eerily blank gaze shifted over to the two women, and Banda¡¯s intensity sharpened to the extreme. He whipped a stone with wind-searing speed, and the harpy appeared right beside him.

    Dense mana emanations reverbed down on him heavily as he felt the quality of the harpy¡¯s presence clearly now. A presence that surpasses Rank 1.

    Banda hurled a stone, and the harpy screamed. Its wail lasted only a brief moment before the stone forced it away, but that was long enough for it to strike deep into Banda¡¯s core.

    He felt his soul grate and strain and creak to its limits, just as when Otto displayed the threat of the Soul Seed. It was dangerous. Far too dangerous. Banda armored himself in monstrous form, and slammed his fists on the ground.

    The cratering blow sent a shockwave that blocked the harpy¡¯s path, much like the Denmother¡¯s wall of wind before. Banda struck the same blow again and again to create a constant barrage of defensive booms.

    Unable to draw near enough, the harpy hovered back on the outskirts of the shockwaves, and Igin made a move. The archer picked up his sole fellow survivor in Eme and sprinted away. As he fled, Eme channelled her aura to weave vines and blades of grass around Eres¡¯ legs.

    Eres¡¯ expression tightened in anger. They meant to use her as bait to enable their escape. She summoned her Avatar in preparation for a fight, but the harpy appeared before the fleeing hunters and sundered their souls.

    The Avatar¡¯s spear deftly cut through the vines as Banda rushed to Eres¡¯ side. And the harpy matriarch turned its focus on them.

    ¡°Soul attack.¡± Banda reported, just before the harpy made its move.

    A rushing charge led to another soul scream, but the Avatar¡¯s shield blocked this one clean, as though the attack were physical. The golden spear¡¯s thrust followed like lightning, but the harpy dodged, its speed equal to the Avatar¡¯s.

    Swirling wind brought it behind the duo in a blur and it tried another wail. But this one too was blocked by the shield, and a second thrust of the spear met the same success as before.

    Banda took measure of their fight. The harpy was too much for the Avatar alone, but his stones were useless and it was too risky for him to leave the protection of its shield. Banda thought fast. If Gugal was another soul, then he would wear it like a scaled hide against the white-feathered harpy.

    With great horns and monstrous form, Banda thundered towards the harpy to the creature¡¯s shock. The harpy wailed at its defenseless prey, but its Soul Scream was useless against the might of the bull.

    The harpy matriarch had not doubted its ability for moment. And that confidence now resulted in savage hands too close to evade. Surging wind helped it avoid the worst, but Banda¡¯s mauling hand struck hard and dealt heavy damage.

    Mindlessly rampaging eyes focused on the weakened prey, but the form suddenly dispersed from him along with all its power. Banda lingered in stunned confusion among the waning traces of divinity, and the harpy wailed.

    Searing pain carved through his soul as small fractures cracked over. Banda¡¯s instincts flared, but Eres arrived in time to block a second wail.

    Banda fell to his knees as pain wracked his spirit. His soul had taken too much damage. Another direct hit like that would be fatal.

    The harpy looked down at them taking cover behind the Avatar, and let out a piercing screech. A call soon responded to by a chorus of singing screeches from all around.

    ¡°Can you still fight?!¡± Eres asked.

    He grit his teeth and looked up through the pain. They were at a standstill before. With reinforcements, the two of them were now at a dangerous disadvantage.

    It did not take long with the harpies to return to the den, and they attacked without hesitation. Eres¡¯ Avatar cleaved through two diving harpies before they even knew what happened, as Banda shattered another¡¯s skull with a stone.

    But the matriarch blurred to the side and wailed. Eres managed to shield it again, but the matriarch darted back and waited for more harpies to strike first.

    ¡°Sly creature¡­¡± Eres cursed. It was trying to kill them in the openings created at the sacrifice of its underlings¡¯ lives. And there was a threat it could work.

    Banda raced through his mind again, under the pain of his damaged soul. ¡°Kill the leader when I make an opening. The others don¡¯t matter.¡±

    Eres glanced over at his words, but did not ask any questions. Instead, she steeled her gaze and readied herself.

    Banda focused. He drowned out all distractions and heightened his instincts to their limit. As Eres dealt with the relentless harpy attacks, the harpy matriarch appeared again at the perfect opening. But Banda acted first.

    He whipped a rock at it with timing too perfect for the matriarch to handle, and broke one of its white wings. Uneven thrashes clipped it against the ground as the matriarch desperately tried to return to the sky, but Eres¡¯s Avatar had already charged.

    Its golden spear pierced clean through the harpy¡¯s chest. Flaming cloth bound the creature in place as the spearhead ignited into a blaze to burn the monster from within.

    At the same time, Banda pushed his Feral Form to wipe out the remaining harpies before their talons could reach Eres. And the mountain became calm amongst the carnage.

    ¡°How bad is it?¡± Eres asked, as Banda flinched from the pain.

    ¡°I can heal it¡­¡± He spoke through gritted teeth.

    Eres¡¯ posture relaxed at his bravado. ¡°Well¡­ this wasn¡¯t that bad, all things considered. Though you lose marks for falling for that obvious act from that healer. I told you to expect betrayal. Honestly, it does bother me that you¡¯re the gullible type that gets tricked by any pretty face.¡±

    ¡°I did not trust her.¡± Banda frowned. He resented the claim. And more importantly, he was far more concern with how little time his trance had lasted.

    Banda opened his mouth wide and consumed the souls of the fallen harpies. But he did not stop there. This time, the souls of the fallen humans were not spared either.

    The light of his eyes returned with a bitter expression. Human souls tasted vile, so he ignored them before. But every moment of his trace was precious power. He could not avoid to waste any hunt when his life was at stake.

    Eres¡¯ eyes went wide at the sight. Not out of fear or disgust, but concern. ¡°Do not do that anymore.¡±

    Banda glanced at her. A unusual seriousness drenched her expression. ¡°I need power-¡±

    ¡°Consuming enlightened souls is a path to the Abyss.¡± Eres proclaimed with all gravity. ¡°It will taint your soul, and eventually drag you down. Promise me you will not do it anymore.¡±

    Banda paused for a few moments, as he felt the severity in Eres¡¯ genuine request. ¡°...fine.¡±

    Eres held for a moment more as well, then exhaled her tension away. ¡°Alright¡­ No point staying on this mountain any longer than we have to. Let¡¯s harvest these cores and head back to the town.¡±

    Banda got started without objection, more than approving of avoiding more danger than was necessary. This fight had been dangerous. More dangerous than he expected. It was another reminder that he was not what he once was. Another reminder of the urgent and ever present need to gain power.

    ---

    Within the comfort of the north manor steps, Otto watched the two novice monks carving out harpy gemstones through the hazy mirror made of magic that Shamura had created for him.

    He had seen it all. Banda¡¯s horned form and Eres¡¯ Avatar.

    The mirror started to flicker, and then it dispersed. Shamura slumped unconscious as her ability came to an end, and Otto smiled. These two newcomers that had fallen into his hands were his chariot to Eden.

 Chapter 20 - Enforcers

    A trace of strain showed on Banda¡¯s face as he healed his damaged soul. Monga had taught him how, though that was with divinity. Using aura was more difficult and far less effective. Still, he had no other method.

    He imagined himself as a tree, to bleed out viscous sap and pour it into the cracks of the bark. The aura that was this ¡®sap¡¯ filled the fractures of his soul and quickly drained away, leaving behind only another thin layer over the wound.

    Banda opened his eyes, far from healed. He would need to continue until the layers repaired the fractures completely, but there was only so much that could be done in a single day.

    With his aura depleted, Banda¡¯s thoughts drifted to his mind and soul, more than ever before. The weakness of his soul especially had been shown to him for a second time.

    It was a weakness he could not bear. Even more so, now that he knew the truth about Gugal and the power he once thought his own.

    The urge to cultivate briefly stirred in his mind but he buried it down as soon as it rose. He could not cultivate in this condition, lest he risk further damage.

    Using his soul in any way carried the same consequence. Fortunately, both his martial arts were Warrior techniques.

    He could still use his Feral Form as well, but exceeding his limits was no longer an option for now. If he did, the damage would be immediate and severe. It could even shatter his Spirit.

    Banda glanced ahead at Eres, who meditated calmly in her human way of sitting. He hadn¡¯t noticed before, but she was always as composed in the wild as she was in the relative safety of this human den.

    He would have thought her ignorant and naive of the very existence of threats were she not so intense and resolved when the fighting actually started. It was a contradicting way to live. A strange way. He didn¡¯t understand it. He couldn¡¯t.

    Eres opened her eyes and smoothly rose to her feet, her lively gaze upon him had already forgotten the dangers of yesterday.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go see more of this town.¡±

    ---

    Banda and Eres patrolled through the part of the town they were assigned to. Otto had only given them the vague duties of collecting tribute and keeping the peace, leaving them free to choose how exactly they did so.

    As usual, Banda left the decision to Eres. Or more precisely, she had taken the lead herself, and he did not care enough to object. And more importantly, he didn¡¯t understand what Otto was thinking.

    Eres walked through the tavern door as boldly and purposefully as she had the first day they arrived. Peering gazes shifting towards them on reflex, and were quickly averted once they landed on Banda.

    ¡°...what can I get you?¡± The tavernkeep asked.

    ¡°Tribute.¡± Eres answered bluntly.

    The tavernkeep hesitated, half in confusion at the demand and half in contemplation at the situation. Eres saw that clearly, but had no interest in explaining herself.

    ¡°Pay up or take your complaints to Otto.¡±

    Hesitation only stalled the tavernkeep for a moment more before he reached into the leather pouch on his belt and handed over 5 crystals. Eres pocketed them in her own pouch and left without another word.

    Banda glanced at the pouch as they walked. That was the same amount they had plundered from the harpy matriarch¡¯s core. And they had taken it so easily.

    ¡°Why did Otto make us¡­ enforcers?¡± He asked the former priestess who knew many things.

    Eres glanced back. ¡°He¡¯s selecting the strong out of his thralls. Gives them more power and privileges to keep the rest under control. That¡¯s enough to make most unwilling to take the risk to move against him.¡±

    ¡°Also¡­¡± She continued. ¡°That Soul Seed technique has limits. I don¡¯t know what grade it is, but aside from the fact that it only works on Rank 1, it¡¯s impossible for something like that to be used infinitely. But if he makes use of people like us¡­ He can extend his reach to even those not directly in his clutches.¡±

    ¡°If he alone could keep ten in line, then rather than do the work himself, he gets those ten to each keep ten in line themselves. Now he has a hundred.¡±

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    Banda understood the logic but there was a strangeness to it. Back in the forest, if one was strong enough, the whole tribe would follow. No matter its size.

    He didn¡¯t agree with this human method. It gave others power and arrogance. It kept those waiting to bare their fangs too close. A far better way is to slaughter the rivals and dominate all others to make them aware the only thing that awaits their challenge is death.

    ¡°Human lies¡­¡± Banda called the trickery.

    ¡°Here in civilization, we call it cunning.¡± Eres¡¯ gaze turned to a building ahead, and narrowed ever so slightly.

    It was much larger than most, though still made of the same tan colored stone lined with cracks and disrepair as all the others. Two grim faced men stood at the side of the entrance but Eres ignored them as she led him up the stone steps into the building.

    The stench of dead flowers struck his nose before anything else. Banda found it unpleasant, though he bore through the irritation. To distract from the smell, he turned his focus to the the interior he now found himself in.

    The entire first floor was lined with red cloth and pattern lanterns that turned the glow of the flame unusual colors. Wooden furniture and clay pots and other things of human make dotted over the ground more than was needed. It seemed wasteful.

    The human women seated on cushioned furniture or strolling around wore soft clothing that covered less than it should. It was no attire fit for combat, and the women carried themselves with no vigilance. Banda had never seen such disregard for survival in his life. None of them would last a day even in the outskirts of the forest.

    Eres caught noticed of his frowning observation of the brothel around him. ¡°...I don¡¯t suppose you know what taxes are?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Banda answered. More human lies, he imagined.

    ¡°The apothecary and tavern are establishments within Otto¡¯s territory. They pay what they owe since they live under his rule, as they would even if they didn¡¯t have soul seeds.¡± Eres explained. ¡°But the tribute from the slumlords is a bit different. It¡¯s a compromise of sorts. They pay Otto enough that he doesn¡¯t take the risk to fight them, but not so much that they feel forced to take that same risk against him.¡±

    ¡°He should just take¡­¡± Banda muttered. He didn¡¯t like stating the obvious, as he would be on the plundered side. But it was the obvious.

    ¡°That only works once.¡± Eres countered. ¡°I imagine that forest of yours must have been quite chaotic. Things are more stable in a settlement, which means it¡¯s more rewarding to plant your roots and grow.¡±

    ¡°Hello~¡± A woman drew near to Banda and spoke sweetly to him. ¡°Can I interest you?¡±

    ¡°Leave my sight.¡± Eres ordered. Cold and fraught with ire. The woman¡¯s expression dropped instantly and she walked away quickly without hesitation, disappearing through a door at the side of the room.

    Banda showed only slight confusion to it. He hadn¡¯t sensed any hostility from the human, and by all measure she was weak, so he could only assume they were attempting human deception of some kind.

    Scarcely a few moments passed before a middle aged man in modest finery approached them, his demeanor more dignified compared to the guards outside or the women within.

    ¡°Welcome to the Wallflower Brothel. Might I be of service?¡± The steward asked them, neither dominant nor submissive.

    ¡°Tell the proprietor we¡¯re here for the tribute.¡± Eres told him.

    The change in the steward¡¯s eye was subtle, but he inspected the pair more closely for a brief moment. ¡°Please wait here.¡± He turned with unhurried pace and headed through the door guarded by two more underlings at the back of the hall for a short while before returning.

    ¡°He will see you now.¡± The steward gestured to the same door and the pair headed through it without concern.

    The room seemed both a chamber and a study of sorts. A place of business and relaxation, with finer furnishments than that of the rest of the establishment.

    Banda paid none of that any mind, his sight focused on the only person within. A thin, well kempt man wearing tailored silk clothes and adorned in cheap, garish jewelry, lounging indifferently on a cushioned couch.

    He didn¡¯t look like much of a combatant. Banda didn¡¯t get the same sense of threat as he did from Otto or even Scar, but this human was a slumlord. One of only seven Rank 2 monks in the town.

    ¡°I had heard Otto lost a few of his dogs.¡± Ubin said with a tone that matched his demeanor, and a judging gaze. ¡°But I expected their replacements to be known.¡±

    ¡°Now you know them.¡± Eres replied.

    Ubin looked at her closely then scoffed before tossing over two dark blue stones. Unlike the tiny fragments that were Shards and the larger diamond-shaped Crystals, these stones were like cut gems, shaped like rounded squares. They were Manastones, and each of them were comprised of one hundred Crystals.

    ¡°This is less than we were told.¡± Eres eye¡¯s sharpened as they rose back towards the proprietor of the brothel.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do about that.¡± He said. ¡°I haven¡¯t been getting enough medicine lately, so my girls must rest longer.¡±

    ¡°Medicine?¡± Eres inquired.

    ¡°Yes. Balms, ointments, pills, all of it.¡± Ubin¡¯s expression soured as he spoke. ¡°I get want I need from Gurda, but lately she is refusing to sell. Claims she doesn¡¯t have enough herbs, but I know that Tath is buying up near everything she makes, though the ¡®why¡¯ of it escapes me¡­¡±

    Eres took note of the names. Tath was another slumlord, one of the weaker ones if rumor held true. Gurda, she suspected, was the name of the old herbalist as there was no other apothecary in this town.

    Ubin leaned back on his couch with a scowl that he simmered away with a deep breath. ¡°If Gurda returns to our original arrangement, so will my tribute.¡±

    Eres met his gaze directly, the two giving over none of their deeper emotions. She pocketed the Manastones and took her leave without a word. Ubin merely watched them leave in silence.

    She walked directly out of the establishment, sparing no one else inside a single glance. Banda paid no more mind than was necessary for the sake of vigilance. Eres didn¡¯t speak, even after they left, but she didn¡¯t have to. Banda already knew where they were going.

 Chapter 21 - Words of Dead Men

    Eres barged through the door of the apothecary for the second time, startling the old woman just as much as before.

    ¡°Low grade balms, ointments, and pills.¡± Eres listed her orders.

    ¡°...I have none to sell.¡± Gurda replied warily.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± The sharp look in Eres¡¯ eyes remained unchanged. ¡°I heard about your strange deal with that slumlord. Everything, was it? Why would a slumlord want everything you make?¡±

    ¡°Why should I tell you anything?¡± The old herbalist spat.

    ¡°Because we¡¯ll kill you if you don¡¯t.¡±

    Banda lunged with Eres¡¯ words. Gurda frantically managed to put a wall of aura between them in time, but it didn¡¯t matter. Banda shattered it with a single punch and a second swipe of his clawed hand stopped just short of her eyes.

    ¡°I-I sell because she pays more than they¡¯re worth!¡± Gurda stammered out in a panic. ¡°I don¡¯t know why! Doesn¡¯t pay to ask too many questions in this town.¡±

    ¡°Is she only buying medicine?¡± Eres asked another question.

    ¡°I don¡¯t-¡± Banda raised his clawed hand as the herbalist started her response. ¡°Herbs! She doesn¡¯t want medicine. Just the herbs. Low grade. Mid grade. Anything I can get. That¡¯s all I know!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Eres dropped her inquisition and left as quickly as she entered. So suddenly, the old woman didn¡¯t even realize Banda had followed until he passed through the open door.

    ¡°Why do you care about this?¡± Banda asked.

    ¡°When people drastically change how they act, it¡¯s usually because they¡¯ve obtained something. And maybe that something is beneficial for us.¡± Eres explained. ¡°That said, it is a slumlord we¡¯re dealing with, and your soul hasn¡¯t healed yet. We should hold off until it has. Besides, we have a whole Manastone to get before the end of the day.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t our fault.¡± Banda scowled. The thin human was meant to give them three.

    ¡°Is that what you plan to tell Otto?¡± Eres gave him a look.

    Banda¡¯s frown soured more. He would have forced the slumlord to surrender the other one, but Eres had shown no intent to do so. He may be constrained to the normal limits of Feral Form, but he was still confident against a weak rank 2 slumlord.

    He was certain they were weaker than the rank 2 harpy matriarch. And more importantly, that would be easier than hunting. The low grade monsters of the Misty Forest were no threat, but it would require hordes of them to make a single Manastone.

    It was not something he could manage with the time they had left, and the greater harvests of the mountain range were too much of a risk to take.

    Eres was not stupid enough to not realize this. That was Banda¡¯s impression of her, at least. Which meant she must have a plan in mind. More human lies to give.

    She led him not to the gate, but to the bazaar. And to Banda¡¯s diminishing confidence in her, she began buying things they did not need.

    Eres spent loudly and freely, for many to see. Banda did not like the attention she was drawing to them either. He was almost about to put a stop to this lunacy, until Eres intentionally bumped into a large bald man in a sleeveless tunic.

    ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going, you lout!¡± She shouted at him.

    ¡°Do you wanna die, whore?!¡± The man roared back, and Eres struck him in the chest with her Palm Blast technique. The man crashed into a wooden stalled and fell limp, his torso bruised and slightly bleeding.

    Banda¡¯s eyes narrowed. Injuries of that extent were far too light, and the flow of aura in her hand had looked strange. She had deliberately used her art poorly, but to what reason, Banda didn¡¯t know.

    Eres clicked her teeth in derision and walked on. Without warning she led them down a secluded alley, and Banda finally realized her intentions. They were being followed. By many, at that. Their prey. This was hunting in reverse.

    The two slowly continued down the twisting narrow roads. Neither their posture nor their intent gave anything away.

    Banda spun around in Feral Form and swatted an arrow. A man wrapped in dark cloth jumped from the roof above, but Eres was waiting. Her palm glowed as she thrust it, shooting out dense aura in the shape of her hand that caved in the assailant¡¯s chest.

    Aura swirled in her other palm as she turned to her left. Honing in from the turn of that direction was a frail woman with a twisted smile, channelling the same art as Eres.

    A mocking smile crept on Eres¡¯ face as they both unleashed their Palm Blasts. The auras clashed and Eres¡¯ stood firmer. The frail woman was struck with the recoil before she even realized what happened. She smashed back into the wall behind her and fell limp.

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    Before anyone else could attack, Banda sundered the ground with a stomp and mauled the broken cobblestone down the alley. The attackers yelled as the barrage of stone shattered bones and destroyed the walls of the houses, leaving only a path of wretched whimpers and dying agony.

    In the display of such destruction, the survivors fled. Gone were the thoughts of plundering the weak. Now they thought only of saving their own hides.

    ¡°Take the right!¡± Eres shouted at him as she took off left, equipping a shield from one of the corpses as she ran.

    Banda hesitated for a moment at the thought of leaving the side of his biggest vulnerability, but only for a moment. She could at least manage prey like this.

    He sped off on all fours like a beast. His hand tightened with strength, his claws sharpened, and he began to hunt.

    He tore and ripped through the humans as he bounded through. Every lash of his hands carved through flesh, painting the stone town in blood and guts.

    It was easy. These humans were weak. This was his element. His place in this world. One day he would regain his strength, and the prey within his sight would be strong once more. And they would die just the same.

    Banda thurst his clawed hand, and stopped just short of a man¡¯s face cowering against a wall. Blond hair with dark skin, he wore a cloak with a hood that partially concealed his face, but Banda saw enough to determine him youthful. Perhaps around the same as Eres.

    He seemed too weak to be one of the attackers, and his intent matched the thought. Banda guessed he was simply unlucky to be down this path at this time. But none of that was what caught his attention.

    The reason he stayed his hand was due to the leather covered book the man clutched against his chest, as if he valued it as much as his own life. That led Banda to believe it might be beneficial to him.

    Banda snatched the book from his hands, and knocked him back against the wall hard when he tried to reach for it, as a warning.

    He held up the book by one end, and let the pages fall down to the other. It was thicker than the martial books he had used, each page filled with squiggled lines and drawings.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Banda asked, though it was not a request. The hooded man stalled his answer, so Banda punched through the stone wall near his head. His second warning, and would be his last.

    ¡°It¡¯s a Runebook! Runeforging guide! It, it teaches you how to carve runes.¡± The man answered quickly this time.

    Banda started at the human then back to the book, and tried to pour his aura in. But nothing happened.

    ¡°It does not teach.¡± Banda accused. He wondered if the book was not something beneficial after all. Though he would sooner believe human tricks were at play. ¡°Make it teach.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s a book. You have to read it¡­¡± Cedal explained.

    ¡°What is read?¡± Banda started to grow impatient.

    Cedal opened and closed his mouth, as though figuring out how to word his response. ¡°...Those lines, on the pages. They¡¯re words. When you look at the words, you can hear them in your mind. As if the book is speaking to you.¡±

    Banda stared at the unfamiliar lines closely but not one of them spoke to him. ¡°You lie.¡±

    ¡°No, no!¡± Cedal stammers out in fear of the sinking atmosphere surrounding the violent savage.

    A storm of thoughts ran wild in his mind before something clicked and he frantically ambled for a stone on the ground, and used it to carve white marks into the tan stone of the wall behind.

    ¡°Look, look. See these words here. This one means ¡®creation¡¯. This means ¡®are¡¯. ¡®Runes.¡¯ ¡®Words.¡¯ ¡®The.¡¯ ¡®Of.¡¯¡± Cedal pointed to each of them as he assigned a name to them. ¡°Now, now look at the third page of the book. Look at the first line set of lines on the page. Say those sounds in your head as you look at them.¡±

    Banda eyed the man doubtfully, but did as he urged. He looked at the jumbled mass of lines with rising annoyance and found the first one.

    ¡°Runes¡­ are¡­ the¡­ Words¡­ of¡­ Creation.¡±

    Banda¡¯s eyes widened. The lines he thought meaningless now sounded out clearly in his head. In his own voice at that. And together he understood them as though they spoke to him.

    ¡°How can I use this trick without the circle?¡± Banda interrogated, with genuine interest.

    ¡°Trick¡­?¡± Cedal said, a bit confused. ¡°It¡¯s a skill. Like... building a house or making a clay pot.¡±

    Banda used one of his nails to copy the lines on the page in the cobblestone street at his feet, and read them again. He paid close attention this time, and confirmed for himself that none of his aura was used.

    Cedal watched Banda with renewed anxiety, the focus on the savage¡¯s sharp claws reminding him of where exactly he stood. He hoped that the savage would understand the value of reading, and that introducing it to him would be enough to pay for his life.

    ¡°Reading is a¡­ useful thing to have. It-¡±

    ¡°Did you make this?¡± Banda interrupted, holding the book out slightly.

    ¡°Huh? Oh, ah¡­ No. It had to be someone capable. Maybe an Adept.¡± Cedal replied on reflex.

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°W-where¡­?¡± Cedal stammered out in confusion. ¡°The author, you mean? I don¡¯t know. The book is pretty old. They might be long dead by now.¡±

    ¡°Will this book turn to dust if I read it?¡± Banda asked

    ¡°No. The book will remain. You can read it countless times. That¡¯s what¡¯s so great about re-¡±

    ¡°If I learn this human trick,¡± Banda¡¯s presence grew denser and focused. ¡°I can hear the words of dead men who will teach me power.¡±

    Cedal felt his heart sink. The savage understood the value of reading deeply, and in a way that only a savage would. He felt as though he stood before a monstrous beast with an inhuman mind. He felt like a fool for even humoring the possibility of surviving such an encounter.

    ¡°...yes.¡± The word slipped from Cedal¡¯s mouth out of the sheer instinct to live, though he put no weight in it, nor hope.

    Banda vanished in the blink of an eye, down the path he had come. At least that was what Cedal assumed. His eyes were not fast enough to be sure. It took him a few hazy moments until he realized he was still alive.

    Banda stopped by Eres¡¯ side in a blur, who stood with her arms crossed at the place in the alley where they are separated.

    ¡°What took you so long?¡± She asked with clear annoyance. Though her ill temper partially gave way to interest at the most unusual sight of her feral champion carrying a book. ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°Something beneficial.¡±

 Chapter 22 - Runecarving

    Aura seeped into the shallow iridescent scratches of Banda¡¯s soul and lingered. It flowed slowly, like the surface of a lake, mending and soothing until finally his soul emanate a brief gleam of light and the last fracture was gone.

    Banda picked up the Crystal he kept by his side and steadily replenished his aura. It had taken five whole days to fully heal his soul. Fortunately, the damage was not too great this time, but Banda was under no delusion that the harpy matriarch was the most dangerous threat to be found on this floor.

    The damage could be far greater next time. Or worse, something could fracture his mind. And that, he did not know how to heal.

    The Crystal dissipated in his hand as he plundered the last of its mana. Without pause, he focused the aura within him and began to cultivate.

    He swelled the aura within the meridian on his right wrist and stirred it as fast as he could. At the height of its speed, he sunk into deeper concentration and pushed the surface of the ball of aura all at once to bump into the boundaries of the meridian.

    Like a pulsing heartbeat, he pushed again and again, steadily and composed. With each knock, the meridian grew minutely larger. Too meager to tell between just a few times.

    But the meridian did grow. Ever so slightly, the boundaries were pushed wider and wider until the walls trembled fiercely. Banda withdrew the aura remaining and spread it back throughout him.

    The process of the second stage involved opening up all twelve Outer Meridians, though each meridian needed to be fully consolidated and expanded as soon as possible. Left too long and the meridians would settle at their current size permanently.

    The firmer his foundations in this stage, the more aura he could draw out at once, and the faster he could do it. Strictly speaking, it was not required to consolidate the meridians to progress. But it was better if he did. Which to Banda, meant it was mandatory.

    With his cultivation for the day completed, Banda turned his focus to the thing that had occupied most of his time these past days. He picked up the book he had taken and started to read again.

    Runecarving was a human trick. One where markings were carved on weapons and tools and all other things to give them powers.

    There were twelve runes in total, which all gave something different. The dead men wrote many confusing words to describe them, but Banda saw through it all to understand their true nature.

    The Rune of Power made things stronger.

    The Rune of Limitation made things weaker.

    The Rune of Force created human tricks.

    The Rune of Protection shielded against them.

    The Rune of Truth saw through human lies.

    The Rune of Mystery deceived.

    The Rune of Change transformed.

    The Rune of Endurance resisted.

    The Rune of Travel moved.

    The Rune of Hindrance prevented.

    The Rune of Genesis healed.

    The Rune of Oblivion destroyed.

    Using the rune was simple, at least in theory. He needed only carve them onto something in the right way, and the runes themselves would know what they were meant for.

    The Rune of Power on a club would intensify the impact. On a sword, it would cut sharper. Endurance on a shield would make it tougher. Genesis would allow it to slowly repair on its own.

    Banda had no interest in weaponry, but his body was his sword and shield. If there was a way to make it stronger, he would learn it.

    ¡°I would have taught you how to read earlier if I knew you were this interested.¡± Eres commented as she practiced her Sense technique.

    Banda briefly observed her with his own instincts. He hadn¡¯t been able to spar with her lately due to prioritizing his recovery, which left her to practice on her own. In that time, she had extended her range to over three yards and gained even firmer control over it.

    He didn¡¯t like to admit it, but Eres was more skilled than him at aura manipulation. Even if he hadn¡¯t lost these past five days, he would have fallen behind.

    ¡°You should have told me it was useful.¡± Banda muttered.

    It had taken him a few days to become partially literate. He could remember words and their meanings after learning them only once, but there were many words. Far more than he thought possible.

    ¡®The source of runic power stems from¡­¡¯

    ¡°What is this word?¡± Banda held out the book to Eres.

    ¡°Quintessence.¡± She answered. ¡°Mana given ego. It¡¯s what all souls are made of.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a soul?¡± Banda questioned. Souls were souls. He hadn¡¯t ever thought them to be anything else.

    ¡°Not quite. It you tear a small piece off a soul, it wouldn¡¯t be a second soul. Not really. But it is different from all other kinds of mana. The emanations of quintessence is the foundation of faith. You know it as divinity.¡±

    ¡®The source of runic power stems from Quintessence.¡¯

    Power of the soul. Not two moons ago, Banda had thought little of souls. It was just a weakness to him. And in the case of others, food. But now he knew it to be the source runes and divinity. He wondered what other mysteries it held.

    ¡°Now that you¡¯re all healed up¡­¡± Eres withdrew her Aura Sense. ¡°We can spar again.¡±

    ¡°I want to carve runes.¡± Banda said bluntly.

    ¡°You are the obsessive sort, aren¡¯t you¡­¡± Her enthusiasm fizzled out. ¡°Well, I have enough junk for you to practice on.¡±

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    ¡°It says I need a tool.¡± Banda recalled the basic instructions in the guide.

    ¡°Don¡¯t have one of those, I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    Banda thought of someone he hadn¡¯t since their encounter. ¡°I know who to ask.¡±

    ---

    Cedal walked down one of the safer alleys to his house, dejected. He had just been kicked out of a hunting party again, this time after a single trip.

    Fighting just wasn¡¯t his strong suit, and he lacked the shards to afford supporting martial arts. Runecarving seemed to be his only hope, but that too had been taken from him.

    He had managed to learn a few runes over the past few years, but a forger who broke most of the gear he acquired would never turn a profit. He hadn¡¯t even the shards to afford another opportunity at this point.

    A half-made Novice wasn¡¯t worth much, even in a town like this. Things just hadn¡¯t been going well for him lately. Or ever, for that matter. Cedal hoped his luck would turn around soon.

    ¡°Human.¡±

    Cedal startled at the sudden voice, but his shock quickly turned to despair at the sight of its source. Before he could react, Banda put the runecarving guide in his hands.

    ¡°Show me how.¡±

    Cedal found himself at a loss for words again, and another spoke up in the silence.

    ¡°I expect a bit more from the friends you make, you know.¡± Eres commented.

    Cedal hadn¡¯t even realized someone else was there, though his surprise only grew when he laid eyes on woman trailing behind Banda.

    She was divinely beautiful. Silky black hair styled in a regal bob with a figure more seductive than any brothel harlot even within simple hunter¡¯s clothing. Though what drew him most was her sharp, enchanting eyes. Eyes so deep he felt as though he could sink within them and drown.

    ¡°Human.¡± Banda said again, a little more annoyed than before at the lack of haste to his order.

    ¡°Oh. Ah, yes¡­ But, I only know half of the runes. And I can only carve them half of the time.¡± Cedal blurted out without thinking.

    ¡°Show me.¡± Banda said for the second time.

    ¡°The things is¡­ I need-¡± Cedal caught a shortsword softly thrown by Eres and glanced around in place until he realized they mean for him to carve the rune right in the street.

    Cedal sat on the ground and placed the sword in front of him, as he pulled a thick needle with a bulbous wooden handle from the leather pouch at the back of his belt.

    He carefully held the awl as he channeled glowing white aura through it, and started to carve a connected symbol in the base of the sword¡¯s blade. But the soft light shattered and blade broke it two, barely a few moments after he began.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    Eres tossed him a small shield before he could make his excuses, not showing the slightest concern for the broken weapon.

    Cedal suspected by their attitudes and the strength he had seen of the savage man that they were wealthy enough to consider mundane items made of low grade metals to be worthless scraps, but he was unwilling to test the boundaries of that.

    He focused himself and began anew. The point of the awl scraped effortlessly into the shield in a different symbol this time. This time he kept at it for much longer, but at the last stretch the prospect of relief shuddered his concentration. The light shattered again and violent cracks spread throughout the shield.

    Eres tossed a second shield, a larger one this time, with the same indifference as before.

    Cedal felt the pressure on him grow. But alongside that, his face flushed with embarrassment at displaying his incompetence.

    Cedal held himself together. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and steeled his focus. He carved the same rune as he did on the first shield, and this time he succeeded.

    The glow of the awl faded, and the runic symbol on the shield flashed in its place. A glow covered the shield before it too settled, the metal seemingly holding greater mana than before.

    Banda had not slackened his focus on any of it, not for a moment. He had honed both his senses and his aura on the rune as intensely as he would a hunt. The aura used in the carving was obvious, but there was something more.

    He struck it suddenly, with a fraction of his full power but enough that would crater in a shield of this quality. But the only damage was a slight dent.

    ¡°It feels different.¡± Banda said as he focused on the rune. ¡°Is that the soul?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Cedal answered with some surprise. ¡°Are you¡­ reading the book already?¡±

    No sooner did the words leave his mouth, that Cedal considered the insulting implications. And once again on reflex, his mouth ran on its out out of panic.

    ¡°All runes draw upon the power of the soul. The Words of Creation. The language of the primordials. They used their souls to speak, and those words became the laws that govern the world.¡±

    ¡°Only Anshar spoke the true Words of the World. The other primordials just mimicked the sounds to lesser effect.¡± Eres corrected.

    ¡°Is that so¡­ I didn¡¯t know that.¡± Cedal wasn¡¯t sure whether that was true or not, but he had no desire to argue.

    ¡°No stories now.¡± Banda put a stop to the direction the conversation was going, before it grew longer, and held out his hand to Cedal.

    ¡°Huh?¡± The action took Cedal by surprise. A handshake at this point was not high on his expectations. He tentatively reached out his own.

    ¡°Awl.¡± Banda specified.

    ¡°Ah, right. Of course.¡± Cedal quickly pulled his hand away and dropped the awl in Banda¡¯s, not catching Eres¡¯ amused smile as she handed Banda an axe.

    Banda started his attempt right away. He had memorized the shape of all the runes, and now he had seen how to wield his aura and the power of his soul.

    He carved the shape of rune with ease unwarranted of someone who had never written until less than a week ago. Copying the markings was easy. Controlling the flow of the white aura was not.

    The light shattered barely a quarter of the way through and the axe splintered. Eres was ready with another item and Banda attempted again without hesitation. He sharpened and firmed his focus further but that only got him half way before he failed again.

    Banda¡¯s expression lowered in a frown as he glanced at the awl. The book told him that he needed this human tool to channel it properly, but he found it only made things murky.

    ¡°This is good for your first day.¡± Cedal offered encouragement seeing Banda place the awl down. ¡°It takes most people half a year just to draw their first rune.¡±

    Banda sunk in deep focus, paying no attention to his words. He held out a finger and and soft white light glowed from his nail. Mimicking the effect of the awl, Banda carved out a rune of power on the gauntlet placed before him, and succeeded.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Eres showed an expression of being genuinely impressed. But Cedal was speechless.

    To succeed on merely the third attempt, and without even a tool. Such a feat seemed like a fantasy. Cedal couldn¡¯t help the disheartened feeling on envy creep up within him, but upon noticing Banda¡¯s stare he quickly buried it down and played it off with an awkward laugh.

    ¡°Show me other runes.¡± Banda said.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Cedal was surprised. ¡°...with talent like yours, you should be able to learn them entirely on you own.¡±

    ¡°I need to see them.¡± Banda didn¡¯t elaborate further, and again, Cedal did not argue.

    The novice runecarver carved the runes he knew one by one as Banda asked, and Banda replicated them all in a single attempt. However, on the fourth success, Banda felt a weakness take him, as though struck with many sleepless nights all at once.

    ¡°Ah, your soul is drained.¡± Cedal commented at the sight, knowing the feeling well. ¡°It doesn¡¯t damage it, but runecarving does fatigue the soul. It¡¯ll be refreshed by tomorrow with some rest.¡±

    ¡°Then I come back tomorrow. You show me the other runes.¡± Banda handed the runecarving book back to Cedal, to the young man¡¯s surprise.

    Banda didn¡¯t need it anymore. He had memorized the patterns and knew how to carve them now. Though, as he started to leave something else crossed his mind.

    ¡°Tell me if there is a threat to you. I will kill them.¡± He offered calmly and bluntly, as if it were of no consequence at all.

    Cedal was speechless once again, but it was not fear or envy that held his tongue this time. It was the faint and unfamiliar feeling that for once he might have actually gained something.

    ¡°...no one is bothering me now.¡± He answered, though his thoughts seemed a bit deeper than that.

    ¡°Tell me when.¡± Banda said as he turned to leave. He needed this human to stay alive, at least for now. He can¡¯t have him die before he masters this craft of runes.

 Chapter 23 - More Chains

    Blue mist flowed like streams into Banda from the Mana Crystals around him. He absorbed it all patiently, until the crystals were depleted and the foreign mana swirling within him reached the limits of his grasp.

    He cycled the mana through his network of paths and meridians converting it into his own aura, and pushed it all into the meridian of his left wrist. Just as he had done with the right, he swirled the dense ball of aura carefully and violently until the meridian broke open and repaired itself anew.

    Banda exhaled softly in the wake of his second success. Yesterday he had finally expanded the first meridian he opened to its limits, about twice as large as its starting size, which meant he could move on to the next.

    The two meridians on wrists fully governed the flow of aura used for both of his martial arts. Now that they were properly opened, he would be able to use them far more easily.

    Though that was merely his priority. The state of the meridians heavily affected all basic techniques, so it would only be after he opened all of them that the gates of his potential would be truly opened.

    Banda supposed that was why this second stage was called Outer Gates. He had not paid much care to the labels of human power, not this one nor the first stage Spirit Tempering, but he had learned many words in the past few weeks. And those words taught him many things he had not known before.

    ¡°Spar?¡± Eres asked.

    ¡°No.¡± Banda placed a few pieces of mundane items in front of him and began to carve runes.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t been making much time for me lately.¡± Eres complained.

    ¡°Learn a craft.¡± Banda spoke bluntly. Sparring and training were good, but a craft gave power faster.

    ¡°...I¡¯ll think about it.¡± The deeper nature of Eres¡¯ words were lost on Banda, as he was too focused in his pursuit.

    Banda¡¯s eyes suddenly sharpened and halted his clawed finger. The weapon with the half finished rune broke apart but he cared not one bit. Banda gave Eres a silent look, and her demeanor also turned serious.

    Strangers broke through the doors and damaged walls of the shack. Banda flung the runecarved items at his feet, shattering the skulls of two intruders.

    Behind him Eres blasted a small group with a mass of aura, sending their broken bodies to crash open a larger doorway, as she channelled aura in her other hand. She thrust out a palm of aura that dented in a man¡¯s chest.

    The body of the muscular man slammed another against the wall. The thin masked man shoved his dead ally away but his movements had been delayed enough for a destructive mass of aura to break him apart.

    A giant of man in full armor effortlessly broke through the wall of the building as he charged towards Eres. She struck him with a Palm Blast that would have slain most, but the man¡¯s armor held up with mere minor wounds.

    He raised his greataxe through bloodied teeth, and Banda mauled him apart. Like a rabid beast, Banda blurred around, killing his enemies with ruthless efficiency.

    ¡°Spare one!¡± Eres shouted.

    Banda got to the last and broke his leg clean at the shin. He stood over the human yelling in agony as Eres calmly joined his side.

    ¡°Who sent you?¡± She asked coldly.

    ¡°...if you don¡¯t let me go¡­ you will die!¡± The man spoke through pained groans and labored breath. And Banda crushed his hand.

    ¡°You will die if you do not answer my questions.¡± Eres told him as he writhed on the floor.

    ¡°A-alright! Tath¡­ We work for Tath. She wants you dead¡­ ¡®cause you attacked her younger brother!¡± The man quickly changed his tune.

    ¡°Who?¡± Eres asked with genuine confusion.

    ¡°In the bazaar¡­ The one you blasted.¡± He explained further.

    ¡°Really¡­?¡± Eres showed partial disbelief. ¡°I didn¡¯t even kill him.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ not one to let insults like that stand.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ no matter. This saves us some trouble.¡± Eres interest in such an insignificant encounter ended there. She had something more important to ask. ¡°Why is Tath buying so many herbs.¡±

    The man paused a moment too long, and Banda broken his arm.

    ¡°She eats them!¡± The man yelled out. ¡°It¡¯s all she¡¯s been doing the past month. I don¡¯t know why.

    ¡°She must have obtained some sort of trait.¡± Eres mused to herself. ¡°What does it do?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure.¡± The man was far more loose with his tongue now. ¡°I think she¡¯s cultivating faster. She might even be in the second stage of Rank 2. Please¡­ She doesn¡¯t tell us anything, that¡¯s all I know. Please let me go.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Eres said casually, and Banda killed him with a single swipe to no surprise of her own.

    ¡°We should kill this human.¡± Banda asserted.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Eres agreed, knowing full well he was speaking of the Rank 2 slumlord. ¡°But don¡¯t kill her right away. I have some things to ask first.¡±

    ---

    ¡°It¡¯s taking too long¡­¡± Muud grumbled. The open vest of the muscular bald man was now replaced with low grade leather armor that he taken to wear at all times.

    ¡°Shut up.¡± A red haired woman with lean muscles seated on a carved wooden chair snapped at him. All his pacing and whining grated on her mind like nails on stone. ¡°This is all because you got embarrassed by some no name greenhorn.¡±

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    Muud grit most of his frustrations away. But only most. ¡°They¡¯re still taking too long.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re obviously dead, you fool.¡± Tath said, her indifferent tone in contrast with her twitching fingers. Though her mood worsened in annoyance at the sight of her wide eyed fool of a brother. ¡°Why are you surprised? Use your brain for once.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± He asked, his frustrations slowly turning to concern. ¡°Was it those two?¡±

    ¡°Otto must have done something. They might be more important than I thought¡­¡± Tath rose to her feet as she thought out loud. As she passed by, she kicked her brother as though on a whim. ¡°Look at the mess you¡¯ve gotten me into!¡±

    A feral blur lunged in the opening and clawed at Tath¡¯s throat. She managed to lean back just slightly and kick him away, but the attack was successful. Banda slide across the ground on his feet in a pouncing stance as blood gushed from the slumlord¡¯s neck.

    But to his surprise, a viscous green sap seeped out along with the deep red blood, and within moments her wound was healed.

    Tath¡¯s muscles swelled with aura and her skin turned to iron. ¡°Kill the girl!¡± She yelled at her brother as she charged towards her feral assassin.

    Banda blocked her hammering fist but the weight of it buckled his legs slightly. She had become stronger. Her Harness technique was superior to his own, but he had not used his own yet.

    Tath raised her other fist and Banda mauled her away, his own muscles tightening and swelling now. The slumlord burst to her feet and charged Banda again.

    He ducked under her kick and swiped at her gut, but his claws left only shallow scratches. He sidestepped the punch that followed and planted a skull-shattering punch on her jaw, but the impact only slightly dented it.

    Banda darted back to create some space. Her human trick that made her whole body like metal was stronger than most he had seen. A mid grade technique at least, he guessed. But it was no true threat.

    He held his clawed right hand open and clenched his left into a fist, turning them both to iron. Tath charged and Banda lunged with her.

    She was more skilled than the weaklings he had just killed, but she was nothing compared to what he had seen. Banda dominated the bare-fisted iron human, denting and clawing away without end. None of her strikes landed, while each one of his piled on more and more damage.

    Shock filled Tath¡¯s eyes with each exchange. Though shock turned to indignation and another change happened.

    She roared as her eyes turned bloodshot and the bitter stench of herbs filled the room. Green veins swelled along the dark gray color of her iron body, and she charged faster than before.

    She was like a mindless beast now, her attacks reckless and fierce and unskilled. But she had become much stronger. Twice as strong as Banda, even with his use of Harness.

    Banda didn¡¯t hesitate in the face of a strong opponent. He pushed his Feral Form past his limits. His face grew more monstrously bestial and his body more twisted and feral. He bashed her face with a rapid strike, sending her crashing over the floor and lunged after without mercy.

    Tath fought hard, but all her strength and ferocity were nothing before a true savage. He ripped and dented into her more destructively than ever. Green blood even started to seep through her wounds.

    She struck back in desperation but hit only air, and Banda landed a blow that made her cough a mouthful of blood. For the first time, realization that she would lose showed on her face, and Tath glanced around for a way out.

    At the other end of the room amidst a floor of bodies, Eres blasted aura at Muud. The graceless man pulled an underling in front of as a shield to survive it, but her Flying Palm that followed cracked his leather armor and knocked him off his feet.

    He looked up in fear as Eres channelled violent aura in a palm, and Tath made her move.

    She lunged at Eres, taking Banda¡¯s clawed slash clean as she went, and grasped her hand at her chosen hostage. Eres¡¯ sight drifted into direction just in time, and a giant shield appeared to block the iron hand.

    Tath didn¡¯t even have the time to register the disembodied arm of mana that appeared out of thin air before the faint thought of death crossed her mind. It was far too vague to be called a sense and came from far too deep within her mind to reach her thoughts.

    Instinctively, she curled her arms over the back of her neck just as Banda clawed down. Tath smashed into the ground, and before he could strike again, a purple fog exploded from her body and filled the entire room.

    Banda¡¯s eyes went alert. He held his breath and appeared by Eres¡¯ side in a blur, and clapped his hands together like thunder. The rush of wind blew an open space in the fog around them.

    But it was too late. Eres coughed up a splash of blood into her hand as blood trickled down his own mouth as well. Muud spluttered and violently coughed in the corner behind them, faring far worse.

    ¡°You¡¯ll never get the cure if you kill me!¡± Tath raised her hand as Banda¡¯s feral gaze slid towards her. ¡°It¡¯s a slow acting poison. Takes five days to kill. I¡¯m the only one on this worthless floor who can produce the antidote.¡±

    Tath walked around them as she spoke, towards her younger brother. She undid the Iron Body technique around her fist and clenched it until it bleed a light green sap. Muud caught in it his palms and drank without hesitation. Color returned to his face and his constant coughing ceased.

    ¡°The only way you get the antidote is if you work for me.¡± Tath declared with a renewed air of authority.

    ¡°...Doing what?¡± Eres asked as she held her composure.

    ¡°Gathering herbs.¡± The slumlord spoke plainly.

    More liquid seeped from her hand, duller than before, which congealed into two small gel-like balls. She tossed them over to the pair who casually caught them, but refrained from anything more.

    ¡°A partial antidote.¡± Tath explained. ¡°It¡¯ll delay the poison, but it won¡¯t cure it. Wouldn¡¯t want you dying before it¡¯s worth my while.¡±

    Banda smelled green pill in his hand with suspicion. After a moment¡¯s thought, he swallowed it whole and the effects of the poison subsided at once. He gave Eres an approving look and she eat hers.

    ¡°How many?¡± Eres asked, still giving little of her thoughts away.

    ¡°Until I say it¡¯s enough.¡± Tath asserted. ¡°How long that takes depends on you.¡±

    ¡°...Alright.¡± Eres agreed to her conditions. Though they was more like demands. They could kill her, certainly, but then they would have no means to deal with the poison. And she did not suspect Tath was foolish enough to surrender the cure through torture. In practice, the situation bore little difference to the Soul Seed which kept them enthralled to Otto.

    ¡°That antidote will only last a day. You still have some light left.¡± Tath gestured them to the door with a smile, and the pair left in silence.

    ---

    Eres slammed open the door of the apothecary for the third time. ¡°How does one harvest herbs?¡± She demanded.

    ¡°...it takes skill.¡± Gurda answered through a sullen face. She was becoming displeasing used to these intrusions. ¡°Most herbs need to be harvested a specific way. Ignorant hands will ruin them.¡±

    ¡°And where can we find them?¡± Eres continued.

    ¡°Herbs are everywhere. You just need to know where to look. The denser the mana in the area, the more herbs. Higher grade ones only grow in the densest environments. Around here, that¡¯s in the mountain ranges.¡±

    ¡°As are the stronger monsters.¡± Eres added with a slightly accusatory tone. She found the old hag¡¯s intentions obvious. ¡°I imagine you have a book on herbalism¡­¡±

    Banda stepped nearer, and Gurda¡¯s expression worsened. She took out a book from the shelf behind and place it on the counter for her to take. Banda brought it over to Eres who skimmed through the pages before taking her leave.

    Eres sighed in annoyance after they left. ¡°Enthralled to two people now. And this one is even more unstable¡­ Tath won¡¯t hold up her end. Not for long. And she¡¯s seen the Avatar Arm. We need to kill her and that goon of a brother. After we use this book of herbs to find something that can cure us.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your fault this time.¡± Banda¡¯s blunt words caught her off guard.

    A silence held between them for a moment, then Eres smiled back at him. Her eyes settled into an eerie calm, though there was a trace of something more profound deeper within. Something cold and resentful.

    ¡°I suppose it is.¡±

 Chapter 24 - Herb Gathering

    Banda carefully dug out the soil around the roots of a stalk-leafed plant with a purple balled flower. The trunk of its stem was swollen, apparently storing a mass of watery sap.

    Grogwort was its name, Eres told him. Drinking its sap would relieve pain but bring about a dizzy stupor. She said it was used to make ale, a strange water humans drink to deliberately impair themselves. Banda thought that the height of foolishness.

    With the earth scraped away, Banda rooted and pulled out the plant whole, taking care not to break the stem.

    Herb in hand, he looked over to Eres. She was using a knife to carefully scrape at the edges of a dully glowing light-gray moss on the bark of a tree.

    Fog Moss caused forced aura suppression if eaten. It typically grew on rocks and trees in dank environments, and was among the most common herbs they found within the Misty Forest.

    Herbs were spread out between themselves for the most part, and many were difficult to find. Especially when the priority was to remain vigilant against monsters and other threats.

    The two continued on silently, both accustomed to the system of travelling and searching they had employed since the first light of dawn.

    Against Junky¡¯s two-faced advice, they had not ventured out yesterday. Instead, Eres had read through the whole of the herbalism book, until she could recount it from the echoes in her mind.

    It only told of what the uses of herbs were, and how to harvest and prepare them. Nothing on how to make something more of them through the craft called Alchemy. A craft, Eres explained, that could make things called potions and pills which could bestow wondrous effects on those who consumed them.

    But it did, importantly, cover everything from low grade to high grade.

    Banda glanced to the side as something caught his eye. A dark-blue flower with its petals closed up. There was nothing inherently remarkable about its appearance, but he could sense the density of mana within it that surpassed normal plants.

    ¡°A Moonflower.¡± Eres spoke up, catching sight of his focus on the herb. ¡°It only blooms at night, and wilts if harvested when not in bloom. So it¡¯s useless to us now. A crushed paste reduces slight illnesses, I imagine that¡¯s what Ubin needs.¡±

    As she spoke, Eres noticed something else. A hanging plant at the base of a tree with a delicate bell-shaped silver flower. ¡°A Silverbell¡­ This is mid grade.¡±

    She walked over to the herb and Banda followed, paying no more mind to the Moonflower. This was the first mid grade herb they had found yet.

    ¡°Breathe on it strongly.¡± Eres said, as she took out a piece of simple white cloth.

    Banda glanced at her, then did as she asked. The plant swayed violently but its roots held firm and its stem did not break. The silver flower jarred loose, carried off in the flow the wind. Eres dashed next to it and deftly wrapped it in her cloth before placing it in a small clay jar.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting close.¡± Banda referred to the time they had remaining until the temporary antidote stopped working.

    ¡°Yes, this will do.¡± Eres understood exactly what he meant. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t bring too much on the first day.¡±

    ¡°The old human that sells herbs spoke of potions¡­¡± Banda said. ¡°We should take some, to heal like the beastwoman.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Eres dismissed the idea without consideration. ¡°Any low-grade swill she brews up will amount to little more than mud balm.¡±

    Banda narrowed his eyes at her, but did not argue. She was reckless, but not thoughtless. If she cared so little on the matter, then the herbalist¡¯s potions would likely be of no real use to them.

    As they headed back to the town, Banda thought about the trace of poison he could feel running dormant through his veins. It agitated him. True threats struck fear into him, and he hated that. But a trick like this, a problem that he could not solve by simply killing his enemies filled him with a strange disdain.

    The moment he was free from this affliction, he would tear apart that iron human. No matter what it took.

    ---

    ¡°I expected better.¡± Tath criticized as she ruffled through the sack of herbs they brought her.

    But still she indifferently clenched a wound on her hand and made two antidote pills. These ones were glossy with a brighter color, like the one she had given her brother, who stood behind her now glaring at them.

    ¡°A week of relief.¡±

    Banda took caught the pills and smelled them tactlessly. Nothing in his instincts sensed danger, just as before, so the pair swallowed them. There was no difference in his physical health, but he could feel a sort of ease flow through his body.

    ¡°You should consider venturing into the mountain range next time.¡± Tath said, though her tone held a trace too much discontent to be considered genuine advice.

    ¡°That¡¯s too dangerous.¡± Eres replied.

    ¡°True.¡± Tath commented. ¡°Let me rephrase. Bring me only mid grade herbs from now on. Or no antidote.¡±

    The two held firm in the face of Tath¡¯s oppressive tone, though neither of them replied. They waited for a moment then quietly left, with the slumlord lord¡¯s watchful gaze following after.

    ¡°We should speed up the effort into looking for a cure.¡± Eres spoke calmly, though her eyes were sharp. ¡°Tath isn¡¯t a short-sighted fool, but she¡¯s unstable¡­ We should train for the next few days, and head out to the mountains near the end of the week. It¡¯s best not to meet her too often. Ah, and I do mean train. No runeforging.¡±

    Banda didn¡¯t argue. His interest in runes was as keen as ever, but he knew when to prioritize. The stronger the humans he fought were, the more tricks they had.

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    He could still manage with the strain beyond the limits of Feral Form, but there was a limit to that as well. He needed to be stronger. And the fastest way to achieve that, was to master the Basic Aura Techniques.

    ---

    Banda and Eres trekked through the fog covered forest towards the mountains in the distance. They had been avoiding it ever since the harpy hunt, but they could do so no longer.

    Chancing upon mid grade herbs like the Silverbell in this Misty Forest was not something they could rely on. They had to take their search to where the danger was greatest.

    It was the fifth day since they got the antidote, and it worked just the same now. On that front, Tath had not deceived them, at least.

    Eres stopped beneath a tree to kneel besides a clump of long grass with a golden streak in the center of its blades. She grabbed it at the very base and pulled it straight up with one clean motion.

    It was an Evergold, the other most common herb alongside Fog Moss. Balm made from crushing it into paste increased the body¡¯s natural healing speed.

    A giant spider dropped down from a tree towards Eres, and Banda¡¯s fist splattered its torso into vile green goo. It had hidden its presence and sound, but it couldn¡¯t fool Banda¡¯s instincts once it attacked.

    Eres¡¯ face twisted into disgust at the twitching creature, but that was easily usurped by irritation at her lack of defense. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have this problem as a god¡­ This wretched Tower had better compensate me suitably.¡±

    ¡°Is the Tower alive?¡± Banda asked. He knew the words she had used, but he didn¡¯t understand how a building of stone could give something to her.

    Eres¡¯ gaze shifted to him, and she calmed herself somewhat. ¡°I told you before. This Tower is full of opportunity. The only reason I intended to bypass it was because I had no choice. Traits like my Fire Spirit Root or whatever it is that heightens your instincts can be found and acquired if we¡¯re lucky. Of course, scared grade is extremely rare. But it¡¯s still possible.¡±

    Banda was silent in thought for a moment. ¡°Since my instincts feel like using only a part of me¡­ that makes it a trait.¡±

    ¡°Your memory is surprisingly good.¡± Eres complimented. ¡°Yes. Your Feral Form is your bloodline. Bloodlines may merge or mutate but a person can only have one.¡±

    Eres looked at Banda in a long silence.

    ¡°...what?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Your trait needs a name.¡±

    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t.¡± He didn¡¯t understand her insistence on names.

    ¡°Feral is already taken. Savage¡­ doesn¡¯t fit quite right. How about Primal Instinct?¡± She suggested as she mused with genuine interest, ignoring his complete lack of it.

    Banda ignored her as he walked on ahead. Whatever his response, he knew she would do as she pleased all the same.

    They made it to the base of the sprawling mountain range in short time. Banda¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly with vigilance, and Eres grew more serious.

    They could defeat mid grade monsters, even those at Rank 2. But such creatures were demanding to fight, and their aura capacity was small. The threat of them being overwhelmed through sheer numbers was a very real one.

    The fog released them from its wispy grasp as they ascended the mountain with caution. Banda took the lead, stressing his senses and instincts to guard against all around him.

    A figured blurred down at high speed from the sky. Banda detected it fast enough to hurl a stone, but with a flap of its wings it shot back from the projectile and the huge bird hovered in the air above them with animosity.

    Its body was twice as tall as a man and its four wings twice as long as that. Bronze feathers covered its entire body that kept a dull sheen. It had a large broad beak built for shattering through the bones of prey and pitch red eyes filled with aggression.

    ¡°A Konru.¡± Eres told him. ¡°A mid grade monster. It¡¯s feathers are like metal.¡±

    The konru dove at them without warning with blurring speed. Banda lunged this time to punch with an iron fist but the bird evaded again and shot towards Eres.

    An Avatar Arm formed behind her and thrust its simple spear. The konru twisted around it with ease but its beak slammed against a giant shield.

    The impact slowed its reaction, as did the failure of its attack, which was opening enough for the feral savage who lept from behind.

    Banda struck with all his might. The clash of his metal fist and the bird¡¯s metal feathers thundered through the sky as the konru slammed across the ground. But the bird stuttered upright and took off into the air.

    Banda steeled his gaze. He was still within the limits of Feral Form, but that was a Harness enhanced punch, one that would have turned any other monster he encounter on this first floor into chunks of flesh. And yet it seemed unharmed. The durability of this beast surpassed that of the iron human.

    The konru let out a droning screech in raw hatred. Mana surged around it and it shot down again at blinding speed.

    A monstrous form took Banda for a moment as his instincts flared. He rolled away from the spearing dive just in time, and then again as the beast dove back barely after he had set his feet.

    Banda prepared for a third but it swooped down at Eres this time but once again her shield perfectly firm, as though anchored in place. The konru flew up and dove straight down again. Eres managed to shield herself in time but strain started to show on her face.

    The konru rose and dove without end in quick succession. It was all Eres could do to defend against this rain of spears, and the slightest spiritual crack formed on her cheek.

    The giant bird dove again, and a boulder the size of itself crashed into it. Banda picked Eres up and sprinted away. That hit wouldn¡¯t damage the beast. Not much. But it would buy them time.

    He ran into a gorge filled with tall rock formations and suppressed his aura, with Eres doing the same. They could hear the heavy flap of the konru¡¯s wings as they hid. The monster lingered for a while, then continued on past the gorge in its search.

    ¡°We should have killed it.¡± Eres said once they could no longer hear its wings.

    ¡°Costs too much aura.¡± Banda countered. ¡°5 Crystals is not worth it.¡±

    ¡°Maybe so,¡± Eres said. ¡°But konru are petty. They hold grudges forever, so it¡¯ll keep searching for us from now on.¡±

    A problem to be dealt with another time, Banda thought. He crouched to his feet and something lunged from the cover of rocks. A monstrous creature seven feet tall with the head and hide of wild hound, but the shape of a man. It wore metal armor like a human and raised back a battleaxe.

    Another mid grade monster, Banda could tell from the emanations of its mana this close. But this one was at the peak of Rank 1. And Banda savaged it.

    He stared at the corpse of the creature. On a closer look, its weapon was chipped all over and its well-worn armor a poor fit for its body. Banda guessed it merely used whatever it could plunder, but something more pressing was on his mind.

    ¡°These beasts are strange.¡± He said. ¡°Like the harpies.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because they¡¯re not beasts.¡± Eres answered. ¡°There are seven main types of monsters. Beasts, you know well enough. Undead are corpses and skeletons and dead things that walk around with a hatred for the living. Angels and Demons, I¡¯ve told you about before. Elementals are fire and air given souls. Fey are creatures of the Dream Realm. And lastly are Jinn, monstrosities of sorts. Tiamat¡¯s creations, the first ones at least.¡±

    ¡°If you see a twisted creature part human part monster, it¡¯s probably a jinn. They¡¯re usually smarter than beasts with more mysterious abilities, and thus more dangerous. This one¡¯s a gnoll, I¡¯m fairly sure.¡±

    ¡°Why have I never seen these jinn?¡± Banda asked. He had expected new beasts on his journey, but he had expected them to be beasts.

    ¡°Cedar Forest is unique. Only beasts are allowed to reside within it. The place itself rejects and attacks all other monsters." Eres explained. "Ah¡­ Now that I think about it-¡±

    Her words were interrupted by a pack of gnolls stepping menacingly out from all sides. Banda, too, was surprised as they had somehow evaded his notice. And even more, they had been smart enough to restrain their hostility until now.

    A gnoll larger than the others made himself known. It was a foot taller and wore far heavier armor. Its long limbs carried a brutal shield and a spiked flail, its eyes filled with an intelligent malice. And the mana of a Rank 2 emanated forth.

 Chapter 25 - Cornucopia

    A tense standoff held between the heroes and the tribe of gnolls surrounding them. There were thirty, at least. And given how they arrived, Banda expected more to be lurking in the shadows.

    All wielded weapons and armor with no cohesion in style or make. All bearing malevolent eyes, gleaming at the prospect of what they could do to their prey.

    Some started to bang their weapons together or made sudden lurching feints at the duo, but none broke from the encirclement.

    The monsters were taunting them. Trying to scare or frustrate them into making rash movements.

    Seeing neither take the bait, the gnoll leader pointed his spiked flail at them. ¡°Kill!¡± At his bloodthirsty howl, the gnolls charged.

    Eres conjured her Avatar Arms without hesitation. Her shield stopped the jagged weapons of two gnolls on one side as her spear cleaved through several more on the other.

    She flung her shield arm, sending the two crashing into a stone pillar, but another with a spear lunged from behind. And a stone shattered its skull.

    Banda rampaged around her in a slaughter. Even at his base Feral Form, he was twice as strong as these peak Rank 1 gnolls. They fought with better skill than most, but he had no intention of wasting time with enemies of this level.

    At the sight of its monstrous prey, the gnoll leader¡¯s expression fell. Immediately, it let out blood curdling howl. The fur of the other gnolls reddened and drool poured through their teeth as their faces locked in rabid snarls.

    The creatures lunged at Banda, now his equal in strength. They didn¡¯t coordinate in any measure of tactics or skill, but they attacked at any openings without care for the fate of their kin. That made them more dangerous than otherwise.

    Banda surged aura through his body, doubling his might with Harness, as he retreated to Eres¡¯ side. A battle against numbers was not her strong suit. The gnolls were not stronger, but they were strong. And the corpses steadily covered the hard ground.

    Banda clawed through the throat of a gnoll, and lunged at the leader without warning. Its eyes went wide, but Banda¡¯s fist struck only its shield. A heavy gong echoed throughout the rocky gorge, and the gnoll leader flung Banda back with pure strength.

    It was strong. As strong as Banda was now. But he did not need to resort to the strain of surpassing his limits for an opponent like this. Eres stabbed the last of the gnoll grunts and the two bared down at the leader who remained.

    A mocking smirk spread across its face, and more gnolls appeared from the cover around them. Three times as many as before. And it howled them into a frenzy.

    ¡°Carry me north! Over the gorge!¡± Eres yelled.

    Banda did not ask for the reason. There was no time. He swept her into his arms and rushed away as she wielded her Avatar Arms to defend them.

    They darted up the rocky cliff and across the mountainous plain, with the small horde of gnolls trailing behind.

    ¡°Find somewhere to hide.¡± She said, as a blazing aura coated her hand.

    Before he could ask anything, she cast the fire-imbued Flying Palm straight up into the air. Her intentionally poor technique staggered then fell apart in an explosion of flames that could no doubt be seen for miles.

    Something caught Banda¡¯s scouring eye, and he dashed into a cave. Eres took guard at its entrance and fended off the raging gnolls who couldn¡¯t break past her arms. The gnoll leader arrived moments later, and at the sight of the situation, waited patiently.

    Banda glanced at the darkness of the cave behind him. ¡°We should leave.¡±

    ¡°Not yet.¡± Eres argued back as she devoted herself to repelling the incessant gnolls.

    Banda didn¡¯t know what she was thinking, but he readied himself for the worst. Eres had held up against the tribe of monsters for a respectable amount of time, but she was starting to give ground.

    Her feet slide back a step again, and Banda readied himself to lunge. But outside of the cave, a blur of bronze swooped down from the sky and shattered the gnoll leader into gory pulp.

    The rage that filled the other gnolls dispersed, and Eres¡¯ spear started to cut them down. Panic erupted and the gnolls fled straight into the diving beak of the konru. It crushed their skulls with vicious peaks and impaled them with relentless spite.

    Gone was their malice, replaced with pathetic fear. But the konru had no interest in such emotions. It merely wanted to kill. It dove down at a group of three gnolls in line, and Banda lunged with perfect timing.

    He didn¡¯t target its vital weaknesses lying underneath bronze feathers, but instead clawed out its eyes in one swift movement.

    He grabbed hold of its neck as the giant bird burst into a frenzied flight. The konru screeched in pain and rage as it tried to shake off the hateful prey that had so grievously wounded it.

    But Banda held on. He took its neck underneath his arm and planted his feet on its shoulders. In one monstrous motion, he twisted its neck with a sickening snap.

    Strength left the creature immediately, and it crashed down from the sky as Banda dropped down quietly to his feet. He rushed over to the entrance of the cave from which Eres had just started to emerge.

    ¡°We should plunder the cores. Before the blood brings others.¡± Banda said.

    She smiled back. ¡°I¡¯ve found something better.¡±

    Eres walked back into the cave without further explanation. Banda glanced back at the corpses strewn about behind, then followed her in.

    The cave was not a deep one. They reached the end within moments, and Banda realized the object of Eres¡¯ interest right away. A small patch of land in the center, abnormally lush compared to the rest of it, filled with herbs. Some he recognized, most he had never seen before, but together they emanated a powerful medley of mana.

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    ¡°A cornucopia.¡± Eres spoke. ¡°A piece of land blessed to bloom with random herbs. Low Grade, Mid Grade, even High Grade. Just the opportunity we need. Look.¡±

    Eres led his sight to two soft blue fruits the size of a fist covered in white patterns like clouds. ¡°A Cloud Fruit. It allows one to take in a great surge of mana all at once. It would be even better processed into a pill, but there¡¯s no such alchemist on the first floor capable enough. Still, merely eating one is huge boon to Rank 1s like us. We should be able to open up multiple meridians at once.¡±

    Banda was tempted but he had a far more pressing concern. ¡°Can something here cure poison?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Eres pointed at a dark colored drooping mushroom with glowing green spots. ¡°Gloomcap. Powder made from crushing those green spots can be mixed into a tonic that cures most high grade poisons. But only a capable herbalist is skilled enough to handle it. At the peak of Adept, at least.¡±

    ¡°Then, we harvest and leave quickly.¡± Banda stepped towards the patch.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the thing.¡± Eres halted him. ¡°We can¡¯t leave. Not yet. The other herbs are fine, but Cloud Fruits wilt within minutes after they¡¯re picked. We don¡¯t have the means to store it properly, so we have to eat them here.¡±

    ¡°Use your ring.¡± Banda said.

    ¡°It only manipulates space, not time.¡± Eres walked to the cornucopia and carefully harvested the Gloomcap before looking back to him with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll go first. You stand guard.¡±

    Banda frowned at her slightly, but remained silent. Eres took out a elegant knife from her ring and cut halfway through one of the vines. It started to droop, as though air was leaking from the strange plant, until the vine shriveled away completely, leaving only the fruit.

    Eres picked it up as she sat in the cross legged pose of meditation, and ate the Cloud Fruit in three bites.

    Immediately, mana surged around her. Its intensity far greater than any of the Rank 2 monsters they had fought. Even Banda was caught off guard by it. For a brief moment, he worried whether Eres could maintain control over that much, but his fears seemed unfounded.

    Strain showed on her face but her composure was firm. Slowly, the blaze of mana absorbed within her until it was gone, replaced with a dense emanation of aura.

    She grit her teeth as the strain deepened, her focus and resolve soaring to its fullest heights. Like that, she lingered. Fighting against something. Forcing it to bend to her will. And finally, the aura exploded out from her and her power settled to a new constant.

    She opened her eyes and inspected her cultivation internally. ¡°I opened all my meridians.¡± She reported with enthusiasm that matched her aura.

    ¡°All?¡± Banda asked.

    ¡°The nine remaining to be exact. But I could have opened more if I had more to open. So aim to do that from the start. Should make things easier.¡± She calmly rose to her feet, but a presence struck chills through her spine.

    Banda whipped his head to the entrance as a massive bear stepped into the cave, with emanations of a peak Rank 2. Drool poured from its maw as it stared at them, its expression ominously empty. There was no reason within it. Only violence.

    Banda opened his hands, but Eres charged first, summoning her full Avatar as she threw him the knife. ¡°I¡¯ll hold it off! Just eat the fruit!¡±

    The Ironfur Grizzly mauled at her with a thunderous roar. The Avatar¡¯s shield arm threatened to buckler under the weight of its blow, but it held enough. It thrust its spear with enough force to knock the bear back into the cave wall, but it couldn¡¯t pierce through its thick hide of fur.

    Banda hesitated for a moment, but turned his focus to the remaining Cloudfruit and mimicked how Eres harvested hers. He snatched it up the moment it was free from the vine and ate it whole.

    A surge of mana exploded around him, threatening to crush him within its turbulent throes. With savage haste, Banda started to plunder it all.

    He cycled the surge of mana through him until the aura gathered within him filled to his capacity, and flooded it all into the meridian of his right shoulder. He spiralled it until it broke open, and spiralled it until it repaired anew.

    The surge of mana diminished in size but remained as blazing as ever, washing away the frailties that would normally limit further cultivation.

    His speed was too slow. Eres¡¯ Avatar was powerful, but it wasn¡¯t infallible. Especially not against a foe he knew to be more dangerous than the konru. He could hear the faint clashes of their battle outside of his concentration.

    Banda focused again and broke open another meridian. And then another. Each time, he began more skilled, and each time he succeeded faster. But it was still too slow.

    He grit his teeth and cycled another mass of aura again. But this time, he held the swirling mass of aura within his meridian in place. And filled a second one.

    He repeated the act, again and again, until all seven remaining meridians were swirling with aura. The strain compounded each time, reaching heights that threatened to tear him apart should he lose the slightest trace of focus.

    But Banda endured. His eyes were long since blank, and drool leaked from his fanged mouth, his expression frozen in sheer exertion. Such was the extent of his focus. He held the swirling orbs of aura in unison, and broke all seven meridians open.

    Screeching wails clawed through his head with such grating pain it nearly made his mind go blank. But he withstood it.

    Banda kept his firm grasp on the the aura within his broken meridians until they all reformed at once with a burst of aura. He opened his eyes and lunged at the bear Eres struggled valiantly against.

    The Ironfur Grizzly mauled at him and he dodged. It turned its head as Eres¡¯ opportunistic spear barely missed its eye, but Banda¡¯s iron fist broke its jaw clean in the opening.

    As Banda lunged and fought, he could feel the aura within him more clearly. It flowed easily throughout his whole body, as though he had a second pair of lungs to draw breathe with.

    The bear attacked at Eres¡¯ taunt and Banda switched his iron fist to a swiping hand to claw out its eye. A mauling paw swiped him away but his iron palms coated with Armor blocked any damage its claws could do.

    Eres struck with her spear again and Banda lunged. The giant bear turned to him again and Banda launched his intent to pierce through its eye. The bear jolted at it, lifting its head at Banda¡¯s lunged. But it guarded a false target.

    Banda struck its face in the direction of Eres, and her avatar thrust its spear through the beast¡¯s mouth, straight into its brain. It struggled a spasmed for a moment, then fell limp.

    Eres watched the beast collapse, and relaxed her posture. ¡°That should be enough for today. We got what we needed and more.¡±

    ¡°Could have killed it first. Then eaten the fruit.¡± Banda said.

    ¡°And risk them being damaged.¡± Eres responded casually. ¡°Or stolen by something else. Or any other number of the fun twists fate is so eager to write.¡±

    ¡°Come on.¡± She headed back to the cornucopia. ¡°Let¡¯s not let any of this opportunity go to waste.¡±

    ---

    Tath dug through the linen sack of herbs they had brought her. Her disposition was significantly more uneasy and unrestrained than it had been just a week ago.

    They had only given her a fraction of the cornucopia they had plundered, and the least valuable and quickest to spoil at that. The rest was safely stored within Eres¡¯ ring. Still, they had given up three mid grade herbs.

    Without a word, Tath ceased her inspections and devoured them whole. Aura surged within her and pulsed out, leaving behind stronger emanations than before. Banda and Eres¡¯ expressions worsened as they knew what it meant. She had advanced to the next stage.

    Tath laughed as though someone as told her the funniest joke, but the atmosphere of her demeanor still kept the duo on edge. ¡°Good, good! Keep bringing me more like this. What a perfect partnership!¡±

    ¡°Sister!¡± Oreb shouted from the side, unable to bear his resentment any longer. ¡°You promised to kill them once you advanced!¡±

    Tath swiped her arm and shattered her brother¡¯s skull. His body swayed for a moment, then collapsed into a growing pool of blood. She turned to the duo as though nothing of importance had happened.

    ¡°We¡¯ll continue our arrangement, until I am satisfied.¡±

 Chapter 26 - Aura Gathering

    Banda swirled the turbulent sphere of aura within the meridian of the left side of his neck as it pulsed against the boundaries. Each steadily controlled knock pushed it wider and wider with perfect efficiency until it reached its greatest potential.

    The meridian trembled fiercely, but this time the others trembled with it. All twelve outer meridians flared in unison as they connected between themselves far more deeply, and finally settled at a new height. The peak of the second stage.

    Banda could feel the aura flow within him more precisely than before, like a river that had broken through a dam that had previously stunted its current. His martial arts and basic techniques would reach even greater proficiency with this, but more importantly, he could finally advance to the third stage.

    It was this stage that decided one¡¯s path in cultivation, the nature of the power they held. Along with the first stage of Rank 2, it was the most important step of a monk¡¯s journey.

    ¡°We should start looking for an alchemist after we advance.¡± Eres spoke up. ¡°I doubt we have more than the rest of this week until Tath goes completely mad.¡±

    Banda didn¡¯t object. Even if the iron human was sane, there was not a second that the desire to eliminate this affliction didn¡¯t swell within the core of his being. Any and all threats towards him were intolerable, without exception.

    Fortunately, they did finally possess something that could cure them. However, the Gloomcap was worthless in its unprocessed state. They needed a capable Adept alchemist, and such humans were not so easily found here.

    Though, sulking would do him no good. With eyes focused on the path to power, he once again headed towards the greatest threat of all within this town.

    ---

    ¡°You two really are fortunate¡­¡± Otto commented with a subtle trace in his tone that set Banda a bit on edge. Though nothing came of it, and Otto retained his lazily sly demeanor. ¡°This one takes some time, so do it somewhere else after I tell you. Listen closely because I won¡¯t explain again.¡±

    The lord of the town didn¡¯t bother shifting from his restful position at the top of the manor steps as he spoke.

    ¡°This third stage is called Aura Gathering. First step¡¯s the same. Cycle mana until it becomes your aura. But now you push it into your outer meridians. Cycle it there until the impurities are removed. Your meridians will do the work. Just hold it there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be obvious when the aura is purified. Gather it back into the center and push it into the attribute of choice. Body, Mind, or Soul. Or two of them equally, if you have a style that requires it. Or all three if you want to be mediocre.¡±

    ¡°Takes some time to tell them apart, but it shouldn¡¯t be that hard for you. Once you find it, imagine yourself as a jar and pour the purified aura in. Your attribute will handle the rest.¡±

    ¡°This is an important stage, so don¡¯t choose wrong.¡± He added, seeming both invested and indifferent to their success.

    ¡°What are the effects?¡± Eres asked. That she would willing prolong their interaction with Otto showed just how crucial it was.

    Otto glanced at her. ¡°...it strengthens an attribute, in the simplest of terms. The body becomes stronger, faster, more durable. Same for Mind and Soul. Up to three times greater for a single attribute. Two times for a pair.¡±

    ¡°And it strengthens martial arts of those types. That Palm Blast would become more destructive¡­ and that Iron Fist more durable.¡±

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°That reminds me¡­¡± Otto continued. ¡°I heard you two are doing work for Tath now.¡±

    Neither Eres nor Banda showed any reaction on their faces, but the atmosphere grew heavier.

    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t care what you get up to in your own time. As long as you do your jobs. But I hope you aren¡¯t getting strange ideas. I¡¯d hate to lose useful workers.¡±

    ¡°...we aren¡¯t dumb enough to side with someone like her.¡± Eres replied plainly.

    ¡°I guess not.¡± Otto almost chuckled the words. ¡°That¡¯s all for this lesson. Find your way out.¡±

    ¡°Also¡­¡± The pair started barely took a step before he spoke again. ¡°I might have another task for you soon.¡±

    The two waited for a moment in the ensuring silence then glanced at each other before heading off again. This time they were allowed to leave without interruption.

    ¡°Not even a hint of concern¡­ even though this stage would make you stronger than him.¡± Eres said as they left the north manor behind. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if he¡¯s bluffing¡­¡±

    ¡°I will be a Shaman.¡± Banda declared.

    ¡°Really?¡± Eres asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Banda was certain.

    Of all the dangers he had encountered in the Tower, threats to his soul have stood out among them. And then there was the craft of Runecarving, which relied on the soul, and above all, the nature of his Trance.

    If that power came from the soul of Gugal overwhelming him, then if his own was the stronger of the two, he would be the one to dominate and that power would be truly his. And if such a power was under his full control, not even ten Humbabas would be his equal.

    The two arrived at a small two-room stone house. As their old one had been destroyed, they needed a new place to sleep. Though it was hardly an issue at all, there being no shortage of empty homes in the town.

    Eres handed him five Mana Crystals from her ring. Their recent hunting trip ensured they had no shortage of them.

    Between the gnoll tribe, the konru, the dire bear, and the harpy flock from before, they had amassed well over two hundred crystals. She had elected to combine two sets of a hundred into two Manastones and to keep the rest as smaller denominations for convenience.

    For the duration of the second stage, it had costed them two Crystals a day to cultivation properly. Given they were advancing, it would undoubtedly be more from now on.

    Banda found a spot in the house difficult to ambush from the outside and tossed the crystals at his feet as he lowered into a meditative crouch.

    Greedily, he absorbed the dense fumes of mana and cycled it through his network. His speed was twice as fast now with his fully opened and connected meridians, but the time spent converting mana into aura had increased sixfold in total as each of the twelve outer meridians had to be filled.

    But that did not bother him. He meditated patiently, steadily generating aura and pouring it into his meridians until all had reached their capacity.

    He spun the aura within them, just as he had done for this second stage up until now. But this time, the boundaries did not fight against him, nor did he try to buck and beat at them.

    At first nothing happened. But then it felt it. Traces within the swirls of aura started to change. Clusters of purified aura turned to azure strands in current, and those strands multiplied more and more until the the whole sphere was a sparkling azure.

    He gathered it all back into his center with difficulty. The stronger purified aura fought against his control, as if unwilling to be moved by him. It was slow and straining, but managed to retrieve it all into one large swirling mass.

    Banda stilled his focus, and felt for his soul. He remembered how it felt to be in his Trance. The pain of the Soul Seed and the damage from the Harpy Matriarch¡¯s scream. He searched for a long time in the dark. And then he found it.

    A hazy outline that resembled himself, simultaneously within the bounds of his body and outside of it. It was faint, so he focused deeper. He searched for his mind and his body, distinguishing the two in order to distinguish his soul more clearly.

    Soon the hazy outline looked more recognizable. It¡¯s form more obviously his own. And he poured the purified aura in.

    It was slow at first. Very slow. And demanded far greater effort than any step of cultivation he had experienced before. He could not rush it, but at the same time he could not relax his focus even a bit.

    Slowly, like a trickling brook he guided the flow until the last drop left the mass. A pain filled his soul, one that tempered it. Made him stronger. Then a warmth replaced the pain, and his soul settled to its new stage.

    Banda opened his eyes. He could feel the slight trace of his greater power, and a clearer awareness of the presence of his soul that was now constant. Once again, he had stepped closer to the peak.

    He glanced over to Eres as she opened her own eyes, bearing a smile of temporary satisfaction that would soon be usurped by endless ambition once more.

    ¡°Let¡¯s find our alchemist.¡±

 Chapter 27 - The Alchemist

    ¡°What do you mean there¡¯s none?¡± Eres frowned at the martial book peddler.

    ¡°None means none.¡± The lazy eyed man repeated. ¡°Town¡¯s only got novices.¡±

    ¡°What about Gurda?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Herbalist, not an alchemist.¡±

    Eres clicked her teeth. ¡°Worthless hag¡­¡± That was her backup plan, and given fate¡¯s sense of humor, she was half prepared to employ her services. By threat or otherwise.

    ¡°Heard the town over has one.¡±

    Eres¡¯ foul mood subsided as she focused back on the peddler. ¡°How sure are you?¡±

    ¡°Sure as rumors can be trusted.¡± He spoke with the same stoic indifference as always. ¡°They say he¡¯s lord of that town. Peak Rank 2 Warrior.¡±

    ¡°And his personality?¡± Eres asked.

    ¡°Rumors don¡¯t say. Same as any other lord, likely.¡±

    ¡°How do we get there?¡±

    ¡°Straight west. Where the sun sets.¡± The peddler said. ¡°Two week journey, even for a peak Rank 1 Warrior. No rest. Wouldn¡¯t recommend sleeping out there anyway.¡±

    Eres went quiet in thought. Banda was ten times stronger than a peak Rank 1 warrior in his Feral Form. Even carrying her shouldn¡¯t slow him down much, and the Misty Forest wasn¡¯t much of a threat to either of them at this point.

    A few days journey there and a few days back left them over a day to figure something out in the next town. It was enough time, and the reward was worth the risk.

    Eres handed the peddler a Crystal for his information and walked off, her mind made up.

    ¡°When do we leave?¡± Banda asked, as though he could tell her decision.

    A smile rose on her face, slightly before she knew it. ¡°Now.¡±

    ---

    A rabid rockrat lunged with a shrill screech, and Banda splattered it into paste with a swipe of his hand. He flourished off the blood and carried Eres with two arms again, not even bothering to stop for the shard he could have gotten from the monster¡¯s core.

    He had been travelling with Eres in his arms for nearly a full day now. It was a method he wouldn¡¯t have adopted in the mountain ranges where hindering himself to this extent brought too much risk, but here in the Misty Forest the monsters were too weak for it to make a difference.

    Besides, there was a far more pressing concern. They needed to make it to the next town and obtain a cure in time. They had only two more days to find the alchemist and make a deal.

    Staying any longer would take away their option to return to their own town and receive a temporary antidote from the iron human, leaving them completely at the mercy of this town lord.

    Should they run out of time, it would spell the worst. Or at best, this alchemist may take advantage of the situation to control them, and yet another set of chains be placed around him. Banda had grown tired of chains.

    ¡°This is certainly uneventful¡­¡± Eres said, almost sounding disappointed.

    Banda frowned slightly in annoyance. Uneventful was good. He could not understand why she was so eager for danger. How she could think in risks and rewards instead of the necessity of the moment.

    The strong obtains all things, and those who survive long enough will become strong.

    Something flared in Banda¡¯s mind and he slid to a quick halt, heightening his focus around him until he settled on cave in the side of a grass covered mound.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Eres asked, her vigilance also sharpened.

    ¡°Something is there.¡± Banda peered at the cave.

    ¡°A monster?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s strange.¡± The feeling bothered Banda. Part of it felt like the dormant presence of a forest lord, strong and conceited enough not to hide itself. But another part felt like the warning of an injured beast.

    ¡°We should go in.¡± Eres spoke casually.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°We should go in.¡± She repeated, her tone turning more resolute. ¡°We have time.¡±

    Banda scowled. By her current overbearing demeanor, she¡¯d likely chain him if he just ignored her and continued on towards their destination. If refusal was pointless, it was best to go along with her whims until they encountered reason enough to leave.

    He set her down and the two approached the cave carefully. Banda¡¯s eyes narrowed as the constant presence his instincts detected grew stronger as they neared, and its warning more clear.

    Yet nothing happened even as they stopped right before the cave. Banda focused his intent but found no obvious danger, but that did not mean there was none. He gave Eres a look to remain cautious, and they both stepped into the cave.

    A terrifying intent assaulted his mind. His whole body screamed with the urge to flee but remained where he stood. His focus jolted in every direction in search of its source but the intent struck from all sides equally, and was frustratingly hollow.

    ¡°It¡¯s a mental barrier!¡± Eres shouted through strained teeth. ¡°Push through it!¡±

    Banda channeled his focus into aggression over vigilance and pushed forward. The intent stifled his movements like mud. But it was strange.

    There was no physical hindrance. It was as though the barrier made an enemy of his own mind. It dared to turn him against himself.

    Banda lashed out, and maimed the intent to shreds. He stepped through the entrance of the cave with disdain in his soul.

    To overcome with might was the nature of the wild, but instinct was his domain. His self was above all other selves. Whether he fled or slaughtered, none would deny him his rightful place.

    ¡°Banda.¡±

    He quietly snapped out of his delving thoughts at the sound of Eres calling his name. He glanced over to the often frustrating human for a moment, then turned his sights ahead, taking the vanguard as they ventured down the earthen tunnel.

    The path was short and simple, and they soon arrive at the back of the cave. It was unimpressive, and mostly empty, save for a large boulder at the back of the cave with the simple cave paintings on the walls above of a moon looming over a golden sun.

    Eres¡¯ eyes locked onto the paintings, though Banda¡¯s attention was focused solely on the center, where a strange creature sat on a small rock platform, smiling eerily at them.

    Banda thought it a human at first, but the unmistakable emanations of a Rank 2 mid-grade monster quickly put an end to such thoughts. A jinn, he deduced.

    The monster appeared as a green-skinned human with long limbs. A sharp chin jutted out from its wrinkled face, and equally as striking were its large nose and long pointed ears. It wore clothes, though unlike the armor of the gnolls¡¯, its were grass woven robes and a mantle of leaves.

    ¡°It has been some time since another has breeched the ward.¡± The hobgoblin¡¯s raspy voice echoed softly within the small cave. ¡°Remarkable wills for ones so young.¡±

    Neither of them responded.

    The hobgoblin chuckled. ¡°Caution is good. But there is no need to fight.¡±

    It opened its mouth to speak more but something caught its nose. It sniffed the air twice as its expression on them turned observant.

    ¡°Poison¡­¡± It spoke, drawing a reaction from both. ¡°Grimlock¡­ Difficult, but I can cure it.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Eres widened her eyes. Her tone was mostly firm, but there was an undeniable trace of hope and agitation.

    Banda glanced at her, but his expression didn¡¯t change. She was pretending again. He guessed she was trying to trick the monster into lowering its guard, so he did not act to exposed her.

    ¡°With the right herbs, yes.¡± The hobgoblin smiled. ¡°But you must assist me on my journey to enlightenment.¡±

    The hobgoblin pointed to the boulder behind. ¡°This is not the end of the cave. Merely the start. The true treasure lies beyond. But to open the path, one must suppress the guardian¡¯s intent and will the entrance open. I cannot do both at the same time.¡±

    It pointed to them. ¡°You will suppress the intent. And I will open the door.¡±

    Banda burst forward and struck the boulder with his iron fist. The thundering tremors of the strike seemed as though it threatened to collapse the cave in on them, but it held firm. And not even a single crack was left on the boulder.

    The hobgoblin quickly concealed the slight shock on its face at Banda¡¯s sudden attack. ¡°It is pointless. The path will not open with mere brute force.¡±

    ¡°What is the treasure?¡± Eres asked.

    ¡°I do not know.¡± The hobgoblin admitted freely. ¡°But to be guarded so heavily, it must surely be unparalleled.¡±

    ¡°You say suppress the intent. How exactly are we to do that?¡± She crossed her arms.

    ¡°That I can answer quite simply.¡± The hobgoblin reached within his robe and tossed out a bundle of herbs on the rock he was seated on. ¡°It is similar to how you entered this place. But rather than defend, you must attack. Such abilities are beyond the level of you or I, but these herbs allow one to enter a trance and make it possible for a short while.¡±

    ¡°What kind of trance?¡± Eres asked.

    ¡°A deep one.¡± The hobgoblin answered plainly. ¡°It will allow you to project your consciousness and strike with it. There are no ill effects if that is your concern. Ah, but there is a problem.¡±

    ¡°In truth, the power of your minds are not enough. Not at your level. It is almost too much even for I. You will need to join your consciousnesses in to act as one against this intent.¡±

    A glint flickered within Eres¡¯ eyes. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°It is a simple method, but difficult to master. Several days of practice should allow to maintain unity long enough to suppress the intent. I will show you how.¡±

    ¡°Alright, if we share the treasure.¡± Eres spoke.

    Banda glanced at her again, this time with obvious disapproval. If this monster could cure them, they had no need for the human alchemist in the other town. But staying here that long would mean they would forced to rely on another interaction with Tath should it fail. She was taking a risk again, this time for an unclear reward.

    ¡°We need a cure-¡±

    ¡°Power is my only cure.¡± Eres smiled down at him with a presence he had not felt since their time in Akkad. A selfish, suffocating, mesmerizing light. One that was blind to all pursuits not her own.

    Banda knew she would not hear reason as she was now. He could only endeavor within the situation, and stay vigilant.

    ¡°Then¡­¡± The hobgoblin spoke with a glint in his eyes. ¡°Let us start the path.¡±

 Chapter 28 - Clash of Intent

    Banda crouched in his meditative pose, deep in thought. Projecting the consciousness was just the Sense technique. Preforming it was simple enough. Attuning his with Eres¡¯ was difficult.

    They needed to synchronize the ripples and waves of their Aura Sense with each other perfectly. He had never paid attention to such minute details, but it turned out that each Sense was distinct.

    There was a natural flow to his and to hers, which needed to be molded into single current. It was not as simple as joining two rivers. An Aura Sense was a cluster of rivers and lakes, each twisting and turning with no rhyme nor reason.

    In truth, it was impossible to perfectly imitate each other. The most they could do was find a temporary balance. A balance that bore greater risk of unravelling with every passing moment.

    But the effects were just as great. Together their Sense extended further and strengthened more than the sum of each. Sweat ran down Banda¡¯s face as their Sense unity strained against its limits, and fell apart.

    Even with devoting most of their focus to it, they had only just become able to barely maintain it for half a minute. And it had taken them three days just to achieve this much.

    They¡¯d gone without sleep and absorbed as many crystals as their Spirits would allow to replenish their aura. The limited time they had aside, neither wished to lower their guard against a Rank 2 mid-grade monster, no matter how reasonable it may seem.

    ¡°To attack with intent is the equivalent of casting a cluster of raw mana.¡± The hobgoblin spoke, repeating things he had said before as he had done constantly over the course of their stay. ¡°An advanced technique. Too advanced. Herbs are needed.¡±

    ¡°It is time.¡± The Hobgoblin spoke, and the pair opened their eyes.

    It pulled up more herbs from its robes and scattered them around. Carelessly, it seemed at a glance, but the leaves fell in organized and equal clusters.

    The hobgoblin pulled out two glossy stones and struck them together. The sparks that rained down grew into small embers on the piles of herbs and colored fumes filled the cave.

    Banda didn¡¯t sense any danger from the fumes. He signalled to Eres and they settled into a focus.

    It was strange, this so called trance. Different from the one he knew. Banda felt himself falling deeper into his subconscious as though he were drifting off endlessly, lingering between the state of sleep and wakefulness.

    Banda saw himself, almost as if he was separate from his own body. Then he saw the hazy outline of another. Eres¡¯, he could tell in an instant, having interacted were hers so often these past few days.

    He attuned his conscious and reached out his hand, as she did hers. And the two swirled into a blazing force with its sights set on the boulder entrance.

    As they soared towards it, they were met by a stubborn, oppressive force blocking their way. The hobgoblin had given them no other instruction but to attack, and that is what they did.

    Their consciousness clashed with the intent. Fighting in this manner was not as it was with his body. It was a battle of pure wills. Resolve and desire.

    They intensified their focus in unison and struck at the intent again and again. With each blow, it shrunk back more and more. Its power steadily diminished until it was pushed down into the hard earth.

    Focus strained on the hobgoblin¡¯s face as it let out a forceful sound. The cave trembled again with violent rumbles, and the boulder sunk beneath the ground.

    ¡°The cure.¡± Eres said, the moment they opened their eyes.

    ¡°Patience, patience. The day is not done.¡± The hobgoblin hummed. ¡°Once I get the treasure, only then. Bargains must be upheld.¡±

    It walked towards the second tunnel slowly. Banda gave Eres another look, but her only answer was to quietly trail after. Banda frowned and followed as well.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    The pathway they had opened wasn¡¯t much longer than the first, and they soon came to a small cavern. It would have been as unremarkable as the cave they just left were it not for the opening overhead, from which a brilliant moon shone down clearly within a starless sky.

    Banda thought little of it at first, but then he remembered that the sky here was always cloudy outside of the town¡¯s sanctuary. A trick. Of what kind, he did not know. He glanced over at Eres, who showed keen interest in the moon, but also seemed to be searching for something else.

    ¡°...Why have you entered this tomb?¡± A deep voice echoed throughout the cavern Its presence was the same as the intent they had suppressed in the cave.

    The duo snapped alert, and even the hobgoblin seemed surprised.

    ¡°The intent outside must have only been the surface.¡± He grimaced. ¡°This is the true intent.¡±

    ¡°Why have you entered this tomb?¡± The voice asked again.

    Banda glanced at Eres, and she glanced at the hobgoblin, who felt compelled to speak up under their pressure.

    ¡°...this cave has long caught my interest.¡± It spoke. ¡°I wanted to see what lied within.¡±

    ¡°It is merely the resting grounds of one fallen long ago¡­ Barren of that which you desire¡­ Turn back.¡±

    The hobgoblin frowned. ¡°I¡­ have dedicated a long time to reaching this place. Too long to turn back so soon.¡±

    ¡°...I will reward you for your troubles¡­ I will grant the last of my power¡­ But only to one¡­¡±

    A flicker of interest showed on Banda¡¯s face, but Eres¡¯ eyes steeled over. ¡°How will you decide?¡± She asked, in a neutral tone.

    ¡°Choose among yourselves¡­¡±

    The hobgoblin¡¯s face tightened in thought at the voice¡¯s words, but it did not act.

    ¡°So unconcerned, considering this is the last of your power you kept sealed away so fiercely.¡± A mocking smile spread across Eres¡¯ face. ¡°If you wanted to trick us into killing each other, you shouldn¡¯t have acted so indifferently.¡±

    The intent raged out, abandoning its shallow facade in an instant. The storm of intent rose with the howling winds that swirled through the cavern unnaturally, and seeped into the earth.

    A skeletal hand pierced through the ground and pulled the rest of itself up. A skeleton in tattered armor stood before them, wielding a jagged broadsword. Emanations of a peak Rank 2 monster surged out, with far denser mana than any they had encountered so far.

    Moonlight drained from the sky above, and filled its bones with a glowing white aura, as two dull red lights swirled within the pitch black sockets of its eyes.

    ¡°I gave you a chance¡­¡± The wight¡¯s words bled with hateful vindication.

    It burst towards Eres faster than any of them could react to and cleaved down its sword. Eres did not even have the time to blink, but her thoughts moved just fast enough to conjure her shield in front.

    The broadsword dug into the shield with enough force to slam it into the ground, but the shield held. Banda struck fiercely with iron claws but the wight easily blocked it with the flat of its blade and flung him back crashing into the cavern wall with a flourish.

    It was strong. Too strong. Three times greater than him even in the base of Feral Form with the now two-and-a-half fold boost of Harness.

    The wight turned its chilling gaze to Eres once more, and Banda turned monstrous without hesitation. He stole the wight¡¯s hostility with a frenzied assaulted, but his blows struck only the blade. Even surpassing his limits, he was weaker.

    ¡°Fight with us if you don¡¯t want to die!¡± Eres yelled at the hobgoblin.

    The hobgoblin hesitated, but only for a moment. It scattered a handful of seeds over the hard ground and splashed a wooden vial of liquid. The seeds sunk into the earth, and giant roots bloomed.

    The roots sprawled towards the wight, ensnaring it while it was distracted against Banda. But with sheer strength, it ripped them out and slashed them away. Its sword flickered, a deflecting the stone Banda threw, as Eres¡¯ giant spear thrust out. Her avatar now conjured whole.

    It leaned away, but the flaming tip of the spear chipped into a bone of its shoulder, and it darted back in a blur. The wight held that small distance, its wariness obvious against the fire.

    The duo switched tactics without talking. Banda rushed into the vanguard, trying to create openings against this overwhelming enemy for Eres to exploit. But the wight kept vigilant against her spear.

    Hardened roots crawled towards it again and the wight readied to cut them down. But the hobgoblin yelled with a surge of mana, and the roots shot out like lances, impaling through the wight¡¯s armor.

    The roots did no damage, but they stunted its movements for a moment, and the duo took advantage. The wight allowed Banda to shatter its left arm as it guarded fully against the giant spear. But at the same time, golden flames blasted from Eres¡¯ palm.

    The wight smashed against the back of the cavern. Fragments of its charred bones crumbled off, and the white luster of its bones diminished greatly.

    They charged again, but the wight¡¯s sword surged with radiant moonlight and it slashed out a blade of light. Banda ducked under it, and Eres¡¯ shield was already protecting her, but the blade cut clean through the hobgoblin¡¯s wall of roots and deep into its chest.

    Dark green blood gushed from the hobgoblin¡¯s wound. It dropped to knee as weakness started to lay claim to the creature¡¯s life. And Moonlight surged again.

 Chapter 29 - False Moon

    A torrent of silvery white light blazed as the wight chose the weakened hobgoblin as its target, but Banda knocked the sword off course just in time.

    The hobgoblin scrambled for a drink of another potion, and rubbed a grassy paste over his gushing wound which had started to rot away at his flesh.

    ¡°...ne¡­eed ¡­ time.¡± It struggled to wheeze at the duo.

    Banda and Eres continued to fight the wight alone, as the hobgoblin watched patiently. Its breathing started to steady but panic remained on its face. And it glanced at the tunnel.

    ¡°Join back!¡± Eres snapped at him.

    ¡°I¡­ am too wounded¡­¡± It lied.

    She narrowed her eyes, but a quick slash of the wight¡¯s sword forced her attention back to the main threat.

    The fighting was fierce, but the duo were managing. Banda especially carried most of the weight, his instincts serving greatly to fight on par with a stronger foe. They chipped away at the wight, slowly but surely.

    It blocked another stone, but a second knocked its footing off balance just slightly, and the spear thrust out.

    ¡°I will not fall again!¡± The wight roared.

    Moonlight surged within the wight as it struck the spear away. An aura of death surrounded it, and Banda started to feel sickly and frail.

    ¡°We must run!¡± He shouted at Eres as he darted back. But the wight charged after, keeping them both within range of its deathly aura.

    In that moment, the hobgoblin dashed towards the entrance of the tunnel and spawned a giant dome of roots around him. Layer after layer with the sole purpose of forcing them to face the wight.

    Eres clicked her teeth. ¡°Break open a path in the roots!¡±

    She took the fight to the undead warrior, surrounding herself in a coating of golden aura, and Banda shot towards the dome of roots. He smashed and mauled with titanic might. Spears and grasping roots struck back, but he evaded them all and wrought destruction on the regrowing dome.

    ¡°Turn your focus to the threat behind, lest you perish!¡± The hobgoblin shouted in a panic, but Banda did not slow.

    He broken open a wide entrance to the dome, exposing the hobgoblin now clearly exhausted of all its mana.

    ¡°Banda!¡± Eres yelled. Her golden aura resisted its aura of death, but the wight was too overwhelming, even for her avatar.

    Banda lunged back, and the two shifted around as they pressured the wight closer to the dome. As it drew near, it turned its sight in a lull of action, and saw the hobgoblin. The root-wielding jinn did not even have the time to plead for its life before the wight viciously stabbed is sword down into it, again and again and again.

    In that moment, Eres wielded the cloth of her spear to set the dome ablaze with golden fire, and slashed it apart to cave down on the wight. The undead warrior burst out in an instant, but that split moment proved fatal.

    Its bones were even more damaged now, and the luster of moonlight gone completely. Banda feinted his attack, and Eres¡¯ spear finally pierced through.

    It ignited and set ablaze from within. The wight¡¯s bones and even its armor crumbled to dust, leaving behind only its broadsword and a crumbling skull.

    ¡°Trapped¡­ in this forsaken tomb¡­¡± The voice rang out, quieter than before. ¡°For what¡­? The prospect of power¡­ I would rather have rest¡­.¡±

    ¡°Where is the treasure?!¡± Eres yelled. ¡°Your power!¡±

    ¡°Finally¡­ I may rest¡­¡±

    The skull crumbled away and the illusion of the moon above faded to nothing. Eres looked all over the cavern but saw nothing but an empty room. She tried to wield the sword to see if it held any magic within, but it was merely a mid-grade weapon.

    ¡°Worthless! All of it worthless!¡± She cursed with golden eyes, her anger uncharacteristically overt.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Banda glanced at the dead hobgoblin, wholly unsatisfied. They had missed their opportunity to reach the next town, and the hobgoblin who may have been able to cure them is dead.

    He turned his displeased glare to Eres. She was a burden most of the time, but she was not stupid. Banda would even almost call her wise. But she had not acted wisely here. She had impeded him. Risked his life senselessly. And for nothing.

    ¡°I was too cautious¡­¡± Eres murmured to herself. ¡°I should have subdued the hobgoblin as soon as the entrance opened. Force it to make the cure then used it as a vanguard for the tomb¡­¡±

    ¡°We must return.¡± Banda spoke sternly, interrupting her ramblings.

    Her eyes drifted over to his. They were cold. Hostile. Selfish. She held her silence for a moment, then swallowed what she had left to say.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ---

    The pair approached their town in the dead of night after another full day¡¯s travel. Neither had spoken a word to each other on the way back, and it showed no sign of changing.

    Banda¡¯s eyes sharpened and he darted in front of Eres, though to his surprise it was Scar who stepped out of the dark.

    ¡°I was beginning to worry you died out there.¡± He spoke with fidgety mannerisms.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Eres snapped, devoid of her usual tact.

    Scar was silent for a moment, somewhat taken back by the hostility, and adverted his eyes. ¡°All of the slumlords have Soul Seeds.¡±

    Both Eres and Banda¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden revelation.

    ¡°Finding a way to reach Rank 2 is pointless. It¡¯s a different story if you were to reach Rank 3, but Otto would kill you before you got the chance. Also¡­¡± Scar continued, turning his gaze back to them. ¡°The beastwoman watches us, always. She sees through our eyes and hears through our ears. Day and night.¡±

    Eres reacted far more strongly than Banda to this second reveal, though her emotions settled just as fast. ¡°...It must not be absolute if you¡¯re telling us now.¡±

    Scar fidgeted his head. ¡°Once a month, on the night of a new moon, the woman falls into a coma. That is the only time Otto is blind.¡±

    ¡°How does she monitor others?¡± Eres asked. ¡°Can she watch anyone?¡±

    Scar wiggled a finger. ¡°There¡¯s a ritual of lights. And the gem on her head shines with the person¡¯s reflection. She needs to be near and she needs to match your gaze for a long while. Then she always has you in her sights.¡±

    ¡°His death is the only way to be free of this.¡± Scar blurted out, before they could ask again. ¡°He can only detonate two Soul Seeds at once, and each takes ten seconds to detonate.¡±

    ¡°Alone we cannot manage, but together, we can overwhelm him. He cannot wield another art when detonating. Whichever of us remains must kill him. But it must be certain.¡±

    ¡°When?¡± Eres asked, her emotions giving nothing away.

    ¡°No plans.¡± Scar said. ¡°Too many variables. Too many risks. Just be ready on each night. We will only get one chance.¡±

    Scar lingered for a moment, then turned to leave.

    ¡°Wait.¡± Eres stopped him. ¡°Prove your sincerity.¡±

    ¡°...you have an idea of how, I¡¯m assuming?¡± He asked, lowering his head but keeping his eye on her.

    ¡°Give us the method to advance to Rank 2. And something important of yours. So you can¡¯t just use and discard us if things fail.¡± Eres¡¯ gaze hardened. ¡°That thing in your eye will do.¡±

    Scar fell still, for a moment that felt much longer to him. He shuffled around in place, before finally reaching behind the leather patch and pulling a red ball from his socket. He hesitated for a moment, then tossed it over to Eres.

    Eres caught the item and inspected. The ball was an intricately cut blood-red gem, painted on one side to resemble a demonic eye. The nature of it did not interest Eres. as with most things of infernal nature, it likely granted power at a steep cost. What was important, was that it was important to Scar.

    ¡°In return¡­¡± Scar spoke. ¡°I ask you to¡­ delay your revenge against Tath. She is unpredictable as of late. But at the rate she is gaining power, she could be useful. In one way or the other.¡±

    ¡°...fine.¡± Eres said plainly.

    Scar lingered again for a moment, though this time he was allowed to leave without pause, slipping back over the walls of the town under the cover of night.

    Eres watched him, gripping the infernal eye as it vanished into her ring. She would not make another crucial mistake.

    ---

    Beasts and Jinn of all kind stampeded over the ruins of the town. Only their terrible roars and wails remained as the poor souls who could not flee in time were long since silence.

    The monsters tore apart and devoured the human flesh, and as they did, those wretched faces twisted in torment. When their bodies succumbed to death, the strange magic of infernal red markings pulled their souls beneath the earth to another realm.

    A most infernal plight. To have one¡¯s soul be a feast for demons was among the most horrible of fates. The agony inflicted by the ravenous beasts would end, but for those claimed by the Abyss only eternal torment awaited.

    In the distance, a group of humans one thousand strong trekked away from their overrun town. Therein comprised of two factions, obvious by their expressions.

    The bulk of the crowd were gaunt and cycled between listless and restless. A fearful desperation pervaded their mannerisms. Contrasted with the few others who seemed to have no emotion at all.

    All one thousand were led by a mountain of a man, who stood seven feet tall with the muscle and girth of an ogre. He had dark skin, with long black hair combed back and a thick beard braided into seven sharp spikes. He wore a black chestpiece over a luxurious tunic and the thick cloth pants and boots of a warrior.

    Barosa grinned wide as he walked from the terrible destruction, his gaze pointed straight east towards the next town.

 Chapter 30 - Human Schemes

    Otto stared out at the horde besieging his town¡¯s walls with the same nonchalance he gave everything else. A crowd a thousand strong, with more Rank 2s than those secretly under his control. All under the command of the insolent ogre brazenly smiling back at him.

    ¡°Woe to us, who have lost our home to savage beasts! We humbly call upon the hospitality of our brethren, and pray you grant us safe welcome into yours!¡± Barosa¡¯s grand words boomed over the land.

    Otto simply stared, his lazy amusement unchanged. That this scheming warlord cut from the same cloth as him would so boldly claim to be humble warranted as much.

    ¡°Will you not open your gates?¡± Barosa asked, the subtle implications of a threat lingered after.

    ¡°My gates are narrow.¡± Otto spoke finally. ¡°I¡¯m worried a crowd of this size would damage them.¡±

    ¡°Then we shall enter carefully.¡± Barosa lowered his tone to humor Otto¡¯s pretense.

    ¡°No, no. That won¡¯t be good enough. I¡¯d still take a loss.¡± Otto raised a finger. ¡°1 Crystal from everyone that enters. A stone from the Rank 2s. Then I¡¯d be able to repair any damage.¡±

    Barosa¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Very well.¡±

    He motioned to the crowd behind, and it started walking calmly towards the town gate. Otto also gestured to some enforcers behind, who headed down from the wall on the other side to do the same.

    His subtly sly gaze lingered on the brazen new rival before he calmly took his leave. Both well aware of the conflict that lay ahead.

    ---

    Banda and Eres watched the refugees pour into town. In numbers alone they were merely half the strength of the current locals, but in truth the amount of peak rank 1s seemed about equal and they had eight Rank 2s to the town¡¯s seven. Victory, among armies of monks, was determined by their powerhouses.

    Banda would normally be displeased with the sudden arrival of new threats, but that did not matter to him this time. Not since among them was the very alchemist they needed.

    ¡°We must get the cure from him now.¡± He said to the one beside him deep in thought.

    ¡°And haggle with what?¡± Eres asked plainly.

    Banda frowned. ¡°Manastones.¡±

    They had more than enough. Including the two already in their possession, they had gained a staggering five whole stones from the core of the high-grade wight. Humans traded all things for these stones. He didn¡¯t see why there would be an exception for this.

    ¡°A few Manastones means nothing to people at that level.¡± Eres did not take her eyes of the crowd of newcomers. ¡°We¡¯ll wait until we learn what he wants. Then we¡¯ll know what to bring.¡±

    Banda stared at her. He could see the swirl of schemes behind her quiet plundering eyes. Still, she clung to her human lies despite its failings before the truth of strength.

    He frowned but remained silent. He would wait for now. But only for a while more.

    ---

    A man with short hair and a commonplace face walked inconspicuously through the winding alleys. One would be forgiven to assume him unremarkable in power as well, but he was one of the few Rank 2s survivors from the other town.

    He calmly checked every corner as he moved, though the lack of of any pursuers made the act seem somewhat overly cautious.

    He passed through another turn, and was met by a dozen veteran guards will steeled gazes. The man gave them a single glance and walked straight past, none blocking his path.

    He glanced up at the humble building that was his destination. A glorified shack in the middle of unclaimed houses. Such was the land available to them outside of the territories claimed by this town¡¯s overlords.

    It was a far cry from the manor he had become so accustomed to over the years, but he knew well that such trivial luxuries never rested a moment in his lord¡¯s mind. The pursuit of strength was paramount, always.

    ¡°Silik.¡± Barosa greeted loudly, the moment he passed through the door. ¡°Tell me good news.¡±

    ¡°The man ruling this town is named Otto. A peak Rank 2 Warrior with a high-grade martial art. Keeps a peak Rank 2 beastwoman by his side at all times. She had a mid-grade healing art but nothing else is known.¡± Silik spoke without delay or mistake. ¡°Five other Rank 2s, all between the first and second stage. They don¡¯t directly follow Otto but they pay tribute. None of them stand out.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Barosa mused, somewhat unimpressed.

    ¡°Also¡­¡± Silik continued. ¡°Otto has some sort of shaman art. Plants a ¡®seed¡¯ within one¡¯s soul which he can use to destroy it at any time. He controls over 200 people directly using this method, all at the peak of Rank 1.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Thought flickered through Barosa¡¯s eyes. ¡°Are you sure he only controls 200?¡±

    ¡°Those are the rumors¡­¡± Silik admitted, understanding Barosa¡¯s suspicions. ¡°I did suspect he may be a Shaman Warrior, but all knowledge puts his physical strength clearly within the realm of a pure warrior. I questioned someone who had been here since before he first arrived in this town.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­His position is more fragile than I expected.¡± Barosa¡¯s ever present smile deepened, as he slapped his knee with force. ¡°Prepare the fields. We¡¯ll start growing the herbs as soon as possible.¡±

    Silik bowed his head. ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±

    ---

    Banda watched the farmers at work from atop the town¡¯s walls. Rather than the golden stalks most humans grew, these new town farmers instead planted purple-striped leaves.

    ¡°How do they grow herbs?¡± Banda asked. He was told that such magical plants only grew in the wild on their own.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that unusual.¡± Eres answered casually. ¡°Farming herbs is common in Eden. Even the major powers on the upper floors can manage lower grade herbs, though to a lesser extent. Still¡­ it shouldn¡¯t be this easy for a mere rank 2.¡±

    ¡°He found an opportunity.¡± Banda deduced.

    ¡°Most likely.¡± Eres let her hand drop from her waist as she walked down the stairs of the wall. ¡°But that isn¡¯t important. We can use this.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Banda asked as he followed.

    ¡°By a visit to Tath, first.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Banda objected.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Eres asserted back, ignoring his scowls. ¡°It¡¯s a crucial step.¡±

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ---

    ¡°Useless dogs!¡± Tath smashed a clay vase over one of her underlings head, hard enough to knock him unconscious. The others around didn¡¯t dare try to help him. ¡°Get out! Anyone who comes come without a mid-grade herb, I¡¯ll use as mountain bait!¡±

    The underlings fled without a moment¡¯s pause, leaving behind only the mad slumlord and the pair of heroes waiting quietly before her.

    ¡°This might be to your liking.¡± Eres said as she held out a cloth sack.

    Tath twitched her head around and snatched it away. She rummaged in and devoured the two mid-grade herbs without even stopping to see what they were.

    ¡°Our antidote¡­¡± Eres demanded.

    ¡°When you bring me more.¡± Tath snapped.

    ¡°We¡¯ll bring you more after we get the antidote we need to live.¡± Eres didn¡¯t back down from the increasingly unstable petty tyrant.

    Tath¡¯s eyes narrowed, her face mired in irritation and grim desperation. Though in the silence that quickly settled into something close to rational thought. She bled out the herbal pills and tossed them over.

    ¡°You have it, now go.¡±

    But the duo lingered despite her hostility.

    ¡°...if it¡¯s herbs you want¡­ that new town lord is growing whole fields of them.¡± Eres started to speak her poison with careful composure.

    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that?!¡± Tath yelled. Anger tightened over her face in an instant. ¡°Low-grade herbs are worthless to me!¡±

    ¡°Do you really think he can only grow low-grade herbs?¡± Eres gave a single calm question in return, and Tath¡¯s attention perked up. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of someone growing whole fields of herbs before. He must be hiding something. A powerful town lord like that must be keeping the best things for himself.¡±

    Tath stared at her in silence, and then fell into mumbling contemplation as she paced the room. Eres watched her for a short while, and then simply walked away as Banda followed in kind. The slumlord had already forgotten they were even there.

    ---

    ¡°17 acres are sown, another 12 are being ploughed as we speak.¡± Silik reported.

    ¡°That is not enough.¡± Barosa replied, his expression neutral.

    ¡°Those were the only acres available to us¡­ Everything else in this sanctuary is claimed.¡±

    ¡°No matter.¡± Barosa declared. ¡°Take whatever we need.¡±

    ¡°My lord.¡± An underling from the house guard approached. ¡°There are visitors.¡±

    ¡°One of the slumlords?¡± Barosa asked, with some interest.

    ¡°No. Two Rank 1s. They claim they have an offer that will interest you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Send them in.¡± Barosa settled back into his chair.

    The underling headed back outside and Banda and Eres entered shortly afterwards. As soon as they stopped at the center of the room before him, Barosa snapped his fingers and two peak Rank 1 heroes at the side of the room attacked the duo. And just as quickly, Banda swatted his away as Eres blasted hers.

    ¡°Impressive.¡± Barosa smiled wide at them as he leaned forward, showing no sign of concern at their performance. ¡°You should work for me.¡±

    ¡°We are enthralled to Otto.¡± Eres stated plainly.

    ¡°Life as a tendency of changing quickly.¡± Barosa pressed.

    ¡°...we aren¡¯t adverse to working with you, should things really change.¡± Eres refrained from answering strongly, though clearly showed her preference.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Barosa leaned back in his chair, his expression returning neutral. ¡°So¡­ Why have you come to see me?¡±

    ¡°You are an Adept Alchemist, yes?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I am.¡±

    Eres¡¯ eyes sharpened. ¡°We need an mid-grade antidote.¡±

    ¡°That is within my abilities. But what do you have to exchange for it?¡± Barosa kept his wide gaze on them.

    ¡°5 Manastones.¡± Eres offered.

    ¡°Too little.¡± Barosa gave a blunt response.

    ¡°6.¡±

    ¡°Too little.¡±

    Eres paused for a moment. ¡°What is your price?¡±

    Barosa raised a wide hand. ¡°50 Manastones. I will lower the price if you have information I consider to be of value.¡±

    Eres paused again, her subtle expression gave away little. ¡°Otto is a peak Rank 2 Warrior. He has a high-grade art called Crimson Edge.¡±

    She watched for his reaction, and the broad-faced giant of a man gave none at all. He already knew that much.

    ¡°His beastwoman partner is a capable healer.¡± She tested the waters first to gauge her next words, finding the same response as before. ¡°He has a deceptive style of fighting. Mercenary-like. And while he pretends to be a drunk, he never actually is.¡±

    Barosa peered into her eyes. ¡°45 Manastones.¡±

    ¡°...None of the other slumlords are his rival, until recently.¡± Eres did not miss the faint interest that flickered within Warlord¡¯s eyes. ¡°The one called Tath is in the third stage now. Likely at the peak. She found a trait that allows her to consume herbs raw, and mimic their effects. As well as increase her cultivation. She will undoubtedly take interest in your fields.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Barosa now overtly displayed his interest, along with his expectations for more. 30 Manastones.¡±

    Eres kept her subtle focus on the town lord¡¯s every minute reaction. ¡°Otto is a Warlock.¡±

    A deep attentiveness struck back at her, far more intense than mere interest. Barosa¡¯s eerily wide eyes bared down on them like the pressure of a beast, but neither of the duo flinched.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I saw him summon a pack of imps once, when he thought no one was looking, and send them through the town.¡± Eres claimed without a hint of doubtfulness.

    Barosa beamed wide at her, the weight of his grand smile almost oppressive. ¡°Excellent.¡±

    He withdrew two small glass vials from the satchel on his belt and tossed them over to the duo. Eres waited for Banda¡¯s approval before downing the murky green liquid in one gulp.

    Immediately, she felt a fierce fever come over her but she bore with it, and soon it settled into an easy warmth which too quickly faded away. The poison binding them to Tath¡¯s whims had been cured.

    ¡°I will have a good price for any other information of value you bring.¡± Barosa spoke as his presence grew. ¡°And¡­ remember my offer, in the days to come.¡±

    Eres maintained eye contact for an suitable amount of time, and quietly took her leave alongside Banda.

    ---

    ¡°What is a warlock?¡± Banda asked as she had called Otto one.

    ¡°Someone who makes deals with demons and fiends to gain power.¡± She glanced at him. ¡°It taints the soul, damning one to eventually be taken by the Abyss.¡±

    ¡°Why do it then?¡± Banda questioned. Power that leads to death is no power at all.

    ¡°Desperation.¡± Eres answered plainly.

    ¡°Otto does not seem desperate.¡± Banda narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Otto is not a warlock. Barosa is, as are much of his goons. I could barely stand the infernal stench of it.¡± The words left Eres¡¯ mouth vindictively.

    ¡°...Why did you lie?¡± Banda asked, not for the sake of curiosity, but to judge.

    ¡°Because people will easily believe that others commit the same acts as them.¡± Eres spoke plainly as she kept her gaze casually ahead. ¡°Barosa is just another Otto. The best thing for us is for them to eliminate each other. Or at least wound the survivor enough that they can take advantage.¡±

    She turned to him. ¡°If I told Barosa the truth, he¡¯d most likely leave. If he was smart enough. And then we¡¯d be right back where we were. Besides¡­ at the very least, we can use him to get rid of that junky while keeping our hands clean¡­¡±

    Banda noted the strangeness of her choice of words, but did not inquire. He was displeased.

    There was still too much scheming. Too much human cunning. Human cunning was different from the cunning of beasts. Humans did not know how to survive. Greed made them blind to what was most important.

    ¡°The strong survive. The weak flee until they are strong or they die.¡± Banda told her. It was the highest truth. The unbreakable law of the forest.

    ¡°Things are far more complicated than that.¡± Eres asserted back, and Banda grew more annoyed.

    She did not understand. She refused to. Banda could almost feel the invisible chains tighten around him, as though he were tied to stone at the edge of a fracturing cliff.

    It vexed him. He had once thought the worst was to be at the mercy of something stronger, but to be bound to a weakness he could not control or cast away was a frustration unlike any he had ever felt before.

    If there was a way to be rid of it, he would gladly walk that path without a second thought.

    ---

    ¡°How could you not find it?!¡± Tath screamed with bloodshot eyes. ¡°It is there, it must be there!¡±

    ¡°...t-they grow only low-grades herbs.¡± The underling she glared at stammered out through his fear.

    ¡°Only low-grade?!¡± She clutched his head with both hands, lifting the flailing man into the air as she started to squeeze down. ¡°Low-grade, low-grade, low-grade, but they grow whole fields of it!¡±

    Tath crushed his skull into gory chunks as her demented rage grew. ¡°He is hiding something! I know it!¡±

    Another underling flinched as she turned her gaze to him. ¡°He must have a secret field!¡±

    ¡°You know this?! Where is it?!¡± Tath lurched close to him.

    ¡°O-only he knows! Barosa, he must be keeping it secret!¡± The underling resigned himself for the worst, but Tath started to think in silence.

    ¡°Yes¡­ Yes, only he knows.¡± She turned back to her terrified crew. ¡°Summon everyone! Now! We will find my herbs!¡±

    They scrambled into action at the order of their slumlord, who now bore a crazed smile. In her eyes, they was only power and freedom ahead.

 Chapter 31 - No More Lies

    ¡°Slaughter them all!¡± Tath laughed as she shattered the skull of another man.

    Her underlings trailing behind fought desperately, in sharp contrast to her blood splattered zeal. Many fell to the blades and magic of Barosa¡¯s crew, but still she led them forward, blind to their struggles.

    Four guards before a two-story house took their stances to meet her, and tath burst forward. She shot past with no regard and destroyed the wall they guarded with a single punch.

    Through the rubble and dust, her gaze locked on the large bearded man who waited patiently with an axe in his hand.

    ¡°Where are your fields?!¡± Tath demanded, the craze of madness etched across her face. But Barosa simply stood in silence with a bold smile.

    Tath burst forward again, no longer possessing the patience for an exchange of words. Green veins bulged across her iron skin as her body swelled with aura, her fist raised already for a reckless punch.

    Barosa flicked a yellow pill into his mouth and swallowed it. He pulled his double-headed battleaxe out in front and knocker her fist away with equal strength, green veins bulging over his body.

    ¡°Pitiful fool.¡±

    Tath barely registered his words before the edge of his axe gleaned with supernatural sharpness and he swung it back, cleaving her in half at the waist.

    She collapsed in a growing pool of her own blood. With no ability to feel pain, only confusion remained on her face. The mad slumlord regained just enough sanity at the last moment of life for regret and fear to seep in, and her iron body turned to cold flesh.

    Barosa spared her nothing more than a passing glance as he turned his bold smile out to the sanctuary past the broken wall. This sanctuary was already his.

    ---

    Banda silently stalked around Eres with his aura completely suppressed. She stood in the middle of an empty lot with her eyes closed and the sphere of Sense extended around her.

    Her range had expanded to over 5 yards now. Banda didn¡¯t know how well that compared to others, but it was twice that of his own.

    He let a few embers of aura leak out and Eres lunged at him immediately. With only basic aura manipulation, he smacked her fist away and stopped the claws of his other hand just short of her neck.

    ¡°Sharper.¡± Banda instructed. She had the intent to kill, but lacked the fear to cover her weaknesses. That did not sit well with him.

    Instead of retaking her position, Eres formed a thin layer of armor over her whole body and pressed her attack with the support of Harness. Banda dodged and deflected her half-skilled strikes with ease, as he stared with observant eyes.

    She rivaled him in raw strength and speed at his base, with a similar mastery of Harness and Armor, but he was far more skilled in ways of combat. Far more experienced.

    Eres telegraphed a side kick, but then whipped it downwards as she twisted her body. Banda sidestepped that and she pivoted in close. Her left hand reached for his shoulder and her right for his wrist as her foot slid along the ground to the back of his ankles.

    Banda slid his right foot further away and slackened his left, allowing Eres to knock it up with little resistance. He put strength into his one standing leg and yanked her closer to land a crushing knee in her stomach.

    Eres staggered and that was a split moment too long. His claws stopped short of her neck once again.

    She stared back at him with competitive indignation before relaxing her posture with a slight frown. ¡°That¡¯s enough for today¡­ I want to see the state of the town.¡±

    ¡°We should train more.¡± Banda voiced his disapproval. They had no right to the luxury of being satisfied with their current strength.

    ¡°This is more important.¡± Eres walked off without further argument, and Banda once again had to follow.

    ---

    ¡°Can¡¯t you lower it? Just a little.¡± A gaunt man with twitchy eyes pleaded to a group of refugees.

    ¡°20 shards. Pay it or leave.¡± The stern-faced warrior of the bunch said coldly.

    ¡°I only have 12¡­ Just¡­ just give me half.¡±

    ¡°Full 20 or nothing.¡±

    ¡°Look, look¡­¡± The gaunt man took out three thin cone-shaped bones with spiral patterns from his satchel. ¡°Almiraj horns. Worth almost 20 at least.¡±

    The warrior eyed the material in thought. ¡°Those horns and the shards. Then you can have your powder.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s more!¡± The gaunt man objected.

    ¡°Then get lost.¡± The warrior shoved him away.

    ¡°Wait, wait!¡± The gaunt man scrambled to his feet and held out the horns and shards. ¡°Deal! Take them.¡±

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    The stern-faced warrior collected the payment with emotionless eyes and dropped a pouch made of large fresh leaves tied with plant fibers in its place.

    The gaunt man hurriedly untied it to reveal a fine purple powder within it. He stared at it for a long moment, then jostled for his water pouch and poured the powder in, barely shaking it up before downing all of its contents.

    His body seemed to freeze in place as a feckless smile spread wide. Slowly, he started to amble away as though a spell had been placed on him to hinder his movements, and another walked up to the group.

    Banda glanced as they walked past, but nothing more. It was a common sight in the town lately, ever since Barosa¡¯s pack had started selling their poison. He could not understand why these humans would pay precious shards just to weaken themselves, but they did it in droves.

    Consumption of the herb Barosa grew had spread throughout the town nearly overnight and the proof was plain to see. Far more people laid in the streets than before, and many of them looked sickly.

    It had been a few weeks since Barosa had killed the iron human. He¡¯d rapidly grown his influence since to become the second major power in the sanctuary, though the slumlords had rallied around Otto to preserve their territories, which kept him as the city lord.

    At least, that was the narrative on the surface. He knew the truth that Otto was merely commanding his pack to protect. But it was also true, that Barosa was proving to be a real threat.

    ¡°What is Otto thinking¡­?¡±

    Banda glanced at Eres but said nothing in return.

    ¡°What?¡± She asked, annoyed by his silent judgement. ¡°Nothing to add?¡±

    Banda too grew slightly annoyed at her picking a fight. ¡°Not running or fighting means he¡¯s waiting.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Eres tone lowered in agreement. ¡°But for what?¡±

    Their discussion was interrupted by the sight of another powder deal, though this one had meaning to Banda. The buyer for this one was Cedal, and it did not seem voluntary.

    Banda paid no mind to the words being spoken, nor took consideration for the context. He simply appeared by the herb peddlers and battered them away. He had struck them hard enough that a sharp glare was all it took to make them flee.

    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Cedal breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°This town has gotten even worse since they arrived¡­¡±

    ¡°We noticed.¡± Eres said.

    Cedal looked awkward as he searched for the words to say. ¡°...Everyone¡¯s wondering who will win¡­ especially since Otto appears weak. Barosa¡¯s people keep starting fights to reinforce that, and it seems like their territory grows every day¡­ Who do you think will win?¡±

    ¡°Neither.¡± Eres spoke neither out of petty spite, nor a shallow hope. She simply told him the result that would be.

    ¡°Hey, you bastards!¡±

    Eres and Cedal turned to where Banda had already been looking moments before. The humans he had just beaten away had returned, and they were not alone.

    A crowd over thirty strong stared them down, all at the peak of Rank 1 and all with hostile intentions. But Banda only gave focus to one that stood out from the crowd. A man in leather armor and a hooded cloak with black facepaint around the eyes.

    He was the only one whose aura he could not sense, which meant he was at the rank above. That alone was not enough to worry Banda, but the weapon of choice the man held was a bow. And range was something that always demanded vigilance.

    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for acting against us!¡± One of the original humans shouted again, showing his few recently missing teeth.

    ¡°Be quiet.¡± The archer spoke sternly as he stared at them with uncanny stoicism, as if thoughtlessly reciting something he had been told. ¡°Wounding one of ours in an insult. Not irreconcilable. Pay amends and the matter is settled.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t let them get away w-¡±

    The archer stabbed an arrow into the first man¡¯s head, without so much as a twitch of his eyelids. ¡°1 Manastone. Or items of equivalent value. Your answer?¡±

    ¡°You should ask your leader about us.¡± Eres spoke firmly without a hint of weakness.

    ¡°Your answer?¡± The archer simply repeated in the same tone.

    ¡°I doubt Barosa would want you fighting us.¡± She spoke more directly this time, and receive the same response.

    ¡°Your answer?¡±

    The air around them grew tense. The archer showed no sign of bending or compromise to the point one might assume he desired a fight were it not for his emotionless expression. Eres narrowed her eyes as she contemplated on the best way to pacify the situation. But Banda acted first.

    Without a single warning, his arm flickered. The archer jolted to the side as the stone meant for his head shattered the skull of the man behind him.

    His eyes slid back forward as he knocked an arrow, but that moment of ill-focus caused by reflex sealed his fate. Banda mauled his iron clawed hand and splattered the archer¡¯s head.

    He turned on the others without pause, maiming and mangling until they all laid dead on the blood drenched ground.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡± Eres admonished. More annoyed than she was concerned about a fight.

    ¡°No more lies.¡± Banda declared, his objections to her scheming ways no longer reserved. ¡°It makes us look weak. The weak are hunted.¡±

    ¡°I considered as much.¡± Eres¡¯ temperance grew more heated. ¡°Our priority is to overcome this. If we have to take a loss or look weak to achieve that then so be it.¡±

    ¡°You still underestimate the forest¡­¡± Banda could feel his frustrations mounting beyond his control.

    ¡°And you know nothing of fate.¡± She snapped back. ¡°There is nothing it disdains more than a coward.¡±

    ¡°I am no coward!¡± Banda yelled. His ferocity silenced everything around him. ¡°I survived worse than you! Longer than you! I am stronger!¡±

    The two stared each other down with frustrations inching ever closer to hate. It was all Banda could do to remain where he stood with gritted teeth.

    He had let her lead them ever since his mistake on the first day, but she had increasingly shown herself to be a poor leader. Not only was she incapable of avoiding danger, she led them towards it. Again and again.

    He would not take it anymore. He would do things his way from now on. The way that had kept him alive for countless days and nights. Not human schemes, but the wisdom of beasts.

    ¡°No more lies.¡± Banda declared.

    Eres¡¯ eyes grew cold and eerily distant, but Banda did not care. He would do what he has always done. Survive. And he would do it by any means.

    ---

    Barosa smiled wide and bold at the two kneeling before him. A tall, thin old woman and a short man with a thick mangy beard. Two of the slumlords formerly under Otto¡¯s rule.

    Floating in the air above behind him, was the face of a strange lion. Six legs grew from behind its mane from all sides like a wheel and its greedy eyes stared eerily at the mortal men.

    At the signal of Barosa¡¯s raised hand, his underlings slit the throats of twenty captured people who all bore signs of extreme torture. Infernal red mana enveloped Barosa and then the two slumlords.

    Agony coursed through their flesh from the ritual as the red mana invaded their souls. The two collapsed on the floor drenched in sweat with weary posture, as Barosa¡¯s blackened eyes glinted red then returned to normal.

    ¡°Offer more souls¡­ Soon¡­¡± The Buer demon faded back into the Abyss, leaving the others alone with the wide, bold smile of Barosa.

    There was no loyalty that could not be bought, no monk that could not be tempted. Not in the Tower. If any desired riches and status beneath him he would promise such insignificant things without hesitation. For all else was truly worthless in the pursuit of power.

 Chapter 32 - Breakdown Of Communication

    A veil of tension hung over the town. The gang war that everyone had expected to happen ever since the defection of two slumlords to Barosa¡¯s side had yet to shown signs of waking from its slumber, even after nearly a week.

    Both sides were hostile and guarded at all times but despite the animosity, there had been no killings. No true aggression against each others¡¯ territories.

    Things had largely continued as normal, which only made people more nervous about what was to come.

    Cedal looked over at the two who had decided to take residence in his house. A smart decision, he thought. His place was further away from Barosa¡¯s territory, after all. And if he was being honest, he much appreciated the extra safety in this dangerous time.

    Though he did not understand how they could train calmly as if an all out town war wasn¡¯t at their doorstep.

    The looming war had been cold so far. But even he could feel it inching ever closer.

    Barosa held the clear advantage. The more time that passed, the more his drug spread and the more his grip on power grew.

    Stalling was to his benefit, which meant people started to see Otto as a coward for not striking down this challenge. Some of the none soul-seeded had even begun to defect to Barosa¡¯s side, though most did not have the option.

    Cedal thought himself one of the lucky ones, comparatively. He was not Soul Seeded, nor addicted to Barosa¡¯s herb. He merely needed to keep his head down and not offend the winning side, and he would live to see more days yet.

    But the same could not be said for the two of them. It would all work out in their favor if Otto died, which he suspected was surely their paramount desire. But until he did, their fate was tied to his.

    Otto could force them to fight through thorns under the threat of his unique power, and if they refused and he somehow managed to overcome the odds regardless, take revenge for their betrayal.

    Cedal just could not understand how they kept their composure. Even if they were strong, war was war. Anything could happen.

    He shifted his glance between them, as something else crossed his mind, and not for the first time. He could be wrong, but he felt as though something had changed between them.

    They hadn¡¯t fought or argued a single time since moving in with him, but they were quiet and kept to themselves. Cedal was tempted to ask, but could not muster the courage to do so. Instead, he simply sat quietly in his own home, keeping to himself as they did.

    ---

    Banda poured more purified aura within his soul. The hazy outline of it had become much clearer now. Much more distinct.

    Its appearance bore a close resemblance to himself, albeit with less detail and a glowing monotone azure color.

    The last of the aura trickled in, and he opened his eyes. His soul was now twice as strong as when he first advanced to the Aura Gathering stage, though he felt he was not yet close to its peak.

    On that matter of strength, Banda had since read the method of advancement Scar had given them. Advancing to Rank 2 involved forming a Core, what would become the center of his aura and cultivation to come.

    He needed ignite his aura into a blaze, much like the effects of the Cloudfruit, and condense that mass of aura into sphere. A familiar and natural process based on the cultivation he had experienced so far, but there were two great differences that concerned him.

    The first was that he would be struck with something called a Heavenly Tribulation. Lighting from the heavens that allows his advancement. Banda was unwelcoming of this. He had been assured the ¡®lightning¡¯ was actually a mass of Aether rather than the power that crashes from storming skies, but that did little the alleviate his displeasure.

    The second, was that he must ¡®face his Inner Demon¡¯. Another him inside of him who was not him. Banda was unconvinced of the truth of this. There was only him, no others. This was nothing more than a trick, if not of humans then of the heavens itself.

    But that was not the matter for when he reached the peak of the first rank. He had more immediate things to concern himself with.

    Banda turned his focus to the weapons and armor scattered on the floor around him. Having achieved a hundred successes of every type of rune as the runebook advised, he was now ready to attempt the true runes of low-grade.

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    It was quite simple, and functionally the same as what he had known thus far. Rather than carve singular runes, he needed to carve them in multiple. A pair of two or a triplet of three, as that was the limit before the runes shattered upon themselves.

    There were specific ways to carve either a pair or a trio and they all had to be carved in one continuous attempt without the slightest flaw.

    Each additional rune doubled the effect. For a triplet, it meant a fourfold enchantment compared to the single runes he had carved so far.

    This was the full potential of Novice runes, but it came with significantly greater difficulty. Carving two runes in succession was three times as hard. Carving three was nine.

    But Banda would doggedly endeavor at this task, even if it were a hundred times more difficult, as the result was worth every effort.

    He still had no interest in human weaponry. His aim instead was to solve an aspect of his combat he had found lacking lately. The effectiveness of throwing rocks.

    This was not a problem he had as a demigod due to his sheer strength, but rocks had failed him against the konru and they were almost useless against the wight. Banda did not doubt that they would fail him again.

    His solution was simple. He would carry his own stronger rocks. Or rather, metal shaped like rocks. Small clumps of steel, to be most accurate.

    Ordering them from the town blacksmith was easy enough, given how cheap and effortless they were to make. Turning them into real weapons would be less easy.

    Banda intended to carve as many triple Runes of Power on as many clumps of steel as possible to create projectiles that would strike a target with immense impact. He would still make use of whatever he found along the ground for weaker monsters, and use these where simple rocks weren¡¯t enough.

    Banda held out his clawed finger. His nail gleaned white with the power of his soul as he started to carve a double Rune of Power on a sword.

    Halfway through, the rune shattered and the sword split in half. Banda¡¯s eyes sharpened with heightened focus as he tried again.

    ---

    Eres stood in perfect focus with her Sense technique stretched to its limits, as she slowly pushed her range farther, inch by gradual inch.

    It was the only thing she had done these past days. That, and contemplate all the possibilities that laid before her as she strove to find the path best for her.

    From what Scar had revealed to them, Otto wasn¡¯t able to spy on them at all times, but she assumed the worst. That meant he knew of her Avatar, the extent of Banda¡¯s Feral Form, and even his Behemoth Form.

    That he hadn¡¯t abandoned all other goals to target her meant he was not aware of the nature of the Vestal Warbride Physique. She was spared from the absolute worst scenario at least, but brought about further questions.

    It was the height of foolishness to let threats as great as them live. The Soul Seed art was not absolute, and they had already proven able to progress quickly through cultivation. It was simply far safer to eliminate them before they had time to grow, which could only mean he had a purpose for them.

    Otto did mention he might have another task in the future, and Eres suspected this was no simple monster extermination this time. There must be an opportunity near.

    Eres had no true basis for her belief, but there was no doubt in her mind. After all, ambition of the capable was often mistaken as foolishness.

    It would be best if she obtained the information on what Otto sought before he died, but Eres would not make that mistake again. She knew better than anyone that she was not immune from the consequences of poor decisions.

    The priority was to break free from the hands around her life. Opportunities would come and go. She would find this one if possible, and if not, she would find the next.

    Pebbles and thorns. That was all everything else was in her path. She merely needed to step forward, again and again until the Tablet of Destinies was in her hands.

    She would take the throne as Queen of Heaven, no matter who stood in her way.

    ---

    Barosa faced off against Otto for the first time since their encounter at the wall. His own bold smile was returned with lazy and sly nonchalance.

    They had finally met face to face on neutral ground for negotiations. A flowery word for threats, one he held the upper hand in by all measures. Though one could not tell as much by Otto¡¯s complete lack of any concern.

    Barosa had to admit he was impressed by Otto¡¯s ability to fake confidence and act as though everything was going according to plan. But that confidence would be crushed today.

    ¡°Take your thralls and leave without issue.¡± Barosa gave his terms. A blunt demand with no room for compromise. ¡°I¡¯ll do you the favor of not even taking a toll for the trouble.¡±

    ¡°I thank you for your favor.¡± Otto words had a subtle trace of laughter. ¡°But I¡¯ve gotten used to this town. I just can¡¯t imagine living anywhere else.¡±

    ¡°We could always settle things here and now.¡± Barosa¡¯s face remained the same but the atmosphere around him grew heavier.

    ¡°That¡¯s always an option¡­¡± Otto¡¯s smile cracked a bit wider. ¡°But there¡¯s no need to fight. How about you take your herb fiends and go back to where you crawled out from? You will have to pay a toll for that, I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    ¡°Then that is the end of this.¡± Barosa called an end to the negotiations. There was no point, as Otto did not come with the intention to preserve his life. ¡°This is war.¡±

    ¡°Danger!¡±

    A peak Rank 1 hunter shouted as he rushed over to the two groups at a standoff. The man was stopped by underlings of each side, but neither the threat of that nor his exhaustion seemed to matter to him.

    ¡°A monster wave¡­ heading right for us! It¡¯ll be here in an hour.¡±

    Barosa and Otto both reacted to the news. Not with their expressions, but with the lack of hostilities directed towards each other.

    ¡°It seems we¡¯ll have to delay our conflict.¡± Barosa spoke first and Otto calmly listened. ¡°Perhaps you will be more reasonable after we survive this disaster¡­¡±

    Barosa turned to head back to his territory as Otto did for his a moment later, his bold smile seemed more ominous than ever.

 Chapter 33 - Fleeing Rats And A Watchful Wolf

    ¡°Work fast if you don¡¯t want to die gruesome deaths.¡± Otto spoke lazily to the conscripted laborers below, though his voice carried farther than normal.

    The laborers needed little motivation. They pushed themselves hard without rest, their faces filled with anxiety and dread at the calamity approaching.

    A series of trenches and ramparts were being carved out of the farmland surrounding the town. The focus was mainly on the western side where the monster wave would come from, though the other walls were not being neglected.

    The vast majority of the town¡¯s now 3,000 population had been gathered outside and forced to build the fortifications as Otto detailed. It was a simple defense, one designed not to fend off enemies, but to slow and funnel them through key points.

    A logical approach to dealing with a horde, however this was nothing more than a fundamental requirement to allow this hopeless rabble a chance of survival.

    Otto watched the mob of trash scurry around like ants with a smile on his face as if none of this mattered to him at all.

    ¡°I¡¯ve brought them.¡± One of his enforcers announced as he walked up the steps of the wall, with Banda and Eres trailing behind cautiously, though they tried to hide as much.

    ¡°Is this your first monster wave?¡± He asked them.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Eres answered plainly, giving away none of her deeper thoughts on the matter. Banda didn¡¯t respond and his demeanor showed no inclination either way.

    ¡°It¡¯s larger than you expect.¡± Otto continued without care. ¡°Thousands, tens of thousands of monsters all gone berserk. Charging these walls without care for themselves. Most will be weak, but a sea of thorns is worse than a sword.¡±

    ¡°I thought monsters couldn¡¯t enter sanctuaries?¡± Eres asked.

    ¡°Normally. But it all stops working when enough monsters come near. That same mana that whips them into a frenzy disturbs the barrier. But you don¡¯t need to worry much about that.¡± Otto turned to face them. ¡°Shamura will take command of the east wall, and you will escort her. If she dies, so do you.¡±

    Eres¡¯ eyes deepened. This was a prime opportunity to kill Otto within the chaos of disaster. She suspected that was why he was sending them away, under the watch of the only person he could trust.

    But that too, was an opportunity. They could cut off his right hand and leave him as vulnerable as he¡¯d ever be. However, they couldn¡¯t do it alone.

    With the Soul Seed art, Otto could cripple the two of them by himself. They needed to coordinate with Scar, and they needed to do it before this window of opportunity closed.

    ---

    Barosa¡¯s core underlings gathered around him in the cover of his chosen dwelling. Six Rank 2s aside from himself and a dozen peak Rank 1s, all initiates of the Abyss.

    The loss of one of his Rank 2 retinue was worthy of nothing more than a passing acknowledgement. Such pawns could be easily replaced.

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    All preparations had been made and the stage was set for another offering of souls. All that remained was to wait, and so Warlord waited patiently with an eerily bold smile.

    A shadow flickered to the group and dispersed into the air, revealing a man in roguish attire. ¡°The horde is here.¡±

    Barosa¡¯s presence grew. ¡°With this town, our devotion will finally be rewarded.¡±

    He flung off the thick carpet on the floor, revealing a wide hole, and jumped down without hesitation. The others followed him at once down the crude earthen tunnel they had secretly constructed.

    It took only a few moments to reach the light at the end, and Barosa emerged from the cover of brambles to the fog of the Misty Forest, with a smile wider than ever.

    But no sooner had he taken a step into the fog, that the sounds of monsters approached from the east.

    A spinning axe shot out of the fog straight for Barosa¡¯s head, but he easily knocked it away with his own. Scar followed after, catching his axe without missing a stride as he sprinted back towards the town.

    ¡°Ignore him!¡± Barosa ordered.

    The first of the monsters charged into sight and set their eyes on the group. And Barosa cut them down in a frenzy. The rest of the underlings followed suit. They slaughtered the small swarm as quickly as they could but several cascades of roars emerged in the distance around them.

    Barosa burst to the outskirts of the forest and saw the state of the land clearly. Clawing lines of monsters enveloped them from all sides, led by Otto¡¯s hunters.

    The wretched fox had sent his pawns to pull streams of the monster wave away from the main horde, in order to surround the whole town on all sides. And he had perfectly timed it to their escape.

    This was not something that could be done in mere reaction. Otto had planned this with knowledge in advance.

    Killing intent pierced into Barosa, and he spun around to see the two slumlords lunging at him. Their expressions were mindless, barren of any thought or awareness.

    But that observation did not slow Barosa¡¯s response. He raised back his battleaxe to cut them down. And their bodies swelled with violent surging aura, as iridescent light flared out from the cracks.

    Barosa¡¯s eyes widened and dark red infernal mana covered his body just in time before the two slumlords exploded.

    The dirt and grass settled quickly, revealing Warlord¡¯s light injuries and his displeased scowl. His eyes drifted over to Silik¡¯s mangled corpse, which would have been his fate had he not used his Infernal Scapegoat art in time.

    ¡°That wench¡­¡± A cursed slipped from Barosa¡¯s mouth without his intention. Mind Control to the extent that could command another to take their own life was not a paltry art, nor was detonating one¡¯s spirit.

    Otto was likely the source of the detonation, but the enthrallment had to come from a Mystic. It could only be Shamura, which meant they both had to have been observing this all unfold.

    That purple-eyed girl had managed to deceive him.

    Roars in the distance pulled his attention for a moment. The horde at this side was still small, but they were already found. It was only a matter of time until the monsters pursued them in greater and greater numbers.

    Barosa took assessment. Eight Rank 2s had been reduced to five, and he had used a large chunk of his aura against that attempt on his life just now. His chances of survival had sunk too low.

    ¡°Return!¡± Barosa bellowed.

    He charged back through the tunnel with what was left of his retinue and collapsed it once they were back in his manor. Barosa rushed out and over to the wall without lingering a moment, as his scowl deepened.

    The ritual for this town was ruined. He had no choice now but to cooperate with Otto to defeat the horde, and then kill him.

    The failure today could be rectified with the next town, and Otto¡¯s soul would likely pacify his patron long enough to wait until then. But only just enough. He could not afford any more mistakes.

    Barosa dug his feet into the group and lept into the air, landing close beside Otto on the town wall. Near him, stood Shamura, the purple-eyed girl, and her savage.

    ¡°Barosa. I was worried you had ran away.¡± Otto spoke with a trace of mockery, just barely insufficient to expose his charade. "You''re just in time for the battle."

    Barosa spared no effort to hide his foul mood, but he did nothing in response. He needed Otto to survive this disaster, and likewise, Otto needed him. All that remained was to wait for an opportunity to kill him, and so he waited with smoldering resentment.

 Chapter 34 - Monster Wave

    ¡°Loose!¡± Ubin shouted.

    Nerve-wracked archers unleashed another volley of arrows that rained down on the monster horde. But half survived again, and charged closer to the walls.

    As the beasts reached the base, the Mystics bombarded them with raw aura and the eight elements in chaotic disunion. But still, some survived. And they lept atop the walls.

    Warriors and melee combatants lunged forward to meet them. They slashed and battered until they managed to slay the rapid creatures or drive them back over the wall. But the town had suffered losses again, and the end of the horde was nowhere in sight.

    The battle held in their favor for now, but as the weaker monsters started to wane, the stronger ones took their place. Then it became the weaker monks¡¯ turn to falter and die, forcing the elites of the town to step up and take more of the burden.

    Otto watched the carnage below with casual assessment. They had taken a large chunk out of the horde certainly, but at least half of it still remained. And their losses were mounting. Their aura reserves running low.

    The town wouldn¡¯t last long enough to win at this rate. Cracks were already starting to show as a few monsters managed to break through and run rampant through the town.

    But Otto simply waited and watched.

    ¡°We will not hold.¡± Warlord spoke up. ¡°Is this all there is to your plan?¡±

    Otto glanced at the sham of a schemer with subtly sardonic eyes. That aggravating smile had been wiped off his face, to his satisfaction. Vermin should know their place.

    He turned his focus back to the horde, though it did not take much longer until what he waited on finally appeared. A brutish humanoid creature emerged from the distance, its towering physique the epitome of vulgar might.

    Standing over 15 feet tall, its hulking body of muscle and fat made its heavy steps stand out even among the horde. Its skin was dull yellow and its face like that of a deformed primitive human.

    It wore nothing but a dirty loincloth made from an animal¡¯s pelt and a barbaric necklace of human skulls. It is right hand, it carried a crude club fashioned out of a small tree. The sight of a true ogre made any half-wit comparison to Barosa a laughable one.

    It was the leader of this monster wave, the only one not completely controlled by the rampaging mana. A high-grade ogre with mana emanations that surpassed that of a Rank 2.

    The ogre raised its giant club and callously smashed the monsters at its feet, sending them crashing into bloody chunks against the unfortunate humans on the wall. The violent roar that followed caused some of the more weak-hearted to rout in fear.

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s our turn.¡± Otto said casually.

    The ogre battered the wall with another round of living projectiles, yet Otto showed no urge to react with haste. No sign of concern at the disaster bearing down on them.

    Barosa stared at him for a moment. ¡°...I have a way to keep the rest of the horde at bay for a short while. It will buy us enough time to deal with the ogre.¡±

    ¡°Then lead the way.¡± Otto replied as he drew his scimitars.

    Barosa paused again, then head off past the wall. Otto followed a half step behind, just enough to the side that he remained in Barosa¡¯s periphery but out of the range of his axe.

    As they cut through the monsters in their path towards the ogre, the carnage earned them a gaze filled with vicious intentions from the brutish creature. Barosa pulled red pills from his satchel and threw them in a wide area.

    They shattered on contact, releasing a burst of thin red smoke that made all monsters squirm and splutter as they rushed to escape its range. All but the ogre, its rank too high to be affected by mid-grade monster repellent.

    Danger flared in their minds, and the two of them both darted to the side as the ogre¡¯s giant club cratered the ground where they had just stood. It roared in rage as they stared back with aura surging through their limbs, waiting to see who it would choose to attack.

    The monstrous brute did not take long. It raised its club high and charged to the larger of the two. Barosa crunched down on the pill he kept in his mouth, his veins bulging green as he swatted his axe at the descending club.

    It met the wooden weapon with a mystical chime that pushed with just enough force to deflect it harmlessly to the side. But the ogre swung back without pause, raining down a hail of blows that Barosa was only just barely able to defect.

    ¡°I will leave if you do not act!¡± He bellowed at Otto.

    Otto flickered behind the ogre, the edge of his scimitar searing red hot, and slashed into its heel. But as sharp and swift as the blade was, it cut swallow into the monster¡¯s tough flesh.

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    He yanked out the crimson sword without hesitation as the ogre roared with pain and thrashed back at the ground. Otto slid back, having just barely avoided the blow. The transparent spectral image of a wolf covering his body.

    The Aspect of the Wolf art tripled his speed, but even with that and the fivefold boost of a mastered Harness, he was not even half as mighty as the Rank 3 ogre.

    Barosa fared no better than him. Were it not slow in both body and mind, they would have stood no chance against it, even if they were not scheming against each other.

    The ogre continued its murderous attempts, and the two fought halfheartedly in response. It was not out of reservation for its strength, but to make things more difficult for the other.

    Carefully, they strove to survive and maintain the balance, never pressing the advantage and never allowing the other into circumstance so dangerous that they would be forced to flee.

    Neither intended to take the initiative, for a single mistake against a monster of this ability would spell their doom. The one who emerged victorious from this morbid game, would be the one who could cause the other to make that first mistake.

    ---

    A thin mist-like sphere of aura enveloped Eres as she calmly watched Banda slaughter the monsters which broke through the defenses of the wall. It was a regular occurrence, owing to the mediocre performance of the common rabble. But Eres stood with no intention to lend a hand.

    Low-grade Rank 1 monsters weren¡¯t much of a threat to her, even with the difference in strength, but those at Rank 2 or mid-grade monsters of any stage were. And this monster wave contained no shortage of either.

    She had managed to handle herself in melee combat at the beginning of this journey, but her time as a physical fighter was drawing to an end. The gap in might had begun to look more like a chasm.

    Her martial arts, in contrast, worked just fine. As they should given her status as Mystic. But that presented a different problem. Even deep into the third stage, her aura capacity was only four times greater than when she first started the path of cultivation.

    At her current state, she could only use her Palm Blast technique up to 30 times or her Flying Palm technique 40 times. A waste of aura to use on mere grunts. She needed to save her strength for when it truly mattered.

    Eres glanced at Shamura. There was no reason to continue hiding her avatar as the beastwoman and Otto were almost certainly aware of it, but changing her behavior would expose that there was a change in what she knew.

    Even a fool would deduce that someone had revealed secrets to her. And they were no fools.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it magnificent?¡± Shamura asked without warning. Her tone more akin to the devotion found within priests, with naught but her spiteful eyes to reveal her humanity. ¡°Everything is going according to his plan.¡±

    Eres did not respond. Whether the beastwoman¡¯s words were a bluff or a delusion or an honest boast, there was no benefit to it. Banda too kept silent, merely sparing the woman a glance out of the side of his eye as he continued fighting.

    ¡°This world is not decided by the talented nor the blessed. But by those who can see beyond its veil.¡± Shamura did not once take her eyes off the horde below, which was just now starting to diminish. ¡°Banda. You will head down, and eliminate the Rank 2s from the other town.¡±

    Her order was met with surprise from both, Banda with mild confusion, and Eres of a more subtle kind. Her eyes deepened in thought. The time to act was approaching.

    ---

    In the distance, at a broken gap in the wall, Scar cut down monsters with an axe in both hands. He beheaded a stone club wielding goblin with ease, and a monkey-faced dog-like creature lunged from his blind spot.

    Scar spun around, and clinked his two axes together. A barrier of sound rippled out, which knocked back the Shug with as much force as it attacked with. The creature jolted back to its feet and a spinning axe decapitated it, which curved unnaturally to return to his hand.

    A swarm of bats surged down at him and the runic enchantments on his axe shone as he threw it again. The weapon sheered through the stream of flying vermin as he turned to the side.

    Scar inhaled deep and sharp, and let out a Booming Voice that blasted an armored gnoll back into the horde. He held out his hand and caught the axe as it curved back once more.

    ¡°Come to me.¡±

    He heard Shamura¡¯s voice as if she were right beside him. There was no deeper instruction, no explanation. And there was no reason for there to be. It was an order.

    Scar took off without hesitation. She, and by extension Otto, were aware of his desire to be liberated from their chains. At the very least, they had to suspect he was laying plans to that end.

    For all their schemes and patience, he knew neither could compare to their ruthlessness. There was a limit to the degree of risk Otto and Shamura would tolerate. A firm limit. He had no room to disobey. Not yet.

    A figure passed by Scar, and he took note. It was greenhorn savage. Neither spoke a word, acknowledging the other with merely a glance as they continued on their way without pause.

    Shamura had sent the boy away, perfectly timed to his arrival. It seemed her sly caution would not slacken in this eleventh hour, but Scar had never expected to be so fortunate.

    Scar landed on the gate tower as he thought, and took assessment. Eres was the only other guard, though that seemed to be in name only. She did nothing but glance over to him briefly, before turning her sight back to the aura beasts ripping through the monsters.

    They had the faces of oddly shaped lions, though were only twice the size of a wolf. And yet by the ease of which they tore through their enemies, each seemed equal to a peak Rank 2 high-grade.

    They were threats, ones he wasn¡¯t aware of before. Even with the extent of his Harness Technique, they were nearly twice his superior in speed and strength. He stood no chance of defeating them alone.

    Scar jumped into battle before he had to be told and started chopping away. The aura beasts withdrew to stand around Shamura¡¯s feet, whose pleasant smile hadn¡¯t changed at all.

    As Scar fought, he focused deep and channelled his Sound Wave technique to converge upon a single target with the slightest of volume and in a precise manner. A message to Eres, signalling her to attack.

    She didn¡¯t not respond, so he skillfully wove the message again and again. But she did not respond. And Scar¡¯s face began to tighten with a trace of anxiety.

 Chapter 35 - Monster Wave (II)

    ¡®A¡­ ttt¡­ a¡­ack¡­¡¯

    Eres ignored the sound that was no doubt of Scar¡¯s making. She was far too deep in thought. This was a critical moment. A crossroad. She had to make a choice, and it had to be correct.

    Being assigned as Shamura¡¯s escorts came as a surprise to her. Certainly, putting distance between them made an attempt on Otto¡¯s life more difficult, but that was not enough to justify the risk.

    Eres assumed that Otto was spying on them through Shamura at all times, or at least in constant communication. Her Ventriloquism would certainly allow as much. Thus, if they made a move, he would become aware of it immediately.

    Shamura herself had proven much stronger than she expected. Each of those strange beasts she conjured rivaled the wight they had fought. Perhaps Otto thought that enough to protect her, or the threat enough of a deterrent. Shamura certainly carried herself with the composure that matched that line of thought.

    But there was still too much risk.

    Otto knew the extent of their power. Banda alone was stronger than the beasts now. If they fought together, Shamura had slim hope of survival. And separating them a few yards would not prevent their cooperation.

    Eres felt she was missing something. Perhaps Shamura was even stronger than she seemed. Perhaps they had taken precautions against assassination that would allow her to survive. Perhaps it didn¡¯t matter to Otto whether she lived or died.

    Eres refocused her mind. She was overthinking things. Getting lost in the missing details. She contemplated the paths before her again.

    In the first possible outcome, they fail to kill Shamura.

    ¡°Then she returns to Otto¡¯s side. We most likely fail to assassinate him.¡±

    ¡°A dead end.¡±

    In the second outcome, they kill Shamura.

    ¡°We ambush Otto. Myself and Scar confront him directly, with Banda lying in wait. Otto can¡¯t use the Soul Seeds with the threat of Banda¡¯s ambush. Either we wear him down or Banda assassinates him.¡±

    ¡°Then what of the horde and Barosa? How much of the horde is left? How strong is its leader? Stronger than the wight? Will it pursue us? The answer must be yes.¡±

    ¡°Even Warlord did not dare attempt to escape in the opposite direction with several Rank 2 vassals. The leader must be too strong. The horde must be too challenging, even for us.¡±

    ¡°We ally with Barosa against the horde. He has no choice. Then we kill him. It will be easier than Otto.¡±

    ¡°The horde is defeated. The only threats are dead. That just leaves those who saw my Avatar. We don¡¯t need to kill everyone immediately, just Barosa¡¯s demonic lackeys. Then we can take our time.¡±

    ¡°A victorious path.¡±

    Simmering frustration mounted in Eres¡¯ expression.

    ¡°The path is too clear¡­ It¡¯s not absolute, but it is very likely. Otto must see this too, so why did he allow it? There must be something I¡¯m missing...¡±

    ¡°Does he have a way to escape? No, that shouldn¡¯t be possible. He is only mortal. His aura will run out. His stamina will deplete. Even he wouldn¡¯t survive this horde in the wild.¡±

    ¡°Is he hiding another advantage? Did I misjudge him? Is he that overconfident? Or is it all just a bluff? Did he truly wager his life on mere chance¡­?¡±

    ¡°No. A schemer like him would never let himself be carried by the whims of fate. This path is an illusion. A dead end. I should wait for a better one¡­¡±

    Golden light flared within Eres¡¯ eyes. A seething disgust for her cowardice boiled up from her core.

    ¡°My true enemies are far greater than this. How can I stumble on mere pebble in my path? A trial of this level?¡±

    ¡°I am not mistaken. This is a valid path to victory. I must merely walk it.¡±

    Eres¡¯ face steeled as she prepared to use her Avatar. But the echoing gong of the town bell snapped her out of her thoughts. Its dull steady gongs paled in comparison to the roars of the horde. But to Eres it felt as though all else was silent.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°Good news.¡± Shamura spoke up, her gaze still locked ahead. ¡°Otto has slain Barosa.¡±

    Eres¡¯ eyes sharpened intensely.

    ¡°A lie. A bluff. It has to be. Is the gong fake? Shamura can manipulate sound, but I can see the bell swinging with perfect timing. Is that also an illusion? Shamura has shown no such art before.¡±

    ¡°She has revealed three already. There¡¯s a limit to how many she can have. Did she swap one out for just this moment? Had they planned that far ahead? How¡­?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not important¡­ Is was she said true? It¡¯s possible¡­ We stand no chance if it is. If it is¡­ this path is a dead end¡­¡±

    ¡°Att¡­aa¡­ack.¡±

    ¡°A¡­tta¡­ck.¡±

    Scar sent her hidden message after hidden message, each time growing more desperate and distressed. But Eres did not respond. She held still where she was, trapped in thought.

    ---

    The ogre roared with rage as it failed to hit either of its foes again. It battered and smashed but the ground remained the only victim of its club. In its failure, it once again set its sights on the slowest of the two.

    Barosa grunted a curse as he deflected the heavy swing and darted back before a second came. The brunt of the monster¡¯s aggression fell upon him more often than not, a product of his false ally¡¯s treacherous manipulations of the battle. Otto was proving more cunning and audacious than he expected.

    The ogre caught sight of Otto out of the corner of his eye, running inexplicable past his side. It smashed its club down again as Otto rolled away with perfect timing, guiding its sight back to Barosa.

    Barosa cursed as he noticed the monster corpses on the ground and the ogre raising its club to the side. The ogre thrashed the ground, whipping the bodies towards them as Otto flickered out of the volley¡¯s path with a smile.

    Barosa¡¯s face tensed as dark red mana enveloped him just in time before the corpses battered him with lethal force. The infernal energy vanished to reveal Barosa unharmed and unmoved, but his expression only worsened. He was at a stark disadvantage.

    Worse still, the pink mist of the monster repellent was starting to thin. With his lack of mobility, he would be at an even greater disadvantage were the horde to swarm. Barosa pulled out more dark red pills, and a scimitar soared through the air straight towards him.

    He lurched just in time to escape with a mere scratch, but that gave Otto enough time to flicker in close with his sword already slashing. Aura surged through Barosa as he cleaved his axe at Otto, but the town lord flickered away without warning. And the ogre¡¯s club descended.

    Barosa just barely managed to deflect it in time, but the rush made his technique sloppy. A sharp crack sounded from his shoulder and blood spurted from ruptured veins in his arm.

    Barosa ignored the pain as he searched for Otto, who he knew would target him while he was weak. And found him at an unlikely place.

    Otto stepped from the ogre¡¯s arm onto its shoulder and slashed out its eyes. A line of blood splashed through the air, and Otto jumped away as the ogre slapped its shoulder with its giant meaty hand.

    As the ogre turned his head, a fur cloak with Otto¡¯s scent sailed past its face, guiding its focus back in the direction of Barosa. The ogre smashed the cloak into the ground, the only thing with Otto¡¯s scent its powerful nose could detect, and barrelled towards Barosa again. It¡¯s rage more intense than ever.

    A relentless barrage rained down on Barosa as he was forced to devote all of his focus to the titanic foe. And in that lapse, a ram the size of a horse with massive curved horns charged straight towards him through the depleting mist.

    It took Barosa only a brief instant to make a decision. He could not avoid the charge, so he did not try. Barosa slackened his feet and let the bucking horns land clean. He crashed away as the ogre¡¯s club squashed the ram.

    With not a moment¡¯s delay, Barosa sprung to his feet and fled. Remaining would only lead to his death. He would take his chances elsewhere. But a scimitar cut through the air towards him.

    Barosa raised his axe to block the blade on its handle, but Otto kicked him hard in the gut, sending him back a few yards. And that was all the delay the ogre needed to catch up.

    With a desperate expression, Barosa swallowed a blood red pill and his body swelled with power. So much so, that his muscles started to tear. He turned to face the ogre with bloodshot eyes and blocked its log tree club with sheer strength.

    The ogre unleashed a barrage again and Barosa met them all with nearly equal strength as he remained vigilant against Otto. He deflected and cleaved and bashed as the blood from his fraying body soaked his clothes and the ground beneath.

    Finally his leg staggered from the weight of a blow as his strength started to fail. And Otto took the bait as that false opening.

    Barosa snapped around with renewed vigor, cleaving his axe to meet Otto¡¯s lunge with perfect timing. But Otto¡¯s lazy smile did not change. He slashed early, and splattered Barosa¡¯s eyes with the blood on his blade. And darted away.

    Barosa raised a hand to wipe the blood from his eyes, but was forced to twist again to block the deadly strike of the ogre. The barrage resumed, and this time Barosa¡¯s strength faltered against it.

    He channeled the infernal energy again and readied his axe to sink deep into the ogre¡¯s gut. But it dispersed as soon as he cast it. Barosa lurched desperately at the last moment, but he was too slow. The club crashed into him.

    Barosa vomited blood among the debris. He tried to stand but his legs would not obey him, mangled from the club. Before he could think any further, the ogre¡¯s hand grabbed him and pulled him towards its face.

    ¡°Nooooooo!¡±

    Barosa¡¯s dreadful bellow ended as the ogre crunched down on his head. It devoured him in several vulgar bites, armor and all. A red mist started to rise from its wounds. The ogre¡¯s eyes healed fully in moments and it turned towards Otto with a roar more ferocious than any before.

    Otto simply looked back with a calm smile and sharp eyes that saw the world exactly as he envisioned it.

 Chapter 36 - Monster Wave (III)

    Banda darted through the chaotic fray, under the cover of a turbulent storm of killing intent. The human defenses of the town had broken down, forcing many to jump from the walls to fight out in the open. That served him better.

    It did not take long to find one of the Rank 2 humans. Banda did not recognize the face nor the tricks they used, but the emanations of their aura was unmistakable. He clawed out their throat with ease and left the man to be devoured by the horde.

    One down, three more to go. He needed to finish this task quickly and return to Eres¡¯ side. This chaos posed too great a risk to her otherwise. Which was too great a risk to himself.

    He lunged at another Rank 2, but a dark red force enveloped the target and their body was crushed and mangled without cause before Banda¡¯s eyes. A strange gong sounded in this distance but he had no time to wonder what it was.

    The remaining two had become aware of him because of the strange death, and they had become vigilant. Something caught his notice out of the side of his eye, and he lunged at the nearest.

    Banda swatted away the woman¡¯s hammer with an iron hand and as he smashed her head with his other. A large stone raised from the dirt before the second human, whose punch blasted it into shattered pieces at him.

    Banda flung the headless body in front to shield him from the stone shards and pierced his iron claws through the man¡¯s throat because the human could act again.

    As he pulled out his bloodied hand, he cancelled his Iron Fist art and held out an open palm at his side to take a direct hit from the charging horned ram.

    The impact of the horns compounded, like the enchantment of a Rune of Power, sending him soaring through a demolished gap in the town wall. Banda twirled through the air and landed his feet on the wall of a house.

    He burst forward to meet the ram¡¯s continued charge which had not slowed in the slightest from the hit. He grabbed hold of its horns as he sailed past and twisted sharp with his whole body to snap its neck clean.

    The ram crashed through the wall and collapsed. Banda readied himself to leave, but noticed something in the shadows of the now open house. A familiar body slumped against the corner.

    A thin man with dark skin and short blond hair. His entrails were torn out and half devoured. His one remaining arm laid limply at the side, the hand still clutching his treasured runebook.

    Banda glanced at Cedal¡¯s corpse for only a moment, before racing away with his priority in focus. The hit he took from the ram had given him an opportunity. One he would make use of.

    He darted through the winding alleys and lept silently onto a roof, his eyes aimed sharp at the beastwoman¡¯s back. The two aura beasts still guarded her, but there were openings. He could kill her.

    Banda glanced at the other two and found them strange. Scar had a desperation about him. He was not good at reading the complicated expressions of humans, but he sensitive to emotions.

    There was killing intent, or to be more precise, the desire of it. It was focused on Eres, but it did not target her. Scar wanted her to kill Shamura, Banda assumed. That made the most sense to him.

    But Eres¡¯ response to that urge displeased him. She ignored Scar and the rest of the world as she fought the stray monsters with cold, absent eyes. She was scheming still.

    Banda¡¯s scowl deepened. Scar had spoken of a new moon and forced sleep and other things that did not matter. They could kill Otto now. They had to kill him now. Waiting until this battle ended was foolish.

    Shamura was his eyes, and she was strong. They would tear out his eyes, and then they would kill him. All else was pointless noise. The hunter held the advantage over the hunted.

    Banda smothered his intent and suppressed his aura as he shot off silently through the streets of the town. He drew as close as he could, avoiding her eyes and Scar¡¯s, and burst forward with the swelling of Harness.

    Banda readied his claws for the kill, but Otto landed beside Shamura with a mocking smile, and stole her away. The enraged ogre crashed through the house in pursuit and raised his club high.

    It chose Eres as its target and swung down. Her Avatar fully manifested in response and moved to protect her. Its shield cracked slightly under the sheer weight of the blow, but it withstood it. The shield would hold long enough.

    Banda whipped a runestone straight for Otto¡¯s head as he lunged after, but one of Shamura¡¯s aura beasts jumped in front to take the hit. As though it knew where he would aim before he had even moved.

    Banda¡¯s eyes widened. Many beasts had been fast enough to dodge him before. None had ever read him. Banda¡¯s killing intent grew so subtle and traceless it seemed to still the very world around him as he reached for another runestone.

    But danger blared in his mind. Without thinking, he flung the metal to the side. It smacked into the ogre¡¯s chest, knocking it back enough for its giant club to swipe only the wind in front of Eres.

    Banda pounced in front of her, as Scar joined them at the side.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°Head to wall!¡± Eres yelled at Scar. ¡°We¡¯ll die if the town is overrun. Otto can¡¯t risk the forest. Not with the horde and night soon to fall. He¡¯ll remain in the town and leave us to do the work.¡±

    Scar hesitated but he took over for the western wall without argument, as the ogre lumbered its giant body steady before the duo.

    Banda charged forward, and quickly regretted the decision. The log tree club barreled down on him like a falling star. Even with the warning of his instincts, he barely escaped the blow with his life.

    He turned to the ogre with monstrous feral features and darted around it, but no mattered how he tried, the threat of the club forced him back. He could not draw near without facing certain death.

    Even with Harness and Monstrous Feral Form, the ogre was over 5 times stronger than him. Banda was utterly and completely outmatched. And he had no more limits to tap into it.

    Fortunately, its speed was little greater than the wights and its attacks were simple. But that only allowed him to just barely survive. And even that promise would not last for long.

    A flaming red cloth snaked out from the side and wrapped around the ogre¡¯s club, setting it ablaze. The ogre recoiled in shock and pain, but it did not release the club. Instead it battered the fire with its free hand, and when that did not douse the flames, started to smash the buildings around it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the vanguard.¡± Eres told him as she stepped in front. ¡°You find a way to kill it.¡±

    Banda did not like the plan, but the other way had not worked. And they had no time to think of something better.

    The ogre turned back towards them. The last embers of the fire had died out, leaving behind a blackened surface of singed wood and skin.

    It barreled towards them again, and Eres blocked the club. Banda darted underneath its arm and clawed towards its stomach. The ogre flailed its weapon, forcing him away just before his hand reached.

    The avatar thrust its spear and found no better success, though it served the purpose of luring back the monster¡¯s focus. As Eres did her best to hold up against the horde leader, Banda darted and dashed around, clawing at any opening he could find.

    The second attempt failed as well. And the third. And the fourth. But he did not relent. Each time he grew sharper. More familiar with its movements. And on the fifth, he clawed deep into its neck.

    Banda¡¯s strike was true, but the ogre¡¯s fleshy neck was so thick his claws did not strike deep enough to kill. He kicked off the ogre¡¯s shoulder it time to dodge its swiping hand, but the sight of another danger caught his eye.

    A swarm of monsters charged towards Eres. A fair chunk of the horde had broken through. Eres grit her teeth as she was forced to divert her attention to kill the monsters rampaging towards her.

    The wall was struggling without the Rank 2s that Banda killed. Yet another layer of Otto and Shamura¡¯s strategy. Further confirmation that she was right not to act. They had planned far too much.

    She cleaved through a mass of beasts with her Avatar¡¯s spear, and battered away a lunging Dire Bear with her shield. But her focus on the ants had given the elephant too much room.

    The ogre hurled its club down on her with brutish might, and her Avatar was not fast enough to react.

    A runestone smacked into the club with enough force from the impact to knock it off course, causing it to destroy a stone house in place of Eres. Another slump of metal smashed into its face, cracking its jaw and breaking teeth.

    The ogre roared its hatred at them but it did not attack. It shovelled the corpses of monsters and men into its mouth, gluttonously devouring as much as it could. As it swallowed the last bite, the few wounds the duo had managed to make healed within moments.

    Banda darted to Eres¡¯ side. ¡°This does not work. I will take the front.¡±

    ¡°We tried that-¡± Eres objected.

    ¡°I will take the front.¡± Banda asserted again as he lowered into his crouch. ¡°Be ready with your spear.¡±

    Banda forced his form monstrous again, and shot forward. He spun away from the crashing club as he whipped a runestone at the side of its knee. The ogre staggered, which was enough for another to smash into its face.

    The ogre roared back and nearly crushed Banda will another blow. Even with the spiritual strain of his limits, it took all of his instincts to stay close enough to the towering monster to keep its attention.

    Banda could not draw near enough for the kill, but he could land his metal stones. And he landed them on its face at every opening without failure. They could not threaten the ogre¡¯s life, but they hurt. And it was becoming more and more wary of them. More and more frustrated.

    Banda spun sprawled twice away from its rampage and threw another stone. The ogre raised its meaty palm in front of its face, but the runestone struck it in the gut.

    It lurched forward from the impact to see another another stone soaring towards it. But this one ricocheted almost harmlessly off its face. In its confusion, Banda threw another mundane stone for the exact same result.

    The act of thinking seemed only a passing impulse for the ogre. It gripped it club as it glowered at Banda but Eres¡¯ charge caught its eye. The ogre was wary of her. Or rather, wary of the biggest opponent of the three. The Avatar.

    It turned to the approaching foe, ready to crush it to paste. And Banda threw another runestone, overtly. The ogre ignored it. Such a petty stone did not matter. It raised its club to the peak, and a tremendous impact struck its face.

    Before it could regain its thoughts, another struck its eye. The ogre¡¯s focus shifted to Banda once more, only to realize the large foe had drawn near. But it was too late.

    Eres¡¯ Golden Spear pierced its stomach. Deep enough for a lethal wound, not deep enough to kill at once. But the spear set ablaze. Golden flames burned it from within and the writhing cloth set the outside ablaze.

    The ogre flailed in wailing agony. It dropped its club for the first time as it thrashed all around, pummeling itself as it had did its club before. But the flames only grew and soon the ogre slowed. Its body staggered and collapsed, the parts of its flesh blackened like charcoal crumbled from the impact.

    A change happened the very moment it died. The rampaging mana that held the horde in its grasp dispersed at once. And things fell into chaos.

    Most of the monsters, having regained their senses, fled. But many remained, attacking both humans and their kin. The town was slow to respond at first, but quickly standouts among the humans rallied the others, and the they reorganized their defense along the walls.

    However, the duo did not stop to rest. Without the need for words, they raced towards the other side of the wall, and regrouped with Scar part way, who was now accompanied by Ubin.

    Neither Banda nor Eres needed to ask. Ubin was certainly a collaborator, and someone also invested in Otto¡¯s death.

    The four headed to the north manor without delay. With the horde gone, all they had left to do was kill Otto. The duo landed at the base of the manor¡¯s estate ready for a fight. But all they found was a transparent yellow ward that surrounded the entire estate.

 Chapter 37 - Night of the New Moon

    Banda slammed his iron fist on the ward with as much power as he could muster. A gust of wind exploded from the impact and the ward shook with the shrill sound of glass. But it remained. He opened his other hand and clawed across but the result was no different. His attacks had not even left the slightest mark.

    ¡°We should have attacked when we had the chance.¡± Frustration seeped through Scar¡¯s tone as he snapped at Eres.

    ¡°Then we would be in this exact same situation at best.¡± Eres snapped back with harsh composure. ¡°Otto had clearly already killed Barosa when the bell sounded. Whether Shamura is dead or comatose, her threat is the same. At least now she is a burden to Otto. And an anchor¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you really think Otto will stay in this town just for her?¡± Ubin asked. ¡°He may be the strongest, but he stands no chance against all four of us.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not the type to discard someone that useful and obedient so easily.¡± Eres spoke with firm conviction. ¡°He had a good chance to kill us when he brought that ogre. But he chose to prioritize her instead.¡±

    Ubin fell silent as he saw the reasoning.

    ¡°The horde is gone.¡± Banda spoke up. ¡°He could flee into the forest.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡± Scar answered. ¡°A moonless night is Tiamat¡¯s time. Though not as much as a monster wave, her influence turns the jinn more ravenous and restless. And they double in strength from her blessing. Even Otto cannot survive a whole night outside while protecting the beastwoman.¡±

    ¡°Then he will stay in this magic wall until she wakes.¡± Frustration seeped through Banda¡¯s tone.

    ¡°He can¡¯t. The manor ward only holds for 6 hours. I¡¯ve seen it done before, when Otto killed the previous town lord¡­ That gives us half the night.¡± Scar tightened his grip.

    ¡°You know a lot.¡± Eres said with a stable accusatory tone and a glint of suspicion in her eyes. ¡°Why did you wait so long to challenge Otto?¡±

    Scar¡¯s face twitched a little. ¡°...We couldn¡¯t do it alone. Otto can use his Soul Seed art on two people at once, like I said before. He can¡¯t use any other arts when he does, but he¡¯s still skilled. Needs to be at least two others at our level to be certain of his death. Before the soul seeds destroy the ones chosen.¡±

    ¡°Ubin and myself have been developing our own ways to kill him in short time. But the plan is doomed if both of us are chosen.¡± Scar continued. ¡°Tath had potential. But the state of her mind was a problem. The ones who defected to Barosa¡¯s side were nothing but pawns. Shamura enslaved their minds long ago.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean enslaved their minds?¡± Eres¡¯ concern spiked.

    ¡°I mean very literally.¡± Scar jittery motions acted up. ¡°She controls them. They do as she commands. The side effects are¡­ obvious. They were more like mindless golems than men. I do not know if two is her limit, but I know that whether it works or not depends on the willpower of the target. Not strength of mind.¡±

    ¡°How does she use this power?¡± Eres asked.

    ¡°She only needs your gaze for a while.¡± Scar answered.

    Eres¡¯ expression did not change, but her eyes seemed to steel over slightly. ¡°You do know quite a lot¡­¡±

    Scar¡¯s head bobbled a bit as he turned his sight down and back up. ¡°I traded much for it. Which reminds me. I¡¯d like my eye back now.¡±

    Eres stared at him for a moment, then withdrew the ruby eye from her pouch and tossed it over. Scar lifted his patch and put the gemstone eye back in his socket.

    ¡°But the two of you are stronger than any of them.¡± Scar said as he winkled his face. ¡°Whichever two among us Otto binds, the others have a strong chance at killing him.¡±

    ¡°Ubin doesn¡¯t strike me as the strong in combat type.¡± Eres commented as she looked over at him.

    ¡°¡±I¡¯m not.¡± The man freely admitted. ¡°But I do have a way to kill him, provided he does not kill me before I can use it.¡±

    ¡°Myself and the boy would be the targets, if I were him.¡± Scar spoke up, and looked at Eres. ¡°That leaves the role of protecting Ubin to you. If either of us are able to act, then we become the center of the plan.¡±

    ¡°That is a bad plan.¡± Banda voiced his dissent, though Eres paid the complaint no mind.

    ¡°So¡­ Otto cannot cripple all of us, and when he¡¯s using the Soul Seeds he cannot use any other technique. He does not intent to abandon Shamura and he cannot flee into the wilderness with her. He has no choice but to fight at least two of us while unable to use any techniques.¡± Eres summarized, as her face lowered coldly. Something was missing again.

    ¡°He¡¯s at an overwhelming disadvantage. There¡¯s something we¡¯re not seeing.¡±

    Banda¡¯s frown deepened. He was about to open his mouth to speak, but Otto¡¯s booming voice ambushed them all.

    ¡°Hear me!¡±

    All four of their heads snapped to the manor, from where Otto¡¯s voice shouted out loud enough to reach all four walls of the town.

    ¡°I have in my hands three sets of pills, plundered from Warlord¡¯s corpse! Three sets of pills that can advance one from the peak of Rank 1 to the peak of Rank 2! I will give them to whoever kills any of the traitors!¡±

    ¡°Scar! Ubin! The Savage! And the Princess! If you are soul-seeded, I will release you! I make this vow on my mortal soul!¡±

    ¡°Has he gone mad?¡± Ubin asked. ¡°Which one of those fools will rush to their deaths for a promise he won¡¯t keep?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because they are fools that some will try¡­¡± Eres pushed her thoughts faster. ¡°What is he hoping to accomplish. We¡¯ll kill any of these dredges with ease and have enough time to recover. There has to be something else.¡±

    ¡°Scheming again.¡± Banda accused. ¡°We kill the ones who come, then we kill Otto when he comes out of his shell.¡±

    ¡°One of us has to use our brain if we are going to overcome this.¡± Eres snapped at him. Her frustrations at his incessant faith in brute might were reaching its limit.

    The greedy clamor of a crude mob cut through the tension. A large group of humans charged their way, and among them some seemed more competent than most.

    ¡°Wait-¡± Eres spoke but Banda had already moved.

    He killed the first two before they even realized it, and slaughtered the rest within moments. Bodies fell in droves over the blood soaked streets. The blood drained unnaturally into the ground and the last of the blood runes lit up.

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    A red veil fell upon the town and a thin infernal mist rose from the ground. And the demons followed.

    They emerged through dark portals. Dreadful fiends, hideous and loathsome. Scar clutched his eye and fell to a knee, as three of them set their sights upon the party.

    Two were putrid sludges of human flesh in the vague shape of a man, and the other a grotesque humanoid pig with a long bulbous face.

    They charged at the group, the Dretch with glutinous fervor and the two Lemures with half-witted instinct, and Eres acted first. She summoned the white winged amulet from around her neck. It floated slightly and began to shine with a splendid radiance, but demonic red lightning sparked over and the amulet fell inert.

    Panic took Eres¡¯ expression, and Banda shot forth. He destroyed the Dretch¡¯s head with a quick maul of his hand, but screeched to a halt as the two Lemures quivered and released a foul green mist from their fleshy bodies.

    Banda whipped two stones and destroyed their heads with ease. At a glance, it seemed neither would rise again. He quickly flicked the foul black blood off his hand in disgust.

    These creatures were even stranger than the jinn, and Banda found them far more repulsive. He assumed they were either the angels or the demons Eres had spoken about, though which they were did not matter to him. He only had to kill them. Or flee.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Ubin asked Scar.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Scar rose back to his feet with a grimace, bearing whatever pain his eye was causing him.

    ¡°This is a Blood Feast Festival.¡± Eres said with a grim seriousness, and the other three turned to her. ¡°Demons of all kind will spawn without end and pursue the souls of those inside.¡±

    ¡°We leave now.¡± Banda demanded.

    ¡°We can¡¯t.¡± Eres said. ¡°This ritual makes the land within almost part of the Abyss for a whole night. We¡¯re trapped in here until dawn. Barosa is behind this. He probably did the same to the neighbouring town. Otto just made use of it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s madness!¡± Ubin exclaimed. ¡°Once his ward falls, he¡¯ll be trapped in here just like us.¡±

    ¡°Except he¡¯ll have half the night to recover, while we struggle out here.¡± Eres added. ¡°But it¡¯s not hopeless. A worm like Barosa wouldn¡¯t be able to bring about the full ritual. The demons summoned will be low and mid-grade at most¡­ We need to rally the others of the town and use them as soldiers. That will buy us time, until the ward comes down.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Ubin asked.

    ¡°Otto wouldn¡¯t have saved Shamura if he was just going to abandon her to these demons. It¡¯s even more dangerous in the town than it is out in the wild. He can¡¯t survive this ritual while being weighed down. He¡¯s going to hide her somewhere.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡± Ubin asked with a bit more urgency. ¡°No corner of this town is safe.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll bury her¡­¡± Scar realized. ¡°Leviathan Beastmen don¡¯t need to breathe.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Eres said. ¡°Otto plans to recover within the ward, while we get worn down by this demon scourge. He¡¯ll hide her somewhere once the ward falls, and then it¡¯s just a matter of surviving until dawn.¡±

    ¡°The ritual will end and Shamura will wake. We stand no chance then. But¡­ He won¡¯t settle for that.¡± Eres¡¯ eyes sharpened. ¡°He¡¯ll try to ambush us through the night. Otto has higher base physical abilities. He¡¯s more equipped for the situation. If he manages to kill a single one of us, nothing¡¯s stopping him from killing us all.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do now, but this strategy is a double edged sword. Just as he wins if he makes it to dawn. We win if we find Shamura before it.¡±

    Scar gripped his axe tight. ¡°Then let¡¯s find some solders.¡±

    ---

    ¡°Fight!¡± A lightly bearded man shouted. ¡°Fight, you bastards!¡±

    He cleaved a demon in two with his khopesh and bashed two others away with his round shield. The man fought at the front lines of the group, not out of self sacrifice, but sheer necessity.

    The demon scourge was as endless as it was unrelenting. Too often in this short time he had seen others fall victim to terrible horrors. A fate he wanted to avoid. But the demons swarmed.

    Hellhounds with burning fur and chests glowing red like a furnace. Eyes the size of heads flying on leathery bat-like wings. Imps shaped like red goblins with horns and wings and the lower legs of a goat. These were among the least revolting of the fiends. And the least threatening.

    Terrified wails stole his attention to the side. He looked just in time to see the limbs of several people swallowed up in the mouth of a giant demon.

    It had the form of a bipedal toad, though it was as tall as an ogre and even wider. A huge mouth stretched across its flattened head from one side to the next, disconcertingly filled with fangs. Large eyes bulged from its head and its disgusting gut protruded below its knees.

    A Broga. Takar knew it to be a mid-grade demon. One of the more common ones to scare young children with tales of. And he could not sense its aura well.

    Its tongue shot out towards him without warning. Were his shield not already positioned in front, he would not have had time to raise it. But the tongue stuck to his shield, and dragged him back towards its mouth just as quickly.

    A spinning axe severed the tongue just in time and he crashed on the ground. The Broga groaned in pain and a rock smashed into its head. The impact sent ripples through its soft flesh and sprung back tepidly, doing no harm but to make the demon stumble.

    Takar lept away to put distance between him, and as he did, he saw a feral savage rip the Broga apart in a blur. By the time he landed back on his feet, the Broga had fallen and already started to crumble to ash.

    ¡°All of you stand firm!¡± Scar shouted out.

    The man turned his head to see the rest of the swarm being quickly exterminated. He did not recognize the savage and the woman, but he did not need more than a glance to recognize the other two.

    Relief showed on his face. In this hellish land, he would have taken any hand held out to him. The hands of two slumlords were better than he expected.

    ¡°Join the rest of the group!¡± Scar ordered what remained of his group. ¡°Do your part to fight, or we¡¯ll leave you behind!¡±

    Takar hurried to the surprisingly large crowd, with no need to be told twice. Perhaps he would survive this hell yet.

    ---

    Eres glanced around at the carnage and their steadily growing army of pawns. They had managed to gather a few hundred of them so far, and most were motivated enough to fight.

    Still, the situation was less than optimistic. Too many demons sprung from the accursed depths. Not as many as the horde but demons were far more cunning. Many employed the use of schemes, everything from hit and run ambushes to shepherding the weaker cretins in their direction.

    They had not encountered much Rank 2 mid-grades so far, but it had not even been an hour since the ritual began. The night was still long ahead.

    ¡°This should be enough.¡± Scar said.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Eres agreed. ¡°Now we need a place they can hold.¡±

    ¡°The wall.¡± Scar answered immediately. ¡°One less side to focus on. No houses to sneak close through.¡±

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s-¡± A long black spear clanked against Eres¡¯ Shield Arm, held in the air by a demon.

    It had legs like that of a harpy, but long gangly arms, a pair of wings with rotting feathers, and the bony head of a vulture.

    A Vrok. Were it not obvious by appearance, Eres would identify it by its rancid stench. She had only heard tales of it before, and by this brief experience she wished it had remained that way.

    The vrok crooned its neck and spewed out noxious black smog. Scar clinked his axes together at the same time, and the barrier of sound kept its foul fumes at bay. Long enough for a piece of cobblestone to crack its skull.

    The vrok crashed into the ground and staggered back up with a fractured skull, and Banda shattered it fully with another stone.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Eres repeated her command properly, unaffected by the encounter. These demons were only second-most in her mind. She would not lose sight of the priority.

    The four of them led their newfound militia through the town. The demon scourge had enacted a massacre in this short time, with the mangled remains of corpses strewn about as much as the piles of ash.

    But that was none of her concern. They made it to the wall, and Scar immediately began to organize them in a simple formation.

    None of them seemed to need much convincing, as was natural. The choice between frontline conscript or mutilated and tortured for all eternity was an obvious one.

    Scar was already proving a capable enough leader. Eres admittedly had little mind for warfare, and little care for it. Her path was a different one after all. But she could still recognize the logic of it.

    It was a simple formation system of three rows, laid out in a wide semicircle leading out from the wall. She imagined the rows would switch out for the one behind after a certain time had past, allowing each time to rest and recover some aura.

    A standard tactic in a battle of attrition. One that was necessary, given that the demon scourge had already started to swarm against them in greater numbers than ever before.

    Eres took out a Mana Crystal and started to replenish her own reserves, as the pawns fought for their lives. Her focus fixated on the priority.

 Chapter 38 - Blood Feast Festival

    The demons swarmed endlessly, and the humans barely kept them at bay. Most were too greedy and simpleminded to ignore the feast of souls before them, but many were not.

    The stronger and more cunning ones stayed back, allowing the fools among their ilk to weaken the humans. Biding their time.

    Allowing this boded poorly for the militia¡¯s survival, but that was not the group¡¯s concern. Buying time was to their benefit as well. They too stood back and let the stalemate continue.

    As such, there was little for Banda to do. He stepped in to kill any demons too powerful for the militia to handle and guarded Eres from ambushes, but such instances were limited. He had recovered his aura. Now all that was left was to wait.

    Clamor surged from a spot on the formations to the side. An 8 foot tall humanoid with long sinewy blades for hands collapsed the lines with a mad flurry of slashes that cut through flesh and steel alike.

    A Glaxn, Eres had called the one before. Banda flung a runestone and shattered its skull, but another demon took its place.

    It was shorter with murky green skin with a face like a lizard, all but its pale white chest covered in bony spikes and thorns. It¡¯s bristle fanged mouth twisted in a sneer, and the spikes on its body shot out, skewering a dozen unfortunate humans.

    Banda threw a stone but it merely broke against the demon¡¯s hard skin. The Girik regained its footing after the impact and charged towards Banda without fear. And Banda charged with it.

    The girik sneered wider and readied its spikes again, but Banda¡¯s speed suddenly increased. He grabbed the demon¡¯s arm and twisted it around before it could halt its ability, and its own spikes impaled its mouth and chest.

    Banda kicked the spasming demon back into the horde to die elsewhere, and glanced around. The humans were starting to wane as their vigor fell and their fear rose.

    ¡°Fight!¡± Scar roared out to rally them.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you fight?!¡± An injured human he did not recognized screamed back. ¡°We¡¯re being slaughtered! While you stand back and-¡±

    Scar beheaded the dissident without hesitation. The lines continued to hold but the atmosphere seemed to sink even lower.

    ¡°All who enter the House of Tiamat are gifted the greatest torment.¡± Eres spoke grandly enough for her voice to carry through the lines. ¡°Agony and misery will become you. Your days will be drowned in unbearable torture. Devoured from heel to crown over and over until you beg for death. But the Abyss will only smile back. All who enter the House of Tiamat can never leave.¡±

    The famous words most had heard at least once before lingered in their ears and a chill rang through their spines.

    Scar glanced around. ¡°You hear that?! Fight, if you don¡¯t want to suffer for eternity! Fight!¡±

    Banda returned to the Eres¡¯ side and Scar followed right after. ¡°Not much longer now. We should ready to leave.¡±

    ¡°This herd won¡¯t last long without us.¡± Eres said as she turned to Banda. ¡°Sneak out and kill those things hiding in the shadows.¡±

    Banda frowned. One or two of the stronger demons weren¡¯t too much of a threat, but many at once was too great a risk.

    Eres glared more assertively at him. ¡°The ones staying back are too intelligent. They¡¯ll push the attack the moment we leave. Then we¡¯ll have to face the scourge by ourselves for the rest of the night. At the very least, we need them to hold out until we kill Otto.¡±

    A scowl remained on Banda¡¯s face but he slipped away. It frustrated him but her words made sense.

    The fray was too thick and there were too many watchful eyes to slip out undetected, so Banda did not even try. He darted out in rapid bursts and lunged into the alleyways he could feel creatures hiding behind.

    The first he encountered was a beautiful woman in revealing silk clothes. She had red skin with leathery wings on her back, small horns atop her head and a long barbed tail. The succubus turned her alluring black eyes with glowing yellow pupils to him, and Banda destroyed its head. The demon had tried to use some kind of magic on his mind, but he did not give it enough time to work.

    He rounded the corner to find a vrock uncontrollably gorging itself on the scattered remains of humans. It did not even turn to face Banda until the first stone struck its face, and the second landed before it could regain its senses.

    A few more succubi, vrocks, and brogas met their end at his hands before he came across a new enemy, surrounded by a ring of low-grade demons.

    It was a small and scrawny humanoid with sickly gray skin. Its skull was swollen five times too large, with the outline of its pulsing brain clearly visible.

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    Banda hurled a stone, but several dretches jumped in its path just before he had moved to take the blow. The Saggur turned its eyes to Banda with a mocking smile, and two glaxns charged out towards him.

    Banda dodged and slipped the slashing blade hands, their sharpness too great for him to block. He searched for an opening on either, but found only the need for a steady retreat.

    The glaxns fought better than the ones he had seen before. Too much better. Banda thought about clawing the barbato is half with a lunging maul, and the demon shielded itself to confirm his suspicions.

    The saggur could hear his thoughts. That explained how it prevented his stone before. Banda still his mind and suppressed his thoughts, forcing his body to move on nothing more than base instinct.

    The glaxns became sloppier, less effective against him. They lunged recklessly and Banda took their heads. The saggur directed his inferior pawns to pile into a mound before him, but the hail of rocks he expected did not come.

    Banda appeared behind it in a blur and smashed apart its skull. He made short work of the low-grade dregs freed from the saggur¡¯s control, but his mind was elsewhere.

    The way this demon had read his movements was far too similar to how that aura beast had moved. Shamura could read minds.

    Banda was not certain of this, but the feeling in his gut told him that was right. A distressing realization, but he had not time to contemplate. The powerful threats had been cleared away by the look of things, so he rushed back over through the frontlines to rejoin the others.

    Eres gave a look of approval to Scar, and he turned to the militia. ¡°Listen! We¡¯ve discovered the core of this scourge! The four of us will destroy it, and force the demons back to the Abyss! Stay together and fight if you want to live!¡±

    The four left immediately towards the north manor, with little care as to how many believed Scar¡¯s claim fully. The words were merely to prevent a rout out of ignorant panic for long enough until the militia realized they did not have the luxury of doing anything other than continue as they were.

    It was all to buy enough time to kill Otto, for he was more dangerous to them than this descent of hell.

    They stealthily cut their to the manor in mere moments and quietly took cover within a dark alley. Demons had gathered en masse, stalked outside the walls of the ward as they taunted whoever was within.

    Banda waited and watched, along with the others. They had no intention of killing the demons. Not only would that attract others, but this way they could use the abyssal spawn as their own patrol to detect Otto as he tries to flee. And more hopefully ambush him while he as he is under attack.

    The four readied their nerves as the last minute approached.

    ¡°Humans are hiding around you!¡± Otto¡¯s voice sounded out again. ¡°Humans with special souls!¡±

    Tension struck each of their faces. There was little response from the demons, most seemed to think Otto was lying to deceive them. But only at first. A few were stupid and greedy enough to start looking, and even more were bothered at the thought of another claiming the prize.

    The four of them sunk back further in the alley as demons started to wander closer. Though the spawn were unorganized in their search, soon they were forced to enter a building through a window at Scar¡¯s gesture.

    They swiftly and silently closed the windows and doors, and found strategic corners of the house to hold. Each of them stayed perfectly still, and even held their breath as demons scoured past.

    Something bumped against the wooden door, and then a second and a third time before finally knocking it open. The vargoll caught sight of them with its giant eye, but Banda silently ripped it apart before it could scream. He glanced outside as he quietly closed the door back with a finger.

    ¡°F-found!¡± Banda snapped his head towards the source of the voice. The vile sludge of a creature that was a lemure had found its way through a hole at the bottom of the door on the other side.

    It failed an attempt at a laugh as it quivered in slow-witted glee. ¡°F-fou-¡±

    A vrock smashed the door apart, destroying the lemure along with it. It screeched horribly at them and Banda crushed it skull with a runestone.

    The giant Avatar manifested behind Eres as it spun its arms, destroying the house in an instant. A hail of debris killed the weaker demons that had drawn too close and knocked the rest away.

    ¡°Kill the dregs!¡± Eres shouted, as she led the charge to the manor.

    Her avatar cleaved its spear through a dozen low-grade demons that signalled the start of the slaughter. Banda joined in, but took care not to stray too far from her.

    He did not need to ask why. As their cover was blown, the crowd of demons had become more dangerous than useful. It was was better to just wipe them out. At least the lesser demons that swarmed. He made note of the smarter ones standing back but did not pursue them. They could still be used.

    Another wave of demons was turned to ash, and Banda lept atop the avatar¡¯s head. His eyes locked on the manor and his body lowered into the crouch of a beast.

    Finally a dull drone sounded out. The ward fractured like glass, and Otto burst out in the other direction.

    Banda¡¯s form turned monstrous and he burst off the avatar with a sonic boom powerful enough to knock its head back. He hit the ground in stride and blitzed towards Otto, ignoring all else in his path.

    He drew close in the blink of an eye, his sharp claws turning to iron. And Otto smiled back with mocking eyes. The phantom form of a wolf enveloped him.

    Banda barely had enough time to twist his head away with the warning of his instincts. A crimson blade seared just shy of his face. He spun himself away as he whipped a runestone at Otto¡¯s head.

    Otto held his sword in front of him, supporting it with the other. He blocked the metal clump with the flat of his blade, and let the impact knock him back just as an axe twirled past.

    He kicked off the ground to dodge a giant spear that pierced into the dirt like an arrow from heaven. But the flaming cloth snaked through the air towards him as a stone and axe sailed ahead.

    Off balance and outnumbered, Otto smiled lazily. He angled his scimitar to slide the stone into the axe and spiked a black pellet into the ground before the cloth reached him.

    Thick smoke exploded over the region, and Banda turned his head to the figure emerging from the black cloud in the direction of Ubin. He whipped a runestone faster than he ever had before and the figure¡¯s head shattered completely.

    But as the tendrils of smoke subsided, the image of a headless dretch became clear just before it crumbled to ash.

    Eres swiped a gust of wind at the smokescreen with her shield to blow it away, but it was too late. Otto was gone.

 Chapter 39 - The Beastman

    Banda darted around, glancing all over desperately, but found no trace of him. Not sight nor scent.

    His face lowered into a grim glare. That slash was twice as fast as he could manage.

    The ogre was stronger, but speed was more dangerous than brute power. And unlike the brutish horde leader, Otto was as skilled as he was cunning.

    Banda grit his teeth and shot back to the group. The first attempt failed. The second would be even more difficult.

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t carrying Shamura.¡± Eres said without wallowing in their failure. ¡°He must have buried here within the manor.¡±

    The four raced to the north manor, and began to tear it apart in their search. They ripped up the paved walkways and tiles floors. Demolished the auxiliary structures and broke down the walls. Shoveled the land and uprooted the trees. But their search was fruitless.

    ¡°She¡¯s not here!¡± Scar yelled as they started to convene.

    ¡°Maybe he buried her deeper.¡± Ubin suggested.

    ¡°He did not dig the earth.¡± Banda said.

    ¡°How can you tell?¡± The proprietor asked.

    ¡°It smells different.¡± Banda answered.

    While the other three spoke, Eres was silent in thought. And soon an realization came to her. ¡°He buried her outside of the ward.¡±

    The others fell quiet as they turned to her.

    ¡°No one saw the moment they put up the ward. If this was their plan, it would have taken no effort to prepare a hole before all of this.¡± Eres reasoned.

    ¡°She could be anywhere, then.¡± Ubin exclaimed.

    ¡°So we search the whole town.¡± Eres set her sight firm on the sanctuary, as her Avatar diminished into its two guardian arms. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ---

    Scar kicked down a door and carved up the floorboards with his two axes, until the dirt ground beneath was completely revealed.

    ¡°No.¡± Banda determined. So the moved onto the next.

    The two had searched like this for some time now, and had become efficient. Eres¡¯ plan was simple. Start from one side of the town and move to the other, scouring each and every building and alleyway as they went.

    A truly simple plan. One that all of them agreed with. But they were yet to find a single trace of Shamura. And the demons steady chipped away at their stamina and aura.

    ¡°We¡¯re running out of time.¡± Scar voiced his urgency.

    ¡°Then search faster.¡± Eres replied coldly.

    Banda ignored the bickering as he scanned the area around. Danger flared in his mind, and he pulled his head back as a black arrow of whispering ominous mana sailed past. He turned to the source that shot it.

    A humanoid demon. Its pale blue body a tall mass of sinewy muscles and tendons, with a masked face of murky white cartilage. The most striking feature was the dark longbow in its hand seemed to grow from its very flesh.

    It¡¯s face had no mouth nor much ability for expression at all, but Banda could feel its deep sense of disdainful pride from its pitch black eyes.

    The flesh on its shoulder writhed, and the end of an arrow jutted out with oozing viscous blood. Banda whipped a stone at it, but the demon sidestepped it with ease.

    The Barbato ripped out its arrowed and loosed it in one swift motion, with blurring speed. Faster than Banda could throw his stones.

    Banda dodged this one two, but the second nearly scratched his face. His eyes narrowed towards the enemy who seemed more of a threat with every passing moment.

    Eres violently channelled fiery aura around her hand and thrust out a Fire Flying Palm. The barbato¡¯s face shifted in one of mockery at the pathetic speed of the mystic art compared to his arrows.

    It effortlessly stepped away from the attack, but the aura palm shook from its poor execution and exploded. The burst of flames caught the arrogant demon off guard. It scrambled away and staggered from the wounds, its body more fragile than it looked by the extent of the charred damage.

    The barbato raised its bow at Eres in entitled rage but a stone destroyed its head. The demon slumped down the roof as its body started to turn to ash, and Banda whipped two stones at Ubin.

    The clang of stone on metal sounded out as Otto deflected the rocks. He slashed at Ubin but was forced to dash away from Eres¡¯ Spear Arm. Banda¡¯s attack had bought enough time for her to react.

    Otto seemed mildly impressed at the coordination, as he immediately broke off again. Banda pursued without hesitation but a few twists and turns through the alleys was all it took to lose track of him.

    Animosity grew within him, but Banda did not linger. He returned to the group at once, and they returned to their search.

    And search they did. Through the whole town they searched and searched. Every corner and every house. But still they found nothing. And frustrations started to become desperations.

    ¡°Is she even here?!¡± Ubin yelled. ¡°What if he buried her not just outside of the ward, but the walls of the town?¡±

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    ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡± Eres didn¡¯t even humor the thought.

    ¡°Why not? He had everyone running around digging those fortifications for the monster wave. It would have been no effort to dig a simple hole.¡±

    ¡°Like I said¡­ this town is almost a part of the Abyss at the moment. While it doesn¡¯t affect those inside as much, infernal energy will seep through the land outside the dome. If he buried her anywhere close, she is dead. And he didn¡¯t have enough time to bury her far away.¡± Eres focused on her contemplations as she spoke bluntly, and came to a realization.

    ¡°We assumed he buried her.¡± She said with sharp eyes. ¡°What if he drowned her?¡±

    ¡°The well.¡± Scar exclaimed.

    The four rushed to the old well in the town square on the other side of the fountain. Banda was first and reached his hand to grab the edge, but a flash of a yellow ward repelled his claws. He punched the ward, and saw the thin cracks spread over the now visible barrier.

    Otto blurred from the shadows towards Ubin, his face no longer bearing a smile nor the ease of nonchalance. His two scimitars severed clean through, but the image of Ubin flickered and dispersed in the wind, and the slumlord appeared from behind an illusory veil several yards away with a nervous grimace.

    ¡°Break the well!¡± Eres yelled as she and Scar charged to face Otto.

    Ubin threw out a scroll. The magical ink shone bright, then the scroll burned to ash as wind rapidly surged within the palms of his hands, forming a turbulent maelstrom that grew more violent and powerful by the moment.

    Banda slammed his iron fist into the well again. The others would hold up long enough. He just needed to kill the beastwoman, and then he would free once more.

    A mad barrage of blows battered the ward, nearly drowning out the sound of the fighting behind it. Each cracked the yellow walls more and more, spreading deeper and further, until finally it shattered like glass.

    The glimmer of breaking runes caught Banda¡¯s eye, and gave him pause for a fraction of a moment. But he dove down the well without a fraction more¡¯s thought. The well held the beastwoman¡¯s scent. He reached his claws to kill with a single motion. And found nothing but water.

    He did not allow panic to take his mind. Banda dove to the bottom of the well and started to burrow into the wet soil. He dug and dug, but still found nothing.

    Perhaps she was buried even deeper. Her scent was here, so she had to be here as well. Or least she had been.

    A trick, he wondered. A lie? Would he find her if he dug deeper? Between the two paths that laid ahead, Banda chose the one he had always walked.

    Water exploded from the well as Banda shot out, and set his sights on Otto. If it was a trick, it did not matter. He would kill Otto, here and now. And all of his tricks would be worthless.

    Banda hurled a runestone. Otto dodged it, as he continued to dodge and deflect Eres¡¯ spear and Scar¡¯s axes.

    The moment Banda¡¯s feet hit the ground, he darted around unpredictably. A haphazardly volley of stones bombarded Otto from all angels, and he started to struggle against the attacks.

    Otto fought, forced on the defense, with no opening to flee let alone counter. And he was losing. A stone managed to clip his shoulder, forcing him to throw himself away from the giant spear. And Ubin cast his spell.

    [ Cruel Tempest ]

    Otto turned his fatigued gaze to the approaching storm, and smiled. A giant bestial hand caught the mass of violent wind and started to devour it whole. As the the last trace was swallowed, Otto¡¯s form came into view.

    His skin was now covered in a black rubbery fur. His hands were now half paws with thick short clawed fingers that still held onto his scimitars, and his face had gained the feral aspects of an otter. A wide tail 10 yards long grew from the end of his spine to the giant otter¡¯s paw that weaved menacingly before them.

    The first light of dawn shone dimly upon the town. The infernal dome of the ritual faded, as if banished by a higher force, and the demons wailed as the Abyss dragged them back down into its depths.

    ¡°Kill him now!¡± Scar roared as Otto¡¯s tail-paw slapped the dust off of the ground.

    Scar hurled his axes as Eres charged with her Avatar¡¯s giant spear. Otto slashed away the first axe as he dodged the spear, twisting his bestial body to deflect the second. And Banda lunged for his neck in the opening.

    But Otto¡¯s tail claw flickered in front, sparked with the traces of Ubin¡¯s mystic art. Banda¡¯s eyes went wide as his instincts flared. He dodged away on reflex in time, but the blast soared towards its true target.

    Ubin¡¯s hidden form revealed for just an instant as the wind surged through, and tore him apart so thoroughly not even a trace remained.

    Scar roared a curse as he ripped the patch from his face. The red gemstone eye pulsed to become flesh, as ominous spiritual cracks split across his face.

    His infernal gaze immobilized Otto completely, and he pushed himself through the searing pain of his soul to hurl his axe one more time with greater power than he had before.

    But Otto just smiled.

    An aura beast bit deep into Scar¡¯s arm and pulled. With the broken eye contact, Otto was freed from the paralytic effect. He caught the axe in a casual motion with his padded hand and threw it back into Scar¡¯s chest.

    The one-eyed warrior staggered back for a step, and collapsed. Before Banda and Eres could act, the crippling power of the Soul Seeds brought them to the ground.

    A slight chuckled left Otto¡¯s mouth as his bestial form faded away. Shamura arrived at the same time with her other aura beast from the direction of the north manor, her clothes stained with dirt, and her spiteful gaze one of victorious mockery.

    ¡°All of you think too hard.¡± Otto gloated. ¡°The surest path to victory is the most dangerous. You just don¡¯t have what it takes to crawl through the thorns.¡±

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry¡­ Fate is on your side.¡± He released them from the Soul Seed effect just before it destroyed them. ¡°I still have use for the two of you.¡±

    Banda lunged. Through the pain. Through the danger. With thoughts only of the kill. But Otto just smiled, as the brass amulet around his neck wailed with the sound of ten thousand accursed souls.

    White lightning struck from the heavens and a blaze of pure mana erupted forth. Banda¡¯s claws clanged uselessly against the mana inferno that enveloped Otto.

    The signs of advancement. Otto was attempting to reach the third rank. If he succeeded, he would become an even greater threat than he already was.

    Banda¡¯s intent twisted so vividly that the concept of sharpness almost became visible. He lowered deep into a crouch, mad with focus, waiting for the exact moment Otto became vulnerable once more.

    The blaze of mana flickered, then tore apart to reveal the bandit¡¯s smile of prideful malice, and his Rank 3 emanations of aura.

    Banda lunged. With no regard for anything else, he lunged. The swirl of his killing intent painted the world pure, until only the lines of his target remained.

    And Otto casually kneed him in his torso. Banda hit the ground as his air refused to enter his ruptured lungs. The blow was heavy, far too heavy. And far more powerful than it should have been. There was a weight to it that almost felt familiar.

    Blood spewed from his mouth uncontrollably. With just a single hit, his organs had ruptured, ribs had shattered, and even his spine had cracked.

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s my mistake¡­ For giving you false hope.¡± As the last vestiges of the brass amulet crumbled away, Otto¡¯s human form started to morph.

    Black markings drenched down his eyes as the small horns of a bull grew from his head. Bovine ears grew from his head and the tail of a bull from his back. But most strikingly, his eyes turned pitch black, with the red irises of a mad behemoth. Yet more than madness, those eyes were filled with malice and cunning.

    Banda¡¯s body froze as he felt the gaze of a true predator above him. One that enjoyed nothing more than tormenting its prey. One that knew it was strong enough to indulge in that depravity. Boundless malice in physical form.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Otto mocked, with eyes that held no empathy. ¡°You¡¯re starting to look human.¡±

    Banda did not respond. He did not move. He did not keep vigilance against the threats of the world. All he could do was keep his head lowered, as thoughts of The Wolf reared its nightmarish head for the first time in many moons.

 Chapter 40 - Young Horned Lord

    In the primitive serenity of the forest, a stone egg slumbered where it had been placed thousands of years before. Many had taken a passing interest, and yet none had ever been able to move it, let alone harm it. For thousands of years, it had calmly slept.

    Without warning or reason, a surge of mana erupted from the egg. It flooded through the whole of the forest with oppressive intent, as if to claim the land as its own. The weak fled in fear. The strong fled in fear. Only one ran towards it, though his instincts begged him otherwise.

    Monga¡¯s blurring figure came to a sudden halt before the stone egg, but he could only stare in shock as this unfamiliar thing which emitted intensity possessed by only a few he had ever faced.

    The egg started to crack mere moments after he arrived. Small fractures spread out one after the other, but it did not seem to spread into the depth of the shell. And something started to beat at the egg from within.

    Trepidation ran through Monga¡¯s body like a chill as he instinctively lowered himself for a fight. But the more he listened to the erratic dull thuds within, the more he couldn¡¯t help but compare it to a child¡¯s tantrum.

    There was a pause, and then a fist broke through the shell, filled with overbearing rage. And the creature inside broke out.

    A small human child, seeming no more than three or four years of age. Copper skin and long, mangy ash-white hair. It crawled on all fours like a beast, with fangs and claws and feral eyes, and wore naught but a brown loincloth. The child saw Monga, and attacked.

    Monga swatted away the child on reflex, sending it crashing through the trees and dirt. Surprise struck him a moment too late, as he found it far weaker than he expected.

    And indeed, as he walked over to the child, it was gravely injured. Dying. The child squirmed with such desperation and ignorant agony that Monga nearly felt sorry for it.

    But its frantic confused expression began to twist into something that resembled resolve. And divinity surged. The large horns of a bull grew from its head as its wounds rapidly healed. And the child lunged once more with eyes pure white.

    Monga raised his hand this time to block the crude punch indifferently, now knowing the strength of it. And the child¡¯s heavy fist battered him away.

    Shock filled Monga once again. This time the child¡¯s strength vastly exceeded his expectations, but more than that, he had felt such inconceivable weight before. It was unmistakably the power of Gugal.

    A thousands questions ran through his mind, but he had no time to think. The child attacked and this time, Monga treated him as a threat.

    Mana swelled through his massive body as he struck the child with his giant palm as hard as he could, though the sheer weight of the boy meant it barely moved a dozen yards.

    The child burst back to strike and Monga held up his forearm. Mana coated his arm like armor and branching streaks reinforced his durability immensely to withstand the impact. The child struck again but hit only air as Monga¡¯s body flickered to its side, with his arm raised back.

    Mana surged through his aura coated arm and his massive fist struck with such force that it sent the child crashing through the forest like a meteor. The child thrashed to its feet, but Monga was already there. And he struck again.

    Cracks spread through the surface of the child¡¯s immeasurably dense flesh, and something changed. Killing intent so overwhelming flooded the land so densely that Monga thought he might drown in it.

    He willed himself through it to strike again, but this time the child dodged. Monga¡¯s eyes widened. It may have been a brutish fight, but he had not taken it lightly. Every time he struck, he concealed his intent well and feinted otherwise. And yet, the child had sensed it.

    The child mauled, not at his center, but his arm. The abominable strength battered his limb hard enough to stagger his footing. And the child lunged in the opening.

    In response, Monga let himself flow with the impact, and swung his arm back around. But the child swung with it. The impact was equal, but what stole Monga¡¯s attention were the wisping mist of flawed aether manipulation around the child¡¯s arm.

    It had copied him.

    From the platform of his arm, it lept closer, and unleashed a ceaseless barrage. With every strike thrown and every strike taken, its aether became firmer. More stable. Stronger.

    The child was improving, gradually and undeniably. It seemed mindless by every measure but it began to learn from its mistakes. It sought to plunder his strength, as if guided by raw instinct, and surpass him.

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    With every failure, the child¡¯s face twisted in frustration and bitter tenacity, until finally, it turned feral. And from feral, it became monstrous.

    The child burst forward dozens of times faster. And Monga could only widened his eyes in shock as the child missed its lunged, unable to control its power. Monga snapped around, just in time to block a mauling swipe. The monumental strength of it cracked his arm and sent him crashing through the forest.

    But he had no time to rest, as the child descended upon him. He spun away as it cratered the ground in one motion, then lunged after him in the next. A high-pitched, droning bellow blared from its young mouth as it relentlessly thrashed after him. Each blow had the potential for death.

    Monga still had no answers to the endless questions surrounding the child, and he no longer had a desire to ask. It was more than a threat. It was something that needed to die.

    Monga raised back his giant palm surging with divinity, and struck with perfect timing. The savage child charged with unparalleled bold brutality and no regard for the lethal palm. But the divinity surrounding the boy suddenly snapped off and dispersed in the wind.

    Monga¡¯s palm swatted only air as the child fell to the ground and crashed through the dirt behind until it rolled to a stop. The horns atop its head crumbled away like ash and its monstrous appearance faded to reveal the look of a normal human.

    Monga walked over slowly with sharp eyes, and raised his fist. It seemed the child¡¯s divinity had run dry, but that was something easily it could easily remedy. Its power remained, and that would always make it a threat. Eventually it would grow, and trample the world just the same as its predecessor.

    The fist held in the air for longer than necessary. Monga knew he should do, what he had do to. But his fist lowered slowly, and with gritted teeth he turned and walked away, leaving the child alone in the forest.

    ---

    A python hid in the tall grass of the forest as it eyed the small child lying motionless. It flicked its tongue again and started to slither towards him. Closer and closer it crept. Silently. Giving nothing for its prey to detect.

    It stopped a short distance away, and began to coil itself. Suddenly it shot forward with its mouth open wide, and Banda¡¯s eyes snapped opened. He vaulted over the ground as the snake bite through the dirt, and bore down at the enemy who had woken him with a snarl.

    Feral form took him on instinct as he lunged with the python¡¯s second strike. Banda weaved around its fanged mouth to grab hold of its neck with mouth hands, and gripped it as hard as he could.

    The python thrashed and coiled all around as it tried to shake the child off it, but Banda held on. He squeezed down with all his power, and crushed its throat. The python¡¯s thrashes soon turned to squirms, and its squirms to a lifeless still.

    Banda waited for a moment, his grip still tight around the dead snake¡¯s neck, and beat it once into the ground. He glanced at the snake, then whipped its head into a tree with a sickening crunch. But nothing happened then either.

    Banda carelessly tossed the snake away. He didn¡¯t understand why, but the creature no longer posed a threat. With the immediate danger passed, Banda looked around at the world for the first time.

    To his sides in all direction were tall cedar trees. Below them the rich green grass and above the deep blue sky. All unrecognizable and mysterious to him.

    Banda glanced around and started to walk off in a random direction. As his gaze drifted down, he stopped suddenly at a patch of dirt that interrupted the grass at his feet. He went prone to a crouching stance and hopped around as if to warn and taunt it in equal parts.

    After a few moments, he finally decided to draw closer. Banda mauled the dirt as he darted away in the same motion, out of caution for what might happen. But nothing did. So he drew closer again, prodding at the soft dirt a few times before digging a handful of it out.

    Banda stared at it as infantile thoughts ran through his mind. The dirt seemed much like the grass beneath his feet. Different from the snake that attacked him. He thought for a moment more, then put it in his mouth. And promptly spat it back out.

    With a bitter expression, he continued on his way to see what else the forest had. He had hardly taken a few steps before the sound of rustling leaves in the wind startled him.

    In his wariness, he struck a tree with his bare hand, but only managed to hurt himself. Feral Form overcame him out of anger and he punched again, this time breaking the tree in half.

    The tree fell with a mighty thud and became still. Banda deduced that much like the snake, he had defeated it. As it deserved for hurting his hand.

    Growls and squawks in the distance stole his attention. These were different from the rustling leaves, something within him assured. With nothing else to go on, he headed towards the sounds.

    He heard the cry of something above, and rolled away just in time to avoid the jagged beak of a large bird. Several more Razorbeaks dove down at him one after the other. Banda was able to dodge, but every strike he tried in return missed badly due to their speed.

    As he dodged again, his foot tripped over a rock, and one of the hostile birds struck at the opportunity. Banda¡¯s hand found the rock as he scrambled back, and flung it forward on reflex. It broke the bird¡¯s wing and sent it reeling off course straight into a tree, where it floundered pathetically on the ground.

    Banda¡¯s eyes drank in the sight. Without contemplating further, he grabbed more rocks and threw them at the attacking birds. The first attempt was mediocre, but each time he threw his aim and power improved. And eventually, he killed them all.

    The young savage walked closer to the first bird he hit, still flapping useless in the dirt, and broke its neck as he had done to the snake.

    Banda glanced around then back to the bird in his hand, and took a bite. He spat out its feathers immediately and smashed the bird into the ground out of annoyance. The flying things did not taste good either.

    Banda once again turned his attention to the forest. It was full of annoying and bad tasting things, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel drawn to the distance. With no hesitation, with no higher purpose, he scampered on to see what the forest held.

 Chapter 41 - Young Horned Lord (II)

    Night had fallen over the forest, and Banda was worried. He could see just as well as when the sky was blue, but somehow he felt there was more danger now. More things he could not see.

    Banda¡¯s stomach rumbled again. He didn¡¯t understand why it had started doing that, but it felt bad. A part of him wanted to try eating dirt and birds again. He didn¡¯t understand that either. Those things tasted bad.

    A monster lunged from the cover of the brush, and Banda jumped away. The beast was three times the size of him with a short body of thick red and white fur and long claws. Drool poured down its fanged mouth as it shot twitching snarls his way.

    The badger lunged at him without pause, clawing and snapping with such rabid aggression that Banda couldn¡¯t help but feel overwhelmed. But that shock quickly gave way to annoyance.

    Banda landed a fist on its chest, but the feral creature managed to scratch his arm before it crashed back. Searing pain shot through the bloody wound that whipped him into a frenzy of distress. He had never felt true pain before.

    The badger lunged again, but Banda¡¯s rage was far beyond the fight now. He grabbed its paw and whipped it against a tree. As the beast tried to claw at him even through the sever impact, Banda whipped it to the others side and flung it away.

    It tried to rise to its feet with rabid snarls, but its efforts merely shortened it life. The badger vomited blood and fell into a frothing spasm.

    Banda loomed over it, still wracked with pain and frustration. In his anger directed at the badger, his eyes went white and he opened his mouth wide to instinctively swallow its soul.

    The invigorating surge of power that rose within him snapped him out of his anger. It was a unfamiliar feeling. One he wanted more of. His thoughts turned to the unnatural sharpness of the beast¡¯s claws, and he desired it.

    Instinctively, he tried to mimic them. He felt the power would give him what he wished for if he willed it. But his attempt failed and the power drained away.

    Banda stood there with a frown. It didn¡¯t feel like what he did was wrong, but simply not enough. He wondered if it would work if he ate more. As he considered that, his eyes fixated on the badger.

    Banda hopped over to it and ripped off its arm. He took a bite of the badger¡¯s bloody flesh and was almost satisfied. It did not taste good, but it did not taste bad either. More importantly, he felt his stomach being filled and the rumbles subsided.

    Banda took another bite, now with a goal in mind. He would eat more beasts.

    ---

    Banda rampaged over the land as he hunted beasts incessantly and indiscriminately. He swallowed their souls and devoured their flesh. Some of them even tasted good, so Banda hunted those ones more.

    He had learned much over the past few days, including the fact that eating too much also made him feel bad. That had annoyed him. Eat nothing and feel bad. Eat everything and feel bad. Those were two different things. It made no sense to him.

    He stopped in the wake of his carnage and tried to make claws again. Divinity surged as he felt closer to his target than ever before, but again it failed.

    The failure did not please him, but he was not annoyed. By now he was certain he right, and eventually he would succeed. Banda ran off in pursuit of more prey. Eating beast souls was good. And he could eat as many of them as he wanted.

    Excitement put a skip in his step as he ran through the forest in search of his next prey. Through the trees and under the brush, over dirt and grass, he ran. And finally he found one.

    A great beast. The largest he had seen so far. It towered over him, second only to the trees. The beast walked on all fours with a thick coat of rugged fur. It¡¯s legs all ended in paws, and while Banda could not see its face as he approached from behind, that did not matter. He could look after it was dead.

    Banda lunged in Feral Form and mauled deep at its side. But his claws clanged strangely against the beast¡¯s fur, without even leaving the slightest scratch.

    As Banda stared in wary puzzlement, the Ironfur Grizzly turned to face him. Though larger and slightly more monstrous, the creature was undeniably a bear. Nothing of its build stood out in particular, but it¡¯s eyes were different.

    Pitch black amidst an emotionless face. There was no compassion to be found within its eerie gaze, nor had there ever been. The unsettling feeling it gave Banda had nearly distracted him from strange density of its mana. There was something different about it.

    Banda threw himself back as the bear¡¯s paw cleaved the world. Its speed was considerable, but its power far more so. Banda gave caution to its strikes as he was forced to dodge.

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    It was stronger than him. But Banda had already learned how to fight things that were stronger. He lunged with its paw, reading its perfectly, and slammed his fist into the beast¡¯s chest.

    But nothing happened. Instinct gave him just barely enough time to escape the bear''s snapping jaw, but the attacks that followed came more aggressively than before. The ground sundered and trees splintered in its wake as Banda did everyone he could to avoid its mauling paws.

    He knew this was bad. He knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge for long. But the bear¡¯s fur was too tough. Neither his claws nor his fists had any affect. He had to try something else.

    A rock found his hand and he whipped it as he dodged. It smacked the bear¡¯s face to some effect, but not nearly enough. Banda grabbed another rock, and this time he aimed for its eerie eyes.

    The rock struck clean, and Banda saw the beast bleed for the first time. It¡¯s right eye had been destroyed. It was not invincible. It was not unkillable.

    Banda destroyed its other eye, and in its blindness the bear fell into a rampage. Scent alone was enough to track Banda and pursue, but the bear¡¯s intent was clearer than ever. And Banda found that easier to dodge.

    He darted away from its swipe and lunged with the second again. This time, he lept to its face. The bear reacted as he drew near, but not soon enough.

    Banda buried his arm through its ruined eye to the mushy flesh inside its head. It flailed violently, but only once. For all its might and imposing stature, it spasmed and fell limp to the ground like all the rest.

    He devoured its soul without hesitation, and the dense cluster of mana gave him more power than any other beast before. Banda settled his body and mind, and willed his desires. Claws, as sharp and deadly as possible.

    Divinity surged around him. Banda felt it flow through him, filling him with life as it started to take form. The glittering white light shattered off, leaving behind that which he sought.

    Banda held out his clawed hand, and his nails shone white. He knew innately how to wield these claws he had taken from the light, even more clearly than he knew how to run or breathe.

    He struck down at the dead beast and clawed clean through its tough fur. A smile found Banda¡¯s face and he hopped atop his defeated prey, as joy overflowed from finally gaining his claws.

    But only a few moments passed before he came to a stop. His expression scrunched as he had quickly noticed something else. He hopped off the bear and darted around for a bit before walking over to a tree and mauling it down with a single swipe.

    Banda was not mistaken. He had become stronger. Strong enough to kill a tree without his power.

    Banda thought. This change had happened as soon as he made his claws. Making claws, he reasoned, must make him stronger too. He glanced over at the bear. That beast he killed must have made claws as well. That would explain its strength.

    An eager smile found his face once more. Making claws was even better than he thought. The feeling of gaining power excited him, but his satisfaction was quickly replaced with the desire for even more power.

    Banda took off with greater speed and zeal than ever, with the intention to kill every last beast within the forest.

    ---

    Banda swung through the trees of his forest with eyes like a hawk. He dove down without warning to maul an unsuspecting beast and swallow its soul. The young savage shot off again, stalking through the trees and brush.

    A rock smacked against a tree which drew a jolt of another beast¡¯s focus in that direction, and it too became his prey.

    Banda darted off once more with a bounce in his step and a beaming smile. He was having a lot of fun. There were many things in the forest to kill and every day he grew stronger. Nothing could worsen his mood.

    ---

    Banda lumbered through the forest ground, his mood much worse than before. He felt terrible and didn¡¯t know why. Eating didn¡¯t cure his head like it did his stomach. Devouring souls didn¡¯t help either.

    He had been suffering like this for two bright times and one dark time now, and it had already taken more than its fair toll.

    As Banda vowed to maul the beast responsible, his eyes started to droop. Lumbering movements turned to a stagger until finally he collapsed on the ground, fast asleep.

    Suddenly his eyes snapped open, and he spun away as a Shadow Panther pounced on the ground where he had just been. The panther crouched deep to lunge again, but Banda clawed out its throat before it had the chance.

    The beast fell in a pool of its own blood, but Banda found no joy from it. He was angry. Something had made him go dark. Made him stop thinking. Stop watching.

    The young savage frowned. There was something here, something he could not see. And whatever it was, it had ¡®claws¡¯ that could make him go dark. Make him easier to kill.

    He sped off with vigilant hostility, vowing to never let that happen again.

    ---

    A few more days had passed, and Banda felt more miserable than he had ever been. It was getting worse every day. Worse enough that it had started to affect his fighting.

    His body felt sluggish, and he couldn¡¯t think as fast or as well as normal. There had already been some close calls, whether it was do to poor movements or poor decisions, which made Banda worry how much longer he could keep going until some beast¡¯s claws finally reached him.

    His feet came to a stop on their own as he eyed the soft ground. Banda scrunched his face as he forced himself to think for a moment. He looked around, then hopped up a tree to a spacious branch with thick leaves that could hide him.

    Every part of his body and ever corner of his mind howled at him to lie down, but he would not. Its was too dangerous. He hoped that if he stopped moving for a while, that would be enough to cure him.

    Banda waited alone in the quiet night. With no distant cries of beasts nor even the rustling leaves to lend him company, he found his gaze drift upward to the full moon.

    The silvery white light glowed brilliantly and serenely. It was pleasant to look at. Comforting. And unlike the yellow light during the day, he could stare at this one for as long as he wanted.

    Banda¡¯s eyes started to droop again as his head nodded off, and soon the young savage fell asleep on the branch under the moonlit night sky.

 Chapter 42 - The Wolf

    Banda awoke to the greeting rays of sunlight. The calm lasted only a moment before he jolted to his feet in a panic. When and how he had gone dark despite his best efforts, he did not know, but fortunately it seemed there was no danger lurking nearby.

    As he scanned the forest, Banda realized something. He felt better. Much better. As good as he had ever felt.

    Banda glanced at the branch he had unwillingly made his bed, then briefly at the sun before being reminded of its insolent ways. And he fell into thought.

    He needed to sleep too, just as he needed to eat. That was the only explanation that made sense to Banda. It was not some beast¡¯s ¡®claws¡¯ but merely something that had to be done.

    Banda frowned. Sleeping was more annoying than eating. Still, he stifled his opposition. Not sleeping meant he was easier to kill, and that was unacceptable.

    He looked back to his spot on the branch. It was a good spot. It kept him safe while he slept. Even if he had to sleep, that did not mean he would sleep just anywhere.

    Banda made up his mind quickly. He could remain around this area, and return to his branch when he needed sleep.

    But that was a matter for later. Sharpness and strength had returned to him, which meant it was time to hunt.

    ---

    Heavy booms rumbled through dark clouds of the sky, as Banda was locked in a titanic battle with an armored beast many times larger than himself.

    Its body was short and wide, protected by a hard shell, and propped up by four flat legs the size of tree trunks. It had the scaled head of a lizard and a long reptilian tail that ended in a ball made of the same material as its shell.

    Banda darted away as the club of the Anklo¡¯s tail shattered the tree behind him, and then again as it cratered the ground. The beast itself was slower than him, but the same could not be said of its tail.

    Banda dodged a third time and lunged forth, but a frenzy of tail lashes forced him to retreat. He threw a stone on his way back, but the Anklo¡¯s head sucked into its shell, which closed just in time for his stone to bounce off harmlessly.

    Banda scowled. It had been like this ever since the fight began. The Anklo¡¯s tail lashed at him without pause at a distance. If he tried to get close, it would whip all around itself in every direction. And if he threw a stone, it would hide within its shell.

    No matter how fiercely he fought, he just couldn¡¯t find a opening. It would be an easy fight if he could destroy the club of its tail, but his bleeding fist reminded him that was not an option.

    The Anklo paused for a moment, then whipped its tail strangely. Its aim was off, and Banda easily ducked under it. But the tail bent around the tree it struck, and the club whipped back around at blurring speed.

    Banda barely had time to put up his guard as the tail club sent him crashing away, straight through a branch up high. His branch. Banda¡¯s arms stung but they were not broken. Though the same could not be send for his branch.

    A strange rage coursed through his veins. An agitated, distressed, hurt rage. Divinity surged and quickly shattered off as the light of advancement shone over him.

    The Anklo¡¯s tail whipped towards him again, and Banda punched it with a cluster of cracking divinity over his fist. The stony club shattered into a hundred pieces as the Anklo recoiled with a cry of pain. And Banda was upon it.

    The creature slunked its head into its shell, but a single blow of Thunder broke it open. Banda struck the second through that opening to its soft flesh and blood splattered back over him.

    The beast spasmed and collapsed on the ground, but Banda was already gone. He picked up his branch in a fluster and tried to put it back on the tree, but it only fell back down lifelessly.

    Banda looked down at it. An upsetting emotion he didn¡¯t quite understand bubbled up from within until that feeling turned violent.

    He kicked off the tree with such force it destroyed it, and slammed his tiny fists down on the shell of the Anklo¡¯s corpse. He battered and broke it, but no matter what he did, the feeling would not go away.

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    The violence slowed to a stop, as Banda stood over it with an overwhelmed expression. He clenched his teeth and ran off. He wanted his branch back, but he needed to sleep. He had to find somewhere else, for the sake of survival.

    ---

    A wyvern circled Banda as if it were the predator. And Banda watched it. A great reptilian creature with large wings for arms and two hind legs. A long scaled tail grew from its back that ended in a sharp stinger.

    The beast flapped in and out of the trees, and swooped down at him again at blurring speed. Banda rolled away from its talons and dodged the lash of its stinger that followed, as he whipped back a stone.

    But the beast twirled away and screeched back a cone of violent wind. Banda threw himself away as the cyclone ripped through the ground, and watched the Wind Wyvern return to circling him from above.

    Banda frowned. It was too fast and too sly for him to catch, and his stones did not damage even when they struck. The claws of its talons were large and threatening, but Banda felt the tail stinger even more dangerous. And he didn¡¯t know how many more times he could dodge it.

    Irritation started to boil over as the wyvern kept circling him. It was as though it thought that it was the predator. That he was prey.

    The wyvern dove again, and light shattered off Banda as he inhaled deep. The Wind Wyvern breathed a torrent of wind, and Banda let out an earth-shattering roar.

    Concussive force tore through the tunnel of wind like a thousand fangs and smashed into the wyvern. The great beast crashed through the forest, and just barely thrashed to its feet in time to see Banda descent from above and smash its skull with Thunder.

    Banda stood over his fallen foe with an arrogant expression, and smacked it for daring to fight him. He was starting to encounter stronger monsters, but he grew stronger still. The young savage devoured the wyvern¡¯s soul and continued his hunt with pride.

    It had been many suns and moons since he first woke, and he had never known defeat. Some beasts were dangerous only because they used tricks against him. But Banda was smart. He could defeat their tricks. And he was strong. Stronger than everything else. This forest was his.

    The head of a giant wolf appeared among the trees to his side, and Banda¡¯s eyes were slowly drawn to it. Its maw thin and long, with a tongue hanging out between its sneering fangs. Its red and yellow spiral-patterned eye focused unnaturally on him. Its taunting malice suffocating.

    Fear ran through Banda¡¯s core. For the first time, he did not consider fighting. He fled. He ran aimlessly as fast as he could in Feral Form, with no other thought but to put distance between himself and The Wolf.

    It was different. He did not know what it was, nor why he was afraid of it. And he did not seek the answer. He simply ran as fast as he could.

    Banda cut through the brush and between the trees. He jumped over creeks and around cliffs. He turned at a hill, and The Wolf was waiting for him.

    He dug his feet into the ground and kicked off back where he came. He ran like the wind and hid under the brush.

    He made himself quiet. As quiet as possible. Instinctively, he withdrew everything into himself. His mana, his intent, his presence. But The Wolf found him. And the look in its gaze sent sickening spines piercing through his stomach.

    Banda burst away in a frenzy. He changed directions again and again and again in rapid succession, but The Wolf always found him. Always waited just beyond the trees.

    The more Banda fled and failed to escape, the more his dread grew. There was something about its eyes. The way it looked at him. Mockingly, as though all his efforts against it would be futile. Inviting him to test the thought. Banda did not dare.

    His eyes darted around frantically as he sped in random directions. A chill sharper than any other ran through his spine, and he flung himself away, just barely evading The Wolf¡¯s giant maw. Its spiralled eye squirmed and flickered towards him.

    Banda burst away again, faster than before as his features turned monstrous. Pain tore across his very being, and his instincts warned him of the threat his own power posed on his life, but he did not care. The danger of The Wolf was greater.

    This time, Banda ran with a goal in mind. He rushed to find the strongest monsters. He antagonized them, tricked them to encounter The Wolf so that their fangs and claws would fall on each other.

    He sent them one after the other, and the forest went quiet. Banda stopped and stood on guard to all around him. He glanced left and right, front and back, then front again. And The Wolf was there, holding the head of one of those powerful monsters in its jaw.

    Fear took hold of Banda so firmly he could not bring himself to move. There was nothing he could do. He could not escape. He could not kill it. Every fiber of his being trembled. He could not even meet its eyes. He wondered if it would let him go if he asked. If he pleaded.

    Banda looked up, and his heart sank. He could tell it was smiling. It enjoyed his fear. His inferiority.

    Banda fled. Without looking back, without changing his course, without thinking. He fled. And The Wolf pursued. It was gaining. He could feel it drawing closer. Its fangs nearly on his skin.

    Banda tripped on a rock and crashed along the ground into a new part of the forest. He sprung to his feet frantic vigilance, but The Wolf was nowhere to be seen. The fear that had pierced his flesh like claws gone.

    Was it toying with him, he wondered. Mocking its prey again. Banda waited, but still nothing happened. This part of the forest looked different. He wondered if The Wolf could not enter it. Maybe it was safe.

    Banda waited a few moments more, his frayed nerves still stiffened his limbs. But slowly, he started to move, and he ran deeper into the safe land.

 Chapter 43 - King of the Forest

    Banda trotted through the safe land as he explored his new home. It was a strange home, different from the rest of the forest he had known. The soil was different. The air was different. Even the trees were different. And even more perplexing than that, was that he had found no other beasts.

    Banda wondered why no one else stayed in this land when The Wolf was out there. He suspected it was because they were stupid, but that didn¡¯t matter much to him. He would claim this place to himself all the same.

    A rumbling noise from his stomach quickly made Banda realize a very significant problem. No beasts in the land meant there were no beasts to hunt. A very bad problem. If he didn¡¯t eat, his stomach would hurt and then it would betray him.

    Banda glanced back, but only briefly. Leaving the safe land to hunt was not an option. That meant he needed to find something other than beasts to eat.

    With that goal in mind, Banda bounced around as he tested what the safe land had to offer. He ate grass and bark and leaves but it all tasted just as bad as it had in the other part of the forest.

    Scarcely a few minutes had passed and Banda was already sick of taste-testing. But he had to find food. Banda¡¯s bitter expression drifted up to one of the trees.

    It was a tall and thin tree with rough bark fashioned like the scales of a wyvern. Its green branches which grew only from the top were like thin and long wings, with leaves like thin and long feathers.

    Banda had ignored them before since they looked uncomfortable to sleep on, but now his gaze was the clusters of seeds that hung below their branches. All of the palm trees bore them, most green or yellow like leaves, but the ones he saw now were a brilliant striking red.

    Banda jumped up the palm tree and snatched a red Soma fruit. He inspected it for a moment before taking a cautionary bite. And his eyes shot open.

    Divine sweetness danced in his mouth with a heavenly tang. Banda scarfed down more of the chewy fruit, whose flesh even felt good to eat. His last bite stopped on its hard seed, so he threw it away and grabbed for more of the fruit.

    Hardly any time had passed before he had eaten all of them, but Banda wanted more. This fruit was the tastiest thing he had ever eaten, and his stomach seemed to agree with him.

    Banda smiled as he praised himself for being smart. With the problem of food solved, he jumped from the tree to see what the rest of his safe land held. Banda hoped that among what he found would be many more good tasting things.

    Suddenly, a giant beast appeared in the corner of his eye as he ran. A white-furred gorilla with arms as thick as trees and fists the size of boulders.

    A bony crown grew from its forehead with a long horn on the left size and a broken horn on the right. Dim blue crystal veins spread over its leathery tan hands and chests, and stern silvery eyes pierced into his own.

    Banda spun into a fighting crouch. There was another in this territory, and he could sense it was strong. But that did not matter. This was his land, and he would kill all those who threatened him.

    Banda lunged at rapid speed in Feral Form, but Monga easily slapped him away. With a trace of shock, Banda darted up and zigzagged towards an opening at the gorilla¡¯s side, but Monga simply slapped him again.

    The stone Banda threw as he hit the ground was dodged just as effortlessly, so he took a different approach. Banda let the impact carry him further behind the brush, and the forest fell silent.

    Banda suppressed his mana entirely, and his intent, and quieted his movements as much as possible. He waited and waited as the gorilla stood alone in the open, and then he lunged.

    Monga¡¯s hand blurred and snatched Banda out of the air. Panic coursed through his body as he struggled madly to escape, but he could not break free.

    ¡°Leave.¡± Monga ordered. But Banda did not understand, nor was he even paying attention. The child simply keep thrashing.

    ¡°Do you not hear me?¡± Monga asked with a more threatening tone. And Banda bite down on his finger.

    Monga¡¯s hand slackened slightly and that was enough for him to escape. Banda fled without hesitation, but his expression was stern.

    The gorilla was stronger than him, but he had faced stronger beasts before. If he could not kill it now, then he would observe it. Plunder its strength to grow stronger as he had always done. And then he would kill it.

    ---

    Banda stayed perfectly still as he watched the gorilla from his perfect hiding spot. He had been stalking the beast for days now, much like he was now. The gorilla could not sense him, which gave Banda all the time in the world to observe. And observe he did, waiting for weakness.

    ¡°Go away.¡±

    The stupid beast made strange noises again. It often made strange noises. Banda quietly raised to a crouch as he planned an attack.

    He lunged at an opening but rolled to the side as Monga¡¯s eyes turned his way. Sudden erratic movements and feinting gestures followed, as Banda poked and prodded with his killing intent.

    It was a different manner of fighting than his usual, one Banda had adopted these past few days. A smarter and more imaginative style that leaned defensive.

    His goal was not the immediate kill, but to test the gorilla over and over until he learned all he needed to make the kill certain.

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    ¡°Begone, before I kill you.¡± Monga threatened again. But Banda just bounced around, looking for the next opening.

    Monga¡¯s teeth gritted in frustration and his body blurred far faster than he had moved before. Banda tried to flee but he was caught once again.

    Monga pressed his thumb to his forehead, and knowledge filled his mind. Strange sounds appeared, attached to images of things he knew. So many sounds and images that it robbed Banda of his focus on the fight.

    ¡°Do you understand now, child? Leave.¡±

    Banda glanced back with overwhelmed confusion, but did not respond as he tried to figure things out.

    ¡°Leave my territory.¡± Monga ordered again.

    ¡°My forest!¡± Banda yelled back on instinct, and his eyes went wide.

    He had heard his thoughts with his ears, not just within his head. And he realized he could understand the gorilla, too. It was sudden and unexpected and did not make sense to him, which meant it could only have been caused by ¡®claws¡¯.

    ¡°What did you do?¡± Banda barked his question at his towering enemy.

    ¡°I gave you language, brat.¡± Monga replied. ¡°Now¡­ Heed my words..."

    "Leave.¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    Monga cratered the ground with his fist, as frustration started to turn to rage. The force of the threat put Banda on edge but he did not leave. The gorilla was not the scariest thing in the forest.

    The child¡¯s strange defiance caught Monga¡¯s notice, and contemplation glinted in his eyes. ¡°Why?¡± The great beast asked.

    ¡°Danger.¡± Banda said bluntly.

    Monga scoffed. ¡°What here could possibly threaten you?¡±

    Banda did not answer, and still he did not leave, so Monga proposed a compromise. ¡°Fine¡­ You may stay in my territory. Just leave me alone.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    The composition Monga had gathered was lost in an instant, along with his temper. Divinity and intent surged from him. ¡°You spoiled brat!¡±

    ¡°...teach me.¡± Banda said as he withstood the torrent.

    ¡°Teach you?¡± Monga asked, violence still dominating his tone. ¡°Teach you what?¡±

    ¡°Strength.¡± Banda spoke with guarded expression and determined eyes.

    Monga stared back for a moment. ¡°...If I teach you, will you leave?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Banda said.

    ¡°Fine¡­ The greatest teacher¡­ is experience.¡±

    Monga blurred into combat without warning. Alarm filled Banda at first, but soon his focused steeled and he observed once more.

    ---

    Monga laid on the open ground under the starry sky, as he had done for so many other countless nights. While not particularly rewarding or satisfying, it was a tolerable peace. One that would not bother him for countless more.

    ¡°Train.¡± Banda demanded, and Monga¡¯s peace quickly turned to irritation.

    ¡°Later.¡±

    ¡°Now.¡± The selfish brat objected.

    ¡°...go run around the territory. That is the best training.¡±

    ¡°Lies.¡± The child called his bluff. Monga didn¡¯t know whether he was sharp or just plain stubborn. ¡°Train.¡±

    Monga grit his teeth. It had only been mere days and he already regretted giving the human brat the gift of speech. ¡°It is night. Sleep.¡±

    ¡°What is night?¡± The child asked.

    ¡°When the sky is dark and the moon is out.¡±

    ¡°What is moon?¡±

    ¡°A goddess.¡±

    ¡°What is goddess?¡±

    ¡°A powerful being?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It has divinity.¡±

    ¡°What is divinity?¡±

    ¡°The power of souls.¡±

    ¡°What is souls?¡±

    ¡°The spiritual essence of a being.¡±

    ¡°What is-¡±

    ¡°Do you have nothing else to do besides bother me?¡± Monga interrupted his ceaseless questions.

    ¡°No.¡± Banda said bluntly. There was nothing more important than getting stronger. And knowledge was also power.

    As Monga grumbled to himself, Banda thought about how Monga had a lot of answers. About how he knew many things.

    ¡°Why do I need eat and sleep?¡± Banda asked.

    ¡°All mortal things must eat and sleep or they die.¡±

    ¡°Moon eat and sleep?¡±

    ¡°No. It is divine. Immortal. It can live forever.¡±

    Banda¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°How I become like moon?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± Monga spoke curtly. ¡°No one can advance beyond the mortal ranks in Akkad.¡±

    Banda frowned. ¡°I want to be like moon.¡±

    ¡°I said you can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You lie!¡±

    ¡°Then stop asking questions if you doubt my words!¡± Monga snapped back.

    Banda fell silent with a surly expression as he contemplated. He had to get stronger. If he could live forever like the moon and not even have to eat or sleep, then he could surely defeat The Wolf and claim back his forest.

    He thought deeply. A goddess gets power from souls. So he needed souls.

    ¡°Where souls?¡± Banda asked.

    ¡°Inside the bodies of beings¡­¡±

    Banda started to open his mouth, but a realization struck him. The things he had been eating all this time were beasts¡¯ souls. Which meant his ¡®claws¡¯ were divinity. He had made three claws so far. The moon must have more if it was stronger. If he ate more souls, he could make as many ¡®claws¡¯ as the moon.

    ¡°I want souls.¡± Banda demanded.

    ¡°You and I are the only ones here.¡± Monga said. ¡°Go outside to the rest of the forest if you want them.¡±

    Banda¡¯s expression lowered. He couldn¡¯t hunt outside the safe land. Not now. He looked back up to the giant gorilla with a question in his mind. ¡°Are you strongest in forest. Does The Wolf stay away because he fears you? Teach me how to make The Wolf go away.¡±

    ¡°The wolf¡­?¡± Monga acknowledged the child¡¯s choice of words for a moment. ¡°All beasts are the same. They stay away because I am king. If you want something to stay away, then you must become king.¡±

    ¡°Teach me.¡±

    ¡°I already told you where to go¡­¡± Monga had almost had enough of the irritation now.

    Banda grew a little more frustrated. ¡°No outside! I need claws so I can be like moon. I must hunt beasts.¡±

    ¡°Killing beasts does not earn divinity. You must foster worship as you¡¯ve done bef¡­.¡± Monga¡¯s words trailed off, and he rose to face Banda directly. And the atmosphere grew tense. ¡°How do you get divinity?¡±

    Banda balked slightly under the pressure but answered firmly. ¡°I ate them.¡±

    Realization seemed to wash over Monga¡¯s face. He had never faced the man directly before, so he hadn¡¯t made the connection. But he had heard tales of him. The monstrous bestial face and the ability to devour souls without limit. Powers distinct to the equal of Gilgamesh.

    Monga¡¯s attitude grew deeper and indecipherable. ¡°Fine¡­ I will let in the other beasts. But I will not help you if you are in danger. Do not bother me for a while.¡±

    Banda expression steeled with firm resolve. He planned to hunt every last beast he found, and make more claws than anything else in the forest.